Nebraska Corn Board Call for Proposals

Rick Koelsch, Nebraska Extension

Nebraska Corn Board is now accepting proposals through January 30, 2015 for 2015 projects. Although listed as a "research" program, the projects funded by the Corn Board include Extension and applied research programs targeting crop production, environmental management, youth development and nutrition/health issues.

The 2015 Request for Proposals states that the research priorities are:

• Increase the demand and usage of corn and /or corn products;
• Research into the various aspects of life cycle analysis that affect corn and or corn ethanol, keeping in mind a systems approach,
• Examples (but not limited to) such as nitrous oxide emissions, irrigation efficiency and fuel use, model elasticity variables;
• Research that optimizes the environmental stewardship practices of present and future corn production systems,
• Livestock production systems vs. crop production systems;
• Research of federal policy that effect corn, livestock, trade and/or ethanol.

One need expressed by members of the Corn Board suggests projects that place the results of funded projects in the hands of Nebraska producers would be valued.  Proposals that build upon current research projects or partner with new proposals to expand the reach of the research presents an opportunity for Extension professionals to consider for submitting a proposal. Below is a listing of currently funded that may serve as a possible starting point for a future partnership or as an idea of the types of projects the Corn Board is funding:

Benchmarking productivity and efficiencies of irrigation water and nitrogen in corn-based cropping systems is led by Patricio Grassini.   The objective  is to analyze NRD producer-reported data to provide proof-of-concept for measuring irrigated corn systems efficiencies.

Corn-derived Resistant Starches to Improve Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome is led by Amanda Ramer-Tait & Jens Walter. Resistant starches (RS) derived from corn offer tremendous potential to support the health of our population, including improved insulin sensitivity, reduced weight gain, etc. Our research will provide important knowledge of how a corn-based ingredient can improve health.

Decide NOW is a project led by Robert Tigner, Jessica Johnson and Cory Walters to increase implementation of marketing strategies. Decide NOW will allow producers to step away from the classroom with the tools needed to implement and modify grain marketing plans. The main component of Decide NOW will be customizable electronic post‐harvest marketing plan with a built in reminder system.

Determining the Feeding Value of Distillers Grains in Cattle Diets (Matt Luebbe, Jim MacDonald, and Galen Erickson).  The majority of ethanol plants in Nebraska started removing a portion of the corn oil from the thin stillage stream resulting in a lower fat distillers grains (DGS) byproduct. With the support of the Corn Board, this project will evaluate deoiled distillers after they became available to producers.

Foliar Analysis in Nutrient Management for High Yield Corn is led by Charles Shapiro and our Extension soils specialists.  Corn has a high rate of nutrient uptake during the V4 to VT stage and demand may exceed the supply. Our hypothesis is that nutrient responsive fields or areas in fields can be identified and remediated through a combination of soil and plant analysis.

Innovative Youth Corn Challenge by Brandy VanDeWalle, Aaron Nygren & Amy Timmerman
The Annual Innovative Youth Corn Challenge will continue for 4-H and FFA members working in teams. Youth are challenged to produce the most economical, highest yielding corn in comparison to their typical production system. 

Managing Corn Stover Removal with Cover Crops to Optimize the Environmental Stewardship Practices of Corn Production (Humberto Blanco).  Harvesting or grazing corn stover addresses a major forage supply need in Nebraska but creates the potential for soil erosion and degradation of soil productivity. Cover crops may reduce adverse effects. This onfarm and research plot project is assessing the interactive effects of corn stover removal and cover crops on soil characteristics, erosion, and crop yields.

Nebraska On-Farm Research Network (Keith Glewen & Gary Zoubek).  Corn growers typically ask the question “does this new production practice or a specific input work to improve the corn yield on my farm and does it provide an economic payback”? On-farm research can help a grower answer those important questions.

Promoting Adoption of In-Season Canopy Sensor-Based Nitrogen Fertilization of Corn Through the Nebraska On-Farm Research Network (Richard Ferguson, Joe Luck & Keith Glewen).  The project will promote the adoption of in-season nitrogen fertilization for corn for increasing N use efficiency and reducing environmental impact on groundwater quality. It will also  increase grower’s familiarity with the use of crop canopy sensors to generate an economic optimum in-season nitrogen rate.

Sustainable Corn and Soybean Production (Roger Elmore & Humberto Blanco).  We propose exploring sustainable corn-soybean production systems that incorporate cover crops. Our objectives are to determine the feasibility of utilizing cover crops, in corn and soybean cropping systems. The field activities will be conducted in research plots at four Nebraska sites – both irrigated and rainfed.

