Agriculture & Extension

AGRICULTURE AND EXTENSION EDUCATION COMMITTEE November 4, 2025 Members Present: Catherine Lemke, Tim Hansen, and Karen Cummings. Absent: Jim Metz. Others Present: Julie Diepenbrock, Michelle Grimm, Kelly Phillips, Amber Rehberg, Sandy Stuttgen, and Nicole Hager from HR. Minutes by Phillips. Call meeting to order: Tim Hansen, Chairperson, called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. Approve the agenda: Lemke moved to approve the agenda; Cummings seconded the motion. Motion carried. Approve minutes of the September 2, 2025 meetings: Cummings moved to approve the minutes of September 2; Lemke seconded. Motion carried. Approve bills and vouchers for September/October: Lemke moved to approve the bills and vouchers; Cummings seconded. Motion carried. Educator Highlight Reports: Educators gave oral reports to supplement their written reports. Highlights were reviewed and discussed from: Julie Diepenbrock, Taylor/Price 4 -H Program Educator: Diepenbrock talked about After School Programs in MAES, SES, MAMS and Gilman’s held at the Gilman Public Library. Come Spring 2026, Diepenbrock stated she was asked by the Gilman Library to help offer a Poverty Simulation for Gilman High Schoolers; the focus being sympathize and identify resources. Diepenbrock noted there is a new 4 -H Club starting in Rib Lake with an organizational meeting taking place November 4 th. Diepenbrock spoke about the past activities surrounding National 4 -H Week with window displays around the county and Harvest Fest with 4-H Discovery Days and over 100 youth present at Huey’s attending 4 -H Pet & Learn and Make & Take activities; 4 -H YLO brough in 163 pounds of nonperishable items to the Indianhead Food pantry for Trick -or-Treat for the Hungry, and 4 -H members attended the Harvest Day parade handing out 4-H pencils. Cummings ask how many youth were in Taylor Count 4-H, Diepenbrock stated 181 community club members in 2024 -2025 which doesn’t include those attending camps, library programs, Huey’s summer program or after school programming. Sandy Stuttgen, Agriculture Education/Programming: Stuttgen recently held Save a Calf, Save a Cow Workshops for both dairy and beef farmers with positive feedback. The next workshop will be targeted for dairy farmers in February separate from beef farmers in April. As a results from a recent Parasite Patrol Workshop, Stuttgen will be writing an article re: deworming digging further into the label details as well as offering another Samm Ruminant Workshop the end of January. Stuttgen is also gearing up to kick off Beef Evening Webinar Series in December that will meet monthly. Stuttgen is also working with DATCP to launch offerings related to Biosecurity, getting farmers ready by working of their premise maps how to control people coming to the farm. Stuttgen is also assisting Grimm re: RESET by getting farmer’s input regarding solar panels on farmland. Michelle Grimm, Community Development: Grimm stated RESET focus group meetings will take place after November 13 th meeting in Greenwood. Grimm is part of the FEED statewide team focusing on Food Entrepreneur for small ag businesses. More Zooms re: FEED coming up in Spring. Grimm also is wrapping up WI Non-Profit Fall Workshops, that she is a founding member, and will be offering Volunteer Management workshops in February. Grimm stated how the community garden is wrapped up for this year and that there were 3 Master Gardener’s that intentionally grew and harvested vegetables for the local food pantries. Grimm also noted that Strong Bodies is half -way through the first season with a new substitute for Rib Lake that will be going through training. Lastly, Grimm mentioned Broadband will be moving forward with Community meetings in the near future. Kelly Phillips, Program Assistant: Phillips listed the trainings she has attended for PAT (Pesticide Application Training), Real Living’s Communications Workshop, and UW -Madison Extension IT trainings re: website updates via Word Press and accessibility. Phillips also mentioned that she recently joined the County’s Wellness Committee. Phillips remarked that foot traffic has increased for Plat Books since Register Deeds can no longer offer them through their office. Phillips continued to cover the projects she has worked on over the past few months for 4 -H creating email blasts, newsletter, awards YouTube video and assisting with year end and new year kick off. Phillips also created a Strong Bodies display for Grimm to attend the Health Fair as well as follow -up mailing for those eligible for winter