Kansas State University

Executive Summary Overview K-state Research and Extension (KSRE) Is a Statewide Network of Educators Sharing Unbiased, Research-based Information and Expertise on Issues Important to Kansans. the Ksre Network Includes Offices in All 105 Counties, Along With Four Regional Extension Offices, Five Agricultural Research Centers Distributed Throughout the State to Encompass Variability in Climate and Soils, Four Satellite Units, Four Agronomy Experiment Fields and Four Horticulture Centers and Experiment Fields. in Addition, Ksre Funds Research Projects in 20 Departments Across Five Colleges. a Unique Feature Within the K-state Research and Extension Organization Is the Close Alignment of Research and Extension. in 1996, K-state Research and Extension Was Formed by Aligning the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station (KAES) and the Kansas Cooperative Extension Service. the Strategic Intent of This Alignment Was to Achieve Greater Efficiency and Synergy Between Discovery and Outreach Efforts. One Ancillary Benefit of This Alignment Is That Basic and Applied Research Will Lead to Rapid Extension Programming and Application in the Field. This Alignment Also Allows More Fluid Compliance With Multi-state and Integrated Components of Areera. K-state Research and Extension Is Focusing Its Efforts on Five Grand Challenges (critical Issues) That Directly or Indirectly Affect All Kansans: Global Food Systems, Water and Natural Resources, Health, Developing Tomorrows Leaders, and Community Vitality. These Grand Challenges Were Determined Through a Series of Meetings With Stakeholders and Define Areas of Emphasis for Agents, Specialists, and Researchers. Extension Professionals at the Local, Regional and State Level Work to Develop Regional and Statewide Signature Programs Along With Professional Development Opportunities for Its Members Through 11 Program Focus Teams Adult Development and Aging; Community Vitality; Crop Production; Family and Child Development; Family Resource Management; Farm Management; Horticulture; Livestock Production; Natural Resources; Nutrition, Food Safety and Health; and Youth Development. in Addition, Two Transdisciplinary Teams Were Created to Address Complex Issues to Kansans - Local Food Systems and Stress and Resiliency. the Work of These Teams Falls Within the Overall Umbrella of the Five Grand Challenges. K-state Research and Extension Cannot Solve These Challenges Alone. Ksres Statewide Presence Lends Itself to Collaborative Efforts With Organizations, Private Business and Industry, Local Groups, State and Federal Organizations, and Colleagues in Other States. Quality Faculty Draw Businesses and Funding to K-state and to Kansas Including: - K-state Is the Only University in the World With Access to a Full Continuum of Biosecurity Laboratories Located on or Adjacent to Campus. the College of Agriculture Will Provide Plant Disease Diagnostics, Research, Surveillance, and Training in Disease Vector Biology. the Laboratories Will Offer Emergency Rapid Testing and Manufacturing to Protect the Nations Animal Health and Food Supply During a Crisis. - Kansas Pride Is Dedicated to Serving Communities Across the State to Encourage and Assist Local Government and Volunteers in Making Their Community a Better Place to Live and Work. the Kansas Pride Program Is a Partnership of K-state Research and Extension, the Kansas Department of Commerce, Kansas Masons and Kansas Pride, Inc. Through This Program, Local Communities Identify What They Would Like to Preserve, Create, or Improve for Their Future. Then, Working With the Resources of K-state Research <(>&<)> Extension and the Kansas Department of Commerce, Community Volunteers Pull Together to Create Their Ideal Community Future. - Extensions Research Centers, Experiment Fields and Highly Skilled Scientists and Staff, Combined With the Climate and Soil Variability Across the State, Provide Unique Opportunities for Agricultural Research and Corporate and Private Partnerships. - Family and Consumer Sciences Is a Partner of the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services to Provide Health Insurance Education to Medicare Eligible Kansans. Approximately 1/3 of the Contacts of Those Served Are Vulnerable Beneficiaries With Incomes Below 150% of the Poverty Level. - Kansas 4-H Youth Development Was Awarded a Contract by the Kansas Department of Education for $4.2 Million Over the Next Three Summers to Provide Hands-on, Project-based 4-H Summer Programming Opportunities to Address COVID-19-RELATED Learning Loss in Counties Across the State. Building Upon the Long Record of Successful Partnership With Local School Districts and Leveraging the States Largest Youth Development Network Reaching All 105 Counties, Kansas 4-H Youth Development Will Use Summer Enrichment Programs to Address the Academic, Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs of Youth as a Part of the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Plan. - K-sange and Diversity to the Ksre Team and Provide Cultural Competency Awareness and Skills That They Can Practically Apply in Their Day-to-day Work. Other Efforts Include: - the Multicultural Undergraduate and Graduate Summer Research Fellowship Program Targets Under-represented Populations of Students With the Goal to Establish Networking Relationships Back to Their Respective Home Institutions, as Well as K-state Faculty. This Program Has a Specific Goal of Growing the Minority Populations of Students Within Graduate Programs in the College of Agriculture and Across Other Partner Colleges Represented Within K-state Research and Extension. - Local Unit Extension Council Members Review Parity Statistics Annually and Spend Time Determining Strategic Efforts Necessary to Reach Underserved and At-risk Audiences. - K-state Research