Tagged With "It's not about you"
Blog Post
FOLLOWERS or JOINERS?
My curiosity about leadership & management led me to connect with Don Shapiro of First Concepts Consulting. We had a great conversation about our mutually favorite topic...leadership! Here's his site where you can find out more about his offerings, thought leadership, etc... First Concepts Consulting During our conversation, he had two important insights... *Over the last 20 years (or so), there has been an almost exponential increase in the focus on leadership. Ok, maybe exponential...
Blog Post
eXtension Selects 8 Projects For Acceleration From Cooperative Extension for 2020-2021
As part of eXtension’s New Technologies for Agricultural Extension (NTAE) Cooperative Agreement with USDA-NIFA, the eXtension Foundation selected 8 projects from 33 competitive nominations across the system for year two to participate in its project accelerator program. The nomination process opened in May 2020 and closed in July 2020. All Land Grant Universities were eligible to submit nominations. The project period is September 1, 2020 to August 31, 2021. Requirements included: Projects...
Blog Post
September 2020 Farm Journal Story Lead Contest: How Are You Bringing People in Your Local Communities Closer to Farmers and U.S. Agriculture?
For this month’s Cooperative Extension feature, Farm Journal’s Trust In Food seeks your stories about helping bring people in your local communities closer to farmers and U.S. agriculture. Amid COVID-19, many companies are reporting they will redouble efforts related to mitigating climate change, lowering environmental impact & helping consumers make sustainability-conscious purchasing decisions. What are you doing to help local consumers & farmers connect and better understand the...
Blog Post
APHA Annual Meeting Deadline Extended to September 10
If you have never attended the Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA) because of the added cost of travel, meals, and lodging then this may be your to attend the all-virtual conference. Better yet, is that workshop will also be available on-demand after the conference, so you won't have to among sessions in the same time block. This is a big conference with over 1,000 concurrent sessions. For more information, visit https://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Blog Post
Results from the August 2020 Farm Journal Story Lead Contest
In May, the eXtension Foundation launched a monthly story lead contest in partnership with Farm Journal in the Farm Journal Monthly Story Lead Contest sub group here in Connect Extension. Monthly winners, along with their Extension Directors and Administrators, have the chance to work with Farm Journal to further develop their story and have it published in Farm Journal media. The topic area for the August 2020 contest was about about an innovative research project, on-farm trial or farmer...
Blog Post
July 2020 Story Lead Contest Winner Published in Farm Journal
Congrats again to @Jason de Koff , Tennessee State University, for submitting the winning story lead for the July 2020 Farm Journal Monthly Story Lead contest here in Connect Extension. Thank you to everyone for your submissions each month! The story, Q&A: Maximize Drone ROI On Your Farm has been published by Farm Journal. You can read the full story here . Photo Credit: Corey Blick
Blog Post
Begin Again
If we don't learn the skill of gratitude we'll never be grateful for what we've learned. Hopefully you appreciate not only the amazing ability we have to learn new things but also the value added to your life. To gain greater clarity & purpose with our knowledge in certain areas it can be helpful to "begin again". This serves as a rediscovering of what it means to us today & how the meaning has changed from when we originally tackled it. Greater self-consciousness & appreciation...
Blog Post
National Juntos Convening: A Thirteen Year Journey
Since 2007 Juntos has been bridging communities together with the goal of graduating Latino students from high school and supporting their journey to high education. On September 23, 2020, eleven land-grant Universities, Juntos partners, advocates, and investors will come together for the opening of the first National Juntos Convening to answer Why Juntos Matters to our communities and nation. On September 24th Juntos leaders from all eleven Universities will come together to set the stage...
Comment
Re: New Email Notification System for Connect Extension: Daily or Weekly Digest Now Available
Thank you.
Comment
Re: National Juntos Convening: A Thirteen Year Journey
Appreciate all that you've included to help me learn more about this wonderful initiative. Thank you!
