www.prosperitysouthwest.com
Prosperity Southwest Wisconsin is the region’s economic development organization, with a focus on business recruitment and retention for both small businesses and large industrial corporations. We are intent on strengthening the business climate and service industries in our region. We work with worldwide corporations that are interested in locating within the region, securing import and export agreements, and small business too! Contact Ron Brisbois at 608-822-3501 with any questions you may have regarding economic or business development opportunities, manufacturing and agriculture services, or tourism projects in scenic southwest Wisconsin. View our Prosperity Southwest Wisconsin: Manufacturing video on YouTube.
With support from The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), which leads economic development efforts for the state. WEDC nurtures business growth and job creation by providing resources, technical support and financial assistance to companies, partners and communities in Wisconsin. Visit www.inwisconsin.com or follow WEDC on Twitter @_ InWisconsin to learn more. 855-INWIBIZ • InWisconsin.com
DRIFTLESS | RElax. Consider. Do
table of contents 2
Letter from the Publisher
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Letter from the Editor
CONSIDER
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forum
Educational Trends in the Driftless Region
ENVIRONMENT
Rotary — Impacting the Coulee Region
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The Power of We and the New Gathering Places of Democracy
Feature: The Driftless Area — An Enchanted Land
12 voices
The Ocooch Mountains — A Forgotten Memory
CHALLENGES
14 F eature: Multimillion-Acre Loss of Conservation Land Sets Off Alarms
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voices The Driftless Area Landscape Conservation Initiative: Combatting Erosion, Building Habitat
Kickapoo Valley Champions of Stewardship
Crawford Stewardship Project
Sacred Water at Risk
Preserving the Beauty of Lake Pepin
ENERGY
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Feature: Diamond Dust
26 voices Allamakee County Protectors vs. Strip Mining Landscapes for Frac Sand
Wind Issues and Policy Options
WECC Countdown Energy
Policy Advocates RENEW Wisconsin — Energy and the Economy
A message from Rep. Ron Kind
OPPORTUNITY
32 Feature: Driftless Business — Mission-Oriented and
Successfully Making a Major Impact CROPP Cooperative, Coach Skogen, Chris Schneider, Organic Valley, First Supply
44 v o i c e s The Process of Energizing and Creating a Central Magnet in Communities Large and Small
Evolving and Growing with Main Street Wisconsin
Sustainable Community Development
Trout Unlimited and the Driftless Area
Made in Wisconsin
Emerging Markets and Opportunity in Driftless Agriculture
The Structural Intelligence of Trees and How They Might be in Your Next Building
Sir Speedy Covers Roof with Solar Array
Connecting the Dots: The $200K Question
RELAX
62 F EATURE: Art, Culture, and Economy in the Driftless Region 64
voices
Redefining Health Food
Drinking the Driftless
Driftless Terroir
Music in Southwest Wisconsin
Rippling the Unhomogenized Sound of Driftless
DO
72 F EATURE: Recreational Paradise: Outdoor Recreation in the Driftless Region
78 Resources
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DRIFTLESS | LETTER FROM THE Publisher
Publisher
catch the drift The Driftless region includes areas of southwestern Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, northeasten Iowa and northwestern Illinois. The term “driftless” refers to the area the glaciers did not pass through and therefore did not leave the sediment material referred to as “drift” in this area. The Driftless region is characterized by bluffs and rivers as well as cave systems, streams and springs. It is also part of the Mississippi Flyway and it includes the Mississippi River Valley, the Great River Road, the 7 Rivers Region, the Coulee Region, Hidden Valleys, Ocooch Mountains, the Mineral District, as well as lake and river towns and uplands in Minnesota and Iowa. In 2007 and 2008, Mueller Media co-published annual guides focusing on the abundant recreational opportunities in the 7 Rivers Region. A couple of years ago I had a conversation with Marvin Wanders and Amy Lewis from the Outdoor Recreation Alliance, and it seemed like the timing was good to start planning a publication that would go into more depth about the outdoors and all of the silent sports opportunities our area offers. Then, after a conversation with Julia Henley, the vision of publishing a silent sports/outdoors magazine grew into something much larger. Julia suggested that we take a larger approach both in geography and in scope, and that we look at the entire Driftless region and expand the subject from recreation to the environment, and lifestyle, and business collaboration, and economic development, and the arts, and tourism, and the list goes on … so Julia joined us as editor and a partnership was formed and Driftless Notes was born! To be clear, Driftless Notes is not meant to be a tourism publication, lifestyle magazine or There’s a new view in town! business-to-business publication, but rather a hybrid that includes all of the above and more.
Weber Center for the Performing Arts talent to our region; it is something that will promote that companies will use in recruiting It is something we hope residents, tourists and business owners will all enjoy. It is something A whole range of year-round activities the regionAvailable as a for great place to live, a great place to work, and a great place to visit. Please meetings and conferences
enjoy our inaugural edition of Driftless Notes. You can also enjoy the publication online at driftlessnotes.com or muellermediacorp.com, and keep yourself from being adrift by signing up for our weekly emailed newsletter to stay informed throughout the year about all things driftless. Enjoy!
Pilot Odyssey
— Rick Mueller, Publisher
CR-V
Ridgeline
Rick Mueller, Mueller Media, Inc. 3120 South Avenue, La Crosse WI 54601 Office: (608) 796-8780 • Fax: (608) 787-0012 Design Studio: (608) 783-3276 Photography Studio: (608) 787-8105 E-mail: mueller@fflax.net www.muellermediacorp.com www.driftlessnotes.com Editor Julia Henley • Julia@H2integration.com Copy Editor Susan Miller Graphic Designers Jackie Miller • Olivia Curti Feature Story Writers Timothy S. Jacobson • Dave Muller Sharon Murphy • Michael Scott Photographers Clay Riness • Jim Luhning • Roger Grant Mickie Rasch • Jack Knowles Contributors/Voices Sam Scinta • Kimberly Gavin • Eric Zingler Kevin Fisk • Chris Schneider • Juliee de la Terre RENEW Energy Policy Summit • Tyler Huebner, RENEW Wisconsin • Valley Stewardship Network • La Crosse Area Rotary Clubs • Allamakee County Protectors • Ron Kind • Crawford Stewardship Project • Trout Unlimited • WECC • Lake Pepin • Kickapoo Grazing Initiative • Jenny Kuderer, WEDC Judy Wall, Main Street Communities • Tammy Baldwin • CIAS • Roald Gundersen, WholeTrees • Kyle Patzner, The Insurance Center • Fifth Season Cooperative • Brad Niemcek • Andrew Ziehli • Toril Fisher, WDRT • David Ebbert, Ebbert Boatworks • Scott Tueber • Pete Swanson Bruce Defries • Kathie Wheeler • J. Brown
Fit Accord
Civic
Crosstour Insight
Advertising Strategists Rachel Albrechtson • Jenna Walker Lee Worrell • Michelle Jerome • Jeremy Elisius
CR-Z
Customer Service Manager Casey Kulinski
Sponsors
Distribution Coordinator Page Hartmann Fuel Efficient. Environmentally Sensible. You’ll Love More Miles Per Dollar!
For a7404 schedule of events or more Mineral Point Rd. Madison, WI 53717 information, please visit us online! 608-833-8333 Hours: Monday-Friday 10am-7pm; Saturday 10am-6pm; Sunday 11am-5pm Across from West Towne Mall
www.webercenterfortheperformingarts.org
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Check us out!
60%
Downtown La Crosse, WI at 4th and Cameron Streets
• 428 Front Street South, La Crosse, WI 54601 • 608-784-9292
notes 2014 | RELAX. CONSIDER. DO. DRIFTLESS UP TO OFF EVERY
www.hondamotorwerks.com Phone: 877.955.0355
Published annually by Mueller Media, Inc., La Crosse, WI. Copyright © 2014 Mueller Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Reuse or reproduction of any part of this publication is strictly forbidden without the written permission of the Publisher. The magazine accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or artwork. No liability is assumed by Mueller Media, Inc. nor the authors for any information contained herein. Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of Mueller Media, Inc. This text does not provide advice that should be taken on its own merit. Always seek professional advice prior to undertaking any activity.
Hear it. Live it. SHare it.
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DRIFTLESS | LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
welcome to driftless The Driftless is filled with diversity — in landscape, agriculture, wildlife, business and recreational opportunity. It isn’t a tiny place; it covers portions of four states and officially 46 counties. We are not claiming we have been able to cover it all in this first issue; we will continue to expand and go in depth as we continue to bring you Driftless Notes.
their work. On the writing side, our environment is unique, and Tim Jacobson tells us why in “An Enchanted Land,” and also explores a little known topic that has always defined our region — conservative-minded management of our soils in “Multimillion-Acre Loss of Conservation Land Sets Off Alarms.”
As you dive in, keep in mind we are hoping this new annual publication, along with its weekly online newsletter cousin, www.DriftlessNotes. com, will call attention to news you will want to know about. We will strive to highlight our quality of life, our economic opportunity, our challenges and our culture. We will guide you to others that are working and making the Driftless region home, and we will happily introduce you to dedicated organizations — yes, we have many and they need your support — and impressive businesses of all sizes.
Sand is prominent in the debate over transitioning our energy dependence to cleaner energies — starting with fracking sand, which is abundant in our region and ironically is perfect for the booming gas industry, though it has been used as both dairy herd bedding and for drilling oil for many years. Powerful players that want to undermine local controls in the gigantic energy and mining industries have suddenly found us, and land use issues, never an easy public discussion, are at the forefront for local communities. So it is “boomtime” — which begs the question — what will the eventual “bust” look like? Author David Muller in “Diamond Dust” takes a look at fracking sand, its use in the oil and gas industry, and voices from the front lines working in the Driftless, to ensure we don’t go too fast at the expense of our own environment for the benefit of a relative few. The challenges yet again are environmental and water quality issues for drilling areas near and far away — and yet the reality is that properly managed, natural gas is part of an all-important transition to even cleaner fuels.
This year, we are here because of the faith of our advertisers and sponsors, including Platinum Sponsor Prosperity Southwest, and Gold Sponsor Mathews Corporation — the maker of the iconic Solocam bow. All have contributed to make this publication possible. We will introduce you to environmental organizations, as well as those engaged in the arts of all kinds, and those dedicated people that care about hunting, fishing, great food and an outdoor lifestyle. They all simultaneously have different yet shared focus, passion and hope for the Driftless — a love for managing our resources wisely while growing opportunity and engagement in the Driftless. We have had a lot of input from a lot of people to put this remarkable effort in your hands, including the great donations of images from professional photographers such as Roger Grant, Jack Knowles, and Jim Luhning, and a number of contributors that were willing to share that special shot — thanks to Mickie Rasch and artists willing to show
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Get inspired by the article “Mission Oriented” — featuring this time — Organic Valley, Honda Motorwerks, and Festival Foods leadership. All three companies, in their own ways, and led by visionary people that go beyond the bottom line, are striving to make a positive difference as they go about their business. In the CONSIDER section, a renewable energy installation in La Crosse is explained by Kevin Fisk of Sir Speedy Printing.
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We can take a quick lesson on managing the discussion, and the debate of politics and issues by being reminded of the Salon — Sam Scinta weighs in on Civilized Debate. Consider the costs to small business of not acting, in both health care and energy in “The $200K Question.” Besides Oktoberfest of course, Germany’s influence in our region is illustrated as well with guest writer and educator Kimberly Gavin touching on the rich history of innovative teaching in our region. Make a difference, get outside, and make something happen. Join an organization that you can believe in, such as Rotary, or get outdoors with the Outdoor Recreation Alliance, taking on the task of developing the infrastructure and promoting the culture of outdoor sports within the region. Lastly, we encourage you to “do” as well — take that short vacation and get to know this region better; check out Travel Wisconsin to get the details — and get involved in that project that is making a difference. Do something to open up your heart and soul, or start that business in a way you hadn’t considered before. Thanks for taking the time to explore our region through Driftless Notes. Please send your comments and contribute your voice online or for our next issue (April 2015) by emailing me at: Julia@H2integration.com. I look forward to hearing from you! —Julia Henley, Editor
It’s more than a building...
Toro® - Tomah Facility
...it’s your business.
5 notes www.BricklBros.com • West Salem, WIDRIFTLESS • 1-800-658-9030 2014 | RELAX. CONSIDER. DO.
DRIFTLESS | environment “Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and your children’s children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance.” —Theodore Roosevelt Photo by Jim Luhning
The Driftless Area
an enchanted land By Timothy S. Jacobson
Residents of the Driftless region are privileged to live in one of the most amazing places on earth. This place. This magical place. How incredible is it that we find ourselves situated in a region with what may be the oldest river in the world? How can it be that our landscape harbors some of the most rare native natural communities found amongst the vastness of the 36.8 billion acres of land on our planet? How is it possible that we exist in a region and a time that provides habitat for 40 percent of America’s waterfowl, more than 300 bird species, and 260 species of fish? What is it about this area that led native peoples
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to build the world’s largest concentration of huge, earthen effigy mounds in shapes representative of the spirits of the underworld, the earth and the sky? How fascinating that Father Marquette and Louis Joliet paddled through this area nearly 350 years ago? How is it that this is the birthplace of the modern farm conservation movement that, with the involvement of Aldo Leopold, secured our rich soil from vanishing in a distant gulf? But often we go about our business — working, raising families, shopping, watching TV, sending emails, paying our bills — barely aware of the absolute grandeur and mystery surrounding us. Outside our cocoons of houses, offices, cars and mowed lawns, half-a-billion years of natural history keenly watches us with puzzlement.
If the strata of Cambrian and Ordovician rock exposed on sheer
“The first thing that struck me during filming,” Bertalan recalled,
cliffs and its embedded trilobites and cephalopods, could watch us;
“was the fact that there’s 24,000 square miles that’s incredibly unique
if mastodons, bison and a billion passenger pigeons could spy on us
geologically and biologically, and yet most of the people who live
now; if Native Americans, who were present here 13,000 years ago,
there don’t recognize how unique the Driftless area is, or that they
could observe our bee-like movements along a never-ending web of
even live in the Driftless area.” He added, “And we confirmed that
roads and sidewalks and shopping districts, how peculiar would we
with man-on-the street interviews which are in the film.”
seem? Wouldn’t they wonder what hurry we’re in? Wouldn’t they puzzle over where we’re headed?
Bertalan experienced a number of emotionally poignant moments during filming. “I had a sense of an ancient, lost world when I
If the 500-million-year-old rocks and the 200-year-old bur oak trees of
kayaked the Kickapoo River. Another was the sense of cultural history
our rugged bluffs could whisper in our passing, what questions would
deep in the caves — looking at Native American rock art.”
they ask? What cautionary words would they offer? What patience and tolerance could they teach us? What scattered threads of jumbled lives could they harmonize for us? What wisdom could they impart?
Bertalan concluded, “One of the things that makes our lives rich is the process of discovery. And it’s discovery of new places and things that help us discover aspects about ourselves. The Driftless area offers
There is something mystical here. Yes — we can measure the passage
this unique discovery of place that in turn allows us to discover more
of an epoch during which massive continental glaciers gnashed their
about ourselves.”
icy teeth at the britches of this region. Yes — we can count and catalogue the plethora of species that call this place home. But there
From dairy farm to downtown riverfront
exists a facet of this landscape gem that we cannot quantify; that we
Dave Clements grew up near Portland. Not the state of Oregon
cannot reduce to numbers. The Driftless area is an enchanted land. Fortunately, for our land and for the countless generations of people who will follow us here, the region possesses a vibrant assemblage of people who understand that a good, healthy landscape gives birth to good, healthy and rich lives. They realize how our natural environment is a community to which we belong — a “land ethic” as Leopold preached. They appreciate what’s at stake. And more importantly than merely recognizing these facts, many strive to maintain the enchanted character of the area.
variety. Nope — this one is a wrinkle in the road between Middle Ridge and Cashton, Wis. — rural communities in the heart of the Driftless. There he spent his early childhood on a dairy farm. He describes Portland as a place along the serpentine Highway 33 that had a few houses, a barn, a gas station and not much more. “We had something like a convenience store there in an era before anyone knew what a convenience store was,” Clements recalled. “I remember riding there in the car as my older sister drove me over to get ice cream.”
The Driftless is a complex mosaic underlain by a rugged and mysterious landscape and emblazoned with a diversity of communities and people with rich, proud traditions and unique perspectives of it.
Photo by Jim Luhning
Through the lens of a movie camera What’s the Driftless area, and why should anyone care? These are questions for which Dan Bertalan, a geologist and science filmmaker, already knew the answers. But would anyone else, he wondered. His camera crew from Untamed Science joined forces with a La Crosse-based land trust, Mississippi Valley Conservancy, to find out. In the process of exploring these questions, they created the recently released documentary film, Mysteries of the Driftless.
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DRIFTLESS | environment saving this landscape and the local culture for future generations. We’ve become more aware of saving the blufflands and protecting the quality of our rivers. We’ve really grown as a society in the last 40 to 50 years. We have something here that many other regions of the country don’t have. We want to use it to attract people for tourism, but we also want to preserve it for people for hundreds and hundreds of years.” It’s not just local folks, or even just Americans, who value and seek out the Driftless for the majesty of the rugged Photo by Eric Zingler
Clements had relatives scattered all along that route. “In the days
The Mississippi River remains one of our greatest attractions. According
before cell phones, I used to tell people that if I ever had car trouble
to Clements, “A week doesn’t go by that I don’t talk to someone
along Hwy 33, I could just walk to the nearest farm, knock on the
from a foreign country who comes here to see the river or to have
door and tell my name to whoever answered. And they’d know my
their picture taken in front of it. I’ve talked to people from Russia,
family and help me,” he said.
Ireland, Norway, France, Germany, and even Japan about how
Nowadays, as executive director of the La Crosse Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Clements still credits the small family dairy farms of his youth with making the Driftless region a major tourist destination and silent sport hotspot. “Of course,” Clements acknowledged, “we have to start with the beautiful and rugged topography as to why the Driftless is such an incredible destination. We have this incredibly unique and beautiful landscape that is such a special place to live, work and play.” “But,” Clements pointed out, “it’s our system of winding, paved county roads, created to support the dairy system that makes the Driftless backcountry so inviting and accessible. In the 1920s and 30s, refrigeration systems on dairy farms were minimal. You milk at 4 or 5 a.m. and again in the afternoon. The milk truck had to get through — like the mailman — but with greater urgency. Roads had to be travelable 24/7, 365 days a year, despite harsh Wisconsin
they’re impressed by the Mississippi. I’ve had more than one person say that they were told this is the place to come see the river.”
From the depths of massive aquariums to the spires of Little Rome Jerry Enzler’s office also overlooks the Mississippi River, but farther south in Dubuque, Iowa — a city sometimes called “Little Rome” for its strong Catholic population. While his day job as president of the National Mississippi River Museum keeps him close to the great river, both physically and intellectually, he discerns the Driftless landscape from the perspective of someone who came from outside the region but fell in love with the place. Enzler was born in Washington, D.C., and he met his wife, who’s from Milwaukee, while they were students in Dubuque. After they graduated, they ventured first to Milwaukee.
winters. Now, whether someone’s a bicyclist or motorcyclist, an
“But we asked ourselves — where do we want to live? The bluffs and
antique car person or just looking for fall color — the unique
the river felt like home. The landscape created a unique sense of place.
topography offers a great experience for anyone who wants to travel
It’s one of the primary reasons we moved back here,” Enzler said.
these back roads.” “We have this pristine, unique asset, and we all really appreciate it,” Clements added. “Everyone is conscious of the importance of
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bluffland and riverine landscape.
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He pointed out that people don’t always associate the landscape as having escaped the most recent periods of continental glaciation.
“
we have to start with the beautiful and rugged topography as to why the Driftless is such an incredible destination.”
“People love it, but don’t always know why it’s here,” Enzler said. “But to the everyday visitor, it becomes immediately apparent that the topography here is different.” He added, “Usually, we don’t define places by what they don’t have. But here there’s no glacial drift.” Hence, it’s driftless. Enzler believes that the rugged topography and scenic vistas of the Upper Mississippi “add tremendously to the quality of life. It’s an area of incredible beauty, with the hills and bluffs not leveled by glaciers. It provides a stunning landscape. We’re finding more and more that it’s home to a different species mix than typically found.” The museum director doesn’t believe that the impact of the Driftless area stops at the point where the rugged bluffs smooth themselves into a flat, endless plain. “These are tremendous assets for the whole nation,” Enzler asserted. “The Driftless area is an underappreciated asset. What you see here is authentic. The landscape unifies it all.”
Through the windscreen of a “flying canoe” Loran Nordgren is a private pilot and executive from Chicago who retired to his New Sundborn Ranch near Westby, Wis. There he’s raised alpacas in the shadow of his exquisitely crafted home in the style of Sweden’s great colorist and artist, Carl Larsson. In the summer of 2011, Nordgren captained an aerial expedition over the Driftless landscape with Rob Nelson, an Untamed Science filmmaker. They accomplished this flight by rocketing off from Nordgren’s private grass airstrip in a narrow coulee along the banks of the Bad Axe River — a body of water with a name translated from the French, “la mauvaise hache.” The river’s mouth at the Mississippi, which Nordgren frequently overflies, was the site of the Battle of Bad Axe, a U.S. Army massacre of Sac and Fox Indians at the end of the Black Hawk War in 1832.
