Fall 2009

Welcome

Welcome to Fall Quarter and your Autumn 2009 issue of CFAES Quarterly! Expect your next newsletter in January. If you have any story ideas, suggestions, or submissions, please send to cfaesquarterly@cfaes.osu.edu.

Issue 2 and The Ohio State University

Issue 2 is scheduled for vote in the November election and would establish an animal care board. In its educational role, our college and university does not take stands on political issues. We can, however, provide information about the topic; express our advocacy for animal care and well-being; and communicate our support for a proactive, comprehensive and research-based approach to decisions about animal care. As individuals, we can express our own opinions, as long as we are clear that we are not representing the university or the college. You can review the proposal at http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/elections/IssueProcBallotBd/BallotBoard.aspx#Issues.

Below is a statement from Dean and Vice President for Agricultural Administration Bobby Moser regarding the issue.

The College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) at The Ohio State University has historically been an advocate for food animal care and well-being, for maintaining a safe and adequate food supply, for protecting the safety of farm workers, and for providing Ohioans with access to locally raised food.

We believe in taking a proactive, comprehensive approach to animal care in this ever-evolving field. We know that education of those who directly manage animals is the most consistently successful approach to improving animal care and wellbeing. As such, producer education and the education of 4-H youth in the area of animal care has been and will continue to be a high priority for the college.

The college advocates an approach that is research based. OSU has animal welfare specialists located in CFAES and the College of Veterinary Medicine. CFAES studies multiple food animal species, and conducts research on housing, breeding, feeding, animal care and more. The partnership between the Australian Animal Welfare Science Centre, CFAES and the College of Veterinary Medicine positions us to establish a world-renowned research and education collaboration in animal welfare science.

The Ohio legislature placed on the fall ballot a constitutional amendment that would establish an Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board. The 128th General Assembly Joint Resolution states that among the thirteen members, "the dean of the agriculture department of a college or university located in this state" will be appointed to the board.

My expectation is the proposed board will provide an important mechanism for the state to take a proactive approach to high quality animal care. I would expect the composition of the board to reflect a variety of viewpoints. For success, the selection of people for the board will be critical, not in the titles they hold, but in their ability to seek and listen to reputable and diverse information sources to fill knowledge gaps and stay current with the rapidly evolving science of animal care.

Should the amendment pass, the College is committed to assisting the board by contributing sound, current science and information about animal care and well-being issues and policies.

An openness to education and learning will help the board's decisions be fair and effective and result in a level of animal care and well-being that we all seek. — Bobby Moser

More Fresh Faces Enroll in CFAES and SENR

Get ready to welcome a bigger crop of freshman students to our halls. For the 2009-10 academic year, new first quarter freshman enrollment is up 25 percent in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences and about 16 percent in the School of Environment and Natural Resources, reports Jill Tyson, Coordinator of Prospective Student Services. For a more detailed report on new student enrollment in CFAES or to view enrollment trends over the last five years, click here.

ORIP Internships Help Students Experience Hands-On Science

The OARDC Research Internship Program (ORIP) completed its second successful year this summer on the Wooster campus, giving 75 local high-school and undergraduate students (in addition to one middle-school teacher) the opportunity to experience science first-hand under the tutelage of nationally recognized researchers. The 10-week paid internship program teaches critical thinking skills through rigorous laboratory and field research experience, seminars, group discussion sessions, and symposia. This year, interns were involved in research projects in areas such as environmental studies, biofuels, molecular and cellular biology, entomology, and animal and plant diseases. All students wrote a research paper and gave oral presentations describing their results. Learn more at http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/orip/.

Ohio Latino Outreach Team Joins CFAES Diversity Catalyst Team

The Ohio Latino Outreach Team continues to make strides in creating awareness and working with faculty and staff within the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. Through the recommendation of CFAES administration, the Ohio Latino Outreach Team has become a sub-committee of the CFAES Diversity Catalyst Team, with a specific focus on Latino issues in Ohio. Members of the CFAES Diversity Catalyst Team voted for the group's inclusion during their August team meeting.

