Like many rural and northern Wisconsin communities, Merrill’s population decline is shaped by an aging population and fewer young people moving to or staying in the area. “If you don’t address those and turn those around, what happens is your city, no matter what you do, will struggle to remain vibrant,” said Scott Steele, former […]
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Losing critical institutions and services makes it more difficult to have a thriving community and live in rural places. For communities in Wisconsin, there are planning tools and resources that are focused on increasing livability. The Rural Livability Project “Livability” is what makes somewhere a good place to live and work. But what livability looks […]
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Access to healthy food is challenging in rural areas, and many Wisconsin families struggle to afford healthy food on a limited budget. As food prices increase, more families are turning to emergency food providers, like food pantries, to help put food on the table. Emergency food providers also face challenges in procuring food, particularly healthier […]
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When it comes to Minecraft, Camdyn and Dawson consider themselves builders. After going to Grandparent’s University (GPU) with their grandmother, Sara Draeger, they see Minecraft in a whole new way. As part of this year’s GPU, UW-Madison Extension Community Development educators debuted a new course called “Using your Minecraft skills IRL* to make your community […]
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During the 2025 growing season, members of the agriculture community in Wisconsin will once again have access to a weekly climate outlook. The Wisconsin Ag Climate Outlook (WACO) includes things like historical and current weather patterns, soil moisture, precipitation, and crop progress. Combining data from national and local sources, including the National Weather Service, regional […]
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Wisconsin’s agricultural production and food processing sectors represent 14.3% of the state’s total economic impact, contributing $116.3 billion in industrial revenues – an increase of 10.9% from 2017. Agricultural businesses in Wisconsin constitute 353,900 jobs (9.5% of jobs in the state) and $21.2 billion to labor income. Additionally, the dairy sector and its significant dedication […]
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Coalitions in five counties are partnering up with UW–Madison Extension on a new effort to engage rural entrepreneurs and strengthen community connection. As part of a grant-funded program from Compeer Financial, Extension is providing coaching and guidance for local groups to spur sustained entrepreneurship. The groups selected for this program recently moved into a phase […]
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After a 25-year career working for the Milwaukee Police Department, Jim MacGillis was planning to retire and try something new. Then the position of police chief opened in Wauwatosa, his hometown. “I’ve got family here, and I had seen the good human beings in this department have a front-row seat during the worst of times…and […]
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UW–Madison Extension is partnering with the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and its Center for Climatic Research (CCR) as well as the College of Letters and Science’s Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (AOS) by providing funding to support the Wisconsin State Climatology Office (SCO) into the future. Specifically, the Division of Extension will provide […]
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While running elections is an important role for municipal and county clerks, that’s not the only thing they do. Ann Hempel, elected to serve as the part-time Municipal Clerk for the Town of Unity in 2023, estimates that running elections for the 513 people who live in her township is only 5% of her clerk […]
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