agInnovation South Spring Meeting
March 31 – April 3, 2014
Savannah, GA
Meeting Minutes
 
Participants:

George Askew, SC
Wes Burger, MS
Mary Duryea, FL
Jonathan Edelson, OK
Bob Godfrey, VI
George Hopper, MS
Jody Jellison, VA
Steve Lommel, NC
Nathan McKinney, AR
Reuben Moore, MS
Saied Mostaghimi, VA
Craig Nessler, TX
Lesley Oliver, KY
Steve Oliver, KY
Rick Roeder, AR		 John Russin, LA
Harald Scherm, GA
Bob Shulstad, GA
Clarence Watson, AK
Steve Workman, KY
Executive Director’s Office:
Eric Young, agInnovation South
Donna Pearce, agInnovation South
Liaisons:
Deborah Brennan, USDA/ARS
Dan Upchurch, USDA/ARS
Other guests:
Vernie Hubert, Cornerstone
Dorrie Main, Washington State University

Action Items:

 Agenda #  Actions Taken
S1
  • Agenda – Approved
  • Fall Meeting Minutes- Approved (Watson/Mostaghimi)
  •  Interim Actions – Approved (Roeder/Mostaghimi)
S19 Approve S-009 FY’2015 budget $450,625 – Approved 
S20 S-1049 as nominee for the National Mulstitate Award – Approved –(Shulstad/Mostaghimi)
S33 A Resolution of Appreciation was presented to Dr. Bob Shulstad and the University of Georgia Agricultural Experiment Station for their role in hosting the agInnovation South Spring Meeting.  Resolutions of appreciation were read for Dr. John Liu and Dr. John Hayes who have left the association.  Resolutions were approved by acclamation.

Minutes:
 

Monday, March 31
4:00 – 6:00 Registration
6:00 – 8:00 pm Welcome Reception

 

Tuesday, April 1
6:30 – 8:00 am Breakfast
8:00 – 8:10 Call to Order and Introductions  –  George Hopper
8:10 – 8:15  S1 Approval of Minutes (9/25/13) , Interim Actions , and Agenda –George Hopper

  • Agenda – Approved
  • Fall Meeting Minutes- Approved (Watson/Mostaghimi)
  •  Interim Actions – Approved (Roeder/Mostaghimi)
8:15 – 8:45  S2 NIFA and AFRI Updates – Bob Holland, USDA/NIFA
8:45 – 9:15  S3
 ARS Update – Deborah Brennan and Dan Upchurch, USDA/ARS
9:15 – 9:30  S4 BAA Policy Board of Directors Report – Eric Young
9:30 – 9:45  S5 System Communication & Marketing Committee Report – Mary Duryea
9:45 – 10:00  S6 ESCOP Science & Technology Committee Report – John Russin
10:00 – 10:30 am Break
10:30 – 10:45  S7 ESCOP Budget & Legislative Committee Report – Bob Shulstad and Bill Brown
10:45 – 11:00  S8 Cornerstone Advocacy Report – Vernie Hubert (Cornerstone Govt. Affairs)
11:00 – 11:30  S9 Federal Budget and Farm Bill, General Discussion
11:30 – 11:45  S10 ASRED Report – Joe Zublena
11:45 – 12:00  S11 ECOP/ESCOP Impact Database – Bill Brown and Eric Young
12:00 – 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 – 2:30  S12 Best Practices Session – Distribution of hard funds across various units (departments, outlying stations, centers) and across purposes (faculty, technical, clerical, operating, and graduate students) – Rick Roeder and Bill Brown

In meeting discussions:
 

  •  Percentage of total research coming in from soft dollars
    • AR – 45 to 50%
    • FL – 60%
    • GA – 40%
    • KY – 40%
    • LA – 55%
    • MS – 48%
    • NC – 58%
    • OK – 50%
    • SC – 50%
    • TN – 45%
    • TX – 66%
    • VA – 60%
    • VI – 20%

 
2:30 – 2:40  S13 NRSP – 3, National Atmospheric Deposition Program (Renewal Proposal) – George Hopper
2:40 – 2:50  S14 NRSP – 7, A National Agricultural Program for Minor Use Animal Drugs (Renewal Proposal)  – Phil Elzer