OSU Extension and OARDC Budget Update

Biennial budgets approved this summer for OSU Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center reflected levels approved by the House and Senate earlier in the spring. OSU Extension will receive $23,518,608 for FY10 and $22,467,678 for FY11 (a 4.5 percent decrease). OARDC will receive $34 million for each of the two years of the biennium, a 4.5 percent decrease the first year with flat funding the following year.

While we have received cuts, our funding is better than it could have been given the current fiscal climate of our state. The conference committee members, and the House and Senate, are deserving of our gratitude.

Much credit goes to the excellent work of our professionals, researchers and faculty members. It is their excellent work that convinced the Ohio Legislature to support our organizations. This shows a recognition that our work is vital to the state of Ohio's economic success.

County Extension budgets continue to be in flux. Although there are indications that the economy is beginning to stabilize, we know that immediate increases in consumer spending will not improve the state's local government fund or county tax revenues for some time. To date, at least 57 of Ohio's 88 counties have decreased their appropriations for Extension from 2008 to 2009 (with a 12 percent decrease in total funds). Eight counties have levies on the their fall ballots that will benefit Extension — three indirectly through general tax levies (Allen, Hancock, Van Wert); and five through Extension-only levies (Coshocton, Hardin, Jackson, Monroe, Paulding).

At the same time, all of Ohio's county commissioners are supportive of OSU Extension. We are grateful to the County Commissioners' Association of Ohio, the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, local communities, volunteers, clients, and other local stakeholders for their support and advocacy on our behalf.

The Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center: Green and Open for Business

The Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center is now officially the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified green building on The Ohio State University campus. The LEED Green Building Rating System is a third-party certification program conducted by the U.S. Building Council. It is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings.

The Center runs five times more efficiently than other buildings on the Ohio State campus; and in its first full year of operation, the Center used 25 percent less energy to operate than a conventional building. The Center is now being used as a model for other green buildings on campus. For a great place to host a meeting or event, check out http://www.ohio4-hcenter.org/features.html

Diversity Unity Community Launch

I am pleased to kick off the 2009-2010 academic year with the unveiling of the CFAES Diversity Initiatives. Our slogan, "Diversity Unity Community" is a testament to the kind of learning and work environment that we emulate with the goal of ensuring that all of our faculty, staff and students know that they are valued members of the CFAES community. Banners, posters and decals are visible reminders of our commitment to diversity and inclusion and I encourage each of you to pick up a decal from your departmental office and display it in your office.

I also encourage your participation in the Diversity Speaker and the Lunch and Learn sessions that are scheduled throughout the year. Be on the lookout for more information on how to register. — Bobby Moser

Diversity Speaker Series, Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center, from 4:00-5:30. Refreshments served.
October 28: Raquel Brown will speak on "Making the right turn for diversity," an introduction to why diversity matters to all of us regardless of our multiple identities.
January 27: Brad Lepper will provide an anthropological journey of Ohio's ancient American Indian connections in Adams and Licking counties.
March 24: Tom Lianez will take us through the diversity within the Latino culture.
April 28: Jim Johnson will present demographic trends on the "Browning and Graying of America" and discuss how that diversity impacts all of us.

Lunch and Learn, Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center, 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. in the Eastman Room. Lunch is provided. November 20: OSU Multicultural Center presentation on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Awareness February 12: Video and discussion on "Race in the Age of Obama" April 9: Topic TBD

CFAES Fallfest 2009 Recap

About 550 alumni and friends gathered at the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center for this year’s Alumni Fallfest on September 12 in conjunction with the OSU football game against USC. Food, fellowship and fun was in no short supply for attendees as they enjoyed plenty of buckeye tunes, brats, delicious pies, silent auction items and reminiscing of their college days.

Outside of the reunion and socializing, one of the other goals of the day is to raise funds for the Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Alumni Society Undergraduate Scholarship Endowment Fund. This year more than $6500 was raised through ticket sales, the silent auction and additional donations. Fallfest 2010 will be held on September 4, so mark your calendars and don’t miss out on the fun.

Change Agent States Project Wins National CSREES Partnership Award

The Change Agent State Consortium (of which CFAES is a member) will be receiving national recognition on October 6 at the Annual CSREES Day of Appreciation in Washington DC. This award recognizes outstanding work done by groups affiliated with land grant universities and does work that coincides with the mission and goals of the USDA.

