EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) – By 2040, Wisconsin could have a deficit of 12,000 to 19,000 nurses, that’s according to Wisconsin’s Department of Workforce Development. Nursing shortages are currently a challenge, yet there are efforts to combat them.

With a constant need for their services, nurses are vital to the healthcare landscape.

“They’re the communicator between every area of health care and really ensuring that holistic care happens for every single patient,” Gina Petrie, the Chippewa Valley Technical College Dean of Nursing, said.

Filling openings for registered nurses though can be a challenge at a time when demand is only getting higher.

“Two out of every three RNs working in Wisconsin work for hospitals and health systems and so a nursing shortage is disproportionately impactful on hospitals,” Ann Zenk, the Senior Vice President of Workforce and Clinical Practice at the Wisconsin Hospital Association, said. “Not just because nurses form such a large portion of our workforce, but also because nurses can fill so many roles on healthcare teams.”

“It’s hard to predict exactly how many nurses are needed at any given point in time in the future right here in Eau Claire,” Petrie said. “But we do know that we have an aging population and that we need nurses to take care of us. They’re vital to the health care workforce.”

Petrie said the issue isn’t from people not wanting to go into the healthcare field, the challenge is providing the amount of care that’s needed.

“I think we had a little bit of a downfall with the pandemic, but we’ve continued to maintain the same number of seats that we’ve had in our nursing program and we’ve definitely seen an uptick in the number of people interested in coming into that program,” Petrie said.

“We need to grow our nursing workforce faster but with the demographic components of our state, with the aging of our state population, demand is probably going to increase faster than we can grow the nursing workforce,” Zenk said.

There’s not an easy solution. Nursing schools, hospitals and health systems are continually looking to train and retain more staff while hoping to meet the growing demand.

Zenk said CVTC has a variety of programs aiming to garner more interest in health care, including hosting high school academies meant to introduce students to the field.

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I approached a group of young women at the Wisconsin State Fair.

“What can you tell me about Wisconsin dairy?” I asked one, who drew back, startled. I hastily pointed out that her green shirt had, “Ask me about Wisconsin dairy” in big letters across the back. Maybe nobody ever takes them up on the offer.

“California has more cows…” she began — true, with 1.7 million dairy cows, it leads the nation in milk production. Wisconsin is second, and obviously, that shortcoming weighs on folks here. “But Wisconsin cows are happier,” she claimed, explaining that it’s because their sources of feed can be grown locally.

To be honest, the cows did not look happy. They were sprawled on the floor, facing away from the crowd. I would have gone with “aloof.”

We were standing at Dairy Lane on Saturday evening. Not my usual weekend entertainment choice. But my future second daughter-in-law (the older son got married in July) has people in Wisconsin, and wanted to go to the fair with her fiance. My wife and I were invited along so of course we went — how could you not?

The central fair activity is eating. My plan was to hold back, consider my options. But we almost immediately encountered the Milk House, offering $1 cups of milk. How could you not? It would be like going to Rome and skipping the pasta. I was disappointed that all the milk on the menu is flavored — salted caramel, strawberry cheesecake, root beer. “Don’t you have milk-flavored milk?” I asked. No, they did not. We opted for cookies and cream, which turned out to be frothy and delicious. “Damn good milk!” I reported back.

My strategy was to share — a couple bites of my wife’s corn dipped in butter, a quarter of my son’s Dirty Chai Cinnamon Roll Lumpia (a Filipino spring roll). A bite of shepherd’s pie on a bun. A deep-fried cheese curd. A deep fried shrimp. It adds up.

My only selection, other than milk, was a charcoal grilled brat from the Sheboygan Brat Haus. How could you not?

I was keen to visit the animal barns, remembering the solemnity of the farm youth showing off their animals at the Illinois State Fair, how they tend to ignore the expensive fun goings-on around them. We watched a presentation of pigs strutting proudly. At the sheep pens, I recounted what I consider the best question I ever asked in my professional journalism career … here, I can quote from the 2015 column:

“I had never spoken with a sheep farmer before; as we talked, my attention was drawn to a solitary black sheep in a nearby pen.
“‘The black sheep . . .’ I asked, keeping my face arranged in an expression of serious inquiry. ‘Do they pose any particular behavior problems?’
“She smiled. ‘The black sheep do not behave worse,’ she said. ‘They’re actually pretty well-behaved.’”

Speaking of behavior, the fair was mobbed, and despite all the clamor about society ending, people waited patiently in line and generally conducted themselves in a civilized manner. One guy wore a “LIBERALS SUCK” t-shirt, and t-shirts at the vending stalls often expressed sentiments that boil down to, “I’m hot to shoot you.”

But not too many Trump hats. Which could be a sign — maybe his core is starting to feel shame, at long last. Then again, one woman carried several Trump lawn signs across her shoulders, so maybe not.

