An EEO/AA employer, University of Wisconsin Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title IX and

ADA requirements. Any person requiring special accommodations for attending Douglas County UW-Extension programs should contact

715-395-1363 in advance of scheduled programs so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

4-H Youth Development Sharon Krause, Educator Email: sharon.krause@ces.uwex.edu Agriculture & Horticulture Jane Anklam, Educator Email: jane.anklam@ces.uwex.edu Community Resource Development Director James Anderson, PhD Email: james.anderson@ces.uwex.edu Family & Community Support Araceli Whitwam-Sell

Email: araceli.wihitwamsell@ces.uwex.edu

Administrative Staff Cheryl Shockley, Program Assistant Email: cheryl.shockley@ces.uwex.edu Jeanne Ward, Program Assistant Email: jeannie.ward@ces.uwex.edu WI Nutrition Education Program Julie Montgomery, Coordinator Email: julie.montgomery@ces.uwex.edu

Tarah Nichols, Educator Email: tarah.nichols@ces.uwex.edu

Virginia Leith, WNEP Program Assistant Email: virginia.leith@ces.uwex.edu

University of WI-Extension, Douglas County

Douglas County Courthouse

1313 Belknap Street, Room 107

Superior WI 54880

Phone: 715-395-1363

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UW Extension Staff

5-60 minute lessons. The

Superior School District food

service provided food for

sampling at each lesson.

Fourth grade lessons

focused on a variety of

topics; making half MyPlate

fruits and vegetables,

getting to know the food

label and ingredient list, goal

choices and tracking, making

wise snack choices and

analyzing sugar in foods. We

also talked about media and

how the effects of media

can affect our food choices,

often foods advertised are

higher in fat, sugar and salt,

and how media can reduce

our time for physical

activity. At the end of each

lesson, a food tasting

sample was offered to help

promote eating more fruits

and vegetables. The

students were offered red

cabbage, spinach, cucumber,

grapefruit and zucchini. In

addition, green beans were

also offered as the school

district wanted to promote

this vegetable and increase

the consumption this school

year. Nichols brought them

into the classroom, as well

as, the food service offering

them at room temperature

for breakfast known as

“snack green beans” and

offering them warm at hot

lunch.

At the end of the five

lessons, students were given

an optional 10 question quiz

based on the information

they had learned.

A total of 225 students took

the quiz. Fifty-three percent

(120) got all questions

correct; twenty-eight

percent (63) got one

question incorrect; twelve

percent (28) got three

questions incorrect; .048%

(11) got 4 questions

incorrect; .013% (3) got 5

questions incorrect.

Great sharing and

conversations came from

students as to why it is hard

to eat more fruits and

vegetables since many said

they are not

available at home. Most

decided that it was the

easiest to choose them at

lunch and breakfast each

day, yet realizing the

majority do not eat the

recommended amounts per

day.

With nutrition education

being taught each year, and

lessons reinforcing learning

from previous years,

students are better

understanding reasons why

eating from all of the five

food groups is important

and how each food group

benefits them.

When asked to write “two

things you learned in

nutrition class,” the written

responses were great. A few

are as follows: “I learned

how fruits and veggies can

help you by seeing better

and give you shiny hair”,

“We learned about listening

to your body when you are

full”, “We learned how to

read food labels”, and “The

first ingredient is what the

food is mostly made of.”

Page 6

Regional Economic Indicators Forum

(R.E.I.F.)

National Bank of Commerce in partnership with UW Superior, University of Minnesota Duluth, APEX, Development Association, and others have formed the R.E.I.F. The R.E.I.F. takes a research based approach to better understanding the economic drivers for northwest Wisconsin and northeast Minnesota. The next R.E.I.F. forum will be held at the DECC Harbor Side Ballroom on Tuesday, October 27th at 7am. Learn more and register here: http://bit.ly/1NHcbuJ

Twin Ports Inventors and

Entrepreneurs Club

Around 2007, Julianne Raymond the former director of the Wisconsin SBDC at UW Superior formed the Twin Ports Inventors and Entrepreneurs Club. This club has grown since and shown interest throughout the region. After the Wisconsin SBDC brought in a new director, following Julianne’s retirement… the SBDC identified that it didn’t have the resources to facilitate this event anymore. At this point UW- Extension, Douglas County stepped in and partnered with the Wisconsin SBDC to continue this effort. To learn more about the Twin Ports Inventors and Entrepreneurs Club visit their website at www.TwinPortsIE.com. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 3rd – 6 pm at WITC Superior, speaker: TBA.

