HomeMy WebLinkAboutAg & Extension 09-02-08 NOTICE OF MEETING AND AGENDA (revised)
ST. CROIX COUNTY AGRICULTURE & EXTENSION COMMITTEE
September 2, 2008, 9:00 a.m.
Agricultural Service and Education Center
1960 a Ave., Baldwin, WI
CALL TO ORDER
ROLL CALL
APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
DATE OF NEXT MEETING — October 7, 2008
APPROVAL OF VOUCHERS
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT:
• Federal Budget
• State Budget Report
• County Budget Report
• WACEC
• Personnel
• Strategic Planning
• Other Administrative Items
OLD AND NEW BUSINESS:
AGENT'S REPORTS:
• Resource Agent
- Ultimate Land Use Tour III
• Ag Agent
- Ag Educational Activities
- Farm City Day
- Corn Silage Field Day
- Others
• Family Living Report
- FLA position description
- Report on foreclosure programs & follow up
- Fall programs
ADJOURN
SUBMITTED BY: Pete Kling
DATE: August 20, 2008
Copies to: COUNTY BOARD OFFICE NEWS MEDIA/NOTICE BOARD
COUNTY CLERK COMMITTEE MEMBERS
(Items may be taken in different order)
8/20/2008 10:20 AM
Agriculture & Extension Committee
September 2, 2008
Agricultural Services & Education Center Convened: 9 am
Baldwin, WI Adjourned: 10:20 a.m.
Present: Gene Ruetz, Bill Peavey, Linda Luckey, Richard Marzolf, Dan Raebel, Lee Milligan, Pete
Kling, Joan Sprain, Marie Witzel, Martha Mabis, and Mary Lestrud.
The meeting was called to order by Chairman Ruetz.
Date of next meeting was set for October 7, 2008.
Peavey moved that the previous meeting's minutes be approved. Raebel seconded the motion. Motion
carried.
Raebel moved that the vouchers be approved. Peavey seconded the motion. Motion carried.
Administration
Ruetz moved to send Pete Kling on the Ultimate Land Use Tour III on October 15 -20; exclusive of
county funding. Marzolf seconded the motion. Motion carried.
Peavey moved to approve the family living agent position description. Ruetz seconded. Motion carried.
WACEC
Joan passed out a survey for members to complete regarding district meeting times and locations. She
also shared the dates of the next WACEC Conference which will be held in La Crosse next June 15, 16, &
17.
Agriculture Agent Report
Milligan reported that over 2,000 people attended the 27` Annual Farm City Day held at the UW -River
Falls University Lab Farm. This was a tremendous educational event to showcase current technology used
in the production of our food.
Forty -one producers attended a corn/corn silage field day in St. Croix County and 31 in Pierce
County. Dr. Randy Shaver, UW- Extension dairy nutritionist and Dr. Joe Lauer, UW- Extension corn
agronomist, Greg Andrews, Pierce County UW- Extension agriculture agent and Milligan were guest
speakers. Topics focused on corn silage harvest, pricing corn silage, drying costs, feeding high corn silage
rations and selecting corn hybrids.
Milligan has formed a milking parlor users group. Producers with milking parlors in St. Croix and Polk
Counties are participating. They will be meeting every three months with Milligan and Dr. Doug
Reinemann, UW- Extension agriculture engineer. The focus is on improving parlor performance and cow
health.
There will be an equine conference in February at UW -River Falls. Milligan is on the planning
committee.
Resource Agent Report
Kling updated the committee about the upcoming Land Use Study Tour III which will occur from Oct 15-
20, 2008. Eight St. Croix County representatives (residents /local elected officials /county staff) will join
40 others to travel to New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland to learn first hand about land -use tools
such as purchase of development rights (PDR) and transfer of development rights (TDR) programs which
are aimed at preserving and protecting farmland and natural areas. Some of these programs may have
application here in Western Wisconsin where development pressure has created a loss in productive
farmland and natural areas. The tour is made possible through support from the WI Department of
Agriculture and businesses.
4 -H Youth Development
4 -H Leader's Recognition Banquet — The banquet will be Sept 28, 1 pm at the American Legion in
Baldwin. We would like to have any extension committee members available to help present the 4 -H
leader awards for years of service. Our special recognition program this year will be Margaret Doornink
for her 60 years of 4 -H leadership in St. Croix County
St. Croix County Plat Book — The 4 -H Leaders' Council has received the platbooks. However there are
many errors in the section titled "Rural Resident Directory by Street Address ". The committee is
working with the Planning and Zoning department and Red Barn Publishing to see what can be done to
get the correct information in the books before they are sold.
Family Nutrition Coordinator
Lestrud discussed the collaboration of the Nutrition Program and the Department on Aging. The new
Aging director is interested in providing some nutrition education at meal sites as well as through the
newsletter. Details will be worked out later for training key leaders at meal sites to deliver nutrition
messages.
Lestrud discussed the flip chart concept of educating clients on an individual basis. Lestrud develops six
new flip charts each year which are used with WIC participants in three counties and shared state -wide
with all the offices in Wisconsin."
Family Living Agent Report
FLA Position Description:
Joan reported that one part of the tenure process was to have the Agricultural and Extension Education
Committee formally approve the FLA position description. The emphasis of the FLA job is parenting
education (focusing on adolescents), financial literacy and building community capacity to support
families. Joan also included the current and soon to be amended department head duties as well as 4 -H
foods and clothing projects. The Supervisor Bill Peavey made a motion to accept the position description
as written, Chair Gene Ruetz seconded. The committee voted unanimously to pass it.
Follow -up to Foreclosure Conference:
Joan shared information regarding data compiled by UWEX Specialist Dr. Andy Lewis regarding the
number of foreclosures in St. Croix Co. During 2007, there was one foreclosure case per 21 owner-
occupied homes with a mortgage. Dr. Lewis predicts this rate will rise through 2009 due to increased
natural gas costs and the inability of homeowners to pay due to ARM'S. Joan also shared that most of the
homeowners seen by WESTCAP are from Hudson. Both Pierce and St. Croix will meet with WESTCAP
to see how the needs of families needing foreclosure counseling can be met. A foreclosure task force will
be formed to further address the issue.
Fall programs:
Joan will be implementing 2 parenting classes: Positive Parenting of Teens in New Richmond and
Strengthening Families for Parents and Youth 10 -14. She is also working with Polk & Pierce County to
create a St. Croix Valley Parenting web site.
Meeting adjourned
Respectfully submitted..
Richard Marzolf
Secretary
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