Inspire(d) Summer 2025

Inspire(d)

AN EXPERIMENT IN POSITIVE NEWS DRIFTLESS

APPETIZERS to Entreés Sunday Brunch 11am-3pm great for large groups indoor/outdoor dining

DECORAH, IOWA

SUMMER 2025

Inspire(d)

DRIFTLESS

AN EXPERIMENT IN POSITIVE NEWS

Aryn Henning Nichols / Editor-in-Chief + Designer

Benji Nichols / Head of Logistics + Advertising Sales

Sara Walters / writer

Steve Harris / writer

Renee Brincks / writer

Laura Barlament / writer

Tallitha Reese / writer

Clara Wodny / writer + illustrator

Olivia Lynn Schnur / mental health writer

William D. Petersen / center spread photographer

Pete Sandker / cover artist

COMMUNITY PARTNERS FOUNDERS

Interested in becoming a contributor? Email work samples to Aryn at aryn@iloveinspired.com, and we’ll chat!

Hattie Sauer, Brent Burkey, Lula McAbee, Ruth Kueny, Nathaniel Crose / Future Focused

Inspire(d) Driftless Magazine is headquartered & created in Decorah, Iowa. We cover communities located in the NE IA, SE MN, and W WI area of the Driftless Region. Email aryn@iloveinspired.com to learn about Community Partnership opportunities in the future - we’ve got some fun ideas!

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What’s the name mean?

Inspire(d) – pronounced in-spy-erd... you know: inspired – stands for inspire and be inspired. The idea is that person one inspires person two. That person is now inspired. Then that person inspires person three (or person one again), who is now inspired. Then the cycle continues! That’s what those arrows around the (d) are about! We’re here to remind folks that people are good! Our mission is, ultimately, to change the world… starting with our own community. We like to call it an experiment in positive news.

Inspire(d) Magazine is published quarterly by Inspire(d) Media, LLC, 412 Oak Street, Decorah, Iowa, 52101. This issue is dated Summer 2025, issue 81, volume 18, Copyright 2025 by Inspire(d) Magazine. We want Inspire(d) to be accessible for all, which is why it is free on stands across the Driftless! But you can support Inspire(d) through Membership! We’ll send the magazine in the mail, to you or a loved one, for $35/year. Visit the Membership page at iloveinspired.com for details, or send a check for $35 to Inspire(d) Magazine, 412 Oak St., Decorah, Iowa 52101. Thank you for your support, and for joining the positive news movement!

Want to make a comment about something you read in the magazine? Email aryn@iloveinspired.com.

Abundance is a funny word. It’s one of those things you don’t think about… until you think about it. What does “feeling abundant” even MEAN?!? For me, abundance is making time for the things that bring me joy. My coffee ritual in the morning. Getting my favorite grain bowl from Blazing Star (Dilly Beet forever!). Walking and talking with my besties.

I dive into our theme, “What Makes You Feel Abundant? Finding Joy in the Little Things,” with my infographic on page 45 (where you can see the rest of my current abundance list). I hope you start thinking about your own abundance list next as you read Olivia Lynn Schnur’s Mental Health article about Cultivating an Abundant Life.

La Crosse artist Pete Sandker, who created this summer’s cover art, absolutely fills his work with abundant colors, flowers, animals, and movement. I love how each piece seems to hold special little secrets when you look closer.

A funny, small-town thing happened in this issue: our writer from Lanesboro, Steve Harris, wrote about Community Builders Phil and Heidi Dybing… and then you’ll see Heidi quoted in Laura Barlament’s story about the Stringwood Chamber Music Festival pages later in the magazine. I had no idea Heidi was going to be a source for two articles in this issue, but it goes to show how important community builders are to the vitality of a place!

Folks who know me know I love to read. Perhaps that should be written I LOVE TO READ! Climbing into bed with my book is perhaps my favorite time of day. So, I was excited that our second Community Builder features Mary Mulvaney-Kemp, founder of Vernon County Wisconsin’s RedLou Library. Anyone who is passionate about helping other people love to read is the bee’s knees in my book (ha, pun!).

I love to learn, as well, and was stoked to have Luther student (now graduate!) Clara Wodny work on a fun, educational piece about the Decorah Impact Crater and Pentecopterus decorahensis. She even created illustrations to go with it!

From our middle school Future Focused student contributors, we got some truly delightful submissions about what makes them feel abundant. Their teacher, Dana Hogan, prompted many of them to write about a metaphorical “Abundance Jar.” The result was so inspiring, I decided to expand the section to include five students. AND… their writings inspired the summer Paper Project: Make your own Abundance Jar! I put together a template and some prompts to make it even easier.

What could be more abundant than a cake party? How about a cake party with 30 cakes?! Thanks to my neighbor, Kendra, for the pitch about Wendy and Jim Stevens’ 37year tradition of hosting a massive cake party each year on their property near Decorah, and to writer Renee Brincks for putting the Cake Party Magic into such a lovely piece (ha, now a cake pun).

And I seriously love the Sum of Your Business interview this summer, featuring our friends at Sogo Snacks, Dan Bellrichard and Liza Hicken. Dan took time out of his schedule to answer our Q&A, and his insightful replies really hit home for me. Finally, I think for the first time ever, the probituary interview is a surprise! Calvin Anderson’s daughter, Jennifer Anderson Warwick casually slipped in questions during regular conversations to put together the last page Q&A this summer. How fun!

I hope this issue inspires you to find new ways to create – and recognize – abundance around you this summer, friends. Cheers to a season filled with magic!

