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 explore the winter wonderland with the Iron County 4-H SISU Endurance Team!

We are thrilled to announce the start of our brand-new Snowshoe Club for youth in grades K-12. This 8-week program is taking place on Mondays, January 19 -  March 9. 

This is a fantastic opportunity for young people to get active, enjoy beautiful trails in our community, and learn a fun winter sport!

Also, just a reminder that we are still accepting registrations for the upcoming SISU Endurance Team XC Ski Club. Visit our website for more information. 

Pictured: Penokee Range Livestock member, Starr Thewis and her beef project, Jack Black, a homegrown (born & raised at Sunshine's Agriculture Farm Experience in Mellen, WI) Angus cross. 

Two Iron County Youth Council members, Natalie Cane and Kasey Klemme, have been selected for prestigious Research Intern Positions under the Baldwin Grant, a statewide initiative led in part by 4-H Youth Development Educator Neil Klemme.

To kick off their internships, Natalie and Kasey attended the Youth as Partners in Civic Leadership (YPCL) Conference from November 14 to 16. This statewide event brought together youth teams from across Wisconsin to collaborate and discuss community impact.

At YPCL, the Iron County teens met peers serving in similar research roles and immersed themselves in the core component of their new assignment: Participatory Action Research (PAR). This method of inquiry empowers youth to identify and address community issues by finding their root causes.

The Baldwin Grant aims to build a statewide team of young leaders dedicated to making local impacts. During the conference, participants explored diverse community needs—ranging from creating more local art to supporting foster families—and learned how PAR can help them develop effective strategies for change.

Natalie and Kasey, who attended the conference alongside Klemme (one of the grant's main facilitators), shared their initial goal: incorporating more art into our community. They believe this will not only make the area more vibrant but also help share Iron County's rich history with visitors.

Stay tuned for future updates on this exciting project and details on how you can become involved in the process!

The Adventurers of the North 4-H Club's November meeting included pizza and Kool-Aid pies for desert. Pictured are members, Adalyn Rice, Norah Yuchak, Mia Baina, and Leader David Lutz. 

Member, Gabriel Risik and the Iron County Green Team began making their holiday gifts for the local nursing home residents. The club has done this as a community service for the past 6 years. 

Iron County Extension Office Closed - Holiday
Thursday - Friday, November 26-27

Adventurers of the North 4-H Club Meeting
Sunday. December  7 - 10:00 am
Location: Saxon Community Center

Iron County 4-H Green Team Meeting
Monday, December 8 - 5:30 pm
Location: Iron County Courthouse

Penokee Livestock Club Meeting
Sunday, December 14 - 9:00 am
Location: Kimball Community Center

Important update: The December edition of the Ashland/Bayfield/Iron County newsletter is the last we will be sending. We want to give a heartfelt appreciation to our partners, community, and participants for your support over the years. Best wishes and we hope you can use the information we have provided through these newsletters to continue to lead a happy and healthy life.

Karl Zinsmaster from Saint Mauds shared invaluable insights on creating a business plan and his compelling startup story with our 2025 Boot Camp participants.

Interested in starting your own business but not sure how to take the first steps? Have an idea for a business venture but want to find out what support and resources are available before taking the plunge? Or maybe you have established your business but would like to improve or expand operations?

The 2026 Iron County Entrepreneur Boot Camp is a great opportunity to find resources, network with entrepreneurs, and sharpen your idea into a feasible business plan!

The upcoming iteration has been streamlined from last year’s offering, now taking place over one week: Monday, January 5 through Friday, January 9, 5:30pm to 8:30pm every night. While the schedule is intense, it is intended to quickly build momentum and keep it moving forward (much like actual boot camp).

In one week, participants will:

The 2026 Iron County Entrepreneur Boot Camp is free for participants and registration is now open! Use this simple Google form to register (no sign-in required). 

Watch our Facebook page for upcoming promotional details contact Community Development Educator Joseph Miller at 715-561-2695. 

On Wednesday, November 5, local business owners, developers, and interested citizens joined members of Hurley City Council and MSA-Professionals’ Art Bahr to learn about Hurley’s new Tax Increment District #4.

Art Bahr, Senior Community Development Administrator for MSA, provided a presentation explaining what Tax Increment Finance is, how it works, and answered questions about Hurley’s Project Plan.

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.

Get reliable answers from trusted Extension experts.

Wisconsin residents can call or email the Ask an Expert AnswerLine to get answers to common questions about food safety, home food preservation, household management, and more. This service is part of a partnership between UW–Madison Extension and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. The information provided is based on the latest research and is free to the public.

For more information, visit the Ask Wisconsin AnswerLine!

Early snowfall across portions of Wisconsin last week reminds us that cleaning snow off streets, driveways, and sidewalks will be expected during the winter months ahead. Deicing salts are part of the snow removal process and make travel safer, but keep in mind they also can damage landscape plantings and the environment.

Sodium chloride, an inexpensive commonly used deicing salt material, can damage vegetation in two ways. First, root uptake of chloride accumulating in soils leads to dieback and decline of above-ground plant parts. Sodium can also destroy soil structure conditions, causing numerous plant problems. Plant damage typically occurs within thirty feet of roads, driveways, or parking lots where salts are applied. Second, salt spray drift from roads may drift onto vegetation, causing conspicuous clusters of twigs called “witches’ brooms” on deciduous trees or browning of evergreen foliage.

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! 

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.