Combined Research and Extension Annual Report – 2007

2007 CSREES Colorado State University
Combined Research and Extension
Annual Report of Accomplishments and Results

During this program year, CSU Extension experienced several major changes. A new Extension Director, Dr. Deborah Young, was hired, bringing a re-energized approach to programming and a re-newed vision to Colorado Extension work. The changing economy resulted in a new emphasis on programming in bio-based, renewable energy and energy conservation. A new reporting system was established, resulting in some strong data to support the difference Extension is making in the lives of people. As with all new systems, there was great success in some program areas, less in others. As we continue to refine and improve the system we should be able to provide even more data in the future.

All in all, the 2006-07 program year was an exciting one for Colorado Extension and Research. A quote from the published Annual Report of CSU Extension expresses our commitment to the people of Colorado:

“Today information is pervasive. 24-hour news, talk radio and reality TV have become primary forms of entertainment. Paper newspapers are rapidly becoming a thing of the past for today’s 20- to 40-somethings as news must be real-time or only a click away. We can text message or e-mail a friend, mentor or family member for help any moment of the day or night.”

With the screen playing the news in real-time and answers to most everyday questions only a click away on your computer, what is it that continues to make Extension essential across Colorado?

The answer is really quite simple: In an age of high technology and full speed ahead, Extension is local – based on local needs and community assets, trustworthy and completely committed. Extension is about people, research and community. No one else is present in 59 of 64 counties throughout Colorado, listening, partnering, providing hands-on assistance, research-based education and information and community support except Colorado State University Extension.

Of course, people can surf the Internet and find a diet for diabetes, but how many hours did that search take and how do they know it is correct? What if it is not accurate or healthy? Who will they consult with if they do not see health improvement? From local CSU county Extension offices, classes are offered, and support given on an ongoing basis in your home community with people you know and recognize. We know your local hospital and public health department and have formed partnerships with them. You know our staff and we know you. We are in your community for the long haul.

The knowledge, information, and education methods that Extension provides is research-based, having been formulated by some of the best minds in the state at Colorado State University.

All Colorado citizens benefit in reduced state costs when one Colorado citizen improves her health and reduces emergency health care costs. The Extension ripple effect provides public value to every Colorado citizen, not only those directly engaged with Colorado State University Extension.

Extension is high technology, too. We lead in providing almost every county in Colorado the opportunity to participate in live university-based programs while sitting in the comfort of their local community Extension office. Extension has a Web site that can provide answers from leading scientific researchers on most common questions and engage communities throughout Colorado, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We look to provide online, interactive communities for those who want to or must stay in their communities and yet who deserve the same information, education, and opportunity to engage currently available at only a handful of locations throughout Colorado. For nearly 100 years, Extension has helped people find the best resources, locally or from the university, to resolve problems. From clean energy opportunities, youth development, urban and rural water issues, new sustainable agricultural direction, and healthy diverse families, Colorado State University Extension is helping Colorado’s people and economy grow one community at a time.”

It is our desire to share the exciting and dynamic aspects of the research conducted by a selected group of the more than 120 ongoing research projects supported by the Agricultural Experiment Station at Colorado State University. As an integral component of a land grant university, the Agricultural Experiment Station is committed to conducting research on the agricultural and natural resource needs of the people of Colorado. Our mission is to conduct research that addresses the economic viability, environmental sustainability, and social acceptability of activities impacting agriculture, natural resources and consumers in Colorado. The Agricultural Experiment Station research efforts extend across the entire campus involving faculty and staff from more than 15 academic departments in 7 colleges. In addition to projects conducted by faculty located at the main Colorado State University campus in Fort Collins, we have a network of off-campus research centers conducting research to meet agricultural production needs in different regions of the state. To address the complex problems facing agriculture, it is essential that academic departments and off-campus research centers work in concert with each other to solve problems through interdisciplinary efforts.

This annual report was developed in a joint effort with Extension at Colorado State University. Because the research and education linkages are fundamental to a land-grant university, we felt it important to highlight that connection and the collaborative efforts that are relevant, effective and efficient. We are committed to conducting relevant research programs through faculty and staff supported by the Agricultural Experiment Station and subsequently providing information and education across the state through the Extension network to bring educational resources and information to help Coloradoans solve problems.

Many of the research projects described in this report receive significant support from state, regional, and federal funding agencies. Each year the Agricultural Experiment Station compiles a report on external funding of our agricultural and natural resource research program. The total external funds received by our faculty exceed $20 million per year. Thus, funds provided by the state of Colorado leverage at least a two-fold increase in external support for our research programs. We are proud of our faculty and their abilities to conduct relevant and important research.