Looking forward,

Aryn Henning Nichols

It’s a region in the Midwest – Northeast Iowa, Southeast Minnesota, Southwest Wisconsin, and a wee bit of Northwest Illinois – that was skipped by the glaciers in the last ice age, leaving the area “lacking glacial drift” – i.e. Driftless. The gist of that is we get to enjoy bluffs, valleys, coulees, and other fun geographical features that don’t typically occur in other parts of our states (the Mississippi River contributes greatly to the geography as well). It’s a lovely place to live and visit, and we’re happy you’re here!

We love our gorgeous summer cover artwork, “Summer Flame” by Pete Sandker! Read more about this talented La Crosse, WI, artist on page 20.

Listen to the Spotify playlist that Aryn put together to bring the vibe of

Goofy family selfie from the rainy morning of my birthday (May 20). Happy 44 to me!

the issue to life!

What We’re Loving right now

A LITTLE LIST OF WHAT WE THINK IS AWESOME IN THE DRIFTLESS REGION THIS SUMMER...

LAWN CHAIRS + SUMMER DREAMS…

Downtown Decorah is the place to be on Thursday nights this summer! For more than 25 years, Downtown Decorah Betterment has hosted Lawn Chair Night – a free, family-friendly outdoor music series held nearly every Thursday evening in June, July, and August. Each week features a one-hour performance by talented local and regional musicians, typically starting at 6 pm on Washington Street, just outside Impact Coffee across from the Hotel Winneshiek. Attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair, grab takeout from a locally owned restaurant or onsite food truck, a beverage from Impact Coffee, and wonder at how good summer can be! Stick around after the music to test your smarts with outdoor trivia, hosted by Impact Coffee. It’s a Decorah summer tradition you won’t want to miss. We’ll see you Downtown! See the full Lawn Chair Night schedule on page 15. visitdecorah.com.

ROB SAND FOR IOWA GOVERNOR!

Decorah native and current (2nd term) Iowa Auditor Rob Sand announced he is running for Governor of Iowa this November. If you are a long-time reader of Inspire(d), you know we keep our pages fairly free from politics. But as we continue raising our daughter here in Iowa, we want to be very clear about our desire to bring our state back to a place that prides itself on education and opportunity for all. So, consider this our voice of support for Decorah’s own Rob Sand for Governor!

Since taking state office, Rob has served as a trusted leader and government watchdog, rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse, holding members of both parties accountable, and doing what’s right for Iowans. In his first term as Auditor, Rob uncovered more in a single term than any other State Auditor in Iowa history, finding over $29 million in misspent money. Rob works with both parties to get things done for Iowans. It’s not about right versus left, but right versus wrong, and he always stands up for what’s right, even when he stands alone. Rob has brought Iowans together from across the state – and across party lines – who believe in his vision for a better Iowa.

When he’s not busy working for Iowans, you can find Rob bowhunting, fishing, biking, spending time with his family, and speaking kindly about Decorah. Rob and his wife, Christine, have two sons and a bernedoodle (Hi, Pow!) Learn more at robsand.com.

THE OUTDOORS ARE CALLING

Summer is the season to soak up all that is possible in our region –through long days, and warm nights perfect for exploring back roads and backwaters, tucked away spots and local treasures. It’s also a great time to take an outdoor class, pitching in a hand at keeping our resources in good shape and connecting with other nature lovers! Here are some of our favorite opportunities:

Adult + Family Summer Camp!

Escape to Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center in SE Minnesota for Adult Summer Camp! Rediscover the joy of being a camp kid while staying in modern facilities with a rad crew! Try high ropes, rock climbing, shooting sports, river tubing, and local adventures. Adult Camp includes optional campout, a night out in Lanesboro, and meals from the dining hall – who’s in!?! Want to include the whole family? Check out Eagle Bluff’s “Becoming an Outdoor Family” Camp (or any of their other family friendly adventures)!

When: Adult Summer Camp, June 27–July 1

Family Camp, July 26-27

Where: Eagle Bluff, Rural Lanesboro, MN

How to Register: eaglebluffmn.org . 507-467-2437

Continued on next page

Cabin Concerts Build Community! The crew is back at it in Clayton County this summer, offering up magical concerts in a perfectly Iowa setting. If you’re familiar with the Cabin Concerts series, we need to say no more – if not, imagine a gravel road trek to an idyllic spot next to the Turkey River near Elkader, roots music, and fun people in a laid-back outdoor environment. The goal is “Cultivating Community through intimate concerts,” and that they do! Keep an eye on the schedule –advance tickets are needed to get all the deets. Bring your sense of adventure and be ready to meet some new friends (or see a few old ones!). Rustic camping is often included, river trips are sometimes planned around the schedules, and chillin’ is mandatory.

When...July 11: Joseph Huber Band w/ Mama Said String Band and Slapdash Bluegrass, 6 pm

August 3: The Deslondes with Sabine McCalla, and Marques Morel, 3 pm

September 13: TBA

Where: Rural Elkader, IA

Tickets and Info: cabinconcerts.org . tickets@cabinconcerts.org

Pulpit to Pulpit! Start your Independence Day off right with the Pulpit to Pulpit 5K and 1-Mile fun run in Decorah. While the route won’t take you all the way to Preikestolen in Norway, it will take you by Will Baker Park and Decorah’s Pulpit Rock.

The event starts (and ends) at Pulpit Rock Brewery at the corner of College Drive and 5th Avenue and is both family and dog friendly. The 5K is a timed event while the 1-mile is untimed.

Since its inception, the event has raised thousands of dollars for local organizations and nonprofits. The 2025 Pulpit to Pulpit will support two fantastic local organizations: The Greater Area Food Pantry and NE Iowa RSVP Senior Corps.

Advance registration includes a t-shirt, with packet pickup at Pulpit Rock Brewing Co. from 5-8 pm on Thursday, July 3, and starting at 7am on Friday, July 4.