classes. And then miscellaneous Agricultural email updates and posts and assist Rehberg in budget reviews. Area Extension Director Updates: Rehberg remarked it’s been 1 year as a temporary replacement as AED for Taylor County. She also noted there will be an announcement from Madison regarding the restructuring of AED positions and demographics going from 21 AED’s to 19 to help with budget reductions. Review and Consideration for Approval FY2026 UW -Madison – Extension Taylor County Contract: Rehberg noted the only difference from last year was in figure “F” language regarding Nondiscrimination Statement being drastically reduced as well as office location address being added. Lemke moved to approve the 2026 Contract; Cummings seconded. Motion carried. Next committee meeting: Tuesday, January 6, 9:00 a.m. Adjournment: Lemke motioned to adjourn at 9:45 a.m.; Cummings seconded. Motion carried. AGRICULTURE AND EXTENSION EDUCATION COMMITTEE September 2, 2025 Members Present: Catherine Lemke, Tim Hansen, Jim Metz, and Karen Cummings Others Present: Julie Diepenbrock, Michelle Grimm, Shara Allen, Kelly Phillips, Terri Kolb, Amber Rehberg, Sandy Stuttgen, and Nicole Hager from HR. Minutes by Phillips. Call meeting to order: Tim Hansen, Chairperson, called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. Approve the agenda: Lemke moved to approve the agenda; Metz seconded the motion. Motion carried. Approve minutes of the July 1, 2025 meetings: Metz moved to approve the minutes of July 1, 2025; Cummings seconded. Motion carried. Approve bills and vouchers for March/April and May/June: Metz moved to approve the bills and vouchers; Cummings seconded. Motion carried. Educator Highlight Reports: Educators gave oral reports to supplement their written reports. Highlights were reviewed and discussed from: Julie Diepenbrock, Taylor/Price 4 -H Program Educator: Diepenbrock finished summer programming which included a 12 -week Summer Club at Huey’s Hideaway; weekly programming at Rib Lake Library as well as one -time visits to the remaining county libraries; two 4-H Day Camps and Summer Camp reaching over 200 youth and exposing them to 4 -H. As a result, Taylor County 4-H has gained a few new 4-H youth members. Sandy Stuttgen, Agriculture Education/Programming: Stuttgen is gearing up for Fall workshops targeting beef and dairy producers in Save a Calf, Save a Cow covering birthing care to nutrition as well as Cow -Calf & Fall Forage for beef producers selecting herd management and fall forage management. Stuttgen recently finished Artificial Insemination in-person workshop on Bach Farms and Small Ruminant Parasite Control in -person session in Abbotsford. Stuttgen received confirmation from DATCP regarding a grant for biosecurity workshops that will be conducted throughout the state starting in October to prepare farms to implement biosecurity plans for their farms. Michelle Grimm, Community Development: Grimm stated two new Strong Bodies certified instructors will be in place as subs for the Gilman area; she is currently looking for two residents to get certified from the Rib Lake area. Grimm shared that the Community Gardens are starting to wind down for the season. Three Master Gardeners to serve hour requirements to maintain their certification cared for a large portion of the garden as well as maintained and donated their goods to the local food pantries. Grimm hi ghlighted the RESET Solar Program Board will be kicking off in 2 weeks with focus groups to follow. Also noted was Grimm teaching the upcoming Nonprofit series webinars. Lastly, Grimm remarked that the Broadband maps were uploaded and maintained on our website for communication purposes and soon will offer Listening Sessions at county libraries in October. Shara Allen, FoodWIse Nutrition Educator: Allen commented this would be her last report due to the Snap -Ed being cut from the Federal budget. Allen spoke to the highlights report about the programming she conducted at Taylor House and Senior Dining Centers offering new skills in the kitchen with staple foods that are available to them. Allen, with assistance from Grimm packaged fresh produce from the Community Gardens to offer a variety of salad options to residents encouraging them to apply for the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Vouchers. Allen also attended the ADRC Fair Before the Fair and the Taylor County Health Department Resource Fairs sharing nutrition literature, recipes, samples, and food access resources. Kelly Phillips, Program Assistant: Phillips stated since the time she wrote her “Highlights” for