WILL ONLINE BUFFALO COURSE CAUSE INTERNET STAMPEDE? Next fall, Native American students will be able to go online to learn more about buffalo and elk herd management. Two Internet courses are under development at tribal colleges, with help from Iowa State University faculty. Iowa State and four tribal colleges received a $220,000 USDA grant for the project, which also includes distance-learning courses in ethnobotany and environmental science. Project directors Harold Crawford, agriculture education and studies professor, and Tom Ingebritsen, zoology and genetics professor, say Iowa State is providing technical assistance for course development and education for student interns. The tribal colleges are located in New Mexico, Kansas, Wisconsin and South Dakota. Contact Crawford, (515) 294-7725, or Barb McManus, Agriculture Communications, (515) 294-0707.
ASK A SWINE SPECIALIST AT THE 2001 PORK CONGRESS Several Iowa State University swine-production specialists will present seminars and answer questions at the 2001 Iowa Pork Congress, Jan. 24-25, in Des Moines. Producers can visit Iowa State's Ask-a-Specialist booth in the Whitfield Room of Veteran's Memorial Auditorium to ask questions about animal health, animal science, hog facilities and the environment, farm management, genetics and reproduction, nutrition, personnel management and computer software. John Mabry and Tom Baas of the Iowa Pork Industry Center will present a seminar on pork quality. In another presentation, Jay Harmon, agricultural engineer, and Brad Thacker of Iowa State's Veterinary Diagnostic Lab will explore ways to address respiratory diseases in pigs. Dwaine Bundy, agricultural engineer, will speak on air-quality regulations. Bruce Babcock, director of the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development, will speak on livestock price insurance. Contact Melea Reicks Licht, Agriculture Communications, (515) 294-2957.
TAKING AGRICULTURE TO THE EXTREME: THE 2001 AG FORUM "Extreme Demands, Extraordinary Products: A New Agriculture for a New Marketplace?" is the theme for the 2001 Agricultural Forum on March 2 at Iowa State University. As consumers demand more choices and more information about their food, enterprising producers, processors and retailers see opportunities to provide unique services and products. The forum will explore current and future food trends, factors driving change in the food industry, risks and rewards in pursuing segmented markets, the role of technology in disseminating information and meeting new demands, and public-policy implications for producers. The annual forum, sponsored by the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, examines leading-edge issues affecting the future of agriculture. Program and registration information is available on the Web at http://www.agforum.org. Contact Sandy Clarke, CARD, (515) 294-6257, or Brian Meyer, Agriculture Communications, (515) 294-0706.
WANTED: VISIONARY COMMUNITY LEADERS FOR IOWA Sharing ideas to strengthen community leadership will be central to the "Leaders of a Visionary Future for Iowa Summit," March 7 in West Des Moines. "We want to put leadership back on the map and help Iowans become aware of resources available to build skills for personal, professional and community leadership," said Beverlyn Lundy Allen, Iowa State University Extension sociologist. Speakers include Christie Vilsack, wife of Governor Tom Vilsack; James Autry, who will speak on leadership; Michael Gartner, chair of Vision Iowa; and Joe Tye, a motivational speaker. The summit is organized by several Iowa organizations. Meeting coordinators are Susan Judkins, Iowa Department of Economic Development, and Cory Peterson, ISU Extension. Contact Allen, (515) 294-9107; Judkins, (515) 242-4870; Peterson, (712) 336-3488; or Barb McManus, Agriculture Communications, (515) 294-0707. -30-