HomeMy WebLinkAboutAg & Extension 05-01-01A- EVISED
ST. CROIX COUNTY
NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETING
TO: Tom Dorsey, Chairman
St. Croix County Boar, d
FROM: Chris Bethke, Chairman
COMMITTEE TITLE: Extension Ag Committee/Resource & Education Committee
DATE: May 1, 2001
TIME: 12:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Agricultural Services & Education Center
CALL TO ORDER
ROLL CALL
ADOPTION OF AGENDA
DATE OF NEXT MEETING
ACTION ON PREVIOUIS MINUTES
ACTION ON VOUCHERS
UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
• State Budget Update
• Federal Budget Update
• WACEC State Convelntion
• June Dairy Month Re olution
• Wages for Support Stff
PLANNING DEPARTffiENT'S REPORT
• DNR Annual and Actual Costs Report
• DNR Final 2000 Grant Distribution to Municipalities
• Spring Collections Update
i
4 -H YOUTH AGENT' REPORT
• Summer Assistant Hired
• New Richmond Asset Carnival
• Jr. Leader Program (goals
• 4 -H Endowment Fund
• Ditch Clean-up for Community Service
AG AGENT'S REPORT
• Educational activities update
• Foot and Mouth Disease Update
• Dairy Marketing
• Crop Marketing
m Farm City Day
• Farm Management Program
• Dairy Herd Health
• Farm Visits
RESOURCE AGENT'S REPORT
• Small Business Management Counseling
• Drinking Water Testing
• Labor Market Analysis
FAMILY LIVING AGENT'S REPORT
• Family Gardening Event
• Financial Counseling
• Parent Education
• Head Start
• State Evaluation Project',
HORTICULTURE AGENX'S REPORT
• Community Garden
• Variety Testing
• Horticulture Website
NEW BUSINESS:
ANNOUNCEMENTS & C RRESPONDENCE
POSSIBLE AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING:
ADJOURNMENT
(Agenda not necessarily pre$ented in this order.)
SUBMITTED BY: Kim Roaman
DATE: April 26, 2001
COPIES TO: County Board Office
County Clerk
News Media/Notice Board
Committee Members
Ag & Extension/Resource & Education /Planning Committee
May 1, 2001
Agricultural Service & Education Center
Baldwin
Convened: 12:45 p.m.
Adjourned 2:50 p.m.
Present: Leon Berenschot, Ronald Raymond, Art Jensen, Chris Bethke, Lois Burri, Dave
Fodroczi, Lee Milligan, James Janke, Kimberly Reaman, Diana Alfuth, and Mary
Lestrud.
Guest: Chuck Whiting and Bob Heise
The meeting wad called to order by Chairman Chris Bethke.
Date of next meeting was set for June 5, 2001.
Jensen moved that the agenda be adopted as presented. Burn seconded the motion.
Motion carried.
Berenschot moved that the previous meeting's minutes be approved. Burri seconded the
motion. Motion carried.
Berenschot moved that the vouchers be approved. Bethke seconded the motion. Motion
carried.
Berenschot gave a brief "lay leader" report on the National Leadership Seminar in
Washington, D.C.
Administrative Report
Federal Budget Update —No report.
State Budget Update —No report.
WACEC State, Convention—Reaman distributed registration materials for the State
WACEC Convention, June 24 -26 in Manitowoc. Reaman, Burri and Berenschot will be
attending the conference. Bethke will decide at a later date as to whether he will attend
the conference.
June Dairy Month Resolution— Motion by Jensen. Seconded by Berenschot to endorse
resolution for June Dairy Month. (Hard copy of resolution mailed to Sue Nelson, County
Clerk).
Wages for Support Staff —Chuck Whiting has requested that wages for the 2002 budget
be submitted by May 4. A request has been made by one of the support staff to increase
the workday from 7 hours to 8 hours. In consultation with Deb Kathan at the Personnel
Office the required steps involve approval from the parent committee. The opportunity to
move to an 8 -hpur day was extended to the other two support staff. One accepted, one
declined. Motion by Burn. Seconded by Raymond to approve the increase to an 8 -hour
workday for Polly Henke and Mary Jane Hecker.
National Leadership Seminar Report — Berenschot reported on his trip to Washington
D.C. on behalf of WACEC. He left materials about Extension programming in St. Croix
County with Senator Feingold, Senator Kohl, and Representative Kind.
4 -H Youth Agent's Report
4 -H Summer A$sistant Hired —Aaron Moore a sophomore attending UW -River Falls
has been hired a$ the 4 -H Summer Assistant. He will bring a lot of 4 -H experience to the
position. Moore will start on May 30.
New Richmond Asset CarnivalReaman worked with three Jr. Leaders to lead a booth
at the New Richmond Asset Carnival. The asset taught was "constructive use of time"
for Pre - Kindergarten through 3 rd grade. To teach constructive use of time, coloring
sheets with a variety of 4 -H activities or projects (gardening, fishing, sports, reading,
sewing, arts /crafts, music) was provided for the participants to choose what they would
like to learn and be involved in. As participants colored the picture, the Jr. Leader talked
with them about the benefits of being involved and using time constructively plus where
to go to be involved.
