The Ag eDispatch

International Trade Center gets Rural Development funding

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:02:50 -0500

USDA’s Rural Development office has announced grants totaling $1.5 million that will be going to 15 of the 1890 land-grant institutions, and $100,000 of that total is headed to the SAES’s International Trade Center. Dr. Osei-Agyeman Yeboah will serve as principal investigator for the project awarded funding. Other members of the project team are Drs. Paula Faulkner, Benjamin Gray, Omon Isikhuemhen, Richard Robbins, and Victor Ofori-Boadu, an SAES research associate. The proposal submitted outlines training in agribusiness management and support for agriculturally-based economic development in a 14-county region in eastern North Carolina that has lagged behind the rest of the state in average income. Specific objectives include assistance to shiitake mushroom producers in meeting National Organic Standard Certification standards, and development of a marketing network for shiitake producers.

Ag. economists association taps Mafuyai-Ekanem for membership committee

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:00:28 -0500

Mary Mafuyai-Ekanem of The Cooperative Extension Program at A&T has been invited to serve on the American Agricultural & Applied Economics Association’s (AAAEA) membership committee for the 2008-09 academic year. The AAEA membership committee serves to assess trends in the organization’s membership and to suggest strategies for adding to the group’s membership. Mafuyai-Ekanem is also serving as the 1890s Institutions director for the AAAEA’s Extension Section, a post she was elected to in 2007 for a three-year term.

The AAAEA’s work to promote agricultural economics includes publication of two journals,The American Journal of Agricultural Economics and The Review of Agricultural Economics. The AAEA’s commitment to furthering knowledge about the economics of agriculture also includes the Chester O. McCorkle Jr. Student Scholarship, which was established to support a graduate student working on applied research on economic issues relating to agriculture. The scholarship, which is expected to be approximately $2,000, has an Oct. 6 application deadline. Applicants should submit a five-page description of the proposed research, a letter of support from their major advisor, and a transcript of graduate work.

Nothing corny about it

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:44:15 -0500

On June 27, the Burlington Times-News ran an article that took a look at both sides of the question: “Are high corn prices good for local farmers?”. While the story cites skeptics who doubt that the rise in corn prices is going to translate to long-range economic benefits for farmers, Times-News reporter Emily Hohenwarter turned to an SAES economist, Dr. Godfrey Ejimakor, for the other side of the story. Ejimakor is quoted at length in the article’s concluding paragraphs, explaining why he thinks corn prices will continue to rise along with wheat, soybean and other feed grains, and that farmers who manage their production mixes prudently can benefit from the new demands for biofuels spurred by the escalating cost of crude oil.

Online learning now has heightened appeal

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:25:01 -0500

It was announced last week that Guilford Tech. and A&T have a new agreement that will make it more convenient for students to get full credit for their course work at Guilford Tech. when they proceed to A&T to work on a bachelor’s degree. The program will no doubt draw the attention of nontraditional students with jobs and family responsibilities too demanding for resident instruction or even commuting.

SAES faculty and staff fielding inquiries from prospective students about possibilities for working toward a bachelor’s degree at A&T without attending classes on campus should also keep the SAES’s 2+2 Online Program in mind when presenting options. The 2+2 Program makes it possible for students to combine courses at any of 10 community colleges across the state with online courses for a bachelor’s in agricultural education and teaching certification. It’s now an option with added appeal. The Chronicle of Higher Education is reporting that enrollment in online courses is already up as much as 29 percent in some states, as commuter students are now forced to factor the high cost of gas into their educational budgeting.

New hardware for Carver

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:44:31 -0500

Dr. Antoine Alston, coordinator of the SAES Agricultural Education Program, has received a grant for $77,000 from computer maker Hewlett-Packard. The grant includes $20,000 in cash and $57,000 worth of computers and equipment that will be used to improve SAES courses in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). A&T was one of only 44 institutions of higher education to be awarded the competitive grant, which drew more than 370 applicants.

KY Poverty Research Center has funding for junior faculty research

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:20:51 -0500

The University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research is looking for proposals from junior faculty with full-time academic appointments who are untenured and have received their doctorates in the past seven years. 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. The application deadline is 5 p.m. on Friday, July 11.

IFAL soon to be towering

Wed, 28 May 2008 16:23:04 -0500

Each summer, the Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education hosts the Institute for Future Agriculture Leaders (IFAL) — a five-day conference for high school students interested in programs of study offered by the SAES. The 2008 IFAL will begin on Sunday, June 15, and through Friday, June 20. All students selected for the program are rising seniors in the top third of their classes. The IFAL experience has a special emphasis on career opportunities, emerging technology, and the scientific and commercial aspects of agriculture. The North Carolina Farm Bureau, which provides funding support for IFAL, has an extensive collection of photos from last year's activities.

