HomeMy WebLinkAboutAg & Extension 10-04-05 i
' • ST. CROIX COUNTY
NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETING
TO: Clarence Malick, Chairman
St. Croix County Board
FROM: Ronald Raymond, Chairman
COMMITTEE TITLE: Agriculture & Extension Committee
DATE: October 4, 2005
TIME: 9:00 a.m.
LOCATION: Agricultural Services & Education Center, 1960 8 th Ave., Baldwin, WI
CALL TO ORDER
ROLL CALL
ADOPTION OF AGENDA
DATE OF NEXT MEETING
ACTION ON PREVIOUS MINUTES
ACTION ON VOUCHERS
UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
• Federal Budget Report
• State Budget Report
• County Budget Report
- Finance Committee Review of the Proposed 2006 UW- Extension :Budget
• Personnel
- Discussion of Family Living Agent Position Description, Mike Perkl, UWEX Western District Director
• WACEC
- WACEC Executive Committee
Agent Reports presented as time allows.
FAMILY LIVING AGENT'S REPORT
• Family Resource Center
• Leader Training
• Reading Festival
• Family Camp
• All Faculty In- service
• Walk to School Day
• Thank You
1
}
AG AGENT'S REPORT
• Farm City Day
• Corn Harvest Field Day
• Corn Silage Day
• Grain Storage Workshop
• World Dairy Expo
• Forage Team Meeting
• State Faculty Conference
RESOURCE AGENT'S REPORT
• Comprehensive Planning Surveys
• New Richmond Boundary Agreement
4 -11 YOUTH AGENT'S REPORT
• Shooting Sports Committee Update
• Plat Book Update
• County Fair Report
NEW BUSINESS:
ANNOUNCEMENTS & CORRESPONDENCE
POSSIBLE AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING:
ADJOURNMENT
(Agenda not necessarily presented in this order.)
SUBMITTED BY: Kim Reaman
DATE: September 22, 2005
COPIES TO: County Board Office
County Clerk
News Media/Notice Board
Committee Members
2
Agriculture & Extension Committee
October 4, 2005
Agricultural Service & Education Center Convened: 9:05 am
Baldwin Adjourned: 10:45 am
Present: Ronald Raymond, Jan Zoerb, Lois Burri, Eugene Ruetz, Lee Milligan, James Janke,
Kimberly Reaman, Martha Mabis, Mike Perkl, UWEX Western District: director.
Chairman Raymond called the meeting to order.
Date of next meeting was set for Wednesday, November 2, 2005.
Burri moved that the agenda be adopted as presented. Ruetz seconded the motion. Motion carried.
Burri moved that the previous meeting's minutes be approved. Ruetz seconded the motion. Motion
carried.
Administrative Report
Federal Budget —no report.
State Budget —no report
County Budget — Raymond presented a synopsis of the discussion from the Finance Committee's
budget review to the committee. Motion by Zoerb, second by Ruetz to reduce the 2006 proposed
budget by $25,000. After further consideration, in the best interest of the department, the motion was
amended to reduce the 2006 proposed budget by $20,000. A discussion of personnel issues formed the
basis for the decision.
Personnel — Motion by Zoerb, second by Burri to approve the position description for the Family
Living Agent position as presented by Mike Perkl, UWEX Western District Director.
Recruitment for the .7 FTE WNEP Coordinator position was discussed. The position is fully funded
by Federal dollars and will be responsible for the WNEP positions in Polk and St. Croix Counties.
Burri and Ruetz volunteered to represent St. Croix County on the interview committee.
WACEC — The WACEC Executive meeting is scheduled for Oct 19, 10 am to 12:30 pm in Eau Claire.
Committee members were asked to consider attending to represent St. Croix County.
4 -H Youth Development Agent's Report - No report
Resource Agent's Report — No report
Family Living Agent's Report
Lestrud reported on the growth and building of the Family Resource Center infrastructure, major
expansion grants, contracts with school districts for services, etc. She showed pictures and evaluation
results from Family Camp, which was held Sept. 30 -Oct. 2. Forty -seven low- income family members
with children attended camp this year, the largest camp ever. They learned new parenting skills and
had time to bond as a family unit -- -much needed for families living under constant stress. Lestrud is
teaching a program for HCE leaders and the public this week regarding communicating across
generations. This is helpful for businesses dealing with workers of various ages with differing values
and work styles, for church groups that are trying to attract younger generations, and for organizations
such as HCE. The Reading Festival planning continues with this year's Medieval festival scheduled for
Oct. 22 a joint effort of UW Extension, HCE and the Hammond Library with financial support from
the American Legion. The purpose of the festival is to encourage parents, professionals, and children
to value reading for recreation, an important developmental asset. Lestrud thanked the committee for
its continuing support and advice over the course of her career.
Agricultural Agent's Report
Milligan coordinated a Temporary Grain Storage Workshop in September in response to the sudden
awareness that there is a shortage of grain storage available this fall for the 2005 crop. Participants
learned the options for storing grain temporarily and how to properly manage the grain in these storage
options. Producers also learned how to reduce their energy costs when drying corn.
Milligan is working with three families that want to start farming. They .are learning how to develop a
business plan and do cash flow projections to determine feasibility.
Milligan taught a session at a corn silage field day to eighteen dairy producers on managing
phosphorus in the dairy ration and how it impacts the amount of land needed for manure disposal.
Milligan taught twenty -two vo -tech farm business trainers how to use the benchmark site in the AgFA
financial analysis program. The participants also learned how to use benchmarks in their educational
programs.
Central Livestock Association has sent a letter to all their swine producers indicating they need to be
Pork Quality Assurance Level III certified by Oct. 1 to be able to sell hogs through the Association.
The producers were receiving this letter the last week in September. It also stated that to become
certified to contact their local county agent. However, Central never talked to the agents regarding the
letter. Milligan is responding by leading the effort to organize a series of training sessions the week of
October 24th for the swine producers.
Milligan is also coordinating a tour to western Minnesota in December to visit dairy farms with
compost bedding management in their barns. There are several St. Croix County producers that have
expressed an interest in this type of housing.
Milligan worked at the UW Extension dairy modernization booth at World Dairy Expo.
Individual contacts included farm building, farm management, beginning farmer, agronomy, dairy
nutrition, and beef production issues.
Ruetz moved to adjourn. Peavey seconded.
Respectively submitted
Eugene Ruetz
Secretary
mh