Extension Responds to COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
Check out the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension COVID-19 page. This is an up to date page with many resources for families, the agriculture industry, businesses, finances, health and wellness, and other important information.
COVID-19 Food Resources for Oconto County
Oconto County has many individually operated food pantries, meal programs for students, and food assistance programs. This webpage is a hub of information and resources provided by Oconto County to support our county in getting residents connected to healthy food during this time.

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Food Safety in the Time of COVID-19: Avoid this food safety mistake (#1)

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 […]

Starting Vegetable Seeds At Home

The growing season is close, but there is still time to start your own vegetable seeds at home. Starting seeds can be a simple biology lesson for your kids and grandkids, as they watch plants grow and develop. And it can be a very fruitful lesson, as those young seedlings develop into productive plants that […]

Fruit Pruning Season Nearing Its End

One activity that all home fruit growers need to do every year is pruning. Some years the pruning needs are less, but it should be done every year to help keep your trees, shrubs, and brambles productive and healthy. The optimum timing to conduct fruit pruning is generally late winter and early spring. This year’s […]

Growing & Feeding Alternative Forages

Friday, April 3, 2020, 1 pm to 2:45 pm via Zoom or YouTube. Program will cover tools for helping to determine on farm forage inventories, alternative forages for dairy and connecting forage quality to dairy performance.

Gov. Evers Suspends Evictions and Foreclosures During Public Health Emergency

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 […]

Food Safety in the Time of COVID-19: Cleaning & Disinfecting

We all know that hand washing is an important defense against coronavirus. And as we work to keep ourselves and our families healthy, routine cleaning and disinfecting of areas in our homes is important. Cleaning removes dirt from surfaces, while disinfecting kills germs that remain after cleaning. What is the best way to clean and […]

Food Safety in the Time of COVID-19: Dates on food products

With a ‘Safer at Home‘ order, many of us are looking to foods stocked in our pantries and cupboards to help feed our families. What do dates on food products tell us? If the date is past, is the food still safe? In most cases, yes! Dates on food package labels are generally quality dates, an indication […]

WEDC announces targeted grants to small businesses suffering losses due to coronavirus emergency

$5 million grant program will assist “smallest of the small” businesses around state MADISON, WI. March 18, 2020 – In another step toward assisting small businesses that suffer losses related to the COVID-19 health emergency, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) is creating a program to provide grants to targeted businesses throughout the state, WEDC […]

Navigating Coronavirus for Small Businesses

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

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 […]

Extension Oconto County Events and Activities Postponed Due to COVID-19 Policies and Concerns

Due to the possibility and risk of infection, the UW Madison, Division of Extension is requiring our State and County sponsored, as well as, volunteer-led clubs and associations to cancel or postpone upcoming events between now and April 10 that: Expect to draw more than 50 people; Draw participants from multiple counties; or Include participants […]

Home Alone – Preparing Children for Self Care

This self-study for parents and children help prepare for safely staying home and making a family plan. https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/homealone/

Oconto County Board Recognizes Finger Family

On Thursday, February 20, 2020, the Oconto County Board of Supervisors recognized the Finger Family for receiving the Wisconsin’s Outstanding Young Farmer Award. Philip and Laura Finger are the fifth generation to farm on his family farm, which was established in 1872. Pictured back row left to right : Dick Doeren; Extension Education Committee Member, […]

Microwave Food Safety

Microwaves play an increasingly important role in getting meals on the table, but special care must be taken so that microwaved food is safe to eat. Let’s look at some tips for cooking safely in a microwave oven. Is it safe to eat microwaved food? Yes! Microwaves are very short (micro) radio waves that can […]

Reduce Food Waste: A Resource of Food Banks and Food Pantries

Many individuals make New Year’s resolutions and these days some companies are even getting into the game. Several prominent companies including Marriott, the hotel and hospitality company, Nestle Global, the international food and beverage company, and several branches of the U.S. government have pledged to reduce food waste in 2020. I have been working with […]

Wash your hands, not your chicken.

This new year, let’s resolve to wash our hands, and not raw poultry! Rinsing chicken or turkey before cooking it is an ingrained step for many home cooks, passed down through generations and reinforced by some older cookbooks. Recipes like the “Perfect Roast Chicken” in “The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook” from 1999 advise cooks to “Rinse […]

Tips for Cooking Safely in a Slow Cooker

Crock Pot slow cooker. During the winter, menu planning often turns more to soups and stews than at other times of the year. When that happens, a slow cooker is the perfect appliance for preparing a nutritious meal that is ready when you walk through the door at the end of the day. A slow […]

4-H Member Re-Enrollment Now Open!

As of September 6th, members may go to www.4honline.com and re-enroll in the 4-H program for 2019-2020. All 4-H members, youth and adult, must re-enroll on 4-H Online each year in order to participate in 4-H club, county, state, national and international activities. Even if you just became a member in August, you must go […]