News and Notes: May 23, 2022

The next Director’s Video Update will be held on Tuesday, June 14 at 9am. Registration is required. You can register online. Please note – this is a change from the previously announced June 7 date.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with log-in information about joining the webinar on June 14. You may need to log into Zoom first, then click on the individualized link in your registration confirmation to access the webinar. The update will be recorded for those who cannot join us for the live presentation.

This event will be presented with automated closed captions. If you wish to request traditional CART services or other accommodations, please contact Cheryl Buck at buck.19@osu.edu or 614-292-4880. Requests made by 10 business days before the event will generally allow us to provide seamless access, but the university will make every effort to meet requests made after this date. Note: This webinar will be presented via CarmenZoom, which is supported by the new Office of Technology and Digital Innovation (which includes the former Office of Distance Education and eLearning) being implemented this spring.

Agricultural Crossroads: Social and Ecological Convergence in the Heartland is a conference planned collaboratively by the Sustainable Agriculture Education Association, The Ohio State University, and Central State University. A preliminary schedule is available for viewing at the SAEA website. Scholarships will be available for reduced registration. There will be a virtual broadcast of the third day of the conference at Central State University for a reduced registration fee.

Visit the NACAA website at nacaa.com/scholarship-criteria to learn more about the scholarship application criteria. Start the process of submitting a scholarship application at nacaa.com/scholarship-application. To learn more about the NACAA Scholarship Program, check out this YouTube video at youtu.be/RkRdPoMWxZA; the video was put together by the Scholarship Committee in April.

Quick details: The deadline for application is June 1. To enhance your chance of receiving a scholarship, justification is critical. Be sure to tell how the program will benefit you and the clientele you serve. How do you plan to use the knowledge in your Extension career? 2022 prerequisites: must be in good standing with your state association for two years; and must already be ‘vested’ at the $40 or $100 contribution level in the NACAA Scholarship Program. You can view your contributions on the NACAA website by logging in and clicking the “view my contributions” button on your dashboard. Note that contribution amounts will be changing for scholarship applications in 2023.

-reprinted from a previous message with our respects to the South Centers staff

The Ohio State University South Centers, the college, and Ohio State lost a beloved friend and colleague recently with the passing of Duane Rigsby. Duane was one of the first staff members hired at CFAES South Centers when it first opened in 1991. His importance to South Centers cannot be overstated. It seemed he was ever-present and always the first person anyone thought to call whenever there was a problem. Duane kept all the computer and phone systems working, took lots of pictures and recorded videos, kept the water flowing, and made sure everyone felt safe and comfortable with his knowledge of security and HVAC systems.

Duane was an historian  with a deep knowledge and appreciation of the history of South Centers, especially keeping up with former staff members. He had collected a treasure trove of photos and memories over his 30-plus years in Piketon and loved to impart his knowledge and experiences to newer generations of employees.

He was always there to help anyone, no matter what the need.  Perhaps Duane’s co-workers will most remember him for his willingness to help anyone with anything, and always with a smile and patience.  He once jokingly said, “not many IT guys wear work boots,” which perfectly encapsulated his “not afraid to get his hands dirty” attitude. He would happily plow snow, unclog a toilet, or dig a ditch, just the same as if he were fixing a printer. If it needed doing, he was always there to get it done.

Duane was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and son. You can read his full obituary online. And if you wish to make a gift to the university in Duane’s honor, two funds are especially related to Duane’s legacy.

• Piketon Research and Extension Center Support Fund: Funds to this account would help South Centers with a fitting memorial at the Piketon campus in honor of Duane.
• The Scioto County 4-H Endowment Fund: Duane’s daughter Katy was very active in her 4-H club and showed goats at the Scioto County Fair.

Laura Lindsey, CFAES associate professor and Extension specialist focusing on soybeans and small grains, recently received a grant from the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NCR-SARE) for the project: "Use of a Cover Crop to Reduce Soil Crusting and Improve Soybean Emergence." Lindsey is also a co-leader of the Extension Ag Crops Team. Learn more about her work at hcs.osu.edu/our-people/dr-laura-elizabeth-lindsey.

The grant program is intended to foster cooperation between agriculture professionals and small groups of farmers and ranchers to catalyze on-farm research, demonstration, and education activities related to sustainable agriculture. The focus for each NCR-SARE grant program is on research and education. NCR-SARE's Administrative Council members decide which projects will receive funds. A collection of farm and non-farm citizens, the council includes a diverse mix of agricultural stakeholders in the region. Learn more at northcentralsare.org/Grants/Our-Grant-Programs/Partnership-Grant-Program.

-per Gigi Neal, JCEP president

The next meeting of the Ohio Joint Council of Extension Professionals will be held June 6 on main campus at the Ag Administration building. Committee chairs and associations will keep you posted about their specific meetings and briefings.

JCEP content on our Extension website has been moved from a “home” on the state website to the Operations website. All of the go links point to the new main page. Please use one of these links to reach the JCEP page:

• go.osu.edu/jcep
• go.osu.edu/ojcep
• go.osu.edu/ohiojcep

If you use specific links to any sub-pages within the JCEP content, please double check and update your link accordingly, because they likely direct to the old location; this includes various sub-committees and links to forms. If you find any errors or have information that needs to be updated on the Ohio JCEP pages, contact Cheryl Buck at buck.19@osu.edu.

If you are interested in the MINE program (Mentor. Impact. Network. Excel.), mentor training now includes a one-hour information session, followed by an asynchronous course. The course takes approximately 3.5-4.5 hours to complete, depending on how focused the participant is. These information sessions are for NEW MENTORS only. All Extension positions are welcome to attend:

• Thursday, July 21, 10:30-11:30 a.m. – one-hour information session. Register online.
• Wednesday, Sept. 7, 1-2 p.m. – one-hour information session. Register online.

New hires who are not already matched in the MINE program should complete the New Hire Survey at go.osu.edu/newhiresurvey to enroll. The MINE program is available for mentees in all Extension positions.

Through a partnership between the Governor’s Office of Children’s Initiatives, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, and the Ohio Children’s Trust Fund; Ohio is scaling up positive parent education for Ohio parents, caregivers, early childhood educators, and care providers. Free online Triple P Positive Parenting Program classes will soon be available to ALL Ohio parents.

Learn more during a virtual webinar on June 2 (2:30-4:30 p.m.). Learn about the philosophy behind Triple P, an evidence-based parenting program with more than 35 years of ongoing research, and how Ohio is working to scale up a “layered” approach to Triple P services, equipping parents and caregivers with the skills and confidence they need to be self-sufficient and independently navigate parenting challenges. Register in advance for this webinar. Questions can be directed to OCTF@OCTF.ohio.gov.

The Ohio State Office of Diversity and Inclusion has partnered with the Michael V. Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning to launch a new training series on From Debate to Dialogue: Conversation strategies to build connection across difference. This series explores strategies to facilitate communication and understanding across differences in identity, perspective, and experience. This two-day, in-person training opportunity is open to faculty, staff and other university employees at Ohio State. The sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to noon, and will include breakfast. Training participants will learn to apply essential skills necessary to building affirming dialogue in the workplace and/or classroom. Registration is capped at 75 participants, filled on a first come, first-served basis. Register online.