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Registration Open for Understanding Heirs' Property at the Community Level
Target Audience: This workshop is designed for Land-Grant professionals who will use the curriculum materials to provide training to families and communities in their home states. Please feel free to share this opportunity with other LGU professionals. Priority will be given to first-time attendees.
Workshop 1: Fundamentals in Kentucky
Dates: September 25 & 26, 2025
Location: Hyatt Regency Louisville, 320 West Jefferson Street, Louisville, KY 40202
Schedule: Begins at 8:30 AM on September 25 and concludes at 3:30 PM on September 26
Focus: We will explore the three core modules of the curriculum. Registration: https://msudafvm.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a3sAO3kiPdVNZPg
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Workshop 2: Advanced in North Carolina
Dates: September 29 & 30, 2025
Location: Grand Bohemian Charlotte, 201 West Trade Street, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202
Schedule: Begins at 8:30 AM on September 29 and concludes at 3:30 PM on September 30
Focus: We will explore Land Use and Heirs’ Property Navigator.
Registration: https://msudafvm.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_08vvhfQuU6PisOq
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Workshop 3: Fundamentals in North Carolina
Dates: October 1 & 2, 2025
Location: Grand Bohemian Charlotte, 201 West Trade Street, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202
Schedule: Begins at 8:30 AM on October 1 and concludes at 3:30 PM on October 2
Focus: We will explore the three core modules of the curriculum.
Registration: https://msudafvm.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ahZOaV8VVaAPusu
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Don’t miss out – The National Policy Research Center at Alcorn State University will cover registration, materials, and your hotel, plus breakfast and lunch on the days of training. Just plan your travel and dinners – register now to secure your place.
Learn more: https://srdc.msstate.edu/programs/heir_property
For more information, contact Roseanne Scammahorn at r.scammahorn@msstate.edu (mailto:r.scammahorn@msstate.edu)
NDEET Strategic Planning Update: National Leaders Convene to Shape the Future of Digital Extension Efforts
In the final week of July, 27 participants from 17 states of the National Digital Education Extension Team & ECOP Broadband & Digital Access Program Action Team gathered in Denver, Colorado for an energizing and forward-focused convening to identify the emerging digital and broadband needs shaping the future of Cooperative Extension. Hosted by the Extension Foundation, the event served as a catalyst for strategic planning and collaboration across key issue areas.
The NDEET Strategic Planning Team is excited to announce the identification of three priority areas for research and content development:
- Economic Development
- Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology
- Cybersecurity
Each focus area has defined a clear set of goals and action steps to support Cooperative Extension's evolving role in digital equity and innovation.
To learn more about the three priority areas, goals, and their leads, please visit the SRDC news page at https://srdc.msstate.edu/news
Thank you for your continued commitment to digital transformation and innovation in Extension. Together, we are building a stronger, more connected, and digitally resilient future for our communities.
For questions or further information, please contact the Program Action Team leaders.
- Dr. Roseanne Scammahorn (r.scammahorn@msstate.edu)
- Dr. Kristopher Elliott (kristopher.elliott@oregonstate.edu)
INRPHA Webinar: Panel to Present on Publishing on Rural Population Health and Aging
On Friday, October 3, at 10 AM PT, 11 AM MT, 12 PM CT, and 1 PM ET, the Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging will host a webinar with a panel of journal editors from across the country who will share their insights and tips for publishing research related to rural population health and aging.
Panelists include Elizabeth Crouch (University of South Carolina), Journal of Rural Mental Health; Ty Borders (Texas Christian University), Journal of Rural Health; Joseph Gaugler (University of Minnesota), The Gerontologist; and Leif Jensen (Pennsylvania State University), Rural Sociology.
The moderator will be John Green from the Southern Rural Development Center and editor of the Journal of Rural Social Sciences.
Webinar registration: https://msstateextension.zoom.us/meeting/register/BlfhGQnTSkaEHxRtWejzEQ
RRDC Webinar: The Landscape of Mental Health and Financial Support for Midwest Farmers
On Tuesday, September 30, at 12 p.m. CT/1:00 p.m. ET, the Regional Rural Development Centers will host a webinar focused on the range of mental health programs that were developed in response to the challenges facing farmers amid the farm-income crisis of the late 2010s and the COVID-19 pandemic. Presenters will share findings from the first two years of a five-year research project to understand what the landscape of support in the Midwest looks like and how farmers engage with it. Programmatic and policy implications, along with the project’s next steps, will also be shared. Learn more and register.
Upcoming Webinar from the SERA 47 Working Group: September Tea & Coffee Hour
Save the date for the upcoming webinar from the Local and Regional Food Systems Southern Extension and Research Activity (SERA 47) Tea & Coffee Series, set for Thursday, September 11, 1 pm to 2 pm CT/2 pm to 3 pm ET. SERA 47 is a multistate group focused on strengthening local and regional food systems. This webinar is a great opportunity to connect, learn, and engage with the SERA 47 community.
Featured speakers and topics for the upcoming webinar are:
- Dr. Audrey King, Oklahoma State University - "The Rural Renewal Symposium"
- Dr. Kayle South, Virginia Tech - "CEA (Controlled Environment Agriculture) Summit East"
- Jessica Joyce & Dr. Joshua Stoll, University of Maine -"The Local Catch Network and the Local Seafood Summit"
Registration Link: https://msstateextension.zoom.us/j/94729624100?pwd=HIT1xYJl1fzd8bTr2WuO…
To catch up on previous webinars from SERA 47, visit https://sera-47.extension.org/webinars/
Call for Proposals: 2026 National Rural Grocery Summit
The National Rural Grocery Summit Planning Committee is seeking presentation proposals for the 2026 National Rural Grocery Summit scheduled for May 5-7, 2026, in Fargo, ND.
This biennial convening is the premier networking and resource-sharing venue for independent grocers and rural food access stakeholders across the country. In 2026, it will be co-hosted by the Rural Grocery Initiative at Kansas State University, the University of Minnesota Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships, and the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives.
The committee is seeking presentations, panel discussions, workshops, and posters that relate to summit objectives and suggested topic areas. Full guidelines may be viewed at www.ruralgrocery.org/summit/proposals.
Who: Past presenters have included grocers, researchers, community leaders, and many more.
What: Relevant presentations may include stories of partnership to support rural grocery, innovation in rural food access, approaches to building resilience in a small-town store, and more!
All proposals must be submitted online via Oxford Abstracts by October 1, 2025, at 11:59 PM Central.
For questions, contact Clara Misenhelter clarawicoff@ksu.edu
Learn more at: www.ruralgrocery.org/summit/proposals/
SRDC Repository Readership Snapshot Update
In July 2025, the Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC) Repository collection had a total of 463 downloads. The publications were downloaded from 55 institutions in 60 different countries.
The repository is hosted on Mississippi State University Library’s platform, Scholars Junction, which allows users to explore published content from the SRDC and its partners. Access the SRDC’s repository.
Job Opportunity
Director, Alabama Cooperative Extension System
Auburn University invites nominations and applications for the position of Director of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, who serves as Alabama Extension’s chief academic and administrative officer, providing vision and leadership to enhance the system’s tradition of excellence in education, research, service, and educational outreach. The director reports directly to the presidents of Auburn University and Alabama A&M University.
View more information and access the application for the director’s position at https://ssl.acesag.auburn.edu/posannc/files/Alabama-Extension-Director-…