Chair Chris Watkins, Cornell University, presided at the virtual ECOP Spring Meeting last week. Annual Work Plans by all ECOP standing committees were ratified. The 15-member, national policy-making body endorsed the work of the ECOP 4-H Leadership Committee's National Crisis Communications Playbook for the 4-H System. After reviewing the most recent draft, ECOP voted to have the ECOP Health Innovation Task Force proceed to vet the Cooperative Extension Framework for Health and Well-being at the National Health Outreach Conference (NHOC) in May. At its core, the new framework establishes "Health Equity". Speaking of NHOC...
Feeding the Economy Report Released - A coalition of agriculture groups has released Feeding the Economy, a study on the role of agriculture in the U.S. economy. According to the study, one-fifth of the nation’s economy and one-quarter of American jobs are linked to the food and agriculture sectors, either directly or indirectly. Key findings include:
▪ 40,714,808 total jobs
▪ $2.04 trillion total wages
▪ $797.22 billion total taxes
▪ $155.58 billion exports
▪ $6.975 trillion total food and industry economic impact
Military Family Readiness Academy Capstone - The Military Family Readiness Academy draws to a close with this Capstone event on Wednesday, March 31 from 11:00 am-12:30 pm ET. Resilience and recovery for military families depends on the social connection and collaborations existing within their communities. Service providers and Extension Educators are critical actors in making connections and forging collaborations to address family and community needs. Registration is free and results continuing education credits are available. Please share this link https://militaryfamilieslearningnetwork.org/event/92165 widely!
FANR FOCUS News Subscription - Doug Steele, APLU VP of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (FANR), routinely sends a recurring FANR FOCUS update to provide timely, relevant information and action items to the membership of the Commission on Food, Environment, and Renewable Resources (CFERR) and its member boards and sections. A few highlights from last week:
- Eddie Gouge's Virtual Retirement Celebration March 30, 2021 at 4:00-5:00 p.m. (ET)
- Call for Nominations for the APLU Food Systems Leadership Award
- Joint COPs Summer Meeting Schedule
- SAVE THE DATE: Register here: Earth Day April 22, 2021 at 3:00-4:30 p.m. (ET)
Extension Directors and Administrators with interest in receiving FOCUS should contact Suzette Robinson at [email protected] to subscribe.
