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Dr. Tony E. Windham |
Legal issues of any kind can be difficult to navigate, and agricultural law has complexities all its own. The University of Arkansas is equipped to tackle those challenges, thanks to its National Agricultural Law Center.
The Center was established in 1987 as a collaboration between the University of Arkansas School of Law and the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. The Center's mission is to serve as the nation's leading source of agricultural and food law research and information.
"The partnership between the law school and the Division of Agriculture has created a center with unique capabilities," said Dr. Milo Shult, vice president for agriculture. "Having this kind of legal and policy expertise also offers many opportunities for our clientele."
The Center regularly fields hundreds of queries each year, not only from attorneys and farmers, but also from others in the nation's agricultural community. For example, the Center recently fielded questions about grain indemnity from the Nebraska Legislature and a request from a United Nations group for information about legislation dealing with Cuba.
"We are a national legal resource for agricultural and food law research and information," said Director Harrison Pittman. "We also provide outreach, speakers for conferences and offer referrals.
"We don't give legal advice," he said. The best way to think of us is as being like extension. We offer pros and cons and discuss items in terms of tradeoffs. We can provide options to help the constituent make the decisions and otherwise navigate the complex legal and regulatory framework that defines agricultural law."
Pittman said he would like Extension professionals to make use of the Center's resources and wants to know more about the legal issues agents and others are hearing about in the field.
"Extension agents in Arkansas should feel free to contact us or refer others to us anytime," he said. He added that a survey of Division activities is on the drawing board to get a full picture of the ag law issues facing Arkansans and the nation.
As part of its extension efforts, the Center has an attorney, Shannon Mirus, who is specifically responsible for handling extension activities. She can be reached at 479-575-2364 or by email at smirus@uark.edu. The Center also will be migrating much of its work into the eXtension.org Community of Practice for Agricultural Law.
Learn more about the Center at http://www.nationalaglawcenter.org/.
We hope you'll take a few moments to become familiar with the Center and see how it might help your clientele.
- Tony E. Windham
4-H Month Features Youth Science Day, Giant Pumpkins, Robot Competition
October is 4-H month in Arkansas and will be marked by participation in a national experiment in biofuels, giant pumpkins, a robot-building competition and a gubernatorial proclamation.
"October is always a big month for 4-H in Arkansas," said Brad Davis, executive director of the Arkansas 4-H Foundation. "It's state fair time, which often means competitions that represent culmination of a summer of hard work for our 4-H'ers."
"We're very pleased that Gov. Mike Beebe will be marking this special time by proclaiming it 4-H Month in Arkansas," Davis said.
Among the county and state activities happening during 4-H Month:
Monthly Gift Total Summary - July 2009
The following chart summarizes gifts and noncash gifts deposited in July 2009 to advance the programs of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service.
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Cumulative Giving |
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July 1 - 31, 2009 |
Fiscal Year 2010 |
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Monthly Gift Count |
Monthly Gift Total |
Fiscal |
Fiscal |
| CES Administration | 4 | $82.00 | 4 | $82.00 |
| Delta District | 8 | $468.33 | 8 | $468.33 |
| Ouachita District | 3 | $3,888.10 | 3 | $3,888.10 |
| Ozark District | 1 | $21.00 | 1 | $21.00 |
| 4-H Youth Development | 1 | $450.00 | 1 | $450.00 |
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Agriculture and Natural Resources |
15 | $74,150.00 | 15 | $74,150.00 |
| Community and Economic Development | 10 | $5,575.00 | 10 | $5,575.00 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences | 0 | 0.00 |
0 |
0.00 |
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Arkansas 4-H Foundation |
38 |
$41,205.00 |
38 |
$41,205.00 |
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TOTALS |
80 |
$125,839.43 |
80 |
$125,839.43 |
- Merritt Royal
EFNEP Marks 40 Years of Nutrition Education, Honors Staff
The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, or EFNEP, celebrated 40 years of providing nutrition education to families in an effort to help them improve their diets and nutritional well-being.
EFNEP kicked off the day with a statewide training held at the Little Rock State Office. Dr. Rosemary Rodibaugh gave a presentation on "The Importance of Vitamin D in the Diet," Amy McClelland gave a presentation on "Mindless Eating" and Dr. Karen Ballard ended the training with a presentation on "The Public Value of EFNEP."
During the 40th anniversary and celebration, faculty and staff were recognized for their contributions to EFNEP. Receiving the Outstanding Program Assistant Award were Joyce Bowie of Pulaski County, Reyna Alvarez of Sevier County and Glenda Parker of Union County.
