ANR NEWS
Vol. 6, No. 4
January 7, 2002
This electronic newsletter from Extension to Agriculture and Natural
Resources will be sent on an occasional basis to ag field specialists and all
CEEDs. It is intended to provide current information to its readers. Let us know
of topics you would like addressed.
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IN THIS EDITION:
1. Jerry's Comments
2. Revenue Generation
3. Conflict of Interest
4. Extension Agronomist Position
5. Iowa Farm Bureau Opens Iowa Wetlands Mitigation Bank
6. New Environmental Advisor Position
7. Grants Available
8. Nitrogen Presentation Available
9. Web Site of the Month
10. Selected Events/Mark Your Calendar
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JERRY'S COMMENTS
In reviewing the Extension Calendar of Events on the web, I am struck by the
number and variety of ANR programs being offered to Iowans across the state this
month. We are off to a great start in 2002. Remember to keep the calendar up to
date on program offerings and to report numbers on a timely basis at the
conclusion of the events. These are important for our ANR Program efforts and
recognition.
While our current budget situation remains tight, I am pleased to announce that
because of salary savings on vacant positions and revenue generation efforts, we
are moving forward to fill a high priority farm and business management field
specialist position in southeast Iowa. It will be announced as a term
appointment, with option for renewal.
I take this opportunity to wish you all a successful 2002.
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REVENUE GENERATION
For the 5-month period (July-November, 2001), ANR Field Staff had collected
$14,053.97 in user fees. Thirty-one (31) different specialists have submitted
dollars (some more than once) to ISU. If you are one that has not yet collected
user fees, visit with some of your co-workers that have. Many agree that the
process is going smoothly for a first-time effort.
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CONFLICT OF INTEREST
An issue has been raised whether employees of ISU Extension can or should invest
their own dollars in new start-up ventures they have helped establish in their
role as employees of ISU Extension. The following information and guidelines are
provided by Keith M. Bystrom, Assistant Counsel, University Legal Services:
University employees are free to own stock in private companies, and
relatively modest holdings are not a matter of University concern. An employee
who holds equity in or stock options that represent more than $10,000 or 5
percent of the total company equity is considered to have an equity interest in
that company.
Therefore, if an ISU employee invests more than $10,000 or an amount equal
to or greater than 5 percent of the total company equity, the employee is
required to disclose that relationship to Iowa State University. This University
policy basically sets the threshold amounts at a minimum point that it causes
the employee to disclose the equity interest. Disclosure will permit an analysis
of whether the equity interest creates conflicting interests. At that point,
inquiry should be made of the potential for any conflict of interest or
appearance of a conflict of interest. If a conflict or appearance of a conflict
is determined to exist, ISU Extension can then determine what steps are
necessary to remedy the situation.
Since ISU Extension employees are admonished "to conduct their affairs in
a manner that avoids even the appearance of a conflict of interest," it would be
my recommendation that ISU Extension very carefully monitor these situations so
that it does not appear that an ISU staff member took advantage of his or her
duties and responsibilities with Extension and thereby benefited from investing
in the result of those duties and responsibilities. The appearance to the
general public and the agricultural community that ISU Extension employees are
personally benefiting from a relationship with farmers due to their position
with ISU Extension should be avoided.
If you have questions on this policy, please feel free to visit with Jim
Johnson or Jerry DeWitt.
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EXTENSION AGRONOMIST POSITION
This note comes from Dr. Fales, Head of Agronomy:
I just thought that I should share with you the latest on the Dale Farnham
position. The position remains a very high priority for the Department, College,
and University. The position will be filled and it will be advertised soon.
Please feel free to share this information with any of our constituents who ask
about it.
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IOWA FARM BUREAU OPENS IOWA WETLANDS MITIGATION BANK
The first agricultural wetlands bank that allows less than acre-for-acre
mitigation in the United States has opened for business.
The Iowa Wetland Mitigation Bank, Inc. will sell credits from a restored 70-acre
wetland in Franklin County. The bank creates an outlet for landowners wanting to
improve small, farmed wetlands in corn and soybean fields by offering for sale
credits from the restored site.
Swampbuster provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985 imposed tough
restrictions on the further improvement of insufficiently drained wetlands that
retain wetland characteristics. The mitigation bank offers farmers relief from
the federal restrictions while improving the overall environment.
Landowners interested in purchasing wetland bank credits must first contact
their local NRCS office to determine whether they have a certified farmed
wetland and to also have a functional assessment of the farmed wetland
conducted.
The assessment will determine the environmental value of the landowner's farmed
wetland based upon its hydrology, faunal habitat, ability to retain and dissolve
compounds, plant life, ability to create a food web and its benefits for
wildlife.
Applications for the first round of credits will be taken from December 1
through May 1, 2002, by local Farm Bureau offices in North Central Iowa.
Bank application forms are available in the 18 county Farm Bureau and NRCS
offices in the Prairie Pothole region, on Farm Bureau's Internet web site
http://www.iowafarmbureau.com/ or by telephoning 515-225-5490. Applicants
must submit a $100 non-refundable processing fee with their application.