The Illinois State Fair opens Thursday and runs through Aug. 18. Wisconsin’s, which opened Aug. 1 and runs through Sunday, has several advantages — it’s an hour from Chicago instead of the three-hour drive down to Springfield. It’s also generally about 10 degrees cooler in Milwaukee than in Springfield.

Plus the Wisconsin State Fair has the Original Cream Puff — I’d read about them, but didn’t understand what the fuss was about. I’d only considered cream puffs metaphorically. Apparently there is no choice, my future daughter-in-law informed me, leading us to the vast puffetorium, jammed with dozens of people waiting in line. They were waiting for the day’s specialty flavor — a new feature to honor the puff’s centennial at the fair. We ducked outside to a much shorter line and bought a box of three regular puffs for $14.

My half a cream puff was very fresh and good and … invigorating. The pastry part wasn’t much — on the soggy side — but the big mound of whipped cream was a revelation. If one purpose of culture is to learn new things, I certainly learned a thing or two at the Wisconsin State Fair. California is the dairy capital of the country, and Original Cream Puffs are really, really good.

From cobs to kernels and sweet to spicy, you’ll likely find a corn stand at most summer festivals across Wisconsin.

But if you’re looking for a more full-fledged celebration of one of Wisconsin’s top crops, several corn festivals are coming up across the state in the next few weeks.

Jerry Smith Farm’s Sweet Corn Fest

Kick off your tour of Wisconsin corn festivals this weekend at Jerry Smith Farm’s Sweet Corn Fest. The family-owned farm in Kenosha will host its annual festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 10 and 11.

Along with plenty of home-grown sweet corn, the festival will feature live music, food, drink and local vendors. Find a full line-up of vendors and performances here.

Admission is free, and Jerry Smith Farm is at 7150 18th St., Kenosha, WI 53144.

Cobb Corn Roast

For a weeklong celebration topped off with free ears of sweet corn, visit the Cobb Corn Roast Celebration from Aug. 6-11. The 66th annual festival will feature a ball park concessions, a Texas Hold ‘Em tournament, water fights, inflatable rides and multiple nights of live music — and corn, of course.

If you’ve got only one day to spare, make sure to check out the last day of the festival on Sunday, Aug. 11. Free face painting for kids will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., along with a chicken BBQ at 11 a.m., all followed by a 2 p.m. parade and live music through the afternoon. The festival will also give away free sweet corn by the ear.

Check out the festival website for a full schedule. The celebration will take place all week long at Scheper Park, 109 Gard Way, Cobb, WI 53526.

Sun Prairie Sweet Corn Festival

Wisconsin’s largest corn festival is just over a week away. The Sun Prairie Sweet Corn Festival runs from Aug. 14-18 with more than 80 tons of Wisconsin-grown sweet corn, according to its website.

Though the festival runs for five days, steamed corn will only be served on Saturday, Aug. 17 and Sunday, Aug. 18. On those days, you can purchase cooked sweet corn from 12 to 7 p.m. (until supplies last) or uncooked corn for $10 per grocery bag.

But don’t count out the other festival days: non-corn festivities include a parade, carnival night, food vendors, a beer shelter and live music. Check out the full schedule here. All festivities will be at Angell Park, at 200 Park St., Sun Prairie, WI 53590 with paid parking onsite.

Corn and Tater Festival

For corn with a side of potatoes, check out the Corn and Tater Festival in Grand Marsh. The annual event — which boasts the status of the largest, one-day festival in Adams County — will run from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 17.

The food line-up includes brats, hot dogs, and a roast beef sandwich with unlimited corn and potato on the side. You can also enjoy live music from the afternoon to the evening, a basket raffle, pan poker and a bouncy house and obstacle course. Check out the full schedule here.

Admission is free. The festival is at Grand Marsh Lions Park, at 620 County Road East, Grand Marsh, WI 53936.

Loyal Corn

For perhaps the best all-you-can-eat corn deal in the state, check out Loyal Corn Fest in from Aug. 22-25 in Loyal. For $3, the festival offers all-you-can-eat sweet corn and an official Corn Fest button on Saturday, Aug. 24 and Sunday, Aug. 25. Corn will be served starting at 12 p.m. until supplies last.

The festival is a citywide affair, with garage sales throughout the weekend, a coronation and parade of local children as “Corn Fest Royalty” and free live music. Find the full schedule here.

Some events are free and others require an admission fee. Corn Fest is at various locations throughout the city, but the main festival will be at American Legion, at 302 N. Union St., Loyal, WI 54446.

Darien CornFest

For more helpings of free corn, check out Darien CornFest from Sept. 6-8 in Darien. You can grab free sweet corn from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7 and Sunday, Sept. 8.

The three-day festival will also be bookended by fireworks at 9 p.m. Friday and a downtown parade at 12 p.m. Sunday. Carnival rides will be up throughout the festival, with a $25 wristband available to access rides on all three days. Check out the full schedule here.

The festival is at Darien West Park, at 335 W. Madison St., Darien, WI 53114.

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