We teach, learn, lead and serve, connecting people with the University of Wisconsin, and engaging with them in transforming lives and communities.

Extension announces 2024 Wisconsin Idea Collaboration Grants

UW–Madison Extension is excited to announce the 10 projects selected to receive the 2024 Wisconsin Idea Collaboration (WIC) Grants. This year’s projects engage nine UW schools and colleges. Research topics include the economic benefits of broadband, water quality, PFAS and more. WIC Grants is a collaboration of Extension and the Office of the Vice Chancellor […]

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What’s next for the family farm: Resources help when making decisions

Christine Bender remembers the moment 10 years ago when she told her parents she wanted to come back and farm long-term. “My mom started to cry because she was so happy,” Bender said. In the decade since Bender and her family created a succession plan, they’ve had many discussions about working together. Now she serves […]

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Feeding Wisconsin Kids Locally Grown Food: Recommendations to strengthen farm-to-school supply chains

Farm to school programs provide kids access to nutritious, high-quality, local food while creating market development opportunities for local farmers. Yet, a new study by UW–Madison Extension and the UW–Madison School of Human Ecology shows that not all local farmers have equal access to this economic opportunity. This is especially true of historically underserved farmers, […]

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Extension’s Rural Wisconsin Entrepreneurship Initiative Offers Multiple Ways to Engage

UW–Madison Extension’s Community Economic Development Program is equipping entrepreneurs with the business skills and sector-specific information necessary to succeed in new entrepreneurial ventures. The Rural Wisconsin Entrepreneurship Initiative provides UW research and education to entrepreneurs and economic development practitioners who are interested in supporting entrepreneurial activity in rural communities. This initiative is a partnership with […]

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Growing skills to grow forests, protect wildlife

Frederic “Rick” Braun’s love of woodlands came early, tracking tree growth on his family’s 4,000 acres in Langlade County with paint markings and experimenting with native plantings. He inherited not only a large estate used for logging and hunting, he also inherited an affection for the outdoors and what it takes to manage the land. […]

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Adapting resources for new communities: Hmong Planning AHEAD Curriculum

In 2019 when Extension educators were analyzing the results of a statewide needs assessment, they spotted a trend in many Wisconsin counties. Offices that provided public benefits, like FoodShare and BadgerCare Plus, were seeing many applications from residents whose spouses or partners had recently died. They found that a lot of them had never dealt […]

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A space to talk about fatherhood: Developing father-centered outreach programs

For Eugene Crisler, an Employment Specialist and Fatherhood Program Facilitator at the Urban League of Greater Madison, shining a spotlight on fatherhood is a welcome wake-up call for Wisconsin. When Extension’s Fatherhood Needs Assessment report was released earlier this year, he and Extension educators started to discuss what fathers across the state were asking for […]

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‘Empowered at a very young age’: Youth Advocates for Community Health

Desiree Torres understands the value of being part of a supportive environment that encourages young people to be involved in their communities, something she witnessed firsthand with Youth Advocates for Community Health (YACH), a program of UW–Madison Extension. Christa Van Treeck, associate professor and youth development educator in Marquette County, is working with a group […]

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