PINK HEIFER FARMERS AND FAMILIES INITIATIVE

Strengthening the People Who Feed Our Communities

The Pink Heifer Farmers and Families Initiative is a purpose driven philanthropic platform established by Pink Heifer BBQ Group, Inc. to support Midwest farmers, agricultural families, and rural communities that form the backbone of our food system.

Rooted in Midwestern values of hard work, resilience, and community, and inspired by a multigenerational commitment to service, the Initiative is designed to deliver meaningful, practical support to those who work the land, raise livestock, and sustain the agricultural economy across generations.

A scalable, embedded giving model designed to turn everyday customer engagement into lasting support for Midwest farmers and agricultural families.

Our Purpose

Farming is more than an occupation. It is a way of life defined by long hours, financial volatility, and deep family responsibility.

When farmers or agricultural families face hardship, whether from economic pressure, unexpected events, or generational transition, the impact extends far beyond the individual operation. It affects families, local economies, and the long-term stability of the food system itself.

The Pink Heifer Farmers and Families Initiative exists to:
❖ Provide direct support to Midwest farmers during periods of hardship or transition
❖ Assist agricultural families facing short term or ongoing challenges
❖ Strengthen the long-term sustainability of farming operations and rural communities
❖ Support animal health and veterinary related needs that are critical to agricultural continuity

How the Initiative Is Funded

The Initiative is built on a scalable, embedded giving model designed to generate consistent and growing impact over time.

A core funding mechanism is tied directly to one of Pink Heifer’s highest volume menu items.

For every order of Pink Heifer’s signature brisket and cheddar egg rolls, known as Wagon Rolls, $1.00 is automatically allocated to the Initiative.

Additional funding is generated through guest round up contributions at the register, dedicated charitable promotions and campaigns, corporate partnerships and sponsorships, and community driven fundraising events.

All funds are deposited into a dedicated account with one of our banking partners to ensure transparency, accountability, and proper stewardship.

A Scalable Model for Impact

The Pink Heifer Farmers and Families Initiative is designed as a high efficiency, volume driven giving model that scales directly with customer engagement and brand growth.

By aligning a fixed contribution with a high frequency menu item and reinforcing it through guest participation and partnerships, the Initiative creates a consistent and expanding source of funding. This structure has the potential to generate $15,000 to $25,000 or more per location annually, with meaningful upside as additional BBQ Saloon locations are developed across the Midwest.

As the brand grows, so does the impact.

Strategic Vision

The Pink Heifer Farmers and Families Initiative is not designed as a one-time campaign or limited program. It is a long-term platform for sustained impact.

As Pink Heifer expands its BBQ Saloon model across the Midwest, the Initiative is positioned to scale alongside it, transforming everyday dining into a consistent source of support for the agricultural community.

Every location opened. Every Wagon Roll sold. Every guest interaction. All contribute to a larger mission.

Governance and Advisory Council

The Initiative is guided by an Advisory Council composed of experienced leaders across agriculture, animal health, philanthropy, and community leadership.

The Council plays a central role in identifying and prioritizing funding recipients, ensuring funds are distributed where they create the greatest real-world impact, and maintaining integrity, transparency, and mission alignment.

Advisory Council Members

Pam Jahnke

A highly respected agricultural broadcaster and longtime host of the Midwest Farm Report, Pam Jahnke is one of the most trusted voices in Upper Midwest agriculture. Raised on a Wisconsin dairy farm, she brings authentic, firsthand knowledge of farming life and deep relationships across the agricultural community. Her work has consistently focused on strengthening rural communities, supporting farmers, and elevating the importance of agriculture in everyday life.

Heidi Kramer

Senior Director of Development for the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, Heidi Kramer brings extensive experience in strategic philanthropy, donor engagement, and institutional advancement. Through her leadership roles within the University of Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association and the Women’s Philanthropy Council, she has helped drive meaningful impact across veterinary medicine, animal health, and agricultural systems.

Leadership and Legacy

The Pink Heifer Farmers and Families Initiative is rooted in a deeply personal and multigenerational commitment to service.