Diversity Moments

Why I do the work that I do -- Kathy Lechman

I am a proponent and supporter of diversity, inclusion and social justice for a variety of reasons. I am truly fortunate to be able to have a job for which I have passion. Although my journey to this work began with my birth, I will skip over that part except to say that my mom was white and my father black. This is relevant in that my life has been impacted by having this identity. Being a bi-racial kid in a family that is all white was not challenging until I became aware that I was different and was treated differently because of my skin color.

Around the age of nine, I was at a pool with one of my mother's sisters. A woman came up to me and complimented me on my beautiful tan and asked how I managed to get so dark, before I could answer her, my aunt responded, "She's Italian". I was stunned as my mother's family is Slovak. I did not question her but remained silent. The message was clear; it was not good to talk about being bi-racial. Fast-forward two years. I am with a female cousin in front of her house in the summer and an older boy comes up to me and asks, "Why are you so dark", I think about the experience at the pool and reply, "I just got back from Florida". I say that because there was something about the tone of his voice and the question that led me to believe that telling him that I was bi-racial would not be in my best interest. Not satisfied with that answer, he punched me in the stomach again, the message, having the skin tone that I do is not good. Fast-forward two more years, I'm with the same cousin spending the night at her house and this time her brothers, one older (12) and one younger (5) is with us. We went to the twelve year olds friends' house. We go into the back yard, his friend is in a tree in the backyard, and I'm standing just under the tree. All of a sudden, I feel something hit me in the back and then drip onto my shoulder, I look up and he is urinating on me, calling me a "Nigger" and telling me to, "Go back to Africa where I came from". I quickly moved from under the tree and remember thinking, I'm not from Africa, I'm from Cleveland. Message loud and clear, my color makes me different and that is not good.

No one spoke except for my youngest cousin (age 5) who said, "Don't say that to my cousin". We all left, one of his other friends had gotten me a paper towel to use to clean up. Upon going back to my cousins' house, no one said anything. I never spent the night there again; I would go over there but would not leave the driveway.

It wasn't until I became older and was able to process these events that I realized how deeply they impacted me as a person and how truly damaging they were. I did not talk to my cousin after that for fifteen years. As I got older I realized that I resented him for not sticking up for me, a five year old stuck up for me but the twelve year old that I thought was a friend as well as family did not. The kicker is that he remained friends with that individual.

These are just a few of the experiences that have helped shape me into the person that I am doing the type of work that I do. I am committed to doing my very best to ensure that all people are treated with respect and dignity regardless of their race, sex, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, ability and or disability, class and other identities that we carry. The bottom line is that we are all human.

A Diversity Moment is a personal reflection on an experience on your life where you had the opportunity to reflect on, learn about, or experience an aspect of diversity. Diversity Moments will be a part of CFAES Quarterly and focus on moments in our lives that influenced us with regard to diversity. All are encouraged to share your Diversity Moment. Please submit them to cfaesquarterly@cfaes.osu.edu. Submissions may be edited for style, grammar and length.

Agrability

Ohio State University Extension has received a four-year, $720,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to assist farmers with disabilities through the national AgrAbility program. With the grant, Dee Jepsen and her colleagues will be advancing efforts to address a wide variety of disabling conditions faced by many working in agriculture, including arthritis, spinal cord injuries, back impairments, amputations, brain injury, visual impairments, hearing impairments, disabling diseases, cerebral palsy and respiratory impairments. Ohio now joins 27 other states with AgrAbility projects. To learn more about the national AgrAbility program, log on to http://www.agrabilityproject.org/.

Upcoming Events

Sept. 22-24, Farm Science Review, Molly Caren Agricultural Center. Get in free with your Buck I.D.
Oct. 16, Ohio State Animal Welfare Symposium, "Building Partnerships to Address Animal Welfare," Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center.
Nov. 5, 10th Annual Ohio Farmland Preservation Summit, Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center.
Dec. 16-17, Extension Annual Conference, Ramada Plaza Hotel and Conference Center