Do you know what UW-Extension really is?
Through hundreds of initiatives, statewide and beyond, UW-Extension works with the people of Wisconsin solve their most pressing issues and uncover their most promising opportunities. But what does that mean exactly? What does UW-Extension actually do?
While the list is long, we do things like make it easier for working people to earn their degree so they can stay marketable in their fields. We educate parents as they navigate the new digital age with their children. And we help families plan for a secure financial future. Wisconsin Public Television? That’s us. Training future leaders to tackle large-scale community problems through civil discourse? Us too. Ever participated in 4-H? Also UW-Extension.
And that’s just the beginning. In short, while you may not know too much about UW-Extension, odds are you’ve partnered with us or tapped into some of the programs, research and resources we offer, every single day. We invite you to get to know more about us, our mission and our impact. We also have a division called cooperative extension in each county in Wisconsin.
Check out our resource guide for more information today! Resource Guide_Sept 2017.pdf
Our Mission:
Through UW-Extension, people of Wisconsin and beyond can access university resources and engage in learning, wherever they live and work. Fundamental to this mission are UW-Extension’s partnerships with the 26 UW campuses, the county and tribal governments, and other public and private organizations. Fulfilling the promise of the Wisconsin Idea, UW-Extension extends the boundaries of the university to the boundaries of the state and helps the university establish beneficial connections with all of its stakeholders.
How does UW-Extension fulfill their mission?
For Wisconsin individuals, families, businesses and communities, UW-Extension fulfills its mission by:
Supporting personal growth, professional success and organizational effectiveness through formal and informal learning. Offering professionally-focused and cross-disciplinary competency-based credit certificates, associate degrees, and baccalaureate degrees in the area of business and management. Addressing the changing needs of the state and society by conducting, applying, and conveying relevant university research. Building greater access to educational, cultural and civic resources through the use of technologies.
Our Purpose:
The Dunn County cooperative extension office's purpose is to teach, learn, lead and serve, connecting people with the University of Wisconsin, and engaging with them in transforming lives and communities.
We offer timely access to university research and knowledge through educational colleagues in 72 county offices, on five 4-year campuses and within three tribal nations. We work with local, state and federal partners to offer educational programs taht address the important issues of individuals, families, businesses and communities.
Our Vision:
To be a thriving, well-known and sought-out educational resource that reflects the rich diversity of the state.
Our Values:
Cooperative Extension, as an organization, strives to live by five core values: community, discovery, inclusiveness, relationships and respect.
Our educational program areas demonstrate how theses fundamental values become reality through the work that we are doing for Wisconsin residents.
Some of our programs include:
4-H
4-H is one of the largest youth development programs in the state of Wisconsin and it comes from your local Extension office! 4-H can trace its roots back to the late 1800s and by 1902 the first 4-H clubs were formed. In 1914 cooperative extension offices united with 4-H in order to help educate and reach more youth in communities.
Today, 4‑H serves youth in rural, urban, and suburban communities in every state across the nation. 4‑H’ers are tackling the nation’s top issues, from global food security, climate change and sustainable energy to childhood obesity and food safety. 4‑H out-of-school programming, in-school enrichment programs, clubs and camps also offer a wide variety of STEM opportunities – from agricultural and animal sciences to rocketry, robotics, environmental protection and computer science – to improve the nation’s ability to compete in key scientific fields and take on the leading challenges of the 21st century.
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Family Living
Being a Family Leader involves many different skills and professions. As a Family Leader you are required to be a Financial Advisor, Gourmet Chef, Teacher and Child Development Expert to name a few. When you entered the ‘real world’, married, or had kids did you receive specific training in any one of these professions? Probably not. You did bring a wealth of experiences from your own life that you could apply to this new role. Many CEO’s also bring skills and experiences to their new positions but they receive one thing that many Family Leader’s don’t…training!! As a Family Leader you are essentially the CEO of your very complex, every changing family! Families range from multi parent households with children to one adult living alone! In other words, a family is defined however YOU want it to be! As you navigate through life as an adult, accessing trainings and opportunities to help you on your journey will make it more fun, more enjoyable, and a lot less stressful!
UWEX Family Living strives to be your one stop shop to receiving training and resources that will help you as Family Leader, keep your family running like a well run business. Your family is already strong, using these resources will give you ideas, tips AND keep the FUN in your family, even through challenging times!
Nutrition Education/FoodWIse
FoodWIse is a UW- Extension nutrition education program that helps limited resource families and individuals choose healthful diets, purchase and prepare healthful food and handle it safely, and become more food secure by spending food dollars wisely.
FoodWIse's mission is to advance healthy eating habits, active lifestyles and healthy commuity environemnts for low-income families through nutrition education at the individual, community and systems levels. FoodWIse is Federally funded by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP).
Services provided include: managing food resources and thrifty shopping practices and more. You can find these programs at various locations like WIC (Women, Infants, and Children), senior meal sites, human services, food pantires, head start and many more!
Agriculture
Our Agriculutral Agent works to improve the public's knowledge about agriculture in Dunn County and what a rich history we have here. Some of the ways utilized include the Barn Quilt Trail, Little Britches, providing informational hand-outs, talking with farmers, and the Red Cedar Demonstration Farm. The Red Cedar Demonstration Farm is something unique that we have in Dunn County. Check out more information about how it came to be below!
Dunn County once had a School of Agriculture and Domestic Economy from 1902 to 1957 and then continued to have a county farm until the mid-1980s. Since that time the county farmland has been managed by The Neighbors of Dunn County standing committee of the Dunn County Board of Supervisors (former Dunn County Health Care Center) and the land was rented to Ron Prochnow.
Last year, members talked about how it would be ideal to be able to demonstrate best management practices for soil and water conservation rather than simply talking about it. These discussions lead to the Partnership submitting a proposal to the standing committee of The Neighbors of Dunn County for rental of the farmland with the goals of: demonstrating soil and water conservation best management practices for the Dunn County community, area farmers and CVTC students and providing an opportunity for soil and water conservation education, on-farm research and field demonstrations.
This farmland is located within the Red Cedar River Watershed, which runs through a large portion of northwest Wisconsin, so the Partnership has named this project the Red Cedar Demonstration Farm.
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For more information about Dunn County Extension, please feel free to contact us.
Dunn County UW-Extension
3001 US Hwy 12 E, Room 102
Menomonie WI 54751-3045
Phone: 715-232-1636
Fax: 715-231-6687
