September 1, 2020
Edition Topics
- Message from Dr. Silvertooth
- Congratulations Marco Pena
- Family & Consumer Health Sciences Interview Zoom Presentation
- UA Survey About Caregiving During the Pandemic
- Present a Virtual Poster at the 2020 Extension Conference
- Nominate someone for a Heart of Extension Award
- Nominations are open for CALS Administrator of the Year!
- 13th Annual AZ/UT Cowman's Reproduction Virtual Workshop
- New Extension Publications
- WRRC Brown Bag Webinar
- Native Plant Materials for Restoration
- Small-scale farmers colloquium, 2020
- Septic Tank Health Webinar
- From Dissemination to Impact: Using Peer to Peer Learning in Natural Resource Extension
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Message from the Associate Dean and Extension Director
As we work to move the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension System (CES) through the phases of transition, we are working with CES unit heads to make assessments and decisions based on public health data and an interpretation of the local conditions.
A general explanation of this phased gating process can be found at the following two links:
https://extension.arizona.edu/phased-operational-plan
Click here to download the Phased Operational Plan PDF
The University of Arizona Public Health Advisory Team is providing input and review of our transition processes based on appropriate public health parameters. Very importantly our evaluations with unit heads include the local compliance to best public health practices such as the use of face coverings, social distancing, and frequent hand washing.
Public and social behavior in relation to COVID-19 is an extremely important factor. Therefore, our collective compliance to best public health practices is critical in our ability to move the CES organization forward in the transition process. How we behave and operate in this regard as CES representatives is also an important reflection on our organization.
Your patience, cooperation, compliance is very much appreciated.
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| Congratulations Marco Pena
Marco Pena, Research Specialist Assistant in Extension at the Yuma Ag Center, was awarded the Outstanding Extension Staff of the Year! The award was given during the Pre-season Vegetable IPM Workshop webinar with 130 attendees watching. This is a well-deserved award. Marco "just quietly does an excellent job everyday." Marco is extremely valuable to Arizona Cooperative Extension and to the agricultural stakeholders throughout the southwest U.S.
Thank you Marco for everything you do for Cooperative Extension!
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Family & Consumer Health Sciences Interview Zoom Presentation
Assistant/Associate Agent, Family Consumer and Health Sciences for Santa Cruz County with a small portion (family promotion programs) covering Cochise County
Our two candidates will give their presentations on Wednesday, September 9. Mark your calendars!
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| UA survey about caregiving during the pandemic
Please complete a 1-minute, voluntary survey to help a team of CALS researchers estimate the number of UArizona employees and students who are caregiving for children, elders, or others during the pandemic. All data from this survey is anonymous and will only be reported in aggregate for the purposes of research and proposing UArizona policy and practice changes.
Access the survey here: https://redcap.link/uacare
If you aren’t a caregiver – we still want you to take this short survey! It will help us get an accurate count, and it is an easy way for you to support your colleagues who are caregivers.
This survey may have come to you through multiple listservs- please take the survey only once, as the links all go to the same survey. You must be at least 18 years old to participate.
Please contact Madeleine deBlois (mdeblois@arizona.edu) or Kara Haberstock Tanoue (kalynq@arizona.edu) with any questions or concerns about the study. More information about the study can be found here.
An Institutional Review Board responsible for human subjects research at The University of Arizona reviewed this research project and found it to be acceptable, according to applicable state and federal regulations and University policies designed to protect the rights and welfare of participants in research.
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Present a Virtual Poster at the 2020 Extension Conference
Poster presentations are an excellent way to share your work and to learn about innovations taking place in Extension programs across the state. This year, we are offering a virtual poster session at the October 6-8 UArizona Extension Conference and we invite you to participate! We plan to showcase posters, accompanied by a Q&A chat during the week of the conference, and to also have a live interactive poster event so that you can meet others interested in your topic. To contribute a poster, please visit our Poster Sign-up Form and register your poster by close of business Friday, September 11. Posters and a short abstract (<100 words) will be due by close of business on Monday, September 28. We are really looking forward to highlighting your work and giving you an opportunity to share ideas and success stories at the conference.
