Extension/Outreach

Focus of activities

POSTHARVEST ENGINEERING - Engineering of systems, processes, and equipment to maintain the quality and safety of plant-based foods during handling, preservation, storage, transportation, and "minimal" processing.

PRODUCTION AGRICULTURE - The management of machinery and equipment relating to crop production, particularly relative to precision agriculture.

Visibility in community, evidence of leadership & programming

Numerous responses to information requests in writing, via email and during telephone conversations, from Extension staff and from clientele in Michigan and other states

Vegetable Area of Expertise Team

	team co-chair -- my role as co-chair is one of coordination and communications.
	moderated summer Vegetable Crop Advisory Team conference call.
	coordinated education program for Great Lakes Vegetable Growers & Farm Market convention and trade show.

Invited presentations

	Potato Storage Management for Quality Potatoes (Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Conference, Hershey, PA)
	Water Sanitation for Food Safety Issues in Hydrocooling (Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Conference, Hershey, PA)
	Refrigeration and Cooling Principles for Potato Storages (Maine Potato Conference, Caribou, ME)

Extension programs and short courses sponsored

Sponsored Programs

	Precision Farming: Practical Applications for Your Farm (ANR Week, March)
	Ag Expo (equipment logistics coordinator)

Extension presentations (non-sponsored events)

	Jan 18: Getting closer to precision agriculture. Pepper session, Great Lakes Vegetable Convention, Grand Rapids.
	Jan 19: Application of Precision Agriculture to Potato Production in Michigan. Potato session, Great Lakes Vegetable Convention, Grand Rapids.
	Jan 19: Extended Season Chip Storage. Potato session, Great Lakes Vegetable Convention, Grand Rapids.
	Jan 20: Understanding Celery Quality Relative to Storage and Cooling. Celery session, Great Lakes Vegetable Convention, Grand Rapids.
	Feb 23: Yield Data Interpretation. Siste-Specific Crop Management for Your Farm, Huron Co.
	Mar 24: GPS - Practical and Profitable Applications. Crop Update, Sanilac Co.
	Mar 29: Precision Ag in Potatoes. IPM 2000 Kick-Off Meeting, St. Joseph Co.
	Mar 31: Demonstration Storage Results, Potato Storage Management Discussion, Montcalm Co.
	Mar 31: Site-Specific Agriculture & Nutrient Management Update. Nutrient Managment Seminar, Ingham Co.
	Aug 17: 1999-2000 Demonstration Storage Results. Potato Twilight Meeting, Montcalm Co.

Extension publications

Vegetable Crop Advisory Team Alert

Vegetable weed control bulletin on-line (announced availability of vegetable weed control bulletin on the vegetable AoE team web page; bulletin was adapted to web format by Roger Brook)

AE Extension Newsletter

	January 2000 - On the Road to Precision Agriculture; Site-Specific Management Guidelines
	February 2000 - Selecting a Cooling Method for Vegetable Quality; On the Road to Precision Agriculture; Site-Specific Management Guidelines; Surfing the Web
	April 2000 - On the Road to Precision Agriculture; Site-Specific Management Guidelines
	May 2000 - Dry Grain Aeration Systems Design Handbook

News Releases to Commercial Ag Publications

	Beat Bruising: Simple Solutions to a $300 Million Problem. Crop Protection Magazine, June 2000
	Start Deciding Now Where to Store Grain. MSU ANR Communications news release Sept. 2000, published in:

The Farmers Exchange Sept. 22, 2000
Farmers' Advance Sept 20, 2000

Ushers of a New Age: Computers have changed the way everyone works, including vegetable growers, but we haven't seen anything yet. The Grower, summer 2000.

Professional Improvement

Awards and honors for outreach and Extension - none

Extension proposals and grant support

All grant activity reported under Research / Scholarship, even though many include a significant Extension component

Extramural courses and program development - NA

Other

Precision Agriculture Coordinator, CANR - research proposals under Research activities; Extension activities listed above

Roger Brook -- 2000