Blog Post
Digital Technology eFieldbook Webinar Shares Project Info & Findings
More than three dozen Cooperative Extension professionals joined in a webinar to learn more about eXtension's new Using Digital Technology eFieldbook . @ashleygriffin @Jerry Thomas and @rosehayden-smith offered a panel discussion that explored the eFieldbook content and features, the Fellowship project (including professional development activities), lessons learned, and findings from the eXtension Technology Futuring Project. The eFieldbook was produced as part of of eXtension’s New...
Blog Post
Urban Foods Systems Symposium in October will focus on climate, community, security, production and distribution
All things food in and for urban areas will be in focus during the 3 rd Urban Food Systems Symposium scheduled for virtual delivery on Wednesdays in Octobe r and hosted this year by Kansas State University and K-State Research and Extension. 2020 Urban Food Systems Symposium online sessions will be offered from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. CDT every Wednesday in October. If you’ve got an interest in any aspect of urban food systems there’s a session for you and you are encouraged attend. The...
Blog Post
County Connectivity Landscape Dashboard Announced
COVID-19 has sped the adoption of virtual programming in Cooperative Extension across the nation and has highlighted a need for information about connectivity at the county level for use in planning virtual programs. A new tool developed by a team at Purdue University may help. With funding from eXtension Foundation, they’ve created a County Connectivity Landscape Dashboard to help Cooperative Extension professionals as they plan online programming and outreach methods. Dr. Roberto Gallardo,...
Blog Post
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...
Blog Post
eXtension Foundation Update: September 2019 - September 2020
It's been a fantastic past year at the eXtension Foundation and we are grateful for the opportunity to serve Cooperative Extension! If you'd like to know more about our work in our three program areas for the past year: New Technologies for Ag Extension, the Impact Collaborative, and the Pesticide Safety Education Funds Management Program , take a look at the video below. We look forward to continuing to serve all of you!
Blog Post
THE SUPERMAN RULE
If we stopped to think about how many decisions we make each & every day it would be a daunting task. If we wrote them all down... Would we be satisfied with the outcomes? What would we learn about ourselves? How do they affect others? In today's world, it seems we have learned how to be distracted by all the wonderful technology available. Being bombarded by information can derail our effectiveness in making meaningful decisions that positively affect those we are trusted with leading.
Blog Post
"ALIVE"
At this time during a pandemic we find ourselves physically distanced & isolated from one another. However, it's been exciting to see so many creative ways to stay socially connected. These connection times are meaningful and are essential to our overall health. To help focus this time, one of the things you could do is interview your loved ones. Stay with me here... LOSS One of the things we all have in common is loss. It's maybe the only thing we all truly have in common. We've all...
Blog Post
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
*Inspired by Andy Stanley TRUE or FALSE *The best leaders are good at everything *The best leaders focus on weaknesses & make them strengths These are 2 fairly common myths about leadership. How did you answer? At first glance, these seem to both be true. At closer examination, however, the best leaders actually spend more time on the things that bring the most value by using their core competencies. Focusing on weakness to bring it up to mediocre doesn't do anybody any good & can be...
Blog Post
Not Another Top 10 List...
Leaders are always learning & that means reading. When we come across a person who shakes up our thinking & approach we get a bit starstruck. This happened to me when I started finding out about the work of Ricardo Semler. He's been a trailblazer for democratic management for over 30 years, a real catalyst. He has been very successful in implementing seemingly radical ideas that have unleashed human potential no matter their application. Here's his list with some of my own...
Blog Post
PIT STOP!
How long do you work continuously? Do you just go until you actually start to feel fatigue? If you're like most, you just go without thinking much about stopping until the end of the workday. Without much thought, we're setting ourselves up for underperformance...imagine that! And...its become a well ingrained habit. Every 16 words on average we reach for a metaphor so let's use one now! Race cars are built to go fast for a long time but they take pit stops to go faster for longer. We're a...
