- SRDC Items of Interest
- Regional Spotlight
- Grant Connections
- Job Announcements
- Conferences and Trainings
- Webinars Series
- Subscribe to Around the South
- * Download This Issue
Open Forum Webinar: Best Practices in Diversity, Inclusion, and Racial Equity Training in Food Systems
December 12, 2019 @ 12p.m. CT/1p.m. ET
Co-presented by eXtension’s Community, Local and Regional Food Systems partner organization, the North American Food Systems Network (NAFSN). Featuring program updates from CLRFS working group Racial Equity in the Food System, as well as Iowa State University and NAFSN. This is an opportunity for sharing and discussion by all forum attendees.
2017 Census of Agriculture Special Study Data Released
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) recently released the data from the first 2017 Census of Agriculture Special Study, the Irrigation and Water Management Survey. Aquaculture is the next census special study to be released, scheduled for December 19th. Census of Agriculture products continue to be made available. Currently online are State and County Profiles, Congressional District Profiles and Rankings, Ag Census Web Maps, Zip Code Tabulations, Watersheds, American Indian Reservations, and Race, Ethnicity, and Gender Profiles.
Strengthening Community Development Across the South; Community Resource Development 101
An old adage in community development is “If you have seen one community, you have seen… one community. “Clearly, communities across the south differ in population, amenities, demographics, assets, history, and so many other economic and cultural ways… so how does an Extension professional use evidence-based practice when every community is different?
Eighteen Extension community development participants gathered in Plano, Texas on the first week of November 2019 to address this question in a workshop coordinated by the Southern Regional Development Center and hosted at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Community development specialists* from Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Texas designed and led the CD 101 workshop which took place in advance of a three-day facilitation training workshop hosted by Michigan State University. In the CD 101 workshop, participants explored community systems, power dynamics, local governance, economic structure and finding the right data. While only 1½ days in length, the workshop included presentations, small group work, panel discussions with elected officials, and a community immersion/assessment experience in McKinney, Texas.
When asked about the most beneficial aspects of the community development workshop, one participant noted they improved their “Understanding of the systems and impacts of community development”. In fact, all participants agreed with the statements:
I have a deeper understanding of community development practice.
I understand how to assess the power dynamics and context for working in a community (i.e., who holds power, what do sides want and why, what is the historical context and perspectives and motives).
The workshop genesis was the 2017 Southern Regional Association of Extension Administration and Association of Southern Region Extension Directors, where guest speaker Richard Harwood challenged Extension Leadership to make the most of Cooperative Extensions’ position and resources to increase their community development involvement. The conversations that followed led to the recognition that across the Southern Region, there was a need for Community and Economic Development capacity building for our Land-grant Universities. The Community Resources Development (CRD) Program Leaders took it upon themselves to assess the community and economic development information and skill needs across the region. A survey was crafted and distributed across the southern region Extension universities. One hundred and seventeen responses from 13 states were returned. The results were compiled and shared through the SRDC Newsletter (Kahl, D., Focusing on the Important: Determining Needs for Community and Economic Development Success. Around the South Regional Spotlight, September 2018 Vol. 14, No. 9). Building on the core identified needs of that survey, the Southern Region CRD Program Leaders Network designed and hosted the CD 101 professional development workshop to broaden the community development capacity of our land grant partners.
While it is important to recognize that each community is unique, a primary objective of the workshop was to help each participant see communities differently. To help Extension professionals to see community systems at work, and to envision new ways in which agents can enter and strengthen the processes of community development.
