Journal of NACAA, Call for Papers

Dear NACAA Member,

 

September 15^th   is the fall article submission deadline for publication in the December 1^st   issue of the Journal of the NACAA.  Submission guidelines can be found at   https://www.nacaa.com/journal/instructions.php

 

This is an opportunity for NACAA members to publish some of the great work you all are doing.  The Journal of NACAA considers diverse topics that include current research, case studies, examples of outstanding Extension programming, and innovative ideas.  Non-NACAA members can be authors as long as a co-author is a member.  However, we highly encourage non-member authors to join NACAA.

 

Publishing in the Journal of NACAA is a great way to build your resume/CV and document your successes as you work toward attaining promotion or tenure in your institution.

 

If you have any questions, please let me know.

 

Sincerely,

 

Don    

 

Donald A. Llewellyn, Ph.D.

Associate Professor and Livestock Extension Specialist

Affiliate Faculty, Department of Animal Sciences

Editor, Journal of NACAA

Washington State University Extension

ASLB 220

Pullman, WA  99164

 

Phone: 509-335-8759

E-mail:    don.llewellyn@wsu.edu

 NACAA 2020 Virtual  AM/PIC - Registration

Dear NACAA Members,

 

I hope this finds you well.

 

As I noted in a previous correspondence, due to Covid-19 restrictions, the NACAA Board has moved to go “virtual” with the 2020 AM/PIC and we have opted to use Microsoft Teams as the platform for this years meeting.  To do this successfully we will have to add you to the 2020 NACAA AM/PIC Team in advance of the meeting.  Please use this registration link to sign-up (Register Here). It's just 7 short questions, and should only take 1 minute or less to complete.  If you are already a Teams user it will enhance your experience if you enter the same email address that you use to access Teams.  Many land grant universities have Microsoft Teams and you may want to check with your IT people if you are not sure.  It is imperative that you register, even if you only plan to participate in 1 event, as you will not have access to the Virtual AM/PIC without being added as a Team member.

 

One of the benefits of using Teams is that you will have only one link to sign onto the annual meeting and then you will be able to negotiate on your own between sessions within Teams, which will allow you to move easily between concurrent member presentations.  As nearly all of us are first timers to this new world of virtual conferencing we will be hosting a series of on-line orientations to help get you up to speed and enhance your on-line experience.

 

Teams also features a virtual lounge where you will be able to hang out and chat with old friends and make new one.

 

Please register early and we look forward to seeing you online for the 2020 NACAA AM/PIC.  The dates once again are Monday, September 28 thru Thursday, October 1, 2020.  A copy of the day to day schedule is now posted online www.nacaa.com on the homepage - or directly at:  https://www.nacaa.com/ampic/2020/2020VirtualAMPIC.php

 

Stay safe and all the best.

 

Gene

 

Gene McAvoy

President - National Association of County Agricultural Agents

NACAA Meeting the Candidates 2020 Video Now Posted

For those of you who are interested in viewing the recent "Meet the Candidates" Zoom Meeting - a copy of the video can be found at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnstZYe6GD4

NACAA 2020 AM/PIC Virtual Update - July 16, 2020

July 16, 2020 NACAA Members, The NACAA Board has been busy monitoring the COVID-19 situation which continues to unfold and intensify in many areas of the nation.  Due to travel bans currently in place at many of our members’ institutions and the rapid increase in Covid 19 cases in many areas, it has become clear that we can no longer safely hold a face-to-face AM/PIC meeting in Virginia Beach even at the later date of September 29 -Oct 1, 2020. The Board has, like many other associations and after much deliberation, decided to go entirely virtual and will hold the meeting at the same dates adding one additional day. The meeting will now occur over 4 days: Monday September 28 - Thursday October 1, 2020. The NACAA Board, in consultation with the Virginia Association of Agricultural Extension Agents and the staff at Helms Briscoe was able to negotiate with the Virginia Beach Convention Center and hotels to release NACAA from all contractual agreements without penalty. Our plan remains to focus heavily on professional improvement and member awards along with the by-law mandated delegate session and regional caucuses.  Monday will be devoted to regional caucuses and the delegate sessions.  Note: State Presidents – if you have not yet done so you must submit the names of your state’s delegates to Secretary Connie Strunk. Delegate names must be submitted no later than 45 days before the delegate session on September 28, 2020.   The rest of the week will largely be composed of professional improvement activities and presentations. Since our members are located across 4 time zones, we plan to start at 11 AM EST each day and run until 4 or 5 pm.  The virtual meeting will be conducted via Zoom. The Board has decided to waive all registration fees and those of you who have already registered will be refunded in full. You will be required to register online to receive the Zoom links and registration information will be forthcoming soon. This has been a difficult decision and has been the subject of much deliberation and discussion by the Board. We would also like applaud the Virginia agents for all their hard work over the past 4 years in planning and working on what had promised to be an awesome meeting highlighting the agricultural, cultural and historical diversity of the great state of Virginia.  We share their disappointment in not being able to host you in Virginia this fall. We hope and pray that we will be able to return to a normal AM/PIC schedule in 2021. We extend prayers for the safety of you, your families, and our nation.  As NACAA President, it has been extremely gratifying to observe Extension educators from across this great country rise to the challenge of serving our respective communities and bring factual information and solutions to the daily challenges being faced by our farmers, ranchers, friends and neighbors.  Thank you for your understanding and thank you for your continued trust in NACAA!  Stay safe and all the best. Gene McAvoy, NACAA President

June 2020 of The County Agent Magazine & AM/PIC Online Registration

            

The June 2020 Edition of The County Agent is now available online at:  https://www.nacaa.com/countyagent/2020-02.pdf  Printed copies were mailed on June 9, 2020 for those who requested a hard copy.  Please allow a week or so for it to arrive.