Blog Post
Recap of "DNA Demystified" Virtual Chat
Summary of discussion Q&A from virtual chat 'DNA Demystified" We had a great discussion of several topics, with probing questions and lively discussion. Below is a summary of a select few. For the full chat, see the archive at https://connect.extension.org/...stified-virtual-chat Query: What DNA and genetics basics should Cooperative Extension professionals understand? Summary: At least the basics up to first year college. We should know about basic structure and function of DNA, and how...
Blog Post
Is It YOUR Story To Tell?
In a meeting a few years ago we were discussing the aspects of what we did that might be interesting to the general public. Pretty quickly it was suggested that we have a "rumor mill" button on our website. A little "behind the curtain" of what was going on. While this would probably peak visitors curiosity, the message it would send about our organization could be damaging. Is it your story to tell? Gossiping is one of, if not the most destructive actions anyone can take on another person.
Blog Post
Community Catalyst Webinar Series for Extension Professionals
Please join us for an upcoming six-part webinar series exclusively designed for you, the Extension professional . This series features leaders and researchers from Iowa, Oregon, and Virginia who can help you transform your work with data-driven learning and discovery. This vibrant dialogue will provide you with tools to maximize your time, develop responsive programs using data insights, and foster impact in collaboration with communities. Visit this page to register . After participating in...
Blog Post
New eFieldbook Available! Kemēcemenaw: Tribal Extension Partnerships That Support Indigenous Food Sovereignty on the Menominee Indian Reservation
“This eFieldbook will serve as a valuable resource to Cooperative Extension professionals that are working with indigenous populations, while focused on sovereign food production.” - Fred Schlutt, New Technologies for Ag Extension Catalyst, Former Extension Director - University of Alaska Fairbanks. The US Department of Agriculture 2018-2022 Strategic Plan recognizes it’s role in helping provide access to safe and nutritious food for limited income people, by supporting limited resource...
Blog Post
Results from the September 2020 Farm Journal Story Lead Contest
In May, the eXtension Foundation launched a monthly story lead contest in partnership with Farm Journal in the Farm Journal Monthly Story Lead Contest group here in Connect Extension. Monthly winners, along with their Extension Directors and Administrators, have the chance to work with Farm Journal to further develop their story and have it published in Farm Journal media. The topic area for the June 2020 contest was about reducing food waste and we received several excellent submissions!
Blog Post
WORRYING...
Worrying is a habit. Do you have it? First, check out " Getting to the bottom of your worrying-and how to let it go " by Gordana Biernat for some great insights! We all have dreams, aspirations & goals. It's healthy to be in a growth mindset but not at the expense of getting meaningful things done today. Making zero progress toward your preferred vision of the future is demotivating. Focus on the task at hand, like the mantra of former NFL head coach Marty Schottenheimer. The main thing...
Blog Post
New eFieldbook Available! Using Radio & Digital Advertising for Extension Campaigns
As part of eXtension’s New Technologies for Agricultural Extension (NTAE) Cooperative Agreement with USDA-NIFA, the eXtension Foundation selected the National Pesticide Safety Education Center (NPSEC) in partnership with Prairie View A&M Cooperative Extension to pilot a mass media campaign using radio and digital advertising to promote pollinator protection messages to the public. The results and method is published in this new eFieldbook. Using this eFieldbook, Cooperative Extension...
Comment
Re: Free Publication: Eat Healthy, Be Active Community Workshops
All - I would be happy to provide an overview with you on a conference call about the Eat Healthy Be Active Community Workshops, i.e talking points, learning objectives, handouts, how to access videos, and creating the certificates for participants, and the Powerpoint for instructors/educators. Email me: Holly.McPeak@hhs.gov Please share "success stories" with me, as well! Would love to hear about your implementation and results!
Blog Post
August 2020 Story Lead Contest Winner Published in Farm Journal
Congrats @Becky Koch from NDSU for submitting the winning story lead for the August 2020 Farm Journal Story Lead Contest . And thank you to everyone that submitted! The story, Rings of Death: North Dakota Farmer Mitigates Challenges with Gypsum, Conservation Practices, has been published by Farm Journal. You can read the full story here. Have a story for the October 2020 contest? This month's topic is about farmer stress and the work are you doing that supports the well-being of farmers,...