Regional Water Networking Opportunities

By Rick Koelsch, UNL Extension

On behalf of John Fech, Aaron Nygren, Troy Ingram, Katie Pekarek, Suat Irmak, Chuck Burr, Gary Hergert, Brian Krienke, Dan Cotton, and Chuck Hibberd

The above UNL group participated in the first North Central (NC) Water Network Conference (http://northcentralwater.org/), a gathering of faculty with extension water interests across the 12 North Central states.  The intent was to build multi-state teams that would lead to competitive regional grant proposals as well as share educational and professional development experiences regionally.

During the conference, a new “Capacity-Building Seed Funding” opportunity was announced to support these multi-state initiatives (see announcement below).  In addition, UNL Extension faculty participated in five of the work groups that emerged from the conference (addressing manure, soil health, cover crop, irrigation, and youth water literacy). A summary of these work groups’ plans is provided below with a UNL Extension contact for more information.  UNL Faculty with water interests are strongly encourage in become involve with any of these five work groups as one step towards developing a regional peer network and participate in future regional Extension water education initiatives.

Manure Work Group:  The focus of our discussion was about EPA’s concern about tracking manure movement across state lines.  In the existing regulations, when a neighbor to a animal feeding operation takes the manure and especially when it crosses state lines, there is no ability to track where the manure is going.  The idea was to gather representatives from several NC region states discuss concerns, possible solutions, and educational programming to address concerns. The group is working on a grant application to the NC region to provide funding to bring together a representative from each state next spring.  UNL Extension contact:  Gary Hergert

Soil Health Work Group:  The soil health group is preparing a proposal to plan a regional initiative for the purpose of recommending a regional definition of soil health, summarizing recommended measurements for assessing soil health, and establishing a common protocol of for measurement. The meeting is intended to bring together the different groups (farmers, extension, and scientists) to create these recommendations.  A second intention of this group is to develop a regional conservation innovation grant supportive of adoption of soil health principles. UNL Extension contact:  Brian Krienke

Irrigation Management Work Group:  Four UNL faculty met with a regional team on irrigation issues. The discussion focused on sharing UNL resources for irrigation management regionally.  The discussion also covered common interest in developing a NIFA grant proposal to improve the research base of irrigated agriculture and ensure that water and nitrogen resources are used in an optimal fashion. The group will develop a funding proposal to the North Central Water Network to cover professional development and allow the group to meet in Lincoln to further discuss the NIFA grant.  UNL Extension contact:  Aaron Nygren, Troy Ingram, Chuck Burr, and Suat Irmak

Climate Change Work Group:  The climate change group led by Faye Sleeper of the University of Minnesota is assembling a proposal to create a climate academy that will focus on building the capacity and confidence of Extension Educators and non- profit principals to a) respond to client questions regarding climatic changes and b) recommended short term best management practices in their subject matter area.  A set of basic messages and a core curriculum will be developed to address this need.  The group will explore the most effective methods for empowering professionals in this endeavor.  UNL Extension contact:  John C. Fech

Youth Water Literacy work group:  No information available at this time.  UNL Contact: Katie Pekarek

Seed Grant Funding:  The North Central Region Water Network announced its 2015 seed funding request for applications (http://northcentralwater.org/rfa/). A maximum of $100,000 will be awarded, with each award being up to $30,000. Priority water-related topics include 1) Nutrient and manure management; 2) Sustainable water supply; 3) Climate change & adaptation; 4) Soil health; 5) Land use and development practices; 6) Aquatic invasive species prevention and management; 7) Youth water literacy and stewardship

Application teams should engage Extension professionals and partners from at least three North Central Region states. 

Awards will be made for work in any of the following areas: 1) Planning Projects, 2) Program Delivery Projects, and 3) Professional Development for Extension Professionals to Improve Water-Related Extension Programs.  More information can be found here: http://northcentralwater.org/rfa/

DEADLINE: The submission deadline is November 30, 2014 at 5:00 PM CDT

Networking Opportunies at Fall Conference

by Mike Riese, Linda Tempel and Rick Koelsch, UNL Extension

New to this year's fall conference, Extension professionals have four unique opportunities to grow their networks with other Extension peers.  These opportunities, jointly sponsored by NCEA and UNL Extension, were designed to support the #1 reason faculty have told us they come to Fall Conference.  By signing up we will reserve space (generally a table or floor space) at these networking sessions for you. Learn more below.

 

Issue/Opportunity Breakout Sessions - Sign Up

Do you:

• See an emerging issue in which Extension should consider engaging?
• Have an idea in which you would like to identify other interested faculty?
• Wish to propose an initiative that would engage multiple action teams or work groups?
• Anticipate a need for a new curriculum resource, decision tool, or other educational resource?

