April E-County Agent Update

Horticulture Tour Deadline Fast Approaching

The 2013 horticulture tour will be on September 20^th and 21^st 2013. It will be held as a post tour this year due to Galaxy. We are still in the planning process but the first day’s schedule is lined up.

Our first stop will be to Bob O'Connor Golf Course at Schenley Park. This course is Audubon certified to enhance wildlife habitat, reduce pesticide use and other possible harmful impacts. Our second stop is to a Master Gardener demonstration garden followed by lunch with the Master Gardeners. After lunch we will visit Harvest Valley Farms, a fourth generation family farm that provides produce through CSAs, farm markets, and roadside stands. Our last stop will be to Quality Gardens of Valencia. This nursery/garden center offers landscaping services, educational seminars and a farmers market.

Sponsorship for the tour has been attained from EcoScraps thanks to Jim Hruskoci, a former NACAA member and extension educator. With the sponsorship we hope to pay for most of the tour expenses (hotel, food, and tour transportation) for NACAA members. Non-members are welcome if room permits but their costs will not be covered.

The deadline to apply for the tour is April 15^th 2013. For more information about registration please see page 7 of The County Agent. http://www.nacaa.com/countyagent/2012-12.pdf

For more information on the tour stops please see the following links.

Bob O'Connor Golf Course at Schenley Park- http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/schenley-links-in-pittsburgh-certified-as-green-662740/)

Harvest Valley Farms- http://harvestvalleyfarms.com/

Quality Gardens of Valencia- www.quality-gardens.com)

For more information on EcoScraps- http://ecoscraps.com/

Stacey Bealmear

Urban Horticulture Agent

Yuma County Cooperative Extension

928-726-3904

Teamwork Award Deadline May 1st

            Excellence in Teamwork Award

Sponsored by

JOINT COUNCIL OF EXTENSION PROFESSIONALS

The Joint Council of Extension Professionals sponsors this award annually to encourage and recognize successful Extension team programs or projects that demonstrate effective performance and significant result impacts at community, area, state or multi-state levels.

AWARD

Two awards of $500 each and one plaque per team and certificates to individuals will be presented.

 PURPOSE

 The purpose of this award is to recognize outstanding Extension programs or projects in the nation conducted by a team and reward those that have achieved significant outcomes.

ELIGIBILITY

1. Entries must be submitted by a team of three or more members
2. Program/project must have been conducted within the past three years.
3. Program/project must involve at least two or more different program areas (i.e. agriculture, 4-H  Youth Development, family and consumer science, natural resources or community development).
4. At least 50% of the team members must be current members of at least one of the national Extension professional organizations and employed by Extension at the time the program/project was conducted.
5. There is no limit on the number of entries from any one state. 

DUE DATE

 All applications must be submitted electronically using the online submission procedure.  All applications must be submitted no later than 11:59pm on May 1, 2013 to be considered.  See the specific submission requirements in the application section below.

For a copy of the application – go to:  http://jcep.org/forms-and-applications/39-forms-and-applications/team-award/42-team-award-application

Galaxy IV Registration Soon to Open

Registration for Galaxy IV (NACAA Annual Meeting) is scheduled to begin May 1, 2013.  The direct link for registration (which is being handled by Galaxy directly) is http://www.galaxy-2013.org/registration.html. 

NACAA members who have submitted poster abstracts and presentation abstracts, should be notified prior to May 1^st.

NACAA has worked closely with the Galaxy Committee to secure the vast majority of normal (AM/PIC) activities and functions.  The Northeast Region has worked hard to prepare a number of great Professional Improvement Tours (like we always do)…to be held on Monday, September 16, 2013.

The next edition of The County Agent magazine is being worked on…and should be in the mail by no later than May 1^st (and on its way to you)…so you will have it no later than May 15^th.

Earlybird Registration for Galaxy is from May 1^st through July 15^th.  Details of Galaxy and NACAA activities will be listed on the NACAA website (www.nacaa.com) as well as in The County Agent magazine.