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NEW ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISOR POSITION
Cherokee, Plymouth and Sioux County Extension Councils, Plymouth and Sioux
County Farm Bureau Boards and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation are collaborating
on a project to hire a part-time Extension Livestock Environmental Advisor. The
advisor will serve as a resource for livestock producers regarding environmental
laws and regulations. Duties will include helping livestock producers determine
which laws and regulations apply to their operation, serving as a liaison with
commodity and agricultural groups in the three counties and assisting with
environmentally related educational activities for livestock producers. The
position is projected to be a two-year project. The Extension councils are
developing a 28-E agreement for the support of this position.
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GRANTS AVAILABLE
NRCS and USDA invites proposals for education grants to help agricultural
producers effectively participate in the Environmental Quality Incentive Program
(EQIP). The education grants program targets two priorities: 1) livestock
manure management and pastureland management and 2) soil erosion control on
cropland. Funded projects last year were regional or statewide in scope.
Deadline: January 18, 2002. To get this file, go to:
http://dbs.extension.iastate.edu/filescatter/fileinfo.cfm?f=489&s=383504690
The call for proposals for use of the Computation Advisory Committee (CAC)
university central funds is now available on the CAC website at this link:
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~cac_info/proposals/proposals.html This call
is for proposals that address university needs for information technology based
instructional support for students. This year's call for proposals continues to
emphasize innovative projects and student involvement in proposal preparation.
Total funds in the central pool for competitive proposals will be approximately
$500,000 for 2002-2003. Proposals may originate from students, faculty or staff
and must be connected to an administrative unit of the university. Proposals
should be submitted to the appropriate administrative unit by March 1,
2002.
EPA Grant Program. Summary: this guidance outlines the purpose, goals, and
general procedures for application and award under the Fiscal year (FY) 2002
(October 1, 2001-September 30, 2002) Environmental Justice Small Grants Program.
For FY 2002, the EPA will make available approximately $1,500,000 in grant funds
to eligible organizations (pending availability of funds); $500,000 of this
amount is available for Superfund projects only. Dates: the
application must be delivered by close of business Friday, February 21, 2002
to your appropriate EPA regional office. If you have any questions, please feel
free to contact the EPA Region 7 EJ Program Manager, Althea Moses, 913-551-7649.
The link to the guidelines in pdf format is:
http://es.epa.gov/oeca/oej/2002rfa.pdf
The National Science Foundation has announced Centers for Learning and Teaching
(CLT) Program. This program is a comprehensive, research-based effort that
addresses critical issues and national needs of the science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instructional workforce across the entire
spectrum of formal and informal education. Elementary, Secondary, and Informal
Education Center proposals must involve partnerships of organizations with a
scientific, engineering, and/or educational mission. Approximately $2 million
will be allocated per year per Center for up to five years, pending availability
of funding. Please let James Bloedel, Vice Provost for Research, 211 Beardshear
Hall, 294-6344, know by close of business on Wednesday, January 30, 2002,
if anyone plans to participate in this program. Letters of interest may be sent
my mail or fax. E-mail communications will not be accepted. Required
preliminary proposals are due at NSF on March 15, 2002, with full proposals due
May 3, 2002. Guidelines are available at:
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2002/nsf02038/nsf02038.html
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NITROGEN PRESENTATION AVAILABLE
A PowerPoint presentation, "Nitrogen Management Basics" is now available for
your use. This slide presentation is located on the Nitrogen and Phosphorus
Knowledge web page at:
http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/NPKnowledge/ Click on "Publications" and
scroll down to "PowerPoint Presentations." If you have any questions, please
contact John Creswell at 515-727-0656;
creswell@iastate.edu
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WEB SITE OF THE MONTH
This web site has the recently updated Nonconventional soil additives: products,
companies, ingredients, and claims. The document is compiled by a subcommittee
of NCR-103, K.A. Kelling, University of Wisconsin. The list is long, but you can
print it out or reference the web document if you need to look for a product.
Book mark this site.
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SELECTED EVENTS/MARK YOUR CALENDAR
January 8: Commercial Manure Applicator Satellite Downlink, 8:30 a.m.
registration.
January 8: Sheep ICN on footrot eradication and maintaining healthy udders,
7:00 p.m.
