Caledonia Argus

Broadwater is nes director at Extension

Posted: 7/30/02

by Jane Palen
Managing editor

Although Neil Broadwater already knows many people in Houston County from conducting dairy workshops in the county, heís now looking forward to meeting even more in his new capacity as County Extension Director.

Broadwater was an extension educator in Winona County for 24 years, and through restructuring is now County Extension Director for both Winona and Houston Counties.

ìWe have put on programs with other counties and I have been here a number of times working with dairy producers,î said Broadwater. ìIíve already met a certain segment of the population, and I am looking forward to meeting as many people as I can.î

One of Broadwaterís goals is to try to keep things as efficient as possible given the restructuring of the extension program.

ìMy schedule will vary due to the transition,î said Broadwater. ìWe need to take care of things already on our calendars that we already set up and planned.î There are responsibilities to address in both the old and new positions, Broadwater pointed out. No one in the extension service serves just one county any more.

This fall, a needs assessment will be conducted in order to determine how the extension service can address the needs of the county.

ìWe will be looking at every countyís needs and wants and pulling information together,î explained Broadwater. What the needs assessment will help determine, he said, is what extensionís role should be. It will also help eliminate duplication of services.

Once the assessment is complete, there may be changes in the way programs are delivered.

ìWe will coordinate programs to make sure we meet the needs of the county,î said Broadwater. ìWe will use our best judgement until that assessment is complete. Some of the emphasis might shift based on the needs assessment.î

As always, he said, the goal of the extension service is to bring the resources of the University of Minnesota to the local people.

Holly Kanengieter-Brown and Bill Halfman will continue to work out of the Caledonia office. As regional extension educators, they are serving more counties in the 15-county southeastern Minnesota region. Halfman is now working in the more specialized area of crops, and Kanengieter continues to work with youth through 4-H, although she is responsible for more counties now. The Houston County Board has approved the hiring of a 4-H coordinator who will work exclusively in Houston County to maintain that program.

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