This is an opportunity to propose a discussion topic and learn who might be interested in partnering with you on a future proposal, extension initiative, or examining an emerging issue.  We will provide you an opportunity to share your idea and 40 minutes of time to visit others that might share your interest.  Individuals and teams are invited to propose An "Issue/Opportunity Breakout Session" around which you wish to start a discussion.

New Faculty Networking Session - Sign Up
Being new to Extension means we need to get to know you. We would like you to share something about yourself which might include your school, a prop for your favorite hobby, or something such as a YouTube video introducing yourself. The rest of your Extension colleagues would like to learn something about you. We will provide you a table and space at this networking session for you to introduce yourself to your Extension colleagues.
 

Technology Show & Tell Networking Session - Sign Up

All Extension professionals are invited to show off something they are doing with technology in Extension.  Do you have a cool app or decision tool, social media effort engaging clientele, valued tool for collaborating with a team, or educational experience delivered on-line.  Have you applied other (non-electronic) technologies to create a unique educational experience?  We invite all Extension Professionals to share a "Technology Show & Tell" experience with their peers in an informal networking environment.  We will provide space and/or table for your "Technology Show & Tell".

 

Extension Specialist Networking Session - Sign Up

Extension Specialists are invited to share research and extension programs with those attending Fall Conference during a specified networking time. What are your interests?  What cool research are you doing?  What educational products would you like to apply in Nebraska?  You are invited to set-up a poster (including a previously presented research poster), table top display, or short video to help others learn of your program and interests.  The goal of this session is to give Extension Specialists the opportunity to share their work as well as network with others that may be interested in similar topics.

Questions about any of these sessions can be addressed to Linda Tempel at 402-472-2966.

NDSU Extension’s BBQ Boot Camp

Rick Koelsch, UNL Extension

What might be the connection between Ag and Food Literacy and BBQ?  North Dakota State University Animal Science Department and Extension have found that consumer’s taste for good BBQ creates the “teachable moment” for consumer education on food literacy, safety, and nutrition.

David Newman, NDSU Extension swine specialist states that "The program highlights many different aspects of agriculture from meat cookery to the importance that producers place on meeting high product quality standards.”  Dr. Newman has assembled a unique partnership of Animal Science faculty and students, Extension, and meat and commodity industry groups to deliver a widely popular BBQ Boot Camp to North Dakota consumers.

The Boot Camp packages educational messages around Ag and food literacy, food safety and nutrition, and BBQ foods preparation into 4-20 minute educational programs. Animal Sciences department and Extension faculty, staff, and graduate and undergraduate students are the instructors for the camps. The camps wrap up with a full meal, including traditional barbecue side dishes and a large variety of barbecued meat.

And are consumers interested? Pre-registration at $50 per person sells out at every stop. Programs are typically limited to 200 people and the Extension team cannot meet the demand for this widely popular program. BBQ Beef Camp was invited this weekend to be one of the backdrops behind ESPN’s Game Day broadcast from Fargo.  But that invitation was turned down due to a commitment to a special event to feed 4,000 Air National Guard troops and their families. And the North Dakota meat industry and commodity groups are huge supporters of this unique educational experience.

For additional information, take a look at the YouTube videos found at http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/ansc/extension-1/bbq-boot-camp

Starting a Conversation with Nebraskans on Climate Change

Rick Koelsch, UNL Extension

Which of these statements would you identify as FALSE relative to the opinions of Nebraska farmers and ranchers?

• 3 to 11% of Nebraska farmers and ranchers agree with the statement "Climate change is occurring, and it is caused by human activity".

• 60 to 70% of Nebraska farmers/ranchers believe that agriculture should take additional steps to protect farmland from increased weather variability.

• 60 to 70% believe university Extension should help farmers to prepare for increased weather variability.

If you answered that NONE of these statements are FALSE, then you  have a good understanding of the conflicts Nebraskans are experiencing around the issue of climate change. Each of these statements was verified by a survey of 5,000 farmers and ranchers across the north central region including Nebraska.

This is the environment into which Extension is starting a conversation on climate change.  UNL Extension's work group on Resiliency to Extreme Events/Climate Change in Nebraska work group is tackling this issue.  All Extension programs have the potential to be impacted by issues surrounding climate change.  It is important for all Extension professionals to consider how we can succeed in starting this conversation with our clientele.

