On behalf of PLT:

• Reporting and Next PLT Meeting – Jan Carroll
• Two-Factor Authentication – Tyler Rayburn
• Energy – Cary Weiner
• Environmental Horticulture – Alison O’Connor
• FAFS – Jennifer Cooney
• Food Systems – Becca Jablonski
• Livestock & Range – Retta Bruegger
• Natural Resources – Robin Young
• NFSH – Jessica Clifford

Reporting and Next PLT Meeting – Jan Carroll

Everyone should have first quarter data entered by April 10.  Please be sure to carefully review the output definitions so our data will be accurate. http://extension.colostate.edu/staff-resources/output-definitions/.   If you missed the CPRS coaching call in March, you can review the recording at https://youtu.be/HvcZbyOH3F0.  The next PLT meeting will be a Zoom session on May 14, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Two-Factor Authentication – Tyler Rayburn

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is coming! As part of the University’s advancements in IT security, 2FA is being implemented to increase security of sensitive information. If you use CSU’s secure portal (https://secure.colostate.edu) or the Pulse Secure VPN, you will need to do a little bit of setup so that you can be ready on April 25^th when the Duo system goes live and becomes required for authentication. Please go to https://authenticate.colostate.edu to create your device, and reach out to Tyler Rayburn with any questions.

Energy – Cary Weiner

• Progress continues on our pilot Local Government Energy Academy workshop in Eagle this summer. We have a website, so things have gotten real.
• Cary Weiner trained five County Directors/Agents on how to conduct solar assessments for residents using our online solar calculator.
• Our first of hopefully many more economic feasibility assessments for solar at feedlots has been completed, and the results are very promising from a cost-effectiveness perspective.
• Tim Aston has been doing amazing things through Xcel’s Partners in Energy program in Arapahoe County, with two of his projects coming to fruition and one new one on the horizon. Highlights below:
• Completed Littleton PiE program in January, 2018.
  • All energy efficiency goals reached, including residential, commercial and municipal.
  • Municipal goals included 5% energy use reduction by YE 2017 (met). On track to realize a 10% reduction by 2020.
  • Business and residential goals included a doubling of participation in Xcel’s DSM (demand side management) energy efficiency programs by 2020. On track to reach that goal.
• Completed mid-point Englewood PiE program in February, 2018 by convening an E3 (Energy Efficient Englewood) summit.
  • Summit convened municipal, residential and commercial stakeholders in a 2 hour meeting/workshop.
  • Stakeholders brainstormed several implementation programs designed to reach E3 goals.
• Signed Centennial up for a new PiE program through 2021.
  • Convened a kickoff meeting to plan for City Council program presentation.

Began planning for stakeholder recruitment in the community’s residential, municipal and commercial sectors.

Environmental Horticulture – Alison O’Connor

–Statewide Master Gardener and Colorado Gardener Certificate Training is wrapping up for 2018. There were 288 total trainees in 28 counties. New Master Gardeners Apprentices will now begin the journey of completing their 50 hours of volunteer time.

–Registration is open for the Hort PRU meeting, May 23-24 in Pueblo. A huge thanks to Sherie Caffey for organizing the meeting and setting up tours! Wednesday, May 23 includes meetings for the Colorado Master Gardener Leadership Council (CMGLC) and the horticulture agents/coordinators. Tours on May 24 include Cattail Crossing Xeriscape Garden and Milberger Farms. Registration is $10 and includes most meals: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2018-horticulture-pru-meeting-and-cmglc-meeting-pueblo-tickets-44896650089 The password to register for the conference is: HortPRUPueblo

FAFS – Jennifer Cooney

Agents in FAFS PRU participated in educational efforts for America Saves Week, February 26^th through March 3^rd , offering education and resources related to opening and expanding savings accounts, debt reduction and ways to build wealth. Seven counties in Northeast Colorado collaborated and received a grant to sustain financial education efforts for special events hosted during America Saves Week. In addition to the regular financial education and family management programming, agents in  5 sites across Northeast Colorado offered Annie’s Project, an empowerment program for women in agriculture, serving more than 90 farm and ranch women. Agents will be or have participated in multiple trainings, Powerful Tools for Caregivers, March 23^rd and 24^th providing self-care tools for individuals providing caregiving and the FAFS PRU retreat which will be hosted in Loveland during the week of April 16^th to discuss the 2019 Plan of Work and engage in partnership and development conversations with the Department of Human Development and Family Studies on campus. Finally, the FAFS PRU is currently partnered with the Departments on campus in multiple capacities, Sue Schneider is coordinating a two-day workshop in April on Cultivating Compassion, Christine Fruhauf coordinated a two-part workshop on the connection between climate change and the aging population, “Graying Green: Climate Action for an Aging World, two county agents assisted in submitting a CYFAR funding request for youth prevention and marijuana education resources and programming, additionally; Family Leadership Training is being introduced into 3 new counties in 208/2019, Morgan, Jefferson and Arapahoe. FLTI’s presence in communities is continuing to grow and exceeding expectations; FLTI in Eagle County is in their 6^th year, coordinated by Glenda Wentworth, they have 23 family leaders this year.

