Tagged With "Water Testing"
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UNL’s Weather Ready Farms Partners with eXtension Through USDA-NIFA Cooperative Agreement
As part of eXtension’s New Technologies for Agricultural Extension (NTAE) Cooperative Agreement with USDA-NIFA, the eXtension Foundation is partnering with four existing programs aligned with USDA strategic goals across Cooperative Extension in Year 1 to explore new methods and models for program scale and implementation. These initiatives are being documented in a series of eFieldbooks to inform the system of the models, learnings, and outcomes. Professional development opportunities will...
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New eFieldbook Available! Bridging the GAPs: Approaches to Treating Water On Farms
As part of eXtension’s New Technologies for Agricultural Extension (NTAE) Year 1 Cooperative Agreement with USDA-NIFA, the eXtension Foundation selected a multi-state initiative including North Carolina State University, University of Florida, University of Tennessee, and Virginia Tech to participate in our program accelerator, receiving several wrap-around services from the eXtension Foundation to help with faster implementation and impact. One component of eXtension’s wrap-around services...
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Ask Extension Pilot Program
The eXtension Foundation is seeking volunteers to pilot the upgraded Ask An Expert platform, dubbed Ask Extension, to test features and provide input on user experience for long term improvements. Historically, Ask An Expert has served Cooperative Extension as a digital outreach tool to connect millions of U.S. citizens with you - their local Extension experts. The upgraded Ask Extension provides significant improvements in terms of enhanced ability for clients to dialogue with the expert,...
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EMPATHY
Help! My empathy meter is falling & I need to know how to bring it up! If you're confused about the difference between sympathy, empathy & compassion you're not alone. Too often these "cousins" are misused so here's a quick run-down... Sympathy When we act out of sympathy we're not really connecting with the other person. It means we understand what the person is feeling. It's pity for them. Empathy When we act out of empathy, a connection emerges with the feelings of the one who is...
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Farm Journal Request for High-Res Images for Soil Health Improvement Workbook
Farm Journal is building a soil health improvement workbook in partnership with NRCS & a variety of leaders in agribusiness, farmer associations, food companies & NGOs and are looking for high-resolution images (with credit to the providing organization(s)/institutions) of: Soil infiltration test (each step of the process illustrated) Water mitigation table (each step) At-home rainfall simulator (each step) Any other at-home soil tests farmers can perform to assess specific facets of...
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Urban Green Infrastructure Workshop: Reflections from our last gathering
Green infrastructure is a strategically planned network at the city and even regional scale that includes both land (parks, urban forests, raingardens, bioswales, greenspace, to name a few), and water (rivers, watersheds, etc.). Working in green infrastructure also enables the clear illustration of often forgotten connections between local and regional food systems and water (roof gardens, community gardens, urban farms, fruit orchards, etc.). Other benefits of green infrastructure include...
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NEW! Assistant Project Director for Immunization Education
Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching and Engagement (EXCITE) Assistant Project Director for Immunization Education Position Description This project is a collaborative effort among the Extension Committee on Policy (ECOP), eXtension, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It grew out of efforts undertaken by the ECOP Health Innovation Task Force. eXtension anticipates receiving funding for Immunization Education efforts. Key Extension leaders on this project...
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ICYMI: Take a Tour with the MyPlate Team: Walk Through The New Personalized Digital Tools and Resources
Yesterday, we had three guests from the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion to learn about the new MyPlate website and suite of digital tools and resources that were launched upon the release of the Dietary Guidelines, 2020-2025. In this webinar, we explored the MyPlate tools to help you reach audiences at every life stage. Here are some resources from that webinar: Recording MyPlate National Nutrition Month Playbook (Attached) Slide deck (Attached) Q&A questions answered in...
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THE QUEST FOR TALENT EQUITY: ENGAGEMENT IN THE REGIONAL TALENT PIPELINE ECOSYSTEM
Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash.com Eric Dunker, Associate for Business Strategies, Associate Vice President and Dean: Business, Technology, and Workforce Partnerships, Arapahoe Community College As our society becomes more diverse, businesses and communities have moral and economic reasons to create systems with talent equity outcomes across the educational and labor market continuum. Higher education is rightly focused on educational equity, but this pandemic has demonstrated large...
