Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutU.W. Extension Committee - Minutes - 7/8/2020Bayfield County Extension Committee Meeting Minutes ~ 07-08-20 Page 1 of 5 BAYFIELD COUNTY Agriculture and Extension Education Committee Meeting Wednesday, July 8, 2020 – 4:00 PM Bayfield County Board Room, Courthouse, Washburn, WI 54891 Or Via Teams Minutes 1. Call to Order Jeff Silbert, Chair, called the meeting to order at 4:01 Members present in person: Jeff Silbert, Tom Snilsberg, Fred Strand, Jim Crandall, and Steve Sandstrom, Others present in Person: Mary Pardee, Theresa LaChappelle, Stephanie Bakker, Liz Lexau, Sarah DeGraff, Ian Meeker Others present via Teams: Kellie Pederson, and Jason Fischbach. (Connectivity issues, joined by Zoom and then reported by phone.) 2. Approval of Minutes of May 13, 2020 Meeting (action item) Motion (Sandstrom, Strand) to approve the minutes of May 13, 2020. Minutes approved. 3. Public Comment No public comment 4. 2020 UW-Extension Budget Update Report The year-to date budget was looked at. The utilization of funds overall is down compared to previous years, due to the COVID-19 restrictions. 5. Area Extension Director Update The 2021 Budget is due on August 20th. The committee should meet before that date to discuss and move forward the proposed 2021 budget. 6. COVID-19 Initiatives Pardee reported that Extension is working on plans for transitioning educators back into the office. This includes creating a safety plan for return to each of the Extension offices. Currently, limited in-person programming, (10 or less people) must be preapproved, with multiple levels of approval needed. The next step would be to go to in-person programming with50 people. All staff and volunteers will need to take online trainings (UW-Madison and an Extension) on safety before being allowed to go back to the office and to do in-person programming. There will also be an online version available to the public. Educators have been telecommuting, with Superior adventures planning for some limited in- person programming. Staff meetings are being held weekly via Zoom. (Stephanie will include her FoodWIse COVID Initiative information during staff reports.) Bayfield County Extension Committee Meeting Minutes ~ 07-08-20 Page 2 of 5 7. Extension’s Commitment to Inclusion – discussion Karl Martin’s June 1st statement of “Condemnation & Extension’s Commitment to Inclusion” was on the UW-Madison Extension website and FB page, as well as being emailed to stakeholders. A copy of the letter is available for those who would like a hard copy. There are Zoom discussions on racism being hosted by Extension. The Institutes see this as an opportunity to teach about systemic racism, and its effects as a childhood adversity item, and to encourage discussions by colleagues regarding racial inclusion. This is assisting Extension educators to work towards its stated values. Sandstrom noted that there are significant issues with racism towards Native Americans in our area. Silbert reported that he has been attending weekly anti-racism gatherings. Silbert noted that the Bayfield County Sheriff’s department has instituted the “Eight Can’t Wait” de- escalation policies. 8. Superior Adventures program update Meeker reported that with the restrictions and approvals needed from UW-Madison Extension, there has been a different approach being used for the Superior Adventures program. The focus on outdoor activities (biking & canoeing), wearing masks, using hand sanitizer, sanitizing of equipment, and limiting the number of participants in the activity groups, are some of the COVID-19 safety precautions that are being practiced. Meeker reported that a week ago today, he paddled the lower section of the Brule with parents and youth from a 4-H group. Five families from a 4-H Club have asked to schedule a time to go paddling. The Superior Adventures biking program event that ran yesterday had three youth show up; five had registered. VFW Building has one estimate of $30,000 to $40,000 to repair it up to the level that the local school district would need it to be. The Washburn School District is interested in partnering with Bayfield County. The Superior Adventures program matches their vision, but money for repairs is not in their current budget. Meeker noted that there is not a timeline set right now for when the building would be needed to be upgraded. Meeker stated that outdoor education helps breaks down racial barriers and that he was working with the Washburn & Bayfield schools this past year. He is hoping to be able to do that again, once schools are back open. He is also looking at the transportation logistics for small group adventures. 9. Staff Reports 4-H & Youth Development – Meeker 4-H Market Sale will do a virtual auction this year in conjunction with the Bayfield County Fair. Meeker sent a link to the Virtual Cultural Arts Festival entered items. He did move the folder, so he will need to resend a link if any on the committee would like to view the exhibits. Meeker has been working on the State Team Calendar for Educational Programming for Virtual Education. Meeker has heard Michael Wagner, Badger Talks Team, give a good talk regarding political and media bias, and is exploring ways to have him on as a guest. Bayfield County Extension Committee Meeting Minutes ~ 07-08-20 Page 3 of 5 FoodWIse – Bakker Bakker has been recording program information into the FoodWIse computer program. Sarah T shared with CORE a food pantry safety toolkit. In the meeting packet is a document that Bakker shared at the State FoodWIse meeting. She was asked to facilitate a discussion group on Equity and Disproportionate Impact of Covid 19 at this multi-Midwest-states meeting. The local FoodWIse has been working on how to adapt their present programs to be able to present these topics virtually. Human Development - Lexau Strengthening Individual and Family Well-Being & Family relationships. Lexau has been working on the impacts of childhood trauma and