http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/ The newsletter of the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences en Copyright 2009 Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:40:00 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Even members of the SAES faculty and staff who were vacationing on South Pacific islands and resorts in the remote Himalayas have probably heard about the announcements on Tuesday, June 24, that Dr. Alton Thompson, the SAES dean, will assume responsibilities as interim provost and assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs on July 1, and that Dr. Donald McDowell, SAES associate dean for academic programs, will step in as interim dean for the SAES. Dr. Thompson has issued a follow-up letter, specifically addressed to the SAES faculty and staff, that has answers to several important questions — be sure to review it.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/news-about-the-big-news-the-ag.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/news-about-the-big-news-the-ag.html Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:40:00 -0500 Three members of The Cooperative Extension Program at A&T’s field staff have lined up a tour of farms and agribusinesses in southeastern North Carolina that have innovations in alternative agriculture of interest to small-scale farmers and professionals with agricultural support agencies. The Southeastern N.C. Alternative Farm Tour will be Tuesday, July 1 — departing from the O.P. Owens Agriculture Center in Lumberton at 7:30 a.m., and returning to Lumberton around 5 p.m. There will be stops in Robeson, Bladen, Columbus, Sampson and Duplin counties that will take in demonstrations of plastic and drip irrigation, greenhouse flower production, roadside produce marketing, and small-scale livestock and intensive vegetable production. The farm tour organizers are farm management agents Nelson Brownlee of Robeson County and James Hartsfield of Duplin County, and Larry Wright, a Columbus County agriculture and natural resources technician.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/farm-tour-to-focus-on-alternat.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/farm-tour-to-focus-on-alternat.html Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:38:00 -0500 A call for papers has gone out for a national educational technology symposium that the Texas Computer Education Association will be hosting in Austin in February 2009. The deadline for submitting papers is Aug. 1. Submissions should be no longer than eight pages, and adaptable to a 20-minute presentation at the symposium. The short-list of 34 “possible paper topics” includes cultural attitudes and technology, online learning, gender and diversity issues, Web-based instruction and women in technology.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/texas-techies-issue-call-for-p.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/texas-techies-issue-call-for-p.html Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:36:00 -0500 ... for farmers and landowners without a great deal of acreage or extensive financial resources who are looking for innovative enterprises that can turn a profit. Small Farms Field Day at the University Farm is set for Thursday, Aug. 7. The program will run from 9 a.m. to noon, and Extension specialists and research scientists will discuss several research projects with profitable potential for small farms. This field day itinerary includes colored bell peppers, pastured swine, GPS production management, on-farm biodiesel production, biosecurity considerations for beef cattle marketing, organic vegetable production and prepping produce for direct marketing. To register, contact Andrea Brooks, 336.334.7957. Dr. Keith Baldwin, Cooperative Extension’s program leader for agriculture and natural resources, is coordinating the 2008 Small FarmsField Day at the University Farm. The Center for Environmental Farming Systems is now taking registration for two workshops in late August that have special resonance for small-scale agriculture in North Carolina. The CEFS is offering a one-day organic certification course on Wednesday, Aug. 20. The workshop, which will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., will be geared to farmers and landowners exploring the possibilities for shifting into organic production, and it will cover USDA's National Organic Program, certification standards, and requisite record-keeping systems. The registration fee is $50. On Monday, Aug. 25, the CEFS will be offering a workshop for agricultural support agency professionals, elected officials, and economic development specialists that will cover the nuts and bolts of developing and expanding community-based food production and delivery systems. The “Developing Community Based Food Systems” program will touch on most of the key issues in the “locavore” movement that is directing consumer preferences to the benefits eat foods grown or produced locally. The workshop will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the registration fee is $45. Only 75 registrants can be accommodated. The CEFS, near Goldsboro, is a research and Extension facility that is operated jointly by A&T, N.C. State and the N. C. Department of Family & Consumer Services.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/news-flash-august-is-going-to.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/news-flash-august-is-going-to.html Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:35:00 -0500 The Agricultural Research Program is hosting a highly select group of high school students through July 18. The 20 students selected for the 2008 Research Apprentice Program (RAP) arrived on campus June 22. Seventeen of the students come from North Carolina. This summer’s RAP will go home with a taste of college life, and a month of scientific guidance, working one-on-one with a member of the SAES research faculty. The entire SAES faculty and staff is invited to attend the grand finale for the 2008 RAP on Friday, July 18, when the research apprentices will present overviews of their projects from 9 a.m. to noon at Webb Hall. The RAP students will be making poster presentations and discussing what they learned while working with their SAES mentor scientists.