ASRED / agInnovation South Joint Spring Meeting
April 6-9, 2015
Roanoke, VA
 
Participants:
 

Rick Bennett, KY
Bill Brown, TN
Wes Burger, MS
Jackie Burns, FL
Nancy Cox, KY
Mary Duryea, FL
Bob Godfrey, VI
George Hopper, MS
Jody Jellison, VA
Rogers Leonard, LA
Steve Lommel, NC
Paul Mask, AL
Nathan McKinney, AR
Reuben Moore, MS
Saied Mostaghimi, VA
Craig Nessler, TX
Lesley Oliver, KY
Keith Owens, OK		 Randy Raper, OK
Chris Ray, SC
John Russin, LA
Harald Scherm, GA
Bob Shulstad, GA
Clarence Watson, AR
Joe West, GA
Executive Director’s Office:
Eric Young, agInnovation South
Liaisons:
Deborah Brennan, USDA/ARS
Bob Holland, NIFA
Other guests:
Hunt Shipman, Cornerstone
Michael Gavazzi, USDA/FS

 
Action Items:

 Agenda#  Actions Taken
S1 Agenda – Approved
October 1, 2014 agInnovation South Minutes – Approved
Interim Actions – Approved (Shulstad/Russin)
S12 Approved S-009 FY’2016 budget $465,564 – Approved 
S20 A Resolution of Appreciation was presented to Dr. Saied Mostaghimi and the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station for their role in hosting the ASRED/agInnovation South Spring Meeting.  Resolutions of appreciation were read for Dr. Jerry Arkin and Dr. Nancy Cox who have left the association.  Resolutions were approved by acclamation

 
Minutes:

Agenda
Monday, April 6
6:00 – 7:30 pm Joint Welcome Reception
Tuesday, April 7
6:30 – 8:00 am Joint Breakfast
8:00 – 10:00 am Joint ASRED and agInnovation South Meeting – Tony Windham, ASRED Chair
8:00 Welcome and Introductions – Tony Windham
8:05 Virginia Welcome – Alan Grant, Dean, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Virginia Tech
8:15 J1 NIFA Update – Bob Holland, USDA/NIFA
8:45 J2 BAA Policy Board of Directors Report – Tim Cross

  •  The BAA Policy Board of Directors meets in Napa, CA on Tuesday, March 31.  A brief report will be given on the issues discussed and any decisions at that meeting
9:00 J3 Cornerstone Report – 2016 & 2017 budgets, Farm Bill implementation, etc. – Hunt Shipman, Cornerstone Government Affairs
9:30 J4 Communication & Marketing Report  – Tony Windham
9:40 J5 Impact Database Report – Tim Cross and Bill Brown
9:50 J6 Healthy Food Systems, Healthy People Steering Committee – Clarence Watson
10:00 – 10:30 am Joint Break
10:30 – 12:00 am Separate ASRED and agInnovation South Meetings
10:30 S1 Welcome – George Hopper, agInnovation South Chair

  • Approval of Agenda
  • Approval of October 1, 2014 agInnovation South Minutes
  •  Approval of Interim Actions
    • Saied Mostaghimi (VA) as the Southern Region Representative on the ESCOP Budget & Legislative Committee
    • Appointed Clarence Watson (AR) as Administrative Advisor for S-009 “Plant Genetic Resource Conservation and Utilization”
    • Appointed Joe West (GA) as Administrative Advisor for SCC-84 “Genetic Sslection and mating strategies to improve the well-being and efficiency of dairy cattle”
    • Appointed Phil Elzer (LA) as Administrative Advisor for S-1061 “Nutritional Systems for Swine to Increase Reproductive Efficiency”

Action taken:

  • Agenda – Approved
  • October 1, 2014 agInnovation South Minutes – Approved
  • Interim Actions – Approved (Shulstad/Russin)

 
10:30 S2 ARS Update – Deborah Brennan

In meeting discussions:

