The Wisconsin Idea
The Wisconsin Idea is an independent reporting project of People’s Action Institute, Citizen Action of Wisconsin and In These Times. The Wisconsin Idea takes a closer look at the state of Wisconsin, featuring in-depth reporting on the issues facing the state’s rural communities.
Latest Stories
The Problem of ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Marinette, and the Solutions That Could Take as Long
A corporation impedes progress on tracing and removing PFAS contaminants from area water— chemical pollution it caused.
Christina Lieffring
Growing food sovereignty on the shores of Lake Superior
On a small Wisconsin island, members of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and volunteers provide fresh food and restore ancestral connection through gardening.
Kip Dooley
Black Teachers Defend Their Curriculum From Attacks on Critical Race Theory
With school boards becoming a battleground in the right-wing war on critical race theory, Milwaukee educators are standing up against racist censorship of American history.
Alice Herman
VIDEO: Big Agriculture Has a Bleak Future in Store for All of Us
Factory farming operations have swallowed up much of the U.S. farming economy, and independent farmers warn that we’re not prepared for the future they have in store for us.
Maximillian Alvarez, Cameron Granadino and Hannah Faris
Organic Farmers Hurt by Trump Administration Hope for a 'Level Playing Field'
The Biden administration is considering reviving organic farming rules Trump killed. Now all eyes are on Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack as he weighs whether to bring the rule back.
Julian Emerson
VIDEO: Factory Farming is Pushing Independent Farmers to the Edge of Extinction
Government and industry incentives have accelerated the death of the independent farm — rural residents like Kristy Allen are "literally at ground zero."
Maximillian Alvarez, Cameron Granadino and Hannah Faris
Wisconsin’s Incarcerated Fear Summer Heat
Seasonal temperatures exacerbated by climate change and inadequate infrastructure threaten incarcerated people statewide.
Arvind Dilawar
Documentary: Factory Farms Pose an 'Existential Threat' for Rural Wisconsin Communities
Big Agriculture and the factory farming industry are taking over more of the US landscape and farming economy every year. But these rural communities in Wisconsin are fighting back.
Maximillian Alvarez, Cameron Granadino and Hannah Faris