The Ag e-Dispatch

Road to Hall of Fame began at Webb Hall

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 18:02:24 -0500

On Oct. 21, Dr. Alton Thompson, currently serving as interim provost for A&T State University, was inducted into USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service’s Hall of Fame. Pictured with Thompson at induction ceremonies in Washington are Marilyn Brewington, SAES Executive Assistant; Dr. Carolyn Turner, associate dean for the Agricultural Research Program; Dr. Donald McDowell, the SAES’s interim dean; Dr. M. Ray McKinnie, associate dean and administrator for Cooperative Extension; Dr. Cynthia Thompson, Interim Assistant Dean, School of Technology (and Mrs. Alton Thompson); and Dr. Ralph Noble, chairman of the Department of Animal Sciences. A recap of Thompson’s Extension work while dean of the SAES — his Hall of Fame Credentials — is in the current issue of on the move newsletter.

Not too early to make plans for the summer of ‘09

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 18:01:40 -0500

Ms. Randi Congleton, the director of Multicultural Programs for the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn. State, will be giving a presentation on the Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) and graduate studies at the College of Agricultural Sciences that will begin at 11 a.m. and wind up at noon on Wednesday, Nov. 12, in Room A-8 of the C.H. Moore Agricultural Research Station. The SROP at Penn. State is an eight-week program that targets undergraduate students from background underrepresented in graduate study and academic professions. SROP provides professional development workshops, seminars and field trips in addition to research experiences with members of the Penn State faculty.

All SAES students interested in details about the SROP and graduate study at Penn. State are invited to attend Congleton’s presentation.

Gateway on Lee Street reaches milestone

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 18:00:54 -0500

There will be an official ribbon-cutting ceremony — followed by an open house — for the first building at the new Gateway University Research Park, adjacent to (and formerly part of) the University Farm, at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 30. The new building will soon house USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service’s East National Technology Support Center and the East Remote Sensing Lab — a facility that will bring approximately 100 technical specialists with advanced degrees to the Triad, and eventually open many new doors for research partnerships, student internships and other collaborations between the SAES and the NRCS.

All SAES faculty and staff with openings in their work schedules are invited to attend the ribbon-cutting and tour the new labs and office space at Gateway University Research Park.

Organic opportunities

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:46:33 -0500

The Organic Farming Foundation (OFRF) will be accepting applications for research, education and outreach grants until Nov. 17.

Research proposals must involve farmers and, whenever possible, take place on working organic farms. Atop the OFRF’s current list of research interests are organic livestock systems and systems-management approaches to production problems. (The average research grant awarded in OFRF's last funding cycle was $13,300.)

OFRF’s current educational grant priorities include development of instructional media for organic production systems, and marketing tools for farmers interested in organic production. Among the foundation’s priorities for outreach training are farmer-to-farmer mentoring programs, conferences, and training for Extension educators and other professionals.

Register by the 7th and save 75

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:36:46 -0500

The cutoff for a discount registration fee of $250 for the North Carolina Summit on Youth and Families is noon on Friday, Nov. 7. After the cutoff, the conference registration fee will be $325. The two-day summit (Nov. 19 and 20) will have more than 50 speakers from education, government agencies and advocacy groups. With a focus this year on strengthening community economic opportunities, educational excellence, and improving health and well-being, the summit will give Extension and family and consumer science educators insights into emerging issues and strategies for addressing them.

Plant science textbook ready to plow through

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:36:00 -0500

Dr. Marihelen Glass of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design is one of the co-authors of a new textbook, Fundamentals of Plant Science, that is now available online from the publisher, Delmar Publishing, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and other Internet retailers. The 22-chapter, 528-page textbook includes in-depth discussions of the basics of plant science from molecular and cellular structures to the ecological functions of plants. Fundamentals of Plant Science is targeted at non-majors as well as students majoring in plant sciences.