Photo by Clay Riness
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DRIFTLESS | environment Photo by Jim Luhning
Nordgren pursues a personal mission to combat what he refers to as “rural sprawl” — the chopping up of traditional, family farms into tiny, 1- to 10-acre parcels for homes. For this reason, hosting documentary filmmakers on a tour of the landscape he’s trying to save thrilled him. The Mysteries of the Driftless documentary captures Nordgren on film saying, “I think the locals who haven’t traveled much take it for granted. And that’s understandable — a little sad and regrettable, but quite understandable if you never leave what you’ve got. Isn’t the whole world like this? Because it’s so gorgeous; so beautiful. The Driftless area is so fantastic. And when I fly low over the river and see its beauty and the bluffs on the river. It’s hopefully going to be preserved by some good folks to keep it that way for a long, long time. No, no, no — forever.” The moviemaker’s trip through the sky was not undertaken in the typical Cessna or Piper. Instead, Nelson flew with the World War II veteran in an experimental AirCam, an open-cockpit plane akin to a canoe with a wing on top and two rear-facing “pusher” props. The AirCam’s redundant mechanical systems and clear lines of sight were designed for aerial photography missions over rugged, remote regions of the world. Places like the jungles of Africa, the Amazon rainforest
Tim Jacobson spent part of his childhood growing up in the Driftless and has lived there most of his adult life. He’s an organizational consultant, conservationist, documentary filmmaker, novelist, attorney and pilot residing in Boscobel, Wis. along the lower Wisconsin River with his wife Lisa and two step-children. He has a daughter, son-in-law and grandson living in La Crosse, Wis. His website is www.visjonaer.com.
and, apparently, the blufflands of the Driftless region.
The last glacier spared Driftless Wisconsin from being flattened. So hike our hills and fish our rivers. Explore our frontier history. Discover artists and Amish crafters. Eat farm-fresh food and meet great people.
www.DriftlessWisconsin.com 10
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DRIFTLESS | environment
voices The Ocooch Mountains — A Forgotten Memory “Mountains of Snowy Lodges” & “Spear Fishing Waters” Photo by Eric Zingler
“And this blackened area under the crag is where the Ho-Chunk waited patiently with torches in the night to attract the sturgeons to spear them in the water . . .” So went the Wisconsin Dells Boat Tour guide as we leaned over to look. It didn’t matter how many times we heard it, the kids (me included) wanted to hear it again. I also remember moonlit nights at Devil’s Lake wondering if the Indian princess spirit, supposedly looking for her Romeo and Juliet lover, might appear. The story was always in the handout. These stories made the rocks, river and lake come alive in our imagination with mystery and what I call “romance.” A romance is cultivated in the stories and information that make you fall in love with an area by developing a strong emotional attachment. This is the heart of tourism. This is how I got involved with tourism and writing this article. I fell in love with the mystery and romance of the “Ocooch Mountains.” A name also conveys romance. My Facebook friend in Wales is from “Barry, Vale of Glamorgan.” And how about selling a vacation idea to the kids? Let’s go to the “Hill Country” or, let’s go to the “Ocooch Mountains.” I know how my kids would vote. If you can turn on the imagination of a tourist to hear ancient drumbeats, see early explorers in their canoes, see Native Americans playing “La Crosse,” or picture “spear fishing waters,” they will come back. There is a great video in the visitor center at the Effigy Mounds National Monument across the river from Prairie du Chien. The songs and music stay in your mind as you climb the bluff, and you feel a kinship with the builders, knowing something about them. So what about the Ocooch? Are they folklore or a real place? Do they have a Native American history or was that made up? These are the questions I set out to answer. It all started because someone asked me a question: What will bring artists into our area (Kendall)? I knew 12
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of some people on Etsy, an international online art site, who called themselves “Ocooch Mountain Artists,” so I told the person, “Try using Ocooch Mountains.” I thought that was the end of it until the person came back and said, “The Ocooch are only in the Kickapoo and Pine valleys.” I knew that only one ridge separated us from the Kickapoo watershed. In fact, the whole Driftless area (meaning no glacial debris) is a series of ridges (one 50 miles long) that separate the Trempealeau, Black, La Crosse, Baraboo, Lemonweir, Kickapoo, Pine and Grant rivers. It is a single geologically unified area. If one part is Ocooch, the other part should be unless it was part of the folklore of that area. The Wikipedia site was called a “promo stub” promoting the Ocooch Mountains, but was not intended as a research site. It didn’t answer these questions. Considering the need for tourism in Kendall, I said, “I will see what I can do.” An online search of the State Historical Archives revealed a war memorial that linked the Ocooch with the Native American Sauk tribe. Were the Ocooch Sauk? There were also a lot of businesses
that had the name in the Pine and Kickapoo valleys but no leads. The DNR website said the Ocooch were named for a small vanished tribe decimated by smallpox called the Ocoche. They were not on any list of tribes, however, and the DNR spokesperson said they did not really know if it was true. So I had to start somewhere. I called the Sauk. A very nice person agreed to talk to me and provided several facts. Their name is not “Sauk” but “Sac Fox.” There was no Black Hawk War; the Sac Fox warriors never fought with women and children in their midst unless attacked. The war memorials should be changed. And finally, no, the word “Ocooch” was not a Sac Fox word. She suggested I call the Ho-Chunk and graciously sent me documents about their territory and confirmation of our conversation regarding the word Ocooch. The Sac Fox speak an Algonquin language while the Ho-Chunk speak a Siouan language. This was startling. The Kickapoo for whom the river is named also speak an Algonquin language. If Ocooch was not an Algonquin word, it might pre-date the Algonquin tribes who were in the Driftless area. This implied the word Ocooch might be old, very old. Or it was made up. By now I was really hoping it wasn’t. What information existed before statehood? Thanks to patient help from the State Historical Library, word-of-mouth, and an old bookstore with a brick warehouse, the answer was found: United States Military Expeditions. The Louis and Clark Expedition was not the only one sent forth. Starting in the early 1830s, Ocooch is mentioned in expedition journals describing southwestern Wisconsin and finally culminating in an 1833 map that clearly shows the range with the Ocooch Mountains as a place name. Taken all together, the journals showed the mountains cover the entire Driftless area. How exciting! Now all the river valleys could share the mountains. They all had claim on this heritage. But what did this mean? These military expeditions of the 1830s were financed by the U.S. Government. The expeditions logged their trips knowing they would be held accountable. To use the word Ocooch as a place name implied that something convinced the explorers the name was appropriate. One theory is that contact with the Ho-Chunk who used the word Hoguc pronounced “Hocooch” could have sounded like “Ocooch” to a non-native ear. However, in their letter to me the Ho-Chunk made it clear that the word in their history specifically referred to the Baraboo and La Crosse rivers. Nonetheless, it is known the Ho-Chunk were present at various times throughout the Driftless area and “spear fishing waters” could be applied to any driftless river because it was a very effective way to harvest fish. Another theory is a “memory imprint” left by a “lost tribe” who lived in the Driftless area and all that was left was their name — Ocooch or Ocoche. To investigate this idea I started to look for the earliest maps I could find listing tribal areas in Wisconsin. This was easy to do because my wife is an avid book reader, always going to area libraries and I often accompany her. On one trip to the Elroy Library
I found an old book containing a simple map with no date. Listed on the map near the Driftless area were the Winnebago (Ho-Chunk) north of the Baraboo area, and way down south in northern Illinois, the Illinois of course. Just across the Mississippi from the heart of the Driftless area was the Ioway tribe. This was a surprise. I knew about the Ioway from reading the Louis and Clark Expedition accounts of them in Iowa. A quick Wikipedia check said the Ioway territory ranged north as high as the Great Lakes and Pipestone National Monument — where prized stone for peace pipes was found. Could the Ioway be the lost tribe? I couldn’t wait to tell my wife about my speculation since she is from Iowa. The big moment came. The Ioway have a great website and I contacted someone whose credentials looked impressive, and certainly this proved to be true. Lance Foster, M.A., M.L.A., member of the Cultural Advisory Committee, Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska was very kind; reading my information, checking out the DNR site mentioning the “Ocoche” and telling me about his role in producing the movie Lost Nation, The Ioway: http://www. iowaymovie.com/. Could this get any better? Had I actually found the lost tribe decimated by smallpox? Was this the memory imprint coming to life? I braced myself for either a big disappointment or popping champagne and declaring a miracle. Adding to the mounting excitement, Wikipedia said, and Lance confirmed, the Ioway had called the Ho-Chunk “Grandfathers.” Lance explained the Ioway were in the Driftless area when the French explorers came in the 1600s and left after being decimated by smallpox. He said, “Ocooch sounds like one of our words. The word Ocooch is Siouan.” Lance also consulted and got confirmation for his analysis from Dr. Robert Rankin, Ph.D., University of Kansas Linguistic Department, one of the foremost Siouan linguists. I had found our lost tribe and a forgotten memory was being recalled: “PAH-ko-chee ah-hay-MAH-shee,” meaning “Mountains of Snowy Lodges.” You can read more at: http://ioway.nativeweb.org/history/ mountains_of_snowy_lodges.htm. A synergy developed between us: Ioway, Ho-Chunk, Sac Fox and the State Historical Society. The Grandfather relationship and “Wakoche,” the Ho-Chunk name for the Ioway was acknowledged. Definitive statements enabled me to publish the Wikipedia article. You can read it at: http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Ocooch_Mountains. So, I am forever hooked on the Ocooch Mountains! I hope you experience the same. Want to bring back the romance of the Ocooch Mountains? You can help! Article interest has generated Ocooch Mountain pictures on Google, and Wikipedia has generated an automated Facebook page: https://www. facebook.com/pages/Ocooch-Mountains/113669718682993. Please like it. This will help any efforts, from the Etsy Ocooch Mountain Artists to anyone using the name or wanting to add to the mystery and romance of the “Driftless” area. —Eric J. Zingler
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DRIFTLESS | challenges “Cease being intimidated by the argument that a right action is impossible because it does not yield maximum profits, or that a wrong action is to be condoned because it pays.” — Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac
Multimillion-Acre Loss of
Conservation Land By Timothy S. Jacobson
Sets Off Alarms
What unites pheasant and duck hunters and trout anglers in the Midwest with shrimpers in the Gulf of Mexico and environmentalists throughout the midsection of the country? The staggering, multimillion-acre loss of land that had been enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). According to an article by agriculture researcher Kay McDonald, the amount of land enrolled in CRP, at 27.1 million acres, is down by 26 percent or 9.7 million acres in the past five years, to a 25-year low. McDonald points out that during this same period, land planted in corn has increased by 13 million acres. According to USDA farmer survey results released in June 2013, corn growers nationwide intended to plant 97.4 million acres of corn for all purposes that year. That’s the fifth straight year acres planted in corn have risen. Similarly, the number of U.S. acres planted in soybeans has risen from about 65 million in 2007 to an estimated 14
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82.9 million acres in 2014 according to a survey by Farm Futures magazine, which would be an all-time high. Why should anyone care about the conversion of CRP land to row crops? In considering this question, it’s important to understand what CRP is and why the program exists. The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) administers the CRP program under which, in exchange for a yearly rental payment, farmers agree to remove environmentally sensitive land from ag production and plant species that will improve environmental health and quality. Mark Ackelson, President Emeritus of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, points out that “the land had to be highly erodible or a [stream] buffer to get into CRP in the first place. If they go in production and the land is removed from permanent cover, it becomes vulnerable to erosion.”
Photo by Clay Riness
There’s a lot at stake with our Driftless landscape, the water we drink,
$2.8 billion-per-year fishing industry that operates along the Texas
and the global climate and environment. One only needs to look at a
and Louisiana coasts where millions of pounds of brown shrimp are
photo of the results of over-farming and poor farming practices in the caught every year. Coon Valley, Wis., area during the early 1930s to see how farmland can become a wasteland of erosion. Drinking water and streams are threatened with nitrate and pesticide pollution, too.
BENEFITS OF CRP The CRP program provides enormous environmental benefits,
Mark Ackelson provides a more recent example of the risks of
including retaining high-quality soil on Driftless area farms and
stripping away CRP protection from vulnerable land. “There’s a farm
limiting runoff of phosphorus and nitrogen, both of which keep our
in east-central Iowa,” he said, “above a state-owned lake. About 40
rivers clearer and cleaner and protect drinking water quality.
percent of the watershed is draining through the property. It had been enrolled in several consecutive CRP signups. But recently it was taken out of CRP, plowed up and auctioned off. Its value was much higher being out of the CRP program than in. As a result of the land
CRP also provides excellent habitat for both game and non-game species of wildlife, which is why a half-dozen national hook-and-bullet organizations serve as nonprofit partners to FSA with the program.
coming out of CRP, a whole state lake was placed in jeopardy. Part of the real sadness of the situation,” Ackelson continued, “is taxpayers paying for several decades to keep that land in grass cover, and then it was undone overnight.” These days, the effects of exposing and fertilizing highly-erodible soil can be traced across the nation and around the world.
TWO STEPS FORWARD AND ONE STEP BACK Several factors coalesced around 2007 to greatly undermine CRP. Among these changes were federal energy legislation and decreased federal support for CRP payments to farmers. The year 2007 marked the passage of the Energy Independence and
For example, it’s widely acknowledged that nutrient runoff from
Security Act, which mandated the use of corn ethanol in fuel to the
farm fields of the Midwest that’s carried by the Mississippi River
point at which 40 percent of the U.S. corn crop is used for fuel instead
is the biggest contributor to the massive hypoxia “dead zone”
of food. This huge market for corn caused prices to spike, creating a
in the Gulf of Mexico. According to the National Oceanic and
greater incentive for farmers to bust sod to grow corn.
Atmospheric Administration, this dead zone presents a danger to the
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15
DRIFTLESS | challenges At the same time, CRP support in Congress waned. In the 2008
Relatively small, family-owned organic beef and dairy farms in the
Farm Bill, CRP suffered a reduction of 7 million acres. And the
Driftless often involve systems of managed, rotational grazing in
2014 Farm Bill reduces the acreage allowed in CRP from 32 million
which the land remains under perennial vegetative cover. Organic
acres in 2014 to 24 million acres in 2017, far short of the original 40
farms also avoid using persistent pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.
million acres planned in the 1985 legislation that created CRP.
GROWING ALTERNATIVES TO CRP
But despite exploding growth, certified organic acreage remains a small part of national farmland totals, with 5.38 million acres in 2011, with 2.29 million of those acres being pasture, according to
The very vulnerability of the CRP program to politics and market
the latest data from USDA. This represented only 0.5 percent of all
forces has conservationists and farmers looking for longer-lasting and
U.S. pasture.
non-governmental protections for Driftless soils and water quality. Some tout two conservation alternatives or add-ons to ephemeral, cash-payment government programs: grass-fed beef and dairy cattle (sometimes certified as organic), as well as permanent conservation easements.
Permanent conservation easements provide another alternative or supplement to the benefits of CRP. Conservation easements between farmers and nonprofit land trusts are permanent, with the conservation parameters made into fixed deed restrictions that bind not only the current owner, but all future owners of the land.
The organic farming movement is exploding on the Driftless area
Easements can be tailored for individual farms so that less-erodible
agricultural scene. According to the Organic Trade Association’s
land can be maintained with proper contour farming practices while
2013 Organic Industry Survey, total U.S. organic sales, including
steep slopes and buffers along waterways can be made off-limits
food and non-food products, were $31.5 billion in 2012, reaching
to row crops. In contrast, CRP contracts are for a limited term of
double-digit growth for the first time since 2008. USDA asserts that
years, and farmers can escape the conservation restrictions by paying
consumer demand for organically produced goods has shown double-
a penalty, which many are now doing as a result of skyrocketing
digit growth for well over a decade, and certified organic cropland
farmland and commodity prices.
acreage between 2002 and 2008 averaged 15 percent annual growth. Wisconsin and Minnesota are among the top states for certified organic cropland. Organic Valley, a company founded in 1988 and based in tiny La Farge, Wis., grew into the largest cooperative of organic farmers in the U.S. Also, the city of La Crosse, Wis., plays host to the largest organic farming conference in the country — run by the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES). But how can organic farming address the degradation and erosion of soil and pollution of our waterways?
Like organic agriculture but at a much larger magnitude, the use of conservation easements is experiencing tremendous growth. The Blufflands Alliance, a coalition of land trusts, holds permanent easements on more than 50,000 acres in the Driftless alone. Nationally, total acres conserved by land trusts grew to 47 million as of 2010 according to the results of a Land Trust Alliance survey, a significant portion of which applies directly to working farms. In August 2013, the Blufflands Alliance convened a conference of Driftless conservationists to discuss ways to address the loss of CRP acres and its impact on water quality. “We found,” Ackelson said, “there’s a lot of science, research and planning out there, but not a lot of permanent protection and restoration other than federal programs and land trusts. We’re trying to figure out how to better collaborate to get more [conservation] work done.”
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Photo by Clay Riness
Photo by Tim Jacobson
Photo by Jim Luhning
The hard statistics on the benefits of CRP are staggeringly positive. For example, the
Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) estimated 278 million pounds less nitrogen and 59 million pounds less phosphorus left fields in 2007 due to CRP, 95 and 86 percent reductions, respectively. FAPRI also estimated 203 million pounds of nitrogen and 49 million pounds of phosphorus were intercepted by CRP buffers in 2007. Since 1986, CRP has reduced more than 8 billion tons of soil erosion — the equivalent of approximately 267 million large dump truck loads of dirt.
Ducks Unlimited credits CRP as responsible for The global climate benefits from CRP, too. In 2007, 25.7 million additional ducks produced in the U.S. grass cover planted under CRP helped stop more Prairie Pothole Region alone during 1992-2003. than 50 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the environment. Carbon sequestration Non-game bird species also thrive in habitat helps offset the release of greenhouse gases into protected by CRP. In a Washington Post the atmosphere. editorial this past August, John W. Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Laboratory of Not surprisingly, many of these glowing statistics Ornithology, and George Fenwick, president of come from 2007, the year that CRP acreage the American Bird Conservancy, provide the enrollment peaked, right before the huge trend of example of the rare Henslow’s sparrow which, in plowing up CRP acres, thus exposing the soil, and recent spring counts in Illinois, are more than 25 layering on fertilizers and pesticides for row crops. times greater than they were in 1985 — the year CRP was instituted. DRIFTLESS notes 2014 | RELAX. CONSIDER. DO.
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DRIFTLESS | challenges
voices The Driftless Area Landscape Conservation Initiative: Combatting Erosion, Building Habitat Those who love the Driftless area know that it is a very special place. However, this unique landscape with its steep, unglaciated topography, leaves it especially vulnerable to soil erosion. To restore and protect it for the future, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has designated it one of its national Landscape Conservation Initiatives. The Driftless Area Landscape Conservation Initiative (DALCI) will directly target soil erosion and wildlife habitat in the four-state Driftless area. The variety of threatened and unique species offer opportunities to restore critical and rare habitat, increase grassland acreage and improve water quality. This initiative will address the unique needs of this distinctive, historic and vulnerable landscape.
The immediate goals are: • Reduce soil erosion on cropland and pasture
Conservation Practices for the Driftless Area Conservation Initiative: Grassland practices: Prescribed grazing, brush management, fencing, water facilities, conservation cover, forage and biomass planting, buffer strips, conservation crop rotations, forage harvest management. Woodland practices: forest stand improvement, weed control, prescribed burning and firebreaks. Trout stream practices: streambank and shoreline protection, fencing, filter strips, fish passages, obstruction removal, stream crossings, and upland and wetland wildlife habitat management.
• Increase woodland diversity
Cropland practices: grassed waterways, crop residue management, cover crops, and more!
• Restore prairies, grasslands and oak savannas
For more information, visit www.wi.nrcs.usda.gov, or contact the
• Restore cold water streams
NRCS office at the USDA Service Center serving your county.
Farmers and other landowners can work with NRCS to create a
For a historical tour of the nation’s first erosion control
conservation plan for their land, with a wide variety of practices
demonstration project begun in 1933 see:
to suit their needs. To get started, contact the NRCS office at the
The Coon Creek Watershed Driving Tour.
USDA Service Center for your county. Applications can be made at any time.
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Photo by Clay Riness
Kickapoo Valley Champions of Stewardship Healthy fish and wildlife habitat is good for the economy in
the Kickapoo Grazing Initiative (KGI). This program offers
southwest Wisconsin’s Kickapoo Valley, where more than $70
information and education about the soil and water quality benefits
million in tourism dollars are generated each year. Maintaining
and methods of managed grazing as a profitable and sustainable
cold, clean waters and a balanced ecosystem for healthy trout and
option for farmers and landowners who rent their land to farmers.
wildlife populations is one of the keys to protecting the area’s
Partners in the KGI program include VSN, Trout Unlimited,
economy as well as a healthier future for all.
Vernon County Land & Water Conservation, and UW
Valley Stewardship Network is a nonprofit organization that has championed stewardship of the land and waters in the Kickapoo area since the late 1990s. VSN staff and volunteers research, educate, and act to protect the fragile nature of this Driftless
Extension-Crawford County, with funding from the Wallace Foundation. VSN also supports many community activities that promote sustainable agriculture and food and water education because of their direct relationship to soil and water conservation.
watershed and all who enjoy it, at a time when human impact on
To learn more about the water quality, rotational grazing and land
the environment is increasing. Best known for its water quality
stewardship education and training offered by Valley Stewardship
research and education programs, the work of VSN also includes
Network, visit www.kickapoovsn.org or call 608-637-3615. Photo by Clay Riness
Crawford Stewardship Project We have a vision of verdant rolling hills and sparkling crooked creeks and rivers. In this vision, independent family farmers are paid fairly to produce a range of quality products from the land they love and care for. In this idyllic landscape people are happy, healthy, attend community events, and are able to start a multitude of small businesses based on the hunters, bikers, fishermen, paddlers, and other tourists who flock seasonally to the Driftless to soak in the splendor. This vision in many ways already exists, but there are those who, for the illusion of efficiency and the all-mighty dollar, would throw all this out in favor of an industrialized corporate structure that throws out our cultural and ecological treasures like theproverbial baby with the bathwater. Yes, there are very different visions for this area developing in closed meetings in boardrooms of multinational businesses with more money at their disposal than our entire state. And in their way, stands Crawford Stewardship Project and a
organizations who build our local communities and economies. We strive for government that is accountable and serves its constituents because the citizenry are educated on local happenings and involved in the process.
brave coalition of other organizations and individuals, struggling to
We, the people, need to assert ourselves and tell the frac sand mines
maintain some semblance of local control and democracy.
and the CAFOs that we don't need the few dirty jobs they will toss
If we want to keep our communities vibrant, our roads quiet and safe, and our air and water clean, it will take more than just us. Thus, we work with and support local government and other
us. We can make our own way, thank you very much, and build a better future without them. —Forest Jahnke, Coordinator of Crawford Stewardship Project DRIFTLESS notes 2014 | RELAX. CONSIDER. DO.
