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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAg & Extension 11-06-01ST. CROIX COUNTY NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETING TO: Tom Dorsey, Chairman St. Croix County Boalyd FROM: Chris Bethke, Chairman COMMITTEE TITLE: Extension Ag Committee/Resource & Education Committee DATE: November 6, 2001 1,, TIME: 12:30 p.m. LOCATION: Agricultural Services & Education Center CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL ADOPTION OF AGENDA DATE OF NEXT MEETI G ACTION ON PREVIOUS MINUTES ACTION ON VOUCHERS UNFINISHED BUSINESS: ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT • Federal Budget Update • State Budget Update • 2002 County Budget District WACEC Conference PLANNING DEPARTMENT'S REPORT • 2002 Budget Update 1 , • Position Recruitment • Midwest Recycling Contract 2002 Clean Sweep Contract • SHWEC Resolution of Support • America Recycles Day 4 -H YOUTH AGENT'S PORT • National 4 -H Agent's Conference • St. Croix County Conveisations On Youth Development AG AGENT'S REPORT • Corn Silage Plot Data • Dairy Herd Health Conference • Ag Lender's Conference • Other Educational Activities RESOURCE AGENT'S MPORT • Small Business Management Programs • Land Use Planning Education • Hudson Downtown Parking Study Final Report FAMILY LIVING AGENX 'S REPORT • Jail Project • Reading Festival • Family Camp • HCE - State Convention - Book Kit Project - Fall Council • Housing Coalition HORTICULTURE AGENT'S REPORT • Recap of past two years 'pf Horticulture Educator position and future Directions. NEW BUSINESS: ANNOUNCEMENTS & CORRESPONDENCE POSSIBLE AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING: ADJOURNMENT (Agenda not necessarily presented in this order.) SUBMITTED BY: Kim Raman DATE: October 24, 2001 COPIES TO: County Board Office County Clerk News MediaiNotice Board Committee 1lrlembers Ag Extension Committee Minutes November 6, 2001 Agricultural Service 8� Education Center Convened: 12:45 p.m. Baldwin Adjourned 3:10 p.m. Present: Leon Berens hot, Ronald Raymond, Art Jensen, Chris Bethke, Lois Burri, Dave Fodroczi, Lee Milliga4, Jim Janke, Kimberly Reaman. Diana Alfuth, and Mary Lestrud. The meeting was called to order by Chairman Bethke. Date of next meeting was set for, 12 -04 -2001. Jensen moved that the agenda be adopted as presented. Berersehot seconded the motion. Motion carried. Bum moved that the previous meeting's minutes be approved. Raymond seconded the motion. Motion carried. Jensen moved that the *ouchers be approved. Raymond seconded the motion. Motion carried. Admin istrative ReDo Federal Budget Upda a —The Federal Budget is operating on a continuing contract. The budget is not expected to be finalized soon. State Budget Update -- Changes in spending and the economy are expected to produce a reduction in revenue for the state. It is likely that the state budget will be reviewed and amended. One of the immediate actions taken by the Governor includes a hiring freeze on all state agencies. The University has decided to exempt itself from the freeze with a buy out of 2.6 million. Each division will be assessed to cover the buy out. UW -Coop Extension will self impose a hiring freeze until the cost of the assessment is recovered. There will also be a shortfall in base funds. Three strategies are being considered to help alleviate this shortage: 1) early retirement package that is being offered by the Federal Government. Statewide approximately 50 employees will qualify for this package. 2) Hiring freeze and 3) The Dean will be diverting the base fund savings from open positions back to the Dean's office until further notice. 2002 County Budget—The proposed budget was passed by County Board. District WACEC Conference —Chris Bethke, Leon Berenschot, Lois Bum', and Jim Janke will attend the District WACEC Conference in Eau Claire on December 13. Travel arrangements for car - pooling will be word out at the December Extension Committee meeting. Diana Alfuth, Horticulture Educator Report Diana Alfuth, Horticultu$e Educator, presented a power point presentation summarizing her past two years with UW- Extension. To date Diana has answered 1,485 phone calls, identified 438 samples, and had 97 site '{visits. Diana has trained 241 new Master Gardeners as well as offering advanced training and educational opportunities for those Master Gardeners. A new Master Gardener Association was developed in Polk County. Master Gardeners had booths at Polk, St. Croix, and Pierce County fairs where they answered horticulture questions from the public. Over 5,000 hours of service were provided by Master Gardeners in 2000. At $15.30 per hour, they accounted for over 577,000 value to the counties. A community garden was organized in New Richmond. A large portion was set