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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAg & Extension 10-01-02A IZEVISION #2 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: October 1, 2002 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 Update • State Budget Update • 2003 County Budget • Personnel • Horticulture Position Description/Salary Range/Recruiting Process PLANNING DEPARTMENT'S REPORT • 2003 Recycling Grant Application • Clean Sweep /Appliance Collections Report • America Recycles Day • 2003 Collection Contracts • Deer Disposal Issues 4 -H YOUTH AGENT'S REPORT • Inservice on Blackboard Courses ** ME Workshops • True Blue 4 -H Club • Plat Book Progress AG AGENT'S REPORT September • Dairy Inservice 1 • ESL Class • CAFES Search and Screen Committee • National College of Ag Deans Tour • Farm City Day Wrap Up • Holstein Twilight Meeting • Farm Visits October • Pasture Walk • World Dairy Expo • Risk Management Training • Farm Grain Program Meetings RESOURCE AGENT'S REPORT • Comprehensive Planning Education Activities • Comprehensive Planning Workshops • New Richmond Business Market Analysis • Small Business Management Counseling Northern EDGE Economic Development Program FAMILY LIVING AGENT'S REPORT • State HCE Convention • Progress on Family Camp • Community Supper • Reading Festival • First Books • HCE Expo NEW BUSINESS: ANNOUNCEMENTS & CORRESPONDENCE POSSIBLE AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING: ADJOURNMENT (Agenda not necessarily presented in this order.) SUBMITTED BY: Kim Reaman DATE: September 24, 2002 COPIES TO: County Board Office County Clerk News Media/Notice Board Committee Members 2 AG & EXTENSION/RESOURCE & EDUCATION/PLANNING COMMITTEE October 1, 2002 Agriculture Services & Education Center Baldwin, Wi. 54002 Convened: 1 pm Adjourned: 2:30 pm Present: Leon Berenschot, Ronald Raymond, Art Jensen, Chris Bethke, Lois Burri, Dave Fodroczi, Lee Milligan, Jim Janke, Kimberly Reaman, and Mary Lestrud The meeting was called to order by Chairman Chris Bethke. The date of the next meeting was set for November 5, 2002 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. Berenschot seconded the motion. Motion carried. Berenschot moved that the vouchers be approved. Raymond seconded the motion. Motion carried. Administrative Report Federal Budget Update — Berenschot reported that an additional 3 % has been allocated to the Smith Lever funds which provides base funding for Cooperative Extension Programs. State Budget Update —No report. County Budget —The UW- Extension budget for 2003 was passed as presented at the Finance Committee review meeting. Final approval will occur at the October full County Board meeting. Personnel - UW- Extension has removed the hiring freeze. The horticulture position may be filled. Milligan reviewed the updated horticulture agent position description. Raymond moved to approve the position description. Berenschot seconded the motion. Motion carried. Milligan will work with Mike Perkl, UWEX District Director to initiate the hiring process. WACEC Report— Berenschot reported that minor changes have been made to the WACEC bylaws. The changes deal with replacements for vacancies on the WACEC boards. The fall meeting will be held Dec 12 at the Park Inn and Suites in Eau Claire. The winter state WACEC meeting will be in Madison. Planning Department Report DNR Recycling Grant Application: Fodroczi reported that the 2003 grant application in the amount of $417,306 was submitted before the October I st deadline. The application amount is up $29,235 over the 2002 application. The majority of the increase is the result of both increased costs and expanded local programs. Fodroczi noted that there had been no objections to the per capita grant formula. Clean Sweep /Appliance Collections Report: Fodroczi reviewed the results of the Fall collections conducted on September 21 ". The Clean Sweep in New Richmond experienced a record turnout of 259 participants, including several businesses and farms. Collection amounts were still being tabulated, but the event took in over 2,000 fluorescent bulbs and 47 computers. The appliance collection at the Town of Richmond site took in over 300 appliances compared to 94 last year. Glenwood City efforts collected 94 appliances compared to 79 last year. America Recycles Day: The County will participate in America Recycles Day on November 15 th . The mercury disposal booth from Midwest Recycling Association will be on display that week in the Government Center. 2003 Collection Contracts: Staff is working on contracts for 2003 collection events. Fodroczi indicated verbal agreement with NWRPC for hazardous waste collections on May 17 and September 20 Staff will also evaluate the possibility of three appliance collections in response to growing demand. Fodroczi said the electronics collection would be held later in the spring to avoid poor weather. Deer Disposal Issues: Fodroczi reported that staff has provided information about local haulers to the DNR for deer carcass disposal options. The DNR is responding to concerns about proper disposal due to Chronic Wasting Disease. 