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| Nominate someone for a Heart of Extension Award
Do you know someone deserving of this year’s “Heart of Extension” Award?! Take a few minutes to nominate them here. There are many deserving individuals from across the entire state that truly are delivering on the mission of Extension. We want to hear about them and the great work they’re doing. Deadline to submit is Friday, September 11th. Here’s some criteria to consider when nominating:
- Consistently performs a high quality of work and collegiality in required and expected duties
- Work on special projects, cross-functionally, or serving on a committee or team, either in the unit
or in the community
- Demonstrates ability to foster and promote a diverse and inclusive work environment an
mindset
- Fosters and facilitates opportunities for stakeholders to improve knowledge, skills and abilities
- Open to and welcomes constructive feedback on their own work – constantly looking for ways to
improve and solicit self-reviews
- Maintains perseverance in the face of adversity
- Significant contribution(s) to a major project or operation
- Makes special efforts to recognize excellence in others
- Constantly seeks to improve service to stakeholders by developing efficiencies, processes, cost
savings, successful crisis management, or other mechanisms leading to better outcomes
- Courageous in providing value-added input through effective communication and constructive
feedback
- Demonstrates a willingness to work with others and assist whenever needed or requested with a
positive attitude
- Having an open mind to change and being a change agent for the local unit, team, and
organization
- Can readily adapt to new situations while actively seeking ways to advance beyond the status
quo
- Creates a positive work environment and enhances the brand of the local unit, Extension, CALS,
and The University of Arizona!
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Nominations are open for CALS Administrator of the Year!
.. The Division of Agriculture, Life and Veterinary Sciences, and Cooperative Extension (ALVSCE) Administrator of the Year Award was created to recognize and honor outstanding achievements and contributions by an administrator in ALVSCE. This annual award consists of a plaque for the recipient and a monetary award of $1,000 to be made to the winner’s administrative unit in honor of the recipient.
.. Nominations of candidates for this award may be made by faculty, staff, alumni, students or other administrators in ALVSCE. Nominations for administrators who are not selected will be retained for future consideration by the committee for a total of three years.
.. Deadline for nominations: October 15, 2020
For more information, including award criteria: https://compass.arizona.edu/awards/administrator
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| 13th Annual AZ/UT Cowman's Reproduction Virtual Workshop
Please join us for our 13th Annual AZ/UT Cowman's Reproduction Virtual Workshop on September 8th, 2020 from 5 pm - 8 - pm (AZ Time). This year we are delivering the program via Zoom.
Featuring former UA Gila County Extension Agent, Dr. Jim Sprinkle (now University of Idaho Beef Specialist) who will be giving a presentation about managing beef cow reproductive challenges during drought. Other presentations and speakers include:
- Repeat Breeding Syndrome - Nate Brawley, Assistant in Extension (UA)
- Foothills Abortions & Trichomoniasis - Dr. Cody Egnor, Assistant State Veterinarian (AZ)
- Proposed Utah Trichomoniasis Rule - Dr. Dean Taylor, State Veterinarian (UT)
- DNA Study of Longevity of Southern Utah Livestock - Dr. Matt Garcia (USU)
Please register at: https://extension.arizona.edu/events/2020-09-08/13th-annual-azut-cowmans-reproduction-virtual-workshop
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| New Extension Publications
Stinknet, also known as globe chamomile, is a relatively new weed in Arizona that has quickly spread. The first herbarium collection for Arizona was made in the spring of 1997 and the first published account of its presence in Arizona was by Landrum et al. (2005). By 2019 the plant had risen to public attention due to its conspicuous presence. Stinknet is now common in the Phoenix metro area and across much of Maricopa County. It is spreading south along the I-10 corridor, becoming well established in Pinal County. Outbreaks have occurred within the Tucson metro area, and also in rural parts of Pima County. Recent observations show stinknet has found its way into Mexico (SEINet Portal Network, 2020).
Corn hybrids for silage were evaluated in small plots at the University of Maricopa Agricultural Center. The maturity range of the hybrids was approximately 115-120 days. The trial was irrigated up on March 7, 2019 and harvested on July 15, 2019. Various measurements were taken during the season including plant height, solar radiation interception, silking and tasseling dates, and initial and final stand. Differences in yield and other parameters were detected among hybrids, but differences in forage quality parameters were not statistically significant.
Small grain varieties are evaluated each year by University of Arizona personnel. The purpose of these tests is to characterize varieties in terms of yield and other attributes. Variety performance varies greatly from year to year and several site-years are necessary to adequately characterize the yield potential of a variety.
Sorghum hybrids for silage were evaluated in small plots at the University of Maricopa Agricultural Center. The maturity range of the hybrids was early to full season. The trial was irrigated up on July 26, 2019 and harvested at soft dough which occurred from October 16 to December 19. Various parameters were measured including yield, moisture, plant height, lodging, bloom date, and forage quality. Differences in yield, forage quality, and other parameters were detected among hybrids.
