2007 | 2006
4-H Offers Afterschool Programs to Lincoln Elementary Students
Lincoln Elementary of Wausau, WI contacted the Marathon County 4-H Program to offer an after school program for youth in grades 3-5 on Wednesdays.
Amber Brei, 4-H Program Advisor and Michael Klapperich, 4-H Program Assistant responded to the situation by offering three five week sessions of educational programming. During the first five sessions, the youth learned about various types of games that would be inexpensive and fun. Youth learned how to play basic card games, group games and dominos. The focus of the second group of sessions was outdoor adventures. — Amber Brei, 4-H Youth Development Advisor
4-H Summer Club Expands to Boys & Girls Club
Marathon County has been working with the 4-H Summer clubs for several years. In 2007, we experienced a lower than anticipated enrollment at Jones & Lincoln Elementary Schools. Therefore, we began to look for new ways to meet the needs of low income youth in the area. This turned out to become one or our major accomplishments! This summer was the initiation of a club at the Boys and Girls Club of Wausau (A new partnership between our agencies). This club was a shortened version of the program which ran throughout the summer at GD Jones and Lincoln Elementary. — Jean Berger, 4-H Youth Development Agent
Building Partnerships to Develop Afterschool Programs
The goal was to increase training and programming for front line staff working in programs in Marathon County. Management staff from both the 21st Century Community Learning Center and Wausau Child Care had received training on the SEDL afterschool toolkit. In addition there was interest in increasing the knowledge base within the programs on the essential elements of 4-H. — Jean Berger, 4-H Youth Development Agent
Low-Cost Dairy Modernization Boosts Local Economy
Although Marathon County is the largest milk producing county in Wisconsin, many of the 800+ dairy farms still operate in relatively labor-intensive facilities. The origins of these facilities and farmstead plans often go back 50 years or more. These facilities require alterations to help producers milk, feed, house, and handle manure with the latest technology and system innovations available. For some, the decision might be making no change, but for others, building retrofits and potentially growing their business may be the best way for farm families to increase profitability, and continue farming. — Mike Wildeck, Director/Dairy Agent
Low-Cost Dairy Modernization Opens Doors for Northern WI Dairy Farms
Dairy farms continue to have a tremendous amount of economic impact on communities in northern Wisconsin and throughout the state. This emphasizes the importance of maintaining the viability of these businesses and supplying the tools needed to create a profitable and vibrant dairy business. Dairy farmers have welcomed the high milk prices of 2007 but have been burdened with high input costs that have taken a big piece of potential profits for the year. Farmers have once again been reminded about how volatile the dairy industry can be and will need to continue to make sound financial decisions and seek ways to cut costs on their farms. As of 2006, there were 10,000 Wisconsin dairy farms milking and housing dairy cattle in tiestall/stanchion barns. — Sam Zimmermann, Northern WI Dairy Educator
Marathon County Government Expands Conversation on Continuous Improvement
Marathon County government continues performance management activities and discussions. As part of an overall strategy of organizational development, administrators are seeking to improve program and communicate results using outcome measurement, and specifically the logic model approach. The Marathon County Finance Director faces requirements for evidence of performance management, maintaining the standards espoused by the Government Finance Officers Association. — Mary Kluz, Community Resource Development Agent
Marathon & Lincoln County Incubator Farm Project
Successfully Hatches First New Farm
The Lincoln and Marathon County Agribusiness Incubator Project, a UW-Extension facilitated project that began in 2003, successfully hatched its first new farm in 2007, a year ahead of schedule, and also got a second dairy farm started into the incubation process. On August 2nd a special pasture walk at the Lyle Guralski Farm, the site of the first incubator farm, celebrated the hatching of the Enos and Phoebe Martin Farm. — Tom Cadwallader, Agricultural Development Agent
Marshfield Endorses Principles of Community Sustainability
Situation
Communities across Wisconsin face the challenge of providing for today’s needs without compromising the future. On March 24, 2006, the Common Council of the City of Marshfield authorized the creation of a committee to evaluate the eco-municipality concept and how it could apply to government, businesses and residents in their community. The Sustainable Marshfield Committee (SMC) began meeting in June 2006; the committee was comprised of the Mayor, two Aldermen, seven city employees and thirteen business and citizen representatives from across the community. — Mary Kluz, Community Resource Development Agent