Jr. Leader Program Goals —The Jr. Leader's are researching why there is not greater
participation of $th graders in the Jr. Leader meetings and activities. To conduct the
research, they will make phone interviews to randomly selected 8 th graders.
4 -H Endowment Fund —The St. Croix County 4 -H Leaders' Council has officially
established an endowment fund to provide an additional, permanent, secure source of
funding to be re- Invested in the 4 -H program. The target goal is $25,000 before spending
the interest income. To date, there is just over $2,000 invested. The next step will be to
further refine the, wording of the purpose of the endowment fund, begin promoting the
fund and establish an ad hoc committee for solicitation.
Ditch Clean Up for Community Service — Several 4 -H clubs participate in roadside
clean up as a community service project. Because of concern regarding the dumping of
hazard waste from Meth labs, the 4 -H Leaders' Council has decided to ask clubs to
discontinue this particular community service project. Each club was sent a letter
explaining the dangers and provided a list of possible alternative environmental
community service projects.
Planning Department's Report
Fodroczi reviewed a list of April vouchers totaling $8,109.21.
2000 DNR Annul and Actual Costs Report: Fodroczi reported staff finalized the 2000
DNR Annual Report for the Recycling Program Grant. Collected recyclables were up from
1999 by 441 tons to 3,556.6 tons for the 26 communities in the County program. Costs per
ton declined from $92.42 in 1999 to $81.25 in 2000. Cost per capita fell from $5.81 in 1999
to $5.53 in 2000. Fodroczi reviewed a spreadsheet with costs and tonnage's for each
community. The (Committee discussed some of the variations in costs among the individual
communities.
DNR Final 20001 Grant Distribution: Fodroczi indicated that distribution of Final 2000
Recycling Grant payments would be made in June or July with the preliminary distribution
of 2001 funds. Staff will ask the Committee approval of the municipal grant distribution
formula at the June or July meeting.
Spring Collections Update: Fodroczi displayed the Spring 2001 edition of the "Your
Wasteline" newsletter which residents would receive this week. He reviewed the coverage
of all the spring cpllection events to take place in May and June for electronics, hazardous
waste, appliances, and tires.
Agriculture Agent's Report
Milligan coordinated and taught two three -day dairy marketing programs in St. Croix and
Pierce counties. Nineteen dairy producers and financial lenders participated. A dairy
marketing club will be organized.
The 2000 Dairy Farm Business Summary data is in the process of being collected.
Approximately 20 dairy producers will be participating. Data needs to be collected from
three producers. 'Milligan is involved in the development of a new analysis program.
Seventy -eight producers participated in the Pesticide Applicator Training program in St.
Croix County.
Milligan has provided information to newspapers regarding foot and mouth disease. A
newsletter has be,ien sent to over 1200 agricultural producers regarding foot and mouth
disease.
Farm/City Day planning has begun. Tom Wells will be the general chairman. Roger and
Dave Goodrich w ill be hosting the event. There are concerns about the potential for foot
and mouth disease. There is the potential for it to be cancelled. No decision will be
made until June.
Farm visits have focussed on farm management issues, farm facility design, and
beginning dairy, beef or sheep enterprises.
Resource Agent geport
The Committee received a copy of the letter signed by Chairman Bethke and sent to UW-
Extension Chancellor Kevin Reilly regarding the changes in the Small Business
Development Center policies. No response has been received.
Janke distributed A map of St. Croix County showing the nitrate levels in the well of the
participants in the Drinking Water Program. There is a pattern of high nitrates in the
western part of the town of Hammond and eastern part of Warren.
Janke gave an update on the Labor Market Analysis project. The telephone survey of
households is underway and is being conducted by students at UW -River Falls. Extension
Specialist Gary Green led a training session for the volunteers who will interview the
businesses selected for the project.
Horticulture Educator's Report
Discussed the community garden in New Richmond. Everything is on schedule for a
May 19 opening';day. Twelve garden plots have been rented.
An apple tree pruning seminar held on April 19 attracted 32 participants.
Variety testing is again happening in western Wisconsin. A horticulture web site should
be up within the next two months.
Family Living gent's Report
Lestrud discussed the HCE diversity project and shared the program for their upcoming
Spring Council meeting.
Lestrud will be teaching a parenting program in May at the Family Resource Center. The
purpose of the program will be to teach parents to raise kind and respectful children.
She has recently been involved with planning a large educational fundraiser with the
Family Resource�Center called, Gardening, A Family Affair.
Lestrud is currently working on a state -wide evaluation project to determine the major
contributions of Extension Family Living to Family Resource Centers throughout WI.
Lestrud and Martha Mabis are working with a family from the New Richmond homeless
shelter, Faith House, on budgeting concerns.
Lestrud spoke to �ead Start parents about childhood nutrition and helped the parents
cook a nutritious meal.
Berenschot moved to adjourn. Jensen seconded. Motion carried.
Respectively submitted,
Art Jensen
Secretary
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