LIST OF ATTENDEES
EXPERIMENT STATION
Gerald Arkin (GA)
John Beverly (TX)
Bob Blackmon (AR)
Jim Boling (KY)
Greg Brown (VA)
Bob Cannell (VA)
Jerry Cherry (GA)
D. C. Coston (OK)
Nancy Cox (MS)
Larry Crowder (OK)
Everett Emino (FL)
Frank Gilstrap (TX)
Ray Humberd (TN)
Richard Jones (FL)
Fred Knapp (KY)
Graham Purchase (MS)
Don Richardson (TN)
C. J. Scifres (AR)
David Teem (AL)
Greg Weidemann (AR)
Johnny Wynne (NC)
EXTENSION SERVICE
Ronald Brown (MS)
Bill Caldwell (NC)
Zerle Carpenter (TX)
Lawrence Carter (FL)
Elwyn Deal (SC)
Clint Depew (LA)
Dan Ezell (SC)
David Foster (AR)
Bob Isaac (GA)
Judith Jones (VA)
John Ort (NC)
Pedro Rodriguez (PR)
Gaines Smith (AL)
Chris Stephens (FL)
Walt Walla (KY)
GUESTS
George Cooper (CSREES)
Jim Daniels (Clemson Government Affairs)
Mort Neufville (NASULGC)
AGENDA
Sunday, July 14, 1996
1. Chairs’ Introductory Remarks; Additions to the Agenda……….Dr. Walt Walla and Dr. D. C. Coston
2. AESOP Enterprises, Ltd……….Dr. Terry Nipp (via telephone)
3. Report on Agroecology Task Force……….Dr. David Foster
4. USDA/REE Strategic Plan……….Dr. Mitch Geasler
5. Agricultural Weather Committee Report……….Dr. Gerald Arkin and Dr. Gaines Smith
6.a. Briefing on CRIS Enhancement Project……….Dr. T. J. Helms
6.b. Southern Region SERAs……….Dr. T. J. Helms
6.c. SERA-IEG 3 Representatives……….Dr. David Teem and Dr. Billy Caldwell
7. Status Report on the Southern Region Listening Session……….Dr. Zerle Carpenter
8. Adjournment
The meeting was called to order and Agenda Items 3 and 6.c. were approved as additions to the previously submitted agenda.
Dr. David Foster presented a report from the Agroecology Task Force that was appointed at the Clearwater meeting in the summer, 1995. This six member ad-hoc committee identified 4-5 projects that were integrated across state lines and could be used as models to build future activities. The committee encouraged the group to think about where to go with existing capacities for future funding, collaborative efforts, and increased capacity. It was noted that the definition of “agroecology” is not clearly defined and thus there may be more programs that should have been included. The Committee made a two part recommendation: 1) use models to provide a basis for approaching other regional efforts; and 2) build greater capacity.
With this report, the work of the task force is presumed complete.
A draft of the REE Mission Area Strategic Plan was distributed (file copy available in agInnovation South/ED office). Dr. Geasler pointed out that the REE mission area programs perform five primary functions: 1) basic research; 2) applied research; 3) developmental research and technology transfer; 4) extension, outreach, and information; and 5) higher education. The handout included a chart showing the breakdown of 1996 appropriated dollars for each of five strategic objective areas by the above five functions. The five strategic objective areas are: 1) competitive agricultural system in the global economy; 2) safe and secure food and fiber system; 3) healthy, well nourished population; 4) agriculture’s interface with the environment; and 5) economic development and quality of life.
The entire REE Strategic Plan can be found on the following World Wide Web address:
http://www.reeusda.gov/ree/ree2.htm.
