What the Division of Extension Is
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension is the university's outreach arm, with an office in every Wisconsin county. Its county directory lists all 72 counties, and each county site follows the pattern [county].extension.wisc.edu. If you have a question about a crop, a calf, a youth project, a family budget or a community problem, your county Extension office is the usual first stop.
A Short History
According to Extension's history page, UW-Madison began University Extension in 1891, and Extension was created as a division of UW-Madison in 1907. Cooperative Extension grew out of the federal Smith-Lever Act of 1914, which linked counties, states and the USDA, and the first Extension agent in Wisconsin was hired in 1912 in Oneida County. In 1965 Cooperative Extension became part of the separate UW-Extension. In 2017 the UW Board of Regents approved restructuring Extension as a division of UW-Madison, and the transition became official in 2019. If you remember the name "UW-Extension," this is the same service under its newer name.
Program Areas
The county site lists Extension's programs as:
- Agriculture: crops, livestock, dairy and farm business help.
- Community Development: work with local governments and community groups.
- Health and Well-Being: programs for healthy living.
- Families and Finances: money and family education.
- Natural Resources: land, water and forests.
- Positive Youth Development: the home of Wisconsin 4-H.
Finding Your County Office
Start at counties.extension.wisc.edu, which has a clickable county map and a fast-access list. Phone numbers and staff are on each county page. For example, the St. Croix County office lists 715-531-1930 on its 4-H page. To find a specialist by topic, use the staff directory at people.extension.wisc.edu. Check the county page before you drive, because offices set their own hours and programs.
4-H in Wisconsin
Extension runs Wisconsin 4-H. The statewide membership and participation policies set these ground rules:
- The 4-H year runs October 1 to September 30, and enrollment is open year-round, though counties can set deadlines for specific programs.
- Youth must be 5 by September 1 and in 5K or older. Membership cannot extend past age 19 as of December 31 of the enrollment year, or more than one year beyond high school graduation.
- Cloverbuds are members in 5K through 2nd grade. They may not exhibit animals at public events or take part in shooting sports.
- Members sign the Wisconsin 4-H Code of Conduct each year.
- Youth can belong to several clubs in one county program, but to only one county or state at a time.
- To compete at regional, state or national events, youth qualify through their county of membership and must be enrolled and in good standing when the event occurs.
How Counties Differ
County programs add their own details. St. Croix County says new 4-Hers can enroll any time, returning families re-enroll each September on 4-H Online and are asked to finish by November 1, and members must be enrolled by March 1 to exhibit at the county fair. Third graders are Explorers who may take one animal project but not a market animal, and members in grades 4 through 13 follow the regular program. Kewaunee County describes four steps: complete the new family interest form, review the club guide, attend a club meeting, then enroll through 4-HOnline. Individual clubs may charge extra fees for their activities, so ask your club leader.
Extension and the County Fair
County Extension offices are where many fair rules live. Counties such as Clark post livestock rules on their Extension sites, covering ownership, ID, drug history and sale requirements. Wisconsin 4-H policy also says Extension offices may share membership lists with county fairs. If you plan to show an animal, ask your county office for the current livestock rules and project deadlines early in the spring.
Getting Started
- Find your county page and sign up for its newsletters.
- Call or visit the office with your question, since staff can point you to the right specialist.
- For youth, find a club on your county 4-H page and attend a first meeting before enrolling.
- Ask what your county charges and what its deadlines are.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Extension part of the university?
Yes. It is a division of UW-Madison, and the change became official in 2019.
How many county offices are there?
The county directory lists all 72 Wisconsin counties.
Can my child join 4-H at any time?
Wisconsin policy says enrollment is open year-round, though counties may set deadlines for specific programs.
Can a member belong to two counties?
Generally only one county or state at a time. Dual membership may be requested when a youth lives with different family members in each county, with approval from both counties.
Wisconsin Listings Covered by This Guide
- Waupaca County Small Animal Fun Show
Poultry and rabbit classes for 4-H youth in grades 3 to 13 on June 13, 2026 at the Weyauwega fairgrounds, $1 per animal, with proceeds supporting the county small market animal projects.