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Old Hat
Each of us probably have items we've held onto for a long time. The sentimental value pulls at our heartstrings so hard we can't seem to let them go. One such item for me is a New York Yankees hat. The Story My wife & I were on the road together in New York. One of the stops on the tour was New York City. We found ourselves with some time one morning & decided to venture out to discover downtown. It was a gorgeous sunny day & I wasn't prepared so naturally, I bought a Yankees...
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New Grant Opportunities: Innovations in Nutrition Programs and Services
New Grant Opportunities: Innovations in Nutrition Programs and Services The Administration on Aging | Administration for Community Living (ACL) has released two Innovations in Nutrition (INNU) Funding Opportunities Announcements (FOAs) to establish cooperative agreements to conduct research projects that enhance the quality, effectiveness, and outcomes of nutrition programs and services within the aging services network. Innovations in Nutrition Programs and Services – Statewide Research...
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RFA: Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching & Engagement (EXCITE) Immunization Education Pilot Projects (Activity 2)
Extension Committee on Organization and Policy, Health Innovation Task Force Extension Foundation EXTENSION COLLABORATIVE ON IMMUNIZATION TEACHING AND ENGAGEMENT (EXCITE) IMMUNIZATION EDUCATION PILOT PROJECTS (ACTIVITY 2) DATES: MAY 1, 2021 - APRIL 30, 2023 ELIGIBILITY: The RFA for EXCITE Activity 2 is open to all Land Grant University CES professionals. Each LGU may apply as part of an unlimited number of lead and collaborating applications for EXCITE Activity 2. At most, one project per...
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RFA: Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching & Engagement (EXCITE) Vaccinate With Confidence for COVID-19 (Activity 1)
Extension Committee on Organization and Policy, Health Innovation Task Force Extension Foundation EXTENSION COLLABORATIVE ON IMMUNIZATION TEACHING AND ENGAGEMENT (EXCITE) VACCINATE WITH CONFIDENCE FOR COVID-19 (ACTIVITY 1) DATES: MAY 1, 2021 - APRIL 30, 2022 ELIGIBILITY: The RFA for EXCITE Activity 1 is open to all Extension professionals at all Land-Grant Universities (1862, 1890, 1994). For Activity 1, one application per institution is eligible to be considered, determined at the...
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Navigating the Grocery Store Aisle and Creating a Food Marketing Game: An Extension Project Update
Navigating the grocery store aisle is challenging for many consumers—especially those who want to buy the most nutritious food. Food manufacturers and distributors cover their boxes, cans, and bottles of processed foods with labels like “organic,” “all natural,” and “no sugar added” to suggest that their food has certain health benefits. But these labels are intended to improve product sales, not necessarily help consumers make healthy food choices. And when food marketing labels seem to...
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June 2021 Farm Journal Contest: Conservation Practices and Water Quality
Share your stories of success and get your story lead developed and published by Farm Journal! The June 2021 Story Lead Contest has been posted and is due on Wednesday, June 30th. This month’s Cooperative Extension feature with Farm Journal’s Trust In Food focuses on the growing activity of researchers and conservation groups to help farmers improve local water quality . More producers are exploring water quality improvements with edge of field practices including riparian buffers, wetlands,...
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Farm Journal & NRCS Water Quality Stewardship Guide
@Nate Birt with Farm Journal has shared some resources from a public-private partnership with NRCS for Cooperative Extension professionals to utilize and share with farmers/ranchers in their local communiities. From Nate: " By downloading a personal copy of the guide, Extension leaders can encourage farmers and ranchers to type their own answers into the workbook pages, and better prepare themselves to get help from Extension experts in their communities, NRCS agents, etc." More information:...
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Wits Wellness research is looking for participants
Wits Wellness research is looking for participants A research team from the University of Illinois is looking for participants for the WITS Wellness Research Study . Any person 50 years and older who has not been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia is eligible. Participants can receive up to $60 for their participation in the study. The study will include 12 weekly health and wellness sessions at various locations across the state. The sessions will be fun, with interactive...
