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COLLEGE NEWS
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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR FARM PROGRESS SHOW SEPT. 24-26
The College of Agriculture will feature recruitment, air quality and agronomy centennial displays at the Farm Progress Show in Alleman. Volunteers are needed to help staff the recruitment display from 7:30 a.m. to noon or from 1 to 5 p.m. Contact Beth Foreman, 4-4548 or bforeman@iastate.edu, to sign up. The displays will be located in the ISU Extension hoop building. Iowa State also will feature several displays including topics on value-added agriculture, biorenewable resources and grain quality. This is the first time since 1987 the show has been in Alleman. The show is held every three years in Iowa, sharing locations with Indiana and Illinois. For more information about the show: http://www.farmprogressshow.com
EXTERNAL COMPETITIVE GRANTS TOTAL MORE THAN $4.3 MILLION IN AUGUST
Thirty-one sponsored funding awards were received by college faculty in August. The awards totaled $4,369,591. Federal sources provided the greatest number of grants (14), but awards from foundations had the greatest value at nearly $2.7 million. Federal sources for funds were the USDA, National Science Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services. State funds contributed $121,887 for three awards. Businesses funded four projects for $23,500. Commodity organizations funded one award of $25,500. Other universities and colleges funded $11,812. A list of awards by principal investigator is online.
ISU PROVIDES MORE INPUT ON PROPOSED ANIMAL FACILITY RULES
Iowa State has provided more comments on proposed EPA guidelines that address manure and wastewaters generated by confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs). An Aug. 21 letter signed by Dean Cathie Woteki and Vice Provost for Extension Stan Johnson encourages innovation and producer involvement in solutions to improve environmental management and protection. The letter included a summary of research on technologies to reduce water pollution from feedlots and an Iowa-based approach to evaluate alternative technologies. Last year, ISU had submitted comments on the proposed rules and the potential impact on producers. To read the comments, see the "Local Iowa Links for CAFO news."
STUDENTS SAY THANKS WITH PANCAKES
Agricultural and biosystems engineering department students are sponsoring a breakfast tomorrow morning to thank faculty and staff for what they do. The breakfast is being held from 7 to 9 a.m. in Room 135 Davidson. Students from three groups initiated the thank you breakfast. The groups include the American Society of Agriculture Engineers student branch, Ag Systems Technology Club and Ag Engineering Graduate Organization.
AGRONOMIST TO SPEAK AT PRACTICAL FARMERS OF IOWA FIELD DAY THURSDAY
Charlie Brummer, agronomy, will be featured at the Richard and Sharon Thompson farm on Thursday, Sept. 12, near Boone as part of the central Iowa field day for Practical Farmers of Iowa. Brummer will demonstrate an experimental pasture mix for beef rotational grazing. The field day will begin at 1 p.m. on the Thompson farm, which is four miles north of the United Community School on Highway 30. The field day will be held in cooperation with the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute. For more information: (515) 432-1560.
FORUM TO LOOK AT TEACHING AGRICULTURE IN URBAN SETTINGS
The seventh annual Forum on Agriculture in Urban Schools will be held Sept. 26-27 in Ames and Des Moines. The program will focus on the "Character Counts" leadership program and its impact on agricultural education. The forum is sponsored by ASSIST, Agricultural Specialists Serving in Science and Technology, which supports global education and agriculture. The Sept. 26 session will be held in the Memorial Union's Oak Room. Registration fee will be waived for ISU attendees and the ag education and studies department will cover meal costs for ISU registrants, including breaks and reception. Contact Linda Drennan, 4-5904 or ldrennan, for information or if you plan to attend.LEARN HOW TO SAVE SEEDS AT REIMAN GARDENS WORKSHOP
A Saving Seeds from Garden Flowers workshop will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, at Reiman Gardens. Mark Widrlechner, a USDA-ARS horticulturist on campus, will present the workshop. The workshop is $5 for garden members or $8 for non-members. Pre-registration is required; call 4-2710.
