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, […]

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 […]

Extension honored seven employees during its annual conference Nov. 2 for their commitment and contributions to the Wisconsin Idea and communities across the state. This was the second year since Extension rejoined UW–Madison that the division celebrated its employees with several award categories. It was also the second year in a row that Extension held […]

Extension efforts are part of Midwest program to connect farms to schools Deep in peak apple season, you can usually find Scott and Julie Overby, owners of Log Cabin Orchard in Plymouth, working in their nearly 40-year-old orchard to harvest and sell Wisconsin-grown apples. In early October each year they pick for a purpose: the […]

Local governments across Wisconsin are wrestling with issues that define what it takes to support a thriving community. “We’re getting to these crisis points where population is declining, and people are getting older,” said Tiffany Brault, a member of the Fond Du Lac City Council and Fond Du Lac County Board.

Twenty-one individuals were recognized this month for their completion of the Wisconsin Local Government Leadership Academy. Their graduation took place at the Wisconsin Counties Association annual conference in the Wisconsin Dells.

Growing up, Susan Swanson already embodied the Wisconsin Idea that drives UW-Madison Extension. “I learned best when I was able to connect the classroom to things that I could see and interact with in nature.” That led to a career in geology and now the next Wisconsin state geologist.

To HMoob farmers, growing food is a way to become self-sufficient, eat well, and partake in rich cultural traditions that connect generations through shared knowledge and histories. However, HMoob farmers in Wisconsin, many of whom arrived between the late 1970s and early 2000s, largely did not have access to resources for growing culturally relevant crops.