Neighboring states have major opportunities for NC farmers

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:35:12 -0500

The Carolina Farm Stewardship Association has its 23rd annual sustainable agriculture conference set for Anderson, S.C. Oct. 31 through Nov. 2. The 2008 CFSA Sustainable Agriculture Conference has an extensive lineup of workshops, covering sustainable agriculture from basic organic certification to such emerging markets for small farms as rare breeds of livestock and seed production for heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables. The registration fee for CFSA members is $250; the registration fee for nonmembers is $300.

Just north of the border, Virginia’s annual Small Family Farm Conference will be Nov. 5 and 6 in Danville, VA. Virginia State University, one of A&T’s sister 1890s, is one of the conference sponsors. Workshops will be organized into three tracks: crop production, livestock production and business management. Among the specific workshop topics this year are forest ginseng, medicinal mushrooms, fresh-water prawns and pastured poultry. The dinner speakers on the opening day of the conference will be Mary and Nelson James of Dogwood Nursery Farms in North Carolina — recipients of A&T Extension’s 2008 Gilmer L. and Clara Y. Dudley Small Farmer of the Year Award.

The registration fee for the Virginia Small Family Farm Conference is $25 per person, and there is a program for children that is $15 for both days of the conference.

Annual enrollment coming to an end

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:34:35 -0500

The cutoff for changes in the optional coverages offered through the NC FLEX benefit program is Nov. 3. NC FLEX's insurance options include cancer, life, vision and dental insurance, and a supplemental medical plan that broadens coverage for visits to doctors' offices and inpatient hospital stays. (Faculty and staff opting for the supplemental medical plan must re-enroll during each annual enrollment period.) For those already enrolled in an NC FLEX insurance option, the annual enrollment period is the one time of the year to drop or add coverage for a dependent. The NC FLEX Plan has a synopsis of what's new, and all eligible employees will be receiving a booklet with complete details on NC FLEX options by mail. (NCFLEX also has a website outlining benefit options.) On-campus employees who wish to make changes should do so in person at the Benefits Office at 1020 E. Wendover Ave., between 8 a.m. and noon, or 2 to 4 p.m.

Directions for Small Farms Week 2009 (March 22 to 26)

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:33:21 -0500

Agribusiness firms and SAES state and federal partner agencies interested in sponsorship opportunities for the Small Farmers Recognition Luncheon, on Wednesday, March 25, should be directed to the brochure with details on funding levels and commensurate marketing and branding opportunities.

Members of the Extension field staff who have been working with small-scale farmers with success stories that may qualify them for the 2009 Gilmer L. and Clara Y. Dudley Small Farmer of the Year Award should be directed to the guidelines and nomination form. The nomination deadline is Nov. 21. (To be eligible, farmers must generate at least 50 percent of their gross income from farming, have averaged less than $100,000 in annual gross farm revenue over the last three years, and operate a farm with a family member providing general management for the business.)

Farmers living more than 130 miles from campus who would like to get their name in the hat for lodging, meals and waiver of registration fees for Small Farms Week activities on campus have until Jan. 16, 2009 to apply for a scholarship. Farmers interested in applying for a scholarship should be directed to complete an application and return it to The Cooperative Extension Program at A&T. (In addition to living more than 130 miles from campus, applicants must rely on farming for at least 50 percent of annual gross income, and operate a farm that has a family member providing general management.)

Four mil in farmland preservation funding

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:31:08 -0500

The N.C. General Assembly has set aside $4 million for the 2008-09 Fiscal Year for the state’s Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund, and the application deadline for project funding is Dec. 5. County governments and nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply for funding for projects such as conservation easements that promote sustainable development of farmland as well as preservation. Several County Extension centers were among the collaborating agencies for Trust Fund awards in the last funding cycle.