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/sumer-is-icumen-in-the-ag-edis.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/sumer-is-icumen-in-the-ag-edis.html Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:33:00 -0500 “Localculture” is extremely good advice for North Carolina tomato consumers now that the FDA has narrowed its search for the source for salmonella outbreak to plum, Roma and red round slicing tomatoes, most likely from Florida or Mexico. The North Carolina-grown tomatoes available at farmers markets and roadside stands aren’t on the list of suspects. SAES students have a second motivation to give North Carolina tomatoes careful consideration. The application deadline is June 30, for the N.C. Tomato Growers Association’s $1,000 scholarship for the 2008-09 academic year. The scholarship will be awarded to a student majoring in horticulture or agribusiness at either the graduate or undergraduate level. Scholarship applicants should be residents of North Carolina, and have an overall GPA of at least 2.5. The winner will be announced Aug. 7 at the annual Tomato Field Day at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Station in Fletcher.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/tomatotomahto-controversy-ecli.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/tomatotomahto-controversy-ecli.html Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:32:00 -0500 Keep North Carolina 4-H in mind when you’re shopping for something cold and sweet to top off a Fourth of July cookout. Blue Bell Creameries is honoring the 100th anniversary of 4-H with a special flavor, Centennial Cupcake Ice Cream, that’s now on sale in North Carolina and 16 other states. Centennial Cupcake Ice Cream is available locally at the Wal-Mart store off Elm-Eugene, and the Wal-Mart at 3738 N. Battleground Ave.
Georgia Cooperative Extension describes the flavor of the commemorative ice cream as one that will appeal to cake batter and yellow cake lovers, and Texas Cooperative Extension is commending the carton design, which “features four children in 4-H T-shirts and the organization's widely recognized four-leaf emblem.” Blue Bell is donating a portion of the profits from sales of Centennial Cupcake Ice Cream to 4-H educational programs. Another 4-H fundraising project now in full swing is an audio CD, featuring storyteller (and former WRAL farm reporter) Ray Wilkinson. All proceeds will be going to North Carolina 4-H for youth development programs and activities. North Carolina 4-H, coordinated by Cooperative Extension at N.C. State and A&T, benefits more than 208,000 youth between 5 and 19 each year.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/dig-in-and-listen-up-the-ag-ed.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/dig-in-and-listen-up-the-ag-ed.html Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:31:00 -0500 The Cooperative Extension Program at A&T has a July 1 application deadline for two openings for subject matter specialists who will work out of offices at Coltrane Hall. Applications are being accepted for the position of natural resources specialist, whose programming responsibilities will include natural resource protection and conservation management, environmental education for youth, and urban ecosystems management. The selection committee is looking for applicants with three years of professional experience in Extension education or a related field, and a doctorate in natural resource or environmental management. Cooperative Extension is also accepting applications for the position of nutrition specialist, who will be supporting the work of nutrition educators across the state with training and technical assistance. Applicants should have experience in the design and development of nutrition education programs, and have a doctorate in nutrition or a related field. Preferences will be given to applicants who are registered dietitians, and who have experience in Cooperative Extension or a similar organization.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/woods-work-and-dining-directio.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/woods-work-and-dining-directio.html Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:30:00 -0500 The Cooperative Extension Program at A&T’s 21-member Strategic Planning Council had a joint meeting in early June with the N.C. State Cooperative Extension Service State Advisory Council, which similarly serves to provide stakeholder input for the long-range objectives for Cooperative Extension. Lynn Yokley of the State Advisory Council has put together a Web page with a recap of meeting highlights and a few photos with some familiar faces. Another Web page with photos that will be familiar in the North Carolina Extension communities has some shots from the three regional conferences in March that brought together state-level Extension personnel and personnel working at county centers. The Web page includes a shot of all present at the regional conference in Hickory (including A&T Extension personnel) that will be appearing elsewhere in conjunction with 4-H centennial activities. But the group shot will only be available at its present URL (and primed for downloading) until July 20.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/familiar-faces-in-cached-place.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/familiar-faces-in-cached-place.html Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:29:00 -0500 The Tobacco Trust Fund Commission’s deadline for grant applications for its next funding cycle is Aug. 1. The Commission’s priorities for the upcoming funding cycle include community economic development, farm profitability, natural resource and farmland preservation, and other projects that will support the state’s agricultural economy. Special attention will be given to proposals that address areas affected by changes in the tobacco industries, and to projects with broad geographic and demographic impact potential.
