Whether serving the meal yourself or sharing ideas with others on preparing an upcoming holiday feast, everyone will be grateful for recipes that include special food safety tips! Just in time for the holidays, the Partnership for Food Safety Education shares recipes, videos and more with food safety prompts that will help even the novice chef prepare a […]

On Thanksgiving, sometimes mistakes happen that make your turkey day a turkey don’t. What should you do if the turkey isn’t ready in time? Here are some ways to save the day. If you don’t have time to cook a whole turkey: Cook turkey parts, which can be ready in a fraction of the time. […]

Pies are an all–time favorite dessert and a feature of our winter holiday celebrations. Cooking and storing pies safely is important because bacteria that cause foodborne illness can grow in certain pies kept at room temperature, especially when the ingredients include milk, other dairy products, and eggs.  Food Safety for Pies Containing Dairy Ingredients or Eggs If a pie […]

After much deliberation, we made the difficult decision to pivot the 2021 Wisconsin Pest Management Update Meetings from a hybrid model to all virtual because of continued COVID-19 concerns and low registration numbers. Thus, the in-person events at Darlington (November 16, 2021), Chippewa Falls (November 17, 2021) and Kimberly (November 18, 2021) are now cancelled. […]

Thanksgiving Day is just over two weeks away, and it’s time to get ready. The USDA has provided answers to common questions to help your holiday run smoothly. Q: How long does it take to thaw a turkey? A: The time it takes to thaw a turkey depends on which of these three thawing methods you […]

As we move into the season of holiday baking, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reminds consumers that some decorating “luster dust” has been associated with toxic metal poisonings in children. Decorating foods with luster dust or glitter is a current trend, popularized on television programs, instructional videos, blogs, and websites such as Pinterest. […]

Have you heard the saying that a meal can be better when it’s reheated and served the next day? As long as we follow a few food safety steps, those ‘planned overs’ will be both healthy and delicious. Cook Food Safely. The first step in having safe ‘planned overs’ is cooking the food safely. If cooking […]

Water and soil are the usual transmission sources when rare Burkholderia pseudomallei infections occur. But Food Safety News reports that the source of four recent associated Burkholderia pseudomallei Infections, also known as melioidosis, was Gardens-branded Essential Oil infused Aromatherapy Room Spray with Gemstones  “Lavender & Chamomile” scent manufactured in India and sold at Walmart. The killer room spray has caused one […]

Join us for the final Badger Crop Connect on October 27th. Register here: https://go.wisc.edu/bccfall2021. This will be the last webinar in our series for 2021 but we hope you join us next growing season. The purpose of this series is to provide agronomists, crop consultants, and farmers timely crop updates for Wisconsin. Badger Crop Connect is hosted […]

Back-to-school time is right around the corner. This transition time can be difficult for both children and parents, so UW-Extension has dedicated 6 virtual Parent Connect sessions this fall to help parents ease their children and themselves back into positive and healthy routines, relationships and reinforcement. At each virtual session, an Extension educator will highlight a different […]

Even more evidence this week from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) of the importance of cooking flour-containing products before eating. National foodborne illness outbreaks in 2016 and again in 2019 tied to pathogenic E. coli have been linked to consumers eating raw dough or batter.  An outbreak report released this week indicated that several people interviewed admitted to […]

Faribault Foods Inc. (Minnesota) is recalling certain cans of S&W Organic Black Beans and Chili Beans sold at Costco stores because the cans may have compromised seals that could lead to botulism poisoning. The compromised hermetic seal may affect can integrity and may cause the cans to leak, bloat or allow bacteria, such as Clostridium botulinum, to grow inside the product which could lead […]

Making maple syrup is a time-honored tradition in many parts of Wisconsin, and it is as much of an art as a science. Even though sap does run in other trees such as birch and elm in early spring, maples produce more and sweeter sap than any other tree. Collection. Once trees are tapped, a collecting container is […]

Updated March 17, 2021 The coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, is impacting households, communities, and businesses. A U.S. Census survey from October noted that one-third of adults reported it was somewhat or very difficult to pay for their usual household expenses. The frequently asked questions below highlight some common financial challenges as a result of the COVID-19 […]