Champion Awards were given to Chris Meux of Communications and BeVerly Sims of Information Technology for their outstanding support to EFNEP. Liz McKay of Union County received the Supervisor of the Year Award and Janie Garner, also of Union County, received the Program Assistant of the Year Award. These awards recognized outstanding commitment to the program and their counties. In addition, county agents and district staff were given a certificate of appreciation for their ongoing support and dedication to the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program. During the celebration, past and current participants shared their experiences with EFNEP and how the program impacted their lives.
We are looking forward to the next 40 years of working with families to improve their quality of life through nutrition education.
- Easter Tucker
Livestock Market Reporter Reaches a Milestone
Livestock Market Reporter Jerry Foley recently completed his 32nd year with the Extension Service. The responsibilities of a livestock market reporter are to attend assigned livestock sales and be a third party, unbiased reporter of the selling prices of the livestock. They record the weights, types, selling price, etc., of beef cattle and then summarize the information. That data is distributed to the public, and many producers use this information to make marketing decisions.
Jerry, who lives at Smithville, reports on sale barns at Pocahontas, Charlotte and Ash Flat.
Livestock Market Reporting Service was originally managed by the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission. Jerry started as a market reporter on January 1, 1973. When the Livestock Market Reporting Service was transferred to Extension, Jerry came along too. Although Jerry's been with extension for over 32 years, he's been a livestock market reporter for 36 years. If you add up all the cattle Jerry has seen sold through a livestock auction, it easily adds up to over 5.5 million head, which is almost twice the population of Arkansas.
- Tom Troxel
ESP-Alpha Iota Represented at National Meeting
Five members of Alpha Iota Chapter of Epsilon Sigma Phi (ESP) attended and participated in the 2009 ESP national meeting held at Fargo, North Dakota, Sept. 14-16.
Participating were retired Pulaski County agent Joy Buffalo, Alpha Iota president and voting delegate; Garland County agent Lisa Gilmore, presenter of concurrent session "Let Go and Let Volunteers Lead: Lessons Learned in Transferring Program Ownership."
Easter Tucker, associate professor - nutrition, participated in the meeting, and Noah Washburn, associate district director - Ouachita, participated with an Alpha Iota poster on the subject of Grant Writing Workshop Mini-Grant ('08 Galaxy Conference report). Jefferson County Staff Chair Don Plunkett took part as a member of the '09-'10 public issues national committee and will serve a three-year term on this committee.
Alpha Iota participants gained a new perspective of North Dakota and enjoyed nearly perfect weather during their stay.
During the presidents' breakfast, Joy Buffalo picked up a Gold Chapter of Merit certificate of award, the highest given in the merit ratings.
During the national meeting, members were given a glimpse of the "new look" of the ESP web site. That look is temporarily housed at http://www.espnational.com/.
The 2010 national ESP meeting will be held in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Oct. 12-15.
Epsilon Sigma Phi is open to all Extension professionals, regardless of discipline or location, who have a minimum of three years with the organization. As the "umbrella organization" of the Cooperative Extension Service, members may be in county, district and/or state positions or located at Extension Research Centers.
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Alpha Iota Chapter of Epsilon Sigma Phi participants to the national ESP convention in Fargo, North Dakota, Sept. 14-16, 2009, were (l-r) Lisa Gilmore, Noah Washburn, Easter Tucker, Don Plunkett and Joy Buffalo. |
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Noah Washburn shows off the Alpha Iota poster presentation concerning the Grant Writing Workshop from the 2008 Galaxy Conference. The workshop was made available from an ESP mini-grant to Alberta James and Alpha Iota Chapter. |
For more information about the ESP organization, contact the executive committee: Joy Buffalo, president; Linda Chappell, president-elect; Becky Reynolds, vice president; Beth Phelps, treasurer; Lisa Gilmore, secretary; or Don Plunkett, past president. Information about the 2009 national meeting and a host of pictures from the meeting are now posted at www.espnational.org.
- Don Plunkett
Employees of the Quarter for the Quarter Ending September 30
Delta District
Lazaro J. English, County Extension Agent - Staff Chair, Lee County: Lazaro is 100 percent committed to his extension work for the Division, the clientele in Lee County and the office staff. He encourages staff members to reach their highest potential by setting an example of understanding, honesty, hard-work ethic and reliability. Lazaro demonstrates his support of various team projects by his participation across program areas. He promotes leadership within the county. One example is rotating the leadership role of weekly staff meetings to all the Lee County team. Lazaro recently received an award for 16 years of perfect crop reporting from Ag Statistics Service, and he also served as Rotary president for 2007-2008.
