Ag Econ-O-Gram

June 23, 2006

FACULTY MEETINGS
 
JULY 4TH HOLIDAY
The University will be closed for business Tuesday, July 4 for our national holiday.  However, Monday, July 3, is a regular business day (8 am - 5 pm); we will resume business as usual Wednesday, 8 am.

FACULTY PUBLICATIONS
 
CONDOLENCES
The Department sends sincere condolences to George Mansel on the lost of his wife of 48 years, Sarah Catherine Mansell who died on June 20, 2006 after struggling for nearly two years with her second round of breast cancer.  She will be greatly missed.  She began her college education at Pennsylvania State University where she met her husband, George.  The Mansell’s moved to Michigan when George took a position at Michigan State University Extension.  Sally completed her BS in Education from Western Michigan University in 1974.  She taught middle school age children English and Home Economics for a number of years.

Those planning on expressing sympathy to the family can donate to Susan G. Komen Grand Rapids “Race for the Cure,” supporting breast cancer awareness, detection and research at United Way Center 118 Commerce SW, Grand Rapids, MI  40503 or to the MSU Extension “Grand Ideas Garden” at 775 Ball Ave. NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503.  

Friends and family may meet with the Mansell family from 2-4 PM or 6-8 PM on Friday, June 23rd at Pederson Funeral Home in Rockford.  Funeral services will be held at 11AM on Saturday June 24th at the Rockford Reformed Church.---George Mansell
gmansell8141@charter.net
 
MSU PRODUCT CENTER MEETING
To Michigan Partnership for Product Agriculture, Extension County Offices, Extension Personnel, and Extension Regional Directors: 

July 12, 2006, 9 AM to 4 PM at The Starting Block, Hart, MI.  Attend the informational meeting hosted by the MSU Product Center titled “Becoming an Innovation Counselor.”  If you are interested in learning more about the Product Center and its network of Innovation Counselors, there is still time to register.  Your advance registration will allow us to plan for materials, breaks and lunch, which will be included as part of the program.  Send your registration request to Karen Sproul at sproulk@anr.msu.edu. with the following info.:

NAME, MAILING ADDRESS
OFFICE TELEPHONE, CELL PHONE (if applicable)
E-MAIL ADDRESS, CURRENT POSITION

Details of the arrangements are:
The Starting Block is the first kitchen incubator to be established in the State.  You will have an opportunity to see how this entrepreneurial venture will assist new and emerging food product producers to develop their ideas and reach their customers.  It is located at 1535 Industrial Park Drive, Hart, MI.)
 
For questions, please contact:  Tom Kalchik, Associate Director, MSU Product Center for ANR, Venture Development, 4700 S. Hagadorn Road, Suite 210
East Lansing, MI 48823;  Phone:  (517) 432-8752; 
Fax:  (517) 432-8756;  Mobil:  (517) 256-7968;  E-mail:  kalchikt@msu.edu;  Web site:  www.productcenter.msu.edu
 
FARM RESCUE TRAINING OFFERED IN JULY
Two educational activities related to farm accidents and response will be held in July which include FARMEDIC and First on the Scene; both are co-sponsored by MSU Extension, Lansing Community College (LCC), and the MSU Colleges of Human Medicine and Engineering.

FARMEDIC: The 2-day workshop is a formal farm rescue training for fire/rescue & emergency response personnel; held on Sat. and Sun., July 8-9.  Pre-registration is required.  The deadline for pre-registration is June 30 by 4:30 pm.  Attendees will earn CEUs while participating.  Cost is $250 per student with a maximum of 42 students in the class.  Since actual farm equipment is used in the hands-on portion of the class, this pilot class is only at MSU.  It is hoped that we can offer this at other MSU/MAES sites in 2007 and beyond.  For more info., contact Doug Warner at 517-483-1100 at LCC, or contact Mark Hansen at 517-432-7696. 

Please note that Eaton and Shiawassee Farm Bureau boards have elected to provide FARMEDIC scholarships to fire/rescue personnel in their counties Other county Farm Bureau boards are invited to participate in this way as well.

First on the Scene: This training is two hours in length and is designed to help persons arriving first on the scene of an agricultural accident to know how to care for the victim until paramedics arrive. This training is designed for farm family members, Extension educators, crop consultants, sales persons, etc..  The training will be held during AG EXPO in an air conditioned room adjacent to the AG EXPO show grounds.  To attend this seminar, sign up at the FARMEDIC exhibit inside the Farm Safety & Security Tent (No charge for this seminar but seating is limited to 25 adults.).  The seminar will be repeated each day of AG EXPO (July 18, 19, 20) from 10am to 12noon.--Mark F. Hansen, Ph.D.
 
AG EXPO BREAKFAST
You are cordially invited to attend the 2006 Ag Expo Breakfast held on the Ag Expo grounds at the corner of Mt. Hope & Farm Lane, Tuesday, July 18, at 7 a.m.  Breakfast starts at 7 am.  Arrive early to prevent congestion from 7:30-8 am.  The program starts at 7:50  am and ends by 9 am.  More than 300 commercial exhibitors have registered to-date making this the largest Farm Show in Michigan.

President Lou Anna K. Simon will speak and The Honorable Stephen L. Johnson, Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an invited speaker. 
For questions regarding this breakfast, e-mail Megghan Honke at honkemeg@msu.edu.
With more than 500 guests attending the breakfast, it is important that you RSVP by email with the following:
Name, Department, Office Address, Office Phone.
PLEASE RETURN THE ABOVE INFORMATION BY JULY 7, 2006.

AG EXPO 2006
The Land Policy Institute is joining forces with the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) to expand our Ag Expo presence.  This years Ag Expo will be held on MSUs campus from July 18-20.  The CANR Tent will feature groups from across the College, including LPI, Citizen Planner, and the MSU Diary Store, as well as Michigan 4-H, Entomology, Integrative Pest Management and many others.  The theme, CANR: Can you Believe It? in the style of Ripley’s Believe it or Not, will entice Expo goers to the tent to learn more about things that they could never have imagined.  There will be speakers on three stages, food preparation demonstrations, music, magic and many other exciting, educational, and fun opportunities for the family in the CANR Tent.  Anyone interest in learning more about or participating in this exciting event may contact Catharine Hansford at Hansford@landpolicy.msu.edu.

Exploration Days

Grandparents University