Chicago Waterways — Still Flowing After Over 100 Years
 As the city of Chicago has grown in population and industry since it was established more than 180 years ago, so has its need for clean water. Meeting that growing need has presented many challenges. The Chicago Area Waterway System is a complicated network of modified rivers and canals which are used for navigation and shipping, residential and industrial wastewater management, recreation, and aesthetics.
Asian carp, currently confined to the Mississippi River system, are threatening to invade Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes through the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. Researchers reaffirm that providing safe drinking water to Chicago residents must remain the number one priority; however, the Asian carp must be blocked to prevent them from getting into the Great Lakes.
University of Illinois researcher Ken Olson and his colleague from Iowa State University, Lois Wright Morton, observe that reversing the flow of the Chicago River in 1892, construction of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in 1900, and subsequent management still constitute a good solution to the city's unique water problems. This study, "Chicago's 132-year effort to provide safe drinking water," written by Olson and Morton appears in the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. Funding was provided by the University of Illinois, USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Integrated Water Program agreement, Heartland Regional Water Coordination Initiative, and Iowa State University. To learn more about the research, read the full release.
Photo Credit: University of Illinois
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 Clayton Yeutter, Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Dies
The Omaha World-Herald reports that Clayton Yeutter
treated everyone he met with the same level of respect. Yeutter died at his home in
Potomac, Maryland, on Saturday after a four-year battle with colon cancer. He
was 86. The Eustis, Nebraska, native served as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
under President George H.W. Bush beginning in 1989.
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 Kress New OSU Ag Dean
Dr. Cathann Kress was named dean of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University (OSU).
Kress, the first female to hold the top post at Ohio State’s ag college, is the current vice president for Extension and Outreach at Iowa State University. In her role at Iowa State, she served as director of ISU Extension. She will start her appointment May 1, pending approval of Ohio State’s board of trustees. Kress will succeed Dr. Bruce McPheron, who is now provost and executive vice president at OSU.
She was director of youth development for the former Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, now NIFA, for six years. Kress provided national leadership for youth programs administered through Cooperative Extension and land-grant universities, and also established the mission and role of the National 4-H Headquarters. Source: The Ohio State University.
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Eight Teachers
Selected for the 2017 Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture Award
The National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization (NAITCO), U.S. Department of Agriculture and Farm Credit announced that eight general education teachers from around the country have been selected as winners of the National Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture Award for 2017.
These kindergarten-through-12th grade teachers won the award for the innovative ways they use agricultural concepts to teach core subject areas of reading, writing, math, science, social studies, STEM, and more.
"We're proud of these award-winning teachers who demonstrate so well how effective agriculture can be when used as a teaching tool,” said Dr. Victoria LeBeaux, NIFA's National Agriculture in the Classroom program leader, which provides federal leadership and annual funding for NAITC. Learn more about the Excellence in Teaching Award Winners.
Adolescent Health Webinar
Adolescent Health: Think, Act, Grow® (TAG) is a national call to action to improve health, reduce risky behavior, and promote engagement and healthy development among young people. This webinar will introduce the TAG framework, make connections between TAG's goals and those of the Cooperative Extension programs, highlight local/state programmatic leadership, and describe available resources. Register to attend Think, Act, Grow (TAG) on March 14, 2 p.m. EST. Hosted by NIFA and presenters from U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's Office of Adolescent Health, the webinar is brought to you by the ECOP/ESCOP Health Implementation Positive Youth Development for Health Action Team.
Webinar - Promising Partnerships: Extension and Farm
to Early Care and Education
Across the country, Extension builds connections
between producers and communities, expanding opportunities for local
procurement, gardening, and food and agriculture education in schools and Early Care and Education (ECE) settings.
NIFA, in partnership with the National Farm to School Network, is hosting a webinar to showcase Extension and farm to ECE partnerships and projects. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions on implementing farm to ECE in their area. The webinar is March 14, 2 p.m. EST. Don't forget to register.
Grant, RFA Announcements
USDA Announces $12.1 Million to Support Crop Protection and Pest Management
NIFA announced $12.1 million in available funding through the Crop Protection and
Pest Management (CPPM) Competitive Grants Program.
The CPPM program supports research and extension projects that
address critical state, regional, and national integrated pest management needs, ensure food security, and respond to other major pest challenges. The
program encourages projects that establish communication networks and
stakeholder participation to increase the impact of the research. In FY 2017,
NIFA will competitively solicit only the Applied Research and Development
Program Area (ARDP) and the Extension Implementation Program Area (EIP)
applications under the CPPM program. The anticipated amount available for
grants in FY 2017 is approximately $4.1 million for ARDP and $8 million for EIP. Read the full release.
USDA Announces $1.35 Million to Support Data-Driven Farm Management Practices
NIFA announcement $1.35 million in available funding to provide agricultural producers with training and data to strengthen their business management skills. Funding is made through NIFA's Farm Business Management and Benchmarking Competitive Grants Program, authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. Read the full release.
USDA Awards $500,000 through New Behavioral Science Grant
Program
NIFA announced two grants totaling $500,000 to help pinpoint motivators that
drive farmers to adopt conservation practices and identify the roadblocks that
may get in the way. The awards were made through NIFA’s Behavioral and
Experimental Economic Applications for Agri-Environmental Policy Design Program, a new grant offered under the Agriculture and Food Research
Initiative Foundational Agriculture Economics and Rural Communities Program. The new program is jointly funded by NIFA and USDA’s Economic
Research Service. Read the full release.
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