-Dan Kahl, University of Kentucky
*Leadership recognition: Susan Jakes, NC State University; Dan Kahl, University of Kentucky; Stacey McCullough, University of Arkansas; Joy Moten-Thomas, Fort Valley State University; David Shideler, Oklahoma State University; with support from Iris Cole-Crosby, University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff; Rebekka Dudensing, Texas A & M AgriLife Extension Service; Jaime Ray Walker, Texas A & M AgriLife Extension Service; Mark Waller, Texas A & M AgriLife Extension Service; Rachel Welborn, Southern Rural Development Center
Assistant/Associate Dean for Family & Consumer Sciences – University of Tennessee
The Assistant / Associate Dean and Professor, Extension Family & Consumer Sciences and College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, is responsible to the Dean of UT Extension (75%) and the Dean of the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (25%) for planning, developing, implementing and evaluating the Family & Consumer Sciences component of UT Extension and outreach efforts of the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. The Assistant / Associate Dean also serves as the Statewide Family and Consumer Sciences Program Leader and Family & Consumer Sciences Department Head. The University of Tennessee is seeking candidates who have the ability to contribute in meaningful ways to the diversity and intercultural goals of the university. For more information contact Dr. Matthew Devereaux at 865-974-7384 or mdeverea@utk.edu
Associate Administrator – Virginia State University Extension
Provide innovative leadership for Cooperative Extension programs. Provide leadership in planning, implementing, evaluating and reporting on extension programs/initiatives/collaborations. Continually promote relative competencies such as creativity, critical thinking, communication, strategic thinking, and problem solving to find and develop creative solutions for the complex issues and problems related to Cooperative Extension programs. Make quality and timely decisions. Communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders. Delegate effectively ensuring that the correct person is assigned specific tasks or projects.
2020 Extension Leadership Conference: San Antonio, TX
February 12-13, 2020
The Conference Theme will be: 2020 a Vision for the Future. The conference Capnote Speaker will Dr. Scott Reed who will be the Vice Provost for University Outreach and Engagement Emeritus of Oregon State University Extension. The committee is seeking an additional keynote speaker. We will again have Concurrent Sessions that will have the best of Extension presenting leadership development success stories
Public Issues Leadership Development Conference: Arlington, VA
April 5-8, 2020
National Health Outreach Conference: Kansas City, MO
May 13-15, 2020
Mark your calendars for the 2020 National Health Outreach Conference! The conference will be held May 13-15, 2020 at the Marriott on the Plaza in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. With the theme of “The Grand Challenge: Building a Healthy Future for All,” there will be sessions related to Nutrition, Health, 4-H Youth Development, Workforce Development, Human Development, and many other topics.
National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals Annual Conference: Portsmouth, NH
May 31 - June 3, 2020
Call for Proposals: Due by January 15
International Workshop on Agritourism: Burlington, VT
October 27-29, 2020
Call for Proposals: Due by January 31, 2020
The 2020 International Workshop on Agritourism (IWA) will be held October 27-29 at the Hilton Burlington Hotel in downtown Burlington, Vermont, USA. The University of Vermont Extension local host committee is working on developing an exciting program for participants which will include educational sessions on pertinent industry topics, poster presentations, hands-on workshops and farm tours, networking events, and time with our exhibitors and sponsors. We invite you to extend your trip on either end of the Workshop to explore the bountiful farms, culinary experiences, arts, and other attractions in Vermont and surrounding states and provinces.
Southern CRD Webinar Series:
In 2020 the Southern CRD Webinar Series will transition into quarterly high-priority topic sessions. More details coming soon!
Southern CRD Webinar Series:
January: Exploring Ways to Engage Limited Resource Communities in Disaster Education - Strategies from the 1890 EDEN Advisory Group
February: Empowering Minority Students with an Entrepreneurial Mindset
March: Equipping Georgia's New Farmers for Success
April: Building a Regional Coalition for Natural Resource Conservation
May: Community Food Systems: A Space for Ecology, Justice, and Markets
June: Telling the Whole Story: Economic Contribution and Cotton Cooperatives
July: Creating Bridges for the Rural Retail Workforce: Bringing Businesses and Employees Together to Identify Long-Term Employment Solutions for Rural Retail
National CRD Indicators Team Webinar Series:
The “But for” Principle: Getting to Your Impact
Data Visualization: Decision-Making Tools and Methods for Communities
What’s Your Program Worth? Evaluation Strategies for Documenting the Dollar Value of Extension Programs
Evaluating Community Development Impacts Using Qualitative Indicators
Job announcements and other items of interest may be sent to Katherine Spiering for possible inclusion in future issues.
Subscribe to Around the South here.