NACAA 2020 Virtual AM/PIC - Update

 

Dear NACAA Members,   I hope this finds you well and that you are looking forward  to the 2020 NACAA Virtual AMPIC which is coming up in a  few short days (Sept. 28 - Oct 1).   As you know we will be using Microsoft Teams  as our virtual platform.   In order to enhance your experience, the talented  UF/IFAS IT Team have put together a short orientation video  that will enhance your experience on TEAMs.  If you think  about it we are all first-timers to this new virtual experience.   Please take some time to watch the video, it will give you the  instructions you need to join the NACAA Team, how to  maneuver within Teams, and what the invitation email to  Teams that you will be receiving will look like.  You should be receiving the invitation in the  next 24 hours.   You can view the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ktVZfbPywQ&t=6s If you haven't registered for the conference, please do  so ASAP at    https://www.nacaa.com/ampic/2020/2020VirtualAMPIC.php This is the only way you will receive an official  Teams invitation to participate.    For the best conference experience, please be sure to download  and install the Microsoft Teams application:  https://aka.ms/teamsdownload Due to the need to get participants entered into the system  prior to the AM/PIC, we will need to cut off registration  tomorrow September 24 at 6PM EST.   Thank you for your patience and understanding and we look  forward to seeing you next week.   All the best and stay safe   Gene   Gene McAvoy President - National Association of County Agricultural Agents     Associate Director for Stakeholder Relations University of Florida IFAS Southwest Florida Research and Education Center   Regional Vegetable Extension Agent IV Emeritus    UF/IFAS SWFREC 2685 State Road 29 N Immokalee, FL 34142   239-658-3414 office 863-673-5939 cell gmcavoy@ifas.ufl.edu

Support Your NACAA Scholarship Fund !!!

 The Scholarship Program provides professional improvement opportunities for members. The funding is provided by the NACAA Educational Foundation.

Scholarships can be awarded to an individual or groups. In order to be eligible for up to $1,000, you must have contributed at least $40 to the fund. Members need to be vested at $100 to be eligible for up to $2,000 during their Extension career. No monetary award can be over $1,000 in any one year. The online application submission deadline is June 1 annually. The award recipients are selected on the 1st day of AM/PIC. This year applications were reviewed/awarded on July 10.

Scholarship funds are often used for :
➢ Advanced degree
➢ Conference (NACAA AM/PIC not eligible)
➢ Specialized training
➢ Workshop
➢ Short courses or event

This year, the only way to contribute money to the NACAA Education Foundation is by credit card or check. In order to apply for an educational Scholarship in 2021 or beyond you must become ‘vested’ before the end of the ‘Virtual’ AM/PIC (Oct. 1, 2020).

To contribute by credit card … Go to website ... http://nacaa.com
Click on “Donate to the NACAA Educational Foundation - Scholarship.”
OR
Make check payable to: “NACAA Educational Foundation"
Mail check to: Scott Hawbaker
NACAA Executive Director
6584 W. Duroc Road
Maroa, IL 61756

ARE YOU ALREADY ELIGIBLE?
Find out …. go to www.nacaa.com/scholarship/index.php then select your State & click ‘Continue’ . All contributions for current members are listed.

For ANSWERS to your SCHOLARSHIP QUESTIONS contact: Donna Hamlin Beliech, National Scholarship Chair, d.beliech@msstate.edu 601-825-1462.

NOYF Application Deadline Extended to Oct. 5, 2020

 NACAA Members,

The National Outstanding Farmers of America have extended their deadline for applications for the National Outstanding Young Farmers program until October 5, 2020. This program is an incredible opportunity for farmers under 40 years of age and their Extension Agents. Please nominate your eligible young farmers.

The following criteria must be met during the nomination process:

• All nominees must be submitted on the official Outstanding Young Farmers Nomination Form, found on the Outstanding Farmers of America website - www.outstandingfarmers.com  
• Be postmarked before October 5, 2020
• Nomination forms should be completed on the form downloaded from the website, not handwritten .

  To qualify:

• Nominees must be between the ages of 21 and 40, not becoming 41 prior to January 1 before the NOYF Awards Congress.
• Nominees must be actual farm operators, deriving a minimum of two-thirds of their income from farming.
• Nominee must email or mail the completed NOYF nomination form.
• The submission addresses as well as additional information about the National Outstanding Young Farmers Awards Congress and program can be obtained by visiting www.outstandingfarmers.com

  All NOYF Awards Program participants are judged on personal contributions in the following categories:

• Progress in agricultural career (50%)
• Extent of soil and water conservation practices (25%)
• Contributions to the well-being of their community, state, and nation (25%)

Call me at 706-465-2136 or email me at tcheely@uga.edu with questions.

 

Thanks,

Tammy Cheely

NACAA Liaison to NOYF

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