602 E. South St, Weyauwega, WI Official event details - Marinette County 4-H Poultry Testing
Marinette County 4-H poultry testing for fair birds is held at the county fairgrounds in Wausaukee at 10 a.m. Held each year; the most recent dates were August 1 and August 15, 2026.
Wausaukee, WI Official event details - Douglas County 4-H Junior Camp
A three-day Outpost Camp for youth ages 12-19 at Luther Park in Danbury, open to non-members, at $115 per camper with scholarships available; the 2026 camp ran August 18-20.
Danbury, WI | 715-395-1365 | Organizer: UW Extension Douglas County 4-H Official event details - Wisconsin Extension Weed Management Workshop
Extension weed management workshop on herbicide-resistant weeds, held at the Arlington station. Held each year; the most recent date was 2026-09-02.
Arlington, WI | Organizer: UW-Madison Division of Extension Official event details - Adams County UW Extension 4-H
Adams County Extension runs 4-H youth development with community clubs, Area 14 camp, a club map and the county fair, including fair books and tractor pull and clothing review entries.
WI Website - Ashland County UW Extension 4-H
Ashland County Extension publishes the 4-H clubs list, newsletters, the annual fair premium paper and 4-H fair schedules, and points families to ashlandcofair.org for official fair details.
WI Website - Barron County 4-H Livestock Project
Barron County's 4-H livestock project covers beef, sheep, swine, goats and a Miss Q dairy division, with a Livestock Show and Sale, sale participant cards and weigh-ins scheduled through the spring.
WI Website - Bayfield County UW Extension 4-H
Bayfield County Extension supports 4-H community clubs and issues seasonal newsletters and a family handbook, and its 4-H members exhibit at the county fair in Iron River.
WI Website - Buffalo County UW Extension 4-H
Buffalo County Extension lists the county's 4-H clubs each year, runs a 4-H horse project and works with the Buffalo/Pepin fair association on junior fair entries and livestock sale rules.
WI Website - Clark County UW Extension 4-H
Clark County Extension publishes the Cloverleaf 4-H newsletter and the junior livestock auction bidder slip used at the Neillsville fair each August.
WI Website - Douglas County UW Extension 4-H
Douglas County Extension's 4-H program in Superior is led by a 4-H educator, handles enrollment, clubs and leadership, and organizes the Outpost Camp and fair participation.
1313 Belknap St Room 107, Superior, WI 54880 | 715-395-1365 Website - Dunn County UW Extension
Dunn County Extension answers 4-H questions and supports the county fair, where junior fair entries are filed online through FairEntry with 4HOnline sign-in.
3001 US Hwy 12 E Room 216, Menomonie, WI 54751 | 715-232-1636 Website - Eau Claire County UW Extension 4-H
Eau Claire County Extension runs 4-H events and programs with a monthly Clover Leaves newsletter, a club locations map, welcome packet and a fair schedule for the county fair.
WI Website - Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery
Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery is a producer-owned dairy cooperative whose licensed plant on North Wallace Street makes the well-known cheese curds in Pierce County.
232 N Wallace St, Ellsworth, WI | (715) 273-4311 - Equity Cooperative Livestock Auction - Altoona
Eau Claire area stockyard in the Equity cooperative network, serving western Wisconsin cattle producers.
Altoona, WI Website - Equity Cooperative Livestock Auction - Arlington
Equity market north of Madison at Arlington, one of the cooperative's southern Wisconsin cattle yards.
Arlington, WI | (608) 635-4376 Website - Equity Cooperative Livestock Auction - Baraboo
Baraboo location tied to the cooperative's corporate office, serving Sauk County and the surrounding dairy and beef farms.
Baraboo, WI | (608) 356-8311 Website - Equity Cooperative Livestock Auction - Barron
Northwest Wisconsin Equity market at Barron, handling cattle from the dairy-heavy Barron and Rusk county area.
Barron, WI | (715) 537-5618 Website - Equity Cooperative Livestock Auction - Bonduel
Equity yard at Bonduel in Shawano County, serving northeast Wisconsin cattle sellers and buyers.