and Extension Is in the Process of Developing a Language Access Plan and Securing Services Through Language Line Services to Bring Greater Access to Limited English Proficient Audiences. - This Fall, a New Community Liaison Will Be on Staff to Help Link Ksre's Resources to the Tribal Communities in Northeast Kansas. Global Food Systems as the State's Largest Employer, Agriculture Drives the Kansas Economy. in 2020, the Agricultural Industry Contributed $70.3 Billion to the Kansas Economy. Agriculture Is the Largest Employer in the State, With 250,058 People Accounting for 13 Percent of the Entire Workforce. We Are Improving Food and Agricultural Systems to Feed the World's Growing Population, Which Will Economically Benefit Kansas. to Feed and Sustain a Growing Population, K-state Research and Extension Is Focused on Developing Innovative Practices to Help Farmers, Ranchers, and Agribusinesses Improve Profitability, Efficiency and Sustainability for Kansas, Our Nation, and the World Through Cutting-edge Research in Areas Such as Genetics, Disease Prevention, Food Security and Farm Bill Education. Projects and Programs Would Include: O Developing and Testing New Crop, Vegetable, and Tree Varieties Suited to the Kansas Climate. O Improving the Efficiency of Feed and Water Use, Reproduction and Animal Health. O Reducing Food Waste Caused by Insects, Poor Storage, and Processing Techniques. O Creating Sustainable Agricultural Systems That Intensify Productivity. O Identifying Ways to Maintain Cattle Rangeland Threatened by Variations in Climate. O Leading National and International Teams to Solve Global Food Issues. O Helping Families Stretch Their Food Dollars. Water and Natural Resources Water Quality in Central and Eastern Kansas and Water Quantity in Western Kansas Are Important Issues. Current Irrigation Trends Could Deplete 69 Percent of the Groundwater in the Ogallala Aquifer Within 50 Years, Drastically Affecting the Kansas Economy. Sediment and Silt Are Washing Into Large Reservoirs That Supply Drinking Water and Recreation to Many Kansans. to Ensure Future Generations Have a Reliable Source of Clean Water, Our Focus Will Be Todevelop and Implement Programs to Help Kansans Maintain and Improve Water Quality and Quantity. These Include Pioneering New Practices and Techniques; Researching High-priority Water Issues; Facilitating Meetings Among Local, State, and Federal Officials and Effectively Communicating Research Results. Projects and Programs Would Include: O Breeding New Drought-tolerant Crop Varieties That Can Be Used for Human and Pet Food, Livestock Feed, and Fuel. O Identifying Best-adapted Turf Species and Cultivars for Kansas. O Developing More Efficient Irrigation and Water Monitoring Systems for Home and Farm Use. O Reducing Runoff and Sedimentation Into Reservoirs. O Improving Livestock Genetics to Increase Feeding Efficiency, Which Reduces Feed and Water Needs. O Working With the State of Kansas and Partnering With Stakeholders to Implement Strategies Identified in the 50- Year Vision for the Future of Water Plan. O Balancing the Use and Protection of the State's Natural and Recreational Resources That Lead to Significant Ecological, Medical, E Conomic and Cultural Benefits. Health Thirty-five Percent of Kansas Adults Are Obese, and 16.7 Percent of Kansas Children Live in Poverty. Targeting the Diversity of Kansans, Our Programs Address Quality of Life, Healthy Development, and Healthy Behaviors Across Life Stages for All Socioeconomic Groups. Projects and Programs Would Include: O Identifying and Implementing Practices to Help Prevent Adult and Childhood Obesity O Providing Options to Help Families and Practitioners Understand Health-care Choices for Elderly Kansans. O Educating Consumers on Safe Food Handling With Food Preparation, Food Preservation, Food Service and More. Community Vitality Rural, Suburban, and Urban Communities Through Kansas Face Many Challenges. When Citizens Are Encouraged to Combine Their Experiences and Skills to Work Together, Everyone in the Community Benefits. Projects and Programs Would Include: O Helping Communities of All Sizes Maintain Necessary Services, Such as Grocery Stores, That Hire Locally and Generate Local Sales Tax. O Working Directly With Farmers, Ranchers, and Families to Develop Better Financial Management Practices. O Engaging Community Groups and Local Businesses by Providing Leadership, Research-based Expertise and Technical Assistance to Make Communities Better Places to Live and Work. O Advancing the Health and Welfare of Companion Animals O Assisting Communities, Along With New and Existing Business, by Coordinating Support and Training Efforts, Creating Support Networks and Increasing Access to University Resources. Developing Tomorrow's Leaders the Complex Global Society of the Future Will Require Leaders With Effective Teamwork and Communication Skills. We Need to Prepare Leaders of All Ages, So They May Contribute to a Vibrant Kansas Economy for Years to Come. Projects and Programs Would Include: O Building Outstanding Leaders With Marketable Skills to Succeed in Today's Global Society and Workplace. 4-H Members Are Twice as Likely to Attend College and Pursue Careers in Science, Engineering and Computer Technology. O Meeting the Needs of Military Youth and Their Families at Kansas Military Installations and Families of Deployed Members of the National Guard and Army Reserve O Training Kansans of All Ages to Be Better Citizens and Leaders.nd Workplace. 4-H Members Are Twice as Likely to Attend College and Pursue Careers in Science, Engineering and Computer Technology. • Meeting the Needs of Military Youth and Their Families at Kansas Military Installations and Families of Deployed Members of the National Guard and Army Reserve • Training Kansans of All Ages to Be Better Citizens and Leaders.