Extension service fate remains unclear

The future of the Carlton County Extension program services appeared up in the air Monday when the County Board shifted a vote on the proposed restructure to a Committee of the Whole meeting April 6, despite the presence of a number of County Extension committee members, people from the business community, plus staff from the University of Minnesota Extension. The board did not hear from any of the audience members before postponing the discussion.

The Extension program has a long history in the county. It was set up as an educational outreach effort in the early days of the University of Minnesota establishment, as a land grant educational center. County agents were common in the last century in most rural areas, specializing in promoting crop management skills, dairy herd improvement, truck farming, sustainable family gardening, and a strong 4-H program to build farming and rural living skills in the local children.

The 4-H program in the past has had a major role in the county fair, setting up exhibits, displaying a wide range of hobbies and skills such as sewing and photography, along with garden vegetables, farm animals for judging, farm crops, flower arrangements, and now even pets, to name a few. This presence has diminished and even the 4-H diner has closed. A new 4-H educator came in just before the Covid-19 shutdown. He had organized four new 4-H clubs and three outdoor educational experiences for schools but all 4-H programs were put on hold until the pandemic situation changes.

The work of Extension services has evolved with the times. More emphasis is placed on maintaining the beef industry, renewing farm land, and educating the young in gardens, fruit tree care, maple syrup production, and planting trees and native threatened plants and more.

The Soil Improvement Program is one of those efforts offered by Extension that provides important support to both local farming and industry. Wood ash from Sappi, for example, is provided at a small delivery cost to farm fields. An agricultural technician is available to test farm soil for what application of lime and fertilizer is needed for crop production. The program prevents the ash from ending up in a landfill and helps modify the soil for better growing.

Extension Committee chair Michelle Michaelson presented the “Restructuring the Carlton County Extension” proposal. The proposal was approved by the committee with assistance from the regional staff of Minnesota Extension. The main points were:

1. The Carlton County Extension Office will report to the local Extension Committee and be supervised daily by the Regional Extension director;

2. The Carlton County Human Resources director will become the supervisor of record handling employment issues and evaluations;

3. The University of Minnesota will take responsibility for the Soil Improvement Program.

“Now is the time for compromise,” county coordinator Dennis Genereau told the Pine Knot News later, adding that he was confident the county could find a solution that would keep the longtime Extension office and its services going.

In other matters Monday:

• Commissioner Mark Thell reported that the bids for the Twin Lakes Township waterline from Carlton west along Highway 210 to the Smith Road came in below engineering estimates. The main issue now is to get a funding stream to help with hookups for all the private parties along the route. The waterline will go to and up the Smith Road where testing has revealed arsenic in the well water.

• Land commissioner Greg Bernu reported that the rerouting of the Soo Line Trail on the north side of Moose Lake next to the Soo Pits has been completed. Areas to be protected, such as the old landfill are boxed off by a concrete divider normally used on highways to channel traffic when a road project is being updated. This new bypass using the trail between Kirk to Halgren roads solves the ATV noise problem that has troubled neighboring homeowners for some time. Barriers — and in time tree planting or regrowth — will block off that section of the old Soo Line embankment. That embankment is high enough to act as a sound buffer with the new trail.

• The jail study written by Mike Griebel was approved by the county board without comment and will soon be posted on the county website.

• Three county road projects had bidders far below the engineering estimates and were submitted for board approval by county engineer JinYeene Neumann. A mill and overlay project for CSAH 5 was awarded to Northland Constructors for $394,998, at 21.47 percent under estimates. A reclamation and bituminous surfacing on CSAH 7, funding coming from federal money, was awarded to Ulland Brothers for $4,641,063, at 14.47 percent under estimates. And the CSAH 8 bridge replacement 1000 feet east of Birch Road was awarded to Landwehr Construction for $305,752.40, at 35.58 percent below estimates. This saved more than $1 million from the estimates.