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DRIFTLESS | challenges
Sacred Water at Risk Our world is changing rapidly and we are facing economic and environmental challenges of tremendous proportions. The most important issue of all is fresh water. Only one-tenth of a percent of the world’s water is fresh and available (not locked up in glaciers, icecaps, frozen tundra and icebergs), and 20 percent of that is contained in the Great Lakes. Here is a good link from the United States Geological Survey: www.usgs.gov In the Driftless region we are blessed with abundant fresh water supplies as clean aquifers and springs. It should be a priority for all of us to protect this resource not only for our benefit, but also to preserve the ecological integrity of the region. The recent chemical spill near Charleston, W.Va., that contaminated the water of 300,000 people, is an extreme case of the price of business as usual and lack of water protection. There are about 84,000 registered chemicals in use in the U.S. Only 200 of these have been tested and only a few are regulated. It seems to me that as a society we are completely clueless about the
We know that contamination in the environment ultimately leads to contamination in our bodies. Look at the effects of DDT on wildlife in the 1960s. Birds were not able to reproduce, and after Rachel Carson’s seminal “Silent Spring” and activism, this chemical was banned. What does all this mean for the people of the Driftless? Clear, abundant, fresh water drives our economy and assures us good health. Much of the Driftless is underlain with karst, which is limestone that has holes like swiss cheese in which water moves through rapidly. What we allow on the surface of the land will manifest in our streams, lakes, springs and aquifers. Dr. Kelvin Rodolfo of Viroqua, Wis., has been studying the movement of surface water and groundwater for years. He has found that water can leave the surface and enter aquifers within days. How can we protect the water that is used on our organic fields, sustains our world class trout streams, nurtures our beautiful landscape and inhabits our bodies?
magnitude of the contamination of our environment.
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Photo by Roger Grant
voices The answer is local control and oversight. Every community in the
capacity to deal with our bad decisions, but sustainability and
Driftless needs to take a serious look at what it takes to preserve
stewardship is the key to preserving the Driftless.
fresh water. This could mean local ordinances control the amount of water removed from the aquifer, like limits on high-capacity wells. Limiting the establishment of confined animal feedlot operations. Making sure farmers use best management practices, like buffer strips by streams, not spreading manure on frozen ground and not overusing fertilizers, to name a few. It is also necessary to evaluate the water pollution potential of towns and cities. Amazing amounts of particulate matter and residues are produced by vehicles which are washed off the roads and parking lots. The exhaust of vehicles, especially diesels, has been declared carcinogenic by the EPA, and this also ends up in the local water supply through precipitation. Household chemicals along with agricultural chemicals are endocrine disruptors, and only a couple parts per billion can disrupt hormonal expression. I am not trying
Unfortunately, we have to contend with a proposed bill in Wisconsin authored by Sen. Tom Tiffany called SB 349. This bill would limit community control and limits oversight to only county zoning rules. The first step to protecting our water is making sure this bill doesn’t pass. Here is a link to an in-depth analysis by the Wisconsin Legislative Bureau: https://www.docs.legis.wisconsin. gov/2013/related/proposals/sb349 Water is a common resource and essential to our well-being and the future of our children and ecosystems. It is important in all of the world spiritual traditions. Civilizations preceding us recognized the value of water or collapsed due to water stress. What water future shall we choose? —Juliee de la Terre MS
to be an alarmist, and mother nature does have a tremendous
UW–Madison, Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
Preserving the Beauty of Lake Pepin By early 2012 the frac sand industry had taken western Wisconsin
proposal. Facing this local opposition, the developer pulled back.
by storm. The silica sand mined in this Driftless region was being
Not waiting for the next proposal, the two town boards adopted
shipped in great quantities to other states and countries where
licensing ordinances imposing strict limits on the size and scope
hydraulic fracturing was producing large quantities of oil and
of frac sand operations. Community leaders formed a nonprofit
natural gas.
501(c)(4) corporation, Lake Pepin Partners for Preservation, Inc.
As the frac sand industry reaped enormous profits, it was also wreaking havoc in communities where tourism economies are dependent on the natural beauty of their regions to attract visitors. In June of 2012, the Pepin County Board received a proposal for a 200-car rail spur, a frac sand processing plant and a barge depot on
(LPPP). LPPP drafted an overlay zoning ordinance to protect the communities along Lake Pepin. This ordinance, adopted by the county board in June of 2013, bans all frac sand operations on or near the Great River Road and Lake Pepin. Courageous leaders in every community can do the same.
the banks of Lake Pepin. This operation would involve more than
—William Mavity
600 loaded trucks each day transporting sand from nearby mines.
Pepin County Board of Supervisors - District 12
Once operational, it would forever change these communities. The community acted swiftly to protect property values, tourism and the beauty of Lake Pepin. Once destroyed, beauty cannot be reclaimed. Town and village boards passed resolutions opposing the
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DRIFTLESS | energy
Photo by Jack Knowles
“Believe in climate change. Or don’t. It doesn’t matter. But you’d better understand this: the best route to rebuilding our economy, our cities, and our job markets, as well as assuring national security, is doing precisely what you’d be doing if you were scared to death about climate change.” —Hunter Lovins, from Climate Capitalism
Diamond dust By Dave Muller
Imagine holding a diamond in your hand. Blow the
dust away and the small stone is round and shiny — a tiny,
500,000-year-old piece of quartz commonly called silica and known
Global Insight study links the production of 20,000 jobs to the oil
and gas business in Wisconsin, with 2,000 of these in the frac sand sector alone.
now as frac sand. For the Driftless region of 16,200 square miles
The jobs average $20 per hour, and the new wealth increased
in western Wisconsin, frac sand is either the new fool’s gold or the
Wisconsin’s income by over $1 billion in 2012, filling the
opportunity of a limited lifetime.
government revenue coffers with close to $600 million in personal and corporate tax collections. At least 16 counties are affected in the
Follow the Money A check of a U.S. Geological Survey in 2007 shows no mention of frac, even though its use has been in play for 40 years. Way back in 2010, only five mines and five processing plants existed. Today, by DNR count, 75 mines and 40 plants have opened up, with another 100 applications for mining permits in the works. Blame Canada, and their neighbor to the south, North Dakota. The oil and natural gas boom shudders and reverberates all the way to Wisconsin. A 22
DRIFTLESS notes 2014 | RELAX. CONSIDER. DO.
Driftless region, and Barron County finally saw a sales tax revenue increase this past year from mining activities and the subsequent spin of wages moving through the economy. Five new mines along County Road S fill semis so quickly that rumors of a truck a minute passing through Chippewa Falls are only slightly exaggerated. Contrast that mental image with the 900 square mile Polk County directly to the west of Barron, with no known frac sand, and a paltry total of 180 jobs created in the last seven years.
Last year’s price, $200 per ton, quickly dropped to $100 with an
Four complex steps that include other additives in the fracturing
oversupply due to wildcat exploitation. Now, Canadian National
solution: biocide disinfectant like glutaraldehyde for bacteria
is investing $30 million to open a rail spur into sleepy Poskin for
control, ethylene glycol to inhibit scaling, citric and hydrochloric
transport to Alberta, where a processing plant waits to clean 200
acid to control precipitation, potassium chloride to reduce
million tons of sand annually. The demand is large and growing
friction and pump pressure in the slickwater solution, ammonium
larger as the U.S. moves towards world’s number one in oil and
bisulfate to prevent steel from degrading, and of all things, the
gas production. Clearly the wildcat is out of the bag. We follow
old food thickener, guar gum as a gelling agent to help transport
the money and find FracFocus with maps and enough data to
proppant. Just for good measure, on occasion, boric acid or
drown in, all supplied by our favorite uncle, Big Hal (Halliburton
ethylene glycol helps break down the gelling agent for easier
Corporation, FracFocus website).
removal without carrying back the frac sand mixture.
Hal shows that hydraulic fracking occurs at levels of 2,000 to 7,000
It reads like a mixture for a toxic fruitcake designed to last
feet deep, safely below the water reservoirs that reach to 1,000 feet.
500,000 years. The tiny frac sand makes it all possible. No wonder
They acknowledge pollution issues around wellhead construction
the discovery has fanned the flames of pro and con. The worst
and discard them with a flick of a finger. They are reaching up to
case scenario, highlighted by articles in National Geographic and
seven times deeper and the 52,000 registered wells on the home
Rolling Stone, is apparent in the flare on the cover: an astounding
page tell the tale of how far the industry has gone toward world
30 percent of the natural gas is burned off as excess waste. The
dominance. At over $100 a barrel, life is sweet and crude.
capacity to utilize the new-found liquid gold is not in place and so
The Fracking Process
off it goes as CO2, carbon.
FracFocus gives the details of the horizontal drilling process. A
Carbon Emissions
20 part solution of 19 parts water, 1 part frac sand, and a tiny
One of the essential building blocks of life as we know it, carbon,
part chemical solution that is proprietary and resembles ceramic
in excess, will kill us. Another rich uncle, Little Bill (journalist Bill
glaze of bauxite, kaolin or resin, depending on individual well
McKibben, contributor to Rolling Stone), warns us dramatically
characteristics, is blasted deep into the earth, straight down and
in three easy numbers. The first, 2 degrees Celsius, is already
then across. The resulting earth cracks and the tiny frac sand
halfway home. The air temperature of Earth is rising quickly from
particles wedge into the fissures and let the oil and gas flow. Sounds
excess carbon. Science tells us that the known oil and gas reserves
so simple, yet the process is complex, and the sand and chemicals
will produce 2,795 gigatons of carbon when burned. The 2,795
lock into place for an estimated 40 years. Going with the flow takes
figure translates into $27 trillion which is the current value at
on a new meaning, as the earth stays expanded at this extremely hot
$100/barrel.
depth where temperatures reach 900 degrees Celsius.
Unfortunately, releasing 565 gigatons of carbon into our fragile
The fracking process works so well, according to Hal, that U.S.
atmosphere will possibly raise the earth’s temperature by 6 degrees
oil and gas reserves will see an increase because older wells can
or more. 2,795 is about five times 565, which in the new math
be revisited with the new technology and be put back in play in
means we are cooked. Bill makes the case profoundly that the oil
dozens of locations. This is the frosting on the cake for an industry
and gas must stay in the ground or we are as doomed as dinosaurs.
that basically regulates itself and holds the world in the palm of its
Carbon taxes and alternative sources of energy are only small steps
slightly greasy hand, with one major problem: water.
to delay the inevitable. Kyoto and Copenhagen protocols have
An acid stage begins the process with several thousand gallons of water mixed with hydrochloric or muriatic acid pumped in to clear cement debris in the wellbore. This solution creates a conduit for frac fluids after the pad stage, which injects 100,000 gallons of
already been ignored by the U.S. The agreement to lower carbon emissions would be a good first step in the fight for our collective lives. Carbon taxes slapped on industry would be passed to the consumer and inflation would skyrocket in our global economy.
slickwater without proppant material. The third stage features the
Clean water and fresh air, which we take for granted in the
frac sand and ceramic solution pumped in with another several
Driftless region and all over northwestern Wisconsin, are
hundred thousand gallons. The flushing stage concludes the process
the chips in the game. Frac sand is the window dressing. The
with a volume of fresh water that flushes the excess proppant from
Crawford Stewardship Project is on the right track in attempting
the wellbore.
to limit the number of mines in the most naturally beautiful part DRIFTLESS notes 2014 | RELAX. CONSIDER. DO.
23
DRIFTLESS | energy of the Midwest. Moratoriums are happening, like one in Ridgeway
in the air increased. Much like our own elderly, the trees had
that recently slowed the expansion of a mine into the vicinity of
trouble respirating at an advanced age of more than 100 years. A
a protected waterway. Other small towns are overwhelmed by
simple solution is to plant more trees everywhere for every ton of
the lure of the mining operations and see a way forward out of
frac sand removed from our pristine Driftless region.
the prolonged recession. The long view suggests a new type of capitalism that goes all in for the triple bottom line: planet, people and profits. If the U.S. gets on board through innovation and the
Hope for the Future Responsible citizens can enjoy the best of both worlds in Wisconsin. Natural beauty in lakes and forests is what we inherited from our ancestors. Logic tells us to leave no footprints as we pass through on our journey. This includes 100 acre holes in the ground from frac sand mines. Imagine our grandchildren fully grown in 2050 enjoying a new world order that actually, intentionally, renews itself because that is what matters most to society. Call it Rational Euphoria. New energy sources, unknown in 2013, are commonplace and fossil fuel has gone the way of whale oil. The sources could include thermodynamics, sound waves or magnet resonance. Green renewable energy means never having to say sorry for destroying our planet one inconvenience at a time. Frac sand will be part of the solution, harvested safely without silicosis affecting workers and nearby citizens. The new rules must make physical sense, much like
Photo by Roger Grant
outlawing asbestos or DDT. Clean, clear water should be the end result through distillation and filtration.
dedication needed for research into cheaper fuels from field waste
Anything less is ludicrous whether on the surface or a mile or more
converted into biomass which alters the carbon equation, then
below.
perhaps Asia and Europe will follow. We could be number one soon, and for a different reason than world domination.
Hope floats to the surface. The inventor of air conditioning originally used a process that removed carbon from the air as the
Call it Carbon Containment, beginning at the frac sand stage.
machinery worked. Now, after years of the wrong substances being
Imagine somehow removing the sand safely with no water pollution
pumped into the air, the old style is new again. On a commercial
and all affected areas restored after 50 years of mining to their
scale, the results could be astounding. As we struggle through
original state — complete with oak, basswood, and maple trees in
record heat this late summer season, imagine if our keeping cool
abundance to harvest carbon faster than it can be created. Science
was actually assisting in reversing the problem of excess carbon in
knows the ozone layer can heal itself given the chance, since it too is
the atmosphere.
a living thing that looks up close like cheesecloth with a difference; it grows back from perforation. Carbon is the primary component of trees and they naturally love to breathe it in. A forest study in North Carolina in 2007 featured the injection of the projected 2050 CO2 levels. The larger trees removed less carbon as the level
Chilling out takes on a whole new meaning. Everyone in and out of the Driftless region can benefit and create hope where there is now despair. Change simply needs to accelerate in direct relation to destructive practices. The millennial generation with its no-nonsense, better way to do things, will see through the fog and fracas.
“I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.” — Thomas Edison (1847-1931) 24
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A SUMMER TRADITION FOR OVER 81 YEARS!
How do I love Rudy’s Drive-In? Let me count the ways. The smooth, full-bodied root beer, brewed in-house, comes to the car in heavy glass mugs. A triple-stack burger with cheese, lettuce and tomato dubbed the Monster, lives up to its name. The soft-serve ice cream comes in wacky flavors like green apple and bubble gum. The carhops wear roller skates, and on Tuesday nights they don poodle skirts, in honor of classic-car night and its 1950s music. Even the surroundings — long sheltering carports that still retain their original mid-1960s looks — are a blast! — Minneapolis Star Tribune
Open 10am to 10pm • 7 days a week March through October • (608) 782-2200 Corner of 10th & La Crosse Streets • La Crosse, WI Hwy 16 & Hwy 21 • Sparta, WI • (608) 269-2011
www.rudysdrivein.com
Rudy’s Drive-In… “A must-see” as featured on Discover Wisconsin. “For lip-smacking drive-in fare, pull into Rudy’s where cheese curds (it is Wisconsin, after all) are delivered by servers roller-skating to tunes made famous by the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis.” — Rand McNally Atlas “Best of the Great River Road” My favorite Drive-In restaurant. I had many good college meals here. Colleen, my best friend from college and I had the best time here on so many different occasions. We would come here before finals, after finals... we’d come here all the time. — Sandra Lee, The Food Network The Monster Burger and cheese curds are worth the drive to Wisconsin. But Rudy’s also serves healthy buffalo burgers and trans-fat free fries. — Men’s Health Magazine
DRIFTLESS | energy
voices Allamakee County Protectors vs Strip Mining Landscapes for Frac Sand
Wind Issues and Policy Options
Less than 11 months after its inception, Allamakee County Protectors was selected by the Iowa Sierra Club as Iowa’s “Grassroots Conservation” organization of the year. Robert Nehman, self-taught creator of the highly respected documentary Frac Sand Land, was singled out for his numerous exemplary contributions in opposition to the boom and bust, extract and run, frac sand strip mining industry, and the extremely serious long-term problems it causes.
In 2012 a number of in‐state businesses and organizations took the lead in adding wind generation, principally to offset their use of grid‐supplied electricity. They built three community‐scale projects around Wisconsin, totaling 18 megawatts. In contrast, the utilities did not expand their supplies of wind generation in 2012, and have no plans to do so in the foreseeable future.
The local-level struggle to prevent destruction of entire landscapes in Iowa’s portion of the Driftless area continues, but Allamakee County Protectors has achieved three small steps forward during its first nine months of existence. Initially, in late September 2012, word got out that the first proposed new industrial strip mine for frac sand in Iowa was near the peaceful and picturesque community of New Albin. A hastily called public meeting, featuring presentations by geologist and Professor Emeritus, Kelvin Rodolfo, and retired school superintendent and community organizer, Patricia Popple, led directly to the application for a frac sand mining permit being withdrawn. Later on, members of Allamakee County Protectors requested, presented evidence to support, and secured an 18-month moratorium on strip mining for frac sand in their county. And most recently, evidence presented about the numerous problems a proposed frac sand processing facility would cause in the Mississippi River floodplain just 2 miles south of the Minnesota border, led to a rezoning request for the threatened property being withdrawn. The DVD Frac Sand Land can be purchased, and donations for new education projects can be made for Allamakee County Protectors, through their website: www.allamakeecountyprotectors.org.
Under current law, local governments have siting and permitting authority over proposed electric generation projects up to 100 megawatts. To create an orderly and fair process, the Wisconsin legislature passed the Wind Siting Law, which directed the Public Service Commission (PSC) to develop administrative rules that would establish certainty and consistency in the way local governments review and regulate wind energy systems. After the PSC adopted a compromise rule (PSC 128) in December 2010, the Legislature, at the urging of the Wisconsin Realtors Association (WRA), suspended the rule in March 2011. This standoff cast a pall over large wind development activity. Fortunately, the suspension ended March 2012, when the Legislature adjourned without repealing PSC 128. Going into 2013, the WRA and its legislative allies are planning to repeal PSC 128. Protecting the rule from future legislative weakening will be a high priority going forward, as there are three projects likely to be reviewed this year under the statewide permitting process. PROBLEM The four principal impediments to windpower development are: • W isconsin’s modest renewable energy requirements, which have largely been attained • O rganized wind opposition centered in eastern Wisconsin and supported by wealthy and politically connected landowners, and legislators friendly to the WRA • Flat to lower electricity sales, reducing utility demand for new generations • Discontinuation of meaningful incentives for small wind (buyback rates, Focus on Energy) POLICY OPTIONS Viable policy approaches include: • D efend Wisconsin’s investment in consistent and predictable permitting for wind power • I ncrease the RES and establish a set‐aside for (in‐state) distributed renewables • Reinstate Focus on Energy incentives for small wind energy systems • E stablish uniform terms and conditions applicable to net metered renewable energy • A llow host customers to directly access renewable energy from thirdparty-owned renewables located on their premises (Clean Energy Choice)
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Prepared for RENEW Energy Policy Summit — January 11, 2013, Madison, Wis.
Plan toend the att
Revolutionizing the Approach to Organic Farming & Gardening
Energy Exposition Milt Lunda Memorial Arena - Jackson County Fair Park Hwy 54 W, Black River Falls, WI. GreenLifeXpo sponsors the annual energy exposition that showcases exhibitors, speakers and tours in renewable/alternative energy, conservation, recycling, and sustainable living.
GreenLifeXpo Energy Expostion dates:
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• FREE hot breakfast • Lumberjack’s Bar • Indoor/outdoor swimming pool
Reservations: (800) 659-2220 3060 S Kinney Coulee Rd. • Onalaska, WI 54650
DRIFTLESS notes 2014 | RELAX. CONSIDER. DO.
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DRIFTLESS | energy
WECC Countdown Energy According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, energy consumption in the United States tripled from 1949 to 2011, and the graph to the right illustrates what sectors used the most. Two key components to slowing down this unsustainable rate of energy consumption are energy conservation and energy efficiency. Energy conservation is essentially reducing use by doing less that requires energy, while energy efficiency refe rs to using a product or service that requires less energy. For example, driving less is an example of
REDUCED LOWER ENERGY = OPERATIONAL
LOWER COSTS = OVERHEAD IMPROVED COSTS BOTTOM LINE
IMPROVED BUSINESSES BOTTOM LINE = STAY OPEN =
JOBS
energy conservation, while driving a vehicle that gets more miles per gallon is being more energy efficient. Why is reducing energy use through efficiency or conservation important? Most policymakers and those in the energy and utility industries believe that investing resources into energy efficiency and/or energy conservation is an untapped solution that directly addresses economic challenges. According to a recent American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy report, the link between energy efficiency and economic productivity is more crucial than ever — yet we have some work to do. In this report, ACEEE explores different uses of energy, recommends how we better document and analyze data, and how the economic paradigm might be reshaped through energy management.
