Innovation Engineering: Knowledge, Tools & Inspiration for Young Entrepreneurs December 9th

Mark your calendars! The eXtension Entrepreneurship webinar series airs monthly on the second Thursday at 2:00pm (ET); 1:00pm (CT); 12:00pm (MT); 11:00am (PT).

On Thursday, December 9, 2010 we return to our youth entrepreneurship theme with a presentation on Innovation Engineering: Knowledge, tools and inspiration to become an innovator and entrepreneur. Our presenter will be Renee Kelly, Co-Director of Programs, Operations and Outreach, at the Foster Center for Student Innovation at the University of Maine. Tune in to learn about the work that is incubating our next generation of entrepreneurs.

In order to be future leaders, students need to know how to innovate. They need to know how create unique ideas, communicate them effectively and implement them, whether they want to start their own business or work in an established organization. The Foster Center for Student Innovation at the University of Maine has developed an academic minor for students from all majors to learn a variety of tools and methods for a systematic approach to innovation. The Foster Center has begun outreach to adapt this program to younger students including a summer camp for youths from grades 3-8, workshops for high school students, after school programs and partnerships with K-12 schools to integrate concepts into their curriculum.

Sustainable Small Farming and Ranching: On-line course registration is now open!

This course on Sustainable Small Farming and Ranching guides participants to realistically evaluate their goals and resources, and provides the tools to evaluate the feasibility of starting a sustainable small acreage enterprise. Course topics include whole farm planning, resource evaluation, site appropriate production practices, enterprise budgets, market analysis and risk management/food safety assessment. Upon course completion, project participants will have the knowledge and skills to engage in whole farm planning.

Do you want money in your pocket this tax season?

 Check out the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to see if you qualify. Both the EITC and Child Tax Credit are refundable tax credits for eligible working individuals and families. You must file for the credits with your tax return! As an example, a family with three or more qualifying children who earn less than $48,362 (married filing jointly) may be eligible for a refund of up to $5,666. These tax credits do not count as income in determining eligibility for public benefits like food stamps, SSI, Medicaid, TANF, and public housing.

HOW TO APPLY

Cow Camp Chatter: The Ranch Boneyard

 by Ron Torell, Long-Standing Educator and Advocate of Agriculture

It certainly works like an loading chute!
Photo by Ron Torrel

We’ve all heard the old cliché that one man's junk is another man's treasure. Nowhere is this more evident than when strolling through a ranch boneyard. The ranch boneyard is a place where worn-out haying equipment, old automobiles, damaged panels, manual chutes, and basically any other piece of ranch equipment, scrap metal or wooden object that was ever used, lie in wait to be called into service again. An old, worn-out piece of junk might one day be restored to its original form or transformed into something new and useful. In this issue of Cow Camp Chatter lets discuss the importance of the ranch boneyard and how being frugal is essential to the economic survivability of ranching.

New Website Gives Information on Coccidiosis

Kansas Farmer
October 27, 2010

An Oklahoma veterinarian and an animal nutritionist have teamed up to launch a new website designed to give cattle producers detailed information on how to manage their weaning and stocker calves to control and prevent coccidiosis.

Veterinarian Bruss Horn, who has been in practice 29 years and Dennis White, who holds PhD in beef cattle nutrition and recently retired from a major animal health company after 22 years in beef cattle research and technical service, have launched the site coccidiosistreatment.com.

The site features information about products for prevention and treatment and management practices to help minimize the disease. Pictures of animals with coccidiosis are shown so the producer can more easily identify the symptoms of the disease.

Full text: http://tinyurl.com/2btbpup

Idaho Weed Control Association Offers Scholarships

The Idaho Weed Control Association offers scholarships every spring for University of Idaho and Treasure Valley Community College students. Preference is given to students majoring in plant or crop sciences, entomology, range resources or other associated fields.


Deadline to apply is December 10, 2010.

Please forward to anyone who might be interested.

http://www.idahoweedcontrol.org/scholarship.html