Northern Door County is a place of unsurpassed beauty and strong community!  However, living in a rural and isolated area can also be a source of great mental, emotional and financial anxiety.  Please join us as we explore ways we can get through the tough times together!  WeCOPE is a 7-week class that empowers adults with effective, evidence-based strategies to manage stress, build resilience, and enhance their overall well-being.  Location:  NWTC Learning and Innovation Center, Sister Bay, Mondays at 1:00 pm.  Classes will be held May 4th through June 15, 2026. Registration

Healthy boundaries are essential for a positive co-parenting relationship. Learn the importance of respectful boundaries and explore strategies to establish and maintain them.  Free Webinar on Thursday, May 7 at 7:00 pm.  Registration is required.

Planning AHEAD is a 7-session course (one hour each) that guides participants through getting started, handling financial changes, advance medical and legal directives, estate planning, choices in end-of-life care, final wishes and understanding grief.  This course features a free workbook to help people with the tasks and decisions associated with end-of-life.  Two in-person sessions are available 1) NWTC Sister Bay and 2) ADRC Sturgeon Bay.  Starts May 4th!  Information and Registration

The Door County 4-H Small Animal Sale and Swap will take place on Saturday, May 2, at the Door County Fairgrounds at 812 N 14th Ave., Sturgeon Bay.  Sale begins at 8:00 am.  Admission is $2 per person those 10 years old and under are free.  Open to the public.  Event Flyer

It’s time to start planning what you (and your kids!) will showcase at this year’s fair—and the options are endless!  This year's Fair will be held August 12–16, 2026.  Arts & crafts, Writing pieces, Legos, Baked goods, Crops & vegetables…and so much more—if you can make it, grow it, or create it, you can probably exhibit it!

Register your exhibits here before July 16: https://www.doorcountyfair.com/1028/Exhibitors.

Need help getting signed up?  Stop by one of the Entry Help Days at the fairgrounds:

Tuesday, May 13 | 4:30–6:00 PM or Saturday, May 16 | 9:00–11:00 AM

The 4-H Key Award is the highest 4-H recognition that you can receive.  4-H Key Award applicants must have:  1) Consistent 4-H growth; 2) Be a 4-H youth in 11th grade or older; 3) Must have completed at least 3 years of 4-H; 4) One year of youth leadership; and 5) Contributed service to their club, community, and county.  Applications are due June 4, 2026.  Information and Application

May 2 - 8:00-10:00 am:  Lamb, Meat Goat and Hog Weigh-in, at Door County Fairgrounds

Check out our website for the latest 4-H newsletter, events and opportunities.  

If you garden for yourself, consider planting an extra row of tomatoes, peppers, lettuce or peas to donate. The Plant a Row project simply means planting extra of whatever you already grow with the plan to donate it to a food pantry.  Learn more...

700,000 Wisconsinites use WI FoodShare for food assistance.  Approximately .02% of WI FoodShare dollars are spent at Farmers Markets or about $120 million out of nearly $2 billion.  

SNAP (called FoodShare in Wisconsin) provides nutrition assistance to people with low income. FoodShare users can use EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) at local farmers’ markets to buy fresh, healthy food and connect with people who produce it. When fresh produce is in season, it is often at its lowest price. Buying groceries at the farmers’ market is a great way to support your community by supporting local farmers. It is also an opportunity to connect with friends and neighbors. Learn more...

The American Heart Association's recommendations and information on fat in your diet.

May 12  Dairy Innovation Hub Symposium, Madison

May 20-22  Dairy Cattle Welfare Symposium, Minneapolis

June 3-4  Four-State Dairy Nutrition Conference, LaCrosse

June 16-18  NMC Regional Meeting, "Tackling Milk Quality in Titletown", Green Bay

A five-year grant from the Wisconsin Partnership Program (WPP), a grantmaking program in the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, provided suicide prevention training to farmers and people close to them. The result is the de-stigmatization of a once-taboo subject and a better understanding of how to find help.  Learn more and find resources!

The Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences and the Dairy Innovation Hub are hosting Badger Dairy Camp on the UW-Madison campus from Thursday, July 9th, through Sunday, July 12th.  The tentative schedule includes hands-on workshops, tours, and recreational activities across the UW-Madison CALS campus. Hands-on workshops will be led by dairy industry leaders in land and water resources, animal health and welfare, human health and nutrition, farm business and community, and linear evaluations and dairy judging. Camp Information

Dr. Herman presents:  Right Way. Right Time: A Guide to Cull Dairy Cattle Management.  She provides practical, research-based guidance to help dairy producers make timely, responsible decisions about cows leaving the herd. Following Dr. Herman’s presentation, Jake Jacobs, Market Manager at Equity Livestock in Bonduel, WI joined the conversation. Together, they discussed the progress seen in the dairy cull cow market, what needs improvement, and where the industry is headed.  Video

This newsletter provides information to help dairy workers learn, understand, and grow in their job skills while improving on-farm safety.  Subscribe to Bovi-Noticias.

