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.

4-H Youth Development Educator, Neil Klemme presented in Glasgow, Scotland alongside an incredible team of colleagues from University of Wisconsin Extension, Green County, Green County Economic Development Corporation, and the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Their presentation, "Building Community Assets Through Leadership Development," highlighted innovative state and county-level approaches to empowering the next generation of leaders. Neil made connections with colleagues from around the world, and got to share the great things happening in our corner of the planet.

If you'd like to learn more, feel free to contact Neil at 715-561-2695 or neil.klemme@wisc.edu. 

On Tuesday, June 30, AmeriCorps Member Ashley Basso joined forces with local beekeepers Judy Sims and Connie Davey to bring the fascinating world of honeybees to 40 eager PreK through 5th-grade students at the Hurley School District Kid’s Club.

While summer heat forced the event safely indoors, the change of scenery didn't dull any of the excitement. The students stayed cool and fully engaged with a series of hands-on, interactive learning stations that included Beekeeping show & tell, trying on beekeeper suits, bee themed bookmarks, and hive science lessons. 

A huge thank you to Judy Sims and Connie Davey for volunteering their time and sharing their sweet expertise, and to the Hurley Kid's Club staff and students for being such fantastic, curious listeners!

On Wednesday, June 24, Iron County 4-H Summer Assistants Serena Tauer and Eva Krall teamed up with the Hurley School District Kid's Club for a full day of vibrant, summer-themed art projects. Our local youth dove headfirst into color and texture, showing off incredible imagination and skill. 

Vibrant mosaic art and paper marbling experiments were completed.

A huge thank you to Serena, Eva, and the dedicated Hurley Kid's Club staff for organizing such a fun day and keeping our community's youth inspired, creative, and connected this summer!

Our middle school campers had an incredible week of leadership, team building, and adventure at the Iron County Outpost Camp in Mercer.

Head over to the Iron County 4-H Facebook page to check out the full photo album from the week's activities and events. 

National Ice Cream Day is Sunday, July 19, and it is the perfect reminder to visit the Iron County 4-H Dairy Booth at the upcoming Iron County Fair, taking place Friday, July 31 through Sunday, August 2!

Stop by to grab your favorite sweet treat and support our local 4-H youth with every single scoop. Fair weekend hours:

Friday, July 31: 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Saturday: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm

Sunday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Every purchase directly funds essential educational programs and community projects for Iron County 4-H. We can't wait to see you there!

Dust off your rolling pins, preheat your ovens, and get ready to show off your baking skills for a fantastic cause. Mark your calendars for the Iron County 4-H Pie Auction, taking place on Sunday, August 2 at the Iron County Fair. All proceeds from this event directly benefit the youth-focused Iron County 4-H program, helping to fund valuable educational experiences, leadership opportunities, and community projects.

The competition is open to bakers of all ages. The youth entry category is open to anyone 18 years old and under. Anyone aged 19 and over are invited to compete in the adult entry category.

Participating in the Pie Auction is as easy as, well... pie! Just follow these steps:

We can't wait to see the incredible variety of pies our community brings to the table. Thank you for your continued support of Iron County Extension and our amazing 4-H youth!

The hardworking youth of the Penokee Range Livestock Club are down to the wire prepping for the upcoming fair festivities! Among them is Skyler Thewis, pictured here showing off his dedication alongside one of his Hampshire crosses.

Make sure to mark your calendars for their annual Market Sale on Saturday, August 1. You can meet club members and their animals during the Meet & Greet at 3:00 pm, with the live auction kicking off at 4:00 pm.

Want to learn more about the members and see their projects before the big day? Follow the Penokee Range Livestock Club Facebook Page to show your support!

