January 2020 program update

Updates from the ISU Extension and Outreach leadership team

Agriculture and Natural Resources + Community and Economic Development

Participants will learn about food entrepreneurship and inclusive partnerships during the Community Food Systems Annual Event, Jan. 9-10 in West Des Moines. The conference will feature nine breakout sessions on topics related to specialty crop and garden production, business development, farm to school, food systems and USDA programming. Local Food Leader and Business Model Canvas workshops will be held in advance of the conference.

More from Agriculture and Natural Resources

  • Farmland values rose for just the second time in the last six years in 2019, climbing 2.3% according to the latest Land Value Survey released on Dec. 11. The statewide value of an acre of farmland is now estimated to be $7,432, with the jump driven by favorable interest rates, strong yields and limited land supply. The full 2019 Land Value Survey can be found on the ISU Extension Store.
  • The annual Returning to the Farm Seminar will be held Jan. 10-11 and Feb. 14-15, providing information to farm families who are beginning to think about farmland succession. Led by a group of ISU Extension and Outreach specialists, Iowa State University professionals and experienced farmers, the seminar is intended to help families make succession plans, learn to communicate better and answer critical questions.

More from Community and Economic Development

  • As the 2020 Community Visioning Program kicks off, Elkader and Wellsburg will be conducting their first meetings in January. Bioregional assessments will take place in Mingo and Polk City. ISU program staff will be conducting transportation surveys and focus groups with high school students in Reinbeck, Mount Pleasant and Elkader. ISU program staff will conduct training on transportation assets and barriers workshops (focus groups) for Trees Forever field coordinators on Jan. 29 in Ames. CED specialists Scott Timm, Abbie Gaffey, and Eric Christianson facilitate focus groups for these workshops.
  • CED specialists Steve Adams and Victor Oyervides created a guidebook for the Business Model Canvas, a strategic management tool created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. At its most basic level, it is a canvas divided into nine individual rectangles representing the building blocks of all small businesses and nonprofits: 1. Customer Segments, 2. Value Propositions, 3. Channels, 4. Customer Relationships, 5. Revenue Streams, 6. Key Resources, 7. Key Activities, 8. Key Partnerships, and 9. Cost Structure. Using the Business Model Canvas, an entrepreneur will organize, analyze, adjust and implement premises on a feasible business concept. The nine building blocks will guide a person on the pathway to understanding how the business concept will create value for value in return (money). In January CED specialists will be presenting the Business Model Canvas in West Des Moines at the Community Food Systems Annual Event and in West Liberty.
  • During January, CED specialists will be facilitating Leading Communities in Atlantic, Mount Pleasant, Sac County, Centerville and Elma. This Leading Communities program is made possible in part by a vice president for extension and outreach initiative.

Human Sciences

  • The following data represent both SNAP-Ed and EFNEP-funded direct education work, which includes both “Buy. Eat. Live Healthy” and “Plan, Shop, Save and Cook”:
    — 1,089 total participants. This is 130 more participants than FY 2018.
    — 91% female, with most under the age of 40.
    — 47% self-identify as part of an underserved racial or ethnic group.
    — 63% of participants have income at or below 100% of the federal poverty level, and more than 75% receive public assistance.
    — 94% of participants improved diet quality.
    — 83% increased their physical activity.
    — 78% improved food safety practices.
    — 49% reported increased food security.
    — 80% reported improved food resource management.
  • Cathy Hockaday was accepted into the University of Utah’s Grant Writing Coaching Research Study, funded by the National Institutes of Health Common Fund. Participants will experience a four to six-month intensive writing and feedback process with skilled coaches via a combination of in-person and virtual meetings. Mack Shelley, chair of the Department of Political Science, will serve as the on-campus scientific advisor for Cathy as she develops an NIH proposal. Cathy will travel to University of Utah in January to begin the mentoring process.
  • Connie Beecher presented at the American Speech-Hearing-Language Association Convention the results of a comparison study of the Small Talk program. She and her team compared a group of parents who regularly attend the library with an equivalent group who completed the Small Talk program. Small Talk is a program that helps parents learn how to create an enriching home language environment for their child and how they can help their child’s brain development. The intervention group outperformed the comparison group (adult words, conversational turns and child vocalizations). Not only did the intervention group have statistically significant growth, but effect sizes range from .55- .85 and there was also a significant increase of parent knowledge of child development.

4-H Youth Development

  • Thirty-four youth from eighteen counties participated in Beef Blast in December. Quotes from the youth participants include: “Sometimes antibiotics are not the best option for treating baby calves.”; “Enjoyed making connections with other beef producers.”; “The nutrient requirements for cows and heifers are different.”; “How to cull in a herd, very helpful.”
  • State 4-H Council members participated in their annual Youth-Adult Partnership training in December. Youth-adult partnership is the practice of youth and adults working together in a democratic way, through shared work, over a sustained period of time-to strengthen their organization and/or community. Council members identified and brought a caring adult with them to learn and participate in programming centered around positive youth-adult partnerships. Topics included barriers and benefits, leadership styles, stress management and well-being, learning to give and receive feedback, and developing an action plan for your school, club, community, etc.
  • In October, schools attended the SWITCH School Wellness Conference in preparation for the 2020 implementation of SWITCH in over 50 schools across the state. School and extension staff learned ways they can integrate more physical activity and opportunities for nutrition throughout the school day and also how to engage with parents. ISU psychology professor Doug Gentile shared his research and best practices for screen time and youth. Six schools brought youth teams who will be ambassadors for SWITCH in their schools. Youth ambassador teams created promotional videos for their school social media pages and determined ideas of how they can help leverage the message for switching what they do, view and chew and influence their peers to jump on board with making simple health behavior changes.

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