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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
In recent years Wisconsin has seen massive spikes in business ownership among nonwhite entrepreneurs yet the state continues to have an overall low number of businesses owned by people of color. Wisconsin ranks 50th for the rate of business ownership among minorities. Businesses owned by people of color represent 10.9% of total businesses despite people […]
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. […]
This month presents two unique opportunities for farmers in the Midwest and Mid-South to advance their efforts to improve soil health and water quality, while protecting their profitability.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
An EEO/AA employer, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title VI, Title IX, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act requirements.