Levi Fox’s maternal grandfather, Sir Melvin Pinkham, was a longtime leader within the Knights of Pythias, a fraternal organization founded in 1864 and built on principles of friendship, charity, and benevolence, with a long history of supporting communities through charitable programs, youth initiatives, and service driven leadership.

He dedicated several decades to advancing the mission of the Pythian Youth Foundation of California. Through his stewardship, one of the nation’s most unique charitable models, a federally authorized youth camp in Sequoia National Forest, established in 1946 under the authority of President Harry S Truman’s administration, provided life changing experiences to thousands of underprivileged children who otherwise would not have had access to those opportunities. His work helped create a lasting environment of mentorship, structure, and hope for generations of youth.

Following Melvin’s passing in 2015, that commitment to giving continued within the family.

Levi Fox carried forward that legacy by working alongside organizations including Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach and Chai Lifeline in Chicago, supporting critically ill children and their families through both financial contributions and hands on involvement. These efforts focused on delivering meaningful, real-world support during some of the most challenging moments families face.

The creation of the Pink Heifer Farmers and Families Initiative represents the next evolution of that legacy.

Under Levi’s leadership, the Initiative transforms everyday business activity into a scalable platform for impact, one designed to support Midwest farmers and agricultural families with the same sense of purpose, consistency, and long-term commitment that has defined his family’s philanthropic efforts for decades.

About Pink Heifer BBQ Group, Inc.

Pink Heifer BBQ Group, Inc. is a Wisconsin based hospitality company focused on building a next generation BBQ brand rooted in authenticity, community, and scalable impact. With its Mothership location in Monticello and its Flagship Quick Service “BBQ Saloon” location at 567 State Street in Madison, the Pink Heifer is a rapidly expanding company focused on growing a regional footprint of several dozen locations across the Midwest over the next five years.

At its core, Pink Heifer is built on a simple principle: great food should bring people together and create something bigger than the meal itself.

Legal Note

At this stage of our expansion, the Initiative operates as a dedicated philanthropic platform within Pink Heifer BBQ Group, Inc. and is not currently a 501(c)(3) organization. We utilize a pass-through giving model where 100% of all funds are stewarded by our Advisory Council and directed to approved charitable organizations to ensure mission alignment and impact.

Madison College Seeks Employer Partners for Biotech Leadership Grant Program

Madison College Seeks Employer Partners for Biotech Emerging Leaders Grant Opportunity

Madison College is currently seeking employer partners in the biohealth, biotech and healthcare industries to participate in the development of a new Workforce Advancement Training (WAT) grant-funded program focused on leadership development.

The proposed Biotech Emerging Leaders Development Program is designed to strengthen leadership capacity among current and emerging leaders through competency-based, experiential training. The program will focus on key leadership areas such as effective communication, emotional intelligence, conflict navigation and leading people and processes.

Through this initiative, participating organizations will have the opportunity to invest in high-potential employees while helping shape a program tailored to industry-specific needs. Madison College will manage grant writing, administration and reporting, and will work with partners to align training schedules with business operations.

If awarded, the grant is expected to cover approximately 50% of training costs, with participating employers responsible for the remaining portion. Employees will not incur direct costs for participation.

Organizations interested in partnering should be willing to support employee participation and provide input on program development and outcomes.

Employer partners are currently being identified, with interest requested by March 18, 2026.

For more information or to express interest, please contact:
mabaldwin3@madisoncollege.edu or customizedtraining@madisoncollege.edu

MMSD Provides Update on “Building for the Future” Boundary Review Process

MADISON, Wis.—The Madison Metropolitan School District is providing an update on its ongoing “Building for the Future” plan, a multi-year effort to review school attendance areas, plan for future enrollment and align facilities with the city’s projected growth.

The work is designed to take a proactive systemwide approach and includes a comprehensive attendance area and boundary review, an enrollment strategy and an updated long-range facilities plan. Recommendations are expected to be presented to the Board of Education in early 2027 following an extended period of community input.