the report, she went from 70 interactions with Taylor County Residents to over 100! These interactions range from 4 -H questions, Ag Workshop calls, Strong Bodies registrations to walk-ins regarding Horticulture and bug i d. questions. Phillips noted currently most of her time is spent resetting programs to kick-off new seasons for Strong Bodies and 4-H as well as promoting Fall Ag Workshops and Seminars. Phillips not only internally promotes on all social media platforms and Extension’s website, but she also hits the street and provides marketing materials to schools and libraries regarding 4 -H and hospitals, clinics and chiropractic offices regarding Strong Bodies. Area Extension Director Updates: Rehberg remarked spending a day with targeted older 4 -H youth members from three counties for a day trip coordinated by two county 4 -H Interns and our AmeriCorp Intern. Rehberg also attended, for the first time, the Taylor County Fair and worked in the food stand. Rehberg spoke due to the defunding of Snap -Ed, the FoodWIse staff were in a transition period and last day will be September 30 th. Rehberg also noted that UW - Madison Extension isn’t in a hiring freeze, however they are being selective on the positions that are open and being staffed. FY2026 Budget Request for Extension: Rehberg spoke to the accounts that were decreased for 2026 budget review. Hager remarked about carry -over accounts and the need to streamline and spend down some of the funds. Cummings approved the FY2026 Budgets; Lemke seconded. Motion carried. Next committee meeting: Tuesday, November 4, 9:00 a.m. Adjournment: Lemke motioned to adjourn at 9:59 a.m.; Metz seconded. Motion carried. AGRICULTURE AND EXTENSION EDUCATION COMMITTEE July 1, 2025 Members Present: Catherine Lemke, Tim Hansen, Jim Metz, and Karen Cummings Others Present: Julie Diepenbrock, Michelle Grimm, Shara Allen, Kelly Phillips, Terri Kolb, Amber Rehberg, Samantha Budtke, and Katelyn Schult. Absent: Sandy Stuttgen Minutes by Phillips. Call meeting to order: Tim Hansen, Chairperson, called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. Approve the agenda: Lemke moved to approve the agenda; Cummings seconded the motion. Motion carried. Approve minutes of the March 4, 2025 meetings: Metz moved to approve the minutes of March 4, 2025; Lemke seconded. Motion carried. Approve bills and vouchers for March/April and May/June: Metz moved to approve the bills and vouchers; Cummings seconded. Motion carried. Educator Highlight Reports: Educators gave oral reports to supplement their written reports. Highlights were reviewed and discussed from: Julie Diepenbrock, Taylor/Price 4 -H Program Educator: Diepenbrock introduced 4 -H Summer Intern Samantha Budtke and 4 -H AmeriCorps Katelyn Schult. Budtke stated she has been busy with Huey’s summer program, attended Summer Camp and will be working at the Taylor County Fair. Schult mentioned her job as an AmeriCorp representative is to go after new audiences and has been focusing on Rib Lake creating weekly programs at the Rib Lake Public Library. Schult will also be conducting programs at the Rec Center in July and attending the Taylor County Fair as well. Diepenbrock has been busy with After Summer School programing at MAES offering LEGO Robotics and then starting at MAES in early August. Diepenbrock stated Summer Camp, offered to 3 rd thru 7 th graders in four counties, was well attended by our Taylor County youth learning outdoor survival skills, forensic science, arts & crafts, and water activities. Diepenbrock did a promotional interview at K99 focusing on Summer Day Camps, the Taylor County Fair, Rib Lake Library Series, and Taylor County Library programs. Just in the month of June, the 3 reached 226 youth and 47 adults. Sandy Stuttgen, Agriculture Education/Programming: Stuttgen was absent. Hansen stated for members to read through her Highlights and Rehberg commented that Stuttgen was on vacation as well as professional development by attending a National Association of County Agriculture Agents focusing on beef producers and current topics the industry is facing nationwide. Michelle Grimm, Community Development: Grimm provided a high -level overview of RESET. Now that it has passed, next steps are for an advisory committee to educate and communicate to Taylor County residents and government members placement opportunities. Grimm noted that ordinances need to be in place prior to selection. Lemke asked if they needed to create an ordinance first. Grimm stated that once they educate the community and provide feedback, the project team