CSREES Update - October 31, 2007

CSREES Update, from the Office of the Administrator, is a biweekly newsletter for research, education, and extension partners at land-grant universities and other cooperating institutions.

In This Issue

CSREES

• Qureshi PAS Animal Section Director
• Land Use Conference Brings U.S. and European Scientists Together
• CSREES News
• CSREES Lists Open Requests for Grant Applications

USDA

• USDA Announces New MyPyramid for Pregnant and Nursing Moms
• USDA Provides Disaster Food Assistance to Southern California
• Transcript of Remarks by Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner Tele-News Conference Regarding the Farm Bill, USDA Responses to California Wildfires, and pending Free Trade Agreements
• USDA Food Safety Guidance for Power Outages
• USDA Awards $2.5 Million for Research on Food and Nutrition Assistance Programs
• USDA Purchases Electronic ID Tags to Advance Animal Disease Control Capability

Partners

• New Executive Director at UMaine

Opportunities

• SARE's 20th Anniversary New Voices Competition

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CSREES

Qureshi PAS Animal Section Director

Muquarrab Qureshi is the new Animal Systems director within CSREES Plant and Animal Systems (PAS) unit. He is responsible for providing leadership for major research, education, and extension programs to address critical national needs related to animal production and animal protection systems. Qureshi served as national program leader for PAS Animal Genetics since June 2003. He worked closely with his colleagues in CSREES and the Agricultural Research Service to develop an effective framework for planning and implementation of major initiatives in Animal Genomics and Animal Breeding. 

Prior to joining CSREES he held several faculty positions at North Carolina State University (NCSU), including full professor and associate dean of the NSCU Graduate School. At NCSU he established a very successful and internationally recognized program in avian immunology. 

Qureshi received his D.V.M. in 1974 and M.S. in microbiology in 1977, both from University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan, and his Ph.D. in animal breeding and immunogenetics in 1996 from Cornell University.  

Land Use Conference Brings U.S. and European Scientists Together

More than 130 scientists, educators, and policymakers from numerous counties in the United States and Europe met recently in Washington, DC, for a conference on "The Science and Education of Land Use: A Transatlantic, Multidisciplinary, and Comparative Approach." The conference was co-sponsored by the CSREES Economic and Community Systems (ECS) unit, Farm Foundation, and other land-grant universities.

The conference was held at a time of growing concern about climate change as well as renewed interest in sustainability. Participants appreciated not only the international nature of the conference, but also the multiple disciplines that do not normally interact with one another on a regular basis. The conference explored the causes and consequences of current land use trends and dynamics related to society, economy, and environment, as well as policy implications of land cover and land use changes. The conference included a study tour of land conservation versus housing development through Montgomery County, MD. Conference proceedings and additional information are on the conference Web site. Contact Fen Hunt, national program leader in ECS, for more information.

CSREES News

• Trees: A Poplar Source for Biofuels

  There is no simple solution to the energy problem. Crops, such as corn, compete with the food supply. Poplars and other trees could provide a sustainable alternative for ethanol production; however, they require costly pretreatment before processing into ethanol. Researchers at North Carolina State University have identified a potential solution to the problem.

  The ethanol industry provides about four billion gallons of ethanol to the fuel market, which is expected to increase. Developing a process that effectively makes ethanol from cellulose derived from different types of plant biomass, particularly wood, remains difficult due to one significant barrier. The barrier is known as lignin. Lignin is a glue-like polymer in the cell wall of plants that surrounds cellulose to provide strength to fibers and to resist microbial decay. Visit the CSREES Newsroom to read the full story Trees: A Poplar Source for Biofuels.

   

CSREES Lists Open Requests for Grant Applications

CSREES advertises all of its funding opportunities through "Find Grant Opportunities" on the Grants.gov Web site. This site is searchable and contains summary information on all federal funding opportunities with links to the full announcements. Users can search announcements by topic, funding agency, and date, as well as subscribe to an e-mail notification service based on these parameters.

USDA

USDA Announces New MyPyramid for Pregnant and Nursing Moms

Acting Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Conner announced on October 25 the launch of a new MyPyramid Web site designed specifically for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. The new interactive guidance, found at MyPyramid.gov, provides unique, individualized nutrition guidance to meet the needs of expectant and new moms. Developed by the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, in conjunction with the Food and Nutrition Service's Women, Infants, and Children Program and the Department of Health and Human Services, this new Web site provides nutrition guidance consistent with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Visit the USDA Newsroom to read USDA Announces New MyPyramid for Pregnant and Nursing Moms full release.

