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APRIL 2003
CROPPING SYSTEMS
Dale L. Siebert
TEST PLOTS
During April test plots were established on the Gary Friskop Farm west of Wahpeton to measure variety
performance on small grains, and weed control in sugarbeets and soybeans. The plots were planted April
25 and have received excellent moisture since then so we should have good results later in the season.
GLOBAL POSITIONING STUDY
The global positioning study utilizing waste lime was also started during the month. With the assistance
John Nowatzki, Extension Agricultural Engineer, three fields on the Russell Mauch farm at Barney were
mapped using global positioning or GPS equipment. Mauch had spread four tons per acre of waste lime
on a portion of each field last fall to determine if there was any crop benefit from the waste lime. The
fields will be monitored using satellite photos and yields measured to determine any yield difference from
using the waste lime from the sugarbeet cooperative.
LAWN AND GARDEN
The lawn and garden season hit in April with numerous questions from throughout the county. I also
presented a brown bag lunch program on Lawn Care on April 22. The continued demand for this type of
information becomes a major use of my time during this time of year.
OFFICE REMODELING
During April a portion of our office space was painted and recarpeted necessitating several days of
moving furniture, cleaning out storage etc. The offices of Adrian Biewer and Pam Leino-Mills were
redone, as well as our copy machine area and storage areas in that room. The end result was more office
space for both of them, as well as more useable storage for the office. In the process we also repainted
bulletin boards in the hallway and erected a new sign identifying our offices to give them a cleaner and
more up-to-date look. The new look has received many compliments and was welcomed by staff. This
project is one of many the county is doing to try to alleviate space concerns of many of the county offices.
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT/4-H
Colleen M. Svingen
COUNTY GOVERNMENT WEEK
April 7- 11 was County Government Week. Extension participated by displaying several information
centers in the rotunda of the courthouse. We welcomed the opportunity to display current trends in
extension programming.
WILKIN COUNTY EXTENSION OPEN HOUSE
Our office staff attended the Wilkin County Extension Open House in Breckenridge. It was fun to see
their new space and we discussed opportunities for collaboration.
PRIESTER CONFERENCE
I attended the annual Priester Extension Health Conference again this year in Phoenix, Arizona. This trip
was funded by dollars designated by our university's president. Dr. Joseph Chapman provides each
employee $1,000 for professional development. The balance of the trip was paid for by dollars
appropriated through extension for specific subject areas.
This is the fourth time I have attended the Priester Conference and each year I have been grateful for the
experience. This year was especially enriching as a member of the conference planning committee. I
enjoyed the opportunity to read the submitted proposals of national speakers hoping to speak at the
conference and then working with the post evaluation. This background certainly adds to my perceptive
when planning our state's women's retreat this September.
LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
I had the unexpected pleasure of being invited by extension's leadership team to attend the North Central
Administrative Leadership Conference. At the conference I was able to interact with middle mangers
from this region, gain exposure to alternative forms of funding, participant in tours at Phoenix
International and Microsoft, and the opportunity to be exposed to various philosophies of leadership. I
gained a new perspective into the Extension Organization as a result of my attendance at the conference.
FNP
Pamela Leino-Mills
SPRING EXTENSION CONFERENCE
Early in April, I attended the Spring Extension Conference in Fargo. This was a particularly useful
conference for many reasons. My counterparts throughout the state of North Dakota and I had
opportunities to share and learn teaching ideas and techniques from one another. The formal presentations
deepened our knowledge of and also enlightened us to important issues in the state. Two of the most
relevant topics included: 1. Working effectively with ethnic groups other than the dominant ethnic group
in our state and 2. The increasing number of methamphetamine labs and the amount of its use in our state.
We learned some of the reasons it is used and the damaging effects of use. Manufacturing and selling
methamphetamine is dangerous, but very lucrative. We were taught some ways to recognize labs,
suspicious activity and purchases indicating the existence of a lab, and when and how to alert authorities.
NDSCS CLASS
At NDSCS this month, I conducted a class emphasizing physical activity and how to fit it into already
busy lives.
RADIO SPOT
I had an opportunity to do a radio spot on KBMW this month. Doing this occasionally increases
awareness of the FNP program and I am also able to disseminate useful information to a large, loyal
audience.
NUTRITION EDUCATION
On April 15, food boxes from the Commodity Supplemental Food Program were distributed at the Senior
Center in Wahpeton. I offered samples of items made from ingredients in the food boxes and some
nutrition education regarding what I prepared.
CNS CLASSES
At Circle of Nations School I conducted 22 classes dealing with nutrition and exercise, five of them
included food preparation.
21st CENTURY COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTERS
Adrian Biewer
PROGRAMMING
Our afterschool programs are nearing the end of their third year of programming. We applied for a one
year extension in our grant funding and received approval to continue. We recently completed our Annual
Performance Review and found that we have continued to improve our program. We have increased the
number of core subject activities and our participation by students has increased from the past year.
Summer Session registration is currently in progress and programming will start June 9.
ARCHERY AND RIFLE
Recently, I completed archery and rifle 4-H certification so that we could provide archery and B-B gun
training and league for the sites. We plan to have a summer training session and start a fall, winter, or
spring league at each site for students. We are hoping to find more volunteers for certification for
programming in the sites.
EVALUATING
While spring seems to be the time that most schools are winding down, the afterschool program is
inventorying and ordering supplies, evaluating the past programming year and planning for summer staff
activities that will improve the program for next year.
NUTRITION/FITNESS GRANT
Our program received some good news on May 5. We were selected from 650 applicants to receive one
of the General Mills Nutrition/Fitness Grants. It will provide $10,000 to bring consistent fitness activities
and nutritional programming to our sites during the next year. |
