University of Minnesota Extension

CRAD Meeting

February 2010

Beverly R. Durgan, Dean

University Statewide Mission

Extension’s Statewide Presence

Tenure-track faculty (R/E) in 5 Colleges Several faculty located at ROCs

Extension Educators in 16 Regional Centers, 5 Research and Outreach Centers, and 4 coordinate campuses

Local Educators in 87 counties

Total: 870 Extension Employees

65% not on TC campus

University of Minnesota Extension Faculty

Multi-State Program

Multi-State EngagementLeverage resources, reduce costs, improve quality

4 joint tenure-track research and extension faculty with North Dakota State University

Agriculture Nutrition – emphasis on local foods and schools

Examples of Extension Research Programs

Bovine TB Tourism

University research addresses Minnesota’s problems

Bovine TB

• Animal respiratory disease caused by a bacteria

• First detected in northern MN beef herd in 2005

• Additional detection 2006 & 2007• MN ranks 10th nationally in beef cattle• $1.04 billion beef industry in MN

Potential to cause severe economic losses in MN

Extension Response to Bovine TB

Statewide Incident Command Provided research and outreach expertise Helped to obtain additional state funding Mobilized state, regional and local team of research and

Extension faculty Provided research and information through website,

meetings, publications, interviews

Research Conducted at ROCs:

Extension partnered with state to lead initiative, find solutions, educate producers and public

Minnesota Tourism Center

- American “Boomers” and Travel

- consider travel a necessity- time deprived (shorter trips)- forever young – want to have fun

- education and learning

- MN summer travelers

- 46.5 years old- parties of 2 – 3- ¾ travel with no children

- Minnesota Wine Trail- Six MN wineries- St. Croix/Mississippi/Cannon River Valley

One winery indicted that business during the event weekends was double during the same period the previous year.

U of M wine grapevarieties include Frontenac, Frontenac gris, LaCrescent, and Marquette