County Executive Comments On UW Extension Reorganization

Fond du Lac County Executive Al Buechel recently told the County Board he expects the UW Extension Service to emerge strong after a reorganization of the entire system. Buechel was asked about it when the UW Extension Service gave their annual report to the Board. He says counties will have the option to select, which extension services they want to keep. He feels all the services the extension offers in the county are valuable. He doesn’t feel it will cost the county any more or save them any money to keep the services they receive. It says it has been a very difficult task to reorganize the extension service in the whole state. He says some counties held off on filling extension vacancies until the reorganization was complete. Buechel says Fond du Lac County was fortunate to fill the vacancy for a crops and soils agent by having Dr. Loretta Ortiz-Ribbing split her time with Dodge County. He says the extension service has been very flexible when it comes to hiring new agents. He says in the end we will still have a very strong extension program. Ortiz-Ribbing started working for both counties last June.