will give suggestions then it goes thru Zoning Department. Expected end date is December 2025/January 2026. Hansen asked if the ordinance is needed in townships? Grimm stated that if the county puts forth an ordinance, it will supersede the towns. Hansen also asked if it’s wind or solar that’s being proposed. Grimm stated it was solar at this point. Grimm then spoke about the collection numbers from Clean Sweep. Grimm said she has been a sub for the 5 -Week summer course for Non -Profit, Connect To Learn series. Her next program for NP will be in September teaching “Know Your Organization” via Zoom. Lastly, Grimm noted that the food pantries lost their grant to purchase produce so the Master Gardeners from the Community Gardens will be supplying that need. Shara Allen, FoodWIse Nutrition Educator: Allen commented further about the loss of funding for the food pantries and has come up with an idea to label all produce supplied by the Community Garden and to offer “how to’s” for example, how to use in a meal, how to store, etc. Allen is also working with some of the suppliers at the Farmer’s Market to promote and encourage buyers to purchase goods for the food pantry for Allen to collect. Allen just finished with 6 sessions with Soar and the Raider Academy educating them on healthy eating options, introduction of various fruits and vegetables, and knife skills as well as 5 -series session at Head start with stories, activities followed by food sampling. Allen also finished classes offered to Seniors in Jump River offering air fryers from the Health Department’s Isolation Grant. Allen is also offering classes in Rib Lake and Gilman on healthy snacks and drinks. Lastly, Allen started programming at Taylor House making nutritious meals from the foods in their cupboards. Kelly Phillips, Program Assistant: Phillips spoke about the Admin Professional conference in Wausau her and 5 of her colleagues put on for other Extension Administrators covering topics such as 4 -H Online Reporting capabilities, digital accessibility for websites, and PDF usage via the web. Phillips stated how in just May and June alone, she has had over 60 walk - ins, emails and/or phone calls from community members from 4-H questions, plat book sales, horticulture questions, bug I.D., Clean Sweep questions, crop and soil questions, and Community Garden and Strong Bodies registrations. Phillips also updated the website to be more readable from cell phones, created and assisted in launching RESET, FoodWIse recipe cards, labels and support documents, registrations for all 4 educator programs, social media updates and Ag and 4-H Newsletters. Area Extension Director Updates: Rehberg remarked about the federal budgets impact on Snap-Ed, which is the grant that supports Terri and Shara. The House and Senate both eliminated it from their budgets. If the budget reconciliation goes through as proposed as this time, funding for FoodWIse will end on September 30 th. Positions will be cut and local programming will no longer be offered. UW -Madison and the Division of Extension are looking at all federal cutbacks and how they will impact programming. Quarterly Meeting Verses Bi-Monthly Meeting Discussion: The board agreed to keep things as we are meeting bi-monthly. Next committee meeting: Tuesday, September 2, 2025, 9:00 a.m. Adjournment: Metz motioned to adjourn at 9:53 a.m.; Lemke seconded. Motion carried. AGRICULTURE AND EXTENSION EDUCATION COMMITTEE March 4, 2025 Members Present: Catherine Lemke, Tim Hansen, Jim Metz, and Karen Cummings Others Present: Julie Diepenbrock, Michelle Grimm, Sandy Stuttgen, Kelly Phillips, Terri Kolb (via Zoom), and Amber Rehberg. Absent: Shara Allen Minutes by Phillips. Call meeting to order: Tim Hansen, Chairperson, called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. Approve the agenda: Metz moved to approve the agenda; Lemke seconded the motion. Motion carried. Approve minutes of the January 7, 2025 meetings: Lemke moved to approve the minutes of January 7, 2025; Cummings seconded. Motion carried. Approve bills and vouchers: Cummings asked about the $500 4H Online Annual Subscription Fee. Diepenbrock shared that the fee is used for the licensing and support of 4H Online; the software used for membership and registration on an annual basis. Metz moved to approve the bills and vouchers; Lemke seconded the motion. Motion carried. Educator Highlight Reports: Educators gave oral reports to supplement their written reports. Highlights were reviewed and discussed from: Julie Diepenbrock, Taylor/Price 4-H Program Educator: Diepenbrock remarked