When: Pulpit to Pulpit 5K and 1-mile fun run, July 4, race at 8 am

Where: Pulpit Rock Brewing Co., College Drive, Decorah Register: runsignup.com/Race/IA/Decorah/PulpitToPulpit

Prairie Seeds of the Future! Join Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation as volunteers hand-harvest native seed from the hillside prairies of Heritage Valley on the border of rural Allamakee and Winneshiek Counties. The seeds collected will help diversify and expand the prairie, supporting a healthier ecosystem. The afternoon starts with a brief history of the (magnificent) property before heading into the prairie for seed collection (no experience required - but sturdy footwear, water, and your willingness to work outside in July Iowa are necessary!). Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation is one of the most important conservation organizations in the state of Iowa, helping to protect, maintain, and procure wild places across the state.

When: Native Seed Harvesting, July 14, 1–4 pm

Where: Heritage Valley – a breathtaking 1,190-acre nature area (Register for directions!)

How to Register: inhf.org/events

Contact: Kayleen Leetch, INHF Volunteer Coordinator, at kleetch@inhf.org

Sweet Summer Breeze at Tailwind Acres! Flannery and Adam Bohach dreamed for years of the family farmstead they would create in rural Northeast Iowa – and then they made it happen! This isn’t your typical Iowa Farm – think flowers and farmstead dinners and you’re headed in the right direction! Runner’s retreats are part of the Tailwind schedule, as well as “Poses and Posies” yoga sessions, U-pick flower events, dinners, and more. Their restored out-buildings make great event venues, and they even offer a cozy lodging option on-site.

When: Runner’s Retreat July 19-20, 2025 Farm and Flower events through Fall. Where: Rural Cresco, IA Information: tailwindacres.com

Toppling Goliath Gravel Grinder! Toppling Goliath put Northeast Iowa on the map for Craft Beer, and they’re continuing to help bring Decorah into the limelight, this time promoting Decorah’s cycling culture with their TG Gravel Grinder Race September 27, 2025. The 3rd Annual event offers 25k, 50K, or 100K courses showcasing the scenic bluffs and natural beauty of the areas just outside of Decorah. Think you know Winneshiek County? You’ll love seeing where this race goes! The event takes place almost entirely on gravel roads (98%) with support stations and more. Riders come from across the Midwest for this event, which will be capped at 500. When: Toppling Goliath Gravel Grinder, September 27, 2025

Where: Start / Finish at TG Brewery, 1600 Prosperity Rd, Decorah Information: tgbrews.com/gravel-grinder

The Wild Driftless Adventure Race is October 4 in Clayton County, Iowa! This fun race will take teams of 2-4 (or soloists) into some seriously scenic areas, trekking, biking, and paddling on a course designed for all ability levels. This outdoor adventure is being hosted by Ewalu Camp and Retreat Center (37776 Alpha Ave, Strawberry Point, Iowa), which will also offer overnight lodging options, awards after the races, and more. Race options include a 9-hour or 4-hour cut-off and only have 125 slots for participants. Love the idea but it seems too much for you to take on? Consider volunteering for the event to help make it all happen! Details and registration at wilddriftless.com

MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW FOR FALL FUN!

Save the date for the fourth annual Decorah Gear Exchange, September 27-28, 2025, at the Pulpit Rock Brewing Co. event room! This is your chance to sell and/or buy new or gently used outdoor gear such as kayaks, canoes, tents, backpacks, fishing gear, bicycles, skis, lifejackets, car racks, camp stoves, and more. Start making your list now! Plus, there are fun opportunities to explore outdoor recreation in the Decorah area… and it all is in support Decorah Park and Recreation projects! Win-win! More info at visitdecorah.com/ decorahgearexchange

SEED SAVERS EXCHANGE 50TH!

2025 is Seed Savers Exchange’s 50th anniversary as an organization. Since 1975, Seed Savers Exchange (SSE) has connected farmers and gardeners to high-quality, historic, and open-pollinated seeds. As one of the largest NGO Seed Banks in the United States, this organization holds an incredibly important part in preserving and sharing countless seed varieties across the nation and world!

The 50th Anniversary Celebration is August 8-9 on the SSE Farm, with a variety of activities including speakers,

NICHOLAS C. ROWLEY

COURTNEY ROWLEY

DOMINIC PECHOTA LAURA THOMPSON KAREN ZAHKA

farm and facilities tours, workshops, a seed swap, live music, and the return of camping! Special guest speakers for the event include renowned chef, author, and food activist Alice Waters, John Coykendall of Blackberry Farms, Michael Best of North Carolina State University, Amy Goldman Fowler, Sean Sherman with Linda Black Elk, SSE co-founder Diane Ott Whealy, and more!

SSE will be hosting several other special events throughout the year as well, so mark your calendars now, and visit seedsavers.org for all the details.

August 8-9: 50th Anniversary Celebration & Conference!

September 13: Heirloom tomato tasting

October 4: Tour of the historic orchard and apple tasting September 29–November 3: Virtual Seed School

SUMMER ADVENTURE, WHERE ART THOU?!

Summer brings opportunities galore for art festival lovers in the Driftless! Imagine a day exploring the region, with a great destination in mind filled with local artists, food, music, and fun. Consider making a weekend of it, connecting an outdoor adventure, or a doing full-blown Driftless Road Trip!