The N. C. General Assembly established the Tobacco Trust Fund Commission to direct lawsuit settlement funds from cigarette manufacturers (the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement) to farmers and tobacco-related businesses. Among the projects awarded funding in 2007 are local initiatives for food safety and workforce development training, farmers market facility improvements, bramble production workshops, and alternative energy and value-added agribusiness projects.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/door-open-for-trustworthy-prop.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/door-open-for-trustworthy-prop.html Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:26:00 -0500 The University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research will continue to accept proposals until Friday, July 11, from junior faculty with full-time academic appointments who received their doctorates in the past seven years and are yet to receive tenure. The Center is looking for social science research regarding low-income populations — including child and family well being, and the economic status of disadvantaged and underrepresented populations. Preference will be given to proposals that address poverty in the South. The Center is planning to fund three proposals of up to $7,500 each.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/junior-liege-the-ag-edispatch.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/junior-liege-the-ag-edispatch.html Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:23:00 -0500 The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design’s application deadline for the position of department chairperson is Aug. 1. Applicants must have a doctorate or terminal degree in environmental, soil or plant sciences; agronomy; horticulture; landscape architecture; agricultural or biological engineering; or a related field. Administrative experience in an institution of higher education is required. Applicants also should possess a distinguished record of research, teaching and scholarly achievement.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design now offers bachelor’s degrees in earth and environmental sciences, ornamental horticulture, landscape architecture and bioenvironmental engineering. The department’s master’s program gives students a choice from three concentrations: plant, soil or environmental sciences.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/chair-search-to-be-off-one-tab.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/chair-search-to-be-off-one-tab.html Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:22:00 -0500 Two marketing workshops for Cooperative Extension personnel stationed at A&T, on the N.C. State campus and at county Extension centers across the state are going to be downlinked to 10 satellite locations across the state on July 9 and Aug. 13. On Thursday, July 9, the topic will be “Target Marketing” — survey data and other tools that are available for Extension professionals to use when selecting an audience, and then reaching it. The guest speaker will be Jamie Holmes of Cross + Associates, a full-service advertising and marketing agency. On Wednesday, Aug.13, the focus will be on “Media Relations,” and the featured speaker, Linda Williams, will what reporters want and how to reach them from her perspective as managing editor for the Raleigh News & Observer. The “Target Marketing” program on July 9 and the “Media Relations” program on Aug. 13 will both run from 9:30 –11 a.m. Both programs will be downlinked to facilities at: Appalachian State, Elizabeth City State, East Carolina, N.C. State University, the Hickory Metro Center, the Vernon G. James Research and Extension Center near Plymouth, UNC Pembroke, UNC-Asheville, UNC-Wilmington, and Winston-Salem State University. The Extension Learning Management System is now taking online registrations. Extension Learning Management System is now geared up for online registrations.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/marketing-workshops-for-extens.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/marketing-workshops-for-extens.html Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:20:00 -0500 Early bird registration ends July 31 for the North Carolina Association of Extension Program Assistants, Associates and Technicians (NCAEPAAT) annual conference, which will be at the Holiday Inn Select in Hickory Aug. 18 - 20. The early bird registration fee for members is $80 before the cutoff and $90 thereafter. For nonmembers the rates are $100 before July 31 and $120 after.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/sign-up-soon-and-save-the-ag-e-1.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/sign-up-soon-and-save-the-ag-e-1.html Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:19:00 -0500 1. Start each paragraph with a sentence that summarizes the top priority information in the paragraph. Other sentences in the paragraph should complement the topic sentence with definitions, examples and explanations of the idea contained in the topic sentence.
2. Hold your average sentence length to around 21 words.
3. A good rule of thumb for paragraph size in scientific and technical writing is four or five sentences. (Paragraphs that are double that size or larger will often contain sentences that repeat information that's already been covered, or the two key topics, and should be separated into two paragraphs.)
4. Avoid technical jargon as much as possible, even when writing for professional journals.
5. Be careful about vague pronouns, with unclear antecedents. (When "this" or "it" refers to a concept or idea, readers can lose the train of thought.)
6. Use single words instead of phrases (especially prepositional phrases) wherever you can. (For example, “the project summary indicates considerable progress” rather than, “the summary of the project from the co-directors indicates….”)
7. Once a report or article is complete, let it set for a few days and then read through it looking solely for major points of emphasis that are repeated almost verbatim. (It’s okay to refer back to a major point of contention after you’ve made it. But if you are repeating a major point over and over, you are boring readers with the findings or conclusions you are trying to impress upon them.)]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/seven-tips-for-crisp-scientifi.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2008/06/seven-tips-for-crisp-scientifi.html Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:17:00 -0500