Written by Lindsey Ruhl
UVM Extension NWCS Research Specialist Lindsey Ruhl and 4-H educator Wendy Sorrell, attended the 110th National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference in Billings, Montana, June 29 – July 2, 2025.
There were over 1,200 attendees from 45 states. Presentations ranged from 4-H programming to research updates, new outreach opportunities, and integrating AI into Extension work.
UVM Extension Professor Inducted into NACAA Hall of Fame
Extension Professor Emeritus Glenn Rogers was inducted into the NACAA Hall of Fame during the association’s annual conference in Billings, Montana. Glenn’s long Extension career started in N.H., moving back to Vermont in 1982, and retiring in 2010. He had many responsibilities including water quality agent, county ag agent, regional dairy specialist, regional farm business management specialist, and a special assignment in 1990 working on the Farm Bill with U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy. He served on various community boards and committees, and served our country as a member of the Vermont Air National Guard from 1971 to 1992. Please join us in congratulating Glenn!
AgConnect Featured in Teaching and Educational Technologies Session
On Monday, June 30, Lindsey hosted a session on AgConnect, a free online tool that walks students through the scientific method, which she helped develop.
AgConnect can be used in the classroom to guide students through lab and field-based experimental design and the scientific method. This program also introduces young students to new ways of interacting with and studying agriculture. Students can exercise freedom in choosing the topic of their experiments, fostering creativity and love for learning. AgConnect is made to be flexible so that teachers can use it to enhance any agriculturally focused curriculum.
If you are an educator and want to know more about this educational resource and other agricultural learning activities, visit https://www.uvm.edu/extension/nwcrops/resources-educators.
AgConnect Tech to House Vermont’s On-Farm Research Network
Exciting news! The UVM NWCS team is utilizing the technology behind AgConnect to create a new platform for Vermont’s On-Farm Research Network to simplify on-farm research for farmers and facilitators. On this new platform, farmers will be able to join actively recruiting research projects, share their ideas, suggest new experiments, and see local results.
We are taking a farmer-focused approach to developing this platform and are currently testing materials with farmer groups.
Want to learn more about this new initiative? Contact Shannon MacDonald at Shannon.macdonald@uvm.edu.