Learning From Each Other

Farmers form cooperatives to buy and market products such as milk and grains, so why not band together to form a co-op for another basic farm necessity—seeds? Specifically, seeds for growers in the Midwest.

If there is one thing the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe has desperately needed, it is housing. A recent study by University of Wisconsin-Extension shows the waiting list for apartments for the tribe more than doubled between 2018 and 2023.

The Vernon County Energy District is spreading the word about energy: how to conserve, how to go green, and most of all, how to keep it local.

Annie Coleman had dreamed for years about opening a retreat center in rural Wisconsin—a place in the heart of nature where people could gather and spend a weekend relaxing, eating locally produced food, and letting their creativity flow.

Meeting the goal to build a 50-unit apartment building in downtown River Falls with affordable rents and load it with energy-saving features.

Forming a cooperative ensures local residents will have a veterinarian nearby to care for their dogs, cats, and other animals.

To bring Latino families to Lancaster, the community knew it would need to make this cultural group feel welcome and provide amenities to meet their unique needs.

It’s hard enough for many of Wisconsin’s rural communities to deal with the challenges resulting from declining population, struggling family farms, and the stresses brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. What if they lost their local hospitals?

Child care facilities have always been hard to come by in Sawyer County. A community survey found a severe shortage of affordable, quality child care in the county—especially for infants and toddlers. New parents face waiting lists that are several years long for a spot at existing facilities.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020 and stay-at-home orders were issued, the tribe had only a volunteer emergency medical services crew, and Bayfield County’s health department, 12 miles away, had only two public health officials.

School districts throughout Wisconsin are struggling to recruit high-quality educators–with college degrees, state certification and expertise in their given field—and convince them to stick with the job for the long term. The problem is particularly acute in rural communities.

Residents of the verdant Kickapoo Valley—part of the Driftless Region, untouched by glaciers—wanted their children to understand and appreciate the natural beauty and resources of the woods and streams around them. They wanted regular outings for youngsters in the environment surrounding them in the Kickapoo Valley Reserve, an 8,600-acre conservation area that offers a wealth of nature to explore. The primarily rural region in southwest Wisconsin also faces socioeconomic challenges and few options for child care.