How can WECC help? According to a 2011 Energy Pulse report, cost is one of the primary barriers keeping consumers from implementing energy efficiency improvements. To overcome this barrier, WECC has been working with clients and partners across the country to incorporate innovative financing solutions into energy efficiency program design. To date, WECC has provided loans for more than $162 million in energy efficient improvements to more than 20,000 residential energy efficiency customers across 22 states.
About WECC WECC is a mission-driven nonprofit delivering real energy
Reduced energy = Lower overhead costs
solutions for our clients’ benefit. For more than 30 years, WECC
Lower operational costs = Improved bottom line
energy efficiency and renewable energy programs across the
Improved bottom line = Businesses stay open = Jobs
has led the industry in designing, administering, and implementing country. WECC champions innovative energy initiatives that deliver short and long term economic and environmental benefits to consumers, businesses, and policy makers. Our team of experts understands the industry and is passionate about delivering real results. In fiscal year 2012, this team delivered unparalleled savings for our nearly 200 clients across 16 states as illustrated below. Tap into WECC’s expertise today. Phone: 800.969.9322 | Email: weccinfo@weccusa.org Website: www.weccusa.org
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DRIFTLESS notes 2014 | RELAX. CONSIDER. DO.
Policy Advocates RENEW Wisconsin — Energy and the Economy RENEW Wisconsin promotes and advocates for increased
possible ways to finance their clean energy projects. We call this
renewable energy throughout Wisconsin. Wind, solar, biomass,
initiative “Clean Energy Choice,” and we would enjoy adding
biogas, small hydropower: these Wisconsin-based resources can
your voice to this growing cause.
power our future. Along with these energy resources will come local jobs and economic development, increased energy independence,
—Tyler Huebner, Executive Director | RENEW Wisconsin
and cleaner lakes, rivers, and air for all of us to enjoy. Currently, RENEW Wisconsin is collaborating with a broad cross-section of organizations, local government bodies and businesses throughout the state to gather support for a current “gray area” of the law regarding the production of electricity from renewable sources. When you shop for a car, you can either buy a car or you can lease one. However, when it comes to putting a digester on your farm or a solar panel system on your roof, the law is not clear whether you can enter into a leasing type of agreement. In 22 other states, you can do such a thing. Basically, you agree to buy the electricity from the system, while another company owns, installs and maintains the solar panel system or digester. We want Wisconsin to allow these types of arrangements too, so our citizens, businesses, schools, governments and farmers have more say in the use of their property and more choices for
Additional resources ENERGY STAR (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) http://www.energystar.gov U.S. Department of Energy http://energy.gov American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy http://aceee.org Association of Energy Services Professionals http://www.aesp.org Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance http://www.meeaconference.org ACEEE provides a list of resources in the industry http://aceee.org/energy-efficiency-links
DRIFTLESS notes 2014 | RELAX. CONSIDER. DO.
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DRIFTLESS | energy
travel planning tools Photo by Pete Swanson
Driftless We are all incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by the natural wonders of the Driftless region. Whether you are a longtime resident or a first-time tourist, there is an abundance of beauty, adventure and opportunity to enjoy. The Driftless region is a shining example of why we work to preserve our precious natural resources, and I have made conserving our natural heritage one of the hallmarks of my work in Congress. I have always been proud to showcase our region as a national hub of unparalleled natural beauty, limitless outdoor activity and exciting economic opportunity. Here in the Driftless region we have a sound respect and understanding of the balance between protecting our natural resources and fostering sustainable business development. We’ve seen this conscientious approach to business take shape and thrive in communities across our area, and the momentum is building. Leading businesses like Organic Valley, the largest cooperative of organic farmers in America, produce the highest-quality organic foods while serving as a model for sustainable, responsible development. Gundersen Health System is a trailblazer in energy innovation, powering their buildings with renewable energy and boosting their bottom line in the process. Additionally, my congressional district is home to 14 colleges and universities which help keep our region on the cutting edge of innovation, research and development. The Driftless region has a number of economic and environmental assets that together form a strong foundation for economic prosperity. With our focus on learning, development and sustainability, we will remain an economic and environmental leader in Wisconsin and across the nation. —Rep. Ron Kind 30
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Wisconsin is the place to visit for fun. With so much to see and do, it would be impossible to highlight each and every place worth visiting. From where to go, how to get there, to all the places to eat, play, and stay once you arrive, you can find resources and people ready to help you get the most out of your trip wherever you plan to travel.
IN PERSON:
Visit one of the state’s eight Travel Wisconsin Welcome Centers to pick up a guide or map. One of our friendly staff members is ready to help.
BY MAIL:
Order one of the state’s many free travel guides and maps. Can’t wait for the mail? Download them now at TravelWisconsin.com/guides.
BY PHONE:
Talk to our knowledgeable staff when you call 800-432-8747. Get travel planning assistance or order a print publication.
ONLINE:
Visit TravelWisconsin.com for the most comprehensive website for travel in Wisconsin. Use the Trip Planner to build a trip, save and share it with others.
ON THE GO:
We Have an App for That! Find the fun faster while you’re on-the-road in Wisconsin with the Travel Wisconsin™ iPhone® and Android™ apps. Both are available for FREE download at www. TravelWisconsin.com/app. Use your phone’s GPS capabilities to find nearby attractions, events, dining and accommodations as you travel the state.
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Downtown La Crosse, WI at 4th and Cameron Streets DRIFTLESS notes 2014 | RELAX. CONSIDER. DO. 31
DRIFTLESS | Opportunity “Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground. Let their spirit ignite a fire within you to leave this world better than when you found it ...” —Wilferd Peterson
B
Photo by Mickie Rasch
eing in business, or in the business of
From the perspective of sustainable economic de-
economic development these days, is
velopment, I have had the honor to get to know a
a tall order. Fix the economy. “Create”
number of remarkable businesses within the Driftless
jobs. Deal with low and stagnant wages.
region. They exemplify the best in business today,
Hire our youth. Address some corporate
and what I am beginning to think of as somewhat of
giants’ greed that hurts employees and
a groundswell in business that I find reassuring: that
puts the burden of shortfalls in earning a
bigger business might also be really good business, if
living wage or environmental protection
you will.
on taxpayers. Create a mix of lawmakers
locally, statewide and nationally that can get beyond the gridlock which prevents oversight and action that could instead benefit us all.
business to have a commitment to their clients, their partners, their workers, and a larger vision for making a positive difference within the world in a variety of
Yet meanwhile, back in the Driftless, a number of
ways — in essence, not just building something big
companies are moving forward in a big way that is
and profitable, but also caring about the ripple effect
beneficial to the greater whole; and doing it ethically,
that is their legacy of doing business.
and yes, profitably.
32
I am looking for what works, and what it means to a
DRIFTLESS notes 2014 | RELAX. CONSIDER. DO.
–Julia Henley
Driftless Business Mission-Oriented & Successfully Making a Major Impact By Julia Henley
The Cooperative Way: CROPP Cooperative Organic Valley, Organic Logistics, and Organic Prairie are all brands of CROPP Cooperative, founded in 1988, and for CROPP it is all about organic family farmers. Driven to address a need in the marketplace to stabilize milk prices for organic farmers as well as support family farms in a sustainable fashion, CROPP is a success story for the Driftless region, and continues to grow and generate opportunities for new farmers as well as other food and agricultural business enterprises within the region, and the world. In a recent interview with a few of the CROPP management team, I was struck by the general sense of shared purpose, of understanding the great
Photo by Clay Riness
obligations of managing and growing not just a company, but also an entire segment of the gigantic
“Where does this person go and plan to go for transition to the
food industry. They each also thoughtfully shared concern about
farm? Success is when kids are coming back to the farm — in a way
fast growth — doubling staff in five years to 700 — in addition to
that doesn’t kill them from overwork just to survive.”
the challenges beneath managing this $929 million annual business while continuing to serve and protect its mission, and how to prepare for a long-term legacy in organic market success. Louise Hemstead, chief operations officer, started with CROPP more than 20 years ago — coming from experience in conventional farming. What started as a way to be available to her family and focus more on her family’s needs has led to her own personal mission fulfillment through work at CROPP. “I know why I come to work each day,” said Hemstead, “taking care of the earth, working to mentor and develop relationships with young farmers, and supporting the next generation in small and medium agricultural models.”
Louise is passionate about the WHY of this business. “Farmers, consumers, and how we grow this business has the potential to take care of the earth.” Theresa Marquez joined in 1995 and worked as chief marketing executive for 18 years. She had her own mission statement in her early 40s. “I chose to only work for organizations and individuals that were about social and environmental change,” Marquez said. She passionately embraces her own personal mission: “changing the world” — for the better.
DRIFTLESS notes 2014 | RELAX. CONSIDER. DO.
33
DRIFTLESS | Opportunity “ For this cooperative to be successful in the future, we have to maintain our mission as one and our focus as one, because we cannot succeed divided.” – Jim Wedeberg, Dairy Pool Director The 1988 Mission Statement states: “our mission is to create and operate a marketing cooperative that promotes regional farm diversity and economic stability by the means of organic agricultural methods and the sale of certified organic products.” Reflecting on this, Marquez views the original mission as “lofty,
of food for all of us. This was one year of many years with high rates of suicide in the 1980s for farmers due to depressed prices and financial ruin. GMO cotton was overtaking organic cotton in India, and four family farmers were going out of business per day in 1988. To buck the trend, “pooling” of the product allowed these small farmers to act big in the marketplace, to put themselves on a more even playing field against the big guys of the time. This approach has saved farms, rewarded top quality, and has helped offset the potential of 91.25 million pounds of toxins and synthetic fertilizers off the land since 1988. As water availability and quality become more of an issue, CROPP can cite just at their Chaseburg Creamery alone in 2010, 5 million gallons of water
powerful, and ultimately beautiful because the cooperative has stuck consumption were reduced in just one year. Meanwhile, CROPP has seeded the growing industry of organic dairy, which is now to its mission over time.” “There is a true respect for democracy, and the heart of democracy is the empowerment of people working together — which is very
close to a billion dollar enterprise and growing within a $25 billion organic industry today.
counter to our general sense of current ‘democracy.’ This idea of
Challenges cited include a fragmented organic industry, and
tying together the mission of healthy people and planet, sustainable
unfortunately, the ubiquitous ego of extremism is also a challenge
lifestyles and income, is not common. It is counter to ‘reductionist,’
within the industry itself. Increasing organic acreage, securing
one issue, and ‘me’ thinking,” stated Marquez.
independent research on the nutritional advantages of organics,
The downside of all this community development, both externally within a growing company of 700 staffers — not to mention a
fighting policy that is often weighted to large conglomerates — all are daily challenges.
growing family of farmers — is that it is more difficult the bigger
And, educating people is the greatest challenge of all. “Not only do
you get, more bureaucratic, more complicated. Staying focused on
we need to wake people up to the realities of their food supply, long
mission and keeping the growth of “silo” thinking from taking hold
term benefits and t fhreats to that supply, we also need to build
takes attention, according to all the leaders. Collaboration has been
bridges, and within the industry itself, be more accessible in our
key to success, and the natural state of growth makes collaboration
mission,” states Marquez.
more challenging over time. Born out of crisis, CROPP was organized in 1988, which was the
Jerry McGeorge, cooperative affairs director, and son of one of the original CROPP directors, Jerome McGeorge, cites the challenge
year of the biggest crisis in family farming — and yes — production that the cooperative model represents — “It must be a highly Photo by Roger Grant
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DRIFTLESS notes 2014 | RELAX. CONSIDER. DO.
Photo by JD Henley
Organic Valley products prominently displayed in Hong Kong’s Central District — the Hong Kong dollar is roughly 8 times the US dollar. functioning co-op which includes a lot of decision making, and
is a help, but all decisions aren’t always popular to everyone, though
more opinions often make things harder initially to accomplish,”
CROPP strives to do a good job in communicating, transparent
McGeorge admits, but the goal of “really focusing on how to
decision making, trusting in the process and the mission, and at the
continue to expand organic agriculture in this country, and to
end of the day, agree to disagree.
create a better way of approaching agriculture from a variety of measures is what we are about. We want to create a vehicle where family farms can thrive, but the current model favors large scale industrial production.”
“ All of us need to grow wiser in our ecological consciousness. I believe food is a big part of that.”
— Jerome McGeorge
What does that mission do? “As we have been successful, we have been able to share more of the benefits by increasing the number of farmers, increase the brand of organic in the marketplace, and what that means for a truly healthy food system and healthy planet. Having the influence that comes with size has meant managing a reputation within the farming community and in the world that in some ways makes things easier. There is a reason that large scale models provide operational efficiencies, and we have chosen to forego that to stay true to our mission. We are working with 1800 relatively small farms, an extensive network of processing partners, 90 plants, and competing with an industrial model.” McGeorge also emphasizes that diversity in thoughts and opinions
This idea, that humility is key when developing a successful organization, was emphasized by Michael Bedessem, chief financial officer. Michael laughingly tells me, though he always appreciated farming, his own realization regarding his skillsets was that he “was a better accountant than farmer.” Having been with the co-op since 1991, Bedessem can list the financial milestones the company has passed: “Developing equity programs, issuing Class E Stock, developing great relationships with banks that support the mission all came into play.” He adds, “A company needs cash to grow — cash is oxygen.” That “oxygen” has taken the company from “who are these people?” DRIFTLESS notes 2014 | RELAX. CONSIDER. DO.
35
DRIFTLESS | Opportunity
reactions in the first seven years to one that not only is succeeding
A mission takes form in various ways. In the case of Dave Skogen,
in its mission and expanding, but is also developing other entities
chairman of Skogen’s Festival Foods, his initial goal as a young
to support and grow the reach of the mission itself. For instance,
man was to be a professional basketball coach. Coaching basketball
Organic Logistics, LLC, initially formed by CROPP to reduce
didn’t happen, but in 1974 he became the president of the family
overall trucking costs, gets products to market faster, and also
business, a local Onalaska grocery started by his mother and father
helps other small startups get their organic and non-mainstream
in 1946.
food companies to market at a lower cost. This helps develop the Driftless region as well as other regions that CROPP considers home — an important economic driver going forward. Bedessem quoted Dave Engel, one of CROPP’s founding farmers, on what will make CROPP successful, “‘Don’t mind who gets the credit, and things will work out.’”
The original impulse of a professional coach has stayed with him, and he has since led, coached, and helped a grocery team grow and thrive. The difference in his career choice is that this type of coaching has led to successfully forming a team that employs approximately 5,000 full- and part-time associates, and has impacted thousands more over the years in skills training for those
Bedessem relays the secret of success regarding CROPPIES:
that have started work with the company and have since moved on.
“Attract lots of high-performing, dedicated staff and pay these
His leadership and support for growing the team of associates has
people a fair, livable, wage.”
made the Skogen’s Festival Foods grocery chain grow to 18 stores
When asked about the hot button topic of wages on the low and
in the past six decades.
high end of the scale, Bedessem replied, “No question, the board
Skogen’s lessons and experiences leading the company are outlined
wants to make sure that people that work with us can make enough
in his inspiring book, “Boomerang!” The “boomerang theory,”
money to care for their families, and yet balance what is possible in
embraced by the corporation as a whole, is the guiding principle of
the competitive marketplace.”
“exceptional hospitality, rather than ordinary service — wins the
From the top, the view is also different. Said McGeorge, “We are
game.”
not interested in a race to the bottom when it comes to wages, and
If the goal is to grow and thrive, according to Skogen that means
yes, our executives are adequately compensated, but our perspective
each business decision must answer the question, “Will it bring the
is enough is enough. Is ANYONE really worth $10 million as an
customer back?” Even more so, Skogen emphatically states that
executive? Yes, we need to have reasonable wages, and, yes, our
“when and as we get better, our customers will help us expand, and
people are mission-driven. Yes, moving up the pay scale, we aren’t
that comes from listening — to each other, to the customer — and
necessarily meeting the national corporate averages up there. What
looking for opportunities to grow.”
is more important is working for something we believe in.”
“ CROPP’s success is based on our strategy of partnership, fairness, doing the right thing, and being brave enough to run a values-based business. We hope to have the same clarity of intent in 50 or 100 years.” – George siemon, cropp ceieio As Bedessum summed it up, “No one is perfect; we really do try and do the best we can, with what we can — and that includes being authentic, and realizing that we can try to do better. It is kind of remarkable — but NOT impossible.”
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People — Coach Skogen
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The company has a culture of philanthropy and humility, for community involvement, and for helping community organizations thrive. This is apparent throughout the summer in the brats regularly being served outside the store by a series of community organizations that depend on fundraising to thrive. It also serves that moment in time on a busy shopping day to enjoy a brat — again making Festival a great place to shop. Greater gifts to the community are perhaps less apparent, but the overall generosity in spirit spurs growth — in the people that grow through working at the stores, as well as the community organizations that regularly receive support. In addition, various
Skogen adds, “Competition can elevate you, not intimidate you.” It is difficult at this point not to see that young man wanting to be a pro basketball coach, and referencing that inner coach, Skogen tells me that “competition sharpens your game, raises the game — communities also benefit from annual celebrations and healthoriented events within the community, which helps establish important event opportunities that spur community and economic growth. Digging deeper, and going beyond just simple corporate success with a great strategy, is also something more personal in the culture that operates in the company. It’s about cultivating the team itself in a profound way. Skogen states, “As I have grown older, I have learned we are in the relationship business — within the community, with our associates, and with our customers. If we don’t have decent relationships, we don’t deserve your business.” The culture starts with people, and in particular, young people who choose to take on an entry level Festival position are treated to much more than just their pay. It isn’t a surprise that a parent recently wrote to the organization, “The students who work at Festival are receiving so much more than just a paycheck. They are receiving an education that cannot really be taught at home or at
makes us all better.” The love of the game of service is evident while talking to Skogen. He says, “I have learned that the higher purpose is to serve and enrich people’s lives. Frankly, I get an energy boost when I get a chance to help someone in one of our stores, something as simple as helping someone reach a higher shelf for a product.” That is why as a regular shopper you are very likely to see Dave Skogen at the store and offering to help you out. That’s what he still loves, despite everything else that has come his way. Bottom line for being successful and embracing a culture of mission? “If you believe in a higher purpose, and that is to serve and enrich people’s lives, it must not all be about the money.” There is gratefulness in Skogen’s perspective, gratefulness in leading, and being a part of creating a good place to work, a good place to shop; take care of employees, and they in turn take care of guests.
school, no matter how fantastic the parents or the teachers in their
Most of all, Skogen says, “I am grateful for the ability to influence
lives are ...”
people and to inspire people to action.”
Asked about change and competition in the business, Skogen’s
Creating a culture of the coach with a boomerang might just mean
business culture “embraces change, we don’t complain about it.”
creating a corporate citizen in the ideal sense.
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DRIFTLESS | Opportunity
Influencing the way we get around Chris Schneider and the opening up of new avenues in regional transportation Editor’s Warning — the more you know, the harder it is to maintain the status quo…
Location, Location, Location If you have recently been to a fair, or a show, or even the first Saturday of the month at the La Crosse Honda Motorwerks dealership, you will be introduced to the concept of natural gas vehicles and alternative fuels. You will be amazed and pleased to see the anticipated MPG, wowed at the low cost of operation and high level of engineering quality, and really impressed to realize how clean the fuel is (meaning less emissions) compared to your own gas-fueled vehicle. You will also ask where someone can refuel such vehicles, and you will be pleasantly surprised to hear of a number of stations available in your very own Driftless region, courtesy of the investment initially (and growing) from Kwik Trip. (If you don’t know these locations offhand, you will quickly learn that a few clicks on your smartphone will help you find a location.) If your location just happens to be a methane-producing dairy herd, you might also have the ability to use renewable natural gas as well to power your farm and your vehicles (though that is another story). New fuels are changing the game and starting to make inroads into the Midwest. The timing is about 15 years overdue from investments in California, but we are making headway. Driving through the greater Los Angeles area, it is not uncommon to see a variety of fuels available for a variety of vehicle types. One station alone could, and does, provide the opportunity to refuel CNG (compressed natural gas), gas as we commonly know it, electric plug-in, diesel, and hydrogen fuels. Locally, you will start to see more opportunities for CNG. Home-dispensed electric and natural gas stations are also possible, easily refueled overnight.
Timing is everything
Photo by Bruce Defries
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Perhaps now the timing is right. How to get there is the question, but this movement toward alternatives having a larger market share is encouraging. It isn’t just having cars available; it is also having enough fueling stations in markets large enough to support them, which allows those groundbreakers that crave fuel efficiency, low emissions, and distance to be able to take the next step.
Enter Chris Schneider, son of a former La Crosse Volkswagen dealer, Native American, Eagle Scout, and Air Force-trained engineer. He grew up and was shaped by the oil embargo of the mid-seventies, the crisis of water pollution that in some cities saw flaming “on fire” rivers due to pollution, and the reality that the energy crunch of the time changed his career path to engineering, and then back to cars. A tireless advocate, he is passionate and knowledgeable about transitioning to a greener world through sensible pathways. Schneider is also a leader in the Honda North American network, outselling the second and third place dealers in Honda Certified Hybrids. He has helped market hybrids in 27 states and the District of Columbia. You will see him, and Honda Motorwerks’ associate Tom Schee, at pretty much every opportunity available to share the good news, showing off the CNG vehicle, patiently explaining what they know of the engineering, the facts, and the opportunities in transitioning to alternative technologies and fuels.
