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Home My WebLink AboutAg & Extension Committee 11-07-2000 x Ag & Extension/Resource& Education/Planning Committee Nov. 7, 2000 Agricultural Service &Education Center Convened: 12:30 p.m. Baldwin Adjourned: 2:10 p.m. Present: Leon Berenschot, Ronald Raymond, Art Jensen, Chris Bethke, Lois Burn, Lee Milligan, Jim Janke, Mary Lestrud, and Mary Barney. The meeting was called to order by Chairman Bethke. Date of next meeting was set for Dec. 5, 2000. Berenschot moved that the agenda be adopted as presented. Raymond seconded the motion. Motion carried. Motion carried. Raymond moved that the previous meeting's minutes be approved. Jensen seconded the motion. Motion carried. Jensen moved that the vouchers be approved. Berenschot seconded the motion. Motion carried. Administrative Report February 6 was decided as a date for agent evaluations with Mike Perkl and the Extension committee. The WACEC district meeting will be held on December 15 at Black River Falls. Bethke, Berenschot, and Bu will attend. A2 Agent's Report In October, Milligan collected data from four producers for the UW-Profits through Efficient Production Systems (PEPS) yield/cost contest. The contest focuses on producing corn or soybeans at the lowest cost per bushel. In 1999, Wayne VanBeek won the district cash corn division at$1.00/bushel. Milligan attended the UWEX ag agent state conference in October. Personal contacts focussed on dairy nutrition, buildings, farm business arrangements, dairy marketing, farm financial issues, cropland rents, goats, horses, and beef issues. The Pathological Nutrition Seminar,Beef Cow Calf Day, Pest Management Update, and Fertilizer Dealer Updates have been scheduled in Western Wisconsin in November. Milligan is coordinating the Pathological Nutrition Seminar for area ag professionals. Milligan will also be speaking at a Youth Safety Day in New Richmond. Milligan will also be attending the Midwest Dain Health Conference and continue working on winter meeting schedules. Milligan is also working on a farm management education program. _Family Living Agent's Report The county Family Camp sponsored by UW Extension was held at Camp Icoghowan in Amery WI on Oct 6-8. Evaluations were shared which showed that the at-risk families involved benefited in many ways including ideas on becoming a better parent, family bonding, and needed support received from other parents. Each family wrote a letter of thanks to the United Way for financial support. l The 7`h annual Reading Festival was held at the Roberts Elementary School on Oct.21. Approximately 250 children and parents were involved in an afternoon, which promoted the fun and benefits of recreational reading. Written evaluations showed that most families have become more interested in reading and inspired to read aloud. They believe that the Reading Festival helps them focus on the importance of reading and say that their children really treasure the book given to them at the festival (provided by the St. Croix County American Legion). HCE (Association for Home and Community Education)members sponsored two major fall council programs in October(Northwest District and St. Croix County) where they trained members in understanding and promoting diversity. One hundred and forty women participated. Mary conducted three Leader Training Meetings on using pumpkins, squash, and sweet potatoes in Family Meals. Mary spent six days in Baltimore, Maryland at her national association meeting.g She shared some of the programming ideas received. Resource ALFent's Report Janke gave a summary report of the drinking water programs held in Somerset,Hudson, and Warren towns. There were over 300 participants. Of particular interest were the two cases of high nitrates in Somerset. In both households there were infants who had been drinking the water as part of their formula.. Neither family was aware of the e risks of high nitrates from methemoglobenimia. Janke and Barb Nelson from Public Health will be meeting to discuss how to increase the awareness of rural families about the need to test for nitrates. Three programs have been scheduled with the lab in late winter and early spring. Janke and LWCD staff will be meeting with prospective towns to seek their approval. Small business counseling sessions were held on October 23. The next date is November 17. The Hudson downtown parking study began on October 18, 20, and 21. Parking space occupancy was tallied four times on the 18th, five times on the 20"' and once on the 2 1st. In addition over 100 downtown visitors were interviewed. The preliminary data will be presented to the Parking Committee on November 9. A random sample telephone survey of Hudson area residents will be start the week of the 13th. II Planning Department's Report Barney reviewed a list of October vouchers totaling$6,184.83. Raymond moved that the vouchers be approved as presented. Berenschot seconded the motion. Motion carried. America Recycles Day: Barney reported that there has been increased interest in this annual event which calls attention to buying more recycled-content products and increasing recycling efforts at home and work. She said more pledge cards have already arrived than in the preceding three years. Several local businesses have generously donated prizes for a drawing to be held on Novemberl5th in the Government Center. Prizes include gift certificates from Wal-Mart and Target, a 12-yard drop box from Waste Management, a model racecar from Menards, compost bin from Dean Swenson,Director of WWRA, sweatshirt and sports drink containers from County Market and a model Minneapolis police car from Chris and Jason Sturgis. In addition_, all entries in the county event are eligible for the "American Green Dream Home" and Disney World trip on the national level. Barney also said that two new recycling programs are being introduced during this special event: Ink Jet cartridge,Ni-Cad and button battery collections. Both programs will begin on a pilot basis in the recycling office. It is hoped that other municipalities will eventually sponsor similar special collections. 1999 Final Grant Payment: Barney said that the 1999 final grant disbursement check from the DNR is overdue. However, calls to Madison officials indicate it should arrive in the next couple of days. Barney reported that a handful of municipalities have called questioning when they could expect their final 1999 payment. Clean Sweep Final Report: Barney reported that through advance publicity and careful screening on the day of the fall collection, more farm-generated chemicals were registered, and in the process almost 53,000 was diverted from the county's portion of the final bill and applied to the DATCP grant for farm operations. Combining the spring and fall events,just under$5,000 was correctly applied to the DATCP grant. In addition, the DNR grant award of$15,000 eased the county's 2000 hazardous waste budget. Raymond moved to adjourn. Jensen Ym � n seconded. Respectively Submitted, CAA-1" Art Jense ?' Secretary mh j ST. CROIX COUNTY NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETING TO: Tom Dorsey, Chairman St. Croix County Board FROM: Chris Bethke, Chairman COMMITTEE TITLE: Extension Ag Committee/Resource& Education Committee DATE: November 7, 2000 TIME: 12:30 p.m. LOCATION: Agricultural Services &Education Center, Baldwin CALL TO ORDER. ROLL CALL ADOPTION OF AGENDA DATE OF NEXT MEETING: ACTION ON PREVIOUS MINUTES ACTION ON VOUCHERS UNFINISHED BUSINESS: ADMIINISTRATIVE REPORT • Federal Budget Update • State Budget Update • District/State WACEC Report--Leon Berenschot • Agent Performance Evaluation PLANNING DEPARTMENT'S REPORT • 1999 Final Grant Payment to Municipalities • Clean Sweep Final Report • America Recycles Day RESOURCE AGENT'S REPORT • Hudson Downtown Parking analysis • Small Business Management Counseling • Drinking Water Programs AG AGENT'S REPORT • Meeting Schedule • PEPS Yield Contests • National Corn Growers Contest • Crop Research Trials 1