that the 4-H Summer Intern has been hired. They are a former Wood County 4-H Member and will split their time supporting programming in both Taylor and Price Counties. Diepenbrock provided an update on January's Project Fun Day where 3 different 4 -H projects were offered in a hands -on and educational format to area 4 -H members here at Extension, i.e. Cats, Rabbits and Photography. Diepenbrock also spoke about the After School Programs where she is engaging and exposing youth to 4-H activities like STEM, cooking, and sewing. Lastly, Diepenbrock remarked on some of the community outreach activities the local clubs have been doing like making Valentine cards and tie blankets for area senior citizen facilities. Also shared details about a Taylor County 4 -H Leaders Federation-sponsored 4-H Night at Perkinstown Winter Sports to foster connections and a sense of belonging among youth and positive adult mentors. Sandy Stuttgen, Agriculture Education/Programming: Stuttgen referred to highlights of NCWCA's Annual Meeting where she created a survey regarding attendee's record - keeping habits and how or if they use the NCWCA Herd Record Book. This survey also resulted in future programming opportunities based on lack of record keeping, tracking feed quantities and costs, etc. Another outcome from NCWCA is Sandy inquiring about School to Work Programs in order to help build the future farmers. Stuttgen is currently working with the school administration to explore the possibilities. Lastly, Stuttgen met with over 80 beef cattlemen from around the state on how to create biosecurity of their farm; a who's there and where are they going record keeping/tracking to minimize outbreaks. Ten Taylor and Price County beef cattlemen attended and there was a lot of great feedback on the programming and education provided. Michelle Grimm, Community Development: Grimm stated the StrongBodies Volunteer Leader Training occurred last month to remind volunteers of best practices and any updates/changes to the program. This program restarts next week for the Spring Session, March - May. Grimm also mentioned that quite a few local doctors refer their osteoporosis patients to this program. Grimm shared the possibility of offering Q&A sessions related to Broadband at local libraries for community members. Next, Grimm spoke of the 2 state team committees she serves on offering local and statewide workshops to community members and business owners; Food Entrepreneurship Ecosystems Development (FEED) and Wisconsin Nonprofits Connect to Learn. Lastly, Grimm remarked on the Gilman Trail Progress Goal of completion before the end of the school year, May 2025. Terri Kolb, FoodWlse Administrator: Kolb stated Allen was programming in Lincoln County today. Allen has been programming at SOAR since the school year on a monthly basis determining where students' skillsets are at and helping them become more self-sufficient by offering healthy ways of making meals. Allen finished up a 4 series nutrition class in Gilman for seniors regarding healthy eating, eating on a budget and reading nutritional labels, and food safety measures. Allen will be offering this same program for ADRC in late March. Kolb stated she is currently working on Fiscal Year 2026 plan of work and budgeting as well as identifying partnerships for the year to come. Kelly Phillips, Program Assistant: Phillips spoke about the state team she works with to provide all statewide Extension Administrators with access to the same information, tools, etc. by sharing communications via SharePoint and by conducting monthly Zooms focused on filling the gap on training needs like 4H Online, Digital Accessibility training, Canva updates, Word Press features, Excel tips, Emma updates, etc. Phillips also noted the professional development courses she continues to attend online such as Navigating Workplace Conflict, Civil Rights - Digital Accessibility Access, Labels and ID: Understanding the Latino population within your state and county. Lastly, Phillips spoke to the numerous, over 400 in 2024, phone calls, emails and walk -ins that she handles on a daily basis and broke it down into categories where Extension has offered assistance to the community. Art's Retirement Resolution: Read by Rehberg. Cummings moved to accept the Resolution and Lemke seconded the motion. Motion carried. Area Extension Director Updates: Rehberg distributed a 2024 Highlights Overview for feedback before county board dissemination with bi -monthly programming highlights. She noted that federal funding for Extension remains unchanged and reaffirmed