USDA Provides Disaster Food Assistance to Southern California

Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner approved on October 25 the State of California's request to operate a Disaster Food Stamp Program (DFSP) in San Diego County from October 21 to November 19, 2007. The DSFP allows people who ordinarily might not qualify for food stamp benefits to be eligible if they had expenses related to protecting, repairing, or evacuating their homes; or if they lost food or income as a result of the disaster. In the DFSP, eligibility and procedural requirements are minimized to enable local agencies to serve large numbers of people quickly and provide a 1-month benefit. People who already are participating in the Food Stamp Program may be eligible for additional benefits under the DFSP if they suffered a disaster-related expense and file a simple affidavit. Visit the USDA Newsroom to read USDA Provides Disaster Food Assistance to Southern California full release.

Transcript of Remarks by Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner Tele-News Conference Regarding the Farm Bill, USDA Responses to California Wildfires, and pending Free Trade Agreements

USDA Food Safety Guidance for Power Outages

With the power outages caused by the devastating fires in Southern California, USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service urges consumers to follow USDA's recommendations for keeping food safe after power outages. To learn more about USDA Food Safety Guidance for Power Outages visit the USDA Newsroom to read the full release.

USDA Awards $2.5 Million for Research on Food and Nutrition Assistance Programs

Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner announced on October 24 $2.5 million in grant and cooperative agreement awards in 10 states and the District of Columbia for research on food and nutrition assistance. The goal of the research is to examine, evaluate, and enhance USDA's food and nutrition assistance programs. The grants and cooperative agreements will fund projects in California, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Utah. Visit the USDA Newsroom to read USDA Awards $2.5 Million for Research on Food and Nutrition Assistance Programs full release.

USDA Purchases Electronic ID Tags to Advance Animal Disease Control Capability

USDA announced October 19 contracts with three manufacturers to produce 1.5 million radio frequency identification ear tags that are compliant with National Animal Identification System standards. The combined cost of the contracts is $1.7 million. The ear tags will be used specifically for USDA state-federal cooperative disease control and eradication efforts, such as bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis, and will be distributed in geographic areas that are determined to be of increased risk for disease outbreak or spread. Visit the USDA Newsroom to read USDA Purchases Electronic ID Tags to Advance Animal Disease Control Capability full release.

Partners

New Executive Director at UMaine

Former Program and Financial Administrator John Rebar was named executive director of University of Maine (UMaine) Cooperative Extension for a 2-year appointment, effective August 1. Rebar has been with UMaine Extension's administration since 1994, providing statewide leadership for natural resources, agriculture, 4-H youth development, and family and consumer sciences programs, and has served as interim director since February 2007. He is also associate director of the Maine Agricultural Center, which is a partnership between UMaine Extension and the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station.

Rebar's 23-year career with UMaine Extension includes 10 years as a county educator, where he earned national recognition for his work in family resource management. He earned his B.S. from the University of Maine at Fort Kent and his M.S. degree in zoology in 1983 from the University of Vermont.

Opportunities

SARE's 20th Anniversary New Voices Competition

Students and others can win a travel scholarship to the CSREES Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) 20th anniversary conference, "The New American Farm: Advancing the Frontier of Sustainable Agriculture," March 25-27, 2008, in Kansas City , MO. A "new voices" competition is seeking fresh perspectives on the path to a more sustainable American agriculture. Submissions can be in written, audio, or video format, with a due date of December 7. Visit the conference Web site for contest details. The conference program, featuring nearly 200 speakers and poster presenters highlighting results of SARE-funded research and education, will be posted on the Web site in November along with registration information.  

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For a plain text copy of this newsletter, please contact Judy Rude. CSREES UPDATE is published biweekly. The next regular issue is planned for November 14. Submit news items to newsletter@csrees.usda.gov by November 7, 2007.

Editor: Judy Rude, Public Affairs Specialist, CSREES Communications Staff. If you have questions about Update, please contact her at jrude@csrees.usda.gov.

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Back issues of CSREES UPDATE are available on the CSREES Web site.

Colien Hefferan, Administrator

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