Agencies awarded Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund grants for projects must provide at least 30 percent of overall project funding from other sources. The Trust Fund staff is conducting a series of informational workshops to provide interested groups and individuals complete details on the application process and funding priorities. (On this year’s list of proposals that will be given careful consideration are those that involve farmers with limited resources and beginning farmers. Four workshops remain in the series: Cumberland County Ag Center, Nov. 12 from 1-4 p.m.; James Sprunt Community College in Kenansville on Nov. 13 from 8 to 11 a.m., Wilson Ag Center in Goldsboro, Nov. 19, from 1-4 p.m.; and the Sen. Bob Martin Eastern Agricultural Center in Williamston on Nov. 20, from 9 a.m. to noon. To reserve a slot in a workshop, contact Leslie Pekrul at (919) 715-1206, ext. 12, at least four days in advance of the workshop you wish to attend.

Earth movers

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:29:00 -0500

Seven organizations committed to advancing geology and soil sciences (including the Geological Society of America, the Soil Science Society of America, the American Society of Agronomy and the Crop Science Society of America) joined forces for a landmark conference in Houston in early October. The conference brought together more than 8,000 scientists, educators and earth sciences professionals for cross-disciplinary discussions of policy trends and current research in water resources, climate change, agriculture, and science education. Presentations were made covering four research projects from the SAES’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design at the conference.

Drs. G. B. Reddy, an SAES soil scientist, and Xiuli Dong, an SAES research associate, presented findings from research into “Microbial Community Analysis in Constructed Wetlands Treated with Swine Wastewater Using DGGE Method”. Reddy teamed up with P. G. Hunt of the Agricultural Research Service and Dean Forbes of the SAES Agricultural Research Program on a presentation of a study of “Soil Accumulation of C, N, and P in Marsh-Pond-Marsh Constructed Wetlands Treated with Anaerobic Lagoon Swine Wastewater,” which also was presented in Houston, and Reddy and Forbes worked with J. S. Cyrus, an SAES research associate , on a presentation of research into “Removal of Nitrogen in Swine Wastewater Using Zeolites.”

While in Houston, Dr. G. B. Reddy also received news of his appointment to the editorial board of the Agronomy Journal, published by the American Society for Agronomy.

Another SAES soil scientist, Dr. M. R. Reddy, teamed with Dr. Ramesh Ravella, an SAES research associate, on a presentation of research into “Carbon Sequestration Potential of three Counties in the North Carolina Piedmont” that was presented in Houston.

Drs. M.R. Reddy and Ramesh Ravella were also research partners in a study of “Ecologically Sound Production of Sweet Corn and Cucumber in Rotation With Crimson Clover and Ryegrass,” a paper presented in late August at the International Conference on Agricultural Research in Athens, Greece.

Perishables pundits

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:19:44 -0500

An SAES food scientist, Dr. Ipek Goktepe, and two of The Cooperative Extension Program at A&T’s specialists, Drs. Jimo Ibrahim and Keith Baldwin, are part of a team that will be addressing public concern for outbreaks of foodborne illness instigated by contaminated produce with a series of train-the-trainers workshops for county Extension personnel—those working in agriculture or family and consumer sciences in particular.

The SAES Extension specialists and Gotkepe will be teaming up with food scientists, dietitians, ag. economists and other specialists from N. C. State and Cooperative Extension’s county field staff to offer three train-the-trainers workshops for Extension agents. The two-day programs will be offered first at the new N.C. Research campus in Kannapolis Nov. 13 and 14; then at the Wilson County Extension Center Jan. 21 and 22, 2009; and finally at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center in Fletcher Feb. 4 and 5, 2009.

The backbone of the training will be the Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), which apply to produce production and handling, risk management and communications, transportation and distribution.To register for any of the three training programs via Extension's interim Learning Management (iLMS) system, start at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/pods/.

