Land-Grant Institutions to Celebrate Cooperative Extension Innovation with Twitter Town Hall

Baton Rouge, La. - Extension educators and researchers from the University of the District of Columbia, North Dakota State University, Kansas State University, and the Southern University Ag Center (La.) will partner with Agriculture Is America, a national communications initiative aimed at highlighting the nation’s land-grant institutions, to host a joint Twitter town hall on Wednesday October 14th from 9:30 am – 10 am CT. The experts will answer questions regarding youth development, gardening, nutrition, and unmanned aerial systems, among other agricultural topics. 

These institutions were chosen to participate in the town hall for their innovation and outstanding leadership in their communities. The University of the District of Columbia sponsors Urban Food Hubs, which tests the feasibility of small-scale food systems in urban communities in order to address food insecurity in our nation’s capital and beyond. Kansas State University helps rural and minority families connect with 4-H and Extension offices to learn more about higher education and join community clubs. North Dakota State University is one of six FAA national test sites for unmanned aerial systems, and university research and Extension specialists are performing field tests to assess crop and livestock sensing and monitoring. Southern University hosts a fast track gardening program that gives incarcerated youth the opportunity to use gardening as a tool to learn more about agriculture and nutrition. The four projects will be acknowledged at the 2015 National Extension Directors and Administrators (NEDA) and Cooperative Extension Section Annual Business Meeting next week in St. Louis.  

A Twitter town hall, like a public meeting or seminar, gives the opportunity for live question and answer periods. To follow the conversation or submit a question, include the hashtag #agischat in your tweet. All agriculture-related organizations, industry leaders, friends, and supporters are invited to join the discussion. This town hall will be coordinated by the Association of Public Land-grant Universities.

The participating Twitter handles include:

• @agisamerica
• @KState
• @suagcenter
• @UDC_CAUSES
• @NDSUExt

About Agriculture Is America (AgIsAmerica): Agriculture is America. In short, the agriculture industry – sustained in large part by the American land-grant university system through Colleges of Agriculture, Agricultural Experiment Stations, and Cooperative Extension – is integral to jobs, national security, and health. To learn more, visit http://agisamerica.org.

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