The 2010 third quarter issue of Choices, a publication of the American Agricultural Economics Association, is now available on line. Choices is an online peer-reviewed magazine published by the AAEA for readers interested in the policy and management of agriculture, the food industry, natural resources, rural communities, and the environment. In this issue, Choices addresses an overall theme and provides insightful ideas about Addressing the Obesity Issue. There also are individual submissions that may be of interest to you – including the costs of obesity and implications for policymakers; farm policy and obesity in the United States; nutritional labeling’s affect on obesity; the role of food environment, food store access, and consumer behavior on diet; and, more.
You can view Choices online at: http://www.choicesmagazine.org/magazine/block.php?block=51&utm_source=choices&utm_medium=email&utm_content=obesity&utm_campaign=10Q3S
I hope you will find this information useful.
Programming, Scholarship
data, obesity
Steven Blair will be on campus Thursday, November 11 at 8:00 pm in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union to speak on “Physical Activity or Body Weight: Which is More Important for your Health?” Dr. Blair is on the faculty at the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health and is coauthor of “Fitness after 50, Active Living Every Day” and “Physical Activity and Health.” I hope you can participate in this 2010 Helen LeBaron Hilton Chair in Human Sciences lecture.
College of Human Sciences
LeBaron Hilton Chair, lecture
Hot off the press and available on the Extension to Families Staff page … a comprehensive booklet (complete with staff photos) detailing all Families administrative staff, campus specialists, and regional program specialists! Access the directory designed to view online or download the directory suitable for printing in booklet format. Note: you’ll need a printer that can duplex (back) for best and quickest booklet printing.
Both copies will be updated periodically to reflect staffing changes. Nancy plans to use these booklets when meeting with agencies, partners, organizations, etc. and invites you to do so as well, if appropriate.
Staffing
directory, staff
As part of my orientation, I’m conducting a series of teas around the state with supporters of Families and 4-H. Three of these teas will take place November 3 in Mount Vernon, November 5 in Early, and November 8 in North Liberty. Hostesses have volunteered for each tea and invited a dozen or so supporters to attend. During the tea we will get to know each other, I’ll give an update on Families and 4-H work and seek their feedback, and finally ask for their continued support of our work. If these teas are beneficial, I’ll be scheduling others across the state in the spring. Let me know if you have questions about these “get to know Nancy” events.
Programming, Revenue Generation
teas
Field specialist, Cheryl Clark, recently shared an idea that others may find useful, or that you may already be doing. After completing a series of programs offered regionally (New Staff Orientation for Child Care Providers, Environmental Rating Scale assessment trainings) she lets REEDs and county funded staff know via an email message the number of participants attending from their respective counties. They in turn can share this information with County Extension Councils so they realize their clientele have access to and are engaged in Extension programming even though it may not be occurring in their county. What a great communication idea/technique.
Programming, Uncategorized
At Families/4-H Youth In-Service this week the results of the recent survey with county-funded staff were shared. Find the County-funded survey results. It is exciting to have nearly 50 on our newly created listserve (countyfamilies@iastate.edu). They all have an interest in learning about and helping market our families programming, yet we must remember they have 25% or less time to devote to our programming. Continue to visit with and build relationships with county program coordinators in your counties/regions to learn how we can better engage them and provide resources to them.
Programming
Thanks to all of you for attending the Families/4-H inservice the last two days. What great networking and conversations we had about our work! One major theme for us in Families is the need to connect more fully with young families through social media. With that in mind, here’s an inservice opportunity you may enjoy:
eXtension’s first National eXtension Virtual Conference will begin Monday, October 18 kicking off three days of exciting keynote speakers and critical conversations about working differently. The keynote speakers, Lee Rainie of the Pew Internet and American Life Project, Harold Jarche of Jarche Consulting and the Internet Time Alliance, and Nancy White of Full Circle Associates will set the stage for discussions about how Americans are working differently, how the world is working differently, and how all of us need to think about our work differently.
Surrounding these discussions will be 20 Critical Conversations organized and hosted by our colleagues from across the country on topics as diverse as the Cooperative Extension workforce and audience. A detailed program and connection information can be found here: http://about.extension.org/2010/10/05/outstanding-keynotes-critical-conversations-featured-in-national-extension-virtual-conference/
Professional Development
social media
I hope you’ll attend a round table being led by Chris Fahey from the ISU Foundation Tuesday afternoon at our inservice. He will be sharing tips on gaining program support through private donations of time, talents, and treasures. I believe as our funding sources continue to change (i.e. the decline of government funded programs), we will need to expand our work to secure private donations. It will be increasingly important for all of us to: 1) understand the need to raise money, 2) be willing to support fund raising (goes well with fun raising and friend raising), 3) be an ambassador for ISUE to Families by identifying potential donors, 4) articulate reasons for giving and how a gift will be used (I can share the ISUE to Families wish list with you if you need it), 5) welcome eveyone to our programs and program sites to observe our outstanding work, 6) know how to explain the basic finances of ISUE, and 7) show that our passion for our work is worth investmenting in. I’m looking forward to hearing your success stories and lessons learned on how you’ve gained private support for our work. Thanks. To help us with this work, I’ve scheduled three women’s teas around the state with potential donors. If they go well, I’ll set up more this spring. Let me know of women who would be great hostesses or participants for the teas.
Revenue Generation
philanthropy
Those of you working with local and regional food system initiatives might find a new tool sponsored by the Leopold Center to be useful. The Iowa Fruit and Vegetable Market Planner is now ready for use at: http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/newsreleases/2010/092710_planner.html
It can convert from pounds of products to servings and calories. I hope you find it helpful.
Programming
local foods
The Leopold Center invites ISUE to Families faculty and staff to submit grant proposals to conduct Extension work consistent with the mission of the center. If you’d like to submit a successful grant proposal, plan to attend a workshop for potential grantees on May 25th, 2011. The theme for the grants will be measuring resilience and sustainability. The full RFP will be released the end of June and preproposals will be due the first week of August. I’d be glad to brainstorm proposal ideas with any of you to help us be fully represented in this process.
Revenue Generation
leopold grants