Have You Met the Bitter Family?

Marsha A. Goetting, Ph.D., CFP, CFCS
Extension Family Economics Specialist
P.O. Box 172800
Bozeman, MT 59717-2800
phone: (406) 994-5695 fax: (406) 994-4838
E-mail: goetting@montana.eduLocation: 208C Linfield Hall
Web site

In the summer of 2009 when my husband and I were driving to a friend’s cabin for a weekend adventure in the Deerlodge National Forest we kept seeing "pink" in the pasture fields.  We were really mystified as we had made that trip many times during past years (always in June) and never saw pink flowers.  What could they be?  Once we reached public lands we stopped to take a closer look so we could discover what type of wildflowers were making a striking appearance all over the fields and growing very close to the ground.  We were ecstatic to find they were bitterroots.  Prior to this time we had only seen bitterroots in Yellowstone National Park.  This area of Southwest Montana had more than normal amounts of rainfall in the spring and early summer of that year.  That extra moisture allowed the bitterroots to make a majestic appearance  in their full bloom. 

The bitterroot is the Montana state flower. Each large flower has 12 to 16 rose or pink pointed petals.   The flowers unfold from a tubular structure held close to the ground on a short stem.  The genus name Lewisia honors Meriwether Lewis, leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition who collected a specimen of bitterroot on July 1, 1806 near Lolo in Western Montana.  Native Americans harvested the roots and boiled them for food. 

You won’t find any bitterroots at Big Sky in September during the NEAFCS 2016 Conference because the short blooming season is typically from mid-May to late June. But if you attend my preconference on September 12 entitled….Wildflower Reflections:  Families, Legacies, and Estate Planning you will meet the Bitterroot family and see how grandchildren can become "bitter" and feel unloved because of the lack of planning by their grandparents. You will also learn a variety of ways you can take care of those you love by taking appropriate measures to avoid the “bitterness” that can result from poor planning. 

Speaking of love ... if you are looking for a way to send a lasting bouquet to someone you love, consider purchasing Montana wildflower note cards as a gift.  Plus, you'll also be providing support for the NEAFCS 2016 conference. More information here.

Leadership and Liaisons

As a chair of just one subcommittee planning for the NEAFCS 2016 conference, I have admired our two co-liaisons Tara Andrews and Sheila Friedrich.  I think it takes some true dedication (and bravery) to volunteer for the co-liaison positions.  Tara and Sheila are coordinating with the national team to prepare an NEAFCS conference.  I took a little time recently to catch up with Tara and Sheila, and to interview them about the conference-planning experience.

Tara M. Andrews

MSU Extension Cluster County

1010 Main St.

Miles City, MT 59301

406-874-3370 Office

406-852-0020 Cell

It’s quite an undertaking to be co-liaisons for NEAFCS annual conference.  What made you interested and decide to take on the project?

Tara:  The reason having the National meeting in Montana appealed to me, first, and foremost, because I really wanted to show off Montana, MSU and our Extension Service and the professionals in our state. We have great programming that is very diverse in our state. I was also ready to take on a new challenge in my career and this definitely fit the bill. Early in my Extension career, we hosted the NAE4-HA Conference in Billings, Montana, and it really brought the Montana agents together as a cohesive group. Because we are a small system, in terms of employees, it takes all of us to pitch in and work together to do something so big.

Sheila Friedrich

MSU Extension Sheridan County 

100 West Laurel Avenue

Plentywood, Montana  59254

(406) 765-3406

sfriedrich@montana.edu

Sheila:  I was excited about the prospect of having an NEAFCS Conference in Montana and showing off our state and Montana State University.  It was with Tara’s urging that I decided to jump on board.  We knew we would work well together and thought it would be a fun and rewarding experience.

How long have you been with Montana State University Extension?

Tara: This is my 25^th year with MSU Extension.

Sheila: I started my job with MSU Extension on December 2, 1981, so almost 35 years.

How many NEAFCS conferences have you attended?

Tara: have attended four NEAFCS conferences, and some of my most impactful programming came from ideas that got sparked during a NEAFCS conference.

Sheila: I have attended conferences in Wichita, Kansas, Providence, Rhode Island, Lexington, Kentucky and the last I attended was the conference at the Greenbrier in West Virginia.

Any standout learning experiences or memories from other conferences to share?

Tara:  When the NEAFCS meeting was in Denver I went to session on kids cooking and brought it back to our community with some variations. We offer our Chef School to second and third graders.  It is taught by our 4-H teens and we use the FCS room at the high school. The kids make an entire meal and then sit down and eat it. We work on nutrition, cooking skills, manners and food safety. I think we are in our eighth year and we offer 2 to 3, two-week sessions a year.  They always fill within the first few days after the announcement.

Sheila:  In Kentucky, I went on a tour to the University Butcher Shop.  They have a great facility for teaching and meat processing.  The morning we went they had harvested hogs and we got to see various parts of the inside of a hog.  It was very interesting.  And, of course, the beautiful Greenbrier Resort will always be a great memory -- such an amazing property in a beautiful state.

What value do you find from attending?

Tara:  The value of attending the National Conference is the range of ideas you come home with and, of course, meeting colleagues from other states and learning about their programming.

