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Home My WebLink AboutAg & Extension 05-03-05 9 f 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: May 3, 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: • Staffing Discussion ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT • Federal Budget Report • State Budget Report • County Budget Report • Personnel • WACEC • Extension Committee Minutes - distribution of unofficial and official minutes Agent Reports presented as time allows. FAMILY LIVING AGENT'S REPORT • Family Resource Center • HCE Programming • Community Housing Land Trust • Family Newspaper • Success by 6 • Nutrition Ed program 4 -H YOUTH AGENT'S REPORT • Po- Croix -Dun Camp Association Checking Account • Grow 4 -H Campaign • Disciplining/Dismissing Volunteers 1 HORTICULTURE AGENT'S REPORT AG AGENT'S REPORT • Educational Program Update • June Dairy Month Resolution RESOURCE AGENT'S REPORT • Drinking Water Testing • Business Management Counseling • Comprehensive Planning Education NEW BUSINESS: ANNOUNCEMENTS & CORRESPONDENCE POSSIBLE AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING: ADJOURNMENT (Agenda not necessarily presented in this order.) SUBMITTED BY: Kim Reaman DATE: April 21, 2005 COPIES TO: County Board Office County Clerk News Media/Notice Board Committee Members 2 Agriculture & Education Committee May 3, 2005 Agricultural Service & Education Center Convened: 9:00 a.m. Baldwin Adjourned: 10:40 a.m. Present: Ronald Raymond, Jan Zoerb, Lois Burri, Bill Peavey, Gene Ruetz, Lee Milligan, James Janke, Kimberly Reaman, Jon Behling, and Mary Lestrud. The meeting was called to order by Chairman Raymond. Date of next meeting was set for June 7, 2005. Ruetz moved that the agenda be adopted as presented. Burri seconded the motion. Motion carried. Peavey moved that the previous meeting's minutes be approved. Ruetz seconded the motion. Motion carried. Burri moved that the vouchers be approved. Ruetz seconded the motion. Motion carried. County Budget — Discussed the Capital Improvement Plan. Original plan included two new computers. The collator, purchased in 1997, needs to be replaced which is an addition to the original plan. Reaman has contacted Dana Baker to provide cost estimates to replace the collator. Extension Committee Meetings — Unofficial minutes will be distributed to the committee members for approval. Only the official minutes will be distributed to the Government Center for distribution to the full County Board and public. Family Living Agent's Report Lestrud reported on the 20% growth rate at the St. Croix Family Resource Center, and the challenges that brings with keeping funding in pace with growth, increased staff needed, etc. Lestrud is working on staffing plans and growth issues with the board of directors and the Executive Director. Outreach efforts have paid off. We now have our first company that is investing in Early Childhood Education with monthly contributions to the center. Lestrud discussed the Community Land Trust Model that is being implemented by the Pierce /St. Croix Housing Resource Network in cooperation with the Washington County, Minnesota Two Rivers Land Trust. The goal is to have a family in one pilot home by next spring with many more homes to follow. HCE members hosted their Spring Council and also a spring district meeting for this region of Wisconsin. Lestrud worked with them in April regarding including more of the new lettuce varieties in family meals. Lestrud spoke about the goals being worked on by the Success by Six Coalition to promote early childhood school readiness. She discussed some intensive community work that Extension Family Living could work on in the future with each school district; to ensure that improved systems were in place in each community for all children and families. Lestrud is heading up an effort to establish a free family newspaper in St. Croix County for families with children ages 0 -8. Various St. Croix County agencies will be regular contributors. ,�a Y � The first issue will be available during the second week of July. Distribution will include all families with children second grade and under in the county schools, clinics, libraries, etc. Horticulture Educator's Report In April an Integrated Turfgrass Management Workshop was held. Forty-seven individuals attended from various turfgrass related businesses, golf course superintendents, UWRF grounds maintenance and county and city parks employees. The goal of this program was to educate and inform respective constituents regarding the ITM philosophy and management practices. Integrated turfgrass management (ITM) is the selection, integration, and implementation of a management approach for producing and maintaining quality, functional and healthy turfgrass. ITM is an economical, effective and environmentally responsible management approach to turfgrass plant health and protection. The potential benefits from the adoption and implementation of the ITM philosophy include economic savings, reduced environmental impact, and positive public perception of turfgrass management practices. The first of seven programs shared between St. Croix and Pierce County horticulture agents was presented in April. This session was related to organic pest management techniques for market gardeners and home consumers. The remaining sessions will be held every four weeks and rotate between River Falls and Baldwin sites. In early April a workshop regarding marketing strategies for small producers was held in Hudson WI. Approximately 55 individuals attended this workshop. There were 16 speakers for this all day meeting and the topics ranged across the board regarding the marketing of agricultural products as well as the development of a food systems network such as the SE Minnesota Food Network. Out of this workshop a number of producers and non - profit organizations are beginning to meet to determine the viability of a cooperative marketing effort throughout Western WI regarding agricultural food products. Resource Agent's Report A drinking water testing program is scheduled for the towns of Cylon, Emerald, Forest and Glenwood on May 6. This will complete the second round of water testing. The data from all the towns will be published in a document. Business management counseling will be held on May 12. The sessions are going to be held at New Richmond in the Chamber of Commerce conference room. A workshop on comprehensive planning was held on April 27 on the housing and intergovernmental cooperation elements. The next workshop is scheduled in late May. The five counties that have organized the workshops are going to send a survey to the previous participants to help them plan the next series of topics. Janke is gathering data for the Cost of Community Services study in. the Town of Richmond. 4 -H Youth Development Agent's Report Po- Croix -Dun Camp Association Checking Account — Moved by Burri/second by Zoerb to authorize Reaman to be a signature on the Po- Croix -Dun Camp Association Checking Account. The account is housed with the Polk County 4 -H Leaders Association and is audited yearly according the University policy. Motion passed. Grow 4 -H Campaign — The new club initiative is still in the planning stages. Several contacts have been made to encourage individuals to apply for the part time, ad -hoc, position. � w Disciplining/Dismissing Volunteers — Reaman presented a power point on the procedures to discipline and possibly dismiss a volunteer as a 4 -H leader. Currently there are over 350 adults enrolled as certified 4 -H leaders. Annually each certified 4 -H leader completes an enrollment form and signs a behavior agreement form. Background checks are completed every 5 years on current 4 -11 leaders. In addition to completing the enrollment form, signing the behavior agreement form and completing a background check, new leaders are required to attend a leader orientation, which includes creating effective learning environments and risk management strategies. Ninety percent of the infractions are minor and require only an informal discussion with the volunteer. More serious infractions involving negligence or mismanagement require verbal warning followed by written warning to change behavior. If the behavior change does not occur, sanctions or dismissal of the volunteer take place. Consistent., appropriate documentation of the discipline /dismissal is part of the required procedure and are kept on file in the UWEX Office. The June Dairy Month resolution was presented. Zoerb moved to accept and send to the County Board. Burri seconded the motion. Motion carried. Agricultural Agent's Report Milligan noted that between 80 and 100 attended the Dairy Tour featuring used and new parlors and remodeled and new dairy barns. A number of producers from the area are looking at installing low cost parlors in their facility. Milligan is selecting two alfalfa producers in the area to take alfalfa quality measurements during first crop harvest. The information is communicated in the newspapers and to nutritionists. Farm Technology Days is in Clark County. Milligan is to chair a stall design committee. Raymond ruled to adjourn. Respectively submitted, Eugene Ruetz Secretary mh