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Home My WebLink AboutU.W. Extension Committee - Minutes - 5/25/2016 1 BAYFIELD COUNTY AGRICULTURE AND EXTENSION EDUCATION COMMITTEE May 25, 2016 County Board Room, 4:00 p.m. Courthouse, Washburn, WI MINUTES 1. Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 4:01pm by Department Head Tim Kane. Committee members present included: Jim Crandall, Fred Strand, Jeff Silbert, Larry Fickbohm and Brian Goodwin. Others present included: Tim Kane, Donna Ganson, Liz Lexau, Ian Meeker, Matt Cogger, Kathy Beeksma, Jason Fischbach and Lilly Soshnik-Tanquist. 2. Welcome New Committee Members The new Committee members were welcomed by Tim. The Extension Office educators/ agents introduced themselves to the Committee. 3. Election of Committee Chair and Vice Chair (action item) Tim mentioned that a new Committee chair needed to be nominated and elected. He asked for nominations. Jim Crandall nominated Fred Strand. Tim asked if there were any other nominations. Jim Crandall moved that nominations be closed and a unanimous ballot be cast for Fred. Second by Jeff Silbert. Motion carried. Fred asked if there were any nominations for vice chair. Jim nominated Jeff Silbert for vice chair. Fred asked if there were any other nominations for vice chair. Brian Goodwin moved that nominations be closed and a unanimous ballot be cast for Jeff. Second by Larry Fickbohm. Motion carried. 4. Approval of Minutes of March 23, 2016 Meeting (action item) Motion made/seconded by Goodwin/Silbert to approve the March 23, 2016 minutes. Motion carried. 5. Public Comment None 6. Out-of-State Overnight Travel Requests (action item) None 7. UW-Extension Overview Orientation Tim referred to and reviewed the “Cooperative Extension – An Overview of the Organization” slides and referenced the Bayfield County UW-Extension Highlights 2015 Annual Report. Each educator in turn starting with Tim talked about their program area and their programming. Tim Kane, Community Development Educator, referred to the above report and his work in the following areas: organizational development, local government education, business development education, community economic development, Superior Days, hazardous waste education and lake management education. He also mentioned his past programming in land use /comprehensive planning. Liz Lexau, Family Living Educator, discussed her focus on providing financial education, and parenting and relationship education, including work with incarcerated audiences in the County jail, and education on food preservation and safety. 2 Jason Fischbach, Agricultural Agent, distributed and discussed a handout on his two- county agricultural agent position with Ashland (25%) and Bayfield (75%) Counties, and his focus during the period 2006-2013 on: consumer horticulture, commercial horticulture, crops/dairy/livestock and agricultural development/diversion. Then during the period 2014- 2016, 50% of his time was funded by the state to serve as a Food & Energy Woody Crops (state) Specialist for a three year period, and 50% of his time to continue as a two-county Agricultural Agent with Ashland (25%) and Bayfield (75%) Counties. His agriculture programming this past year focused on work with the Bayfield County Large-Scale Livestock Study Committee, a farm succession program and high tunnel school garden project. Jason’s specialty crop work centered on hazelnut industry development and woody biomass trials. Matt Cogger, half time Horticulture Educator with Ashland (25%) and Bayfield (75%) Counties, is filling in for Jason during his three-year state specialist appointment to provide horticulture programming. Matt mentioned providing master gardener training and tractor safety training in 2015. He also showed and discussed some slides of his USAID overseas volunteer work with fruit growers in the countries Kyrgyzstan and Georgia. Ian Meeker, 4-H Youth Development Educator, talked about his work with the County’s 4-H program and showed a 4-H video. Donna Ganson, half time 4-H Program Assistant, briefly discussed her County 4-H role. Kathy Beeksma, half time Nutrition Education Program Coordinator for Ashland and Bayfield Counties, talked about her role as the coordinator for the federally-funded Wisconsin Nutrition Education Program (WNEP) in the two counties. The WNEP program is targeted to serve food stamp-eligible residents. Kathy distributed copies of a WNEP FY 2017 Bayfield County Extension Office Agreement Letter, which spells out the in-kind support provided by the County. She mentioned the NEP educators who do the teaching in the two counties, much of which is provided in the schools. Kathy informed the Committee that she also serves as the part time Family Living Educator for Ashland County. Donna Ganson, half time Nutrition Educator, commented on her NEP teaching role. Lilly Soshnik-Tanquist, AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer, described her high tunnel school garden project work. Lilly mentioned that she had a year-long volunteer commitment with the Bayfield County Extension Office beginning last August. 8. 2016 UW-Extension Budget Update Report Tim reviewed and commented on the 2016 UW-Extension Budget Performance Report, which showed the budgeted revenue and expense amounts, year to date expenditures through May 16, 2016 and budget balances by each individual account. Forty-four percent of the budget had been spend through five and a half months, which was on target. 9. UW Cooperative Extension Reorganization Update An overview and update on the UW Cooperative Extension reorganization initiative in response to state budget cuts was provided by Tim. He referred to the six page reorganization document from UW Colleges & UW-Extension Chancellor Cathy Sandeen dated February 10, 2016. This document outlined a framework and general guidelines for reorganizing Cooperative Extension. Some of the major recommendations included the following: 3  UW Cooperative Extension will implement a multi-county area structure. Bayfield County was to be included in a four county multi-county area to also include Douglas, Ashland and Iron Counties  Maintain a Cooperative Extension office in each of the existing county offices.  Establish the appropriate mix of faculty and staff in each multi-county area to best serve the area’s needs.  Strategically reduce the number of campus specialists and support positions.  Consolidate Cooperative Extension administrative functions with UW-Extension central administration where possible.  Several work groups will be formed to make recommendations to Extension administration to develop detailed reorganization implementation plans. Tim indicated that the Cooperative reorganization effort is a work in progress, and it would likely be well into 2017 before any significant changes would be made. Jeff Silbert asked how he could be more proactive and provide input into this process. Tim mentioned that much input had already been provided by the County Administrator, individual County Extension Committee members and individual County Extension educators. He also stated that on July 14 at 1 pm a UW-Extension Executive Team Four County Roadshow Meeting would be convened at Northland College. County Administrators, Extension Committee members and Extension office educators/staff from Bayfield, Douglas, Ashland and Iron Counties would invited to the meeting with UW-Extension Provost & Vice Chancellor Aaron Brower and UW-Cooperative Extension Dean & Director Rick Klemme to provide input, express concerns and ask questions about Cooperative Extension’s reorganization plans. 10. Educator/Agent Program Sharing Much of this sharing had already been covered under agenda item # 7. Jason Fischbach suggested that at future Committee meetings this agenda item be dropped, since it could be covered in the Extension Office’s weekly reports as well as sending materials on programs ahead to the Committee’s Dropboxes. In its place, he suggested having an agenda item dealing with a discussion on program ideas and issues. 11. Announcements  State WACEC Conference – June 20 & 21, 2016 at Jefferson Street Inn, Wausau  UW-Extension Executive Team Four County Road Show Meeting – July 14, 2016 at 1:00 pm at Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute, Northland College, Ashland 12. Future Meeting Dates and Times The next County Ag & Extension Education Committee meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, July 20, 2016 at 9:00 am in the County Board Room. 13. Adjourn Motion made/seconded by Crandall/Goodwin to adjourn. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 6:42 pm. Submitted by: Tim Kane, Community Development Educator & Dept. Head Bayfield County UW-Extension