SET Running Club
Mondays, June 8-July 27 - 6:00-7:00 pm
Location: Location varies weekly

Penokee Range Livestock Club Meeting & Fair Work Bee
Sunday, July 19 - 9:00 am
Location: Iron County Fair Grounds 

Iron County Summer Youth Camp
Tuesday-Friday, July 21-24
Location: Trails End Youth Camp
Note: Camp staff arrive one day early-Monday, July 20

Iron County 4-H Fair Judging
Sunday, July 26 - 1:00 - 7:00 pm
Location: Iron County Fair 4-H Building

Iron County 4-H Silent Auction
Opens Friday, July 31  - 12:00 pm
Bids close Sunday, August 2 - 3:30 pm
Location: Iron County Fair 4-H Building

Penokee Range Livestock Club Market Sale
Sunday, August  1 - 3:00 pm (meet & greet)
4:00 pm (market sale)
Location: Iron County Fair Livestock Show Ring

Iron County 4-H Pie Auction
Sunday, August 2 - 3:00 pm (bakers drop off pies by 1:00 pm)
Location: Iron County Fair 4-H Building

Just before Memorial Day, folks from the United Way of Wisconsin visited Iron County to distribute no-cost laptops to Wisconsin residents through their grant-funded Techquity Wisconsin program. Laptops provided through the program were mid-tier devices refurbished by a Microsoft-registered non-profit refurbisher based in Milwaukee. For some reason, not many people from Iron County took advantage of the program and we shipped almost half of our allotted devices back with our United Way friends.

If you missed out on our first distribution, you’re in luck! Joseph will be at the Iron County Fair registering qualified Wisconsin residents for their very own no-cost laptop, which will be available for pickup on August 31.

Don’t miss out again—if you or someone you know is in need of a laptop, stop by Joseph’s table at the Iron County Fair or contact him via phone at 715-561-2695 or by email at joseph.w.miller@wisc.edu to register!

Interested in video games or developing your digital skills? Dev’s Club is an opportunity to learn more about video games, video game development, and building in the digital world. Working in GDevelop5, a simplified video game development platform used by amateurs and pros alike, you’ll get hands-on experience creating your very own games to play and share. Additionally, games created at Dev’s Club will be loaded onto the Club’s mobile library arcade cabinet for others to experience and enjoy at events around Iron County.

Dev’s Club will launch this fall! Stay tuned for more information or complete this short form to be added to the Dev’s Club email list: https://forms.gle/5iuuVRzQDCWT4eaf8.

In June, the Iron County Economic Development Committee heard from Vilas County Economic Development Corporation (VCEDC) Executive Director Kathy Schmitz about the VCEDC and the great programs they offer. One statistic Kathy shared with the Committee was eye-popping and (I’m not ashamed to admit) somewhat jealousy-inducing: Vilas County went from 5% high-speed internet coverage to 86% coverage in a span of 5 years.

This, Kathy said, was the difference between a summer population boom and a year-round population boom. Not only are folks in Vilas County seeing population increases, but quality-of-life improvements as well. Nearly every industry sector in Vilas County has seen wage increases during that five-year span, with some industries doubling their average wage and a few seeing double-digit percentage increases in workforce numbers [https://datausa.io/profile/geo/vilas-county-wi#economy].

This is a testament to strategic thinking and purposeful allocation of funds to improve a specific community asset. Kathy was also careful to point out those increases aren’t attributed to the VCEDC alone, but to a concerted effort between individuals, communities, and partner organizations. By working together toward a shared vision, people in Vilas County are building a brighter future for current and future residents.

Thank you Kathy for spending time with the Iron County Economic Development Committee and for sharing the VCEDC’s story. Great things are happening for our neighbor, and it’s awesome to see as well as learn from. Thanks again, and we’ll keep in touch!

Iron County Economic Development Committee Meeting
Wednesday, August 19 - 6:00 pm
Location: Iron County Courthouse Board Room

Visit the Iron County website to view meeting agendas. 

UW-Madison Division of Extension provides valuable programs and resources to all Wisconsin residents, not just those in Iron County! Explore statewide opportunities that can support your family, business, farm, or community, no matter where you are in the Badger State. This month, we are highlighting:

Growing and Caring for Plants in Wisconsin: Foundations in Gardening Early Bird registration opens July 13!

Course dates: Sept. 6–Dec. 12, 2026
100% Online | Self-Paced

This comprehensive course consists of online activities, videos, readings, and other helpful resources. It also serves as an approved learning opportunity for individuals interested in the Wisconsin Extension Master Gardener Program.

Mark your calendars for our upcoming distributions:

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

Follow Extension Iron County on social media or by visiting our website linked below!

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