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Federal Nutrition Innovations Funding Opportunity
The Administration for Community Living has announced the following Funding Opportunity: Innovations in Nutrition Programs and Services - Research HHS-2022-ACL-AOA-INNU-0017 This FOA includes two project approaches. Applicants select one project model to implement: Project Model A: Demonstrate Congregate Meal Program Impact on Nutrition, Socialization, Health, and Well-being Outcomes. Project Model B: Evaluate and Sustain Effective, Non-Traditional Senior Nutrition Program Delivery Models.
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Virtual chat recap: Watershed education, outreach, and engagement
In this virtual chat, we discussed opportunities and challenges related to watershed education and outreach, exploring how Extension can support our audiences with resources and programming to build local capacity. As part of a New Technologies for Agricultural Extension Accelerator Program project , University of Minnesota Extension Educators are building a website, called the Watershed Engagement Programming (WEP) Hub, to support local government (e.g. Soil & Water Conservation...
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Job Opening: Soil Health Extension Educator
INTRODUCTION The University of Connecticut (UConn) Department of Extension is seeking applicants for a full-time (11 month) non-tenure track Assistant/Associate Extension Educator. The successful applicant will assess, develop and deliver impactful extension programs on soil health, regenerative agriculture, and conservation practices. These programs will build an Extension program focused on creating more climate and economically resilient agricultural systems through improved knowledge of...
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Job Opening: Water Quality Extension Educator
The Department of Extension in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources invites applications for an Assistant/Associate Extension Educator in Water Quality. We seek an individual whose professional skills and abilities can foster the integration of extension with research to address local and regional water quality issues such as urban stormwater and agricultural runoff. This position will be housed in the award-winning Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR) and...
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Shifting Your Mindset from a Deficit Ideology
In the second MFRA course, “Family Service Providers: Recognizing and Responding to Inequities”, Dr. Alison De Marco introduces the deficit ideology framework and provides ways to move beyond this mindset.
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Financial Health: What It Is and How to Achieve It
Extension educators are in a position to help consumers build financial health. This post describes what financial health is, how to assess it, and twelve steps to achieve it. What Is Financial Health? Financial health is the current state of someone’s finances. It includes both daily financial functioning (e.g., paying bills) and long-term resilience and opportunity. Like physical health, financial health can change over time and needs to be assessed regularly. According to the Financial...
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Extension Foundation Announces Year 4 (2022-2023) New Technologies for Ag Extension Projects
Fifty-seven applications were submitted by 36 Land-grant universities in response to the RFA shared by the Extension Foundation in April, 2022, for New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE). The Extension Foundation will be supporting 39 projects across Cooperative Extension as part of its fourth year of the NTAE program. This program is made possible by funding from USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) through a partnership with Oklahoma State University and the Extension...
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GPCAH Acadenuc and Community Pilot Grants Due Dec 1
The GPCAH is now accepting proposals for pilot projects intended to promote innovative outreach and research efforts to prevent agricultural injury and illness in our Midwest region. Learn more and apply at https://bit.ly/Pilots2022 . The pilot program offers two funding tracks (see below) and supports both community-based organizations and academic researchers , especially new investigators and trainees, and encourages applications from those newly interested in agricultural health and...
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8 New 1994 LGUs will Join EXCITE as Pilot Projects!
We are so excited to announce 8 new 1994 institutions are joining the EXCITE Activity 2 program Immunization Education Pilots Projects. These funded projects work cooperatively with the CDC, local health professionals and programs to improve immunization rates with priority populations. The purpose is to create and test innovative delivery methods for each pilot project and inform future immunization education methodologies of best practices. 8 Land Grant Universities joining the EXCITE...
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FNIC’s Research Publications (Nutrition): Explore New and Emerging Research
As all nutrition professionals, educators, and researchers know, nutrition science is constantly evolving, and staying up to date on new and emerging research is important. The Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC) at USDA’s National Agricultural Library is making it easier to receive credible federally and privately-funded research updates from Agricultural Research Service (ARS) priority nutrition journals with a new, free Research Publications (Nutrition) feed. Why is FNIC’s...