Blog Post
New Email Notification System for Connect Extension: Daily or Weekly Digest Now Available
First, thank you all for being a part of Connect Extension. It is wonderful to see the different online events being shared to the Learn calendar from around the country and all the excellent content that you create! Since launching in March, we've heard one bit of feedback pretty regularly and that was the notification system here in Connect Extension. While users have always been able to customize their notification settings to their liking, we certainly understand that the default...
Blog Post
Organizations Partner to Combat the Digital Divide by Launching Searchable Wi-Fi Map for Needed Broadband Connections
American Connection Project organizations launch an interactive tool for users to locate more than 2,300 free Wi-Fi locations in 49 states ARDEN HILLS, MINN. (October 20, 2020) – Several partner organizations today announced the launch of the American Connection Project (ACP) interactive Wi-Fi map. The map provides a free resource to help the public locate more than 2,300 free Wi-Fi locations across 49 U.S. states. The map includes Wi-Fi locations from Land O’Lakes, Inc. and its ag retail...
Blog Post
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...
Blog Post
2, 10, 5, 7
Three PM is the most awkward time...it's too late or too early to do anything. We've all been there...racing against time to get something finished or reluctantly putting off something we don't have time to start. Uhh! Yet we know time is like having to spend all your money every day, it's a precious commodity, we must spend it wisely. We also know failing to plan is planning to fail. Here's a sample plan to spend your time "money" wisely every day! *2 hours in the AM Do something productive...
Blog Post
High Performing Culture?
You don't have to look very hard these days to stumble on an article, video or interview about workplace culture. Here are a couple lists from Charlie Kim's company NextJump where employees (among many things) won't be fired ...they'll be coached . How are things going where you are? Top 12 Signals of LOW vs HIGH performing cultures LOW SIGNALS 1. Entitlement 2. Victim Mindset (everything is impossible, why bother?) 3. Death by 1,000 paper cuts (little things go wrong all the time) 4. No...
Blog Post
ICYMI: The New Nutrition Facts Label: What’s Changed and What’s Been Updated
Last week, we hosted three wonderful folks from the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN). They took us “behind the label” to share background on the changes and provide an in-depth tour of the updated Nutrition Facts label. CFSAN staff also shared educational materials and resources on the updated Nutrition Facts label for both health professionals and consumers. If you didn't get a chance to catch this presentation - the recording is available here ! By popular demand,...
Blog Post
Recap of "Prescribed fire education training" Virtual Chat
Summary of discussion Q&A from virtual chat "Prescribed fire education training" We had a great discussion of several prescribed fire topics - liability, insurance, training format, and more! Below is a summary of some of our discussions. For the full chat, see the archive at https://connect.extension.org/chat-event/connect-extension-chat-prescribed-fire-education-training Query: The State of Oregon mandated a certified burn manager program in the early 90’s, however, the mandate was not...
Blog Post
25 Teams Participate in First Virtual Impact Collaborative Summit
Twenty-five Project and Program teams representing twenty-six Cooperative Extension institutions attended the first Virtual Impact Collaborative Summit on October 13th and 14th. Using technology - including Zoom and virtual whiteboards - participants were connected with tools, resources, coaches, facilitators, and Key Informants in a customized experience designed to catalyze their work. The Summit kicked off with a thought-provoking keynote by Dr. Scott Reed, Emeritus Vice...
Blog Post
No Holes in the "Boat"
Gary Hamel says in his book The Future of Management , that the practice of management is to... "set & program objectives, motivate & align efforts, coordinate & control activities, develop & assign talent, gain & apply knowledge, amass & allocate resources, balance & meet stakeholders demands AND... build & nurture relationships." The companies that have survived crisis & thrived have leveraged the wisdom of all the members on their team. Companies where...
