WISCONSIN WALNUT COUNCIL BOARD MEETING

AUGUST 22, 2006

FITCHBURG, WISCONSIN, DNR OFFICE

Meeting called to order at 9:15

Members present: Dan Bohlin, Bill Carlson, Larry Severied, Ingrid Olson, John Nielsen, and John Ouellette, Ron Jervis, Odell Anderson.

Secretaries Report: (Jason Sable on vacation)

1. Approved minutes from the April 2006 meeting (with spelling corrections).

COMMITTEE REPORTS

1. Treasury Report: John Ouellette

2. Treasurer is on vacation
3. John will forward updated report when available
4. Dan estimates balance at approximately $4000 after recent expenses

2. Tree and Nut Improvement: Larry Severeid

1. Discussion of Acrobasis research project at Larry Kroetz forest

Web Site – Alan Rault (not present)

2. Alan has updated and improved the web site
3. Fall field day and meeting will need to be added to the site
4. A fake bill was received for the web site host company which was identified prior to payment
5. Discussion of web site opportunities to generate income. Send any ideas to Alan.

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3. Exhibit Committee: John Nielsen/ Jason Sable

1. The exhibit will be displayed at Farm Progress Days in Iowa at the end of August and the WWOA annual meeting in September.
2. Dan has the sign with him for the meetings.
3. Russ Moody will staff the display at Light on the Land September 29 and 30.
4. New dates: WWOA Sept 7-11, 2006; Annual meeting 10-21-2006

4. Marketing Committee: John Ouellette

1. John, Larry and others discussed some specialty marketing projects the group is encouraging
2. A possible site to visit for ideas is the Tom Isley business in Illinois.

5. Membership Committee: Dan Bohlin

1. Missouri is now the number one WC chapter in terms of members (38 new members)
2. Wisconsin membership is 140 as of July 2006, a loss of seven since July 2005

6. Public Relations Committee: Ingrid Olson

1. The WWOA magazine add was 4-times as expensive due to unclear billing sheets so the add was cancelled and very expensive ( 2 ads cost $315.00). WWC is working to improve the WWOA ad policy and billing.
2. Wisconsin cheese was a door prize at the National Meeting
3. Several chapters will co-sponsor a booth at Farm Progress Days in Amana Iowa. The cost will be $140.00.
4. The Country Today newspaper has a woodland page. The paper deals with ag issues in the upper Midwest region. The opportunity is there to publish articles. Contact person is Marion Lowe.
5. Booth will be on display at the WWOA meeting (Sept 7-11, 2006) and Larry Severeid will have a field trip on the 8’Th.
6. Woodlands and Prairie magazine is published by Ron Hinkes (sp) and may be another publication to use for walnut promotion
7. John and the group discussed proper harvesting and product selection for value.

7. Spring Field Day: Bill Carlson

1. Big Springs, May 20^th was attended by approximately 40 people who saw direct seeding, BMP’s, a temporary bridge, and fish shocking. Additionally Greg Edge updated the group on the DNR walnut tree improvement program

8. Fall Field Day: Bill Carlson

2. Bill has been in contact with landowner and local DNR forester. The meeting will be Sat. Oct. 21, 2006. Morning will be tour of a walnut plantation and afternoon will visit some fine hardwoods stands in the Northern Kettle Moraine State Forest with the Sheboygan County forester, Tim Beyer.

9. WWOA Meeting

3. Larry Severeid will host a field trip for the WWOA meeting on Sept 8, 2006
4. Volunteers or WWOA/WWC members in attendance can help staff the WWC booth.

OLD BUSINESS

Nationals Walnut Council Meeting

1. Watch for the report in the WC Bulletin
2. 2007 meeting will be in Dubuque IA. at the Trappist Monastery in Peosta
3. 2008 in Columbia, MO; 2009 and 2010 to be determined; 2011 in Wisconsin (with possible change to 2009 or 2010)
4. Wisconsin meeting will be a research forum

NEW BUSINESS

1. New board members are needed for election: Dan Bohlin will step down from the Board; John Ouelette will run again
2. Two nominations are needed for election to the Board.
3. Volunteers for the Farm Progress Days in Amana, Iowa would improve the booth staffing; contact Dan B. for information.
4. A tour of the Rule Forest will be sponsored by the Natural Resources Foundation on Sept 23, 2006. The Rule Forest is a walnut demonstration forest. Walnut is exceptional quality; a number of timber harvests have been done on the forest; deer exclosures were recently installed. Google Wisconsin Natural Resources Foundation for more information.
5. Light on the Land Field Day is September 29 and 30. Numerous demonstrations, forestry equipment and small scale logging equipment will be on display. The brochure will be forwarded on email.
6. Madison Area Woodland Owners Conference

1. Farm Bill has the potential to provide significant forestry funding.