Extension's Resiliency work group invites all Extension professionals to a webinar "Starting a Conversation with Nebraskans on Climate Change".  The arrangements for participating follow:

Date:  Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Time:  3 to 4 PM Central
Phone Connection:  800-910-2399  passcode 874758#

Web Meeting Room Connection:  http://connect.unl.edu/resiliency

Starting a Conversation with Nebraskans on Climate Change 

Moderator:  Rick Stowell, UNL Biological Systems Engineering (10 minutes each for each panelist)

Farmer/Rancher Perspectives on Climate Change (take home messages from Sustainable Corn/U2U survey of 5000 producers in this region) -  Gordon Arbuckle or Lois Wright Morton, Iowa State University.

Southeast Climate Consortium experience with Learning Communities and other Conversations with Extension Clientele – Wendy-Lin Bartels, Social Scientist, Ag and Bio Engineering at University of Florida.

How Climate Learning Community Has Impacted Alabama Agronomy Extension programs – William Birdsong, Regional Extension Agronomist, Auburn University. 

Lessons Learned from Animal Ag and Changing Climate online course – Rick Stowell

4 to 5 PM - Resiliency Work Group conversation. Contact Rick Koelsch if you wish to participate.

2014 Extension Fall Conference

Rick Koelsch, UNL Extension

November 12-14 should be marked on the calendars of all Extension professionals for Extension Fall Conference.  A brief update on the four keynote presenters who will highlight this year's event is provided.

We will start the conference off with two keynote presentations on November 12 focusing on "Creating Extension Future".  Chuck Hibberd will start us with a presentation focused on E"Excellence in Extension" and building up last fall faculty conversations on the same topic and this fall's webinars that begin the exploration of this issue.  We will follow with a presentation by Doug Steele, director of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.  Doug will present his vision for "Extension in the 21st Century".

November 13 will highlight NCEA's professional development role for supporting ALL Extension professionals. We will open the day with a keynote presentation by Jay Rifenbary on the topic of "Incorporating Core Values, Accountability, and Balance into Your Life and Career".  Jay has recently served as keynote presenter at the Joint Council of Extension Professionals annual meeting as well as Extension Conferences in Kentucky and Purdue.  The luncheon speaker will be Harold Jarche.  Harold will focus on workplace and educational transformations. His message will center around how people are learning in a 21st century networked world. November 13's professional development workshops are open to all Extension professionals.

November 14 will be a time for Action Teams to gather and plan their educational efforts for 2015.

Stay tune for additional information on Fall Conference.

Extension Risk Management Education Competitive Grants Program

By Brad Lubben and Rick Koelsch

Extension Risk Management Education Competitive Grants Program announces New RFA Dates & Timeline. The 2015 Request for Applications (RFA) will be announced on or about September 15, 2014.

The application deadline is set for November 17, 2014.  In previous years, this program required a pre-proposal. Pre-proposals have been omitted from the application process in 2015. Applicant notification is planned for February 16, 2015 with a project start date for successful applicants beginning on April 1, 2015.  For more information, please contact the North Central Extension Risk Management Education Center, University of Nebraska Extension, (402) 472-2039 or review their web resources at http://www.ncrme.org/Grants/index.html .

The Nebraska folks have had good success with funding, including the current active REME education projects and PDs:

• Tim Lemmons - Farm Bill Education – education grant
• Robert Tigner – “Decide Now” marketing plan app and education – education grant
• Monte Vandeveer – “Mitigating Drought Risk for Nebraska Livestock and Forage Producers” – education grant
• Jessica Johnson – “Managing Human Risk on the Farm or Ranch” – exploratory grant

Risk management involves taking a deliberate and knowledgeable approach to dealing with one or more of the five primary sources of risk: Production, Marketing, Financial, Legal and Human. Helping farmers and ranchers to evaluate their risk tolerance and to seek and apply improved risk management practices is a key objective of this program. Last years RFA found at http://www.ncrme.org/Grants/documents/2014_RFA_NorthCentralCenter_002.pdf provides more detailed examples on page 5 for topics considered as part of production, marketing, financial, legal, and human risks. 

The 2015 RFA will be open to all groups and disciplines that can address risk management needs for farmers and ranchers, remembering that the focus is on producer education regarding management decisions and the adoption of the risk management practices. The grants will not fund research.  Any crop or livestock production risk projects that tend to focus on the risk management tool (crop insurance, diversification, IPM decision making, etc.) or the enterprise analysis and choice (cost of production, new enterprises, etc.) as opposed to the basic production questions (fertilizer or seed trial, feeding trial, etc.) are potential proposal ideas. Are there needs for educational tools or resources to help producers make risk management decisions related to adding cover crops, considering alternative irrigation strategies, implementing drought management plans, or improving their resilience to a changing climate? Consider the possible education needs, producer demand, and program ideas and collaborators to begin planning for a successful grant application.

Stay tune for additional information on the 2015 RFA.