“We are planning ahead for the growth we know is coming to Madison and Dane County,” said Cindy Green, assistant superintendent of strategy and innovation. “This is an opportunity for us to take a comprehensive look at our system and better understand what our community wants to see in its schools. That insight will help guide thoughtful, long-term decisions and create opportunities for innovative programs that meet the needs and interests of our students and families.”

The review is informed in part by projected population growth and new housing development in the Madison area, as well as current enrollment patterns and building capacity. The district is also aligning this work with planned school construction and renovation projects approved by voters in 2024.

At this stage, the district emphasizes that no decisions about boundary changes have been made.

“We are still in the input phase,” Green said. “It is important that we hear from our community before any potential scenarios are developed or considered.”

Initial feedback gathered through a fall survey highlighted several priorities for families, including a preference for neighborhood schools, minimizing student transportation time and maintaining strong school communities. The district notes that additional engagement will be critical, as survey participation represented a small portion of MMSD families.

As part of the next phase of the process, MMSD will host 11 community engagement sessions during the first two weeks of May. These sessions will provide families, students, staff and community members with opportunities to learn about the process, ask questions and share perspectives.

Scheduled sessions include:

• Monday, May 4, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Robert M. La Follette High School, 702 Pflaum Road
• Tuesday, May 5, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at East High School, 2222 E. Washington Ave.
• Wednesday, May 6, noon to 1:30 p.m. (virtual) and 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at West High School, 30 Ash St.
• Thursday, May 7, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Vel Phillips Memorial High School, 201 S. Gammon Road
• Friday, May 8, noon to 1:30 p.m. (virtual)
• Monday, May 11, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at John F. Kennedy Elementary School, 221 Meadowlark Drive
• Tuesday, May 12, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Boys & Girls Club – Allied Family Center, 4619 Jenewein Road, Fitchburg
• Wednesday, May 13, noon to 1:30 p.m. (virtual) and 6 to 8 p.m. at Paul J. Olson Elementary School, 801 Redan Drive, Fitchburg
• Thursday, May 14, 5 to 7 p.m. at Bayview Community Center, 103 La Mariposa Lane

Virtual session links will be shared on the district’s website in advance of each event.

The district’s guiding principles for the review include considerations such as transportation efficiency, walkability, school capacity and maintaining balanced student demographics, all of which will be evaluated together as potential options are developed.

The goal is to make decisions that will serve students well into the future while minimizing disruption whenever possible.

Learn more about this initiative and upcoming engagement opportunities on the MMSD website, and submit any related questions to the “Building for the Future” Boundary Review topic of the district’s Let’s Talk platform.

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About the Madison Metropolitan School District

The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) is the second-largest school district in Wisconsin, serving more than 25,000 students across 52 schools. The district’s vision is that every school will be a thriving school that prepares every student to graduate ready for college, career and community. With more than 7,000 teachers and staff, MMSD is committed to ensuring the district’s goals and core values are held at the center of its efforts, so students can learn, belong and thrive. For more information, visit mmsd.org.

Lake View Elementary Principal Named State Environmental Education Administrator of the Year

MADISON, Wis.—Principal Nkaujnou Vang-Vue of the Madison Metropolitan School District’s (MMSD) Lake View Elementary School has been named the 2026 Administrator of the Year by the Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education (WAEE) in recognition of her leadership in advancing environmental education at the school.

Over the past eight years, Principal Vang-Vue has helped shape Lake View Elementary into a school where outdoor experiences and sustainability are part of daily instruction.

“Outdoor learning is an equity strategy that connects to students’ funds of knowledge and helps build their sense of self as learners,” Vang-Vue said. “I am proud of the work happening at Lake View and grateful to our educators, students and partners who help bring these experiences to life every day.”

Under Vang-Vue’s leadership, Lake View’s five-acre campus has been developed into a variety of outdoor learning spaces — including a literacy-focused StoryWalk and a nature course that promotes movement and exploration — and designed to support hands-on instruction and reflect the diversity of the school community. The school has also hosted environmental education summits and shared its work with educators from across the state.

