June 20, 2024 Minutes
Weld County Extension Advisory Council Minutes
June 20, 2024
IN ATTENDANCE:
Sheila Beckley-Program Update
Rick Bowen
Commissioner Perry Buck
Amy Cooksey
Case DeVries
Pat Kindvall
Dr. Darin Lickfeldt
Erin Mathews
Cindy Nosko-Minutes
Carole Pitre
Gary Schaneman
Mike Schwan
Lori Stevens
Hannah Swanbom
ABSENT:
Josh Docheff
William Nelson
Sean Short
Dr. Darin Lickfeldt welcomed the group and called the meeting of the Weld County Extension Advisory Council to order at 12: 00 pm. The minutes were approved by the board members. The group then introduced themselves as there are 2 new members, Chase Devries (in process) and Carole Pitre (new member). The topic for board update about the weather and its impact.
Hannah gave an update on Extension. Currently amping up for the County Fair. We’re kicking the fair off with a truck pull on July 13th over at the arena, beginning at 6 pm, then on with the fair set-up and the dog show on the 19th, along with the Northern Colorado Draft Horse Association show. The Jr. Livestock Sale is on July 29th. This year we have more vendors and food trucks so it should be more community oriented.
The budget has been submitted so going thru the process.
Katey Nyborg who is the Horticulture Assistant will be leaving Extension. Her last day is June 28th.
We have youth that are currently at the state 4-H contest on campus so the 4-H program is busy with getting ready for the State Shoot.
Had a great Camp Cloverbud a couple weeks ago. It was all about different careers. A Med Vac helicopter even landed and answered questions. There were also policemen, fire department and even some men in the military. The registration for Camp Cloverbud is normally capped at 50 and the last few camps have been more in the 60’s.
Planting is continuing at White Plumb Farm. Most of the planting is completed although there were some issues with some of the nurseries during the process. It seems when we went to pick up the orders, they had sold the plants we ordered to landscapers in the area. We also got some of the old farm equipment put back on the farm so they are sitting in front of the house. There is still work to be done with a lot of weed pulling being at the top of the list. Congress woman Caraveo’s staff were out to the farm a couple of weeks ago to visit and see what was going on.
Commission Buck gave us her update. Hannah was commended for all the work she’s done for Extension since she started. She is always looking above and beyond and has even worked hard to get the Fair going. Buck mentioned how great it was that they are bring back the truck pull as that hasn’t been done for 14 years or more and now there’s even going to be a 4-H rodeo. It’s also great to see the Fairboard group working so well together, we definitely have a good group now as it takes a lot of work to put together a fair. Mikayla, the fair coordinator has shown tremendous leadership since she started. She is working with the commissioners doing the contracts and such to get the fair going. She is amazing with a great work ethic.
Sheila Beckley gave an update on the FCS (Family Consumer Science) program. She has a partnership with the High Plains Library District and so far, has done a Science of Chocolate at the Library in Windsor, Kimchi-Food Fermentation at Centennial Library in Greeley, and Chair Yoga at the Riverside and Cultural Center in Evans. Some of the upcoming classes include:
- Nutritious Meals for One or Two, Low Acid Canning, and Chocolate at the Centennial Library in Greeley
- The Mediterranean Diet, Kimchi and Walk Indoors at the Carbon Valley Regional Library in Firestone
- Low Acid Canning at the Riverside Library and Cultural Center in Evans.
This year she partnered with the Weld County Department of Health. They were looking for training for some of the folks in the food kitchen, the Greeley Active Adult Center, the Ice Haus Greeley, Meals on Wheels and the Cracked Egg Restaurant in Milliken and Platteville, for the SERV Safe Protection Manager Certification as someone in each establishment should be trained in food safety.
Sheila also does the SERV Safe exam by proctor, assisting with those who have language barriers so that they can get their certification. About the only class Sheila does online is the Colorado Cottage Food Certification. She tried doing the class in person, but very few showed up. She found that the online class had better turnouts as the clients just wanted to get it done so they could sell their goods at farmer’s markets, etc.