Within this edition is a 2-page revised agenda for the AM/PIC.  A copy of that agenda is also available online at:  https://www.nacaa.com/ampic/2020/September2020AMPICTentativeSchedule.pdf

If you need a HOTEL ROOM for the AM/PIC – you will need to secure that FIRST by registering at: https://okzyhxiuzf.formstack.com/forms/2020ampiclodging  The lodging portion needs to be separate from the primary meeting registration – in order to securely collect a credit card to hold the room.  If you are sharing your room with another member – please coordinate with your roommates and only make 1 room reservation.  Duplicate room requests are difficult to screen and remove from the system.

ONLINE REGISTRATION for the AM/PIC is now also available at:  https://okzyhxiuzf.formstack.com/forms/2020ampic

For those of you still wishing to complete a “hard copy” paper form of the registration vs. online – a copy of that can be found at:  https://www.nacaa.com/ampic/2020/2020%20Revised%20AMPIC%20Registration%20Forms.pdf

Early bird registration will run between June 15 – August 15.  Beginning August 16, the registration fee will increase $100/person.

If you have questions/concerns about the registration process, please feel free to contact Scott Hawbaker at nacaaemail@aol.com or by calling 217-794-3700.  A copy of the cancellation policy is found within the online registration pages as well as within the hard copy form. 

Educational Resources to Share with NACAA Members

NACAA Members:

During this time of uncertainty, Ag Extension agents have been creatively adapting their programming to meet the needs of their clientele. A great example is all of the videos which have been developed, by agents, to educate growers and the general public in the wake of the current Corona virus situation.

NACAA would like to give you an opportunity for professional development by sharing these videos with our members so we can all learn from each other. A Google doc has been created as a place for NACAA members to share their work and see what other Ag Agents across the country are doing.

NACAA will continue to collect these resources over the next few months and will update the directory on the NACAA website several times - so please feel free to make submissions as frequently as you would like.

Please click on this link below to add your Educational Resources you would like to have NACAA share.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfyoph326wbHFZLy0mHbqXuCfHUpyS3nTiTlUPEYVmdRkT40A/viewform?usp=sf_link

To view Resources which have been uploaded by others - please view this link:  (entries can't be made on this file - only viewing):

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ur9qvL-ddiIC3qiwugL9ri1QuOwzndLMsIY6UOorTf8/edit?usp=sharing

Connie L. Strunk

NACAA Secretary

Plant Pathology Field Specialist

Email:   connie.strunk@sdstate.edu

Office: (605) 782-3290

NACAA AM/PIC Update - April 17, 2020

NACAA AM/PIC Update - April 17, 2020

NACAA Members,

As the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to unfold and impact every sector of society, it has been extremely gratifying to observe Extension educators from across this great country rise to the challenge of serving our respective communities and bring factual information and solutions to the daily challenges being faced by our farmers, ranchers, friends and neighbors. 

I am writing to follow up on my previous message to you dated March 27 regarding plans for the 2020 AM/PIC originally scheduled for July 19-24, 2020 in Virginia Beach, VA.   As I noted in light of the current coronavirus pandemic facing our country and world, the NACAA Board has been carefully reviewing our options for the meeting since the likelihood that the conference would go on as scheduled was in doubt.

The NACAA Board in consultation with the Virginia Association of Agricultural Extension Agents and the staff at Helms Briscoe was able to negotiate with the Virginia Beach Convention Center and hotels to reschedule the AM/PIC to a later date without penalty.

We have decided to reschedule the AM/PIC for September 29 - October 1, 2020 in Virginia Beach.  We opted for a reduced 3-day schedule for several reasons:

• Anticipated reduced attendance because of budgetary constraints and possible travel restrictions at some institutions,
• COVID-19 influenced reduction in national and state sponsorship for the meeting,
• Likelihood that fewer families and children might attend after a long COVID-19 mandated absence from school this spring and probable re-opening of schools next fall.

Our plan is to focus heavily on professional improvement and member awards along with the by-law mandated delegate session and regional caucuses.  Unfortunately, due to financial constraints, tours, sons and daughter activities and spouse and life-time member activities will be eliminated and/or reduced. 

This has been a painful decision and was the subject of much deliberation and discussion by the board and does not diminish the value we place on our life members or family participation in the meeting.

We hope and pray that we will be able to return to a normal AM/PIC schedule in 2021.

Stay tuned for more information, we anticipate opening registration on or about June 1.

You can rest assured that as we move forward the health and safety of our members will take utmost priority.

Prayers for the safety of you, your families and our nation and keep up the good work of keeping our farmers, ranchers and the general public informed and educated about COVID-19.

Thank you for your understanding and thank you for your continued trust in NACAA! 

Stay safe and all the best.

Gene McAvoy

NACAA President