BASIC SPANISH FOR AGRICULTURISTS COURSE STARTS OCT. 1
A beginning Spanish short course organized for faculty and staff in the College of Agriculture will be held at 4:30 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays from Oct. 1 to Nov. 21. The location will be announced later. For more information: Eduarda Becerra, 4-3972 or ebecerra@iastate.edu.
FALL CALVING GAINING IN POPULARITY
To most cow-calf producers, spring is calving time. But to a growing number of producers, fall seems like a better time for what used to be a rite of spring. The increasing interest in fall calving was in evidence at a recent field day at Iowa State's McNay Research and Demonstration Farm near Chariton. Learn more in "Agriculture in Action."
ON-FARM RESEARCH DISCUSSED AT SEPT. 11 FIELD DAY
On-farm research trials led by Iowa State University will be discussed at a field day near Jefferson on Wednesday, Sept. 11. The event will take place on the James Andrew farm, six miles south of Highway 30 just west of the Highway 4 and 280th street intersection. The Andrews farm is the site of two 80-acre precision farming research trials. Research at dozens of Iowa fields in and near Greene and Boone counties also will be discussed.
AGRONOMY CENTENNIAL PRESENTS HENRY A. WALLACE PLAY
In honor of its centennial, the Department of Agronomy is presenting "American Dreamer," a play based on the life of the famous agronomist, statesman and ISU alum Henry A. Wallace. The performance begins at 7 p.m., Sept. 20, in Fisher Theater at the Iowa State Center. Admission is free. During a dessert reception in the Scheman Building following the play, audience members can enjoy live music and meet the playwright and actor.
FLORA NAMED PRESIDENT OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND HUMAN VALUES SOCIETY
Cornelia Flora, ISU sociologist and director of the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, has been named president of the Agriculture, Food and Human Values Society. The group brings together scholars from several areas to share research and debate issues.
IOWA STATE AGRONOMIST WINS NATIONAL FELLOWSHIP
As part of a national fellowship, Ricardo Salvador, agronomy, will work with consumers and decisionmakers to better understand the issues and challenges of sustaining family farms and food production in the United States. Salvador has been awarded the Food and Society Policy Fellowship from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. During his two-year term as fellow, Salvador will use media, scholarship, public education and outreach to support change in food and agriculture systems through the creation and expansion of community-based food systems.
DEADLINES AND REMINDERS
Sept. 9: Ag Comm Workshop orientation, 5 to 8 p.m., Room 8, Curtiss Hall, RSVP to Cheryl Abrams 4-5872 or cabrams@iastate.edu
Sept. 11: Pierre Lecture in Soil Science, 4:10 p.m., 2050 Agronomy Hall
Sept. 15: Instructional Development Project Proposals, deliver to Lynn Jones, 201 Curtiss
Sept. 18: USDA/CSREES Grants Workshop, Roseville, Minn., more info: Elena Polush, 4-8493 or elenap@iastate.edu, http://www.maes.umn.edu
Sept. 20: Ag Council Steak Fry
Sept. 20-22: Family Weekend
Sept. 21: Family reception, 9:30-11 a.m., 220-240 Scheman Building
Sept. 24: Ag Comm Workshop on Facilitation of the Evaluation Process, noon to 1:30 p.m. (light lunch provided), Room 8, Curtiss Hall, RSVP to Cheryl Abrams 4-5872 or cabrams@iastate.edu
Oct. 4: From Discovery to Corporate Structure seminar series on tech transfer, 4 p.m., 1414 MBB, more information: Lisa Lorenzen, 4-0926 or llorenze@iastate.edu
Oct. 15: Food Safety Consortium Symposium, 8 a.m. to noon, Kansas State University, http://www.uark.edu/depts/fsc/index.html
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COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
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ANSWER WEB SITE E-MAILS QUICKLY -- AND BOOST YOUR CREDIBILITY