Sheila:  Getting new program ideas and networking with colleagues from all over the U.S.  At the past couple of conferences, it has been a great pleasure to get to know the National Officers, National Board and Cindy and Jody from the National Office.

What do you think will be unique about the Montana conference experience?

Tara:  I think the Montana experience will be unique because of the beautiful environment, and the chance to enjoy the outdoors in a lovely and breath taking location. We hope to give a relaxing Western flair to the entire meeting.

Sheila:  Location, location, location.  Big Sky is in a beautiful area of Montana.  Our Welcome Event promises to be unique and very fun.  The list of in-depth sessions is diverse and will provide opportunities to check out the Montana lifestyle.

To mix business with pleasure, if attendees have time to DISCOVER any Montana treasures, which ones would you recommend?

Tara:  If you can only visit one place when you come to Big Sky be sure to visit Yellowstone National Park. It is one of my favorite places on earth, and my husband and I visit it at least a couple of times a year. The park is so varied – with thermal features, wildlife, peaks and large meadows and lots of opportunities to get out and walk or just enjoy the scenery as you drive through.

Sheila:  Yellowstone Park and/or Chico HotSprings.  There is so much to see and do at these places and both are located close to Big Sky.

Thanks so much to Tara and Sheila for their efforts on this conference and to ALL who contribute, so that we can ENGAGE and CONNECT to improve the ways we serve others as Extension professionals.  

Big Sky in the News!

Jane Wolery

Follow my blog at  www.31homeplace.blogspot.com

MSU Teton County Extension

PO Box 130 * 1 Main Ave S., Courthouse

Choteau, MT 59422

jwolery@montana.edu

406-466-2491 Office *  406-590-2492 Cell

www.msuextension.org/teton




I thought I'd quickly share some links to a few ways Big Sky has been in the news this week!

Big Sky Montana! There's an app for that!

The Bozeman Daily Chronicle highlighted a new app that is available to help you navigate all the great opportunities in Big Sky, Montana.  The app was developed for the tourism group, Visit Big Sky.

I was at Big Sky resort last Thursday, and while there was snow, it was nothing compared to this week!  Check out the quick video post from KRTV in Great Falls.  Be sure to scroll to the short video clip on sunroofs in Montana in the spring!

And last, for a little work-related weather footage ... Our Montana University System Exercise and Fitness Specialist, Neal Andrews posted this video on metabolic equivalents.  You'll get a bit of a weather report from Bozeman, along with wellness education you can use.

We look forward to hosting you in Montana at the NEAFCS conference in September.  Remember to encourage our great Extension colleagues across the nation to follow our blog by email and confirm your blog subscription through the email from FeedBurner.  

Go Bananas Teaching Financial Education! It's Not Monkey Business!

Jane Wolery

Follow my blog at  www.31homeplace.blogspot.com

MSU Teton County Extension

PO Box 130 * 1 Main Ave S., Courthouse

Choteau, MT 59422

jwolery@montana.edu

406-466-2491 Office *  406-590-2492 Cell

www.msuextension.org/teton




Last April (2015), I was able to attend a conference in Spokane hosted by University of Idaho and Northwest Farm Credit Services where they unveiled some of the financial education materials they have been developing.  Regardless of the job description, the reality is that I am a part-time FCS agent and a full-time 4-H agent, so you can imagine how April was poor timing for me to put any new educational materials into action.  With 4-H textile show, 4-H leadership retreat, Teton County 4-H Fair, Montana 4-H Congress, 4-H camp, 4-H interstate exchange and 4-H BioScience taking up much of my summer, I had to put the financial resources on the shelf, so to speak.  The materials are mostly digital, so there really isn’t a shelf.  Nonetheless, it took me until the January to get on the computer and start to use some of the materials.

Reading interactive Marlon the Monkey Borrows Bananas.

I started with Marlon the Monkey Borrows Bananas, an interactive digital story about credit.  I worked with Merrill McKamey from Northwest Farm Credit Services and Jamie Smith, librarian at the Choteau Library.  I read Marlon the Monkey for story hour for youth ages 2-5 and their parents/grandparents.  Jamie then had the students play a bean bag toss into a monkey mouth.  Merrill and I helped students make “monkey tails” as a treat and then they did some coloring.  The whole class was about an hour long, and at the end, I reminded the preschoolers about the Marlon the Monkey story and asked what they learned.  I was charmed when an adorable boy named Charlie
captured the message and said, “You shouldn’t buy things, if you don’t have the money.” 

Making Monkey Tails -- frozen bananas
on wooden treat stick, frosted in peanut butter
and dipped in chocolate.  Roll in granola
while chocolate is soft and enjoy.  

Merrill and Charlie make monkey faces
while making Monkey Tail treats at story hour.

Merrill and I thanked the parents and grandparents for attending and reminded them that money can be one of the biggest stresses in a relationship.  Money matters can really “monkey up” a relationship.  We mentioned that if they wanted a fun, interactive way to speak with their spouses/partners about money, they might use the materials that can be found here that are being developed by University of Idaho Extension and Northwest Farm Credit Services.