A new Area Extension Director (AED) is coming to Extension Brown County! Stay tuned for their introduction...

Mandi Fruzen is the new Secretary II at the Extension Brown County office. However, she is no stranger to Brown County 4-H as she has been a leader in the Lost Dauphin 4-H Club for the last 10 plus years and always enjoyed volunteering in different roles, being an adult volunteer with the State 4-H Art Team and multiple art camps. 

She enjoys spending her free time with her two daughters and two dogs out in the outdoors. She is excited to work at Extension and share her experience and knowledge. 

Connect with Mandi at fruzen@wisc.edu or 920-391-4610.

Extension Brown County is looking to hire a Brown County 4-H Youth Development 4-H Program Instructor!

This position is an expansion of the afterschool programming focusing on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). 4-H Afterschool instructors will teach hands-on, pre-written robotics and coding curriculum to K-3rd grade students at 13 Green Bay Public Elementary Schools during the afterschool times of 2:30 - 6:00 p.m. four days a week. Instructors are being recruited to teach a series of 45 minute lessons with pre-written curriculum.

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

Questions? Call 920-448-4071.

Elevando Wisconsin Leadership Development Program

Elevando Wisconsin is a virtual culturally relevant educational program offered by UW-Madison Extension in Spanish and English where individuals hone leadership skills and prepare for leadership roles. This creates a network of active leaders who leverage their experience and expertise to benefit their community and local community-based organizations.

Elevando Wisconsin participants build the following skills:

Sessions are held from 9:00-noon every Friday from October 11 to December 13, except the week of Thanksgiving, November 29.

The cost of participating in Elevando Wisconsin is $300 per person. Tuition assistance may be available on a limited basis.  Application is due by October 7, 2024. 

For additional information, please contact: Jesús Vargas Gutierrez, Elevando Wisconsin Leadership Specialist, at vargasgutier@wisc.edu.

Interested in Brown County 4-H? Now is the perfect time to enroll!

While registration is open year-round for youth ages 5-19, September is the official start of the enrollment season. 4-H is more than cows and cookies! Youth can choose projects that range from cake decorating to robotics to shooting sports. There are so many opportunities for young people to find their spark. Check out our website for more information or contact our friendly 4-H staff at 920-391-4610 or 4h@browncountywi.gov

Register now for the only statewide conference in Wisconsin for early-stage Food and Farming Businesses.

The Community Food Systems Program’s FEED Initiative is a statewide program of UW-Madison Extension that promotes food entrepreneurship training and network development for value-added producers and aspiring small-scale food business operators. UW-Madison Extension’s outreach creates key connection points for families, communities, businesses, non-profit organizations, government, and more. Extension supports local volunteers and leaders to take action and serve as role models in their communities. Extension has a presence in every county in Wisconsin and in partnership with First Nations to make sure Wisconsinites have the latest research, best practices, and educational opportunities. The local co-hosts for the 2024 FEED Summit are Extension Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Farmers Markets Association, Milwaukee Food Council, Food Finance Institute, and the North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, UW-Madison Extension Center for Cooperatives, and USDA Rural Development. The FEED Summit provides entrepreneurs with the opportunity to learn business fundamentals, build business connections, and market your business, all while networking with fellow entrepreneurs.

The FEED Summit is on October 28-29, 2024, at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center (325 W Walnut St, Milwaukee, WI 53212).

Join us for business workshops, networking sessions, great local food, and field trips to Milwaukee food businesses!

Extension and UW-Green Bay are supporting research being conducted by the Helen Bader Institute for Nonprofit Management at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, this comprehensive survey aims to uncover the latest trends and best practices in nonprofit compensation across the state. By participating, receive a complimentary copy of the full report, a $99 value, as a token of our appreciation for your participation.  

This report will enable you to benchmark your compensation and benefits against your peers and identify emerging trends that can help you attract and retain top-tier talent. 

The survey takes just 30-45 minutes to complete, and your responses will be kept strictly confidential. Please complete by September 27. 

You may be cleaning out your garden or finishing your harvest in preparation for the end of the season, but that doesn't mean you can't get a head start for spring! Extension Brown County enables you to test soil from your garden, agricultural fields, wildlife food plots, and lawn! These reliable results give you a breakdown of your soil and fertilizer recommendations.

Simply bring in 2 cups of soil from the area you'd like tested to the Extension Brown County office located at the STEM Innovation Center, 2019 Technology Way, Rm 113, Green Bay, WI 54311. Our front desk staff will have you fill out a simple form and bag your soil in our standard soil bags, and we'll handle mailing your sample to the UW Soil and Forage Lab! Standard soil tests begin at $25, which includes shipping. Add-ons are available for an additional fee. Have questions? Contact our front desk staff at 920-391-4610.

Registration is now open for the 2nd Annual Wisconsin Water and Soil Health (WWASH) Conference!

Join us on December 17th and 18th, 2024, at the Kalahari Resort and Conference Center in Wisconsin Dells. This year’s conference promises to be even more impactful, bringing together experts, farmers, and conservationists to discuss the latest advancements in soil health and practices that promote water quality.

Early bird pricing and room blocks are available through November 16.

New and returning 4-H volunteers are welcome to attend an in-person volunteer training session Monday, September 23, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at the Kewaunee County Fairgrounds. Laptops will be available for you to enroll as a volunteer and you may attend all session you need to complete enrollment. 

An important tenant of the 4-H Positive Youth Development is Positive Youth-Adult Partnership. Our adult volunteers are just as engaged as our youth club members. If you are interested in this training and becoming a 4-H volunteer, click the button below or call the Brown County 4-H office at 920-391-4654.

September 26, 12:00-12:30 p.m. on Zoom 

Join us for an insightful session on fall preparation for new garden beds, focusing on effective weed prevention. Discover why fall is the ideal time to plan for a successful spring, and learn how to match weed control options to the size of your project. Explore various methods including solarization, occultation, chemical treatments, and tilling to ensure your garden thrives come springtime.

September 26, 8:30-9:30 a.m. on Zoom 

What is an organization’s brand and how do you develop or change it? Join Kitty Johnson from Big Frog Focus in a conversation about branding solutions.

October 10, 8:30-9:30 a.m. on Zoom 

Organizations have board and committee meetings to make decisions and accomplish the tasks of the organization. Melinda Pollen and Jon Hill will be our guest for a discussion on how to have effective meetings and allow for all of the committee or board members to have their voice heard.

October 24, 8:30-9:30 a.m. on Zoom 

Nonprofit work is a mix of balancing all the "asks" with minimum help. Join Barb Bigalke, Executive Director/Founder of the Center for Suicide Awareness in how to find that balance of personal and professional and find resilience amongst the constant demands.

Extension Brown County
2019 Technology Way
Green Bay, WI 54311
920-391-4610

extension@browncountywi.gov