Burkhart reflects on 38 years with Extension
By Jean Caspers-Simmet
simmet@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 02/04/2010 8:40 AM
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FAYETTE, Iowa —Dan Burkhart is in his Fayette office sorting through books, brochures and an accumulation of paperwork. He has a pile he wants to keep. What stays in the office is still on the shelves, and there are other stacks for colleagues and friends.
Burkhart, 62, is retiring after nearly 38 years with Iowa State University Extension. He became Fayette County Extension education director on June 1, 1972 after receiving a bachelor's degree in dairy science and a master's degree in animal nutrition from ISU. He also served for six years in the Iowa National Guard.
"When I took this job, I felt lucky," Burkhart said. "Before I came here, Extension had a policy that you had to be an Extension associate before you could be a director. The big discussion on the Extension Council was that I didn't have any experience. Yesterday, the chair of the council at that time wrote me a note and said he's glad he hired me."
For Burkhart, retirement is a little bittersweet. Through a reorganization due to budget cuts, ISU Extension eliminated all county director positions replacing them with regional directors. Burkhart and 83 other Extension staff are retiring.
"It's disappointing that the county director positions are being eliminated," Burkhart said. "There are a lot of things directors did that will be missed."
Burkhart said he's worked with good staff and has had really good extension council support over the years. He still hears from many of his old council chairs.
Burkhart plans to build his taxidermy business which started as a hobby. He also created a consulting LLC.
"I'll do more hunting and fishing, traveling and spending time with my family," he said.
His son, Tim, and his two children live in Oregon, and his daughter, Kara, and her son live with Burkhart, and his wife, Mary, on their farm between Ossian and Clermont along the Turkey River.
"I've got red oaks to plant and I have to build a deer fence around my new apple orchard," Burkhart said with a grin. "I plan to stay involved with the Dairy Foundation, the Nashua experimental farm and I'll be attending some forestry field days. I'm not worried about finding something to do."