(cont. page 2)

Superior Days 2016

Planning is underway for Superior Days 2016. Since I started in April, I have been talking to community members, those that have, haven’t, or stopped attending Superior Days. I have been seeking feedback and suggestions as to how we can improve Superior Days and make it a more meaningful event for the community and the participants.

Ultimately the co-chairs will decide the direction of Superior Days 2016, but I am excited about our dialogue to date! Expect to see some things remain, and for some changes to incrementally be made… all to strengthen this community and government engagement event!

Some critical dates to note:

Superior Days 2016 to be held on February 16 & 17 at the Concourse Hotel in Madison.

Planning meetings set for November 16 at WITC Superior, and January 11 at Brule Town Hall.

Attendee training meeting in February 4 at Superior Middle School

Community and Economic Development

Community and Economic

Development

R.E.I.F Forum

Oct 27

4-H

4-H Achievement Night

National 4-H Conference

Oct 11

Nov 25-29

Agriculture/Horticulture

Wind Energy Open House

Catlin-Preparing the

Garden for Winter

Oct 6

Oct 18

WNEP

New Grant Year

Oct 1

Family Living

HCE Craft Fair

Oct 10

Newsletter Date August 2015

Newsletter

We teach, learn, lead and serve, connecting people with the University of Wisconsin, and

engaging with them in transforming lives and communities.

Douglas County

Extension Education &

Recycling Committee:

Sue Hendrickson

Kay Johnson

Charlie Glazman

Rae Ann Anderson

Mary Stone-McConnell

October 2015

Upcoming Events

Changes in Local Economic

Development Leadership

The two most visible

economic development

groups in Douglas County are

the Development Association

(DA), and the Superior

Business Improvement

District (BID). Both of these

organizations are under new

leadership.

The DA has appointed Jim

Caesar as interim-director.

The DA is currently working

on an organization strategic

plan, and seeking a

permanent executive

director. Jim is the publisher

of Positively Superior,

manager of the Superior

Business Center, and has

many other roles in the local

community.

Following the retirement of

longtime BID Executive

Director Kaye Tenerelli, the

Superior BID has announced

Lindsey M. Jacobson, as the

new executive director.

Lindsey is a Superior, WI

native and is excited to be

Family Living Educators, rely

on University of Wisconsin-

Extension specialists to

provide expertise on a wide

range of topics related to

families. I am pleased to

announce that Dr. Robert Nix

and Dr. Larissa Duncan have

recently joined Cooperative

Extension as Family Living

Specialists.

Dr. Nix, Diverse and

Underserved Children,

Families and Communities,

has much

experience with diverse and

underserved families. For the

last few years, he has been

partnering with Early Head

Start centers in Pennsylvania

to help parents be more

sensitive and responsive and

to help children learn self-

control and healthy eating

habits. Dr. Nix is interested in

continuing similar work here

in Wisconsin. He is also

interested in exploring ways

that Family Living and Early

Head Start might cooperate

for the benefit of all

Wisconsin families.

Dr. Larissa Duncan, specialist

in Healthy Minds, Children &

Families is internationally

recognized for her

development of a framework

to promote and assess

mindful parenting. She

studies the biological and

psychological pathways

through which

secular contemplative

practices may support child

and family well-being.

Join me in welcoming, Dr. Nix

and Dr. Duncan. Douglas

County is sure to benefit from

their expertise.

Through mindfulness parents can achieve the skills to choose:

Healthy behavioral

responses

Be fully present

Greater awareness of

their emotions.

Family Living

Araceli Whitwam-Sell

Family Living Educator

The awareness that arises

through… “paying attention in

a particular way, on purpose,

in the present moment, non-

judgmentally”

-- Jon Kabat-Zinn

MINDFULLNESS

Page 2

working within her own

community. Her most recent

position at Superior Glass

Inc. brought her back to

working in Superior and

networking in Duluth and the

surrounding area.

