TOOLKITS
APRIL 2023 TOOLKIT
CELEBRATING EARTH DAY
Fifty-two years ago, the clever planners of the first Earth Day selected April 22nd because the date fell between universities' spring break and final exams. They reasoned that this timing would maximize the number of students who would participate on their campuses. Twenty million Americans demonstrated and helped propel environmental issues onto our national agenda. In December 1970, Congress authorized the creation of a new federal agency, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to tackle environmental issues. Today, the Earth Day Network collaborates with more than 17,000 partners and organizations in 174 countries and more than 1 billion people are involved in Earth Day activities, making it “the largest secular civic event in the world.”
Fast forward to 2023, today’s college students are also passionate, active, and energetic about protecting the earth. “Every Day is Earth Day” at land-grant universities’ colleges of agriculture and natural resources as educators, researchers, and Extension agents deliver beneficial results that feed people and protect the planet. Their critical work is connected in a myriad of ways to complex and fast-evolving issues of the health of the environment, animals, and people. Fortunately, policymakers, farmers, ranchers, and LGUs are tuning into and gaining alignment about the tremendous opportunities and interconnections between agriculture and climate solutions.
Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance (FACA)
The members of FACA would have been considered “strange bedfellows” a few years ago. This 80+ member coalition represents farmers, ranchers, environmental advocates, forest owners, agribusinesses, manufacturers, food sector, state governments, higher education associations, sportsmen and sportswomen. APLU’s Board on Agriculture Assembly (BAA) represents the interests of our member institutions as an active FACA Steering Committee member.
FACA’s recently released its Farm Bill policy recommendations to tackle climate change that were developed by the 23-member Steering Committee. One of the six categories is “Research, Extension and Innovation”. The specific recommendations in this category include:
- Ensure USDA Climate Hubs maximize research opportunities and outreach.
- Facilitate and stimulate innovation to build strong and sustainable agriculture and food systems.
- Reauthorize and fund the Research Facilities Act.
- Strengthen grant programming through the National Institute for Food and Agriculture for the Cooperative Extension System.
- Provide consistent and comprehensive evaluation mechanisms for climate- smart agriculture practices and processes, including measurement, verification, and data collection.
Source is here.
Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities
USDA is investing more than $3.1 billion for 141 projects and supporting a diverse range of farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners through Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities. According to USDA, this effort is expanding markets for America’s climate-smart commodities, leverage the greenhouse gas benefits of climate-smart commodity production, and provide direct, meaningful benefits to production agriculture, including for small and underserved producers.
RESEARCH
University researchers leverage cutting-edge scientific advancements in their quests to discover climate-related solutions that will make the U.S. food and agricultural systems more efficient, resilient, and sustainable. The National Academies’ Consensus Study Report “Science Breakthroughs to Advance Food and Agricultural Research by 2030” recommends prioritization of five research areas: genomics, microbiomes, sensors, data and informatics, and using a transdisciplinary approach.
EDUCATION
Many farmers, ranchers, scientists, and others in the agricultural workforce are approaching retirement age. Land-grant universities’ educators are critical to prepare students with the necessary skills and competencies as they launch and develop their professional careers. Education is the foundation for future sustainable growth in production and implementation of climate-smart solutions in the coming years and decades.
EXTENSION
The Cooperative Extension System has over 200 unique programs that address aspects of climate education including mitigation, resilience, and adaptation. Its priority areas include creating new adaptation, mitigation, and resilience programming and funding opportunities to address: (1) climate-smart agriculture and food systems, (2) climate-resilient communities, and (3) ecosystem services. Source: Advocacy Toolkit (extension.org)
USDA’s $9 million investment in Cooperative Extension and USDA Climate Hubs partnerships bolster climate research and share climate-smart solutions directly with the agricultural community. The Climate Hubs and their partners support USDA’s Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan connecting science and practice through place-based resources.
SOCIAL MEDIA
SAMPLE TWEETS
RESEARCH
Scientists like [FACULTY NAME] make cutting-edge advancements in #ClimateSmartAgriculture by researching [PROJECT]. #EarthDay #InvestInOurPlanet
EDUCATION
.[@SCHOOL] faculty #InvestInOurPlanet by investing in our students. In courses like [COURSE NAME], [FACULTY NAME] help prepare students for their future careers in [food, agriculture, and natural resource systems, etc.] using #ClimateSmartAgriculture. #EarthDay @AgIsAmerica
EXTENSION
On #EarthDay and every day, Cooperative Extension partners with @USDAClimateHubs to deliver climate-smart knowledge & tools to support farmers, ranchers & communities. @Ext100Years #LandGrantUniversities #InvestInOurPlanet
More materials available at: Earth Day 2023 Toolkit
Feel free to reach out to us with specific tweets that you would like @AgIsAmerica to retweet. Please email your request to Kim Scotto at kscotto@aplu.org or use #AgIsAmerica.
TWITTER HASHTAGS AND HANDLES
HASHTAGS
#LandGrantUniversities
#AgIsAmerica
HANDLES
|
Ag is America |
@AgIsAmerica |
|
APLU Ag |
@APLU_Ag |
|
Sec. Vilsack (Secretary of Agriculture) |
@SecVilsack |
|
USDA |
@USDA |
|
USDA National Institute of Food & Ag |
@USDA_NIFA |
|
APLU |
@APLU_News |
|
Cooperative Extension |
@Ext100Years |
CALENDAR
APRIL HOLIDAYS
MONTHS
National Garden Month, #NationalGardenMonth
National Pecan Month, #NationalPecanMonth
National Soy Foods Month, #NationalSoyFoodsMonth
National Volunteer Month, #NationalVolunteerMonth
WEEKS
Apr. 3-9 – National Public Health Week, #NPHW
Apr. 3-9 – National Wildlife Week, #NationalWildlifeWeek, #PlayItForward
Apr. 16-22 – National Volunteer Week, #NVW
DAYS
Apr. 7 – National Beer Day, #NationalBeerDay
Apr. 14 – National Gardening Day, #NationalGardeningDay
Apr. 14 – National Pecan Day, #NationalPecanDay
Apr. 16 – National Orchid Day, #NationalOrchidDay
Apr. 17 – National Crawfish Day, #NationalCrawfishDay
Apr. 17 – International Bat Appreciation Day, #BatAppreciationDay
Apr. 19 – National Banana Day, #NationalBananaDay
Apr. 19 – National Garlic Day, #NationalGarlicDay
Apr. 20 – Volunteer Recognition Day, #VolunteerDay
Apr. 21 – National Rendering Day, #NationalRenderingDay
Apr. 22 – Earth Day, #EarthDay, #InvestInOurPlanet
Apr. 26 – Stop Food Waste Day, #StopFoodWasteDay
Apr. 28 – National Arbor Day, #ArborDay
Apr. 29 – World Veterinary Day, #WorldVeterinaryDay
source: April 2023 - National Day Calendar
