The U of M Extension Service announced Monday that St. Cloud has been chosen as one of 18 communities across the state to serve as a Regional Extension Center. Other regional centers will be located in Albert Lea, Andover, Brainerd, Cloquet, Crookston, Farmington, Fergus Falls, Grand Rapids, Hutchinson, Mankato, Marshall, Moorhead, Mora, Morris, Rochester, Roseau and Worthington. Debbie Botzek-Linn, Extension Director for Stearns County, said Stearns was probably chosen not only because of its geographic location, but also because of its strong agricultural base, available resources and past support of the Extension Service. Having a regional center located in St. Cloud means we will have access to a wealth of resources and an increased Extension Service presence. The new center will also create additional jobs, as each of the regional offices will house 5-10 U of M staff members. The U of M announced it would no longer fund local Extension offices in response to budget restrictions. Each county has the option to fund their own local office to carry out desired programs such as 4-H and Master Gardeners. More than 100 communities across the state requested to be regional centers. “The process of choosing the 18 from so many who expressed interest was very challenging,” said Chuck Casey, Extension Dean and Director. “Unfortunately we can only afford a limited number of regional centers. While many communities were qualified to be a regional center location, we had to go with the group of 18 that best created coverage across the state. Appropriate technology access was significant in the selection process.” The next step in the process will be to determine the site location – where in St. Cloud the Regional Extension Center will be located and what staff and programs will be available. Regional offices are expected to open in January 2004.
