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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAg & Extension 05-06-03 I ` REVISED ST. CROIX COUNTY NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETING TO: Clarence Malick, Chairman St. Croix County Board FROM: Chris Bethke, Chairman COMMITTEE TITLE: Extension Ag Committee/Resource & Education Committee DATE: May 6, 2003 TIME: 12:30 p.m. LOCATION: Agricultural Services & Education Center 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 - Governor's proposal to eliminate State Aid for Fair Premiums • Personnel • WACEC • June Dairy Month Resolution PLANNING DEPARTMENT'S REPORT • 2002 DNR Annual Report • Legislative Update • "Your Wasteline" Newsletter • May Collections • Cell Phone Recycling 4 -H YOUTH AGENT'S REPORT • New Richmond Asset Carnival • Shooting Sports Program • Retention Issues in 4 -H 1 AG AGENT'S REPORT • Farm City Day • Professional Dairy Judging Clinic • Ration Balancing Program • Post Tenure Review • District Meeting • Ag Ventures Program • Individual Contacts RESOURCE AGENT'S REPORT • Drinking Water Program • Small Business Management Counseling • New Richmond Business Market Analysis FAMILY LIVING AGENT'S REPORT • Nutrition Education Program • Jail Program • Food Training for HCE and Professionals • HCE Activities (Expo, Reading Festival, Spring Council) • Satellite Conference on Childhood Obesity • Family Resource Center HORTICULTURE AGENT'S REPORT NEW BUSINESS: ANNOUNCEMENTS & CORRESPONDENCE POSSIBLE AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING: ADJOURNMENT (Agenda not necessarily presented in this order.) SUBMITTED BY: Kim Reaman DATE: April 29, 2003 COPIES TO: County Board Office County Clerk News Media/Notice Board Committee Members 2 Ag Extension Committee Minutes May 6, 2003 Agricultural Service & Education Center Convened: 12:30 p.m. Baldwin Adjourned 2:25 p.m. Present: Leon Berenschot, Art Jensen, Chris Bethke, Lois Burri, Dave Fodroczi, Lee Milligan, Jim Janke, Kimberly Reaman, Jon Behling, Jennifer Havens, and Mary Lestrud. The meeting was called to order by Chairman Bethke. Date of next meeting was set for June 3. Berenschot moved that the agenda be adopted as presented. Burri seconded the motion. Motion carried. Jensen moved that the previous meeting's minutes be approved. Burri seconded the motion. Motion carried. Jensen moved that the vouchers be approved. Berenschot seconded the motion. Motion carried. Administrative Report Federal Budget - No report State Budget — Stakeholders have been asked to contact their legislators expressing the benefit their families receive from UW- Extension programs and asking legislators to support Extension. The UW budget is expected to be discussed at the Joint Finance Committee the week of the 12` The message being sent to legislators is that the University can make adjustments to handle the $120 million reduction but are asking that additional cuts not be made and for flexibility in generating revenue through tuition increases. County Budget — No report. Personnel — No report. WACEC Report — Berenschot, Burri and Lestrud attend the State WACEC Convention in Madison. Part of the conference included visits with legislators to discuss support for UW- Extension programming. Berenschot was elected president of the State WACEC Board, Burri was recognized for 5 years and Bethke for 10 years of service on the Extension Committee. Milligan presented June Dairy Month Resolution. Berenschot moved to present the resolution to County Board. Burn seconded the motion. Motion carried. 4 -H Youth Development Agent Report New Richmond Asset Carnival — Three teens lead an activity at the Asset Carnival in New Richmond. The asset they promoted was Constructive Use of Time for pre -k to kindergarten students. Approximately 300 participants attended the event and each received a bag that included promotional items for 4 -H. Shooting Sports Program — This program continues to be very active. The committee just finished a fund raising program selling Krispy Kreme donuts. The first weekend the committee -1- sold and delivered 300 dozen donuts to area businesses on a Friday morning. The second weekend, stands were set up in New Richmond, Baldwin and Hudson where they sold an additional 500 dozen donuts. The money raised will be used to provide equipment for program: safety gear, bows, and air rifles. Retention Issues in 4 -11 — Reaman reviewed the statistics for members who did not re- enroll in the 4 -H program and efforts being made by the Leaders' Council to increase retention. Of a membership 707, a total of 130 members did not re- enroll. Members in grades 4, 7 and 9 had the highest number of members who didn't re- enroll (15) and the lowest number was in the 2n grade (6). Regarding gender the members who didn't re- enroll where proportional to the gender ratio in the overall program except for those members 13 years of age where 12 females and only 3 males didn't re- enroll. There were 153 new members. To increase retention, the Leaders' Council has offered programs specific to members in the middle school grade. Fair Survey — Reaman has been working with the Fair Board Inc, to measure the impact the St. Croix County Fair has in their lives of exhibitors and their families. 1020 surveys were mailed to 414 families. The surveys are due on May 9 and Reaman will begin compiling the results at that time. United Way check — The St Croix County 4 -H program received a check from the United Way. It was a financial gift of $100 collected through the United Way campaign and the individual designated it to go to our 4 -H program. Horticulture Educator Report Behling is continuing to develop program needs for the remaining calendar year. In March Behling spent 4 days at a new Colleague orientation session in Madison. Two of these days were spent in preparing and evaluating the needs of our county's agricultural industries. In a follow - up session we tried to solidify this process with the aid of fellow agricultural agents around the State. Master Gardening classes are set to begin in July and run through October. Diana Alfath will be coordinating the classes and Behling will be teaching the classes in vegetable crops and general gardening procedures. The horticulture agents in Pierce, Polk and St. Croix