First flotilla of Cap. Grant students soon to set sail

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:37:48 -0500

Dr. Anthony Yeboah and John Paul Owens of the Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education are project co-directors for a Capacity Building Grant announced last fall that will begin to bear fruit this coming summer, as eight SAES students will receive funding support for study abroad:
• Three students majoring in landscape architecture, Lindley Love, Philip Moten and Richard James, will be traveling to Italy and Greece.
• Two students majoring in child development, Kylista Darden and Ryan Tarver, will be traveling to Costa Rica.
• Martinique Lewis and Natasha Saunders, fashion merchandising majors, will be traveling to the United Kingdom.
• Zanethia Choice, of the Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education, will be traveling to Australia.

When they return to A&T for fall semester all the students will present seminars on their global experience, and the projects and courses they completed while abroad.

Agribusiness instruction gets top grade

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:46:11 -0500

The Academy for Teaching and Learning (ATL) at A&T has named Dr. Kenrett Jefferson-Moore, an assistant professor in the Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education, as one of the co-recipients of its Junior Faculty Teaching Excellence Award for the 2007-08 academic year. Jefferson-Moore was honored along with the other co-recipient, Dr. Stephanie Luster-Teasley of the College of Engineering, at a luncheon in the Memorial Student Union’s Stallings ballroom on March 31.

The Academy for Teaching and Learning works to encourage and recognize scholarly activities and effective teaching at A&T. The ATL’s nine-member advisory board includes representation from all of A&T’s schools and colleges. Dr. Doris Fultz of the Department of Animal Sciences is the current SAES representative on the ATL board.

Social climbers

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:17:49 -0500

The Southern Rural Sociological Association held its annual meeting in Dallas in early February and behavioral science research by SAES faculty and students was well represented. Among the papers presented at the conference were:
• "Dietary, Physical Activity and Socioeconomic Determinants of Weight Outcomes in U.S. Youth" - Co-authored by Dr. Kofi Adu-Nyako of the SAES and a colleague from Iowa State
• "Exploring the Relationship Between Obesity and Physical Inactivity in Rural North Carolina,"
an award-winning paper presented by Marcus Bernard, an SAES graduate student
• "The Impact of Rising Energy Prices and Potential Input Substitution in Cotton Production: Implications for the Southeastern U.S." - Co-authored by Victor Ofori-Boadu and Dr. Osei Agyeman Yeboah of the SAES
• "An Economic Analysis of Farmers' Ability to Produce Ethanol Based Crops in the State of North Carolina" - Co-authored by Dr. Donald McDowell and D. J. Hale, an SAES graduate student
• "The Preparation of Future Secondary Agriculture Education Teachers to Work with Students with Learning Disabilities" - Co-authored by Dr. Paula E. Faulkner of the SAES and a colleague from Penn State
• "Limited Resource Farmers' Perceptions Towards Alternative Enterprises in Southeastern North Carolina" - Co-authored by Dr. Kenrett Jefferson-Moore and Jannety M. Mosley, a student at A&T
• "High School Students' Perception and Level of Familiarity with the Cooperative Extension Service, Experiment Stations and 4H" - Co-authored by Dr. Marcus Comer and Chastity Warren-English of the SAES Ag. Education faculty, and Michael Harmon, a student at Trinity High School
• "The Green Industry in North Carolina" - Co-authored by Dr. Godfrey Ejimakor of the SAES, and Harry Sutton an SAES student
• "Investigating Collaborative Partnerships Among Community Action Agencies in the Southeast" - Co-authored by Dr. Terrence Thomas and Victor Ofori-Boadu of the SAES faculty, and Edward Fosu, an SAES research associate

Two poster presentations were the work of SAES teams:
• "The Relationship Between Perceived Barriers to Health Care and Self-rated Health in the Black Belt Region of the United States" - prepared by Drs. Benjamin Gray and Terrence Thomas, and Marcus Bernard
• "Keeping Up with Good Agricultural Practices: The Case of Limited-Resource Audiences"
prepared by Mary Mafuyai-Ekanem, Brandi White, Monique McAllister, and Dr. Keith Baldwin of The Cooperative Extension Program at A&T

Dr. Terrence Thomas of the SAES was the program chair for the conference, and also served as a session moderator and panel discussion member. Drs. Ejimakor, McDowell and Jefferson-Moore moderated paper presentation sessions.

New highway for bachelor’s in agricultural education now open

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:24:13 -0500

Dr. Alton Thompson, the SAES dean, and Dr. Johnny Wynne, his counterpart at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State, have had an official signing ceremony for a new agreement between the Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education at A&T and the Agricultural Institute at N.C. State. Students receiving Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degrees from the Agricultural Institute in any of five fields can now transfer up to 64 credit hours toward a bachelor’s in Agricultural Education at A&T, and they can progress toward their bachelor’s via traditional on-campus classroom instruction, or via the 2 + 2 Online Studies Program. The five Agricultural Institute A.A.S. programs that are now official steppingstones toward a bachelor’s in agricultural education at A&T are: Agribusiness Management - Horticulture, Ornamentals and Landscape Technology, Turfgrass Management, General Agriculture, and Livestock and Poultry Management.