  • IP of ARS research
    • Usually in conjunction with a Land Grant University, but can be ARS only
    • ARS has patent and licensing lawyers
    • Licensing is managed in DC without input from inventers or breeders
10:50 S3 Budget & Legislative Report – Saied Mostaghimi and Bill Brown
In meeting discussions:

  • Lot of activity related to water imitative
    • Water is “big ask” for FY’17
    • Two-page summary has been developed and will be distributed soon.
  • Discussed developing state or multistate impact statements on water research
    • Request  that directors submit at least one state impact and any multistate research impacts
  • Now have inventory of projects related to water
  • Bill will send email as a reminder to submit statement to Bill and Saied by May 1
  • Also need information on the needs and gaps in water research
    • Send thoughts on that also
  • Also working on a process for developing, submitting, and advocating for “big ask”

 
11:00 S4 Science & Technology Report – John Russin
In meeting discussions:

  • Discussing success rate for AFRI, which has had reduced applications
  • May survey faculty on this
  • Administrative support is needed for development and management of large grants
  • Support NRC recommendation for a Land Grant University advisory board for AFRI
11:10 S5

NRSP 4, Enabling Pesticide Registrations for Specialty Crops and Minor Uses (Renewal proposal) – Mary Duryea

In meeting discussions:

  • Handouts of IR-4 Stategic Plan and 2014 annual report, available on NRSP-4 website
11:20 S6 NRSP 6, Inter-Regional Potato Introduction Project: Acquisition, classification, preservation, evaluation and distribution of potato (Renewal Proposal) – Craig Nessler

In meeting discussions:

  •  Part of ARS National Germplasm Repository System
11:30 S7 NRSP 7, A National Agricultural Program for Minor Use Animal Drugs (Renewal proposal)  – Phil Elzer

In meeting discussions:

  •  AA’s are concerned that projected industry income might not materialize
11:40 S8

NRSP 9, National Animal Nutrition Program (Renewal proposal) – Nancy Cox or Lesley Oliver

In meeting discussions:

  •  Providing continuous updates on nutrient utilization and feed formulation for animal agriculture
11:50 S9

Questions or comments regarding continuing projects (no budget decision) –

  • NRSP 1, National Information Management and Support System – Bill Brown
    • NIMSS redesign and rebuild is going well at Clemson
  •  NRSP 3, The National Atmospheric Deposition Program – George Hopper
  •  NRSP 8, National Animal Genome Research Program – Eric Young
  •  NRSP 10, Database Resources for Crop Genomics, Genetics and Breeding Research – Steve Lommel
12:00 – 1:30 pm Joint Lunch
1:30 – 5:00 pm Separate ASRED and agInnovation South Meetings
1:30 S10 Regional Climate Hub Interactions – Michael Gavazzi, Southeast Regional Climate Hub, USDA/FS
2:10 S11

Best Practices Session – Protecting Germplasm & Variety Intellectual Property and Commodity Research Support – Jackie Burns and Craig Nessler

In meeting discussions:

  • Some AES’ still do public release for certain crops, but it’s becoming less frequent
  • Eric will send revised peanut clause to Bob Parker
  • Delete NPB’s added language and explain to Bob Parker that the 2nd sentence only applies to cultivars
3:00 – 3:30 pm Joint Break
3:30 S12

S-9, Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Utilization – Clarence Watson

In meeting discussions:

  • Searching for a new peanut curator

  • Most professional staff will turn over in next 2-3 years
  • Need increase in budget to cover paying benefits to University of Georgia and cover raise
  • Budget request of $465,564

 
Action taken: Approved S-009 FY’2016 budget $465,564– Approved (Nessler/Mostaghimi)
 
3:40 S13

Multistate Research Committee Report – Clarence Watson
3:50 S14

Executive Director’s Report (items not already covered) – Eric Young
4:00 S15 agInnovation South Excellence in Leadership Award Presentation – George Hopper
4:00 Chief Operating Officers Meeting (COO’s or their designee only)
5:00 pm Adjourn and Dinner on your own