Stanford University has found after several years of research that Internet users expect quick responses to Web site e-mails. For example, Ed Duszak, Advocate Health Care's web manager, manages more than 100 e-mails from the organization's site each day and responds to every question. Duszak spends about 30 minutes to one hour each day responding to Web site e-mails. He ensures that all e-mails get a response within 24 hours, and are answered within 48 hours. Duszak responds to e-mail senders by addressing them by name, reiterating their requests or questions and responding with either an answer or the promise to send one within 24 hours. "You have to respond in a way that doesn't make you look like a robot," he says. (Ragan Communications PR Intelligence Report, Aug. 28)
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INFOGRAZING
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PUBLIC COMMENT MEETINGS FOR AIR QUALITY STANDARDS
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will hold four public hearings to gather public comment on draft rules that establish air quality standards for hydrogen sulfide and ammonia. The proposal is based on recommendations made by Iowa State University and the University of Iowa. Draft rules can be found at http://www.iowacleanair.com. An informational meeting will be held from 3 to 5 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 11, at the DNR's air quality offices in Urbandale. The four public hearings, which all begin at 7 p.m., will be held: Sept. 17, Iowa Lakes Community College, Spencer; Sept. 24, Iowa Western Community College, Atlantic; Sept. 30, North Iowa Area Community College, Mason City; and Oct. 2, Urbandale Public Library, Urbandale. For more information: Bryan Bunton, DNR Air Quality Bureau, bryan.bunton@dnr.state.ia.us. All comments must be received by Oct. 4.
PORK INDUSTRY CENTER SEEKS PROJECT PROPOSALS
The Iowa Pork Industry Center is seeking proposals for projects in the areas of agricultural engineering, livestock and farm management. Proposals will be evaluated and awarded funding based on the suitability of the project and availability of funds. Although ISU Extension field staff will submit the applications and be responsible for coordinating the accepted projects, the center encourages collaboration and cooperation with others outside extension, including community college personnel, producers, local economic development groups and others. The deadline for submissions is Sept. 27.
IOWA STATE PROGRAM FEATURED IN NATIONAL NEWSLETTER
Iowa State's Nutrient Management Education Project (NMEP) got the attention of the Environmental Protection Agency. This state-funded program helps Iowa agricultural producers learn ways to improve water quality. The EPA's newsletter, Nonpoint Source News-Notes, featured the project in its June issue. Extension specialist John Creswell is the NMEP coordinator. Read the article or the PDF version online.
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EXTERNAL VOICES
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ON SEPTEMBER 11, KEEP IT REAL RATHER THAN VIRTUAL
In a Sept. 8 column, technology writer Matt Richtel of the New York Times suggests less technology and more personal communications to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 tragedy: ". . .We have so often abused technology and let it dull our senses. And so, on Wednesday, consider observing a moment, if not a day, of data silence. Pull the DSL connection out of that forearm vein. Listen. Slow down. Understand that whatever it is you think you need, you don't absolutely, positively need it overnight . . . On Wednesday, don't call someone [on your cellphone] unless you mean it. Save your minutes for Thursday. Don't fill dead air time with empty words. While you're at it, restrict incoming calls. Turn off the ringer. That person sitting across from you at lunch deserves all your attention."
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MARGINALIA
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SOY MILK FINDS NICHE AT COFFEE SHOPS
Coffee shops are giving a boost to soy milk sales, which amounted to $550 million last year. The Los Angeles Times reported that the larger U.S. coffee house chains estimate as many as 10 percent of its latte customers prefer soy milk. Taste, health and vegetarian considerations were cited as reasons. Sales of soy-coffee drinks are up as much as 60 percent in the last two years at Caribou Coffee, which is headquartered in Minneapolis. The growth has come despite higher drink charges and difficulties steaming soy milk to the consistency of melted ice cream. (L.A. Times, Sept. 4)