Blog Post
Let’s Talk GMOs: A New Online Course from UConn CAHNR
Are you confused or do you have questions about GMOs? Do you feel inadequate when discussing GMOs? Are you given opposing information of GMOs and not sure what is right? Do you wonder how the misinformation about GMOs spreads like a wildfire? UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources is offering a new online course, Let’s Talk GMOs: Creating Consistent Communication Messages . This course introduces participants to the basics of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). They...
Blog Post
Practicing Connection in a Complex World: Working Out Loud
In this episode , hosts Jessica Beckendorf and Bob Bertsch explore john Stepper’s Working Out Loud framework in the context of building relationships for resilience. Jessica and Bob discuss five elements of Working Out Loud: purposeful discovery, relationships, generosity, visible work, and growth mindset. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts (iTunes), Google Podcasts , or Stitcher , or you can listen on our website .
Blog Post
Practicing Connection in a Complex World: VUCA and VUCA Prime
In this episode , Karen Pedersen , Dean for Global Campus at Kansas State University, talks about how the VUCA framework (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) has helped her better understand the world, and how the VUCA Prime framework (vision, understanding, clarity, and agility) has helped her lead in and respond to a VUCA world. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts (iTunes), Google Podcasts , or Stitcher , or listen on our website .
Blog Post
Integrating Perspectives
Anna McGrath from Godfrey Dadich Partners is one of the most enlightened people I've ever met. She's cool & wise which is a rare combo! Had the pleasure of attending a workshop she did called " Integrating Opposite Perspectives "...here are my notes from our time together... How can you ensure everyone is working towards a common goal when they all seem to be coming from so many different points of reference? Diverse ideas & perspectives can be a source of strength in your...
Blog Post
September Farm Journal Story Lead Contest Winner Published in Farm Journal!
Congrats @Stacey Stearns from UConn for submitting the winning story lead for the September 2020 Farm Journal Story Lead Contest . And thank you to everyone that submitted! The story, Sustainable Food Success Stories from Connecticut , has been published by Farm Journal. You can read the full story here. The November Story Lead contest will open on Monday! You can join the subgroup here .
Blog Post
HRSA National Rural Health Day - November 19
HRSA is hosting a variety of events throughout the week of November 16 to celebrate National Rural Health Day (NRHD) on November 19. While these events are open to the public, registration is required for some events. NRHD is HRSA’s opportunity to showcase the work and accomplishments across the agency supporting rural health. For more information and a schedule of events for each day, visit https://www.hrsa.gov/rural-health/about-us/rural-healthday.htm
Blog Post
Results from the October 2020 Farm Journal Story Lead Contest
In May, the eXtension Foundation launched a monthly story lead contest in partnership with Farm Journal in the Farm Journal Monthly Story Lead Contest group here in Connect Extension. Monthly winners, along with their Extension Directors and Administrators, have the chance to work with Farm Journal to further develop their story and have it published in Farm Journal media. The topic area for the October 2020 contest was about Farmer Stress and Mental Health. We'd like to thank everyone that...
Blog Post
eXtension Foundation Welcomes Karl Bradley as Leadership Development Specialist
The eXtension Foundation is pleased to announce that Karl Bradley will be serving as eXtension’s Leadership Development Specialist. Karl originally joined the eXtension Foundation team in April 2020 as the Leadership Development Fellow while transitioning from full-time active duty service in the United States Air Force. His internship with the eXtension Foundation was made possible through the Skillbridge program offered by the Department of Defense for active duty service members...
Blog Post
ICYMI: Poetry As A Tool in Extension Programs
Last week, we were fortunate to host Dr. Hiram Larew, an award-winning poet, advocate, and leader in the Arts and Poetry community, and David Myers, an Ag Extension Agent at the University of Maryland Extension for a wonderful webinar! The purpose of their presentation was to demonstrate how poetry is being used to help deliver messages about an important agricultural issue, namely local and global hunger. They used hunger as an example to illustrate how poetry can be used when discussing a...