a commitment to meeting local needs through existing programs and services. Next committee meeting: Tuesday, May 6, 2025, 9:00 a.m. Adjournment: Lemke motioned to adjourn at 9:57 a.m.; Cummings seconded. Motion carried. AGRICULTURE AND EXTENSION EDUCATION COMMITTEE January 7, 2025 USDA Service Center, Extension Meeting Room 2 Members Present: Catherine Lemke, Tim Hansen, Jim Metz Members Absent: Karen Cummings Others Present: Julie Diepenbrock, Michelle Grimm, Sandy Stuttgen, Kelly Phillips, and Amber Rehberg. Absent: Shara Allen and Terri Kolb Minutes by Phillips. Call meeting to order: Tim Hansen, Chairperson, called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. Approve the agenda: Lemke moved to approve the agenda; Metz seconded the motion. Motion carried. Approve minutes of the November 5, 2024 meetings: Metz moved to approve the minutes of November 5, 2024; Lemke seconded. Motion carried. Approve bills and vouchers: Lemke moved to approve the bills and vouchers; Metz seconded the motion. Motion carried. Hansen asked about the expense for StrongBodies; Grimm noted they were gift cards for the volunteer instructors and the funds come from the registrations. Educator Highlight Reports: Educators gave oral reports to supplement their written reports. Highlights were reviewed and discussed from: Sandy Stuttgen, Agriculture Education/Programming: Stuttgen referred to highlights wrapping up data collection on passive immunity in over 3,000 beef calves. The study aims to compare replacement dairy heifer calves to non -retained female, male, and crossbred calves and identify gaps in colostrum management practices. Stuttgen continued from highlights about several articles that she has written to keep livestock producers up to date with local and regional livestock news, market trends, and production ideas to help increase the economic viability of producers. Stuttgen will be offering spring classes regarding dairy and beef calving along with the importance of record keeping. Michelle Grimm, Community Development: Grimm stated the StrongBodies 2 nd session started this week countywide. Goodrich location will be taking a break this winter and reoffer class in the spring. An in -person StrongBodies Training Session will take place for all trainers and volunteers on January 29 th. Grimm noted that the Broadband Project will be offering an informational packet for the public. In Strategic Planning, Grimm offered County HR Director, Nicole Hager, use of Madison’s Qualtrics Survey. Lastly, Grimm remarked on the three projects The Design Gilman Student Council Group will be moving forward on this spring: mural, walk path, and signage for the village. Julie Diepenbrock, Taylor/Price 4-H Program Educator: Diepenbrock remarked about the prep work for the upcoming spring/summer programming: Huey’s Hideaway, Library Programs, Day Camps, Summer Camp and the Fair. Diepenbrock noted sixteen 4-H members, half youth and half adults, attended last Sunday’s Leadership Training and Project Fun Day. It has been scaled back for the 11 th to offer the top 3 projects to 8 youth members. Lastly, Diepenbrock stated that after school programs are back in session along with programs offered at the Gilman Library. The 4 -H Summer Internship Position has been posted with 3 candidates applying thus far. Kelly Phillips, Program Assistant: Phillips mentioned walk in counter activity has decreased since the change in season, however the phone calls have increased with signups for several programs being currently offered. Phillips maintains Extension’s social media presence, web updates as well as display updates for each educator with Ag being the most recent update. Phillips just wrapped up over 1100 ECN Newsletters to area beef and dairy contacts and 200 4-H Newsletters to partners, board members and 4 -H family members. Phillips created several recipe cards for FoodWIse programming efforts at RVA, Stock boxes , and senior health centers. Area Extension Director Updates: No major updates or changes at this time. Rehberg shared that even though she is currently serving a large area, she is available to the board members at any time; please call or reach out with any questions or concerns. Annual Report: Committee agreed that there was not a need for an Annual Report. Requested that the Extension Bi -Monthly Reports be shared with the full county board; compiling 2024 reports and then sharing bi-monthly moving forward. Next committee meeting: Tuesday, March 4, 2025, 9:00 a.m. Adjournment: Lemke motioned to adjourn at 9:42 a.m.; Metz seconded. Motion carried.