Donelda J. Summers, Administrative Specialist I, Cross County: Donelda can be described as a dedicated, loyal, conscientious, dependable and kind employee. She always thinks of the needs of the entire office when carrying out duties. Donelda takes the initiative and is a valued employee of the Cross County Extension Office.
Ouachita District
Lisa Gilmore, County Extension Agent - Family and Consumer Science, Garland County: Lisa is responsible for bringing the Strong Women program to Arkansas Extension. She has a strong EH program that has consistently grown under her leadership. Lisa won the Jeanne M. Priester Award in 2008. The 4-H Food Bowl team won first place in 2007 and second place in 2008 under her guidance. She is fun, a team player, confident and very professional. Lisa is always willing to help other agents with programs. She writes grants to fund new programs and is always willing to make sure all areas of a program are covered.
Ozark District
Sherry Kaufman, Administrative Specialist, Conway County: Sherry's knowledge of Conway County's culture and people make her a valuable asset in the Division of Agriculture Conway County Extension Office. Sherry's calm demeanor provides a pleasant, professional and competent first impression of the Conway County Extension Office. She is a team player. While the office has been short-staffed as a result of recent retirements, the customer service in the office is seamless for people who call and visit requesting information. Sherry's sense of humor underlines the fact that she takes her job seriously, but not herself. She is organized and helps agents meet deadlines and get reports in on time. Sherry Kaufman is the personification of the adage, "Professionalism - it's not just the job you do, it's HOW you do the job."
Trish Ouei, County Extension Agent - Urban Storm Water Education, Benton County: Trish takes the leadership role in developing material, informing the public and teaching environmental issues we face today regarding urban storm water issues. She has developed environmental public awareness, educational programs and materials used on a daily basis. Trish is very dependable and gets the job completed in the right way. She is not afraid to take on any project; she has knowledge and confidence in what she is doing. Not only does Trish perform her job tasks well, she is always willing to jump in and answer the phone or help on any other project or activity that needs her assistance. Trish truly makes a valuable contribution on a daily basis to the Division of Agriculture in Benton County and surrounding communities.
State Office
Elizabeth Fortune, Communications Specialist, Communications: Elizabeth is hard-working, reliable and open to using new tools in her public relations work. She works with other department members to find the best angles for a successful media pitch and works with clients to ensure they are prepared for their media appearance. This effort has reaped dividends because she gained two national media placements for Division of Agriculture personnel within a week in August and followed up with at least three more in the following weeks. This is a record many private-sector public relations agencies would envy and is almost unheard of in the education sector.
Darlene Horne, Administrative Specialist, 4-H and Youth Development: Darlene has consistently performed tasks beyond expected duties. Her ability to frequently improve office functions has been an asset to all. Not only does she effectively organize documents, contracts and spreadsheets in her area of responsibility, but she helps staff organize when they are busy with programming. Darlene has streamlined the booking process for all programs creating a seamless reservation process. Her positive attitude has been helpful in training staff by modeling high expectations and has been contagious through motivating others.
Deborah Tootle, Associate Professor, Community and Economic Development: Deborah's knowledge of disaster preparedness from experience with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita has enabled her to secure funding and develop programs in Arkansas. Her work includes a Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC) project on assessing how well regional catastrophic preparedness plans address the needs of disadvantaged individuals, households and communities. Deborah has secured ongoing funding from the Walton Family Foundation through the SRDC for the Delta Geographic Concentration Initiative to understand how to mobilize a diversity of local people to work collaboratively in developing and implementing a long-term strategic plan for their counties.
- Amy Hedges
USDA-APHIS Photography Contest Open to All
The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is inviting photographers to enter their best poultry or pet bird photos in the Biosecurity for Birds calendar photo contest.
APHIS is interested in photos of all kinds of poultry, game-birds, wild birds, shorebirds and pet birds shown in a clean environment and without people in the pictures.
The winning poultry or bird photo will be featured in the 2011 Biosecurity for Birds calendar. Photos will be featured on the Biosecurity for Birds Web site and may also be featured as screen savers on the site.
Visit http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov for more information to enter online. People of all ages are encouraged to enter, and photographers may be amateur or professional. The deadline for submissions is January 31, 2010.
Biosecurity for Birds is a USDA campaign designed to increase awareness of how poultry and bird owners can protect their birds from infectious poultry diseases.
- Elizabeth Fortune
Grants and Contracts
| Project Title | Award Amount | Principal Investigator | Granting Agency |
| FGD Gypsum in Agriculture Network | $15,731 | Dr. Leo Espinoza | The Ohio State University Research Foundation |
| Baptist Health Project | 7,000 | Dr. Wayne Miller | Baptist Health |
| TOTAL AUGUST AWARDS | $22,731 |
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