Food Systems – Becca Jablonski
Several members of the Food Systems PRU are part of a new grant funded by the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center entitled “Connecting and Strengthening Livestock Supply Chain Notes: Managing Risk and Assessing New Market Opportunities for Small to Mid-Sized Livestock Production and Processing in Colorado”. The grant is a response to recommendations from an industry townhall and broader community-based feedback collected through the 2017 Colorado Blueprint for Agriculture. The project intends to increase capacity within the livestock sector by facilitating connections and communication among small and mid-sized producers and processors through workshop discussions and processing facility/retail outlet tours.

Livestock supply chains built around growing consumer demand for differentiated meat products present small to mid-sized producers with new direct marketing and value-added options to manage risk and enhance economic viability. Project curricula, workshops and experiential learning, informed by directed field interviews with key stakeholders, will enable producers and meat processors to identify direct or value-added marketing outlets and adapt management strategies to increase business profitability. The grant is led by a new CSU Assistant Professor and Extension Economist in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Dan Mooney, and also includes Martha Sullins, Ryan Rhodes, Lily Edwards-Callaway, Dawn Thilmany, Todd Hagenbuch, and Becca Jablonski.

Martha Sullins and Wendy White (CDA) are incorporating information on poultry slaughter for small poultry producers on the CDA Farm to Market website. Hopefully the updates will be ready in early May. http://cofarmtomarket.com/

Additionally, the guidance about processing regulations for poultry producers processing less than 1000 birds annually co-produced by CSU Extension, CSU  Quality Meats lab and CDA is available now in Spanish on the CDA website. https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/aginspection/meat-custom-processing Thank you to our partners in Animal Science, Arquimides Reyes and Noah Roman-Muniz, for doing the translation. It is one of the few pieces translated into Spanish on the CDA website.

Finally, we have two open positions!

• CSU’s inter-disciplinary Food Systems Initiative is hiring a Research Coordinator. Supported through several new grants, this is an exciting opportunity to coordinate a large research, Extension and outreach program. The selected individual will be responsible for overall project management, as well as developing and implementing a communications and outreach strategy for internal and external partners. This is a great opportunity to become an integral part of high profile, innovative, and integrated food system initiatives throughout the state of Colorado (including national linkages). To learn more, please visit: http://jobs.colostate.edu/postings/54960 (apply by 4/20/2018 for full consideration).
• CSU Extension’s Produce Safety Team is hiring a part-time Produce Safety Associate to support our education and outreach program to growers throughout the state of Colorado, and help coordinate the Produce Safety Fellowship Program. Position will be listed in TMS shortly. Contact Martha Sullins or Marisa Bunning for more details.

The next quarterly Food Systems PRU conference call will be Friday, April 20^th from 2-3:30pm. All are welcome!

Livestock & Range – Retta Bruegger

The Livestock and Range PRU is busy planning a professional development meeting for April 23-24^th. We have an exciting agenda that will help our members respond to needs identified in recent Needs Assessments, information on future trends, and time for discussion on our goals, strategies and coordinated programing in the next few years.

Natural Resources – Robin Young

The Natural Resources PRU is hosting the 4^th annual Consortium held on July 11-12 in Colorado Springs near the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. We are changing our Consortium format to visit our partners around the state so that we can get to know and understand the work our partners are doing.  This year we will be featuring our partners from the Center for Environmental Management on Military Lands.  The first day will be a half day discussion on drought.  The second day will be a site visit on the Air Force Academy learning about sensitive species and their noxious weed management,  and the Preble’s Mouse critical habitat.  Registration will be coming soon.  Space is limited to 40 participants.

There was a training in Jeffco for building in a ‘pollinator certification track’ to the Native Plant Master program. This is something that will hopefully build out into all the NPM programs.

NFSH – Jessica Clifford

• Eagle County Environmental Health and CSU Extension are partnering to host a ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification Training on May 30th.
• The LiveSmartColorado Blog has an updated Blog topic every week. http://livesmartcolorado.colostate.edu/
• Family Matters Newsletter is distributed statewide in English and Spanish monthly. Find archived newsletters here: http://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/family-home-consumer/family-matters-newsletter/
• The NFSH PRU is holding a spring workshop April 18 and 19. Workshop components include training on the updated National Dining with Diabetes curriculum and updates on preparing food at elevation.
• The NFSH PRU recently launched its Preserve Smart website/app to provide a trusted, mobile-friendlyway to find and use tested food preservation recipes and instructions for any elevation–from sea level to high in the Rocky Mountains! https://apps.chhs.colostate.edu/preservesmart