Nutrient Management Education Yielding Results
In order to promote stewardship of our state soil and water resources, Wisconsin law (effective January 1, 2008) requires nearly all farming operations to have a qualified nutrient management plan. Additionally, plans are required whenever producers; 1) accept cost-share dollars for nutrient management, 2) accept cost-share for installing manure storage, 3) participate in farmland preservation, 4) are regulated under permit (over 1,000 animal units), and 5) are regulated under county ordinance. Many producers however, have been reluctant to develop plans due to the cost and time involved, and a fear of future unknown costs. — Mike Wildeck, Director/Dairy Agent
Nutrition Education Program Provides Results in Marathon County
Marathon County nutrition education staff conducted the school nutrition program called “Food, Fun and Fitness” in kindergarten, second and fourth grades at six low-income schools in the Wausau School District. Approximately 780 youth in forty-four classrooms participated in multi-session lessons on nutrition, food identification, simple snack preparation, and physical activity. As part of the program, Marathon County educators taught 267 second graders and 261 kindergarten students about proper hand washing. — Tammy Hansen, Nutrition Education Program Coordinator
Olumpics Teach Youth the Value of a Good Breakfast
Every four years we watch with pride as the United States Olympic team members strive for gold. In keeping with the Olympic spirit, 243 low-income, fourth grade students in our school nutrition program, “Food, Fun and Fitness,” participated in their own Olympic competition, the “Breakfast Olympics.” First, before the actual event begins, students watch a short skit featuring “Junkfood Janie” and what happens to her in school when she doesn’t get a healthy breakfast. Next they learn why it’s important to eat breakfast. — Tammy Hansen, Nutrition Education Program Coordinator
Professional Development Offered to County Departments &
Local Agencies Seeking Housing & Money Management Needs
During the spring of 2007 Jackie Carattini with the Marathon County UW-Extension office held key interviews with community partners and agencies to determine community needs. The results of those interviews along with the number of phone calls and referrals coming into the office from other community agencies prompted this agent to pursue professional development offerings for other county departments and local agencies who may see clients with housing or money management needs. — Jackie Carattini, Family Living Agent
Tackling Latino/Hispanic Health Disparities in Wood, Marathon, Clark, & Lincoln Counties
In the spring of 2006, the Alliance to Help Others Reach Awareness AHORA consortia of Central Wisconsin wrote and received a 3 year federal grant from the Department of Health and Human Services. The overarching goal of year one of the grant was to reduce health disparities in the Latino/Hispanic population in a four county area in Central WI., Wood, Marathon, Clark and Lincoln Counties by increasing access to health care, providing health information and education, increasing direct health care services, improving occupational health and safety and developing community capacity and infrastructure to deliver culturally competent health care services. — Jackie Carattini, Family Living Agent
UW-Extension Provides Team Learning Support to Marathon County Department Directors
Marathon County Deputy Administrator Brad Karger began investigating new approaches to administrative meetings in late 2006 by pulling together a work group composed of department directors. There was an interest in developing meeting structure which involved more active discussion between directors and tapped their collective knowledge. The work group was given the charge to develop some options for supporting a culture of cooperation and leadership. — Mary Kluz, Community Resource Development Agent
Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy & Livestock Farmers - A Distance Education Gateway to the UW-Madison College of Agriculture and Life Sciences through UW-Extension and Colleges.
In a collaboration with UW-Extension in Lincoln and Marathon Counties, UW-Marathon County and Madison Area Technical College, 2007 saw the successful completion of the first distance education credit course offering of the UW-Madison Farm and Industry Short Course Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy and Livestock Farmers, and it also saw an expansion of the course in its second academic year reaching more students in more locations. While distance education classes delivered online and through interactive media such as Wisline Web and compressed video are not new in the University of Wisconsin, offering a blended learning course that combines Wisline Web, local facilitation and co-taught with area farmers, from several sites around the state, is new. — Tom Cadwallader, Agricultural Development Agent
2007 SUCCESS STORIES