UW-Extension was recently featured on the Brown County Explained podcast! Host Ross Toellner, Brown County Supervisor for District 24, sat down with us to learn more about the programs, services, and resources we provide to Brown County residents.

Take a listen as we open the doors to Extension and share how we're working to educate, connect, and strengthen our community through opportunities for youth, families, businesses, nonprofits, farmers, and more.

♪♪♪ Tune in and discover all that Extension has to offer!

We are thrilled to announce that three Brown County Extension programs have been selected for a one-time investment of funds within County Executive Troy Streckenbach’s proposed 2027 budget.

4-H will be receiving $11,520 to expand STEM education opportunities for youth across our community!

This funding will allow us to bring more LEGO® robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and technology experiences to young people throughout Brown County by providing robotics kits, AI learning resources, and supporting iPads.

At 4-H, we believe in learning by doing. These new resources will help us reach more youth, build new community partnerships, and inspire the next generation of innovators, problem-solvers, and leaders.

Community Gardens will be receiving $27,580 with plans for revitalization of select garden sites including replacing worn raised beds and improving water access.

We’re incredibly grateful for the support of our gardeners, volunteers, partners, and community leaders who help our gardens thrive. We can’t wait to see how we can continue growing our community together.

StrongBodies will be receiving $900 to purchase weights and weight racks for use by community partner locations which will allow them to host the program.

The StrongBodies empowers individuals of all ages to live stronger, healthier lives. Through community-based strength training programs, participants improve fitness, build strength, gain confidence, and connect socially, enhancing overall well-being.  

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who recognizes the importance of investing in our community. Your support helps create opportunities that spark curiosity, increase food access, and develop skills in community members of all ages.

Pictured are ESP National President Lisa Ingram, Kewaunee County Community Development Educator/Professor Patrick Nehring, and ESP North Central Region Vice-President Paul Roback

Brown and Kewaunee Counties Community Development Educator/Professor Patrick Nehring received the Continued Excellence Award for the Midwest. The award is presented by Epsilon Sigma Phi (ESP), the professional association of Extension in the United States.

The award is designed to recognize an experienced Extension professional with more than 25 years of experience who has exhibited continued leadership, initiative, and excellence in Extension program planning, delivery, evaluation, or administration, on a state, regional or national level after receiving previous distinguished career recognition.

Records, Audits, and the 990 Form
Nonprofit organizations are required to submit an annual 990 Form and a regular audit is a good idea. Join Matt Neu from Hawkins Ash CPAs in a conversation about financial record management practices that can help.

November 12, 2026 8:30am
Online via Zoom

AI in Fundraising
AI in fundraising is our topic for a conversation with guest Bryan Cayabyab from Build With You AI.

Image generated using Gemini AI.

December 10, 2026 8:30am
Online via Zoom

Upcoming Nonprofit Leader Conversions

Discuss timely topics with fellow nonprofit professionals in a collaborative, small-group setting. Each session features invited experts and community leaders who share their knowledge, insights, and experiences, followed by an interactive Q&A discussion. 

Nonprofit Leader Conversations are offered free of charge via Zoom; however, registration is required.

UW–Madison Extension Brown County offers custom educational programs, available both live online and in-person, to support nonprofit operations.

Topics range from starting a organization and board management to fundraising, strategic planning, volunteer inclusion, and Real Colors® team building.

Contact Community Development Educator/Professor Patrick Nehring at patrick.nehring@wisc.edu or 920-391-6160 to learn more about what program may be a good fit for your organization.

Are you ready to become a confident, informed renter? Rent Smart teaches you the essential skills needed to successfully navigate the rental market, understand tenant-landlord rights, and protect your interests.

Why Attend?

📝 Registration: Open now, plus walk-ins are welcome!  Click the button at the right to find out dates, times, and locations of the classes.

Are you looking for an easy way to connect your clients, families, community members—or even yourself—to trusted local resources? This handbook is designed to do just that.

The Community Resource Handbook brings together contact information for nearly 200 organizations serving Brown County, all in one convenient place. Developed by Brown County Extension, this resource supports food security and helps increase access to low-cost services for individuals and families with limited incomes.

Whether you work directly with the community or want to keep valuable resources on hand, this guide is a must-have tool.

What You'll Find Inside:

👉 Want your own copy?

Click the button to download a digital copy (free) or purchase a printed copy ($4, printed on-demand with a 2-3 week wait for pickup). There is a 3% processing fee for credit/debit card payments (Total with fee is $4.12/book).

Pressure canning is a safe way to preserve meats, low-acid fruits and vegetables (e.g. green beans, corn, carrots), and most mixtures of foods (e.g. chili, stews). It is recommended to test your pressure canning gauge yearly to ensure it's accurate and in good condition for creating safely-preserved food.

Need your pressure canner tested?  Extension Brown County offers free testing of National, Magic Seal, Maid of Honor, and Presto dial gauges (weighted gauges do not need testing). Click the button to book an appointment via our online scheduling system or give us a call at 920‑391‑4610.