An Aging Mastery Program® will soon be offered by Extension Oconto & Marinette County. This fun innovative program empowers you to take key steps to improve your well-being, add stability to your life, and strengthen ties to your community. Aging Mastery Program®, developed by the National Council on Aging, is a nationwide program whose basic […]

Milk and milk products provide a wealth of nutrition benefits. But milk that has not been pasteurized can harbor dangerous microorganisms that can pose serious health risks to you and your family if consumed raw. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), from 1993 through 2012, there were 127 outbreaks linked to raw milk or […]

Back to Basics steam canner The University of Wisconsin-Madison conducted research showing that an atmospheric steam canner may be used to safely can naturally acid foods such as peaches, pears, and apples, or acidified-foods such as salsa or pickles. The steam canner uses only ~2 quarts of water (compared to 16 quarts, or more, in a boiling […]

The University of Wisconsin of Wisconsin Human Development & Relationships educators have collaborated and created a quick reference guide: TOOLS TO COPE WITH THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF COVID-19 in English and Spanish.  The guide connects you with quick resources to the following questions: If You… Are about to lose your job or have already lost your job? Know that you will not have enough […]

The safety of the food that you preserve for your family and friends is important to you. The University of Wisconsin Division of Extension supports using up-to-date, research-tested recipes so that you know that the food that you preserve is both safe and high in quality. Here are a few quick tips on changes and […]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated their recommendations on food handling during this time of COVID-19.  The recommendations are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean. Highlights of the recommendations are: There continues to be no evidence that the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is associated with handling food or consuming food. Coronaviruses are thought […]

Many current home canning recommendations suggest a 5 to 10 minute wait at the end of the canning process prior to removing jars from the canner. Why is this wait time now included in some canning recipes and it is necessary for safety? Some home canning recipes, such as the Ball (Fresh Preserving) recipe for Classic Strawberry Jam, include as a final […]

Even though a national trend has some families converting their Little Free Libraries into food pantries, this may not be food-safe idea.  Little Free Libraries have a strong tie to Wisconsin. According to the Little Free Library website, in 2009, Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin, built a model of a one room schoolhouse. It was a tribute […]

A second method of ‘dry canning’ has surfaced, even more unsafe than the first.  One unsafe method of dry canning is oven ‘canning’ of dry goods such as dry beans, nuts or flour. This method of ‘preserving’ dry foods really isn’t canning and it isn’t considered safe.  A second method of ‘dry canning’ involves placing raw vegetables such as corn, green […]

The University of Wisconsin-Madison, Division of Extension announces the launch of a new micro-learning video series: Money As You Grow Book Reads.  Each week, Financial Security Team Educators will read a popular children’s book that teaches children about money.  You can find free guides online through Dollars During Development.  Get the conversation started with your child while doing a fun activity in the […]

Please click on the link below to see what percent of the population is at the highest-risk of complication from COVID-19. You can search by county and zip code. The map below is an example of what the Oconto County map looks like. https://hip.wisc.edu/NHP  

Please click on the link to see how Badger Talks examines personal finance in a pandemic. Badger Talks examines personal finance in a pandemic

For information on the COVID-19 Response Grant Program please click on the link below, this information is provided by the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. https://www.med.wisc.edu/wisconsin-partnership-program/covid-19-response-grant-program/  

We all want to keep our families safe and healthy, especially in this time when the coronavirus presents such a real need to do so. No one wants to end up at the doctor’s office or the hospital with a foodborne illness*. [*There is no credible evidence that the coronavirus is spread by food or […]

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today directed Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Secretary-designee Andrea Palm to temporarily order the suspension of evictions and foreclosures amid the COVID-19 public health emergency. The order can be found here. The order prohibits landlords from evicting tenants for any reason unless failure to proceed with the eviction will result […]

This page provides business owners with links to information so they may prepare for the continued spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Wisconsin and plan accordingly impacts to their business operations. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) offers up to date information about the spread of the virus, and healthy habits to reduce the risk […]

COVID-19 Financial Resources If you are experiencing financial impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, look over the links to government websites below to see what assistance might be available. We will be adding additional information as new policies and resources are put into place. Do I qualify for unemployment benefits?  – The Wisconsin Department of Workforce […]