Dr. Geasler indicated that the next step will be to move forward with a performance plan. One outcome will be developed as a performance plan to use as a model.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
During the last meetings of the Southern Extension Directors and Southern Experiment Station Directors, closing of the NOAA agricultural weather offices and the impact on agriculture in the region was discussed. Extension Directors’ Chair, Dr. Walt Walla, and Experiment Station Director’s Chair, Dr. D. C. Coston, appointed an ad hoc committee to assess the situation and make appropriate suggestions to the Directors’ associations. Members of the ad hoc committee are: Jerry Arkin-Chair, Gaines Smith, Ray Campbell, Jack Bagent, Lowell Frobish, and Allan Jones. The ad hoc committee was asked to make its report at the joint Extension/Experiment Station meeting during the Mini Land-Grant meeting.
To assist the committee in its fact finding, a questionnaire was developed and sent to Extension and Experiment Station Directors in the Southern Region. Responses to the questionnaire serve as the basis for the ad hoc committee’s report.
Seven states responded to the survey. Responses varied widely depending on state and question. Four key issues related to agricultural weather information in the Southern Region in relation to closing the NOAA weather offices were identified:
1. NOAA ag weather offices provided needed ag weather forecast products and data useful in the Southern Region. The closing is having an adverse impact on research and extension activities in the Southern Region.
2. Related to the closing of the NOAA ag weather offices is the planned closing of the Regional Climate Centers that are important for the collection, storage, and retrieval systems for weather data useful in the Southern Region. Their closing further exacerbate research and extension efforts in the Southern Region.
3. The impact of closing the NOAA ag weather offices/Regional Climate Centers on farmers and agribusinesses is unclear and will only likely be known with time.
4. Several respondents indicated an interest in a regional activity. Concerns were expressed regarding focus of the activity and financial support.
ACTION REQUESTED
The Agricultural Weather Ad Hoc Committee recommends that the Directors consider:
1. Initiating an effort to explore options/alternatives for providing agricultural weather forecast information.
2. Initiating a focused regional activity (SERA-IEG).
3. Encouraging ESCOP and ECOP to work with CSREES in assuring that the region’s needs for agricultural weather information support is provided for, in spite of NOAA’s closing of the regional ag weather offices and planned closing of the Regional Climate Centers.
ACTION TAKEN
The committee recommended that a followup task force be appointed to sort through information obtained to date and make a recommendation for a SERA-IEG. Dr. Arkin encouraged support of the National Ag Weather Information System (NAWIS) legislation that is being resurfaced and addresses relevancy to the region. Dr. Arkin made reference to a document from CSREES entitled “Weather and Climate – A Growing Environment: Challenge and Vision”.
Dr. William Brown (Louisiana) and Dr. Elwyn Deal (South Carolina) were appointed to Co-chair an Agricultural Weather TaskForce for the southern region. [Note: This action was superseded by action taken during ESCOP/ECOP meeting in Bar Harbor, ME (7/29-8/1/96) in which Deal and Brown were appointed to the national committee.]
Dr. Helms noted that discussion of this issue in a joint Experiment Station/Extension meeting was to bring focus to the need to make the CRIS system responsive to GPRA requirements. Four task groups are studying various concerns: 1) Classification and Taxonomy; 2) Communications and Customer Relations; 3) Support for Project and Program Planning; and 4) User Friendly/ System Attributes.
The CRIS Enhancement Project objectives are as follows:
1. Develop and implement strategies and mechanisms for improving CRIS in order to meet the needs of USDA agencies, OMB, Congress, participating institutions, and other clientele for up-to-date, relevant, and useful information on the research programs of the USDA and the State Agricultural Experiment Station Research System.
2. Develop a means for CRIS to evolve in order to reflect new and emerging areas of agricultural research.
3. Improve the system’s responsiveness and accessibility to research managers, research participants, clientele, Administration, and Congress.
4. Develop an accountability and accomplishments reporting process to comply with the new GPRA.
5. Develop a bridging concept that will enhance CRIS’s ability to become an integral component of the future, more comprehensive Research, Education, and Economics Information System.
A list of SERAs was distributed and several changes were noted:
1. The title of SERA-IEG 23 has been changed from “Boll Weevil” to “Cotton Insects”. Embodied in this SERA-IEG is SERA-IEG 13.