Lanesboro Art in the Park, June 14, 10 am-5 pm. Lanesboro’s Sylvan Park comes alive with 90-plus fine art and craft booths, family art activities, local food and beverage vendors, and live music. Enjoy local food and craft beer offerings, along with the tunes of The Rutabaga Brothers (10-11:30 am), Marques Morel (12-1:30 pm), Molly Brandt (2-3:30 pm), and Driftless Jazz (4-5 pm). Admission is free, accessible parking is available, and socialized dogs on leashes are permitted. Art in the Park is presented by Lanesboro Arts and is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. For more information call 507-467-2446 or visit lanesboroarts.org/aip

Stockholm Art Fair, July 19, 10 am-5 pm. Stockholm, population 66 and home to Stockholm Pie (voted #1 Pie in the US!), is found on what some folks call the “West Coast” of Wisconsin. The tiny town sits at an idyllic spot on the shores of Lake Pepin, a naturally occurring lake on the Mississippi River. Find your way there for the 51st Annual Stockholm Art Fair, where you can stroll the shadecovered Stockholm Village Park, viewing a wide range of pottery, sculpture, jewelry, painting, printmaking, photography, fiber, wood, glass, and folk art! Local musicians will grace the stage throughout the day and a select group of food vendors will be providing quality meals and treats on-site, as well children’s artmaking-activity booths, and more. Details at stockholmartfair.org

Elkader Art in the Park, August 16, 10 am-5 pm and August 17, 10 am-3 pm. Make it a late summer road trip to beautiful Elkader, Iowa, for the 11th Annual Art in the Park! Held in Founders’ Park alongside the Turkey River, visitors can experience a variety of live music performances, various food and drink vendors, free kid’s art activities, and of course shop local and regional fine art! Art in the Park is free to attend. Find all the details at artintheparkelkader.com

Driftless Area Art Festival, September 20, 10 am – 5 pm and September 21 10 am – 4 pm. No matter what direction you’re coming from, you’ll enjoy a scenic, meandering journey through wooded hills and deep valleys to Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin for the Driftless Area Art Festival. The hills and valleys are home to painters and potters, woodworkers and weavers, metal smiths and musicians, vintners and brewmasters. Spend a few hours strolling through the exhibits, taste local food and wines, and listen to great music. Details at driftlessareaartfestival.com

BEAUTIFUL BITES OF SUMMER

Luna Valley Farm + Pleasant General Store: Idyllic weekend nights of wood fired pizza at Luna Valley Farm are the stuff of mid-summer dreams… and 2025 has turned up the fun at Luna with the addition of the Pleasant General Store. Built in a now retrofitted shed on the farm (it’s gorgeous!), the store offers visitors a beautiful array of hand-selected wares ranging from local to luscious. From fresh local greens for an on-site salad to goodies like Highlandville Honey (put it on your pizza crust!!!) and Rancho Meladuco Dates. A great assortment of beverages and seasonal finds awaits visitors, or you can even stay for a pint of ice cream or makeyour-own cheese board! Pleasant General Store is open for groceries & goodies from 4:30-8pm on pizza nights, and all are welcome. If you’re hoping for wood fired pizza - do make an online reservation in advance (lunavalleyfarm.com, reservations open at noon the Monday before the upcoming weekend) – but you’re also welcome to visit the Store during pizza hours just to shop!

What We’re Loving right now

MMAM - Water Bar Cafe + Provisions: Winona’s Minnesota Marine Art Museum, located on the shores of the Upper Mississippi, makes for a fantastic summer road trip destination. With its wandering professional galleries and community programming, this museum is great for visitors young and old. The MMAM is now elevating the experience with the new addition of Water Bar Cafe + Provisions, an intimate cafe located inside the museum. Water Bar will provide beverages and light cuisine during the museum’s operating hours Thursday through Sunday. A seasonally appropriate menu will connect cafe users to the museum’s educational mission: creating meaningful experiences that explore our relationship with water. While you’re there, check out the “Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage ‘Round the World,” which at 1275 feet is the longest painting in the United States! mmam.org

The Brim McGregor: Elkader, Iowa, locals are well familiar with The Brim Coffeehouse, which serves great drinks, breakfast, lunch, desserts, and treats in their café. And as of this spring, The Brim has expanded to a sister location in downtown McGregor, a town, like Elkader, rich in history and tucked into the bluffs of Northeast Iowa. “I wanted to create a place that had a positive vibe, that people were excited to visit, and that kept customers wanting to come back for more – not just good coffee and tasty food, but to interact with our staff and have an enjoyable, memorable experience again and again,” writes owner Jody Schroeder on The Brim’s website. Check out hours, menus, and more: thebrimcoffeehouse.com

PORTER HOUSE MUSEUM

If you’ve never visited the historic home of Grace and Bert Porter on Broadway St in Decorah, now is the time! The world adventurers left their incredible collection of butterflies, insects, and rocks(!) for visitors to view, and now, there’s a new butterfly museum to check out!

The one-room butterfly museum will display Bert’s specimen drawers, filled with butterflies that have been in storage for a century, and a model Bert used when proposing a butterfly museum to the Decorah city council back in 1940. The butterfly museum will be, in miniature, a realization of the dream of the museum’s benefactor.

The recently completed project is a fantastic peek into the adventures and history of the the Porters’ travels. Don’t miss the outside grounds including the famous wall, lovely sitting porch, and water gardens behind the house! porterhousemuseum.org

TRAILS ARE LOVE!

One of the true beauties of our region is the amazing topography that makes up our hills, valleys, and bluff. This same landscape provides amazing outdoor recreation, from flowing water to ribbons of trails through the hills. Many cities and counties across our region have embraced the movement in bike-optimized natural trails, creating opportunities for youth, families, and new riders of all ages.