aside for local food pantries and Share the Bounty program. The Trellis, a monthlx horticulture newsletter, now goes out to over 500 people to inform them of local horticulture islsues, insect and disease problems and solutions. Diana has developed the Western Wisconsin Horticulture Web Site to serve Master Gardeners and others to access timely information and volunteer activities. Variety testing has bean organized by Diana throughout the three counties. Varieties are tested in home gardens as well �s the community garden. The goal is to create a list of varieties to recommend to Western Wisconsin gardeners. Diana projected increa�ed interest in gardening and horticulture. She recommends proactive educational programming for commercial horticulture, continuation of the ?Master Gardener and Master Naturalist prog*am, and increased educational opportunities for the general public. There was discussion o� an upcoming meeting with representatives of Pierce, Polk & St. Croix Counties, and UW- Extension District Director and the Assistant Program Leader. The meeting is tentatively scheduled for November 16 in Baldwin. Attendees will discuss the future of the horticulture position in �ight of Tom Kalb's resignation. 4 -11 Youth Agent's (tort National 4 -H Agents gonference— Reaman attended educational seminars on the logic model for program evaluation !processing activities in initiative programming and a family camp program conducted by Cornell University in New York. The Wisconsin Association of Extension 4 -H Youth Development Professionals was awarded the bid to host the national conference in 2006. Thy 2006 conference will be held in Milwaukee the third week of October. Between 1,200 and 1,500 delegates will attend. Reaman has agreed to be the Conference Co- Chair along with the 4 -H Agent in Waukesha County. Expenses incurred in that role have been built into the conferencel budget. St. Croix County Conversations on Youth Development —The conversation is scheduled for November 12 at the Ag Service and Education Center. Invitations have been sent to community groups who work around;, youth issues, 4 -H clubs and Jr. Leaders. The purpose is to identify successful strategies to involve youth in our communities. Each county across the United States is conducting a local conversation. Upon completion of the local conversations, each state will conduct a State Conver0tion that will lead into a National Conversation in Washington D.C. Feb 28 -March 3. Plat Book Update— The�St. Croix County 4 -H Leaders Council has received two bids for the upcoming Plat Book. Tho Cloud Cartographic bid for 3,000 books is $42,000. The Farm and Home bid for 3,000 books is S44,000. A decision, regarding which bid to accept, will be made by the Leaders Council at their meeting on Nov 15. Upcoming Educational Programs —Reaman has been working with the 4 -H Jr. Leaders to plan the countywide 4 -H Club Officer Training, which is Saturday, Nov 10. Reaman is also scheduled to teach at a 4 -H Club Meeting on Sunday night, Nov 11. The topic is going to be on resources adults can i Prow 'de to members with effective project meetings. Planning Departmeit Report Fodroczi reviewed a list of October vouchers totaling $4,230.19. Berenschot moved that the vouchers be approved as presented. Jensen seconded the motion. Motion carried. 2002 Budget Update Fodroczi reported that the County Board approved the 2002 Recycling and Hazardous Wastel budgets as submitted by the Committee. He thanked the Committee for its support. Position Recruitment: Fodroczi summarized his discussion of the vacant Recycling Technician position with Personnel Director Deb Kathan. He offered the position as budgeted to Mary Barney effective Janu$ry 1, 2002, and Barney has accepted. Fodroczi commended Barney's previous work with th i t Recycling Program and indicated that her continued involvement would mean a smooth transition without disruption in services to communities and the public. Midwest Recycling Contract: Fodroczi reported that he will immediately send written notice to the Midwest Recyclin4 Association that we will not be renewing our consulting services agreement when it expires at the end of 2001. He expressed his appreciation for their cooperation and support. 