2. Richard Jones made a motion, with second by David Foster, that SERA-TF 9 “Industry-University Relationships” be terminated. Motion approved.
As administrative advisors for SERA-IEG 3, Drs. Teem and Caldwell distributed a list of state contacts (see below) and asked that directors review the distribution. It was suggested that states not list the same person as both the Extension and Experiment Station contact even though that person may have a joint appointment. Directors were requested to notify either Dr. Teem or Dr. Caldwell by September 1 for needed changes in state representation.
State/Extension Contact/Research Contact:
Alabama/Geofreey W. Zehnder/Paul Backman
Arkansas/Joseph D. Waldrum/William Yearian
| State | Extension Contact | Research Contact |
| Alabama | Geofrrey W. ZehnderExtension Vegetable IPM Entomologist | Paul BackmanProfessor, Dept. of Plant Pathology |
| Arkansas | Joseph D. WaldrumState Leader, AERD | William YearianHead, Dept. of Entomology |
| Florida | James AppAssistant Dean, Agricultural Programs | Richard SprenkelAssociate Professor and Entomologist |
| Georgia | William R. LambertExtension Entomologist | Don CanerdayHead, Dept. of Entomology |
| Kentucky | Douglas JohnsonExtension Entomologist | B. C. PassChair, Dept. of Entomology |
| Louisiana | Jack L. BagentDiv. Leader, Env. Science | David BoethelProfessor, Entomology |
| Mississippi | James M. McGuireHead, Dept. of Plant Pathology and Weed Science | James M. McGuireHead, Dept. of Plant Pathology and Weed Science |
| North Carolina | H. Michael LinkerExtension IPM Coordinator | Harold D. CobleProfessor, Weed Science |
| Oklahoma | Gerrit CuperusExtension IPM Coordinator | Gerrit CuperusExtension IPM Coordinator |
| Puerto Rico | Osvaldo Cotte-LopezIPM/Pesticides Coordinator | Carlos CruzChair, Crop Protection Dept. |
| South Carolina | J. A. BrittainExtension Horticulturist | A. P. KeinathAssistant Professor of Plant Pathology |
| Tennessee | Charles HaddenProfessor and IPM Leader | Carroll J. SouthardsDept. of Entomology and Plant Pathology |
| Texas | Raymond FrisbieIPM Coordinator | Raymond FrisbieIPM Coordinator |
| Virginia | Forrest W. RavlinAssociate Professor, Entomology | Forrest W. RavlinAssociate Professor, Entomology |
A handout with complete status report was distributed that also included a list of the Implementing Committee, Consultant Firm members, and the World Wide Web Site address. For more information, browse the site at http://members.aol.com/agriwash/nasulgc.html.
Regional Listening Sessions were held in March and April, 1996 to bring together local and regional users and stakeholders of Land Grant Universities. These sessions identified “program” issues (WHAT the Land-Grant Universities should focus their attention on in the next century) and some related “process” issues (HOW Land-Grant Universities should go about accomplishing their work). Several program issues identified are: 1) environment and land use; 2) rural development; 3) leadership development; 4) understanding and appreciation for agriculture and food production; and 5) society-ready students. Process issues included: 1) systems approach; 2) science based approach; and 3) policy and regulation.
The final activity of the NASULGC Board on Agriculture’s Futuring Activity will be the National Synthesis Conference on October 8-10, 1996. Action plans will come from the conference with a major influence being the GPRA.
Annoucements made before adjournment:
Dr. Ezell invited the Experiment Station Directors and the Extension Service Directors to meet in South Carolina for the April, 1997 meeting. Content of the meeting was discussed with an interest indicated in tours. Also requested were brief reports from AESOP, CSREES, GPRA, etc. presented during the joint session of Extension and Experiment Station Directors meeting.
Meeting adjourned at 5:07 pm.