• In La Crosse, Wisconsin, Outdoor Recreation Alliance (ORA) is busy continuing the early development of their new “Trail Farm,” a 277acre central resource for the community, featuring extensive trails and outdoor educational opportunities through public and private partnerships. oratrails.org/trailfarm

• Winona, Minnesota, has been connecting their legacy trails to a new system of bikeoptimized trails that are creating new opportunities for riders of all ages, including Winona’s MN Scholastic Mtn Bike Team. Mayor Scott Sherman is an avid rider and advocate, and longtime trail advocates Winona Area Mountain Bikers (WAMB) continue to help lead efforts as well. Super rad! winonaareamountainbikers.com

• Decorah Human Powered Trails (DHPT) along with Decorah Parks and Recreation continue to further trail use in the city’s 600 acres of park land. The new Carlson Park Trails Project continues to move forward with plans to construct 5+ new miles of modern natural surface trails on the 100-acre parcel, connecting opportunities for riders new and experienced. And the Decorah Scholastic Mountain Bike Team (DIRT, aka Decorah Iowa Racing Team) continues to grow with 30+ riders, ranging from elementary to high school, all gearing up for the 2025 season. facebook.com/DecorahHPT

• North Central Iowa continues to grow trail systems, including Osage’s “Mitchell County Mountain Goats!” This community-led group is keeping the fun in trails, while providing some great low key community riding events. instagram.com/mitchell.county.mountain. goats

• Mason City along with North Iowa Human Powered Trails has been hard at work the past couple years with the Prairie Rock Bike Trails System. A Destination Iowa Award has helped fund some seriously fun trails across Mason City, connecting several existing areas and resources. More to come in the summer of 2025 as this system sees its completion. visitmasoncityiowa.com/prairie-rocktrails

• Community Leaders in Marquette and McGregor, Iowa, are now in the planning stages to create and connect trails across the valley top between these two beautiful river towns through the newlyformed Mar-Mac Human Powered Trails organization. With 2.2 miles of trails currently available, plans are to add many more miles, as funding and volunteer support allow. mmhpt.org

Take a class this summer! Courses include:

Forged Tool Making with Cody Myers on May 29-June 1

All skill levels welcome!

Early-Style Laminated Knife Blade with Tom Latané on July 21-23

Viking-Style Padlock with Tom Latané on July 28-30

Forging Fundamentals: Wall Hooks with Paul Nyborg on Sept. 12-14 Beginner Friendly!

And more! Register at vesterheim.org/folk-art-school

What We’re Loving right now

NEIGHBORS ARE NEIGHBORS

Supporting Northeast Iowa’s Immigrant Neighbors 2025 has been a year of extreme political chaos, and perhaps nobody has felt that more than our immigrant neighbors and coworkers. Immigrants make up a sizable part of the workforce in the Midwest, particularly in service, construction, and agriculture. The Migration Policy Institute estimates that in 2023, there were just over 188,000 “Foreign Born” individuals living in Iowa, with 80 percent of those folks being of working age. In short, immigrants make up a large part of Iowa’s work force, and particularly in less desirable jobs. At a time when the Federal Government has enacted sweeping – and legally questionable – immigrant raids on a daily basis, we’d like to highlight several organizations and resources that support our immigrant neighbors that we could, in turn, support by making donations or offering help.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

As a partnership of the Decorah United Church of Christ and NE Iowa Peace & Justice Center, this collaboration works to help fund immigrant families with unexpected or crisis expenses such as rent, utilities, medical bills, used furniture, rides to legal appointments, and more. The Decorah UCC also houses funds such as the “Guatemalan Basics” which provide basic food security for Immigrant neighbors in need. decorahucc.org/neighbors

Path to Citizenship

Path to Citizenship is a Northeast Iowa organization whose mission is to aid people who need help navigating the complicated path of immigration. Founded by a coalition of Decorah area faith groups

and working in partnership with Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice (IMMJ), Path to Citizenship provides free legal advice on the immigration process. immigrationneia.org

Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Dubuque

Since 1931, Catholic Charities has been working in the 30 most northeast counties of Iowa to reduce poverty, strengthen families, and empower communities regardless of faith or background. They offer many social services, including legal services, family-based law, and access to immigration attorneys. catholiccharitiesdubuque.org. Cedar Rapids, Dubuque: 319-364-7121. Waterloo: 319-272-2080

Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice

Iowa “MMJ” is a statewide, membership-based legal service and advocacy organization driven and led by immigrant and refugee voices united with allies. Iowa MMJ stands firmly on the belief that migration is a fundamental human right and that everyone deserves to live in safety and with dignity. MMJ is committed to providing high-quality, accessible immigration legal services throughout the state, empowering communities and supporting those in need. iowammj.org. 515-255-9809 or 563-379-6777.

Decorah Free Clinic

Decorah Community Free Clinic opened in November 2002 to provide medical care and health education to uninsured and underinsured people. The Decorah Faith Coalition, with the assistance of the Luther College social work department and many community members, continue to offer free basic health services on an ongoing basis. decorahfreeclinic.com. 563-419-0962

Local Food Pantries available to all:

• Decorah Community Food Pantry. 110 Railroad St, Decorah. Monday, Wednesday & Friday 12:30–4:30 pm. Tuesday, Thursday 12:30–7 pm. Appointments required. decorahpantry.org. 563-2020872.

• Winneshiek County Food Pantry, 305 Montgomery St, Decorah, Iowa. Basement of the Smith Building – Family Service Office neicac.org/programs/food-bank. 563-387-4958

• Greater Area Food Pantry. 110 Main St, Calmar, Iowa. Saturday, 8 –10 am. 563-419-6024

• Allamakee County Food Shelf. 1125 West Main, Waukon, Iowa. Thursdays, 9 am–12 pm. 563-568-3994

• Postville Food Shelf. 139 W Greene St, Postville, Iowa. Tuesday, 2–5 pm. 563-864-3862

CAPTURING

movement

“Lake Superior” by La Crosse, Wisconsin, artist Pete Sandker. Read about Pete, the artist behind this Summer Inspire(d)’s cover, on the next page.