Counties will be working together to set up both home gardening course /Master Gardening course and courses that will benefit the general horticulture industries. This will hopefully reduce the amount of duplication of courses available and be a better use of resources amongst the agents. In order to satisfy the needs of the region these courses will be open to county residents from the 3 adjoining counties. Surveys are being developed for the horticulture industry in St. Croix County. These surveys will be mailed to the horticulture industries in the county and in the adjoining counties to determine the educational needs of this population. With the aid of the survey we hope to better serve the industry by developing curricula that will aid in their business endeavors. Behling made a number of visits to plant nurseries and greenhouses in the area. These visits will continue through the summer months to introduce myself to the public while surveying their needs. Behling also contacted two county FFA programs and the County Fair board to alert them to my willingness to become involved with their programming efforts. -2- Planning Department Report Fodroczi presented a list of bills in the amount of $316.11. Motion by Berenschot, seconded by Burri to approve the list of bills as presented. Motion carried. 2002 DNR Annual Report: Havens presented the tonnage and cost reports from the 2002 DNR Annual Report that had recently been submitted to DNR. Member communities recycled 4,597 tons in 2002 at an average cost of $78.24 per ton and $6.05 per capita. Legislative Update: Fodroczi reported that no action had been taken by the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee on State Recycling Funds. He would continue to monitor. "Your Wasteline" Newsletter: Havens distributed new copies of the newsletter to the Committee and highlighted the contents. The 2003 calendar of recycling events and the composting programs from the Master Gardeners were featured on the front page. May Collections: Havens used the newsletter to review the details of the upcoming collection events. All arrangements have been finalized for the May 17 Clean Sweep at the Hudson County Highway Shop. Cell Phone Recycling: Havens briefed the Committee on opportunities to sponsor cell phone recycling at no additional cost to the County. Proceeds could be allocated to the Recycling Program or other non -profit programs. The Committee asked Havens to research more details and bring back to the Committee. Resource Agent Report Janke described the drinking water testing program recently held in the Town of St. Joseph. The program was held over two weekends, with 200+ households testing their water supply. This is the first of a new round of drinking water programs being scheduled throughout the county over the next two years. UW- Extension, LWCD, and Public Health are cooperating on the program. 10 radon testing kits were sold in addition to the water test kits. Small business counseling sessions were held in Hudson on April 23 with 5 clients. A Wal -Mart is likely to be proposed in New Richmond, and Janke is organizing a workshop for the retailers on strategies for small businesses. The New Richmond Business Market Analysis project continues to move along. The study committee is working in small groups to conduct initial research on the feasibility of a group of several business types for consideration in New Richmond. Agricultural Agent Report Dr. Randy Shaver, UW- Extension dairy nutritionist asked Milligan to evaluate a dairy ration balancing program. Shaver is looking for a new program to be used as a teaching tool at the UW- Madison Dairy Science Department and for UW- Extension. The evaluation will be done over several months. Milligan completed post tenure review. Fann/City Day will be held at Ter -Rae Farms — The Mitchell's. Initial planning has begun. -3- The Milk Money program is being piloted by Milligan with two dairies. The goal of the program is to improve profits on the dairy farm by reducing mastitis treatment costs and decreasing somatic cell counts. Farm visits and individual contacts focused on farm financial analysis, dairy nutrition, beef cattle nutrition, alfalfa assessment, cropping plans, land rent, pasture renovation, horse nutrition, and animal facility design. In May, Milligan will be working with a few producers on dairy modernization. He will continue working on the Milk Money pilot project, dairy financial analysis and a dairy tour. He will also be meeting with other agents on reorganization of the Farm and Risk Management Teams into one team. Family Living Agent nt Report Lestrud is teaching a four part series of classes for court- ordered and other parents at the Family Resource Center called Raising Your Spirited Child. Ten to 15 % of American children are considered more persistent, sensitive, slow to adapt, and distractible than the average child. This class helps parents deal with these challenging children in positive ways while still maintaining the authority and limits needed in families. Lestrud did an inservice for Public Health staff (20) on nutrition. They are, in turn, sharing the information with other professionals and clients. Twenty six HCE members were also trained on the same topic. Lestrud hosted a satellite conference on childhood obesity for area professionals (dieticians, public health nurses, phy ed teachers, doctors, and school food service managers). Participants learned individual and community strategies to combat the high incidence of childhood obesity. HCE held their spring council meeting with 72 in attendance. Members were honored for 25, 50, and 75 years in the organization. Lestrud passed around the completed book compiled by the jail inmates at the Kid Connection class that Mary teaches. The second class will start in mid May. Lestrud applied for and received a grant from the New Richmond Community Foundation to attend a three -day training in St. Paul in the fall with Hammond Library Director, Michelle Johnson, called Mother Reads/Father Reads. The training will supplement the jail curriculum and expand to include training for Day Care providers, librarians, and Head Start parents. Berenschot moved to adjourn. Burri seconded. Motion carried. Respectively submitted, Art Jense Secretary mh -4-