We are excited to announce that Liz Murphy is joining the FoodWIse Team in the role of Healthy Communities Coordinator, effective June 20th, 2024. This position creates and promotes nutrition education and outreach at the individual, family, community, and systems levels.

Prior to her role at extension, Liz worked closely with Brown County's nonprofit community to increase awareness of literacy programming, educational opportunities, and civic engagement initiatives. She is passionate about the intersection between food, nutrition, and culture. She received her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Beloit College in 2013, which included studies in French, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese.

Connect with Liz at liz.murphy@wisc.edu, or by phone at 920-391-4626.

In May, FoodWIse taught 3 sessions to the two 7th grade classrooms at Oneida Elementary School. The classroom had between 15 to 20 students per room.   FoodWIse used a new curriculum Small Bites with the students and covered topics such as: My Plate and My Native Plate and Harvard's Healthy Eating Plate, breakfast foods, Snacks and sugars and advertising of foods.  During one activity, students were asked to come up with a poster to encourage peers to work to be healthier.  Students had some wonderful ideas for ways to become more mindful of health.  When teachers were surveyed, one stated: “The students seem more interested in reading labels and finding out what’s in the food they eat” another observation a teacher stated was: “Some students that have not eaten lunch regularly are eating lunch”.  

 FoodWIse has partnered with Keller Elementary School for five years providing a nutrition and garden-based program for over 30 students. This year, we taught grades 4th and 5th. Students participated in glow “germ” experiments where they were able to see the “germ” on vegetables that were not rinsed with cold water, in addition they could see it on their hands. Students participated in various other activities, games, gardening, and experiments.

Teachers and students were surveyed. A 4th grade teacher stated, “ Students talked about the "germ" lesson and how helpful it was to see the germs if they failed to clean their fruits and vegetables.”

This is the last year of our engagement at the school. We want to express how lucky we were to engage with such a dedicated and supportive school staff. 

FoodWIse team wrapped up a busy in-school nutrition education program, engaging with nine schools offering programs during the school day and after school programs. 
As we transition into the summer, our program may experience a slight slowdown. However, rest assured, our commitment to community engagement remains unwavering. We are dedicated to keeping our connection with the community strong, even during this season. 
Many students rely on school meals to receive healthy and delicious meals; meanwhile, when school is out, students can still access those meals through the SUN Meals (summer meal service program). Meals are free for individuals under 18 years old, but for adults, there is some cost. 
Check out this tool map that can indicate the closest point near your location that offers SUN Meals. 

                      Using SNAP at the Farmers Markets

Local farmers' markets and gardens will soon have an abundance of fresh produce. This is the ideal season to savor the rich flavors of all vegetables and fruits.

Enjoy the experience and embrace the vibrant, community-oriented atmosphere of shopping at farmers markets. Explore the different stalls, engage with vendors, and connect with fellow shoppers. Farmers markets offer more than just shopping—they provide a chance to build relationships, discover new flavors, and support the local food system.

With over 300 farmers markets around the state, each market in Wisconsin is unique to the community it serves and almost all markets are run independently from one another.

With summer approaching, you may be planning picnics and other outdoor eating events. As it gets warmer, it is not a surprise that more people get sick from food. Check the June Food Pantry handout for more information

FoodWIse education is funded by the USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program– SNAP and Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program - EFNEP.

An EEO/AA employer, the 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

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

extension@browncountywi.gov