CAPTURINGmovement

“Summer” by Pete Sandker

Cover artist Pete Sandker creates magical watercolor paintings inspired by nature

BY SARA WALTERS

For artist Pete Sandker, painting in the Driftless and living in the Driftless are forever intertwined.

“The patterns and cycles of nature, the flowers and birds changing with the months, summer and winter constellations in the night sky. All of that is permanently in there, in the place where my paintings come from,” Pete says. “There is no separating it.”

As a child growing up outside of Soldier’s Grove, Wisconsin, Pete spent his days soaking in nature, spending time out in the woods or helping with the goats his family raised. Living deep in the valley with no neighbors exposed him to the solitude and peace that nature can bring.

As an adult, Pete still seeks that calm in the natural world. He often finds it in the areas around his home in La Crosse, Wisconsin, where he initially moved for school. He was planning to complete a Physical Therapy Assistant program but withdrew shortly before classes started. He decided he was more interested in art.

“I never planned on being a painter, though. It never seemed like a viable option for a career, so I’ve had a lot of different jobs in my life,” he explains. He especially enjoyed being a landscaper, savoring his time working outside in beautiful locations. Then, when he had free time, Pete created art as a hobby. But he started thinking maybe it could be more than a hobby when he noticed a call for artists at the Driftless Area Art Festival in Soldiers Grove. “On a whim, I applied and got accepted,” he says. “The response was so positive and encouraging, it changed my life forever.”

That was over a decade ago. The art community welcomed Pete with open arms, and he realized his calling was to capture the beauty of the natural world through art. He has since taken his skilled watercolor work to art shows, fairs, and galleries across the region.

Continued on next page

Driftless Area Art Festival 2025

Celebrating the Visual, Performing, and Culinary Arts of the Driftless Area

Saturday, Sept. 20, 10 a.m. 5 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 21, 10 a.m. 4 p.m.

Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin

Free admission, 80+ visual artists, performing artists, culinary artists, kids activities Follow us on Facebook or at www.driftlessareaartfestival.com

“Love Me Back” by Pete Sandker

Pete loves experiencing nature wherever he is. He can walk from his La Crosse home to public forest lands and takes advantage of that opportunity as often as possible. And when he’s on the road, he finds other spots to explore.

“As long as my mind is clear and free of distraction, I can connect with the mystery and beauty of nature pretty much anywhere” he says.

But even after traveling all over, the Driftless calls him back every time.

“I love the simple beauty of the Driftless Region. There are no towering mountains or huge waterfalls or crashing waves like in other parts of the country. Those things are incredibly beautiful, and I love them, but with all that awe and wonder, having your breath taken away… there is this other feeling, almost a mild stress from being overwhelmed,” he explains. “Here, there are endless rolling hills and quiet mist-filled valleys, slow rivers, welcoming forests. I just feel more at peace here.”

The quiet moments of peace are where Pete tends to find his inspiration. He will look around, marvel in the beauty of nature, and an idea will spark. “Even some interesting lichen on a tree in the middle of the city can be inspiring,” he says.

He describes his art as “watercolor with an interpretive view of nature,” saying his approach “mixes realism and detail with whimsy, creating unexpected images and shapes, hopefully telling a story unique to each person who sees it.” Pete’s creations tend to feature wildlife, plants, insects, foliage, and bodies of water, all intertwined in complex, detailed depictions. With closer examination, there are often little secrets and nuances to admire.

“What I like most about watercolors is the way they can transform from a solid bright line to a flowing wave of color and patterns,” Pete says. “They have a life of their own. You can plan out what you want them to do but sometimes it’s like they make their own choices.”

Pete loves to take this a step further and capture movement –especially water or wind – in his paintings.

“Lakes, waterfalls, even just a trickle of spring runoff, you can feel a certain energy from water, like we are just meant to interact with it,” he says with enthusiasm. The same kind of energy exists on a windy day.

Bil Lepp

Elizabeth Ellis

Don White

Dovie Thomason

Goforth

Lyn Ford

Katie Knutson

Pete loves to find new spots to expore. / Photo courtesy Pete Sandker

Pete Sandker

“Wind in the leaves, waving the grass in a meadow, the feel of that invisible force is so mysterious and calming. No matter the weather, if there’s wind, I am happy. Even in the dead of winter, there is nothing quite as exhilarating as hearing the wind at night, howling through the naked trees.”

Pete’s planning new energy within his own life and work as well. He will attend art festivals across Minnesota and Wisconsin this summer, and has new projects on the docket, like a coffee table art book that will incorporate his paintings and descriptions, and a little further down the line, a future children’s book. In the meantime, he continues to find peace, solitude, and inspiration at home in La Crosse. The region seems to always give his art life, he says. “The Driftless has been nothing but a positive experience for me.”

Sara Walters is a writer based in La Crosse, Wisconsin. She has been a contributor to Inspire(d) since 2018.

PETE SANDKER & HIS ART AT AN ART FESTIVAL!

June 6-8: Edina Art Festival, Edina, MN

June 14: Artspire, La Crosse, WI

July 12-13: Art Fair Off the Square, Madison, WI

July 19-20: ArtFest, Green Bay, WI

July 26-27: Art at the Park, Appleton, WI

August 2-3: DBQfest, Dubuque, IA

August 9-10: Art in the Park, Lake Geneva, WI

August 16-17: Festival of the Arts, Oconomowoc, WI

September 6-7: Wausau Festival of the Arts, Wausau, WI

September 20-21: Driftless Area Art Festival - Soldiers Grove, WI

October 4: Waunakee Artisan Market, Waunakee, WI

“The One” by Pete Sandker

Phil and Heidi Dybing were regulars at “Over the Back Fence,” Lanesboro’s local radio show that ran for 25 years. /

“CPhil & Heidi Dybing

Lanesboro, MN COMMUNITY BUILDERS

Communication

BY STEVE HARRIS

ommunity” and “communication” are related. First cousins, at least. And you really can’t have the first without the second.