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Re: National Extension Climate Initiative needs Beta Testers for Climate Curriculum
We had more than 30 NECI Beta Testers go through the Climate Bootcamp to evaluate the EcoActUs platform for potential use by Extension Professionals. A second Beta Test is planned for January 2023. Watch here for specifics when they become available.
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RFA: ECOP Health and Workforce Program Action Teams: Resilient Economies and Community Health (REACH)
ELIGIBILITY: Competitive opportunity available to ALL Land-grant universities (LGUs) (1862, 1890, 1994) by completing a simple online application. The Extension Foundation in partnership with the ECOP Health and Workforce Program Action Teams, is offering two opportunities to apply and be selected to pilot a community development initiative in a community of their choosing. More specifically, successful applicants will have the opportunity to pilot test how Cooperative Extension can catalyze...
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RFA Deadline Extended! ECOP Health and Workforce Program Action Teams: Resilient Economies and Community Health (REACH)
RFA: ECOP Health and Workforce Program Action Teams: Resilient Economies and Community Health (REACH) ELIGIBILITY: Competitive opportunity available to ALL Land-grant universities (LGUs) (1862, 1890, 1994) by completing a simple online application. The Extension Foundation in partnership with the ECOP Health and Workforce Program Action Teams, is offering two opportunities to apply and be selected to pilot a community development initiative in a community of their choosing. More...
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Happiness Power!
Is your goal to have a little success each day? Can probably guess you said "yes"! In one of my favorite Ted Talks , Shawn Achor says every time we experience some success we move the goalpost for what it means to us. AND...if our overall happiness is connected with that success, it's likely we never get there. What? We're undermining our own happiness? In his happiness research, he's discovered our brains work in the opposite way. A "happiness advantage" can occur when we raise our level of...
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"Bridging the GAPS: Approaches to Treating Water On Farms" Curriculum Available as Flipping Book
“Bridging the GAPS: Approaches to Treating Water on Farms” - a curriculum designed to help producers understand and address the regulatory requirements for ag water treatment in the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) - has been reissued in a flipping book format by the Extension Foundation. Preventing foodborne illness and protecting public health are critically important to producers. Sanitary irrigation water is also mandated by the USDA; producers are required to monitor, treat, and...
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Clearinghouse for Cleaner Water: New publication explores online resource hub project
The Extension Foundation has added a new title to its library. Clearinghouse for Cleaner Water: University of Minnesota Hub was w ritten by Anne Nelson and Anne Sawyer of the University of Minnesota (UMN) Extension. The UMN team is creating the Watershed Engagement Programming (WEP) Hub to support watershed-related outreach and engagement efforts to help address the state’s efforts to improve water quality. The team decided to create the Hub after surveying several dozen soil and water...
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New Publication Helps Cooperative Extension Professionals Engage Communities
A new publication - Engaging Communities Through Issues Forums: A How-To Guide for Onsite and Online Community Engagement - is available from the Extension Foundation. The publication explores the use of issue forums as a community engagement tool in Extension work. Both a process guide and content publication, it is a comprehensive “how-to” designed to help Cooperative Extension professionals successfully develop and implement issues forums in both onsite and online settings. Each section...
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Off to College: Preparing Military Teens for Post-Secondary Education
Military teens grow up with their own unique set of challenges. From parental deployments to relocation, teens in military families have learned to be flexible and resilient. That flexibility and resilience can be a great benefit when teens are planning their next steps after high school graduation. For many, that next step means heading off to college and laying the groundwork for the beginnings of a career. As military service providers, we can support military families as they navigate...
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USDA Studies Determine that the Way We Treat Our Land Impacts Water Availability
Studies by USDA Agricultural Research Service Determine that the Way We Treat Our Land Impacts Water Availability Media Contact : Maribel.Alonso@usda.gov What impact, if any, do farming and ranching practices have on how much water is available downstream? That was the question scientists at the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Agroclimate and Hydraulic Engineering Research Unit in El Reno, Oklahoma, set out to answer in a series of studies conducted in Central and Western Oklahoma.
