FoodWIse Nutrition Education
FoodWIse
FoodWIse employs a combination of evidence-based strategies designed to promote changes for individuals, communities and environments to help make the healthy choice the easy choice.
The congressional budget reconciliation bill signed into law on July 4, 2025 ends federal SNAP-Ed funding effective September 30, 2025.
For more than 30 years, UW–Madison Extension has provided local nutrition education across Wisconsin through the federal SNAP-Ed grant program. Working with schools, food pantries, farmers markets, and community centers, FoodWIse has taught practical, evidence-based skills in meal planning, food safety, and food resource management, helping people stretch food dollars and make healthier choices.
Extension is currently navigating the difficult process of winding down SNAP-Ed-funded programming. Very limited programming, including in Eau Claire, Chippewa and Dunn Counties, will continue through September 30, 2026.
What is FoodWIse?
FoodWIse advances healthy eating habits, active lifestyles and healthy community environments for families with limited incomes through nutrition education at the individual, community and systems levels.
FoodWIse is federally funded by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP).
Each year FoodWIse delivers nutrition education to more than 50,000 participants statewide. Partnering with community-based organizations, we use a combination of evidence-based strategies designed to promote change for individuals, families and communities and help make the healthy choice the easy choice.
Introduce
Introduce children to new fruits and vegetables and teach them why they are important.
Teach
Teach parents how to buy, plan and prepare healthy meals.
Engage
Engage families with limited resources in support of choosing healthy diets while stretching food dollars.
Support
Support communities in making the healthy choices where people live, learn, work, play and worship.
Sandy Tarter
Regional FoodWIse Coordinator for Chippewa, Dunn and Eau Claire Counties.
Statewide FoodWIse Programs
Havest of the Month
Our statewide campaign for schools provides promotion, education and media resources to encourage kids and families to eat more fruits and vegetables.
Discover Wisconsin Farmers’ Markets
Our guided tour curriculum is designed to help familiarize Wisconsin residents with their local farmers’ market.
Safe and Health Food Pantries
Implement the four steps in our toolkit to improve the quality and safety of food offered by your food pantry.
Growing Together
Learn how community members with limited incomes can work with FoodWIse and Master Gardener Volunteers to grow their food and promote healthy food access and availability through garden spaces.
