NSAC E-Bulletin

Please forward your submissions to the NSAC E-Bulletin to Stephanie Rogers (news@nsac.ca) by Friday at 3:00 p.m. for inclusion in the next week's edition.

Apr 26, 2004 --- Week 176

NSAC Research Program Gets National Exposure

NSAC's new Tree Fruit Bio-Products Research Program, headed by Dr. Vasanthe Rupasinghe, is getting national exposure in Fruit & Vegetable Magazine. Finding themselves in a depressed market due to international over-production and large export players like China, Nova Scotia apple growers have become the first Canadian apple producers' group to establish a fruit-based bio-products research program. You can find out more about this story at www.fruitandveggie.com.

Dr. Coffin and Dr. David Chanasyk, Past President, AIC Board of Directors

Dr. Coffin Honoured

Dr. Garth Coffin, PAg, was recognized as a Fellow of the Agricultural Institute of Canada (AIC) on April 16, 2004 for his distinguished career in agricultural education, research, policy development and university administration. Nominated by the Nova Scotia Institute of Agrologists, Dr. Coffin has long-been a supporter and promoter of his profession. He served nationally as AIC President-Elect in 2000 and led AIC through a period of renewal as AIC President from 2001 - 2002. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Coffin on this extraordinary honour.

Thank you from NS Public Service Commissioner

Mr. Rick Nurse, Nova Scotia Public Service Commissioner would like to personally thank the thousands of public service staff who responded to the Employee Survey. More than 53 percent of the surveys and findings will be released this summer after analysis by an objective external organization. The input provided will be used to develop and implement an action plan focused on work life needs and shared interests. They will be seeking your advice through events such as focus groups and panel discussions while the action plans are taking shape.

AgriTECH: New Clients

Wildscape Restoration & Native Plant Nursery, a start-up native plant nursery to supply plants for ecological restoration projects will make AgriTECH Park its home base beginning in May. The company plans to propagate and grow native shrubs, ferns, herbaceous plants, grasses and rushes for the ecological restoration market, including wetland restoration, and to grow selected species up to marketable landscape size. Diane LaRue, business owner, is keen to grow her business in the supportive environment provided at the park and to look for opportunities to collaborate with other clients and researchers at the NSAC. Diane can be reached at dlarue@hfx.eastlink.ca.

Agriculture and Agri-food Canada is joining the client base at AgriTECH Park. Staff with the Market and Industry Services Branch as well as the Environmental Planning Division will have office space in the Administration Building beginning in early May. We look forward to having our Federal colleagues as part of the AgriTECH team as we continue to build the bio-economy village.

Ed Tech Express

Nestled at the back of Haley Institute there is a ‘group’ who many of you may know as the Distance Education group. But it is more than that! The group recently published its first newsletter as the new, but unofficial, Education Technology group. The new label is meant to be more reflective of what this small but busy team does every day. Why not find out what’s going on in this evolving, dynamic division? You can catch the on-line version of their newsletter, Ed Tech Express, at http://www.nsac.ns.ca/cde/de

Website Revise

We've received over 60 responses to our website feedback survey—both the printed version and the on-line version posted at http://www.nsac.ns.ca/update2004. The comments have been useful and will be summarized on the web site. Thank you very much to everyone who responded.

About 250 printed copies of the survey have been distributed around campus. We tried to reach all faculty and staff, but if you did not get one, contact Tim Delaney. The on-line survey form will be up until mid-May.