Director's Update
October 21, 2008
Master Gardener The Colorado Master Gardener (CMG) program is a high quality training program that provides education specific to gardening in the Rocky Mountains. Volunteers in the program provide home gardening and landscaping educational leadership to their communities while helping Extension fulfill the educational outreach mission. Once they complete training, they answer gardening telephone queries, give talks to local groups, introduce children to gardening, present information at garden and trade shows, and organize educational programs and conferences.
As an agriculture agent in Arizona, I trained many groups of master gardeners and can testify to their dedication and expertise. Here in Colorado, master gardeners are one of the groups who have stepped forward to support the funding of our county Extension offices. Statewide, Colorado Extension supports the county educational programs by providing funding for David Whiting, the state CMG coordinator. We are one of the very few states that provides for a paid coordinator. Additionally, Ruth Willson and our technology staff make possible the use of Adobe Connect to broadcast trainings throughout the state. Jan Carroll and I will be working with the CMG program to ensure that we are effective and efficient in delivering this excellent statewide program.
Congratulations to Meg Wilson who has accepted a position as Director of Strategic Initiatives for the College of Veterinary Medicine. Meg has been instrumental in developing our brand for CSU Extension, publishing many new Extension publications, and leading our efforts to communicate the public and private values of Extension programs to our clientele (current and potential), commissioners and internal audiences. She has been our bridge with Creative Services and has helped us move forward with new means of communication. We are pleased to know that she will still be working for CSU and available to answer questions and give advice as we move to fill the position. Joanne Littlefield has agreed to serve as interim Assistant Director-Communications, effective November 10.
Updates from the communications team:
- We continue to emphasize that all CSU Extension materials be up-to-date and peer reviewed. All Extension materials must be reviewed on a regular basis in order to support the mission of Extension to provide accurate, timely and research-based information.
- Several of our Extension offices still have the old signs with “Cooperative Extension”. We will pay for half of new signs between now and 12/31. Expenses must be posted before the end of the year.
Agricultural business degree Continuing Education is now offering a way to complete an undergraduate degree in agricultural business with an online program for working professionals. The program uses economic theory to provide a framework for understanding agricultural issues, predicting the likely effects of government policies and regulations, and devising solutions to economic and environmental problems. The program is part of the AgIDEA Educational consortium. For more information, contact Frances Betts at fbetts@clearn.colostate.edu or visit www.learn.colostate.edu. The application deadline for the spring semester is December 1.
Food safety The food safety education work team addresses a wide audience, including food service managers, consumers, health care professionals and farmers’ market producers. Their work is supported by Colorado State University researchers investigating the prevention of listeriosis outbreaks such the one spreading through Canada. In the last several weeks, foods contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes have resulted in more than 60 illnesses and at least 17 deaths in Canada. More than 190 brands of meats and cheeses have been recalled.
Scientists at Colorado State's Center for Meat Safety and Quality and the food safety cluster are working with colleagues at four other universities in the United States to better understand and control such outbreaks. John Sofos, professor in the department of animal sciences at CSU and director of the Center for Meat Safety and Quality, is the project coordinator.
Volunteerism The National Extension Conference on Volunteerism will be held April 27-30, 2009 at General Butler State Resort Park in Carrollton, Kentucky (www.ca.uky.edu/agcollege/4h/necv/). Specific questions about the 2009 National Extension Conference on Volunteerism may be directed to Sheri Seibold (sseibold@illinois.edu) or Sue Pleskac (sue.pleskac@ces.uwex.edu).
Update from PLT According to the Program Leadership Team (PLT), new materials have been posted to the program planning and reporting webpage: www.ext.colostate.edu/staffres/progplan.html:
- The work team and core competency area (CCA) payment request form is used to request reimbursement or payment of an approved work team or CCA expense. Completed forms are forwarded to the appropriate CCA leader for approval and then on to the fiscal office for payment. Work teams that have an updated POW by July 1 are eligible for $2000 in work team support. The funds must be used within the fiscal year (July 1 – June 30). Each team is requested to submit a budget for the funds to their CCA leader.
- A simplified program calendar is now available, which provides dates for individuals and teams to complete plans and reports.
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