Worldly approach

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 12:39:57 -0500

Dr. Anthony Yeboah and John Paul Owens of the Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education are project co-directors for a Capacity Building Grant that will provide scholarships for study abroad to SAES students and international experiences for SAES faculty. Phase I of the grant project will begin Tuesday, Feb 12, with a workshop for faculty interested in spending time abroad as visiting scholars or other international opportunities. The workshop will be from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the C. H. Moore Agricultural Research Station. Assisting Yeboah and Owens with the program will be Minnie Battle Mayes, Director of International Programs, and Dr. Conchita Ndege, a professor in A&T’s history department and the University’s Fulbright representative. Space is limited, so interested SAES faculty should contact Owens ASAP. Phone in a reservation for a place in the workshop at 334-7901.

Application forms for SAES students interested in complementing their course work toward a bachelor’s degree with an international experience are now available from Owens. For students selected, there will also be funding to help defray the costs of airfare, passports, visas, vaccinations, health insurance, and other costs associated with international travel. There also will be monthly stipends for students selected.

Students should turn the forms in to their academic advisors once they are completed. Students receiving scholarship funds are expected to complete a project or course related to one of the six major goals in the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension System’s (CSREES) Strategic Plan. The CSREES Strategic Plan’s six major goals are augmented with 13 specific objectives that should give students some concrete guidance in proposing an international study experience that meets criteria the selection committee will be looking for.

International Trade Center gets hundred-grand boost

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:10:56 -0500

USDA has announced that $1.5 million in job creation and business promotion grants will be going to 15 of the 1890 Land-Grant Institutions, and $100,000 of that total is earmarked for the SAES’s International Trade Center. Drs. Osei Agyeman Yeboah and Richard Robbins of the SAES International Trade Center will serve as co-principal investigators for an effort that will be:
• Steering assistance with construction management to service industries in one tri-county region (Northampton, Halifax, and Edgecombe);
• Providing economic and business guidance to small-scale pork producers in Duplin County and mushrooms growers across the state;
• Helping establish marketing cooperatives for small-scale vegetable growers and peanut farmers in Warren and Caswell counties;
• Setting the groundwork for producer and marketing cooperatives for edible and medicinal mushrooms in a tri-county area in western North Carolina (Madison, Mitchell, and Yancey).

Once the production and marketing phases of the four projects are along in development, the SAES International Trade Center will be providing assistance in locating international markets for goods and services to the collaborators. This is a one-year grant that will be funded through Sept. 30, 2008, and it follows in the footsteps of a $115,000 grant with similar objectives that was funded in 2006-07.

In addition to providing support for rural economic development through its 1890 initiative and similar programs, USDA Rural Development also supports projects bringing water and sewer systems, housing, health care, electricity, communications and other public services to under-served rural areas.

New option for cultivating potential in international circles

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:06:41 -0500

Dr. Anthony Yeboah and John Paul Owens of the Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education are project co-directors for a recently announced Capacity Building Grant that will provide scholarships for study abroad to qualified SAES students. There will also be funding to help defray the costs of airfare, passports, visas, vaccinations, health insurance, and other costs associated with international travel. Monthly stipends will also be paid. Application forms for SAES students interested in complementing their course work toward a bachelor’s degree with an international experience are now available. Students should turn the forms in to their academic advisors once they are completed. Students receiving scholarship funds are expected to complete a project or course related to one of the six major goals in the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension (CSREES) Strategic Plan. The CSREES Strategic Plan’s six major goals are augmented with 13 specific objectives that should give students some concrete guidance in proposing an international study experience that meets criteria the selection committee will be looking for.

The Capacity Building Grant that Yeboah and Owens are directing also provides for furthering international experiences for SAES faculty, and a global studies workshop is planned for next semester to get that facet of the project under way.

Turkey with trimmings

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:59:49 -0500

The U.S. Department of State and the Department of Education join forces each year to draw attention to the benefits of international partnerships in education by coordinating International Education Week: Nov. 12 through 16 this year. The SAES is getting into the global swing of things with a program in the Carver Hall Conference Room from 2 to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15. James Sweeney Jr., an agricultural economics major, will be discussing his study abroad experience in Turkey last spring, and a visiting research economist from Ege University in Turkey, Dr. Berna Türkekul, will be sharing her impressions of A&T. Türkekul has been working with Dr. Osei Yeboah on a policy analysis of the issues affecting the markets for cotton in the U.S. and Turkey.