“Principal Vang-Vue has created a learning environment where students can engage with the natural world while building critical thinking and problem-solving skills,” said Dr. Carlettra Stanford, assistant superintendent of schools and learning. “Her leadership reflects the kind of innovative thinking that helps students connect classroom learning with real-world experiences.”

Vang-Vue will be recognized during the WAEE’s 2026 Celebration of Excellence in Environmental Education on April 11 at Escuela Verde in Milwaukee.

To learn more about outdoor education at Lake View Elementary, please visit the school’s website.

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About the Madison Metropolitan School District

The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) is the second-largest school district in Wisconsin, serving more than 25,000 students across 52 schools. The district’s vision is that every school will be a thriving school that prepares every student to graduate ready for college, career and community. With more than 6,000 teachers and staff, MMSD is committed to ensuring the district’s goals and core values are held at the center of its efforts, so students can learn, belong and thrive. For more information, visit mmsd.org.

Dupaco warns consumers about new wave of IRS impersonation scams this tax season

DUBUQUE, Iowa—As consumers prepare for the 2026 tax season, Dupaco Credit Union urges its members to stay alert to the evolving IRS impersonation scams—especially those topping the IRS’ 2026 “Dirty Dozen” list of scams. The IRS reports that scammers are using increasingly sophisticated tactics to steal personal information, refunds and financial account access from unsuspecting taxpayers. 

“Tax‑related scams spike every year, but this season we’re seeing fraudsters use technology that makes their impersonations startlingly believable,” said Jill Gogel, Vice President, Fraud Services at Dupaco. “If someone reaches out claiming to be from the IRS—especially with urgency or threats—stop immediately. A pause and a quick verification could prevent significant financial harm.” 

Two scams included on this year’s IRS Dirty Dozen list that Dupaco is seeing more frequently involve increasingly advanced uses of technology.  

First, there’s phishing and smishing—scam emails, direct messages and text messages pretending to be from the IRS. These remain one of the most common schemes this tax season. This type of message often uses language or links to fraudulent websites that are designed to capture sensitive information. 

Then, there’s the fast-growing trend of AI-enabled phone impersonation scams. Scammers are now using technology to clone a voice to make a caller sound like someone you might know or trust—this is also known as deepfake AI. Then, they combine it with a spoofed caller ID and automated robocalls to create an urgent scenario.  

“It’s important to remember the IRS will not initiate contact by email, text message or social media for any personal information,” Gogel adds. 

She also reminds members that scammers often rely on urgency and emotional pressure, using phrases like ‘verify your account,’ ‘claim your refund,’ or ‘your account is locked.’  

“The IRS will never demand immediate payment or request payment through gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency or other payment apps like Venmo or Zelle,” says Gogel. 

Gogel offers these tips to protect yourself during tax season: 

• Ignore unsolicited messages claiming to be from the IRS via email, text or social media. 
• Verify suspicious phone calls by contacting the IRS directly at its published phone numbers listed on IRS.gov. 
• Enable two-factor authentication on all financial accounts like Dupaco’s Shine Online and Mobile Banking. 
• Monitor your credit report for signs of identity theft. Dupaco members can use Bright Track, the credit union’s no-cost credit monitoring tool.  
• Set up eNotifiers to receive real-time alerts about account activity. 
• Contact Dupaco before taking action if you’re unsure whether a message or request is legitimate. 
• Slow down and trust your gut. If something seems off, it usually is. 

For more fraud prevention resources visit dupaco.com/protection.

About Dupaco Community Credit Union 

Dupaco Community Credit Union is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial cooperative headquartered in Dubuque, Iowa. It is dedicated to the financial well-being of its members, and specializes in personalized financial counseling, money advice and education. It offers savings, loans, investments, insurance and wealth management products for individuals and businesses. Dupaco serves residents in 118 counties throughout Iowa, northwest Illinois and southwest Wisconsin. Founded in 1948 by ten Dubuque Packing Company employees, membership has grown to more than 180,000 with assets exceeding $3.6 billion. It has over 600 employees and 23 branch office locations.  Learn more at www.dupaco.com.