Start November on right foot

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:06:57 -0500

Start November on right foot

The SAES’s Department of Family and Consumer Sciences is going to make the first weekend in November “Wellness Weekend” at A&T. The agenda includes free and open-to-the-public demonstrations of health conscious meal preparation and fitness competitions at the Alumni-Foundation Event Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1. Another highlight of “Wellness Weekend” will be a roundtable discussion on diabetes, obesity and the risk factors that can lead to strokes. For the roundtable, local physicians and health professionals will be joined by Merle Green, director of Guilford County Health Department, Dr. Veita J. Bland, a hypertension specialist, and Dr. Von Whitaker of the School of Nursing.

Support for the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences' "Wellness Weekend" has been provided by Novo Nordisk and The Cooperative Extension Program at A&T.

Natural selection coming to a conclusion

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:06:05 -0500

Natural selection coming to a conclusion

On Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008, the two finalists to fill the position of Natural Resources Specialist with The Cooperative Extension Program at A&T will be presenting seminars, and all interested SAES faculty and staff are invited to attend. Both candidates will discuss “A Design of a Program on Environmental Stewardship Issues in Rural North Carolina.” Dr. James Hamilton’s presentation will begin at 9:15 a.m. and Dr. Joshua Idassi’s presentation will begin at noon. Both candidates will be making their seminar presentations in the Daniel D. Godfrey Multipurpose Room at Coltrane.

Hamilton, an Instructor of Forest Management Technology at Haywood Community College, received his master’s in forestry from Auburn and his doctorate in forestry from N.C. State. Idassi, who received his doctorate in forest resources from Mississippi State University, is currently an assistant Extension professor at Tennessee State University.

Increase your vertical

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:42:40 -0500

Communications Corner

Increase your vertical

Few documents come out of academia that don't include a couple of paragraphs that are listings - a list of equipment, a list of collaborating agencies, a course listing, etc. If you see that you've got a long listing (five or more entries) that's horizontal, with entries separated by commas or semicolons, there are a lot of good reasons to convert it to a vertical list, with each entry on one line and introduced with a bullet or asterisk. Readers tend to skim listings instead of reading each entry closely, and a vertical listing makes it unmistakably clear that it's text that can be skimmed. Vertical lists also work well on Web pages - an important consideration for almost every document these days.

Here are a few guidelines for vertical lists:

Use a colon — not a dash — to introduce the list.

Number vertical lists when the entries are part of a sequence, but when no sequence of actions is involved use bullets.

Sequential:
All students planning on attending the Career Expo should:
1. Pre-register two weeks in advance.
2. Update their resumes and make 25 copies the week before the Expo.
3. Dress in business attire on Expo day.

Non-sequential:
Students attending the Career Expo should bring along:
• At least 15 copies of their resumes
• A print-out of their registration forms
• Their university ID cards

When bulleted items are sentences, capitalize the first letter of each and use appropriate end punctuation. When they consist of single words or phrases, lowercase is best.

In a bulleted list, the bullet takes the place of punctuation (such as commas or semicolons) between items in a list. Don't put periods or semicolons at the ends of bulleted entries that are not sentences.

When bulleted items are sentences, capitalize only the first letter of each word. And even when the entries on a bulleted listing are short phrases instead of sentences, it's best to capitalize only the first word.

Keep bulleted listings consistent. If some of the entries are sentences, make all of them sentences. If most entries begin with verbs, begin all entries with verbs. Bulleted entries should also be about the same length, and are given a similar format. It does not matter which grammatical construction you use in listing as long as you are consistent. Action verbs are a good way to begin items in a list.

Indent your bulleted list from text that comes before and after. Consider the density of the surrounding copy and whether your list might get lost, even with the bullets.

If you've got a sequential list and enumerate it, use numbers, not letters.

There's no need to put numbers in full parenthesis, or to put a close-parenthesis after the period following the numeral.

Don't forget that Microsoft Word and many other types of software allow you to create either numbered or bulleted lists automatically as you enter text, or to insert numbers or bullets into a list that has already been keyed in automatically.