The theory behind natural gas-fueled vehicles, and the need for the infrastructure that conveniently provides this fuel, is that eventually we will be able to move to hydrogen-fueled vehicles — with no emissions except water vapor in the process. These fuels are connected because hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and CNG vehicles both use gaseous fuels. Lessons learned from developing natural gas technologies might aid the transition away from conventional liquid fuels to gaseous hydrogen fuel. Issues shared by natural gas and hydrogen include fuel storage, fueling, station siting, training, facilities and public acceptability. Meanwhile, CNG vehicles provide an incredible cost effectiveness and game-changing way of looking at transportation in the Driftless region and Midwest, and have provided an “up-yourgame” challenge to the manufacturers of all engine types, helping improve overall performance in the category of fuel efficiency and reducing emissions that compromise our water and air. It has taken leadership and a mission, if you will, to translate Schneider’s own experiences into a business, and eventually a generous passion of urging so many to embrace the future. Schneider describes his path as becoming aware of the question, “What’s my next step, barring outside influences that I cannot control, what can I control and do to make a difference?” Starting with communications and outreach, Chris has donated a multitude of hours to highlight alternative strategies through his “Thinking Green News Minute,” founded “Green Drinks
Photos by Chris Schneider
La Crosse” and the “Hybrid Owners Preserving Energy Efficient Economy” (HOPE3). He has traveled regularly and extensively to share his knowledge regarding alternative fuels. He has worked closely with leaders such as Kwik Trip to encourage the fueling locations needed to make this possible. His involvement in the alternative supply chain and local economic development includes representing electric vehicles made in Reedsburg, Wis., touting the CNG Honda that is made in nearby Indiana, and encouraging the natural gas fueling systems that are made in Janesville, Wis. Summing it all up, Chris thoughtfully responds to my inquiry of “Anything else?” He suggests, of course, more knowledge and more involvement. Transitioning our transportation alternatives is about understanding the possibilities, developing an alternative supply chain, and supporting a new infrastructure. The benefits include support for new industries in our own local economy, a new paradigm in national security, and healthier, more sustainable futures that come from an improved environment. Not a bad mission, after all. One could not expect less of an Eagle Scout.
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DRIFTLESS | Opportunity
Organic Valley
Photo by Clay Riness
I
n 1988, a group of seven farmers built a dream right here in the
pledged to care for their animals without the use of antibiotics,
Driftless area of southwest Wisconsin. The dream was based
synthetic hormones and inhumane handling practices. Today — 25
on a belief that cooperation with each other and with the earth
years later — CROPP’s commitment to these founding principles is
could make the world a better place.
stronger than ever.
That belief grew into Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools (CROPP). With its brands Organic Valley and Organic Prairie, it has grown to a cooperative of over 1,800 farm families in 34 states, three Canadian provinces and Australia. Each of these families owns the cooperative. Each has a vote and a voice in how they continue to thrive. Cooperation with the earth is CROPP’s commitment to organic farming. Its founding farmers pledged to produce the best food possible by tending the land without crutches like pesticides, herbicides and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). They
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Their commitment to the cooperative model and to their mission has enabled them to keep farm families on the land and pay them the actual, unsubsidized cost of conscientious — organic — agriculture. Cooperation benefits all who share in it, starting with the farmers who share their wisdom and the fruits of their labor with their neighbors and the communities where they farm and live, and it benefits the land they care for. But CROPP doesn’t stop there because they feel that change achieved and not continually improved upon is not truly change. So they strive to continually improve their practices around animal
wellness, on-farm sustainability, supply chain sustainability, product quality and customer care. And they continually strive to keep farmers on their land, doing what they do best — farming — not only for their cows, but for consumers, too. Did you know that the beautiful green of these organic, pasture-based farms boosts the nutritional benefits of Organic Valley and Organic Prairie products? Great farming practices benefit us all. That motto of continual improvement looks to the future of farming, too. Generation Organic™, aka “Gen-O™,” are Organic Valley farmers aged 16 to 35, who represent the new wave of organic and sustainable agriculture leaders. With youth comes great vision: These young farmers believe in the power of organic
Get the inside story on Organic Valley’s 25 year history! It’s a good one, too. Funny, dramatic and beautiful by turns. CROPP Cooperative Roots Available online at www.organicvalley.coop/generalstore Or at Organic Valley’s retail store located at 507 W. Main St., La Farge, WI 54639 At Organic Valley’s website, you can learn more about the co-op and their products, find a farmer near you by entering your zip code, learn what it means to be organic, sign up for newsletters containing coupons, and much more. www.organicvalley.coop
agriculture to change the world. When it comes to a sustainable future on earth, this infusion of innovative new thinking is downright critical. “Our farmers’ dream is that their children will take over their farm and that this cooperative will be here to serve them as we are serving the present generation,” says George Siemon, CEIEIO of Organic Valley / CROPP Cooperative. “We don’t have to face selling or being taken over, as that is the opposite of what our mission is all about — serving organic farmers for generations to come.” The challenges facing CROPP farmers have been many over their first 25 years, but they have learned that solutions are endless when they work together. It’s better for the farm families whose wisdom and hard work create nourishment for all families. It’s better for the land and animals in their care. And it’s better for all of Nature, since Nature is, after all, the ultimate model of cooperation.
“Our cooperative is very different as our purpose is to preserve the viability of family farms today and into the future. We know our purpose today and what it will be in 50 years, which is a blessing in business planning.” -George Siemon, CEIEIO, Cropp Cooperative Photo by Clay Riness
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DRIFTLESS | Opportunity
First Supply Established in 1897 in La Crosse, First Supply has a long history
Supply leaders and spent the morning talking with employees
of hometown family ownership with a focus on selling Wisconsin
to understand what makes First Supply best in the business at
products. Today, the fourth and fifth generations of the Poehling
training and educating employees and customers alike, along
family are leading First Supply into the future.
with thanking them for creating nearly 50 additional jobs in the state of Wisconsin this year and having nearly 500 total
Inventory to Meet Customers’ Needs First Supply’s 28 distribution locations and 14 kitchen and bath stores throughout the upper Midwest provide local inventory and professional service to the professional trades in convenient locations throughout Wisconsin and neighboring states. Strong full-line inventory positions of products in the core channels for First Supply — including plumbing, HVAC, pump and well, waterworks and builder products — allow First Supply to meet the needs of the customer on time, no matter the job site.
employees just in this state alone. Additionally, Senator Tammy Baldwin has recently paid several visits to the Madison location as well to stay on top of the issues which are affecting our industry in the state of Wisconsin.
PHCC Membership First Supply is a longtime member of the Plumbing-HeatingCooling Contractors Association. “Being a member of the PHCC keeps us up to speed on current trends as well as issues facing the contractor. This has allowed us to be more
Beyond being a large regional distributor, the industry recently
proactive as a distributor partner. Our membership also allows
ranked First Supply as one of the top six largest plumbing
us numerous networking opportunities throughout the year to
distributors in the country; it prides itself on its local roots. “Our
build better relationships with PHCC members,” Poehling said.
presence across the Midwest allows us to be there when and where our customers need us. We’re big enough to get the products needed, yet we’re still here locally to provide personal, one-on-one service,” said Joe Poehling, president of First Supply.
First Supply believes in the goals of the PHCC to provide advocacy, training, and promotion of the plumbing and heating industry. “By working together,” said Poehling, “we help guarantee a future for our industry.”
First Supply is proud to be a preferred supplier of Wisconsin-based brands including A.O. Smith, Kohler, Milwaukee Tool, Lochinvar Boiler, Bemis, Bradley Corp., Zurn, Sterling Plumbing, Milwaukee Valve, Insinkerator, Kallista, Ann Sacks and Aprilaire, among many others.
First Supply offers these value-added services: • 18 Wisconsin distribution facilities • Nearly 500 Wisconsin-based employees
Best in the Business People
• 50 new Wisconsin jobs in 2013
“We offer more than quality products. We want to partner with our
• $50 million inventory provides the best availability for
professional customers to help grow their business,” said Poehling. First Supply is a leader in training and education. Employees strive to stay on top of the latest trends and challenges in the industry. More importantly, First Supply provides training and education opportunities for contractors throughout the industry. Most recently, with the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act for residential and commercial plumbing products, First Supply is working together with customers to ensure they have the latest information and a stocking plan in place for the change. In September, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker paid a visit to the La Crosse location of First Supply. Governor Walker met with First
customers • Depth of product knowledge and strength in all aspects of water and air management • Staggered product delivery based on long-term project needs • Award winning industry Incentive programs, including the #1 industry rated World of Opportunity • Wisconsin-based central distribution center allows better accessibility and pricing • Nine Wisconsin Gerhards Kitchen and Bath Stores • Competitive pricing • 116 years and five generations of continual Wisconsin
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family ownership service to the professional trades
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voices The National Trust for Historic Preservation established the National Main Street Center in 1980 to assist nationwide downtown revitalization efforts. The Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and Illinois programs located within and outside of the Driftless region are based on the Trust’s philosophy, which advocates restoration of the historic character of downtown while pursuing traditional development strategies such as marketing, business recruitment and retention, real estate development, market analysis and public improvements.
The Process of Energizing and Creating a Central Magnet in Communities Large and Small Wisconsin’s main streets are the hearts of our towns. Downtowns and urban commercial districts play an important role in their communities and in Wisconsin’s overall economy, functioning not only as prominent employment and business centers, but oftentimes as the historic foundation of the municipalities they serve. Successful commercial districts don’t just happen. They need to be planned and nurtured. Their prosperity requires interest and action from many stakeholders who share a vision for the community.
Photos by Clay Riness
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The Wisconsin Main Street Program is based on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s philosophy, which advocates for restoration of the historic character of downtown while pursuing traditional development strategies such as marketing, business recruitment and retention, real estate development, market analysis and public improvements. Connect Communities helps local planners leverage the unique assets of their downtowns and urban districts, providing technical assistance and networking opportunities to local leaders interested in starting a downtown revitalization effort. It also provides access to additional financial and technical assistance programs. In fact, successful Connect Communities may choose to apply for Wisconsin Main Street status, which provides more intense, hands-on assistance to put a revitalization strategy into action. Several communities throughout Wisconsin’s Driftless area have been designated as Main Street Communities and Connect Communities. These communities work continuously with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) to improve the vibrancy of their communities. For additional information, visit www.inwisconsin.com. —Jenny Kuderer, WEDC
Over 23 years the Wisconsin Main Street program has created 16,937 jobs, attracted over $899 million private dollars, and $305 million local public dollars into creating a better economic and social life in Wisconsin. For every state of Wisconsin dollar invested into the program, $61.94 of tax generation has happened. Why? Because of the hope instilled into the “Heart” of Community Citizens to
Evolving & Growing with Main Street Wisconsin
do “Life” better. As communities connect, the results will multiply. That is the purpose of “Connect Communities,” a program in its infancy! Check out the economic, social, or other area that interests you at the below link. http://inwisconsin.com/communitydevelopment/programs/main-street-program
Sustainable Community Development
Upon traveling throughout Wisconsin, it is easy to identify the communities that are part of the Wisconsin Main Street Program. These communities have made a commitment to making their business district a quality life experience. The streets are pedestrian-friendly, the business facades have been made inviting and timeless, and they have attracted businesses unique to the community. Unlike a mall, each Main Street community offers the adventure of surprise when one takes the time to explore the businesses located in the district. Residents and visitors will find unique culinary experiences as well as “one-of-a-kind” retail businesses. Through a four point approach to economic development, the Main Street business district regains recognition as the center of activity and a magnet for the community. The result is not only a thriving business district but a local pride and success in the city where people live and work. The residents become engaged in making their community exceptional. The major employers benefit from employee retention. The city benefits from an increased tax base, more visitors, and more jobs. Businesses benefit from a strong support system for the challenges small business is faced with — and retain and circulate local dollars within the community.
Communities are very complex beings. All consist of social and economic fabric. A term commonly used today is “sustainability.” In the context of community, is that food, energy, public safety, environment? I say it is the complexity of each of these institutions intersecting in a place. Therefore, I believe sustainability is all of these institutions operating more effectively to coexist. Success is measured by the users’ ability to secure services nearby, and the business’ ability to survive, and to ultimately thrive. Over the years of operating in this field, I have come to one vitally important conclusion: To effectively achieve the goal of sustainability, one must first get into the “Heart of the Community,” and that is dependent upon what lies in the “Heart of each Citizen.” Both have deep passions about the area in which “Life Occurs” — it takes patience to define the physical area, to focus together on the goal, to follow a path that is proven to work for the benefit of all. I believe deep down it’s a human need to connect to a place which will subtly transform our communities. Each community currently exists in different and yet predictable places on that continuum of change and adaptability. Sustainable communities are important to the economic fabric of the world. This has again been found to be true as we go through challenging economic times. — JD Milburn, Consultant to Communities & Business, REAL Development Initiatives Photo by Clay Riness
The program provides a tool box of resources and training for communities to use. Wisconsin has one of the most outstanding Main Street programs in the nation, evidenced by the high number of “Great American Main Street Awards” received by various Main Street Communities in our state. Becoming an exceptional community is a monumental challenge, but success is much more likely with the support of the Wisconsin Main Street Program. —Judy Wall Judy Wall was appointed in 2005 to the Governor’s Board on Main Street Communities and was a founder of the Main Street organization for Prairie du Chien. DRIFTLESS notes 2014 | RELAX. CONSIDER. DO.
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DRIFTLESS | Opportunity
Trout Unlimited and the Driftless Area Helping a $1.1 Billion Industry With over 4,000 miles of trout streams, anglers across the Midwest realize the Driftless area offers a wealth of quality fishing. But these spring-fed creeks wouldn’t have as much to offer if a growing
Restoration practices sculpt back vertical banks to a gentle slope, so floods rise gradually and don’t rip away the soils. Fish habitat structures and deep holes give trout cover from predators. After
watershed restoration movement hadn’t developed in the area. As
streams are restored, natural fish reproduction takes over and brook
a result, communities are rebuilding hard-used streams and the
and brown trout thrive. Populations often increase from a few
fisheries have rebounded.
hundred fish per mile to several thousand.
Trout Unlimited (TU), the nation’s largest coldwater conservation
In surveys, anglers report they like — and will travel to — restored
organization, has a dozen local chapters in the Driftless area, and
waters with public access. DARE projects go in on sites where the
another dozen nearby. Since 2004, through its Driftless Area
public has ensured legal access, so both anglers and landowners
Restoration Effort (DARE), the group has built restoration partnerships and trained volunteers to rebuild streams. Why is this work necessary? These streams have cold, consistent flows of fertile
know where they stand. State, federal and county conservation agencies support the program, and local schools and clubs come out to work in a real community-building effort.
water, with temperatures that trout need to survive, but they are
And those anglers spend money in communities. A 2008 survey
hampered by a thick blanket of sediment, laid down since the area
estimated that recreational trout anglers spend $1.1 billion a
was first farmed in the 19th century. Sediment smothers gravel
year across the Driftless area. That’s a significant bump to a local
where trout spawn and feed, and prevents stream vegetation from
economy, and it helps a wide range of businesses.
growing, reducing the food available to fish.
To find out more about DARE, go to tu.org/Driftless or contact project manager Jeff Hastings at jhastings@tu.org.
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Photos by Clay Riness
A place of natural beauty, art & architecture, physical renewal, spiritual renewal, and a place to come in times in times of deep sorrow and great joy. All are welcome! Daily Mass, Confessions, Devotional Areas, Peaceful Trail Cafe & Gift Shop 9am-4pm Shrine Grounds: Summer hours: 9am-7pm Regular hours: 9am-4pm (877) 799-4059 www.guadalupeshrine.org 5250 Justin Rd., La Crosse 54601
Partner with JRM CPAs for Cloud Accounting & Payroll Experience the advantage of working with JRM and the Cloud Bookkeeping services we offer. Benefits include: Cost savings in annual tax preparation High security Accurate and up to date information Lower IT costs Reduced staffing
JRM is highly experienced in cloud bookkeeping and partnering with JRM allows you to better focus on your business needs and stay on top of performance indicators. JRM can act much like a CFO for your small or mid-sized company working with real-time numbers including your financial statements and ratios with immediate and accurate information, wherever you are.
Contact JRM today to learn more: 608.781.8712 www.jrmcpa.biz 2700 National Drive, Suite 101, Onalaska WI 54650
DRIFTLESS  notes 2014 | RELAX. CONSIDER. DO.
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DRIFTLESS | Opportunity
Photo by Clay Riness
Made in Wisconsin Wisconsin’s Driftless region is often defined by its abundant natural resources, from the inland rivers to the scenic bluffs, which provide endless opportunities for outdoor recreation and tourism. But this area is also home to another one of our state’s best assets — our
At the UW-Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems
spirit of innovation and ability to make, grow and build things right
(CIAS), we celebrate our 25th anniversary working on
here in Wisconsin. We see examples of this “Made in Wisconsin”
sustainable agriculture and food systems. Since so many of our
ingenuity in the Driftless region. In their effort to become energy
partner businesses and organizations are located in the Driftless
independent, Gundersen Health System partnered with La Crosse
region, we target research and workshops to the four-state
County to convert waste from a landfill into electricity and heat
region. The Driftless is the Sonoma of the Upper Midwest, with
to make Gundersen’s Onalaska campus 100 percent energy
its own “taste of place” and culinary tourism opportunities.
independent.
Perennial crops are well-suited to the Driftless — and they
Organic Valley, once a small group of local farmers concerned about food quality and environmental issues, has grown into a leading organic brand and the nation’s largest cooperative of organic farmers. And when these two innovative leaders came together, Gundersen and Organic Valley were able to collaborate with local government on a wind turbine project to provide electricity for 1,000 homes in Cashton. These stories of innovation and cooperation, these exciting opportunities to build an economy made to last, they are happening all over western Wisconsin. Ordinary people with the ingenuity, the determination, and the civic spirit to become engines of economic opportunity for their communities, committed to the common good. —Senator Tammy Baldwin 48
Emerging Markets and Opportunity in Driftless Agriculture
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protect the soil from water erosion — so CIAS works with farmers on projects to grow pastures for intensive rotational grazing, resulting in grass-fed beef and gourmet raw milk cheese. We work closely with apple growers to produce fruit sustainably and to build a regional brand for apple varieties. We partner with farmers who grow new fruit and nut crops, such as aronia, winegrapes and hazelnuts. These crops are well-suited to the region, are nutritionally-dense, and require processing to be commercially-viable. Agroforestry and permaculture are also part of our project mix. We support small business relationships to create sustainable food supply chains for Farm-to-School, local supermarkets, and “export” to nearby metro-regions.
The Structural Intelligence of Trees and How They Might Be In Your Next Building Imagine constructing beautiful buildings from the thinnings of well-managed forests. Imagine manufacturing renewable products while restoring forests and jobs. This is what a small but growing business is doing in our region. WholeTrees Architecture & Structures uses small-diameter round timber, an abundant waste product of sustainably managed forests, making standard and custom round-timber-frame columns, beams and trusses. Founded in 2007 by Amelia Baxter and Roald Gundersen, WholeTrees, based originally on a 134-acre forest near La Crosse, Wis., opened a second urban office in Madison, near the USDA Forest Products Lab (FPL), where they are conducting research revealing the superior strength and durability of unmilled trees as compared with milled wood. WholeTrees is building its business on the fact that trees are 50 percent stronger than wood; working with FPL, they discovered that the branches of trees are yet stronger than the limbs. “We're providing a beautiful, strong, carbon-storing option to wood, steel and concrete in commercial and residential buildings,” according to Gundersen. WholeTrees is looking to locate a pilot manufacturing plant in the Lower Wisconsin River valley near stands of under-managed red pine, black locust and ash. Many of the region's red pine plantations are too fragmented and their diameters too small to be of much value to mills up north for any use but pulp. With pulp prices so low its uneconomical to ship, leaving leggy stands to fall during wind storms. Black locust, an invasive, is abundant on private stands, growing in large clones which choke out native plant communities. Ash, while native, is being attacked by the Emerald Ash Borer. Most are expected to die within a decade. Few markets have been developed for ash. We hope to play an increasing role in helping add value to forests and forest products by following the worst-first principle, verses taking the best, and leaving the rest. We look forward to working with landowners in the region in helping achieve their managed forest plans and leave a little more money in their pockets. Along with direct purchases, WholeTrees products are now available through Morton Buildings, which is offering a line of small-diameter round timber structures for houses, equestrian buildings, and even churches and civic structures as an alternative to engineered lumber and steel. These structures provide up to 10 LEED points, which is a strong selling point in today’s green-leaning market. Gundersen concludes, “I get excited to know we can help the health and vigor of forests, while making beautiful, durable buildings and jobs right here in rural Wisconsin.” — Roald Gundersen, WholeTrees
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DRIFTLESS | Consider
forum Educational Trends in the Driftless Region by Kimberly A Gavin Integrated Language Arts Teacher, Onalaska, Wis. The areas included in the Driftless zones in the upper Midwestern parts of the United States of America have proudly boasted very successful public school districts throughout the regions that put education as one of the most important reasons for places to live. It shouldn't be surprising to most that education on a different level, beginning at age 5, began in Wisconsin more than 150 years ago.