July through September

2015 is the final quarter of

my first full grant year as the

WNEP Coordinator for

Douglas County. I have

learned more than expected

about the people of Douglas

County, local nutrition

education, active lifestyles,

and the needs and interests

within our community.

This last quarter of our grant

year included food pantry

visits promoting the use of

healthy pantry foods, and

teaching My Plate For My

Family classes at the

Transitional Housing

programs provided by Faith

United Methodist Church.

A series of educational

classes that built upon

lessons learned weekly were

well attended by transitional

housing residents held in

their homes and in the

fellowship hall during

resident meetings. Concepts

taught included planning to

shop by preparing a grocery

list using in store sale ads &

buying in season produce;

increasing vegetable and

fruit consumption;

recognizing daily

opportunities for physical

activity; planning a go-to-

meal; and preparing healthy

meals with what’s in the

cupboard.

Changes in our community

that have affected our WNEP

parents of young children

include: the closing of our

neighborhood grocery at

Belknap Plaza. Area

transitional housing

women with young children

and college students report

they walk to shop for

groceries at dollar stores!

No choice for fresh fruits &

vegetables, although we do

have Farmer’s Markets

availability! Many gas

stations/convenience stores

do not take WIC or Food

Share WI EBT cards.

Transitional housing families

on the north end of South

Superior walk with their

toddlers to Superior Meats

for milk!

As the weather turns colder,

young families in

transitional housing have

identified the need for

educational programming

that teaches them to plan a

successful bus outing with

their children.

increase the amounts of fruits

and vegetables consumed at

meal times. The Douglas

County Nutrition Education

Program partnered with the

school district to provide

nutrition education to its

students in grades one

through five at four income

eligible schools. The lessons

revolved around MyPlate,

ways to increase intake of

fruits and vegetables, whole

grains, healthy snacks, hand

washing and ways to increase

physical activity. Food safety

and reading food labels were

2015 SUCCESS STORY

Frederick Douglass once said,

“It is easier to build strong

children than to repair broken

men” and although he was not

referring to eating habits, I

think the quote can be

adapted to eating healthy. It is

much easier to teach children

healthy eating habits at a

young age than it is to try to

change adults whom have

already formed unhealthy

eating patterns.

The Superior School District

has been actively trying to

Page 5

WI Nutrition Education Program

WI Nutrition Education Program

Julie Montgomery WNEP Coordinator

Tarah Nichols Nutrition Program

Educator

incorporated into the lessons

for fourth and fifth grade

students. As in previous

years, emphasis was given to

all grades as to “why “we eat

each of the food groups and

what each does for our body.

The nutrition educator,

Tarah Nichols, used Show Me

Nutrition from the

University of Missouri

Extension along with Power

of Choice as curriculum.

Grades one and two received

3-60 minute lessons. Grades

three through five received

(cont. p 6)

October 1st we are

up and running to

take on the new grant

October 2015

Douglas County Extension

Newsletter

Jane Anklam Agriculture/

Horticulture Educator

Agriculture & Horticulture

Local Foods

Badakidoon Meejim (Planting

Foods)

With the Power of Plants

Project, the Douglas County

community has increased its

knowledge of indigenous

horticulture in relation to the

native people’s diet and the

ability to grow some of these

important cultural plants. A

partnership cultivated by

UW - Superior‘s Lake

Superior Research Institute

and Master Gardener and

Master Naturalists, Mary and

Mark McConnell has resulted

in teaching gardens in both

Douglas and Bayfield County.

In addition, a Power of Plants

Workshop was held in June

to introduce educators and

local growers to the

significance and culture of

this important local food

supply.

The project will receive

funding again this coming

year from the Indigenous

Peoples Task Force and UW-

Superior. This is an

important project for Douglas

County. It truly recognizes

that for people to succeed,

they need to be able to eat

what grows where they live.

This is uniquely true of our

strong native community in

Douglas County.