Six Head Start classrooms joined The Great Apple Crunch with Terri, one of our Health and Well-Being Educators. The crunch was an effort to celebrate National Farm to School Month this October by purchasing and crunching into 3 varieties of locally grown apples. Participating in events like this brings people together around local food and growing healthy eaters.

Our Farm to Early Child Care Program helps Head Start students learn where food comes from and encourages healthy habits and aims to increase fruit and vegetable consumption and encourage people of all ages to choose fresh produce. The simple act of tasting apples and other fresh produce

can be a huge learning experience for a young child. Apple exploration and taste test activities can touch on all five domains of the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards. These activities encourage active exploration by using the senses, practicing motor skills, expressing emotion, stating individual thoughts/preferences, following directions, encouraging curiosity, developing math skills, and making predictions. These activities also encourage communication and interaction between teachers and children.

Our local 4-H adult volunteers are the heart of youth development, but managing clubs and keeping youth engaged can sometimes feel overwhelming. To support them, UW–Madison Extension educators from Brown, Door, and Kewaunee counties hosted the 2026 Tri-County Volunteer Summit ("Stronger Together") on October 10 at the Brown County STEM Innovation Center.

This interactive training provided volunteers with fresh ideas, modern leadership tools, and a valuable opportunity to network with peers. Workshops focused on:

Big Impact by the Numbers

The summit was a major success, with participant feedback showing immediate value:

Volunteers left ready to implement immediate changes, such as giving youth officers more ownership of agendas. By investing in our adult mentors, we ensure Brown County youth continue to build the critical life skills they need to thrive.  Planning for next year's summit has already begun!

Brown County Extension 4-H recently partnered with the Brown County Central Library to host a hands-on STEM program as part of the statewide Wisconsin Science Festival. Local youth and families dived into exciting design engineering activities, including custom LEGO building and crafting "exploding" paper boxes that participants designed, cut, and folded themselves.

Using the "do-reflect-apply" model, 4-H educator Melinda guided youth through engineering challenges that fostered creativity, spatial awareness, and practical problem-solving. While overall attendance was small, the educational impact was deep. The participating youth remained thoroughly engaged for nearly the entire two-hour session—building, testing, and reflecting on their designs.

Beyond teaching STEM skills, this event highlighted a fantastic collaboration between Extension and the library, showcasing how county departments can work together to bring high-value youth programming directly to our community.

Thanks to UW-Green Bay Day of Service for all of the volunteers who helped Brown County 4-H inventory and organize over 120 Lego Robotics Kits! With their help, the kits are ready to use in afterschool and community programming!

4-H at YWCA is open to youth grades K-12 and is held the second Tuesday of the month 5:30-6:30pm, with at different activity at each meeting.  Previous activities included:  screen printing, brush bots, elephant toothpaste, paper rockets, and archery.

Next meeting: November 10, 2026
Next activity: Egg Drop - can you design a capsule to protect your "egg-stronaut"?

Prior membership in 4-H or YWCA is not required.

Be sure to sign up today!

If you have any questions, please reach out to Club Leader and 4-H Program Educator, Jon Hill, at 920-391-4653 or jon.hill@wisc.edu.  If you'd like to register for any future activity nights (to ensure adequate supplies), click the button to fill out the short form.  

Are you looking for fun, hands-on experiences for your youth? The 2027 Brown County 4-H Summer Camps are on the horizon, featuring epic adventures like cooking, archery, castle construction with cardboard, and other hands-on learning activities!

We expect official registration to open in December, and our most popular slots always fill up incredibly fast. Don’t miss out—join our exclusive waitlist today to get an early notification the exact moment the portal goes live.

Practical sessions for livestock producers, key employees, and consultants working with—or considering—CAFO permits. 

New sessions to begin January 2027.

The Manure Applicator training is an interactive session for those who apply manure (to their own farm or for hire) focused on spill response, safe operation, and proactive solutions.

New sessions to begin February 2027.

Farming brings unique challenges, be it weather, markets, or labor shortages. While stress is a part of life, prolonged and increasing amounts can negatively impact overall wellness, even leading to depression or anxiety.

When stress is high and you need someone to turn to, the Farmer Wellness Program can assist. It is designed to provide farmers and their families access to services that can help them navigate life's challenges.

24/7 Farmer Wellness Helpline
1-888-901-2558

Get free, confidential, and immediate support any day, any time. Helpline representatives can also make referrals to the Farmer Wellness Program for on-going, long-term support.

Counseling Vouchers
1-800-942-2474

Farmers and farm family members can obtain in-person and/or tele-health counseling services from a participating licensed mental health provider at no cost.

Fall storms can lead to power outages. Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. Use appliance thermometers to check temperatures once power returns.

For help determining which foods to keep or discard, the AnswerLine is available.

Contact the AnswerLine at
1-866-540-4636 or go.wisc.edu/answerline.

Support local youth and look great! Wisconsin 4-H is an official affiliate of the National 4-H Council Shop 4-H store.  

When you use our unique affiliate link, 5% of your purchase is returned to the Wisconsin 4-H program at no extra cost to you.

Series of 4 Sessions

Optional Follow-Up Sessions

2019 Technology Way
Room 113
Green Bay, WI 54311
920-391-4610
extension@browncountywi.gov

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