Kindergarten in German: “Children's/Infant's Garden”
a loving father and child advocate, may have encouraged the
A German man named Friedrich Froebel developed an interest in
kindergarten education these friends had started.
early education while studying in Hamburg, Germany. He believed
Her Legacy Lives On
that young children should be taken care of and nourished like the plants in a garden. Emphasizing the importance of play, games, music, “nature study,” stories, and “kindergarten circle time,” Friedrich Froebel also developed a training school for women to become teachers of these young children.
A Woman Before Her Time Margarethe Meyer Schurz, a German resident and daughter to a very wealthy business owner, was fascinated by the work of Froebel, and this led not only herself, but her sister, Berthe, and her brother, Adolf, to learn more about the education model. Berthe opened up a kindergarten in London. Soon after, Margarethe met and
Sadly, Margarethe died in her early forties giving birth to a son. However, her work and love of educating young children continued on, thanks to her. Philosophies about early education may change in a circular fashion over the years, but the idea remains the same: Early education is important, physically, emotionally, and academically. Students who attend early education benefit in many ways, and the idea of ensuring successful academic and social careers for all of these students is the foundation of kindergarten. As Friedrich Froebel liked to imagine the “Children's Garden,” educators and parents want these young people taken care of and
fell in love with Carl Schurz. They were married, and they soon
nourished “like plants.”
moved to America. Living first on the East Coast, they soon left for
Fast Forward: Kindergarten Today
Wisconsin. Margarethe wanted to make a difference, so she opened up the very first kindergarten in America. She had five students in her class. Some of them were her own children.
A Loyal Wife, a Loving Mother While her husband became a critical person during the Civil War, he was wounded. She traveled east to visit him, and she carried back important information to President Lincoln from her husband. They were very good family friends. Carl Schurz later became a German-American Statesman First Aide to President Lincoln. Later in life, he would serve President Rutherford Hayes as Secretary of Interior. One can only imagine that President Lincoln,
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Photo by Clay Riness
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Many people do not realize that kindergarten is not mandatory in many states. With the growing number of working parents, more students in our country will likely attend kindergarten, and if 4-year-old kindergarten is available, many parents will opt for this as well. With the rigorous academic programs that have come into play with the Common Core, academics has become a larger focus at the kindergarten level. However, less than 20 states mandate kindergarten. The “Driftless states,” Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois, do not mandate kindergarten. With the shift of academic rigor, we may see this change.
Over 50% of the working population
(120 million individuals) works in a small business Small businesses have generated over 65% of the net new jobs since 1995 Approximately 543,000 new businesses get started each month (but more employer businesses shut down than start up each month)
7 out of 10 new employer firms survive at least
2 years, half at least 5 years, a third at least 10 years and a quarter stay in business 15 years or more
52% of all small businesses are home-based The fastest growing sector for freelance businesses in 2011 included auto repair shops, beauty salons and dry cleaners
Rotary: Impacting the Coulee Region Service above self. That’s Rotary International’s motto. And for the hundreds of La Crosse area women and men involved in 10 area clubs, it’s how they live. Coulee Region Rotarians are known for many thriving community projects — Kids Coulee, the large playground area in Myrick Park; Myrick Hixon EcoPark; and Rotary Lights. In the last two years, nearly all of the area clubs have worked to promote high ethical standards programming to high schools. La Crosse Rotary After Hours members have aided the La Crosse School District with literacy issues, while Onalaska Rotarians started a run-walk supporting the community’s Thanksgiving Day dinner. Caledonia members annually set community help days. But area Rotarians’ work stretches far beyond the community. They continue to help Rotary International wipe out polio through their Polio Plus campaign. In 1985, 125 countries reported 350,000 cases of polio. By 2012, only three countries reported 250 cases.
Non-employers had average revenues of $44,000 The SBA defines a small business as an enterprise having fewer than 500 employees There are almost 28 million small businesses in the US and over 22 million are self-employed with no additional payroll or employees (these are called non-employers) Total revenues from non-employers hit $989.6 billion in 2011 (up 4.1% from 2010) DRIFTLESS notes 2014 | RELAX. CONSIDER. DO.
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DRIFTLESS | Consider Rotary has contributed more than $1 billion, along with countless volunteer hours — including those from the Coulee Region — to end the disease. La Crescent Rotarians have started a bike tour to raise funds for ending polio. Many from area clubs have led international projects. • Holmen Rotarians have brought BioSand water filters to areas in Peru with poor quality drinking water. The filters cost as little as $60 and reduce waterborne illness. • Valley View and Downtown Rotarians formed partnerships with clubs in India to help fund boats, computers, educational materials and more for areas devastated by the 2003 tsunami. • La Crosse East Rotarians work with Gundersen’s Global Partners to help with clean water, housing and education in Nicaragua. The opportunities for area Rotarians — whose members include those just entering the workforce to those retired — are endless!
Rotary … is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations and helps build goodwill and peace in the world. Approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 31,000 Rotary clubs in 167 countries.
Get involved by visiting Rotary at any of these regular weekly meetings: Mondays, noon — La Crosse East, Piggy’s, 501 Front St., La Crosse Mondays, 6 p.m. — Onalaska, Blue Moon, 716 Second Ave. N., Onalaska Tuesdays, 5:30 p.m. (alt weeks) — La Crosse After Hours, Radisson Hotel, 200 Front St., La Crosse Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m. — Sparta, Jake’s Northwoods, 1132 Angelo Road, Sparta Wednesdays, 7 a.m. — Holmen Area, Village Hall, 421 Main St. S., Holmen Wednesday, 7:30 a.m. — Valley View, Famous Dave’s, 3055 State Road, La Crosse Wednesdsay, noon — Onalaska Hilltopper, La Crosse Country Club, 300 Marcou Road, Onalaska Thursdays, 11:45 a.m. — La Crosse, Radisson Center, Fourth and Jay streets, La Crosse Fridays, 7 a.m. — La Crescent, Corky’s, 25 S. Walnut St., La Crescent, Minn. Fridays, 7:30 a.m. — Caledonia, Farmhouse, 219 Kingston St. N., Caledonia, Minn. Find out more about Rotary: www.rotary6250.org 52
DRIFTLESS notes 2014 | RELAX. CONSIDER. DO.
Photo by Jim Luhning
The Power of We and the New Gathering Places of Democracy By Sam Scinta This past September, we celebrated the 226th anniversary of our Constitution. For an old document, it is still holding up pretty darn well. Originally created in 1787 and ratified the following year, the Constitution has stood the test of time, though certainly with a fair share of debate over its meanings. Given our latest descent into uncivil discourse and our lack of ability as a nation to work together toward common goals (see the recent budget battle and subsequent government shutdown), it is perhaps time to read and re-read the Constitution. In fact, I believe there is great merit in simply focusing on the first word, We. The true genius of the Constitution is its ability to speak with enough specificity to allow us to understand the framers’ intent in creating our form of government, yet with enough vagueness to allow future generations to modify, interpret and understand the Constitution through the lens of their times. Right at the start of this document, the founders’ use of the word We signifies to the reader that this document is speaking for all of us, spelling out that this is our government, by and for the people. Granted, at the time, “all of us” was a restricted term that did not include people of color (as full citizens) or women. But the aspiration was there, and time gratefully is making amends on this front. In looking at the word We, however, I am drawn to a second, subtle meaning, namely that in using this term, the Constitution’s framers (along with Thomas Jefferson, who used the same word to start the Declaration of Independence, after a short preamble) intended to signify that we Americans are a community of citizens, all bound together by this experiment in democracy. It is this meaning of We that creates our shared identity as Americans. In our modern world, where liberty and freedom of the individual are held high, it seems the We in our Constitution increasingly stands for what, in John F. Kennedy’s memorable words, our government can do for us. We do so, however, at the neglect of the communitybased understanding of We, and this in turn allows for incivility to creep into our political dialogue. When the framers created the Constitution, they did so in an environment of sharply divided opinions and ideas as to the future of our nation. One only need
read the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers to get a sense of the dispute. And yet, despite these strong disagreements, when it came time to forge the new nation, all sides came together as one. Was it perfect? Of course not. But it was functional, and there was a sense that the American community, the We, trumped any notions of individual desires. While the Constitution could have started with “The Government” or “Those who prevailed on the debate” or even “The majority,” instead there was a sense of coming together right from the start. One of the best ways that citizens can reinstitute the We in society is by gathering together to discuss the important topics of the day. For a couple of years, I have been pulling together groups in La Crosse to do just this; by gathering folks of all political affiliations, across age, gender, racial and cultural lines, we have been able to learn more about the topics facing our nation, as well as respect for our differences. While we do not all agree on every point, we learn as we listen to the views of others, helping to either bolster our own opinions or make us see things in a new way. I was first inspired to do this by the Salon movement in France in the 17th and 18th centuries. Salons were hosted by various patrons for the purpose of discussing art, culture, literature, philosophy and politics, and civility reigned in the exchanges. According to some historians, the salon movement was a key component of the Enlightenment, helping to spread the new rationalism and thus forging the modern world, in its wake creating a new public sphere for conversation. While the salon movement was elitist in its membership (though significant but impoverished philosophers and artists would be invited to participate), the principles underlying the movement could be seen in the later coffeehouse movement in England and even in America’s colonial town halls and taverns. By coming together with others in our communities, we learn that there is more that unites each of us citizens in this country than divides us. And in this dialogue, there just may be solutions. It is time that we come together and create a salon movement for the 21st century, one where free exchange of ideas, in a civil manner, takes place, and where we citizens can engage each other in a productive manner. Where there is a We, there is always a way.
Sam Scinta is the president and publisher of Fulcrum Publishing, an independent book publisher, with an office in Onalaska, Wis. A member of the Bar of the state of Colorado, he is also an adjunct professor in the political science department at UW-La Crosse.
Photo by Clay Riness
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DRIFTLESS | Consider
Sir Speedy Printing Covers Roof with Solar Array Generates energy for three businesses After two years of research it took only six nail-biting days to fully install the 159 solar panel array on the 4,000 square foot roof at 146 Rose Street in La Crosse. The 40 kW array provides energy for three separate businesses: Sir Speedy Printing, Bebo’s Dogs and Beef drive-thru, and Balanced Bodywork Massage Therapy. The solar array was put into service in December of 2012 by Tim Gulden, owner of Winona Renewable Energy. Kevin Fisk, the owner of Sir Speedy Printing for 18 years, has a long-standing interest in renewable and sustainable practices as well as efficiencies in his business. “When I bought the old
all the fluorescent lights and ballasts with LED lights. I started my research on solar. In 2011 I contacted Tim at Winona Renewable Energy. Everything fell into place after that.”
Holiday Gas Station building I knew I had a big project ahead.
Fisk says it took a lot of patience to go through the federal, state,
The building had been sitting empty and neglected for three
utility, and a grant submission process. “It is almost impossible
years, needed a new roof, a new cement parking lot and had only
unless you are an electrical engineer, grant writer, business
cinder block walls and leaky single pane windows separating
owner, installer, accountant, and financier all rolled into one!”
it from the elements. I looked at the structure and decided to
The project took a few angel investors, family financing, a
maximize the insulation and divide the building for additional
temporary bank loan, and hundreds of hours of research, filling
businesses in the future.” After a year of construction, the business out paperwork and putting together a 100-page grant report. Tim was instrumental in gathering all the information and covering moved into the building in the fall of 2005. “After a few years
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of operation and making it through the economic downturn, we
the technical information for the grant, as well as running many
decided to continue to find ways to be more efficient. I replaced
return on investment scenarios.
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We finally got the grant all together and the requirements for the federal tax rebate program ... we submitted all of our paperwork. After many anxious months came the surprise — the grant submission and federal tax rebate program both sent letters of rejection to Fisk. The combination of the grant and federal rebate program amounted to just over half of the project’s funding. It was only through persistence on the part of Tim, and more than a little luck, that everything worked out. “Even after the 30 percent Treasury check was granted and while it was being processed, I was informed that because of the federal government ‘sequestration,’ my payment would be reduced by about $6,000,” said Fisk. “It makes the planning and funding process almost impossible since the rules are constantly changing. When you are talking about half of a project cost being up in the air because of pending grants and tax credit approvals, it is no wonder that people are hesitant to get involved in large scale, renewable projects.” In the end Fisk is happy with the way the project turned out. “This last summer generated more energy than we used, and we will carry those credits forward to be used up during the winter months. The playing field has to be leveled and standardized before a real growth in the renewable PV industry can begin. I know that real-world projects like mine, with real dollars involved, are the stepping stones to making it possible for others down the road. It gives people a concrete example of a system that works and makes financial sense. I think it will take a change in legislation, a long-term outlook on profits and an evaluation of environmental costs compared to other power projects before we see any great advancement on renewable projects. We are looking at a 10 year breakeven on our project, and we will be monitoring our costs and savings going forward ... you can run projections all day long, but with all the variables it’s really a leap of faith and following your ideals at this point.” Fisk is happy to discuss the project and can be contacted at Sir Speedy Printing during the week. Further information on the solar array, real time energy production, and additional sustainable projects can be found at www.LAXPrint.com. “Everyone has the chance to make the world a better place by being conscious of how we choose to use our resources. I enjoy living in this area because of the natural resources we have available: the river, the bluffs and the prairie. Our natural resources should be enjoyed by everyone for generations to come
In the US, the top five leading causes of infant mortality include congenital malformations, low birth weight and preterm births, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), maternal complications of pregnancy and accidents. In developing countries, the most common causes of neonatal death are preterm birth, birth asphyxia and infections. After the neonatal period, the main causes of mortality are pneumonia, diarrhea, measles, malaria and HIV/AIDS. Malnutrition is an underlying cause in up to 50% of these deaths. The US ranks worse than most European countries, Canada, and Cuba. The US ranks at #13 with 106 deaths per 10,000 attributed to heart disease. Best was Japan at #26 with 30 deaths per 10,000. Doing better than the US? Most European countries and Canada. — NationMaster Statistics/Health/Heart Disease The Total Primary Energy Supply or TOE (tonnes of oil equivalent) per person for the year 2000 listed the US as #1 at 8.35 TOE per person. Italy was last at 2.97 TOE per person. — NationMaster/Energy/Usage
and not exploited for the short term and for the profit of a few.”
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Photo by Jim Luhning
DRIFTLESS | Consider
CONNECTING THE DOTS: The $200K question What would YOU do with an extra $200K+ in 20 years? by Julia Henley
Energy costs, and health care and insurance costs, have exploded over the past 20 years. This forum takes a real-world example of what has been, and what could be, for small business going forward. Let’s just assume one size doesn’t fit all. And let’s assume that things change over time. In the case of costs for alternative energies, the thinking has been for a long time that “it just doesn’t pay.” So imagine my delight when I find a project, or many, actually, where the numbers DO work. Consider the exciting example of Kevin
INSURANCE: Back to the future — one story to consider
Fisk’s real-world experience of planning for and installing a solar
It is difficult to not ponder the role of health care and insurance in
grid system on his small printing business in La Crosse. Calculating the investment and the payback over the life of the system, using today’s energy rates (which will certainly go up in the next 20 years), his business will likely net in cash from his savings in energy costs a conservative $200K over 20 years, all within the life expectancy for the system. In the long run, the more businesses that find a way to make the investment into renewables, the better positioned the businesses and their owners are for weathering the challenges of financial stability, investors for profitability, and employees for pay and job security. This is true for municipalities, larger health care systems, small business and farms. The more our regulations and policies support the growth of these technologies, the healthier our environment that supports us all will be. Spoiler alert: Yes, I think big oil and coal do need to learn to play better with other technologies by allowing (not blocking) them to develop. Yes, we are going to have to phase out of the fool’s game of pumping carbon into our atmosphere, which compromises our environmental and personal health. And yes, our policies will need to adjust as we phase out subsidies for these wildly profitable fossil fuel industries. Something to think about: A little more level playing field for really small business, more money in your own pocket rather than one more large corporate structure, more opportunity to develop the next chapter in energy production, and for all those entrepreneurs out there chomping at the bit to get started in pursuing their own American Dream of business enterprise, more likelihood of success.
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our own lives, and particularly, when we all want to see a healthy, stable growth of jobs, how those costs affect the growth and the health of small business. My past career path is expected to be that of a growing trend toward portable careers, skills, and self-employment for many Americans going forward. I have been an entrepreneur, very small business owner (less than 3 employees), or a self-employed person for over 20 years. Many of us going forward will need and be able to embrace this path due to advancing efficiencies in technology, opening markets, and the need for a balanced work and private life. The portability and control that comes with developing your own skills in the context of your own business life is also not to be ignored for many going forward. For those of us that equate income with working for someone else, this is hard to imagine. I am not suggesting that business ownership is the path for everyone, nor am I ready to gloss over the challenges that come with being in business “for yourself,” but I am suggesting (and the data supports this) that perhaps the era of working for someone else’s company is not going to be the most common way to make it in the world today and going forward — for many of us at any age. My friends that are searching for work for whatever reason face an unsettling set of questions of what is next for them in their work and life. On the flip side, I also know a number of people that have used this time of uncertainty, or the free time they had from a part-time job, to consider developing another path, sharpening their skills, and embarking upon a path that I would suggest is the ultimate way to control one’s own destiny.
Small business growth is likely to happen in mostly really small business
option, and I tended to gravitate to positions that paid more for my
The fact is that much of the economic growth that will come in the
with the direction of my life depending on a flat wage, or stay in those
future is that of very small business (less than 50 employees), and
jobs — ever. Of course this isn’t for everyone, but what I learned was
many of us going forward will need to embrace the concept of the
that the value of performance equals pay, and that certain skillsets are
self-employed (incorporated or not) entrepreneur. It is notable that
in demand; I strived to translate what I saw as successful values into
the business size of 50-99 employees is only 7 percent of the businesses
my own career within the parameters of my education.
out there; the other half is over that amount, and the balance of really
Life happens, times change, and entrepreneurs stay in the game
small, or “micro” business is a big part of our economy’s growth and future. Ironically, “small business” is often grouped together in profile
work based on performance — commissions, bonuses or tips. There is no way I would have been able to succeed going forward, or be pleased
between 1 and 100 employees. I would suggest to those number
Over time, I have had employees, got married, had children, changed
structure affects opportunity, longevity, cost and success.
launched a few projects that supported my need to give back in the
The path of small business started for me at age 24 when the small
worked on average (for pay) full-time — at times 50 to 70 (plus)
company I worked for as an entry-level employee (less than 10
hours per week and at times much less. I love the flexibility but had to
employees, no benefits) closed its doors. This was my first official job
embrace the ebb and flow of pay and the responsibility that comes with
in my field. At the same time, I was persuaded to start a new company
being “in business.” I have had many “working vacations,” and now
with a client I knew. It was an option I took, and from there, I have
with our shared connectivity due to advances in technology during the
been in the ranks of self-employed/small-business owner, except for
past 20 years, I don’t expect to ever be far from my responsibilities.
a brief stint as an official “employee” recently. The majority of my
Yes, I was on the front end of utilizing state-of-the-art technologies in
experience in working for others was that of a young person, and I
my career — which included a constant learning curve of hardware
am grateful for what I learned in these jobs. Benefits were never an
and software.
crunchers that businesses with less than 10 employees have a completely business partners, went out on my own, changed the focus of my business, closed a business, got divorced, and started again. I have different structure than small businesses that are larger. That different
world and basically tried to do the right thing and have a life. I have
Energy Costs & Small Business Contrary to all those stories ---— going greener does keep more green in your pocket According to Kevin Fisk and his team of engineers
play better with other technologies by allowing (not
for the solar panel system, calculate that with
blocking) them to develop. Yes, we are going to have
this investment over the life of the system, even
to phase out of the fool’s game of pumping carbon into
calculating at today’s energy rates (which will
our atmosphere, which compromises our environmental
certainly go up), he will likely net in cash from his
and personal health. And yes, our policies will need
savings in energy costs a conservative $200,000 over
to adjust as we phase out subsidies for these wildly
20 years, within the life expectancy of the system.
profitable fossil fuel industries.
In the long run, the more businesses that find a way to
Something to think about — a little more level playing
make the investment, and the more our policies allow
field for really small business, more money in your own
this sort of boost to these technologies, the healthier
pocket, more opportunity for the next phase in energy,
our environment that supports us all will be. Spoiler
and for all those entrepreneurs out there chomping at
alert: Yes, I think big oil and coal do need to learn to
the bit to get started — more likelihood of success. DRIFTLESS notes 2014 | RELAX. CONSIDER. DO.
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DRIFTLESS | Consider For those of you that have always depended on your employer to
when it comes to insurance. I think it gives us all the most freedom
provide wages and benefits, and you are doing well, congratulations.
in job growth, entrepreneurship and security — as long as there are
For those of you on Medicare, or some other form of health coverage
some rules in place, and I thank the ACA for that. In the past, it had
based on your service or need, you are also lucky. Unfortunately, in
been an almost annual frustration of 10, 20, and 30 percent increases,
a recent, and relatively short stint working for a larger employer, I
being dropped for no good reason (we rarely actually had a claim on
was surprised to witness firsthand the worry that many workers felt
insurance), and trying to keep a deductible low enough to be able
in their jobs. The fear and reality was that many felt they could lose
to afford the premium that clearly would not adjust if our business
their jobs at any time, without much warning. I also got a new and
income was up or down. It was a set, and significant, expense.
firsthand look at the many hardworking people that were unhappily working to keep their jobs and their health insurance — many being officially compensated and “making” much more in health insurance “value” than actual wages.
is that it is a good thing. Over the 20 years where my husband and I both were self-employed, we dealt with the open market. In a general sense, we worked to stay healthy, and for most of those years, paid
Entrepreneurial savings — getting the $200K break in health insurance My own experience included switching (again) from my own portable health insurance to that of a group, and noting that the stated “value” of this health insurance from the employer was double that of what I could get on my own — and that was before the Affordable Care Act
out of pocket for our care, never reaching the varying deductibles, some years quite high, some years lower. We even experienced the worry of “pre-existing conditions” for much of that time — ironically without symptoms or treatments, and eventually proven to be a misdiagnosis. This blot on our perfect health record added to costs, or affected coverage — there was no consistency between carriers or the
(ACA) went into gear, which has reduced these costs in my situation
reasoning behind their terms.
by half. (And yes, with comparable benefits, same doctors.) This was
The $200K question ...
