ISU Extension Announces Regional Staff
In April, Iowa State University announced a plan that would restructure ISU Extension and streamline the organization to address state budget cuts. This reorganization plan eliminated the area and county director positions throughout the state effective August 31.
As a new regional director for Iowa State University Extension, Brenda Ranum describes her job as “bringing together the best that the region has to offer and sharing those resources.” Ranum became the director for ISU Extension Region 4 — Allamakee, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek counties — on Aug. 1.
“There is a history of collaboration in this region and an appreciation of what each county has to offer,” Ranum said. “By working together we have the opportunity to gain efficiencies and share across county borders.
A large part of that collaborative history is the Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative, www.iowafoodandfitness.org. The initiative has included Allamakee, Clayton, Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek counties, but is expanding to Chickasaw County. The multi-county effort is helping northeast Iowans better understand how their personal and family health is connected to the local food system and to opportunities for physical fitness in their community. Ranum has been the initiative’s co-convener and project director since 2007, a role she continues with Ann Mansfield at Luther College.
Last April when ISU Extension announced the move to 20 regions, Ranum, then the Winneshiek County extension education director, wondered what restructuring would mean for ISU Extension in northeast Iowa. But Ranum realized, “we could do more together than we could alone.”
Region 4 Extension Council
“Having the history of working together, we immediately pulled together as a region,” Ranum said. “We asked ‘what are the needs of people in northeast Iowa?’ and we started developing a plan.”
Ranum helped organize the Region 4 Extension Council including members from each county’s extension council: Dave Heitman and Greg Lage, Allamakee County; Susie Anderson and Larry Tupper, Chickasaw County; Teddie Neis and Russell Pate, Clayton County; Neil Lansing and Dave Turner, Fayette County; Harold Noe and Gary Sovereign, Howard County; and John Anderson and Duane Holthaus, Winneshiek County.
This team will meet quarterly to identify educational program needs, improve communication among the counties and increase marketing of ISU Extension programs throughout the region, she explained. In addition, the Region 4 Extension Council has hired two program coordinators to serve the region.
Dan Lane is the Region 4 Agriculture and Youth Program Coordinator. He was the county extension director for Clayton County since 2007. Prior to his employment with ISU Extension, Lane was the department chair for Agriculture and Natural Resources at Hawkeye Community College and worked as a high school agriculture instructor.
Teresa Wiemerslage is the Region 4 Program and Communications Coordinator. She was the county extension director for Allamakee County since 2000. Wiemerslage has an M.S. in plant pathology and experience in horticulture and agronomy. Wiemerslage works extensively with the NE IA Food & Farm Coalition and also provides key communication and technology resources for ISU Extension and the NE IA Food & Fitness Initiative.
ISU Extension field staff assignments have also been evaluated and realigned. The following program specialists will be serving Region 4.
Vanette Grover is the Region 4 Youth Development Program Specialist. Grover has over 20 years of experience in curriculum development, program facilitation, group processes, leadership, grant procurement and networking . Grover will be responsible for the supervision of the county youth coordinators and local 4-H programs.
Dale Thoreson and Dr. Larry Tranel will continue as dairy specialists. In addition, Thoreson has beef and forages programming responsibilities. Brian Lang will continue as the Extension Agronomist. Mark Storlie will continue as the Extension Swine Specialist.
Dr. Craig Chase has been named the Farm Management Specialist. Chase has expertise in business planning and business start-ups, insurance and risk management tools and techniques, organic and food-based alternative agricultural enterprises, regional food systems, sustainable agriculture and water quality issues, and whole farm and enterprise financial analysis and decision-making.
Kapil Arora has been named the Extension Ag Engineer with expertise in water quality, soil conservation practices, manure management, composting, and environmental regulations.
Extension education to families will be coordinated by three specialists. Erin Ludwig serves as the family resource management specialist; Cindy Baumgartner is the nutrition and health specialist; and Beverly Berna continues as the family life specialist.
Joe Papp will serve Region 4 as the account manager for CIRAS (Center for Industrial Research and Service). ISU Extension continues to offer programming to communities and has specialists available that serve the entire state.
Contact information for the county Extension offices and program specialists can be found on the web at www.extension.iastate.edu or call the Regional Extension office in Decorah at 563-382-2949.
Open for Business
ISU Extension supports healthy people, healthy environments and healthy economies. The ISU Extension offices in each county will remain open and continue to serve the local tax-payers with research and education on a wide variety of issues. Here are examples of some of the timely and relevant programs scheduled for this fall.
• ISU Extension has been organizing meetings for dairy producers, lenders and community leaders about financial and legal options available to dairy farm owners, and about stress management strategies and resources for farm owners and their families.
• Field days throughout the region are highlighting opportunities in local food production.
• This fall six school districts will pilot the Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative’s “Farm to School” program.
• An additional six schools will participate in “Safe Routes to School” workshops, and Mark Fenton, former U.S. national racewalking champion and editor-at-large of Walking magazine will host a series of workshops in the region, sponsored by the Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative.
• 4-H will remain county driven, but will be able to share resources and programs throughout the region.
• A Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness conference for youth, schools, community foundations and organizations is planned for Oct. 20 at Luther College.