Creating an organization that seeks to educate people about soil health and about the benefits of locally grown food can be a challenge—especially if that organization is in Amery. This small community in northwest Wisconsin has a population of less than 3,000 people. Compounding the situation for the founders of the Farm Table Foundation was the difficulty of hiring and retaining staff, and then the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, a statewide lockdown in March and April forced non-essential businesses to close, putting employees out of work and creating financial hardship for many of the nearly 16,000 residents of Washburn County in northwest Wisconsin. Businesses needed support, families needed food and residents needed to know they were not alone.
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a higher toll on residents of rural Wisconsin, following years of reduced health services for those regions. The Community Resilience and Response Task Force was formed in a collaboration among the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, UW-Extension and the Wisconsin Governor’s Office. The task force collects and analyzes data, identifies gaps in policy and service and recommends ways to create equitable health care options for rural residents.
When the COVID-19 pandemic left many people isolated at home, the Door County Fire Chiefs Association joined forces with local organizations to make sure that residents and guests were able to receive the information and non-emergency services they needed. The goal was to serve as a clearinghouse to answer questions, handle requests for help and connect people with sources of assistance. Nearly 30% of Door County residents are over age 65, a group considered among the most vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus.
MADISON, WI, DEC. 16, 2020 - Gov. Tony Evers today announced the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Rural Prosperity has released “Rural Voices for Prosperity: A Report of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Rural Prosperity,” which calls for coordinated measures across state government to meet the needs of Wisconsin’s rural communities.
