The 34th annual Governor’s Blue Ribbon Meat Products Auction continues to support 4-H members, clubs, and families across Wisconsin, raising $92,300 this month at its State Fair event that saw participation from champion meat producers, 4-H advocates, and other longtime supporters of youth development. The 2026 Meat Products Auction, organized by UW–Madison Extension in conjunction […]
Often, local challenges involve factors that go beyond the resources, jurisdiction, knowledge, or even capabilities of one community. Extension has a unique opportunity to help communities take steps toward local solutions while acting as a bridge to larger state resources. Sometimes, that connects communities to information and funding. Sometimes, Extension helps by bringing local concerns […]
Small businesses, producers, and communities are faced with economic and financial situations every day. At Extension, we provide education, outreach, applied research, and expertise to support decision-making and finding direction. We lead placemaking and strategic planning processes so local leaders and residents can decide together what they want their future to look like. Then we […]
Learning happens in all kinds of formats and locations. Sharing what you know with peers is a valuable way to pass along information about what works and what does not. More formally, learning from peers enables networking, which cultivates like-minded groups that are able to support one another and thrive. UW-Madison Extension incorporates peer-to-peer learning […]
2026 Final Projects Funded by a 2-year UW-Madison Reilly-Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Grant, 12 Youth in Governance students took part in a pilot program focused on teaching youth how to conduct community-based research and produce videos sharing youth perspectives. Here are there 2026 final projects:
Patrol Captain Mike Kowalski believes in giving teens a second chance. For youth, a citation can have negative impacts on their future. They can find themselves disqualified for military service or have difficulty securing student loans. Disclosing a violation on a job or college application can reduce their chances of success. And that has an […]
Through community-engaged science, UW–Madison Extension is building local capacity so that communities can thrive. By engaging communities in research and scientific inquiry, community members help shape research questions, data collection, and the use of results. That leads communities to have more trust in the findings and more “buy-in” when the findings lead to new procedures […]
Growing up on the Wisconsin River in the 1960s, Arnie DeWitt remembers the not-so-pleasant smell and look of the water. “There would be foam on top of the river, maybe a foot thick,” he said. Now, DeWitt lives in Burnett County near the Yellow River, which currently meets criteria for high-quality water according to the […]
Modern farming utilizes technology and connectivity in ways that shape nearly all daily farm activities, from helping monitor a cow’s eating habits to managing fieldwork down to the inch where a seed is planted. A commissioner and team from the Federal Communications Commission saw precision agriculture firsthand at one of UW–Madison’s agricultural research stations in […]
In an era of increased political polarization, innovative approaches to bringing diverse voices together may offer ways for communities to rebuild trust and increase civic dialogue. Polarization has far-reaching consequences. As Americans increasingly distrust those with different political views, polarization can erode trust, narrow social connections, and discourage everyday civic conversation. Public meetings can become […]
The University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming in compliance with state and federal law.
