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UW FoodWIse program to end in Sawyer County after federal SNAP‑Ed cut
Summary
FoodWIse staff told the committee federal SNAP‑Ed funding was eliminated; programming in Sawyer County will stop at the end of the federal fiscal year on Sept. 30, and local partners are discussing partial alternatives.
Bridget Rongner, FoodWIse administrator for Northwest Wisconsin, told the Sawyer County committee that federal SNAP‑Ed funding for the FoodWIse nutrition-education program has been cut and the program’s funding for Sawyer County will end on Sept. 30.
The announcement means FoodWIse — the UW‑Madison Extension program that provided nutrition education, senior fitness classes and school and community garden support in Sawyer County — will wind down programming and partnerships this year. Committee members were informed the program has been active in the county for decades and focused on children, older adults and families with limited incomes.
Rongner said the cut stemmed from a reduction in federal SNAP‑Ed appropriations and that staff are coordinating with community partners to wind down policy, systems and environment initiatives and distribute remaining resources. “The funding…the SNAP Ed funding that was part of the federal budget was cut, and so our funding is eliminated,” Rongner said.
The presentation said FoodWIse activities in Sawyer County have included in‑school nutrition education, “StrongBodies” and Tai Chi classes for older adults, partnerships with local food pantries and farmers markets, and a garden grant with Hayward School District that supplied produce to the school salad bar and local food pantries. Rongner highlighted long‑time local staff member Kim’s 14 years of service as a central reason the program built trust and sustained partnerships.
Committee staff and presenters discussed what continuing some FoodWIse services might cost. An estimate presented during the meeting put the annual cost to maintain comparable programming in Sawyer County at roughly $60,000–$80,000; those figures were given as estimates rather than finalized budget decisions. Washburn County officials have tentatively reallocated leftover 2025 funds to create a 50–60% position that could provide nutrition education in Sawyer County if the parties proceed through the budget process.
The committee did not take a formal funding vote at the meeting. Staff said further budget discussions and coordination with neighboring counties and community partners will continue as the program winds down.
Ending: County officials were asked to expect follow‑up briefings on options for partial continuation through intercounty agreements or local funding; no final commitments were made at the meeting.
