University of Wyoming Extension News

Monthly Archives: August 2012

UW ag student barbecue raises money for scholarships, organizations

Ag students prepare and serve the annual Ag Appreciation barbecue.

Proceeds from a barbecue prepared and served by students affiliated with the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources will provide scholarships and fund agriculture college student organizations at the University of Wyoming.

The barbecue is 2-3:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, at Tailgate Park near War Memorial Stadium prior to the Cal Poly vs. Wyoming football game. Tickets can be purchased at the event or prior by contacting Mandie Corcoran in the Office of Academic and Student Programs in the college at 307-766-4034 or mandie@uwyo.edu.

Sponsors include the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, local businesses, agricultural groups and individual donors. The event coincides with Ag Appreciation Weekend at UW.

UW Extension offers board training sessions in Cody

Leadership training sessions for those serving on boards are Tuesdays this September and October in Cody offered by the University of Wyoming Extension.

Tara Kuipers in the Park County UW Extension office will teach “Leading with excellence: Tools for effective boards” 6-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays starting Sept. 25 and ending Oct. 30. All sessions are in the lower level of the Park County Courthouse.

“The series is designed to help individuals who have never served and those serving on boards get more involved and become more effective leaders,” said Kuipers, northwest area community development educator.

The fee is $50 per person for the five-session series. Registration is limited to 25 participants.

Sessions cover board responsibilities and good governance, tools for effective meetings and board decision making, financial management and fund-raising, the board building cycle and strategic board communication.

To register, call 307-527-8560 or 307-754-8560 or email Colleen Renner at crenner@parkcounty.us. For more information, contact Kuipers at the same numbers or email her at tkuipers@parkcounty.us.

UW research center field day has brief presentations, research tour options

Associate Professor Jay Norton describes research at SAREC.

The driver pulling the trailer with rows of seating slowed and paused for a group of people crossing the parched yards at the James C. Hageman Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension Center near Lingle – an unspoken invite for a ride.

Betty Deeney of Hawk Springs waved the driver on. “They want to see the equipment,” she called to him, pointing to the men she was walking with and then, as a way of explanation, added, “Farmers.”

An estimated 150 attended the revamped SAREC field day Thursday, Aug. 23. The field day, switched to late afternoon, ended with a cream can dinner. The field day had three-minute research presentations but also trailer tours during which those attending could climb down and see and stay at whatever research plot they wanted. UW scientists awaited them.

“I like this,” said Deeney, who attended with her husband, Lindsey Arnold. “I think you have a chance to go on your own more, and we stayed longer in one place than another. In whatever area of interest you like, you have more time to spend and visit with people.”

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UW’s Operation: Military Kids partners with Military Child Education Coalition

Providing practical strategies and resources for encouraging resilience in children of military parents serving overseas is the intent of a two-day workshop in Casper this September.

Living in the New Normal Institute (LINN): Helping Children Thrive Through Good and Challenging Times training is Wednesday and Thursday, Sept 12-13, at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel at 800 N. Poplar St. Breakfast and lunch are providedboth days.

Out of Wyoming’s 88,000 school-age children, 3,000 or 3.4 percent are children of members of the military, according to Keith Martin, program manager at the non-profit Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC).

“That number more than doubles when you add the children of men and women who served and completedtheir service at some time during the 11 years of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said. “It becomes even larger when you add military-connected children who are in private schools or who are home-schooled.”

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UW Extension holds Grow Your Own, Use Your Own workshop in Rawlins

Building a mobile chicken coop earlier this year in Riverton.

Building a mobile chicken coop, learning the basics of beekeeping and composting with worms are among topics covered during the “Grow Your Own, Use Your Own” workshop in Rawlins Saturday, Sept. 8.

“This will be a great workshop where every part of the program will be hands-on in some way,” said Mae Smith, UW Extension educator for southeast Wyoming. “If you want to be more sustainable on your land or just learn something new, this will be great for everyone.”

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