In meeting comments:

  • Possibility of terminating September 2015 due to funding issues
  •  Asking for one-year approval at September meeting
2:50 – 2:55  S15 NRSP – 1, National Information Management and Support System (Mid-Term Review) – Bill Brown
2:55 – 3:00  S16 Questions or comments regarding continuing projects (no budget decision) –
NRSP – 4, High Value Specialty Crop Pest Management  – Mary Duryea

NRSP – 6, Inter-Regional Potato Introduction Project – Craig Nessler
NRSP – 8, National Animal Genome Research Program – Eric Young
3:00 – 3:30 pm Break
3:30 – 3:45  S17 NRSP – 9, National Animal Nutrition Program – Nancy Cox
3:45 – 4:30  S18 NRSP_TEMP321 – Database Resources for Crop Genomics, Genetics and Breeding Research – Dorrie Main (Washington State University) & Steve Lommel
4:30 – 4:45  S19 S-9, Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Utilization  – Jerry Arkin
Action Taken: Approve S-009 FY’2015 budget $450,625 –Approved
4:45 – 5:00  S20 MRC Report – Steve Workman
Action Taken:  S-1049 as nominee for the National Mulstitate Award – Approved – (Shulstad/Mostaghimi)
6:00 pm Dinner on your own 
Wednesday, April 2
6:30 – 8:00 am Breakfast
8:00 – 9:00  S21 Best Practices Session – Faculty start ups; funding, equipment, support personnel, assistantships, etc. – John Russin and Saied Mostaghimi
9:00 – 9:15  S22 Cotton Winter Nursery – Dan Upchurch and Eric Young
In meeting discussions

  •  Looking for other options where the Cotton Winter Nursery could move too.
  • Current plans are to not have a winter nursery for the ’14/15 season
  • Labor cost will be 2 to 3 times more at most other locations
9:15 – 9:30  S23 agInnovation South Financial Database – Eric Young
9:30 – 9:45  S24 S-AHS Proposal to Join ASRED/agInnovation South Joint Spring Meetings –Eric Young
In meeting discussions

  • Agreed to meet jointly with AHS in spring 2015 in VA
9:45 – 9:55  S25 Executive Director’s Report – Eric Young
9:55 – 10:00  S26 agInnovation South Excellence in Leadership Award Presentation – George Hopper
10:00 – 10:30 am Break
10:30 – 11:30  S27 Chief Operating Officers Meeting
11:30 – 9:00 pm Lunch, Tour, and Dinner Cruise
Thursday, April 3
7:00 – 8:30 am Breakfast
8:30 – 8:45  S28 Chief Operating Officers Meeting Report – George Hopper
8:45 – 9:45  S29 Best Practices Session – Internal grant programs, or other variable distribution processes, for Hatch Regular & MRF, and/or other hard funds – Steve Lommel and Wes Burger
9:45 – 10:30  S30 Additional Agenda Items
10:30 – 10:40  S31 Fall agInnovation South and ESS Meeting/Workshop – Bob Shulstad

  • The next agInnovation South meeting will be Wednesday, October 1, 2014 at Jekyll Island, GA during the Experiment Station Section Meeting and Wrokshops, September 30 – October 2, 2014.
    • Hotel – Jekyll Island Club Hotel
    • Hotel rate – $159.00 + $15.00 room fee/night
    • Participant registration is $450.00
    • Guest registration is $250.00
    • Registration will open July 15, 2014

 
10:40 – 10:50  S32 2015 Spring Joint ASRED/agInnovation South Meeting – Saied Mostaghimi
In meeting discussions

  • Meeting will be held in Roanoke, VA
    • April 6 – 9, 2015
    • Monday throught Thursday
      • Open with Monday night reception

 
10:50 – 11:00  S33 Resolutions Committee Report – Rick Roeder

  • A Resolution of Appreciation was presented to Dr. Bob Shulstad and the University of Georgia Agricultural Experiment Station for their role in hosting the agInnovation South Spring Meeting.  Resolutions of appreciation were read for Dr. John Liu and Dr. John Hayes who have left the association.  Resolutions were approved by acclamation
11:00 am Adjourn and Check-out