Join UW Extension, DATCP, and the SnapPlus Team to walk through new features in SnapPlus Version 3. This latest release of the software includes new maps, and easier ways to add crops and grazing schedules.  SnapPlus (Soil Nutrient Application Planner) is Wisconsin’s nutrient management planning software that helps farmers make the best use of their on-farm nutrients and make informed decisions about commercial fertilizer purchases. Email engels.travis@gmail.com to register.

Crop removal of potassium is high in common Wisconsin crops like alfalfa, corn silage, and high-yielding soybeans. When soil test levels slip too low, yields and crop quality can both suffer.  Recent University of Wisconsin research updates reinforce one clear message: potassium is one of the best nutrient investments on the farm when managed wisely.  Learn more...

As Wisconsin farmers prepare for the 2026 growing season, the UW–Madison Division of Extension is launching another year of Badger Crop Connect webinars, a twice-monthly series providing timely, data-driven insights for the state’s corn, soybean, small grain, and forage farmers and industries. 

Following the April 9 opener, webinars will continue every second and fourth Thursday of each month, April through October at 12:30 p.m. Each session offers participants the opportunity to earn free Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) continuing education units (CEUs). 

Registration is free but required. To register for the series, sign up for email reminders, or watch prior webinar recordings, visit go.wisc.edu/BadgerCropConnect. 

The UW Soil and Forage Lab can test your soil and make recommendations to help your plants grow! Tests are available for lawn and garden, pro turf, field soil, wildlife food plots, forest, and soil nitrate testing.  Start here...  Soil bags and assistance available at the UW Extension office.

UW Soil and Forage Lab Brochure with Fees

Water is essential for plant growth and development, but too much for too long can be harmful. Excess soil moisture and flooding can damage roots, reduce oxygen availability in the soil, and lead to poor plant health. In Wisconsin, heavy rains are becoming more common. Learn what to do when Wisconsin experiences extreme precipitation to help you make better decisions when extreme weather strike to mitigate damage to your gardens and landscapes. Article

Apple Insect Webinar Online Series: May 1, May 15, June 12, Noon-1:00 PM.

Rhubarb Not Just Your Grandma's Favorite Plant online, May 14, 6:00 PM.

Ask Your Gardening Question: LIVE monthly webinar - Click to learn more about upcoming sessions, and to register. New evening sessions this year.

Thatch in lawns is often misunderstood, both its cause and management. Some lawns have chronic thatch problems while others never have any issues with it.  Misunderstandings & Management of Thatch – Wisconsin Horticulture

Have you heard about “No Mow May?” Many people have committed to not mowing their yards in May, allowing flowering plants to grow to help provide food for pollinators. Before you stow away your mower for May, let’s look at what options you can take to help pollinators this Spring.  Article and Video

Tickets required for Friday, May 22 -- Details

WGNHS and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Upper Midwest Water Science Center have collaborated for decades to operate, maintain, and manage the Wisconsin Groundwater-Level Monitoring Network (WGLMN). This network consists of roughly 100 long-term monitoring wells, plus dozens of project-funded wells that are monitored for specific groundwater studies. Wisconsin’s long-term network wells are also part of the USGS’ National Groundwater Monitoring Network (NGWMN) and therefore bolster groundwater-level monitoring efforts across the country.  Full Article and Reports

The Great Lakes Eagle Health Project has tracked contaminant levels in bald eagles across Wisconsin since 1990. Currently funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and U.S. Geological Survey, the project brings together federal, state, tribal, and academic partners to test eagles for a variety of pollutants, like heavy metals and PCBs, and investigate how they’re affecting eagle health. 

Video - Climbing Trees to Reach the Eagles

“Livability” is what makes somewhere a good place to live and work. But what livability looks like depends on who you ask, which makes defining it tough. Measuring it? Even tougher.  Rural Livability Project and Interactive Maps

Gov. Tony Evers toured UW’s nuclear energy facilities on Tuesday, a week after he announced the UW Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics will partner with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to undertake a study exploring nuclear energy opportunities in Wisconsin. Professor of Nuclear Engineering Paul Wilson, chair of the department, will lead the study.  Full Article

Dogs and cats. Horses and cows. Birds and rabbits. Each year, UW Veterinary Care (UWVC) provides care for almost 30,000 patients who vary widely in shape, size, and species. But in addition to the two- and four-legged friends you might expect to find in someone’s home or on a farm, the hospital’s team of world-class clinicians also provides top-notch care to less common and exotic species. This story features a collection of profiles underscoring the incredible breadth of patients that visit UWVC in a year — from racing pigeons and lions to ostriches and kangaroos.  Full Article

Summer Office Hours:  Open - Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday - 9:00 am - 2:00 pm (Memorial Day through Labor Day)

The University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming in compliance with state and federal law.