We invite you to catch up on the impactful work our Extension Iron County educators and staff provide to the community in the form of this monthly newsletter! Below are highlights from each of our program areas.

Get ready to make a difference! Iron County 4-H is seeking donations for the upcoming 4-H Silent Auction at the Iron County Fair! Your support helps us raise funds for the 4-H program AND we're dedicating half (up to $3,000!) to help fund the Iron County Fair's centennial celebration in 2027!

We're looking for donations valued at $25 or more. Think big, small, and everything in between! Past hits include: artwork, gift baskets, jewelry, clothing & hats, yard ornaments, gift cards and big ticket items like paddleboards, grills, & kayaks!

Ready to contribute to a great cause and be part of the Fair's history? Please contact Extension Iron County Office Manager Rebecca Holm at 715-561-2695 to donate!

Come on down and support the Penokee Range 4-H Livestock Club as they host their annual Haymakers & Hotdogs car wash and bake sale to help raise funds for fair improvements.

There will be a live radio remote broadcast and plenty of hot dogs to enjoy. Help make our fair even better – stop by and join in the fun on Saturday, June 21 from 10 am - 2 pm at Cary Mine Market! 

SET Running Club 
Mondays, June 9-July 28 - 6:00 pm
Location: Hurley School
SET Running Club Schedule

Haymakers & Hotdogs Car Wash
Penokee Range Livestock Club Fundraiser
Saturday, June 21 - 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Location: Cary Mine Market

Penokee Livestock Club Meeting/Showmanship Clinic
Sunday, June 22 - 9:00 am
Location: Walesewicz Residence

Chopped! 4-H Day Camp
Monday-Friday, June 23-27 - 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location: Hurley School District

Iron County Summer Youth Camp Staff Training
Saturday, June 28 - Sunday, June 29
Location: Trails End Youth Camp

Iron County Outpost Camp
Tuesday-Friday, July 8-11 
Location: Lake of the Falls Campground

Iron County Summer Youth Camp 
Tuesday-Friday, July 22-25
Location: Trails End Youth Camp

Mrs. Czarnecki and Mrs. Lund’s 4th grade classes had an exciting and educational day in the Hurley School Garden on May 28! The students enthusiastically planted potatoes, onions, radishes, sunflowers, and carrots, contributing to a garden they will help harvest this fall.

While working outdoors, the students took in the sights and sounds of spring—apple trees in full bloom, bugs bustling in the soil, and a curious sight high in a pine tree: a large ball of needles and twigs known as a witches’ broom. Intrigued, the classes returned to their classrooms to research this natural phenomenon. They discovered that witches’ brooms resemble old-fashioned brooms made from bundles of small, flexible twigs tied to a long handle—quite different from today’s corn or palm fiber brooms. These growths can be caused by fungi, insects, or environmental stress.

The day was a perfect blend of hands-on gardening and scientific inquiry, sparking curiosity and a deeper appreciation for the natural world. The students are already looking forward to seeing the fruits (and vegetables!) of their labor in the fall.

Want to stay up to date on what the Ashland, Bayfield, Iron County FoodWIse team is up to? Be sure to check out their monthly FoodWIse newsletter, designed in partnership with Extension Iron County Office Manager, Rebecca Holm. 

Join us on opening day at the Iron County Farmers Market on Saturday, June 28 at 10:00 a.m. for the first zine workshop of the season! Extension Iron County Community Development Educator, Joseph Miller will share the zine series he’s been working on, talk about what a zine is and how they’re a simple yet highly effective form of creative expression. No matter what creative medium you’d like to use—crayon, marker, pencil, collage, even digital ink—we’ll have materials and #inspo ready to go. Joseph will have all materials available at the Farmers Market and all zines will be scanned and added to a digital community archive.

Hurley has officially joined Extension’s Rural Entrepreneurial Ventures, or REV, program!

The program’s goal is to provide coaching and strategic assistance in developing an entrepreneur-focused community. Through resource assessment, targeted entrepreneurial outreach, and strategic visioning, the REV program will provide a guide for entrepreneurial growth and support in Hurley. Among the program’s top objectives is diversifying the number of industry sectors our economy participates in, which has proven essential in rural American communities still recovering from boom-or-bust economies (like ferrous mining). Additionally, the REV program will assist in developing an entrepreneurial outreach and mentorship program that will allow Hurley to proactively connect community resources to potential entrepreneurs and provide valuable support during a critical time.

We’re excited to get started in the REV program—for more information or to be involved, don’t hesitate to contact Joseph.

The Extension Iron County Annual Report was approved by the Agriculture-Extension-Education Committee in May, and we're thrilled to share it with you! This report, which is designed by our Office Manager Rebecca Holm, offers a detailed look at how Extension staff and educators are making a real difference in Iron County.

Don't miss out on seeing the positive impact firsthand! You can download the report directly from the Extension Iron County website.

Join us in celebrating Committee Vice Chair Bill Thomas, who was honored at our May meeting for 20 years of incredible service and support to the Agriculture-Extension Committee. Bill received a special plaque in recognition of his two decades of dedication.

We truly appreciate everything you do, Bill! Thank you for your continued support of Extension.

This month, we're highlighting Joseph Miller, our highly caffeinated Community Development Educator! Joseph is a friendly ball of energy… once he’s taken the first slurps of morning coffee from his favorite loon mug, anyway.

Joseph—or Joe, “speaker’s choice,” as he puts it—works in Extension’s Community Economic Development (CED) program within the Community Development Institute. His past experience includes project management, software quality assurance, and video game journalism as well as studies in library and information science.

Joseph started in September 2023 and spent a good chunk of 2024 learning what Extension is and how University of Wisconsin-Madison research finds its way from the capitol to the corners of the state. It’s what’s known as the Wisconsin Idea, and it’s a big part of what keeps the job exciting and worthwhile for him. With a background in research and information, it’s no surprise Joseph made it a point to connect with Extension’s librarian in Madison his first week.  

Past experience in the tech industry, a shifting sense of home as a youngster, and aspirations of being a business owner have all led Joseph to a work focus in digital equity/broadband, placemaking, and entrepreneurship. Working on local issues in areas that he’s passionate about is what Joseph likes best about his role within Extension, followed closely by research and creating fun evidence-based programming. Joseph is excited to facilitate a zine workshop series this summer. He is also developing a video game design workshop and plans to offer an Entrepreneur Boot Camp annually. Since October 2024, he has been assisting Iron County’s Economic Development Committee with administrative coordination. And once a month you can catch him at the Mobile Food Pantry dressed as a banana, strawberry, or carrot.

When he’s not at work, he likes to spend time with his family, cook, skateboard, enjoy the outdoors, and—every once in a while—run to the top of Copper Peak.

If you would like to learn more about the Iron County Mobile Food Pantry program or other food security resources available to community members, visit our website! 

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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.