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Engage your Extension Audience in New Ways
It's important for Extension Programs to stay current on the latest strategies for engaging with their audiences and be able to adapt and create new strategies in order to reach their communities more widely or effectively. The Extension Foundation offers a variety of resources to help you discover new ways to reach, understand and engage with your audience. Through Connect Extension, you can find videos and publications that can teach you new strategies to improve engagement and promotion...
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June Check in: Recap of this Year's Program Center Stage Webinars!
Cooperative Extension implements community-driven impactful programming across the system. To showcase these programs, the Extension Foundation hosts a monthly series called Program Center Stage , which invites Extension teams from diverse areas to spotlight their programs and project methods, strategies, and impacts. This series serves as a platform for Extension professionals and partners to connect with these programs, gain insights and explore opportunities for collaboration or program...
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Game On! Equitable Development Leadership Academy: Calling Brave Souls
Attention, you courageous hearts and fearless spirits! Prepare to step out of your comfort zone and embark on a developmental adventure like no other with the National 4-H Council. Get ready for an extraordinary journey that will call upon your bravery and determination to redesign equity in your community. An experience where youth and adults unite to deepen their knowledge and leadership skills for a better tomorrow. Together, our cohort of community changemakers will build a strong...
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Illinois Extension is Seeking a Watershed Outreach Associate
The University of Illinois Extension is seeking an individual to deliver research-based educational programs, developed in cooperation with University personnel and campus-based faculty with an emphasis on watershed management in or near one of the phosphorus-priority watersheds
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Emotional Spending 101
Unlike impulsive buying, emotional spending is frequently heightened by stress, grief, or moments of happiness or sadness. Regardless of these triggers, they can impact your finances negatively. For example, you shop to make yourself feel better after a bad day at work. As a result, compulsive shopping and spending stems from an impulse disorder habit that can be addictive for many. The relationship between money and happiness is now seen as complete. Aknin, Wiwad, and Hannibal (2018)...
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Extension Foundation Releases Three New Publications
The Extension Foundation has added three new titles to its publications library. These brief publications - written as magazine-style feature stories - share project work funded through the New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) program , a cooperative agreement between USDA NIFA, Oklahoma State University, and the Extension Foundation. NATE's goal is to incubate, accelerate, and expand promising work that will increase the impact of the Cooperative Extension System (CES) in the...
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Mental Resilience
Thought you might enjoy a Yogi Berra quote to start... "Baseball is 90% mental and the other half is physical." Too funny and makes a great point. Life is a constant mental challenge. And we know, heaven or hell, it's between our ears. As you ponder what it will take for you to become more mentally resilient, here are some things to consider. "I don't count my sit-ups; I only start counting when it starts hurting because they're the only ones that count." -Muhammad Ali When the going gets...
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Unlock the Power of Game-Based Learning with New Mexico State Learning Games Lab - Register Now for Our Exclusive Webinar
Research highlights the efficacy of game-based learning in educating youth. A team at New Mexico State University’s Learning Games Lab is applying that research, using their expertise in game-based learning to make food safety education exciting for the next generation of food handlers and enthusiasts. Youth prepare food for themselves and their families and may have careers in the food industry. It’s important that they learn about safe food handling, cooking, storage, and when food is...
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Food Safety Education for Youth: Theme Park Kitchen Game is now Available!
The Learning Games Lab team at New Mexico State University recently hosted a webinar with the Extension Foundation to introduce their latest educational technology innovation: " Theme Park Kitchen ," a food safety game for youth. Using their expertise in game-based learning and engaging young learners, the team has turned food safety education into an exciting game for the upcoming generation of food handlers. "Theme Park Kitchen" is an online game aimed at both entertaining and educating...
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EXCITE Adult Vaccination Project
The Virginia Cooperative Extension EXCITE Team and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) conducted a symposium on November 3rd, 2023 to discuss the EXCITE project funded through CDC and ways that Virginia Cooperative Extension Agents could get involved in vaccine education! This session introduced our vaccine ambassadors and their roles in their respective localities, provided background on adult vaccinations and the current vaccination schedule, and discussed approaches to communicating...