MONTHLY NARRATIVES
(Program Highlights)

RICHLAND COUNTY

January 2003

CROPPING SYSTEMS
Dale L. Siebert

RICHLAND COUNTY AG DAY
The annual Richland County Ag Day was held in Mantador on Friday, January 10, 2003. Featured at this years' program were presentations on Bio-Diesel by Terry Goerger, Mantador; Saline Soils Development by Dr. David Hopkins, NDSU Soils Department; US Corn Outlook and Ethanol Initiative; Wallie Hardie, Fairmount and 2003 Weed Update by Richard Zollinger, NDSU Agronomist. The annual meetings of the Richland County Crop Improvement Association and the Richland County Corn Growers were also held during the meeting. Wallie Hardie was also elected to a three year term representing Richland County on the ND Corn Utilization Council. Forty-eight farmers and interested people attended the meeting.

FARM BILL DECISION AID
Office traffic was brisk during January as farmers continued to seek assistance with analyzing their options for participation in the new farm bill. The ability to access and utilize the NDSU Program through the office and being able to discuss the various alternatives with them individually has been valuable assistance to them as they prepare to sign up for the program that will affect their operation for the next six years. The many choices available and documentation required is confusing for many producers. The computer program is able to assist them in determining their best option for participation. Scheduling of clients has been a challenge due to the time required for assistance. As one producer stated, "This may be a once in a lifetime opportunity to make changes, I want to make sure I do it right". The assistance I am able to provide assists them in making the right choice.

NEW STAFF
During January interviews were held to fill the secretary position in the office on January 8. The position was then offered to Teri Bontjes who began her duties January 30, 2003. We are happy to have Teri as a part of our office team and to again be at full staff in the office.

Teri with roses from husband, Greg, who is stationed at Ft. Carson, Colorado.

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT/4-H
Colleen M. Svingen

TWIN TOWN LEADERSHIP
Starting in January, I have had the pleasure of participating in the Twin Town Leadership Program. The Twin Town Leadership Program is a community leadership project designed to develop the leadership potential existing in the greater Wahpeton-Breckenridge area.

One of the program goals is to bring together individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences who demonstrate talent and commitment to leadership. The program is designed not only to meet the increasing demands for community leadership, but also to respond to the business world needs of team work, conflict resolution, communication skills and the development of leadership in their employees to ensure the future success of their organization.

Twelve chosen participants meet every Tuesday afternoon at Science School for ten weeks. I was afforded this opportunity through the insight of Commissioner Don Holden. Don came in and invited me to join the group. I accepted the invitation with enthusiasm! But, after examining the registration materials more closely, I really wondered what I was getting into considering the huge time commitment and possibly additional homework.

Now, I almost hate to see the program end. This program has provided opportunities for: networking with community leaders both present and past, sharing extension resources and exploring options for future programming, learning and understanding the history of the community, and developing trusted relationships with program participants. I believe this program will be invaluable to me in my role as an agent in Richland County. I am presently exploring avenues that this group may take to ensure a sense of connectivenness down the road.

APPRAISALS
January also means we are preparing for our appraisals from our Extension District Director. This requires additional paperwork and self examination. It is not always a process we appreciate when we are going through it. But it does force us to define the direction we are taking and sometimes we find we need to change our course.. and it is always fun to discover the things that work well!

STAFF ADDITION!
Another great event in January is that Teri Bontjes joined our staff as our new secretary. Teri is just a great all around asset to our team! I am happy to have her on board and glad to see the great working relationship she and Deb are developing!

21^st CENTURY COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTERS
Adrian Biewer

The months are passing quickly. Our staff has been busy planning March activity calendars and realized it is also time to start planning summer programming.

INSERVICE TRAINING
This month our staff participated in an in-service training by Pat Groven of South Valley Special Education Services. The information presented by Mrs. Groven included a description of physical and learning disabilities and strategies for working with special needs students. One significant outcome of the training is that we are now included in the Student's Individual Education Plan. This will allow us to provide our students better service.

AFTERSCHOOL CONFERENCE
The State 21^st Century Afterschool Program Conference has been set for June 13 and 14 in Bismarck. We look forward to viewing and participating in professional development exercises and networking with our colleagues.

FNP (FAMILY NUTRITION PROGRAM)
Pamela Leino-Mills

HEALTH CLASSES
This month I taught 12 Health classes to 7^th and 8^th graders at Circle of Nations School. The focus was healthy eating and healthy exercise to help prevent type II diabetes. We compared traditional foodways and physical activity to those of today. We identified small changes that students would be willing to make to maintain good health.

LIFE SKILLS CLASSES
In Life Skills Classes, 5^th & 6^th and 7^th & 8^th, we looked at healthier choices that students would be willing to make when shopping for snacks at convenience stores. We also prepared some nutritious snacks.

TRANSITIONAL DORM CLASSES
The Transitional Dorm classes included preparation of snacks from traditional foodways, tasting some of the healthier snacks available at convenience stores, and a critical look at how advertising affects food choices.

FOOD SAFETY COURSE
The Circle of Nations Food Service Staff actively participated in a food safety course I conducted for them.

FOLIC ACID PRESENTATION
At NDSCS, I did a presentation of Folic Acid, which resulted in an interesting, lively discussion.