Phil and Heidi Dybing live in and love the community of Lanesboro, Minnesota. They also understand the communication it takes to keep it all happening.

“We both grew up here,” says Phil. He and Heidi met as teens, building a friendship (at the former Harmony, Minnesota roller rink), a romance, and a 50-year marriage. After living in a number of different communities, they returned to their starting place in 1992, three kids in tow. “Now we want to do what we can to make it an even better place to live and raise families,” Phil continues. “We want to see new people move here and enjoy all this community has to offer.”

They bought a farm, built a new home, and re-connected with their hometown – a special place with lots going on. “I call it a college town without a college,” says Heidi.

But like many small, rural towns in the Midwest, there was a communication problem.

“We lost our local newspapers, and it was harder for people to be aware of what was going on around town,” Heidi says. “There were lots of fun things happening here that I didn’t want my friends to miss. We wanted to do something to help fix that.”

About Community Builders

A community is defined as a unified body of individuals. You can build community in a neighborhood, city, region, state, nation… world, at any level. But it doesn’t have to be big to have a big impact. Building community is one of the most important things we can do in this life. Connecting with others helps us connect with our humanity, and realize we’re all in this together. Read more Community Builder stories at iloveinspired.com, and send us a note if you know someone we should feature here in the future!

Photo by Sue Harris

Heidi, with Phil’s support, started sending out a weekly group email in 2018 containing information about concerts and theater performances, important meetings, special events – the kinds of activities people want to know about and may want to participate in. She called it “Happenings.” Most people in town simply call it “Heidi’s List.”

“I keep it brief,” she says. “I find out what’s going on each week and pass it along. People send me items, too, or ask if they can ‘use’ the list to communicate something to the wider community. That works, too.”

Is it working? Here’s one indication: Lanesboro’s current population is 724. The number of people on Heidi’s List is currently 355. And growing.

Above, a sample “Happenings” email from this past spring.

“The list is mainly locals, of course, but includes others, too, even a few people from Texas, who want to keep in touch. People like to know what’s going on where they live or in a place they care about. They want to stay connected.”

Staying connected in communities, especially in smaller, rural towns, has become increasingly difficult in recent times, while people’s desire to know what’s happening in their world has remained strong.

“I was at a meeting in town the other day,” says Heidi, “where 90 percent of the people there had come because they read about it in Happenings.”

And a lot of times, Phil and Heidi are involved in the actual happenings happening. They were both regulars in “Over the Back Fence,” a long-running, locally produced radio show. Phil’s soundwork and announcing skills have supported scores of performances at the St. Mane Theater and local festivals, and he’s been the longtime tech guy for the Rutabaga Brothers band.

Heidi, a gifted pianist, has been a substitute church musician in the area. She’s also a skilled seamstress, creating costumes for the Commonweal Theater, Lanesboro Community Theater, and History Alive Lanesboro. She organizes daily volunteers to serve and deliver senior meals, and is a cheerleader for big potlucks, including an everyone-is-welcome Thanksgiving feast.

Phil got involved in city economic development and housing initiatives and recently organized “T.O.T.E.M. (Two or Three Elderly Men) Construction” to tackle home renovations hands-on.

Photo Shoots Workshops Farm Tours Explore

Phil and Heidi together also provide leadership to “Discovery,” a Sunday morning fellowship group.

There was also another group email produced by the Dybings that had a lasting impact.

“So many people felt isolated and disconnected during the covid pandemic,” remembers Heidi. “We wondered what might help and came up with an idea to share music. We created piano instrumentals – me playing, Phil recording – and emailed them out to people each Saturday afternoon. We did that for 57 weeks in a row. People told us later that it became kind of a weekly ritual around their dinner table or wherever to listen to that music. It helped people connect.”

Phil agrees. “We still have people coming up to us saying how much that music meant to them during that time.”

The two help others build community as well. In 2014, Phil and Heidi started and operated a corner grocery story in Lanesboro called “Beste Byen” (Norwegian for “good town”) that successfully served residents and visitors for several years. While the business later changed hands and eventually sold, Phil and Heidi were excited to offer behind-the-scenes consulting support, and more than a little hands-on labor, to help a new grocery store called the “Lanesboro Market” open in spring 2025.

“Grocery stores in rural towns across the Midwest, like newspapers, are also disappearing,” says Phil. “But we need them. A family-run store provides convenient, healthy food for people, an outlet for locally-sourced goods, income for its owners, and a gathering place to talk with your neighbors and meet new people. All good things.”

Heidi happily enjoys the good things in her hometown and loves to promote all it has to offer. “Lanesboro has a wonderful blend of people, with a livability and walkability that makes it easy to connect with others. That can be a problem on days you’re in a hurry, though. A quick walk to the bank takes an hour-and-a-half because of all the visiting,” she says with a laugh. “We also have absolutely amazing artists and arts here, the Commonweal Theater and so much more. We love living here and being a part of it.”