2002 Clean Sweep Contract: Fodroczi reported that staff was working with Northwest Regional Planning Commission on the 2002 contract for Clean Sweep services. Some increases were expected for labor and anti- freeze disposal costs. Collection events are tentatively scheduled for May 18` at the Hudson] County Highway Shop and September 21 in New Richmond. SHWEC Resolution of Support: Fodroczi presented a draft resolution of support for reinstatement of recycling positions in the Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Center ( SHWEC) of the University of Wisconsin- Extension that were eliminated with Governor McCallum's vetoes of the state budget. He indicated the resolution had been reviewed and approved by Extension agents Kim Reaman and Jim Janke, as well as Corporation Counsel Greg Timmerman. Jenson moved that the Committee approve the resolution and recommend its approval by the County Ooard. Burri seconded the motion. Motion carried. America Recycles Day: Fodroczi reported that Barney was setting up a display of products made from recycled materials in the Government Center to draw attention to America Recycles Day on November 15 The display will include information for visitors to register for local and national prizes. Supervisor Burn agreed to draw the names of prizewinners on behalf of the th Committee on November 16 Resource Agent Report The Small Business'iDevelopment Center has announced that individualized management counseling will be reinstated in St. Croix County. The first session NN7111 be December 12 in Hudson. Sessions will be held every other month. It is hoped that monthly sessions can resume after the new fiscal year in July, 2002. Janke reported on the public participation activities for comprehensive planning. Issue identification workshops for Baldwin and Hammond were held in October. The next activities for these two towns *111 be public opinion surveys in January, 2002. Several towns have contacted Janke for assistance in starting their comprehensive plans. Meetings are schedulled in Erin Prairie, Emerald, and Stanton. Janke presented the final report of the Hudson Downtown Parking Study to the City Council on October 15. The council and mayor were very complimentary about the helpfulness of the project A ricultural Agent' Report Milligan attended W rld Dairy Expo. Milligan also met with Ellen Mauer in Madison during this time for ideas to improve the educational program and marketing of Farm /City Day. The host for 2002 Farin /City Day will be Donald and Lawrence Huppert/Jason and Lori Kjos. They are located abou a mile north of River Falls. Milligan has been wori, ing with Brad Afdahl in the development of a presentation at the Midwest Dairy Herd health Conference, November 13 and 14 in Eau Claire. The presentation will be on transition cow management. The Ag/Ag- Business apinual program conference was attended by Milligan. Milligan met with Ar#ely Olguin of Job Service regarding educational efforts for Hispanic employees. Further d*ussions will be held in November. An inservice on facilitation skills was attended by Milligan. I Milligan has harvested three PEPS corn and soybean yield contest at Van Beek's and Kamm's. Another entry will be harvested at Peterson's in November. Milligan has coordinated the speakers for the 2002 Ag Lenders Conference in Menomonie. Farm visits and telepho#ie calls included dairy housing, pricing corn silage and corn grain, starting dairying, beef health concerns, dairy planning. In November, Milligan will be harvesting the corn grain population plot at the John Schottler farm. A PEPS contest will also be harvested. Milligan will also be training Chippewa Valley Technical School farm trainers on the AgFA farm record analysis program. Farm visits are scheduled regarding beginning dairy farming, purchasing a dairy farm, and a dairy expansion. Meetings are being developed regarding forages dairy herd management, dairy marketing, dairy housing, farm management, and pesticide certification training. Family Living Ag' nt's Report Lestrud is working with a county housing committee to get temporary shelter for homeless families at the St. Anne's convent in Somerset. A lot of coordination and grant writing remains to be done. Lestrud met with jail staff to discuss problems with inmates who are released. They need organized community support to help them turn their life around. Churches will be contacted to work with the newly released men and women. Lestrud showed an example of the completed Children Around the World kits made by HCE members. Twenty seven kits will be donated to the 10 libraries of St. Croix County. Lestrud wrote the grant, researched and ordered the books, and supervised the project. Lestrud passed around the evaluation of her teaching from the state HCE conference. The 7 th annual Reading Festival was a success. Parents report that the festival stimulates their children to read more ooks and for their families to read aloud. Over 1000 children participated in the pre- festival poster and essay contest featuring their favorite books. Lestrud shared pictures from this year's family camp. The training on Crockpot Cooking had a large turnout in Baldwin, Hudson, and New Richmond. Berenschot moved to adjourn. Burn seconded the motion. Motion carried. Respectively submitted; Arthur Jensen Secretary