4-H Youth Development Agent's Report In- service on Blackboard Courses —The Western District 4 -H Staff participated in a '/a day training on Blackboard E- learning Software and have developed a technology grant proposal to create 4 pilot courses to be used in reaching 4-H audiences. Blackboard is a course management software that allows educational programs to be taught on the web. Reaman will be working on two of the courses: Member Evaluation Workshop and New Family Orientation. The other two courses include livestock training and 4-H Club Officer Training. This technology has great possibilities for supplementing face -to -face trainings. ME Workshops — Reaman taught 3 Member Evaluation workshops to seventeen 8' graders. The focus of the workshop is on how to complete an application by writing effectively about their accomplishments, skills they've developed and knowledge they've gained. Members complete an ME to apply for 4 -H trips but the writing skills developed in filling out an ME are easily transferred to completing scholarship and /or job applications. True Blue 4-H Club — Reaman met with the parents of the True Blue 4-H Club to determine what the future of the club might be. Dina Bonte and Jodie Jacobson have volunteered to be co- organizational leaders for the club. Other parents have volunteered to help as needed. With 2 Reaman's assistance, the club has developed a 6 month plan for club meetings. When they are having a special meeting (guest speaker, tour or family social night) they will meet in conjunction with the Valley Victors 4-H Club. Plat Book Progress —The proofing process has been very slow with two townships still out. The deadline to return the proofed maps was mid September. In discussion with the Plat Book Publisher it was decided to print the book with the proofed maps they have in order to meet the deadline. The Plat Book Publisher is cautiously optimistic that the books might still be available before deer hunting season. Ag Agent's Report Milligan_ participated in the St. Croix County Holstein Twilight meeting at the Kruschke Farm. Milligan provided a guided tour of St. Croix County Agriculture to approximately thirty College of Agriculture Deans from universities across the country. They were meeting at UW -River Falls. Milligan attended UW dairy science in- service training for dairy agents. The Farm/City Day committee met with Milligan to evaluate this year's event and begin planning next year's event. In 2003 Farm/City Day will be held at Ter -Rae Farms (Ray, Terry, Dennis and Steve Mitchell) east of New Richmond on County Road G. Milligan will develop a survey to send to a selected group of 2002 participants. Milligan completed writing the user's manual for AgFA, a computerized farm financial analysis program. Farm visits focused on corn silage harvest, fall alfalfa management, milk marketing issues, farm management, dairy nutrition, herd health, and winter wheat questions. A pasture walk has been scheduled at the Jim Lund farm in October. The program will focus on fall management of grass pastures and a discussion on using canola as pasture. Milligan has coordinated four farm bill meetings with the Pierce County Extension Office and Pierce and St. Croix County's FSA offices in October. Two will be held in each county and focus on the crop provisions of the Farm Bill. Resource Agent Report Citizen surveys have been sent to all residents and property owners in Cylon, Erin Prairie, and Stanton. Surveys were also sent to a random sample of 1000 households in the Town of Hudson. Approximately forty people attended the comprehensive planning workshop on Sept 18 in Baldwin. The next workshop is scheduled on November 12. The program will focus on agricultural, natural, and cultural resources. 3 4 ' � The next workshop for the towns in the Heartland planning project is scheduled for October 30 at the Hammond Town Hall. The topic is rural conservation subdivisions. The New Richmond Business Market Analysis planning committee is organizing focus group research about shopping in New Richmond while work proceeds on the demographic analysis. A field trip to Cambridge and Buffalo, Minnesota is scheduled on October 11. Small Business Management Counseling has been scheduled for October 23, and all appointment slots are filled. Janke discussed the Northern EDGE Economic Development initiative. The first phase is to gather "best practices" for economic development in the northern 29 counties of the state. Grant money will be available to help fund economic development activities that would increase incomes in the targeted counties. Family Living Agent's Report Lestrud attended the state HCE convention in Appleton with thirteen members. St. Croix County received an education award on the library diversity book kits, which included a $75 check and a perfect score. Members learned about programs that they could use in our county. The HCE Expo had 150 people in attendance, and will be improved and continued next year. The Expo showcased booths from various county agencies and individuals, helping women to improve home and community life. Lestrud served on the HCE Committee which planned the event. Planning continues for the October Reading Festival and for the St. Croix County jail program involving parents and kids (Breaking Barriers With Books). Both programs are supported with grants. Lestrud will attend training on the jail program in October with the program coordinator from the jail and the Hammond Library Director. The program will begin in our jail in January 2003. A large number of families with limited resources have been recruited for this year's Family Camp, which is held at the YMCA camp in Amery on October 4 - 6. The camp is fully supported with a grant from the United Way. Raymond moved to adjourn. Berenschot seconded the motion. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned. Respectfully submitted, Art Jensen Secretary Prnh n