January 8-9: Horticulture Field Specialist In-Service, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.,
ISU Campus
January 10-12: Organic Vegetable Growers Workshop, Davenport
January 14: Public meeting held in preparation for the development of TMDLs on
12 waterbodies (conducted by IDNR) - "All Waterbodies" 1:30 p.m., Wallace
Auditorium, 502 E. 9th, Des Moines
January 14: Public meeting held in preparation for the development of TMDLs on
12 waterbodies (conducted by IDNR) - "Badger Creek Lake" Madison County, 7:00
p.m., Van Meter High School lunch room, 520 1st Ave., Van Meter
January 14: Introduction to Biotechnology Ethics - Internet Course
January 14: Crop Advantage Series, Ft. Dodge
January 16: Crop Advantage Series, 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Muse-Norris
Conference Center, NIACC Campus, Mason City
January 16: 4 State Beef Conference, Lewis
January 18: Creating Value Chains for Niche Poultry Markets, 1:00-4:30 p.m.,
Gateway Center, Ames. The first part of the program will be a facilitated
discussion among producers, distributors, processors, and retailers of the
challenges of niche poultry production. The second half of the workshop will be
divided into two breakout sessions, one on production and direct marketing and
the other on developing networked marketing structures.
January 18-19: Iowa Christmas Tree Growers Winter Meeting, Ames
January 19: Practical Farmers of Iowa Winter Workshops, Gateway Center, Ames.
The Sustainable Agriculture program will cover your registration (and PFI
membership) fee, but not the Iowa Bounty lunch. Please indicate on your
registration form that your fee will be paid by the Extension Sustainable Ag
Program and include a check just for the lunch, if you plan to eat there. You
can find the registration information on the web at:
http://www.pfi.iastate.edu/Calendar/Winter_Workshops_First_Notice_10_01.htm
January 22: Public meeting held in preparation for the development of TMDLs on
12 waterbodies (conducted by IDNR) - "Lake Darling" Washington County, 1:30
p.m., Community Center, 100 E. Washington, Brighton
January 22: Public meeting held in preparation for the development of TMDLs on
12 waterbodies (conducted by IDNR) - "Lake Keomah" Mahaska County, 7:00 p.m.,
City Library, 301 S. Market, Oskaloosa
January 23-24: Iowa Pork Congress, Des Moines
January 25: Iowa Fruit & Vegetable Growers Convention and Trade Show,
Marshalltown
January 25-26: Seventh Annual Local Food System Conference & Workshop, St.
Luke's Episcopal Church, Cedar Falls. Carolyn Raffensperger, executive director
of the Science and Environmental Health Network, will be the keynote speaker. A
pre-conference farmer-to-farmer workshop will be held January 25. For more
information contact Jan Libbey, 641-495-6367 or libland@frontiernet.net
January 26: Grape Conference, Iowa Fruit & Vegetable Growers, Best Western,
Marshalltown
January 26: Beef Breeding Management ICN Seminar sponsored by CHIPS, 1:00-4:00
p.m.
January 28: Public meeting held in preparation for the development of TMDLs on
12 waterbodies (conducted by IDNR) - "Mud Creek" Muscatine County, 1:30 p.m.,
Community Center, 604 5th Ave., Durant
January 28: Public meeting held in preparation for the development of TMDLs on
12 waterbodies (conducted by IDNR) - "Arbor Lake" Poweshiek County, 7:00 p.m.,
City Council Chambers, 927 4th Ave., Grinnell
January 28: Crop Advantage Series, Carroll
January 28-30: Iowa Turfgrass Conference and Trade Show, Polk County Convention
Complex, Des Moines
January 29: Public meeting held in preparation for the development of TMDLs on
12 waterbodies (conducted by IDNR) - "Lake of Three Fires" Taylor County, 9:00
a.m., Legion Hall, 301 Main, Bedford
January 29: Public meeting held in preparation for the development of TMDLs on
12 waterbodies (conducted by IDNR) - "Lake Icaria" Adams County, 1:30 p.m.,
Community Center, 601 Sixth St., Corning
January 29: Public meeting held in preparation for the development of TMDLs on
12 waterbodies (conducted by IDNR) - "West Lake" Clarke County, 7:00 p.m.,
American State Bank, 1000 Jeffreys Dr., Osceola
January 30-February 1: Iowa Nursery & Landscape Convention, Polk County
Convention Complex, Des Moines
February 4: Public meeting held in preparation for the development of TMDLs on
12 waterbodies (conducted by IDNR) - "Lower/Upper Pine Lakes" Hardin County,
1:30 p.m., City Council Chambers, 1442 Washington, Eldora
February 4: Public meeting held in preparation for the development of TMDLs on
12 waterbodies (conducted by IDNR) - "Crystal Lake" Hancock County, 7:00 p.m.,
Crystal Lake High School, County Road R35, Crystal Lake
February 5: Public meeting held in preparation for the development of TMDLs on
12 waterbodies (conducted by IDNR) - "Lower Gar Lake" Dickinson County, 1:30
p.m., Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum, 243 W. Broadway, Arnold's Park
wVET Web-based Veterinary Entrepreneurial Training Program for veterinarians -
spring semester (for graduate credit or non-credit). Course information at:
http://www.vetmed.iastate.edu/departments/bms/academics/wvet/pages/homepage.asp
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Julie Honeick
Ag & Natural Resources Extension
Iowa State University
109 Curtiss Hall
Ames, Iowa 50011-1050
515-294-7801
515-294-5099 (fax)
jhoneick@iastate.edu
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