OK as long as I didn’t have to pay for it, I suppose, as I didn’t have the option to convert my benefits into cash, but two things happened in the workplace in short order that exposed the cracks in the world of group benefit packages. Employees had to once again “contribute” more toward their plans from their paychecks, which was becoming an annual issue, with no pay increase in sight. When I requested to go to threequarter-time per week from full-time, I was asked to pay for one-quarter of the much more expensive insurance. The rub was, I was basically paying the entire cost of having insurance if I were to get it on my own, and the managers of the group plan suggested wages would not go up because of the high cost of insurance for the group. It didn’t make sense. And this is the story for many employers and their employees. Over my work life, I have been mostly on the open market
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What I can say about insurance, and I have always made sure I had it,
DRIFTLESS notes 2014 | RELAX. CONSIDER. DO.
When I look back now, I can say over those 20 years we paid on average for insurance premiums alone around $18,000 per year for our small family. Add to that we usually spent out of pocket about $2,000 to $4000 per year for deductibles, regular checkups, dental, and eye care, totaling about $24,000 annually in cash paid out for health care. We didn’t have accidents until a very expensive broken leg and a few surgeries, all of which would have buried us financially without insurance. When I compare the costs of insurance now, versus what I actually paid annually for my health care, even deducting for our expensive accident claims, it is hard not to see that I have likely overpaid, beyond reasonable profits to the insurance company, claims, and out-of-pocket health costs. Compared to what I pay now as a hardworking small business person with ACA rates, it amounts to roughly $200,000 more in premiums alone. I can only imagine how having that money would have affected my own selffunded retirement plan, my ability to weather economic storms as the years went by, or the ease in sending my kids to college. I don’t typically look for someone or something to blame for what happens, and I am not doing so here either; this is how the game has been played thus far. I have had plenty of opportunity and the ability to work. I have been lucky enough to be able to weather some tough storms, and I am grateful. However, in regard to insurance, I am glad that everyone will be contributing something, and also glad that most people will be thinking in terms of preventative rather than
Photo by Jack Knowles
costly emergency care. Frankly, life is better if you have the ability to
foregoing the stress of not having an emergency net, or having the
stay healthy. For those that cannot contribute because they make too
freedom and flexibility to live more balanced lives that isn’t all work.
little, are students, or are unable to work, I am glad they too can get
For all those employers providing those expensive group plans,
care and will have the ability to be more proactive about their health.
perhaps it IS better to just pay your people a bit more and let them
I believe this will lower the need for those expensive treatments for
get good insurance elsewhere.
some who have had no choice but to ignore warning signs that lead to big problems; that is good for me as a business owner and taxpayer who shares in the costs of health care. I am glad I can finally get great insurance for a relatively reasonable price. I am glad our lawmakers enacted the ACA, and I hope that the wiser of these lawmakers will continue to push for adjustments in the health care sector that will continue to improve its performance and sustainability.
It may be the one thing that begins to reign in our fear and empower our sense of a good future. It may give us all a bit of a safety net to go forward, to work to the limits we choose, or not to work those 40 plus hours just to keep our jobs. This change might be the best thing ever, to work a reasonable amount, or to start our own businesses, not because we are lazy, but because we can balance our lives. We might then choose to reduce our expenses but have the time to do more for ourselves, select to
I am glad as a county we are looking at the need for health care and
better care for our kids and those we love, and give back to the world
insurance from a different perspective — not as a social giveaway,
as well.
but as an empowering economic driver for many of us. I think this is especially important as we go forward in our new economy, where many of us will need to join the ranks of the self-employed, through passion, invention, or necessity. I think not working “for the benefits” is the greatest gift of freedom to the human enterprise of living — working for yourself and your family, regardless of the challenges, and being a part of the possibility of economic growth in this country.
It can be a very good future — much better going forward for those of us that start and keep businesses running, but perhaps also for those working for businesses as employees on their own terms. I am particularly hopeful for those getting started now, because it is much more likely you will get to keep that proverbial $200,000 that before would have gone to an already very profitable insurance company. Perhaps with these changes you can have a small health safety net you
It may just be the one thing that unshackles so many from low
can count on, weave your own net of security and spend your money
stagnant wages, the drudgery of working for “the insurance,”
as you want because you will have more money in your own pocket, working for you. Now that’s true freedom. DRIFTLESS notes 2014 | RELAX. CONSIDER. DO.
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DRIFTLESS | Consider
Photo by Roger Grant
I recently had a chance to ask insurance agent Kyle Patzner of
finalize your plan selection. What most people do not know is that
the Insurance Center — with locations throughout the Driftless
you can have a licensed insurance expert that is certified with the
region — a few questions about health insurance. Below are his
Affordable Care Act help you enroll and choose a plan. I do this
responses.
personalized service at no additional cost.
1) Now that the ACA has met its goals of over 7 million participants, what do you see as the next challenges for both Wisconsin and Driftless region clients and insurers? As of 2013 and prior to the first open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act or “Obamacare,” there were over 44 million Americans that went without health insurance. President Obama announced Thursday, April 17, 2014, that 8 million people have enrolled in private insurance plans in the federal and state marketplaces under the Affordable Care Act. With this enrollment, a little over 18 percent of the previously uninsured Americans now have coverage, but it has also left 82 percent of the uninsured Americans without coverage. Overall, the biggest challenge going forward is making sure you have adequate coverage for what your needs are, and to understand how ACA deadlines and changes in your personal, family and business life may change
coverage in conjunction with marketplace options? AFLAC? It is my experience that many people suspect the plans in the exchange may have higher deductibles and out-of-pocket costs than their previous plans. That is not the case in all cases. To address this issue, however, we have created and implemented a strategy of using supplemental insurance to create a more affordable and comprehensive plan for those that feel that way. Everyone has different coverage needs; the best thing to do is sit down with an agent to let them explain the differences between plans and build an insurance plan that suits you and your needs. 4) W hat should employers providing insurance know and
your eligibility.
do to maximize benefits — how do the numbers work
2) W hat are the next deadlines that people should be aware
employees)?
of as we transition through the ACA? There are two ways you can enroll going forward: SEP and open enrollment. SEP, or Special Enrollment Period, pertains to an event that qualifies you to enroll in a health plan outside of open enrollment. Two such qualifying examples include marriage and the birth of a child. Open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act will happen once a year. According to healthcare.gov, in 2015, the open enrollment period will be Nov. 15, 2014, through Feb. 15, 2015. During this time, you will be able to review new plan options and
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3) What strategies can clients employ to improve their
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by not providing insurance (for companies below 99 Employers providing health insurance should make sure they are up-to-date on all new health care laws. To do so, there are certain checks you can do depending on the size of your business and the number of full-time and part-time employees you have. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. The best way to stay in compliance with the laws is to pay attention to the news for new mandates that are passed and to partner up with a health insurance expert. Day in and day out, a health insurance expert’s main focus is to keep you in compliance.
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DRIFTLESS | Relax “Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French. Sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce makes it Chinese; garlic makes it good.” —Alice May Brock
Photo by Roger Grant
ART, Culture and Economy in the Driftless Region By Sharon Murphy
Wbeautiful terrain, the result can be greater cultural and
hen a thriving arts community flourishes amid varied and
economic health of the area. That’s the story of arts in the Driftless region. For some statewide context, a study published in 2012 showed that in preceding years, nonprofit arts and culture organizations in Wisconsin generated over $340 million in spending. They also generated an additional $195.1 million in spending by event attendees. Supporting 22,872 full-time equivalent jobs in the state, the study found arts and culture organizations generated $479.5 million in household income, and delivered $64.9 million in local and state government revenues. According to Barbara Lawton, former chair of the Wisconsin Arts Board, the arts and culture industry is good for business. “Our state’s investment builds the cultural infrastructure that attracts talent and commerce and lends resiliency to regional economics,” she said.
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Artist Kathie Wheeler
The Driftless area, the land never touched by the glaciers, includes much of southwestern Wisconsin, and also parts of southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois. Each state compiles data on the economic impact of the arts, with results similar to those in the Wisconsin study.
Musical groups, also from the Driftless region, entertain the growing crowds of art lovers (about 5,000 of them in 2013) with an eclectic assortment of styles and genres. Culinary artists of the region bring a varied menu of dishes prepared with local, organic and sustainably grown produce. Local wines and beers are also available.
Artist Kathie Wheeler
Art fairs and galleries in the Driftless region draw growing numbers of visitors and customers from well beyond their communities, and well beyond each state’s boundaries. Whether annual weekend events or ongoing opportunities for artists to exhibit and sell their works, they have a measureable economic impact. As one visitor to a recent arts weekend said, “This is a gorgeous area. I always try to bring back something from cool places, so, of course, I need to buy something today to remind me.” When people attend festivals and visit galleries they can meet the artists, browse through their booths, and learn about the art, the artist, and the techniques. Festivals, art walks and other events are often family-oriented, bringing young people into contact with the arts, sometimes for the first time. One example is the Driftless Area Art Festival, held one weekend each September. The festival, which began in 2005 as the Crawford County Art Festival, was held for its first two years in Ferryville, Wis. Fifty-five visual artists took part the first year. Very quickly the number of artists and the size of the crowds grew, and so did the festival’s scope. Reorganized as multi-county and multi-state, the Driftless Area Art Festival moved to Soldiers Grove in 2007.
The Wisconsin Department of Tourism has recognized the festival for bringing thousands of tourism dollars into the area. In 2013 that amount was calculated to be over $385,000. Sales by visual artists alone topped $114,000, with totals over the nine years of the festival’s existence approaching $650,000. Sales by food and beverage vendors, showcasing local, regional and organic offerings, were over $17,000 this past year. The Driftless Area Art Festival also nurtures art in the very young. Its KidsArt Gallery and Teen Art Gallery exhibit works by young artists at every grade level through high school. Selected pieces, sold by live auction at a yearly fundraising gala, have generated a total of $6,385 to date in support of school art programs. Added together, artists’ sales, food sales, and spending at restaurants, lodgings and other businesses in 2013 alone totaled $516,000. And responses from visitors on surveys conducted each year consistently indicate satisfaction with the festival as well as interest in other attractions in the area. Clearly, the Driftless Area Art Festival is good for the arts and good for the Driftless region. It is also one of a number of events, galleries, and communities that are part of an emerging groundswell in the arts and culture of the region.
As currently structured, 80 visual artists are juried in every year from across the Driftless region. They represent every artistic medium: drawings and prints, ceramics, fiber, glass, jewelry, metalworks, mixed media, oil and watercolor paintings, pastels, photography, woodcarvings, turnings, furniture, and sculpture. Driftess Area Art Festival
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voices Redefining Health Food
Photo by Clay Riness
The unique landscape of the Driftless region is ideal for small to mid-size family farms, making it one of America’s most concentrated sources of organic and sustainably produced foods. Until recently, most of the food grown here was shipped hundreds of miles to be processed and packaged before being shipped back to be served in the area’s restaurants, schools, hospitals and businesses. The results included higher environmental impact, lower nutritional value, and loss of connection to local farms and the rural economy. Fifth Season Cooperative has pioneered a local food system that allows institutional and foodservice buyers to offer the fresh-from-thefield nutrition of locally grown foods to their customers. Fifth Season is co-owned by farmers/producers, distributors, buyers, producer groups, workers and processors within 150 miles of Viroqua, Wis. They distribute their foods through the existing channels of their
members, Reinhart Foodservice in La Crosse and Oak Creek and Keewaydin Organics in Viroqua, Wis. The co-op requires sustainable farming practices and fair pricing for small and mid-sized growers and processors. They also work with businesses and organizations to provide education on and increase exposure to local foods. Fifth Season continues to offer more value-added products and is developing blends of locally grown root vegetables, potatoes and squash that will be ready to roast for a nutritious addition to Farmto-School lunch menus. Fifth Season is good for the health of family farms, local economies and anyone who supports local food production. Learn more about the co-op and its stock offering at www. fifthseason.coop.
Drinking the Driftless Remember when a certain Colorado brewery claimed their beer was made with 100% Rocky Mountain Spring Water? The days of giant breweries bragging about their water source are past, but water (and its mineral content or “profile”) still plays a huge role in the quality and taste of beer, and is of interest to craft breweries. The complex interaction of the brewing grains and yeast with natural calcium, sulfates, magnesium, sodium, chlorides and bicarbonates produces beers that vary greatly. Worldwide, there is a unique “taste” of water — and that comes from the specific geology. Out of the granite rock in what is now the Czech Republic came water low in mineral content that yielded a light brew we call “pilsner” after Pilzen. Just miles west in Germany, mineral rich water from the limestone geology was suited to darker and richer brews we still associate with Germany, like Dortmunder, Oktoberfest and Bock beers. The dark stout of Dublin and the bitters of England all emanated from the water profile that naturally occured in those regions. The Driftless region is blessed with what is among the finest brewing waters on the planet, and we can all raise our glasses to our good fortune — it is perhaps our greatest treasure! Though modern water chemists can alter the mineral profile of brewing water, when a brewery can draw directly from beautiful, pure and perfect water it is truly a gift of nature and a gift to beer lovers. Great beer is STILL about the water: natural, pure and simple. It’s the taste of the Photo by Jim Luhning
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Driftless.
Driftless Terroir Those of us who have a special affection for food freely admit it: We want more. And we believe the Driftless area can provide it for us. Like everyone else, we savor the natural beauty around us and the abundance of outdoor sports it supports. And we love our thriving arts community and the leisurely lifestyle that helps nurture it. But we want more. We are proud people who want the world to know that there is a “taste” of the Driftless area too. Just to be clear, we’re not talking about good taste, rather about things that taste good. The French call that kind of thing “terroir.” They believe they have a corner on it — the magic that comes when soil, weather and food-making traditions combine to produce a distinctive cuisine. Is it unique to them? The Italians might argueabout that, as might any number of other cultures, in Europe and elsewhere. But it’s easier to make the case for “terroir” in cultures that have been working to define themselves a lot longer than we have. And it helps that marvelous culinary traditions have developed in those regions as well. The “taste” of a region is a lot more than a style of cooking, of course. Great chefs can create great food anywhere, borrowing from the culinary traditions they choose, so long as they have access to the kind of quality ingredients they need. So no one refers to the “terroir” of New York City or Hong Kong. “Terroir” is grounded in the growing of things that are in harmony with their birthplace.
steps. If that’s true, then we have something going on here in the Driftless. We have farmers growing much more interesting things than corn and beans. We have cooks, home-grown and imported, creating some amazing things with what those farmers grow. And we have food entrepreneurs doing the same kind of creative thing with products headed for grocery shelves, many of them working in shared use kitchens, like the Kickapoo Culinary Center in Gays Mills that I manage. Brad Niemcek is also a beekeeper, entrepreneur and advocate for the development of the Aronia & Hazelnut markets in the region. Photo by Clay Riness
Do we have the makings of a Driftless “terroir”? We certainly have the ingredients. We make world-class cheeses, and we have our apple orchards, our morel mushrooms, our trout streams, our venison and we are, after all, the world center of organic food production. All kinds of ethnic foods can be found here too, especially around the holidays. And there are potentially important “emerging” products that might help make the Driftless area a player in the culinary world too, among them hybrid hazelnuts and the amazing aronia berry. If there is a method for creating “terroir,” someone should write a book about it. But chances are that it happens, as it probably did in rural regions of France, in many undocumented, uncoordinated
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voices Music in Southwest Wisconsin Photo by Jim Luhning
Music has always been an important part of the social and cultural fabric of southwestern Wisconsin. The local farmers and blue collar workers would join together to form bands to entertain at events and add a little extra change to their pockets playing at barn dances, house parties, weddings, anniversaries, community events and taverns, and have been doing so for the last 163 years. Immigrants from Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Ireland, Poland, France and England brought their native songs and instruments to the area. When these folks became neighbors and got together they shared their music and song with each other. When soldiers came back from the Civil War and brought back instruments and songs from the South, they were mixed together to form a new kind of music and song that is Wisconsin born and bred! The polka as we know it today is a mixture of all these forms of music and style.
hear them play those old songs was all-inspiring to me. In later years they just played and sang at family reunions, where I always wanted to be part of the music. Because of their inspiration I took up the guitar and have played throughout Wisconsin, northern Illinois and Nashville for the last 38 years. With the help of local musicians, we hope to make this area a mecca for songwriters and performers. The hills are alive with fantastic local pickers and songwriters; the birth of the Cosmos Club in Richland Center brought musicians from diverse backgrounds together to perform. The General Store and Shitty Barn in Spring Green are hotspots for great local music too! Through UW-Extension in Richland County, we are helping to educate young musicians and songwriters about the business side of the music industry through classes and seminars. Plans for weekly music concerts in the summer, a new music festival, a musician’s guild, and concerts in the theatre in Richland Center are already in the works. Yes, music truly lives in the hills of the Driftless area of southwest Wisconsin! So come and join us in 2014 to be part of a fine tradition, and help us create a new paradigm in the arts and music. Bring your songs, instruments and ideas, and join us in creating an economic force and cultural explosion in southwest Wisconsin. Andrew Ziehli is the Richland County UW-Extension agent and an avid musician.
Southwest Wisconsin has produced many fine musicians over the years that have had regional, national and international success. Names like Bright, Craig, Rice, Nofsinger, Corey, Sugden, Hardyman, Alme, Stoltz, Sies, Ward, Anderson, Weigel, Stoker, and Gruenenfelder filled many bands and dancehalls. Their dedication and hard work paved the way for other musicians to take up instruments and play. My fascination with music came from my Grandma Linden and her sisters (who grew up in Lone Rock) who performed locally along with a sister-in-law and her sister and father. I also had a cousin Dale Storkson that had a country band that played in the area in the 1960s through the early 80s. Steve Ringlestetter, another cousin, is a wonderfully talented local songwriter from Spring Green. To
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Photo by Jim Luhning
Rippling the Unhomogenized Sound of Driftless “Bread & Buttah,” “Driftless Honkey Tonk,” and “Booty Tunes for the Dairy Air” are but a small sampling of shows that can be heard on 91.9 FM as you travel through the central Driftless region. At a mere 480 watts, WDRT may be small in signal power, but it offers a mighty antidote to commercial media, which has become increasingly homogenous through media consolidations. As public stations struggle to give coverage to local issues, WDRT, now in its third year of broadcasting, has quickly become another voice of the region, transmitting and rippling culture and distinct character. WDRT has 65 DJs who help make 75 percent of the programming schedule locally produced. WDRT’s programs span the music and public affairs spectrum, reflecting the passion of on-air volunteers and news that is relevant to our community rather than the music industry best-seller list or an AP news release. WDRT, a 501(c)3, nonprofit organization, is the collective wish of a community that has come true. Community radio, where non-professionals can learn the fine art of broadcasting, features a wide variety of music, news, and public affairs programming with a deep respect for the cultural heritage of the whole community. As it evolves, WDRT continues to gain new listener supporters. As new listeners continue to discover WDRT, things start to become less mysterious and much more obvious. They learn that the world of music is very diverse. They find out there is a good deal of information available that they might not have been aware of, even though they read newspapers, watch TV, and are plugged into the Internet. WDRT invites listeners to challenge their thoughts and ideas. Good radio does that. Community radio does that. Radiating outside of the sound, WDRT is involved in the community. WDRT supports and sponsors many events. WDRT is a proud sponsor of the Driftless Music Festival and a collaborative partner with the ARK, an arts program. WDRT offers a “Media Arts Scholarship” to listening area graduating high school seniors. Additionally, WDRT dedicates 5 percent of a quarterly pledge drive to another deserving nonprofit. Beginning April 21, WDRT will kick off their “Growing Community Spring Pledge Drive” in which 5 percent of the proceeds of the pledge drive will be donated to Couleecap, which provides support to over 38,000 people in our region in the fight against poverty. WDRT is more than just radio. WDRT is building community. Listen, learn, and support WDRT on wdrt.org. —Toril Fisher
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7404 Mineral Point Rd. Madison, WI 53717 608-833-8333 Hours: Monday-Friday 10am-7pm; Saturday 10am-6pm; Sunday 11am-5pm Across from West Towne Mall
UP TO
60%
O F F E V E RY DAY!
We’re All
The company Store At The Company Store, our stores are as unique as the region. With over 100 years of experience we continue to be all about comfort and serving you. When we first opened our store in 1911, our mission was to create the best-made, best-designed cotton and down products for our customers and their homes. A century later and we are still handcrafting our down products in La Crosse, Wisconsin just like when we started, with care and expertise.
Our heritage is rooted in the communities of Scandinavian ancestors who settled along the river bluffs of western Wisconsin. Along with their traditions, the handcrafting of “eiderdowns” has been passed down from generation to generation. Eiderdowns are the fluffy comforters and featherbeds that were used in the old country and quickly became a necessity for enduring the frigid mid-west winters here in the Driftless area. 68
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301 Sky Harbour Dr. LaCrosse, WI 54603 608-783-6646 Hours: Monday-Friday 10am-7pm; Saturday 10am-6pm; Sunday 12pm-5pm Exit 2 off I-90
UP TO
75%
O F F E V E RY DAY!