Winter cereals for forage were evaluated in small plots at the University of Maricopa Agricultural Center. The crop types evaluated were triticale, barley, wheat and oats. The trial was irrigated up on December 17, 2018. The forage was sampled eight times between each irrigation. Forage yield was measured along with percent leaf, stem, and head, plant height, head moisture and growth stage. Forage quality was measured by NIRS for two dates roughly corresponding to boot and soft dough depending on the variety.
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| WRRC Brown Bag Webinar
The Kyl Center for Water Policy will be presenting the Arizona Water Blueprint: A Roadmap to Good Stewardship. This signature project is an innovative interactive map of the state’s water resources and infrastructure. Rich with data, the Blueprint is designed to foster holistic water resource thinking and informed water policy discussions to influence sound water stewardship in the state. Offering opportunities for both free exploration and guided tours, the Blueprint features detailed information about proposed augmentation projects and the water resilience of communities throughout the state.
To request an alternate format of this content for disability-related access, please contact (520) 621-9591
Webinar Attendance Information:
The WRRC hosts its Brown Bag Webinars using Zoom. To register for and join this webinar, visit https://bit.ly/3hgIaoP
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| Native Plant Materials for Restoration
Save the Date!
The Arizona Cross Watershed Network is hosting a virtual workshop on 'Native plant materials for restoration' on Friday, September 18, 2020, from noon to 1:00 pm. The zoom link is below.
The goal of the workshop is to identify native plant material resources in Arizona and connect the growers/producers to the restoration practitioners. Upon completion of the workshop, we will create a comprehensive inventory and summary of native plant materials programs and vendors for Arizona and hope to identify gaps in obtaining native plant materials and opportunities for improvement.
If you have any questions please contact either:
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| Small-scale farmers colloquium, 2020
This is a monthly meeting for commercial horticulture and small-scale farmers to share science-based information on diverse topics (soil, water, pests, diseases, weeds, farm management, marketing, food safety, etc.) that will help improve farm productivity, profitability, sustainability, food safety and food security.
Dates of monthly sessions: July 20th, August 17th, September 14th, October 19th, and November 16th.
All sessions are 4:00pm to 5:00pm.
Location: Zoom
REGISTRATION REQUIRED
To register, email your name, gender (optional), and location (county) to
yavapaipres@cals.arizona.edu
To view the agenda and list of speakers for this series, visit our website at https://extension.arizona.edu/events/2020-07-20/small-scale-farmers-colloquium-2020
Contact:
Dr. Isaac Mpanga
Area Associate Extension Agent Comm. Hort. and Small Acreage
Email: mpangai@arizona.edu
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| Septic Tank Health Webinar
September 03, 2020 11:00am to 12:00pm
Online event link: https://arizona.zoom.us/j/98983636685
Featured Speaker: Jake Garrett, PE, is the manager of the Gila County, Arizona Wastewater Program. He has been active in the onsite industry for the last 25 years, first in the private sector as a percolation tester, conventional and alternative system designer, and installation planning and execution under Bulletin 12 and then the 2001 Rules. Since joining Gila County in 2002 he has managed the environmental programs delegated to Gila County from both ADEQ and ADHS. In 2007 the wastewater program moved to the Building Department where he has worked to implement “one-stop-shop” for Gila County residents.
Webinar Overview: Many homes in Gila County and rural areas use a septic tank. Jake discusses several importance aspects of septic tanks including legal and environmental concerns. You will learn how to care for your septic tank: if you keep your tank happy, you will be happy too!
Zoom Link: https://arizona.zoom.us/j/98983636685
Please log in up to 10 minutes prior to the webinar.
Cost: Free
Registration: Not required
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| From Dissemination to Impact: Using Peer to Peer Learning in Natural Resource Extension
Please join us for our fourth (in a series of nine) webinar!
September 17th at 1:00 pm Eastern Daylight Savings Time.
This webinar is open to all!
Webinar Summary:
We, as Extension educators, know that information dissemination is not the same as education. But how do we move beyond “dissemination” to encourage stakeholders to reflect and integrate natural resource-based information for actual impact? With more than half of the forests and rangelands in the US under private ownership, and most others managed through local, state or federal entities, how do we work with land managers and owners in order to support complex natural resource decisions for resource health?
You will be sent a Zoom link for the webinar after your registration has been submitted. You will also receive reminders for the webinar. All webinars are recorded and posted on our website. If you have questions about this webinar please contact: Mark Thorne, State Range Specialist, University of Hawaii.
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