reducing the impacts. She has been working with Douglas and Ashland County Educators on an online workshop. Lexau usually works frequently with inmates in the jail. The Literacy Link Program helps strengthen the connection between the inmate and their child. Pre-pandemic, the recording of the incarcerated parent reading a book and a copy of the book were sent to the children. Not being able to access the inmates has put a stop to that portion of the program for now. The caregivers of the children were surveyed on what would be helpful to them. Activity kits for kids and something for the caregivers were some suggestions. Through this survey the Literacy Link program now has the inmates select books to send to their child, as well being able to send letters. The books and a letter writing kit are then sent to the children. Book recording by Zoom is going to be discussed as a future option. It is important to keep the connection going between the inmate and child. Red Cliff AODA asked to meet with Liz to put together a meeting to present the “Grandparents Raising Grandchildren” program. Red Cliff would like to get started on getting a parenting group going either in person or by zoom. Co-parenting will continue with zoom and in the future combined with in person classes. Agriculture – DeGraff DeGraff’s primary projects have been to meet with Farmer’s Markets Managers regarding safety precautions. She has also Also coordinated Zoom meetings between the Bayfield & Ashland Health Departments and the Farmer’s Markets Managers. DeGraff has also visited each Farmers Market to see how things are working out. The Farmer’s Markets are following precautions and it is working out well so far. Research continues with the on-farm vegetable trials, currants, poplar biomass, etc. DeGraff uses Covid19 safety precautions while on the farms and other sites. A quick Biomass update: The Biomass project was a 10-yr project and will need to be harvested in a year or two. The Quarterly Ag Newsletter, (the 2nd issue) is being worked on. Agriculture – Fischbach (by phone) Erosion control has been a topic being worked. Low cost water control measures will be trialed in Ashland County. These measures will then be tried in Bayfield County. Fischbach has received a Hazelnut Processing Equipment grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. AgriView had an article regarding the Midwest Hazelnut trials. Bayfield County Extension Committee Meeting Minutes ~ 07-08-20 Page 4 of 5 Agriculture – Fischbach (by phone) – Continued Veggie trials have been funded for another 2 years. Direct farm sales in the area have been doing very well. Community Resource Development – Pederson (by phone) Protests have triggered conversations in her program areas regarding equity. COVID-19 has increased her workload. The Chequamegon Regional Response Team has been meeting once a week. Bandwidth, or rather lack of bandwidth, has been an issue inholding some of the meetings, with not everyone being able to attend Clean Sweep – Pederson would like to see the Clean Sweep program in Bayfield County be handed off to another department such as the Land and Water Conservation, Emergency Management, or Planning and Zoning departments. Housing - Pederson is still working with the Housing Regional Survey. Non-Profits - She is working with a few non-profits such as the Red Cliff Economic Development Committee, (Steve & Jeff are on Tribal Relations Committee), and the Ashwabay Outdoor Educational Foundation. Pederson and other Extension Educators are working on creating educational materials for non-profit organizations that can be used statewide. Food systems – Data analysis graphic, to understand how to create more prosperity and to develop strategies to make the network more connected and viable. Office Manager - LaChappelle LaChappelle has been working on creating various publications, including the 2019 Annual Report Highlights, in addition to her various other duties. 10. Staffing options for 4-H Pardee reported that the State is not interested in funding any portion of Donna’s position. The State has also indicated that they are not interested in funding a joint position between Ashland and Bayfield counties. However, any county can pay all of the fees associated with a position to have one in their county. Pardee and Meeker met with the Bayfield County Administrator yesterday. He is supportive of keeping the position, while staying within the budget that the County has allocated. Abeles-Allison would like to see the position be associated with Extension, to keep those connections. Pardee noted that they are looking at making the position an Associate Extension Educator position at half-time or less. The position would include more administrative and organizational tasks, more of an assistant type position. The Consensus of the Committee is to keep the position and fill it. 11. 2019 Annual Report The Annual Report is finished, a digital copy is in your meeting packet. Mary Pardee will be presenting it to the County Board at the July meeting. A hard copy is also available today, if you would prefer one. Bayfield County Extension Committee Meeting Minutes ~ 07-08-20 Page 5 of 5 12. Recognition of Donna Ganson – action item At the July County Board Meeting, the full County Board will present Donna Ganson with a Certificate of Appreciation for her years of service. The Committee extended their Thank you and appreciation for the many years of dedicated service that Donna has given to the youth of Bayfield County. 13. Next Meeting Date Wednesday, August 12th at 4 pm for budget discussion, if needed. Wednesday, September 9th at 4 pm in the County Board Room and via Teams. 14. Adjourn The meeting was adjourned at 5:51 pm. Accolades, gifts, certificates, and cupcakes were presented to Donna Ganson for her fabulous years of work for the youth in Bayfield County. She was wished well in her new role as a retiree. Submitted by: Theresa LaChappelle Extension Bayfield County, Office Manager