2022 May PCEA-EC Minutes

Minutes: Piscataquis County Extension Association Executive Committee Meeting May 9, 2022, at 3 p.m. By Zoom

Present:

  • Members: Judy Cross, Joe Dietz (Guest), Beth McEvoy DVM, Rick Cabot, Kim Merrit, 
  • Staff: Donna Coffin, Sheila Norman, Anette Moulton, Laurie Bowen, and Lisa Phelps
  • Guest: Sarah Robinson

Business Metting:

Secretary’s Report for March – Judy moved and Rick seconded to accept the minutes.

  • Treasurer’s report
  • Transactions
  • Cash Flow

Program Updates from Staff

Laurie

Laurie is working with the Piscataquis Regional Food Center on Garden in a Box. There are  17 gardeners.
Small space gardening webinar was held 

What’s Wrong with my Plants webinar is coming up. 

The 2nd grade at Sedo learned about soil. 

Monson beautification committee presented Natives, Invasives & Pollinators. 

Pollinator Certification doing very well. 

Collaboration with State Wildlife Dept. on food preservation is exciting. 

Preserving the Maine Harvest webinars will be back this year.

Cooking for Crowds is now available again.

The Lee/Winn Afterschool program is completed. Kids loved Ants on a Log.

 

Sheila

Sheila and Emily will be attending the Soil and Water District folks at the Soil Health Day at the Law Farm on May 21.

Sheila will meet with homeschoolers to talk about starting a Homeschool 4-H club similar to one that meets in Penobscot County. 

The virtual dog club continues to meet. 

Sheila hopes to have an in-person practice session for youth who would like to earn Canine Good Citizen certification. 

 

Sarah

Sarah reports that the Soil Health and Conservation Day will be Saturday, May 21 from 10-2. Soil test kits will be available. A soil simulator will be available? Guided hikes around the Law Farm will be offered. The Thompson Free Public Library will have information available. There will be music in the afternoon. The Ribbon cutting ceremony for the outdoor classroom will be at 10:00. People will be picking up the plants they have ordered. 

 

Donna

There has been an increase in 1 on 1 contacts as the gardening season starts. She will have table displays at the Pork Seminar in Augusta as well as the cattle auction in Corinth. She will attend the auction as there is no beef conference this year. A low-stress cattle handling workshop was held at Ben Cookson’s farm. 

Donna serves on a statewide committee to get ag price programming up and going. A researcher on campus is planning to coordinate this information from farmers’ markets. 

Donna continues to work with the  New Maine Farmers Program. 

There is a high rate of opening newsletters by email, around 50%. 

The One Tomato distribution schedule is set. EC members are invited to participate, especially at the Black Fly Festival in Milo. Tomatoes and information about growing them will go in a paper bag. People are asked to provide initial survey information to help with following up at the end of the season. Judy will help out in Greenville on June 1st. Beth will help at the food cupboard on Thursday. 

Old Business

  • Latest COVID-19 protocols for office
    • Lisa-No protocols that need to be followed in offices. If someone is leading a group, the leader can request that everyone wear a mask if someone has a need. People are all over the continuum with comfort levels.
    • Dean Hannah Carter has a new position as of July 1. She will be Associate Provost of Division of Life Long Learning. There will be a search for an Associate Dean of Extension to help out with the day to day activities. 
    • Donna has announced her retirement. 8 other faculty members will also retire, but those names have not been announced yet.  
  • Sarah mentioned that the USDA now requires masks at their office as transmission rates are high. 
  • Change time of the meeting
    • Beth has not been able to determine that a change of time will help. Rick would like to see more people attend. He suggested a survey to determine if there is a better time. Beth and Rick will work on the survey and ask Emily to send it out. Rick suggested a consent agenda that would include standard reports. Donna reported that Penobscot EC meets in the evening and last about an hour. PSQ meetings have started at 7:00 in the past. Joe can log in from work at the current time, but could also attend in the evening at 6:30 or 7:00. Judy likes this time now. She is concerned that surveys don’t always get much response and thought that a personal phone call might be more effective. Kim can do either time. Evenings would be easier for Rick but he will make the time for afternoons.  
  • One Tomato Plan for 2022 (sign up below) Covered above. 
  • Repainting of roadside sign
    • Laurie dropped the sign off at the paint shop in Orono. They will let us know when it is repainted. The state office is paying for the repainting. AMB is not responding to calls about the sign on the front door that tells our times of being open. We may need to find a different vendor. A Cricket makes letters to make signs. 

2022 Program Plans Click on this link to see the program plan for the summer.

New Business

  • County Coordinator Responsibilities – When Donna retires her responsibilities will be divided among the remaining staff. Laurie will be EC liaison. Emily, with help from Anette, will be the Civil Rights Coordinator. Sheila will work on the county budget with help from Emily on the Excel presentations. Anette takes care of the monthly checks for Rick to sign. Laurie will help with the annual report. A template comes from the state. The budget request must be turned in to the county commissioners on time or we will not receive any money. Donna will help with training the staff to take over her responsibilities. 
  • Executive Committee Presidents Meeting – Donna attended as Beth had a conflict. Getting members is an issue for most counties. Getting sufficient funds from counties is a concern. Success stories were shared. There were good questions that allowed for sharing information. There was interest in continuing these meetings.  Virtual meetings allow for more people to attend without travel/distance issues. 
  • Potential new members – New members often join as a result of fortunate meetings. Joe will commit to a year and see how it goes. Two members have not been coming for some time. 
  • Other new business
  • None

Adjourn- The next meeting will be on July 11, at 3:00.

Next meeting: July 11th business meeting. -Meeting will be by Zoom 

We will be meeting every other month (odd months) in 2022 at 3 pm by Zoom and live when possible.

ONE TOMATO DISTRIBUTION
DATE TIME WHERE STAFF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
JUNE 1 11 AM TO 2 PM INDIAN HILL, GREENVILLE SHEILA JUDY
JUNE 1 9 AM TO 11 AM SANGERVILLE FOOD CUPBOARD LAURIE
JUNE 1 2:30 TO 4:00 PM GUILFORD COMMUNITY GARDEN LAURIE & ANETTE
JUNE 2 10 AM TO 2 PM DOVER-FOXCROFT FOOD CUPBOARD LAURIE BETH
JUNE 3 10 AM TO 2 PM GARDEN IN A BOX D-F LAURIE
JUNE 4 9 AM TO 3 PM MILO BLACK FLY FESTIVAL DONNA & LAURIE JOE
JUNE 1-3 OFFICE HOURS D-F OFFICE ANETTE
MONSON? STILL WAITING
CONFIRMATION/WILL KNOW WED.