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 AgComm
News Purdue Extension Purdue
Agriculture Purdue University 
Jay Akridge Olivia Maddox Cherryl Frederick 
Agricultural Communication |
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December 2007 Welcome to Purdue Agriculture Report, an e-newsletter for business and community leaders on research, academics and Extension across Indiana and around the globe. You could be one in a million One way to measure an effort's value is to calculate the number of lives directly affected by the endeavor. For example, if you look at Purdue University's Cooperative Extension Service, the number of people helped in the past year exceeds 1 million. However, numbers don't tell the whole story. Some Purdue Extension programs may reach only a handful of people, but, for those individuals, the effort is truly valuable. Every year Purdue Extension helps people from all walks of life enhance their lives and livelihoods with unbiased, research-based information. As the new year approaches, I'm reminded that Purdue Extension touches individuals. Each person who participated in a Purdue Extension program in the past year is one in a million. And that's how we like to view them—not as a massive number but as unique persons whose specific needs were met through our educational programs. New opportunity for Indiana producers to market their product
MarketMaker is a free, online interactive mapping system that will locate businesses and markets for agricultural products in Indiana. It will allow producers to research customer demographics by income, ethnicity, household characteristics and education. The Indiana MarketMaker Web site will include producers and buyers at all levels of production, from farm to retail, and producers of both fresh and processed foods. Producers should sign up now, before the Indiana MarketMaker Web site becomes active in early 2008. To register, producers need to visit http://www.inmarketmaker.com and click on the "producer/farmer registration." Agriculture to see huge impacts from the 2007 Energy Bill President Bush signed into law on Dec. 19 an energy bill that will have a larger long-term impact on U.S. agriculture than the pending farm bill, said a Purdue University expert. By increasing the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) to 36 billion gallons by 2022, the bill provides a road map for the production of renewable fuels from our nation's farms and forests. "This is not market driven," said Chris Hurt, Purdue Extension agricultural economist. "It's policy driven with billions of dollars and it's really going to change America. If you step back and look at it, that’s called leadership. Congress has a vision. This new energy bill is going to have huge impacts for agriculture and forestry. It's not like throwing a pebble in a pond and having a few ripples. This is a boulder and it's going to create mega waves." Good dog! Comical canine teaches economics in children's DVD
In "Herschel's World of Economics," the puppet dog Herschel learns about the roles of consumers and producers in an economy, and the choices each makes. The DVD, geared toward elementary school children, was produced by the Indiana Council for Economic Education (ICEE) and Purdue University's Department of Agricultural Communication, with financial support from Teachers Credit Union. The DVD is being provided to schools in the 13 Indiana counties the credit union serves and to teachers who complete ICEE training. Others may purchase the DVD for $30 through the council's KidsEcon Posters Web site at http://www.kidseconposters.com. For more information, visit the ICEE Web site at http://www.econed-in.org. Video series takes mystery out of commodity marketing The art of marketing commodity grains can often be challenging, but an IP video series to be offered in a number of regional locations will help eliminate some of the mystery for farm women. "Unraveling the Mystery of Commodity Marketing for Farm Women," sponsored by the Women in Agriculture team of the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service, is being offered Jan. 17 through Feb. 14. "After the annual Women in Agriculture conference each year, we've had several ladies tell us that it would be very helpful to spend more time learning about commodity marketing," said Extension educator Kelly Easterday. "Because the concept of marketing is such a challenging one, we decided to create a series that would dig a little deeper and would be easily accessible throughout the state." Purdue Ag Fish Fry speaker will highlight White House experiences
Andrew Card, former chief of staff for President George W. Bush, will be the guest speaker during the luncheon that begins at 11:30 a.m. in the Toyota Blue Ribbon Pavilion at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. His talk, "Managing Amidst Crisis," will relate stories from his White House experiences, including those surrounding the terrorist attacks in September 2001. Tickets are available by contacting the Purdue Ag Alumni office at (765) 494-8593 or by e-mailing agalumni@purdue.edu. The Ag Forecast, a program highlighting important topics in agriculture, will precede the Fish Fry starting at 9:30 a.m. in the Old National Bank Grand Hall, also located on the fairgrounds. Purdue Entomologist named 2007 Hovde award recipient
Turpin, who is the driving force behind programs like "Bug Bowl" and "Insectaganza," was recognized for his efforts to educate thousands of people in various audiences about the importance of insects and the roles they play in agriculture. "Turpin's efforts have played an integral role in educating students and the general public about science and the key role insects play in agriculture and the environment," said Randy Woodson, Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture. "He teaches his materials in fun, creative ways that draw in audiences and really make a difference in the way people perceive the world of entomology." Web site helps cattle producers manage short forage supply "The goal of the Web site is to minimize the impact of this year's low forage supply," said Keith Johnson, Purdue Extension forage specialist. "If we can keep our livestock healthy through the winter, the impact will be confined to increased feed expenses, and we will not have the negative aspects of poor animal performance in 2008 and lingering into 2009." The site features videos, news articles, publications, alternative feed profiles and contact information for local hay auctions. It also offers tips for rejuvenating forages after a difficult growing season, how to sample baled hay and crop residues, as well as advice for determining the body condition score of animals. Upcoming Events January 3: Illiana Vegetable Growers' School January 15: 2008 Beginning Beekeeping Series January 17: Horticulture Managing for Success January 24: Horticulture Managing for Success January 29: Bi-State Low Maintenance Landscaping Workshop January 31: Horticulture Managing for Success February 7: Horticulture Managing for Success February 26: 2008 Beginning Beekeeping Series
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Indiana producers have a new tool that could help them better directly market their products. "Essentially, Indiana MarketMaker will help link producers to consumers and consumers to producers on a state and regional basis," said Maria Marshall, the Purdue University Extension small business development specialist who is coordinating the project.
A children's DVD proves you can teach old, economically challenged dogs new tricks and educate kids, too.
Attendees at the annual Purdue University Agricultural Alumni Fish Fry on Feb. 2 will get a firsthand account of this nation's highest level of strategic and crisis management, including the Bush administration's response to the 9/11 attacks.
Purdue University entomologist Tom Turpin is the 2007 recipient of the Frederick L. Hovde Award of Excellence in Educational Service to Rural People of Indiana.
Indiana livestock producers have a new resource available to help them get through the winter on low forage resources. Purdue University Cooperative Extension specialists teamed up across disciplines to create the "Managing the Forage Shortage" Web site, available at 