 

Wednesday, April 8
6:30 – 8:00 am Joint Breakfast
8:00 – 11:30 pm Joint ASRED and agInnovation South Meeting – George Hopper, agInnovation South Chair
8:00 J7 Southern Rural Development Center Update and Local Foods Initiative – Rachel Welborn, SRDC Program Manager, Steve Turner, SRDC Interim Director, and Ed Jones

In meeting discussions:

  • Searching for SRDC director since fall 2013

  • Have interviewed 7 candidates and made offers to 2, both decided to stay at current institutions

 
8:30 J8 Best Practices Session – Supporting Outlying Research & Extension Centers – Hiring philosophy, support/operating funds, grant generation, student training, campus/center and county/center interactions, etc. – Bill Brown and Gary Jackson
9:30 J9 Plan of Work Review, Survey results and discussion – Jody Jellison, Scott Cummings, Ron Brown, and Eric Young

In meeting discussions:

  • Generally in favor of having a clear template of what is not optional for Annual Report
  • Would be helpful to know what parts of Annual Report are most used
  • Concerns about how Extension fits into REEport
  • Very difficult to retrieve info from REEport and then its only in PFF
  • Need consistency for NPL review criteria
  • Would be helpful to know who reads and uses the Annual Report
10:00 – 10:30 am Joint Break
10:30 J10 SERA Administrative Advisor Refresher – Ron Brown, Eric Young, Jimmy Henning, and Joe West
In meeting discussions:

  •  Makes sense to form a SERA to go after a specific grant

 
11:00 J11

Reenergizing a SERA, Latinos in the New South (SERA 37) – Ed Jones and Reuben Moore
11:20 J12 2016 Spring Joint Meeting – S-AHS, S-CARET, ASRED, and agInnovation South – Bob Godfrey, Kwame Garcia, Eric Young and Ron Brown
11:45 Prepare for tour
12:00 – 8:00 p.m. Joint Lunch, Tour, and Dinner

 

Thursday, April 9
6:30 – 8:30 am Joint Breakfast
8:30 – 11:00 am Separate ASRED & agInnovation South Meetings
8:30 S16 Chief Operating Officer’s meeting report – George Hopper
In meeting discussions:

  • Donna will retire September 30, 2015
  • Starting October 1, 2015, Donna will be 1/2 and an office assistant 1/4 time – Approved(Nessler/Russin)
  • Budget – Approved

 
8:45 S17 Best Practices Session – Supplementing faculty salaries; ie royalty returns, grant bonus, appointment change, retention, etc. – Saied Mostaghimi and John Russin
9:45 S18 Additional Agenda Items
10:45 S19 Fall agInnovation South and ESS Meeting/Workshop, Charlotte, NC – Eric Young

  • The 2015 SAES/ESS/ARD meeting will be held in Charoltte, NC at the Ballantyne Hotel beginning on the afternoon of Monday, September 28, 2015 with regional meetings and a reception.  Registration for the meeting will begin no later than early June and will be handled by North Carolina A&T University.  Mid-morning on Tuesday, September 29th the meeting participants will travel by bus to Kannapolis, NC for the workshop under the theme of public-private partnerships as this is the location of the NC Research Campus  On Wednesday, September 30th the meeting will continue in the traditional format with the business meeting, partner presentations and two other workshops.  Participants are asked to stay through Thursday morning as a dinner with a speaker will take place on Wednesday night, September 30th.

 
10:50 S20 Resolutions Committee Report – Rick Roeder
A Resolution of Appreciation was presented to Dr. Saied Mostaghimi and the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station for their role in hosting the ASRED/agInnovation South Spring Meeting.  Resolutions of appreciation were read for Dr. Jerry Arkin and Dr. Nancy Cox who have left the association.  Resolutions were approved by acclamation
 
10:55 S21 Closing Comments – George Hopper
11:00 am Adjourn