Volume 17, Number 15
September 29, 2017

CURRENT EVENTS

GardenFest and Mum Sale is TOMORROW: Make plans to attend tomorrow’s GardenFest and Mum Sale at The Botanic Garden at Oklahoma State University. There are activities for all ages, including garden tours, children’s games and crafts, live music and food trucks.  Live music will include Stillwater High School choir, The Williamson Family Band, and Tanner Bryan. Informational booths will be set up in the garden offering information on everything from plant diagnostics/identification and homemade soaps to yard art and tea drinks. Activities begin at 10 a.m. A Jack O’Lantern Jog will begin at 1:30 p.m. Mark and Tabitha West, of Cedar Valley Nurseries will be guest speakers. Perfect for your fall landscape, a variety of mums will be available for purchase.

Aquaponic Farming Workshop to Take Place Oct. 11: Entrepreneurs who wish to help meet the growing demand for fresh, local vegetables and fish can learn how to do so at the upcoming Aquaponic Farming Workshop to get the latest research-based information on this growing trend. Slated Oct. 11 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Vian, Oklahoma, this free workshop is geared toward those who are interested in starting or expanding an aquaponics business. The workshop will take place at the Blackgum Community Center, 449458 Highway 100.
     Aquaponic farming is defined as the combination of aquaculture, which is raising fish, and hydroponics, which is the soilless growing of plants, together in one integrated system.
     Registration is free and includes lunch and materials, but attendees are asked to register on or before Oct. 6 by calling Kyle Robinson at 405-273-7683, or via email at kyle.robinson@okstate.edu. For more information about the workshop, contact James Arati at 405-321-4774 or via email at jarati@okstate.edu. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Training Workshops for the New OK-FIRE Announced: A series of workshops are planned this fall to help people use and understand the new OK-FIRE website. The old site is being retired in October. The new OK-FIRE is more user-friendly, but substantially different in terms of layout and content, so training, even for current users, will be important.  Training dates/locations include: Bartlesville, Oct. 12; Antlers, Oct. 26; Woodward, Nov. 2; Altus, Nov. 16; Ardmore, Nov. 30; El Reno, Dec. 13; and Stillwater, Dec. 18. These workshops consist of 6 hours of training and all will be directed by Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering fire meteorologist J. D. Carson, who serves as program manager.
     Workshops are free but registration is required.  Since, in most cases, space is limited to about 15-25 participants for these workshops, only those who work directly with wildland fire (wildfire and/or prescribed fire) or advise those who do should attend. Registration information is available here.
     Operational since 2006, OK-FIRE is a weather-based decision-support system for wildland fire management. OK-FIRE uses the Oklahoma Mesonet for current/recent conditions and an 84-hour forecast to predict weather, fire danger, and smoke dispersion conditions out to three days in the future. Users include multiple federal and state agencies as well as local fire departments, emergency managers, cooperative extension educators, and private landowners.
     With respect to wildfire, benefits of using OK-FIRE include better anticipation of high fire danger conditions, guidance for optimal staffing levels, and tracking existing and forecast weather and fire danger conditions during the wildfire itself, leading to more effective suppression strategies. With respect to prescribed fire, OK-FIRE can help in the planning and conducting of prescribed burns, as well as providing guidance for smoke management.

New/Updated Publications on PODS: There are a number of new and updated publications available on the Print on Demand System at http://osufacts.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/HomePage. New publications include:

No new publications

Revised publications include: 

• CR-2143 2016-2017 OSU Small Grains Variety Performance Tests
• CR-7195 Commercial Management of Turfgrass Insects and Mites

Condolences to: Heath Sanders, Area Extension Agronomy Specialist, on the death of his grandmother. Doris Jean Sanders passed away Sept. 14. Funeral services took place Sept. 19 at the First Methodist Church in Sterling. Cards may be sent to Heat at 1523 NE Stone House Dr., Elgin, OK  73538.

PERSONNEL ACTIONS

Appointments

Katie Miller, Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development, Pottawatomie County, effective 9-18-17

Title Changes/Transfers

None to report

Separations/Retirements

Wyatt Kirwan, Extension Educator, Agriculture/4-H Youth Development, Cotton County, effective 9-29-17

Tony Yates, Extension Educator, Agriculture/4-H Youth Development, and CED, Sequoyah County, effective 12-31-17 (retirement)

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development, Cleveland County

Extension Educator, Agriculture/4-H Youth Development, Grady County

Extension Educator, Agriculture/4-H Youth Development, Haskell County

Extension Educator, Agriculture/4-H Youth Development, Pushmataha County

Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development, Rogers County

Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development, Wagoner County

Northeast Area Agriculture Economist, Muskogee County

Internal Applicants Only

Extension Educator, Agriculture/4-H Youth Development, Marshall County

Extension Educator, Agriculture/4-H Youth Development, Okmulgee County

Extension Educator, Agriculture/4-H Youth Development, Washington County

COMING EVENTS

September 28-October 8: Tulsa State Fair (Tulsa)
September 28: West District CED Meeting (Clinton)
September 30: 4-H State Judging Day (Stillwater)
October 4: Food Safety Modernization Workshop (Oklahoma City)
October 5: Fall Organic Farming Workshop (Oklahoma City)
October 7: Oklahoma 4-H Hunting Skills Contest (Oklahoma City)
October 11: Aquaponic Farming Borrower/Lender Matchmaking and Resource Event (Vian)
October 20: Rural Economic Outlook Conference (Stillwater)
October 21: Oklahoma 4-H Trapp Contest (TBA)
October 23: West District Extension Administrative Supports Specialists/Assistants Training (Weatherford)
October 24: Viticulture and Enology Workshop (Ada)
October 25: Greenhouse Biological Control Workshop (Stillwater)
November 8: Annie’s Project In-service and Certification (Stillwater)
November 9: Online Tools for Grassland management (Duncan)
November 11: Co-Parenting for Resilience (Kingfisher)
November 11: Oklahoma 4-H Muzzleloader Contest (Oklahoma City)
November 30: 4-H Volunteer Management System (Webinar)