Horticulture

Our community lost a great

friend in Horticulture this

past month. Dick Coda, Lake

Superior Master Gardener

Volunteer for Douglas County

brought many together for

the sake of learning to grow

food and achieve great joy

and passion in “getting to the

root of the matter”. Dick was

a key person in developing

and maintaining the Solid

Rock Garden, the Boys and

Girls Club Garden, the Bong

Victory Garden, and

community gardens in

Nebagamon. Dick made a

point of volunteering at

community gardens as he

believed that learning how to

grow food was not

something to watch from

afar. It was a matter of fact

for all. He had knowledge to

share and that was that. We

are grateful for all our

volunteers. Why not plant a

clove of garlic in honor of

Dick and your volunteer

spirit?

Agriculture

Two agricultural field days

were held in late summer

that address sustainable

agriculture needs in Douglas

County. The Mikrot family

hosted a nutrient

management event to

demonstrate soil fertility

impact with added nutrition.

Farmers notice the increase

in production with added

nutrients.

The next step is to more

precisely apply these

nutrients to balance the cost

with the outcome. We will

again encourage farmers to

pull soil samples and follow

test the recommendations.

If assistance is needed field

demonstrations can be

provided. Soil testing is the

only way to know what your

soil needs to produce the

crop. This is step # 1.

A Grazing Field Day was held

at the Gerald and Carole

Kroll Kingbird Ranch. Over

35 farmers attended with

questions of the economic

production and marketing of

grass fed beef. Since our

Douglas County soils can

produce excellent forage, we

need to be aware of the cost

benefits to grow premium beef.

Managing a field for grazing

land is a productive and healthy

land use in managing inputs

and water runoff. Our goal is to

help farmers know how to

develop this operation

sustainably. We will look for

more farmer lead field days in

the months ahead.

Page 4

Obstacles and Opportunities

In my previous life I taught

Outdoor Education, a blend

of environmental science and

camping skills. One of my

favorite classes was Survival.

Each student was handed a

random object and told to

think of ways they could use

it as a tool in a survival

situation. A Nerf football can

be torn apart to mark a trail;

written on and floated down

a river like a message in a

bottle; or used as a sponge to

hold water or wash wounds.

And did you know there are

over 110 ways to use a

bandana?!

The main message in that

class: Minimum resources

demand maximum creativity.

The best tool we have is our

minds, not our stuff.

Fortunately for UW-

Extension, we have abundant

supplies of this most

important resource! State

specialists are available to

steer us towards new

research and programs that

bolster our offerings to the

county. Advice from agents

in other counties is just a

phone call away. And just

down the hallway are

colleagues ready and willing

to help. Our office is full of

innovative people who are

eager to work together to

help the people of Douglas

County learn, grow and

Page 3

Sharon Krause 4-H & Youth

Development Educator

4-H Youth Development

succeed.

Araceli Whitwam-Sell and I

are partnering to help

parents teach their 4 – 7 year

olds how to problem solve

and get along with others.

James Anderson found

potential grant funding for a

drone kit, which I would use

to teach S.T.E.M. concepts to

youth while using it in

agricultural applications with

advice from Jane Anklam. I

am very thankful to have

partnerships like these, both

within and outside of our

office, that are key for

starting new programs that

will benefit area youth.

Meanwhile, the traditional

staples of 4-H Youth

Development continue. This

month elementary students

sign up for Afterschool Clubs

and two new Community

Clubs start in Superior. Our

Project List – activities youth

can learn and master before

demonstrating their

competency at events like

the county fair and art

festivals – is expanding to

include Dance and

Astronomy.

‘MINIMUM

RESOURCES DEMAND

MAXIMUM

CREATIVITY’

During our annual

Achievement Night on

October 11, scholarships will

be awarded to 4-H youth for

2016 trips to Washington

D.C., Atlanta, Madison, and

multi-state bus tours of the

history of the national parks

system or the foundations of

democracy. The Youth in

Governance program has

found new candidates for the

county board and Superior

Days. And last but not least,

other 4-H agents and I are

starting to plan Winter Camp!

Opportunities abound for our

youth to master skills, feel a

sense of belonging, be

generous and get involved in

their communities! Please

contact us if you would like

to help deliver our

programming or know kids

who would like to participate.

October 2015

Douglas County Extension

Newsletter