Bonduel, WI | (715) 758-2125 Website - Equity Cooperative Livestock Auction - Johnson Creek
Equity livestock market at Johnson Creek between Madison and Milwaukee, serving Jefferson County and nearby farms.
Johnson Creek, WI | (920) 699-3588 Website - Equity Cooperative Livestock Auction - Lomira
Equity yard at Lomira in Dodge County, serving Fond du Lac and Dodge County livestock producers.
Lomira, WI | (920) 269-4351 Website - Equity Cooperative Livestock Auction - Monroe
Equity market at Monroe in Green County, in southern Wisconsin's dairy and cheese country.
Monroe, WI | (608) 328-8344 Website - Equity Cooperative Livestock Auction - Reedsville
Equity yard at Reedsville in Manitowoc County, serving eastern Wisconsin dairy and beef producers.
Reedsville, WI | (920) 754-4361 Website - Equity Cooperative Livestock Auction - Richland Center
Equity market at Richland Center, serving southwest Wisconsin's Driftless region livestock farms.
Richland Center, WI | (608) 647-6151 Website - Equity Cooperative Livestock Auction - Sparta
Equity market at Sparta in Monroe County, serving west central Wisconsin cattle producers.
Sparta, WI | (608) 269-3104 Website - Equity Cooperative Livestock Auction - Stratford
Equity auction at Stratford in Marathon County, serving central Wisconsin dairy and beef farms.
Stratford, WI | (715) 687-4101 Website - Equity Cooperative Livestock Marketing Center - Arlington
Equity's Arlington livestock marketing center in Columbia County handles cattle and other livestock sales for producers and is part of a cooperative operating 12 auction markets.
Arlington, WI | 608-635-4376 Website - Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales - Altoona
Altoona is one of the Wisconsin auction markets Equity Cooperative lists among its 12 locations, taking cattle, sheep and goats from area producers.
Altoona, WI Website - Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales - Barron
Barron location of the Wisconsin cooperative founded in 1922 that runs full-service auction markets for feeder, beef and dairy cattle, sheep and goats from its Baraboo headquarters.
Barron, WI | 715-537-5618 Website - Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales - Lomira
Lomira auction market of Equity Cooperative in Dodge County, one of the cooperative's Wisconsin barns serving feeder cattle, dairy cattle, sheep and goat consignors.
Lomira, WI | 920-269-4351 Website - Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales - Monroe
Monroe auction market of the Equity cooperative in Green County, a dairy-heavy area, serving cattle, sheep and goat producers across southwest Wisconsin.
Monroe, WI | 608-328-8344 Website - Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales Association
Baraboo-headquartered livestock marketing cooperative operating auction markets in Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota, with a buyer application process and the InFocus Genetics program.
Baraboo, WI | 800-362-3989 Website - Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales, Baraboo
Baraboo is the headquarters location of Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales Association, a farmer-owned auction group with markets across Wisconsin; sale days are posted on its sales schedule page.
Baraboo, WI | 800-362-3989 Website - Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales, Bonduel
The Bonduel market is one of the Equity Cooperative livestock auction locations serving northeast Wisconsin dairy and beef producers in Shawano County.
Bonduel, WI Website - Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales, Richland Center
Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales runs a market in Richland Center that serves southwest Wisconsin cattle producers, with sale days on the cooperative sales schedule.
Richland Center, WI Website - Extension Polk County
Polk County extension office sits in the county government plaza in Balsam Lake and posts newsletters and 4-H information for Polk County families.
100 Polk County Plaza, Suite G600, Balsam Lake, WI 54810 | (715) 485-8600 - Extension Portage County
Portage County extension office publishes 4-H fair entry guidance for the Amherst and Rosholt fairs plus community development resources for the county.
WI - Extension Price County
Price County office of the UW-Madison Division of Extension serves northern Wisconsin farm, youth and community audiences through its county site.
WI - Extension Racine County
Racine County extension office keeps a public staff directory and works with 4-H to coordinate junior exhibits, judging and the youth livestock program at the Racine County Fair.
WI - Extension Richland County
Richland County extension office announced a move in March 2026 and posts the county 4-H calendar used by families entering the Richland County Fair.
WI
Plus 54 more. Find yours on your county's page in the Wisconsin directory.
Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.