Extension 'queen' Carol Schultz abdicates crown

By Dan MacArthur
Correspondent

The queen of the Larimer County Extension staff is graduating to pursue new adventures after more than 18 years of happily helping adults and 4-H youth improve their homemaking and nutrition knowledge.

"I suspect this office will be a whole lot quieter when I leave," acknowledged family and consumer sciences agent Carol Schultz. It also will be a lot less majestic when she carts away tons of tributes to her appointment as a potentate that followed an unsuccessful effort to see the queen during a London visit.

Such goofy and infectious humor is characteristic of Schultz, who retires Jan. 2 at a remarkably tender age that sounds plausible but remains questionable given her admission of lying about such matters.

Schultz gained wide recognition and respect since joining the extension office as a family and consumer science agent in July 1985. She took on additional responsibilities for 4-H programs in 1996.

While she is best recognized, literally, for the food and nutrition columns bearing her name and picture, Schultz said she's realized the greatest joy and satisfaction from working directly with people.

"I care a lot for the people I work with," she said. "My expertise is to be with people, not paperwork."

Her passion for work was apparent early on while growing up on a dairy farm in south-central Wisconsin. When economic necessity forced her mother's return to work, as the oldest daughter among eight siblings, 13-year-old Carol was placed in charge of milking 60 cows and caring for the six younger children.

"My sisters always talk about how bossy I was," Schultz recalled. "That was a lot of responsibility. I had to be bossy." She said the work also gave her powerful "farm arms" she still refuses to reveal with sleeveless dresses.

"I always knew I wanted to be an extension agent," Schultz said. She loved her nine years in 4-H because it gave her the chance to stay involved in a time and place where fewer activities were available. And she cherished her tenure as a junior leader when her extension agent was her mentor.

So Schultz headed off to college with that goal in mind. After earning a degree in home economics, she accepted an extension agent position in a rural Wisconsin county of 7,000 souls bordering the Mississippi River. She remained for five years and still maintains contact with folks there. "It was a wonderful place to learn," she recalled.

Schultz went on to marry her high school sweetheart, Royce, and earn a master's in education and supervision. She taught middle school until her daughter Sarah was born. Schultz thought she would be a happy, stay-at-home mom but couldn't escape the grasp of her workaholic heredity. She developed a literacy program, worked as a color consultant and even tried insurance sales before realizing she had "too gentle a heart" for such a pursuit.

Then in 1984, the family moved to Fort Collins, where Royce had family. He became a sheriff's deputy shortly before Carol landed her extension position. Despite her sterling credentials, Schultz said she still had some learning to do. She still recalls the first inquiry she received about piñon nuts, something she's never encountered in Wisconsin. And she was a bit baffled by high-altitude cooking, but quickly sorted it out in a pamphlet that remains one of the most popular. "It's still one of the big issues," said Schultz.

Despite the demanding 60- to 70-hour weeks required when she took on 4-H duties, Schultz said either she or Royce was always home for Sarah. "My family was always number one," she said.

That's the same ethic she emphasizes when teaching parenting classes. "The main thing I put across is you need to be there for your kid because you never know when they'll want to talk," she explained. "You have to be consistent. You have to be a parent, not a friend. You can be a friend later."

During her extension career, Schultz also has taught food safety and nutrition. Programs she implemented include the Women's Financial Information Program, Dine To Your Heart's Delight and the RETHINK parenting education and anger management program. In addition to her regular contributions to local newspapers, Schultz has written a newsletter called "Something For Today" and distributed a monthly "Family Matters" newsletter to parents.

She has trained dozens of master food preservers who help Cooperative Extension inform the public about food safety in the home. She has been the coordinator for the Larimer County Fair Open Classes as well as the extension liaison with the Larimer County Homemakers organization.

Schultz is a member of the local Parent Education Network, a group that recently conducted a survey to assess parent needs for education. She has conducted numerous "train-the-trainer" sessions on the RETHINK program, which has proven effective in reducing anger in families.

Now, she plans to take a breather for a bit while continuing to pursue her volunteer work and successful home-based cosmetics business. Next she wants to do something new. Just what isn't clear. But don't expect Schultz to sit around for long.