Panhandle Research Group Takes Message to Washington D.C.

We’re going to Washington. Why? I’ll explain.

Back in late September, 29 agricultural attachés representing 23 foreign countries visited us at the University of Nebraska (UNL) Panhandle Research and Extension Center (PHREC). This group was part of the 2018 Colorado and Nebraska Agricultural Attaché Tour coordinated by Stan Garbacz, the agricultural trade representative for the Nebraska Department of Agriculture.

While this group was in Scottsbluff, they also visited several producers, farms and businesses; learned about wheat production; witnessed dry bean harvest; and made a stop at the Western Sugar factory. The Nebraska Dry Bean Commission, as well as many other local agriculture entities, were very instrumental in making this tour a highly successful event.

Stan Garbacz later reported, “The Foreign Ag Attaches really enjoyed the day there [PHREC] and mentioned it was the best stop during their 2 ½ days in Nebraska.” This made us very proud. In a later conversation with Stan, he encouraged us to follow-up on this opportunity and go see the tour participants at their embassies in Washington, D.C. So, off we go.

Why? One of the strategic goals of PHREC is to enhance international collaborations, so we are following up with in-person visits to willing participants at their embassies in Washington DC on Dec. 3-4 to explore further collaboration opportunities.

During the 2015 Program Review of PHREC, the following goal was established:

The University of Nebraska Panhandle Research and Extension Center (PHREC) will be an internationally renowned Center for low-water use crop and livestock systems by focusing on the following objectives:

1. Develop international collaborative partnerships focused on research and extension with similar global regions with limited water environments.

2. Establish partnerships with organizations across the globe for the exchange of students, scientists, and ideas through internships, assistantships, sabbaticals, and collaborative research projects.

3. Expand graduate student time spent doing research at PHREC to at least 12 months (for M.S. students) and 24 months (for Ph.D. students) of the total time in their graduate program. This will allow graduate students to work closely with their graduate mentors on-site in western Nebraska.

What are the objectives of in-person visits to the USDA tour participants while in Washington?

1. Describe more fully the available assets at PHREC (for example, skilled faculty from many parts of the globe, strong connections with local clientele, array of educational programs, recognized leaders in extension education, and on-site housing for short or long-term stays).

2. Explore mutually beneficial collaborations and training opportunities with countries represented on the September tour to PHREC.

3. Consider future steps toward these above objectives.

The PHREC delegation to Washington includes these people:

Jack Whittier, Ph.D., Director, Panhandle Research and Extension Center, Scottsbluff

Jeff Bradshaw, Ph.D., Associate Director, PHREC and Entomology Specialist

Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, Ph.D., Extension Professor and Community Vitality Specialist

Dipak Santra, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Alternative Crops Specialist

Xin Qiao, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Irrigation and Water Management Specialist

Bijesh Maharjan, Assistant Professor, Soil and Nutrient Management Specialist

Another underlying purpose of our visit, and our desire to increase international collaborations, is to potentially develop additional trade and export opportunities for commodities produced in the Nebraska Panhandle.

We are anxious to see how our visits turn out. The six of us will divide into three teams of two people each and visit 17 embassies during the day and half we are there. Watch for our report when we return.