Sheila teaches Healthy Aging and Older Adult Programs and has a 3-year partnership with the Aspen Club of UC Health and did some classes for them such as Living Alzheimer’s, middle stage, Meal Planning for One or Two and Food Safety at Home. Some upcoming programs are Who gets Grandma’s Yellow Pie Plate, Dining with Diabetes and Chair Exercises.
Sheila has been able to partner with some new organizations doing Nutritious Meals for One or Two with PERA retirees of Weld County; Ten Warning Signs with Weld Village County Credit Union and Nutrition for Older Adults with Village Cooperative of Greeley. Some upcoming programs are Chair Exercises and Walk indoors with Meeker Commons in Greeley and a Guest Icebreaker Presenter with Weld Caregiver Dat at LINC Library.
Sheila is part of the Age-Friendly Weld Team led by the united Way of Weld County. They partner with Weld County residents to promote and support the dignity of older adults in their home and community. Their vision is that every adult in Weld County has opportunities to age well. They are working to make Weld a great place to live for all ages.
Age Friendly Weld-4 priorities
- Driving shouldn’t be the only way to get around. Sidewalks, safe street crossings, dedicated bicycle lanes, public transportation and more are needed.
- Health and Community Services. While it’s necessary that health care and assistance are nearby and readily available, affordability and accessibility are just as important.
- Social Participation, Respect, and Inclusion. Everyone wants to be respected and included. Opportunities for socializing, volunteering, being with those of varying ages and background, and having fun are important for overall health.
- Communications and information sharing. Age-friendly communities recognize that information needs to be shared through a variety of methods since not everyone is tech-savvy or has access to the same technology.
Sheila is on the communication and information sharing committee. Their goal is to build a stronger community by providing accessible information and resources to older adults, families and caregivers on community agencies and business, and promote and expand intergenerational opportunities. The goal is to get resources for older adults into one place since it’s difficult at times to find what you need without having to go to different sites and searching.
Sheila applied for a grant and was able to get a grad student to assist with getting the resources together in one area. Her name is Rachel Washburn.
There is also a CSU Extension Family Matters newsletter that comes out monthly. It includes a feature article on parenting issues and information on health, physical activity, nutrition, and child safety. It is linked on the Weld County Extension website on the FCS page.
She is also partnering with Weld County Department of Health and Environment working with the Food Bank. They bring their mobile pantry truck to different towns across the county and is done once or twice a month. In February it was in Johnstown and in July it will be in Lochbuie. The other one that Olga is doing, which is not part of Thriving Weld is Healthy Tips for Seniors starting this Summer until the end of the year. It’s also a bilingual program.
Sheila is doing Chair exercises at the Rodarte Center and also Healthy Eating during the holidays which is also at the Rodarte Center.
She is involved with ADRDAC (Alzheimer’s and Dementia Related Diseases Action Coalition) which is led by the Colorado Department of Health and Environment. The reason this came about is that there are about 76,000 people 65 or older that are living with Alzheimer’s in Colorado as of 2020. About 160,000 care partners are providing more than 186 million hours of unpaid care to those living with dementia.
CDHE has decided to ramp up these resources and support to assist these individuals. Sheila is a part of the Empower and Engage public group and they are working to develop policies and build partnerships, assure a competent workforce, and monitor, and evaluate the data.
The Colorado AgrAbility Project (CAP) is a partnership between Colorado State University Extension and Goodwill Industries of Colorado. The program is funded in part by a grant from the U.S Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to provide information, education, and services to farmers, ranchers, agricultural workers and their families with disabilities, illnesses, or conditions. This unique collaboration promotes independence in production agriculture by helping workers find the help they need to begin, remain, or regain employment on their farm or ranch.
Sheila is currently working on a 6-week program Healthy Living without Barriers. It’s for families with at least one child who exceeds the recommended body weight. They started the healthy living program at the Greeley Rec Center in April this year. They partnered with CDHE and Sunrise Community Health. They received a USDA/NIFA Pilot Grant for July 2024 through June 2026. The program provides interactive health and wellness education, a structured family support group, hands on cooking and nutrition classes, and resources for choices. The program is free, dinner is provided and the whole family is welcome to participate, including grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.
With no further business or new business, the meeting was adjourned at 1:15 p.m. The next Council meeting will be on August 22nd at noon at the Extension Office.