NACAA Sponsored Seminars at Galaxy III
September 15-19, 2008
Indianapolis, IN
| Date | Time | Speaker | Title | Brief Description |
| Tuesday, Sept 16 | 1:30 | Steve Cain Homeland Security Project Director EDEN Purdue University |
Lessons for Extension Learned from Recent Natural Disasters | This program will feature a panel of Extension educators who helped their communities work through natural disasters in the past couple years. It will also create greater awareness the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) and how it can help Extension educators deal with disaster planning and response. |
| Tuesday, Sept 16 | 3:30 | Dr. Elbert C. Dickey, Dean & Director University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension ECOP |
Strategic Opportunities for Cooperative
Extension |
Dr. Dickey will expand on the recent ECOP report and the opportunities identified for the future Extension Service. Dr Dickey shared a brief outline of this report at the regional leadership seminars in 2008. This will be a chance to expand on that presentation and ask questions of Dr. Dickey. |
| Wednesday, Sept 17 | 1:30 | Ronald J Hoover
Penn State University Dept of Crop and Soil Science |
The Organic vs. Conventional Debate: Can We Strike a Balance between Passion and Science? | The debate between practitioners of organic and convention agriculture is a never ending discussion. Ron Hoover takes a look at the common ground between the two systems and how each can address growing needs in the food production system. |
| Wednesday, Sept 17 | 3:30 | Dr. Mark Seeley
Professor and Extension Climatologist/Meteorologist Dept of Soil, Water, and Climate University of Minnesota |
Impacts of Climatic Change on Agricultural
Production |
Dr Mark Seely doesn't debate whether or not there is global warming, but does point out as climates have changed in history and how they will change in the future, agricultural production systems in a region change as well. This presentation at PILD in 2008 received excellent reviews. |
| Thursday, Sept 18 | 10:00 | Dr. Norm Olson
Program Manager BECON (Biomass Energy Conversion) Iowa Energy Center Iowa State University |
Energy Opportunities and Promising Research in Biomass Energy | The Iowa Energy Center is a focal point for alternative energy production of all kinds, and by many different research institutions. They are not only looking at how to more efficiently produce the energy sources we know today, but exploring sources we may never have considered. |
| Thursday, Sept 18 | 1:00 | Virginia (Ginger) Harris
NASS - USDA |
The Changing Face of American Agriculture | The people who produce our food in the US are a changing group, and have been changing for many decades. The immigrants from Europe started the process, but as the US has become more ethnically diverse, the people who actually grow, harvest and process our foods have changed as well. Ms. Harris will paint us a picture of the change that has taken place and trends that will affect our food production future. |
| Thursday, Sept 18 | 3:00 | Ron Schwartau
Balaton, MN Director National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association |
International Rural Development - Dominican Republic the Sudan and the Impact of International Projects | The National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association not only works with the local rural electrical cooperatives around the US, but is deeply committed to rural economic development around the world. "Electrifying the World's One Village at a Time" is their theme. Ron Schwartau will share his experiences in Haiti and the Sudan through NRECA projects. He will show how small projects can make such a big difference to a community and encourage our members to find ways to involve themselves in similar endeavors as Extension Educators. |