About Comfort. Today, although we have grown, we continue to specialize in down
to rejuvenate and relax. Allow our comfort specialists help you build
and feather products including comforters and pillows. Once a
that escape. With shipping all over the country and sales offered
modest factory and mail-order business, not only do we now offer a
every day of the week, rest assured, The Company Store is your one
full catalog and website, but our comfort specialists in our retail and stop shop for all things comfort. outlet locations are always ready to serve our customers as well. We also offer specialty sizing such as long twin and california king for all your bedding needs. For home essentials, we have a bath shop with a variety of towels, rugs, and bathrobes. Our children’s line, Company Kids, is also available to take care of the whole family.
Being a part of the Driftless region, we know the value of preserving tradition and providing quality products to the area. Stop in today at our store in La Crosse or Madison and experience the difference. As our modern lives become increasingly hectic, a comfortable home is not merely a luxury, but is a necessity. A haven
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Weber Center for the performing arts Make it an event, it’s worth the effort.
Photo by J. Brown Photography
Going to a live performance of any kind can be a challenge. You have to purchase tickets, if they are not already sold out. You have to call the box office when it is open, not when it is convenient for you. You may have a little one at home that requires a babysitter — never easy to locate. If you go after work, you have to find dinner. If it’s a weekend, you have to get up off the couch on your day off. Plus there’s the question of what to wear — dress up or dress down. With so many decisions, there are times when it is much easier to stay home and watch a movie. So why do people go to the theatre? In this era of prepackaged and passive entertainment (TV, games, films), attending a live theatrical performance is a significant effort. With all of our modern technology, going to the theatre is a unique experience. It is one of the last remaining activities in which we connect — person to person. As an audience, we are watching people live, right in front of our eyes, with all the potentials for errors and brilliance. We are
The theatre experience starts with getting dressed in an outfit that makes you feel good and is comfortable. You might meet friends at a restaurant and enjoy a wonderful gastronomic delight, talking the whole time. You head off to the theatre, which ideally is within walking distance and can give you time to enjoy the neighborhood, catch a sunset, or continue to share your thoughts. At the theatre, you look around to see who else is there. Perhaps you know someone, maybe a long-lost acquaintance, a distant relative, or even a neighbor that you haven’t talked with in a while.
sharing an armrest and an experience with a stranger. As we are
You enter the building and the show begins. You have a laugh or
waiting in lines at the concession stand, the restroom — even to get
two, or there is a moment of quiet reflection, perhaps even a tear or
into the theatre — we visit, share, connect.
two. You take a short break, where you can load up on candy, have a drink, answer nature’s call, or discuss what may happen next. Once back inside, you finish the story with everyone happily married, and you leave laughing and humming. Or the story ended with your favorite character dead, which has you thinking about a topic you hadn’t considered before. The play might even have made you angry, and you leave determined to do something. You gather your friends and enjoy a drink and conversation about what you just saw. This might lead to a debate, with everyone vocally sharing their opinions with each other. In the end, you shake hands, bid a fond farewell and promise to do it again — because it was so much fun. Going to the theatre is a special event. It’s a meaningful social experience. It’s about connecting with your fellow humans. So I invite you to experience live theatre and make it memorable. Tickets may be for sale online, so you don’t have to wait at the box office. Reservations at a nearby restaurant may give you a chance to park and walk. Enjoy the time with your significant other or friends. Make a new acquaintance while standing in line. Talk about the
Photo by Roger Grant
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show, how it made you laugh, made you mad, made you sad. But have fun! It’s easier than you think. And you will be glad you did.
There’s a new view in town!
Weber Center for the Performing Arts A whole range of year-round activities Available for meetings and conferences
For a schedule of events or more information, please visit us online! www.webercenterfortheperformingarts.org
• 428 Front Street South, La Crosse, WI 54601 • 608-784-9292
DRIFTLESS | DO “If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.” —E.B. White
Photo by Mickie Rasch
Recreational Paradise Outdoor Recreation in the Driftless Region By Michael Scott
T
he Driftless area refers to a region of the Midwest encompass-
Region website, Naturesplacetoplay.com. This user-friendly site cov-
ing southwestern Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, north-
ers almost the entire Driftless region. Click on what you want to do,
eastern Iowa and extreme northwestern Illinois. It is charac-
and the site directs you to trailheads, resources, road biking routes,
terized by varied hills and steep landscapes with elevations
boat ramps, rental facilities, clubs and group events. The site also
ranging from 603 to 1,719 feet. The Driftless area was bypassed by
highlights places to dine and where to rest your head and joyfully
the last continental glacier. The result is a rugged landscape referred
sore muscles after an active day. This is a wonderful site to explore
to as karst topography and an outdoor recreational paradise.
and help make your plans on the next rainy day.
All the activities that lift the spirit and connect us to the natural land-
Let’s start with biking. As far as road biking, all you need to do
scape can be found right here ... hiking, running, road and mountain
is hop on your bike and start peddling. I’d recommend a search
biking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sailing, fly fishing, canoe-
of Rustic Road routes that can be found through the Wisconsin,
ing and kayaking. Here’s how to get yourself out there.
Minnesota and Iowa Department of Transportation websites. Also,
Easily, your first step to unlock the active, natural wealth of the Driftless is a visit to the Outdoor Recreation Alliance of the 7 Rivers
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don’t forget about the Rails-to-Trails routes. These are old railroad lines that have been converted into gently graded bike thoroughfares. I’d note the Elroy-Sparta Trail in western Wisconsin, the
Photo by Clay Riness
Sea kayak touring in the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife Refuge is becoming more and more popular. Think of the kayak as a backpack and the mighty Mississippi as a big flowing trail. The refuge runs from Wabasha, Minn., to the Quad Cities in Iowa. It covers an astonishing 240,000 acres and extends 261 river miles. Along the way, there are beach campsites that require no reservations or permits — all managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Quaint river towns and vibrant cities mark the journey. You have to lock through, which can seem daunting, but the men and women of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are dedicated to keeping all traffic on the river flowing smoothly, even human-powered crafts. A GPS is recommended for managing backwaters, which can become a confusing maze of small islands and sloughs. Make no mistake about it, once you leave the Heritage Trail that runs from Dubuque to Dyersville, Iowa, and the
hustle and bustle of the main channel, you quickly enter the true
Root River State Bike Trail that winds 60 miles through the gorgeous
wilderness of the backwaters and the treasures hidden there. There is
Root River Valley with Lanesboro, Minn., at its heart.The Smithson-
a wide variety of wildlife to be discovered: mammals, fish, reptiles,
ian recently ranked Lanesboro 10th among the 20 best small towns to
amphibians and, most profoundly, birds!
visit. With charming bed-and-breakfast’s, good food and The Commonweal Theatre, there is no shortage of post-ride activities.
The Upper Mississippi River Wildlife Refuge lies within one of the largest flyways in North America. Migratory birds numbering in
Now, let’s get dirty. Mountain biking in the Driftless is some of the
the tens of thousands make treks every fall and spring. No matter
best you will find east of the Rocky Mountain range. Topping the list
what activity you choose to do in the Driftless, it had better include
is the Human Powered Trails, located in the scenic bluffs just outside
binoculars and a field guide. Hundreds of bald eagles, huge flocks of
the city of La Crosse, Wis. The proximity to town and the beauty
white pelicans and tundra swans, numbering in the thousands, are an
of the landscape make these trails a most attractive destination. The
unforgettable sight.
varied degrees of difficulty and attention to sustainability make this network of singletrack the best built trails in the state of Wisconsin. Other notable mountain bike trails are The Levis Mound and Trow Mound recreational trails in southern Clark County, Wis., near Black River Falls. These trails feature 25 miles of mountain bike singletrack. Levis (pronounced Lev-is) offers riders a variety of terrain, from easy, meandering, wooded singletrack to technical pitches and outstanding views of the surrounding 133,000 acre forest. To the south, Sidie Hollow County Park in Vernon County is worth noting. This park is 521 scenic acres, including a 40-acre lake, with over 10 miles of trails. Camping in the park makes for a nice weekend getaway.
The rugged topography of the Driftless makes hiking very rewarding and full of spectacular views. State parks are a great place to start. In Wisconsin, well-maintained trails can be found at Perrot State Park in Trempealeau, Wildcat Mountain State Park in Ontario, and Wyalusing State Park just south of Prairie du Chien. Minnesota boasts Great River Bluffs State Park just south of Winona, Whitewater State Park in Altura, and for hiking in the subterranean, Mystery Cave State Park in Fillmore County. Photo by David Ebbert, Ebbert Boatworks
There is nothing like riding with friends all day and then capping the night with a cold one around a campfire. And, yes, there are shower facilities. For more information check: humanpoweredtrails.com, levismound.com and vernontrails.com. A large portion of the Driftless area is also known as the Seven Rivers region. All seven are navigable in a canoe or kayak. Boat rental companies are plentiful in this part of the Driftless landscape. Ontario, Wis., offers canoe and kayak rentals on the Kickapoo River. Try North Bend, Wis., for exploring the Black River by boat, or Three Rivers Outdoors in downtown La Crosse for rentals on the Mississippi and the backwaters.
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Photo by Scott Tueber
Caves are commonplace in the Driftless, and exploring them is a remarkable experience. Caves are also an outdoor option when temperatures become extreme, and they allow you to get out and about during excessive heat or cold. There are commercial caves as well as wild caves on private property. If you are seeking the latter, always get permission, and never enter a cave alone. For information of spelunking in the Driftless, check out wisconsincaves.org. Spring-fed creeks and streams of the area also make for ideal habitat for trout. Timber Coulee in La Crosse and Vernon counties has been the recipient of about half a million dollars’ worth of stream improvements. This creates a clear stream, running narrow and swift, mostly through cow pastures, with public access. Be sure to pay a visit to the Driftless Angler, a full service fly shop in historic downtown Viroqua, Wis., to stock up on supplies and “the one that got away” stories. In Minnesota, seek out Trout Run Creek in Winona and Fillmore counties. The brown trout there are self-sustaining and plentiful! Winters can be harsh in the Driftless, but they are not cause for hibernation. The terrain is ideal for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Hixon Forest Trails in the city of La Crosse are groomed often and meticulously by volunteers for skating and classic stride. Again, the close proximity to town (with many hotels and fine restaurants) makes this a popular destination. Upriver, you will find Saint Mary’s
both disciplines and offer beautiful views. Black River State Forest near Black River Falls has 25 miles of the finest cross-country ski trails in Wisconsin, with forested, hilly terrain and scenic views punctuated by level landscape. The trails are groomed for skaters and traditional skiers, and provide a variety of skill levels, from beginner to expert. In Vernon County, the Kickapoo Valley Reserve maintains approximately 10 miles of groomed trails for skiers and is an ideal place to slap on the snowshoes. You are allowed to tromp and explore anywhere on the reserve, with the exception of the ski and snowmobile trails. Not to be missed are the reserve’s famous ice caves that form nearly every winter. The variety of outdoor recreation in the Driftless region is unmatched anywhere in the Midwest. The possibilities are endless and so are the adventurous memories with family and friends. The glaciers might have missed this area, but you really shouldn’t. Get out there and enjoy nature’s playground.
University trails in Winona, Minn. These trails are also groomed for
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Photo by Roger Grant
The A.D. German Warehouse, 316 South Church Street, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, 1974, is located in Richland Center. Frank Lloyd Wright was born on June 8, 1867 to William Cary Wright and Anna Lloyd Jones Wright somewhere in Richland County. His exact birthplace remains a matter of dispute with seven locations being in contention. During 1917 through 1921, some of the most tumultuous years of his life, Wright designed the German Warehouse in his home town for Albert Dell German. A.D. German was in the wholesale grocery business. Legend has it that Wright’s work on the warehouse was initiated as possible payback for money owed. The A.D. German Warehouse is easily the most prominent architecturally significant commercial building in Richland Center. The warehouse follows the design mode of this time frame exhibited in other Wright buildings such as the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Japan, the Larkin Building in Buffalo, New York, Midway Gardens in Chicago and the Frederick C. Bogk House in Milwaukee. The warehouse features plain brick surfaces broken by vertical slits extending from the base to the frieze. The German Warehouse is dominated by a broad corbeled concrete frieze ornamented by cast concrete ornament and narrow window slits. The building has four floors, approximately 4,000 sq. ft. each and has an open floor plan on each level. Significant as an example of early poured concrete construction, the building rests on a pad of cork for stability and shock absorption. Wright used concrete slabs for the floors supported by concrete columns that grow smaller in size proceeding upward to the fourth
floor. Construction was stopped with the building unfinished in 1921, after spending $125,000. The building has been altered over the years with modifications of the interior to accommodate the various occupants. It is the only remaining commercial structure designed by Wright that still exists from this time period. As time passes, its architectural and historic significance continues to grow, reaching far from its location on the corner of Church and Haseltine Streets in Richland Center. A group of local citizens have formed the A.D. German Warehouse Conservancy, Inc. and are developing a plan to refurbish the building. Please follow the ADGWC on Facebook to view the progress, become involved or donate.
The A.D. German Warehouse Conservancy, Inc. P.O. Box 436, Richland Center, WI 53581. Phone 608-647-6205
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resources ACCOUNTING
Green Life Xpo Milt Lunda Memorial Arena
BUILDING
JRM & Associates
Jackson County Fair Park –
Brickl Bros.
2700 National Drive, Suite 101
Hwy 54 West
PO Box 277
227 S 11th St
West Salem, WI 54669
Onalaska, WI 54650
Black River Falls, WI 54615
608-786-0890
608-781-8712
715-964-7155
www.bricklbros.com
www.jrmcpa.biz
www.greenlifexpo.com
ARTS Driftless Area Art Festival Beauford T. Anderson Park Hwy 131 & County Rd C Soldiers Grove, WI 54655 608-624-3600 www.driftlessareaartfestival.com
Elvis Explosion Live at the La Crosse Center 608-785-SING www.ronnycraig.com
Weber Center for the Performing Arts 428 Front St S La Crosse, WI 54601
Oktoberfest
First Supply 106 Cameron Ave
#1 Oktoberfest Strasse
La Crosse, WI 54601
PO Box 1716
608-784-3839
La Crosse, WI 54602 608-784-3378
www.1supply.com
www.oktoberfestusa.com
COMMUNICATION
Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe 5250 Justin Rd
H2 Integration 608-792-9994
La Crosse, WI 54601
www.h2integration.com
877-799-4059
Mueller Media, Inc.
www.guadalupeshrine.org/
AUTOMOTIVE AudioMobile 707 Losey Blvd N
3120 South Ave La Crosse, WI 54601 608-796-8780 www.muellermediacorp.com www.driftlessnotes.com
La Crosse, WI 54601
Prayz Network
webercenterfortheperformingarts.org
608-784-9966
La Crosse/Westby/Sparta/ Eau Claire
ATTRACTIONS
Honda Motorwerks
A.D. German Warehouse
La Crosse, WI 54601
608-784-9292
316 South Church St PO Box 436 Richland Center, WI 53581
www.audiomobilelax.com
500 4th St S 877-955-0355 www.hondamotorwerks.com
608-647-6205
Sleepy Hollow Auto
www.wrightinwisconsin.org/wrightsites/ adgermanwarehouserichlandcenter. aspx
1225 N Main St Viroqua, WI 54665 877-518-1705 www.sleepyhollowauto.com
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400 Brickl Rd
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2409 South Black River St Sparta, WI 54656 608-269-5500 www.prayznetwork.com
CONVENTIONS La Crosse Center 300 Harborview Plaza La Crosse, WI 54601 608-789-7400 www.lacrossecenter.com
DINING & ENTERTAINMENT Acapulco Restaurant & Cantina 37885 Selch Rd Prairie Du Chien, WI 53821 608-326-0755 www.acapulcobar-grill.com
Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC)
Profit Organics
PO Box 1687
608-606-0810
Madison, WI 53701 608-210-6858 www.inwisconsin.com
PO Box 141 Viroqua, WI 54665 www.profitorganics.com
SnoPac 521 Enterprise Dr
LODGING
Caledonia, MN
La Crosse, WI 54601
Quality Inn
www.snopac.com
608-784-9548
1830 Rose St
www.fayzes.com
La Crosse, WI 54603
Fayze’s 135 S 4th St
Lindy’s Subs & Salads 221 Main St,
608-781-1400 www.qualityinn.com
La Crosse, WI
Stoney Creek Inn
608-785-7200
3060 S Kinney Coulee Rd
225 Sand Lake Rd (Center 90), Onalaska, WI
Onalaska, WI 54650
608-783-SUBS
www.stoneycreekhotels.com
608-781-3060
Corner of 10th & La Crosse St, La Crosse, WI 608-782-2200 Hwy 16 & Hwy 21, Sparta, WI 608-269-2011
Viroqua Food Coop 609 N Main St Viroqua, WI 54665 608-637-7511 www.viroquafood.coop
OUTDOOR RECREATION Driftless Angler 106 S Main St
www.lindyssubsandsalads.com
Rudy’s Drive-In
507-725-5281
ORCHARDS
Viroqua, WI 54665
Hoch Orchard & Gardens
www.driftlessangler.com
32553 Forster Rd La Crescent, MN 55947 507-643-6329 www.hochorchard.com
608-637-8779
Mathews Inc. 919 River Rd Sparta, WI 54656 608-269-2728
ORGANIC FOOD/ AGRICULTURE
www.mathewsinc.com
(corner of East Decker/Rusk)
Organic Valley
Dubuque, IA 52001
Viroqua, WI 54665
Cropp Cooperative
563-326-5535
608-637-2271
One Organic Way
www.tourdubuque.com
www.rudysdrivein.com
Viroqua American Legion 120 N Rusk Ave
La Farge, WI 54639
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Prosperity Southwest Wisconsin Ron Brisbois, President Fennimore, WI 53809 608-822-3501 www.prosperitysouthwest.com
888-444-6455 www.organicvalley.coop
Tour Dubuque 198 Main St
Wisconsin River Outings 715 Wisconsin Ave Boscobel, WI 53805
Plexus
866-41-CANOE, 608-375-5300
Tammy L. Schyvinck Independent Plexus Ambassador 229692 608-792-7663 www.peopleonplexus.com www.menonplexus.com
www.canoe-camping.com
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resources RETAIL
Wildthings Fur Co.
Madison, WI 53708
S2471 Hwy 131
800-432-8747 or 608-266-2161
The Company Store
Rockton, WI 54639
www.travelwisconsin.com
301 Sky Harbour Dr
608-625-4181
La Crosse, WI 54603
www.wildthingsfur.com
608-783-6646
TOURISM
Pearl Street West
Driftless Wisconsin
608-796-8780 www.muellermediacorp.com www.driftlessnotes.com
PO Box 201
The Pearl, Art 211 Pearl,
Prairie Du Chien, WI 53821
The Grand Hotel Ballroom
608-326-6658
200 Pearl St
www.driftlesswisconsin.com
La Crosse, WI 54601
DV
3120 South Ave La Crosse, WI 54601
www.thecompanystore.com
TJ’s, Cheddarheads,
Mueller Media, Inc.
VINEYARDS Danzinger Vineyards
608-784-8899
Travel Wisconsin
S2015 Grapeview Lane
www.pearlstreetwest.com
Wisconsin Department of Tourism
Alma, WI 54610
201 West Washington Ave
608-685-6000
PO Box 8690
www.danzingervineyard.com
Danzinger Vineyards
Overlooking Mississippi River from atop the Alma Bluff
Free Wine Tasting 10-5 Daily Doo Da Day July 18, August 8, Tours by appointment August 30, September 26, October 10 Event Center Accepting Reservations Tommy Bentz August 15 Evening Live Music 5pm - 9pm Grape Stomp August 30
Driftless Area Art Festival Celebrating the Visual, Performing, and Culinary Arts of the Driftless Area
The Orchard gates will be open from 11am to 4pm on the Saturdays listed.
S2015 Grapeview Ln • Alma, WI 54610 • 608-685-6000
www.danzingervineyard.com
AUDIO • VIDEO • REMOTE START & SECURITY MOTORCYCLES • RIMS • SOUND PROOF HEATED SEATS • WINDOW TINT THE PREMIER MOBILE ELECTRONIC SALES AND INSTALLATION FACILITY IN THE GREATER LA CROSSE AREA. TUESDAY-FRIDAY 9AM-6PM SATURDAY 10AM-4PM WWW. AUDIOMOBILELAX.COM 707 Losey Blvd N | La Crosse, WI 54601 | 608-784-9966
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Open House Dates for 2014
September 20 10—5 September 21 10—4 Soldiers Grove, WI 80 Visual Artists Live Music Local Foods
Saturday July 26, 2014 All Saturdays August 23th through Oct 27th
We will have certified organic fresh farm fruits and veggies, jellies, sauces, vinegars, syrups, ciders and meats for sale at each open house. Watch our facebook and website for details on each open house! www.hochorchard.com
DriftlessAreaArtFestival.com
We connect your market by We connect your market by aggregating news and data from local aggregating news and data from local sources and around thethe world. TheThe H2H2 sources and around world. newsletters, websites, web presence newsletters, websites, web presence and optimization services, along with and optimization services, along with a anetwork of links and businesses, network of links and businesses, provides a format that makes keeping provides a format that makes keeping inintouch and staying informed easy. touch and staying informed easy. Wework work with communities, regions, We with communities, regions, business, and in businesses, and subscribers subscribers in innovative and relevant ways to boost innovative and relevant ways to boost opportunities, trends, announcements, opportunities, trends, announcements, events, and even complex issues, events, and even complex issues, andand an easy click away to further coverage an easy click away to further coverage of the topic by the original source. of the topic by the original source.
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