The “team” behind the creation of the new Lanesboro Market: (left to right) Peter and Cyntia Ruen; Todd and Susan Readinger; Heidi and Phil Dybing. / Photo by Cyan Ruen

BY TALLITHA REESE

ICOMMUNITY BUILDERS

Mary Mulvaney-Kemp

Viroqua, WI

The founder of RedLou Library works to get books to those who might not have access otherwise

“I wanted to limit this by providing literacy opportunities for children in various places throughout the district in the summer,” she says. While this idea never got off the ground during her career working with kids, Mary knew it was never too late. “20 years later I started my dream.”

f you’re ever heading down a road in Vernon County, Wisconsin, you might see a large, red and white van, emblazoned with the words “Building Community Through Literacy”– that’s RedLou Library, Viroqua’s very own mobile library. In the driver’s seat, you’ll likely find Mary Mulvaney-Kemp, founder and president of RedLou Inc., on her way to distribute a variety of books to interested folks, both young and old.

“We work to reach those that are underserved or have difficulty getting to brick-and-mortar libraries,” explains Mary.

RedLou serves the elderly population living in area facilities, many of whom have limited mobility and barriers to transportation. They help get books into the hands of the workforce at Vernon Area Rehabilitation Center (VARC), which supports individuals with disabilities in achieving their fullest potential and enhancing their quality of life. And, of course, they serve kids and parents living and working in Vernon County.

“A two-year-old can’t get to the library on their own. Parents are super busy,” Mary says. “We can make their life a little less hectic by providing books at their child’s daycare. Hopefully this can free up a few extra minutes in their week to read to their child.”

This can be especially important during summer break. Mary, who worked as a reading specialist for Viroqua Area Schools and later as the youth services director at McIntosh Memorial Library in Viroqua, often observed that children would return to school in the fall with declined reading skills – something so common, it even has a name: the summer slide.

RedLou Library – named to honor Mary’s parents (Virgil “Red” and Louise Mulvaney) –became operational in late 2021. The RedLou seed money came from a sum left for Mary by her mother, who passed away in 2019. After Mary retired from the library in 2020, she started creating plans to make her mobile library a reality.

The first step was securing an extended length transit van with a high roof – which turned out to be a difficult endeavor in early 2021 during the pandemic. But eventually, with the help of local dealership Sleepy Hollow Ford, a suitable vehicle was found, and the van began its transformation into a mobile library.

Mary worked with Abrahamson Body and Equipment Service in Manaway, Wisconsin, to upfit the cargo area into a space for the library, including adjustable shelves (installed at an angle to prevent books from falling), rolling carts that are secured with retention straps while on the move, a circulation desk, swiveling driver’s seat, and an electric lift for easy cart loading and unloading.

Acquiring books and funding were next on RedLou’s starting journey, as the mobile library is a 501(c)(3) and is funded entirely through donations and grants.

“Many individuals, local businesses, the Bigley Foundation, and Viroqua Area Foundation provided donations of time, money, or other forms of assistance,” says Mary. “Step by step, everything fell into place.”

That first year, RedLou Library used paper check-out cards with a stamped due date in a card pocket in the back of the books, with additional record keeping happening when Mary got home. It was an arduous, time-consuming process. For RedLou Library’s second year, a license to use an online library program was purchased.

Mary Mulvaney-Kemp. / All photos courtesy RedLou Library

“The program provides several features, including: an automated process to check books in/out, a database that patrons can browse and put books on hold, and a means to automatically notify patrons of important information,” explains Mary. “Most significantly, I had more time to serve more people.”

Mary serves as president of the RedLou non-profit board, along with her husband / vice-president/secretary, Chuck Mulvaney-Kemp, and finance officer Mike Brendel. But there are many others who keep the mobile library rolling as well.

“We have boots on the ground volunteers who help at the various sites we serve,” explains Mary. “Other volunteers help with processing books, assisting with fundraisers, providing ideas, and the list goes on. Several high school students volunteer during the summer. Support has been fantastic, nearly overwhelming, at times. All our volunteers are invaluable.”

Featuring products from 200 local farmers and producers.

The van is retrofitted with shelves installed at an angle and rolling carts that are secured while on the move. / All photos courtesy RedLou Library

At the start of 2022, RedLou Library was serving sites in Viroqua only, but it expanded into the neighboring communities of Westby and La Farge by the end of that year. In 2023, RedLou Library served 13 sites year-round and 17 sites throughout the summer. In 2024, there were 15 sites year-round and 22 through summer. The number of items circulated through RedLou Library continues to increase each year, too – starting with 10,989 items in 2022, growing to 19,051 in 2023, and 24,041 in 2024. Plus, there are no late fees or fines for wear and tear to their materials.

“Things happen,” says Mary. “That’s okay; we want our books in the hands and homes of our patrons, not on our shelves.”

One of RedLou’s most recent endeavors has been establishing branch libraries at daycare centers in western and northwestern Vernon County, serviced every 4-6 weeks, depending on need.

“We talk with the staff to learn how we can best serve their children and then proceed to implement a plan,” explains Mary. “We purchase the books, bins, and shelving and provide training for using the circulation software as needed. Books are rotated on a scheduled basis.”

These additional branch library sites have helped RedLou reach even more Vernon County children in 2025.

“Recently, I received a message from a teacher at one of our new service locations,” says Mary. “It stated, ‘The kids are really enjoying your library. Do you know the joy RedLou is bringing to this crazy world? I hope you do.’”

Though it is not affiliated with any public library or school, Mary notes that RedLou Library aims to provide services that expand on already existing literary opportunities.

“We are not trying to replace public libraries or school libraries. Those libraries do an excellent job,” says Mary. “When we don’t have a book someone wants, I usually respond by saying, ‘The public library will be able to get it for you. Can I help you sign up for a card?’”

No matter the road needed to get there, RedLou Library is proud to help provide folks with literacy services that might otherwise be out of reach.

Unique Experiences

“It is especially important to help young children perceive themselves as readers when they are very young and certainly before they are school age,” says Mary. “Toddlers can interpret pictures, which is the first step toward reading words. We believe that if children enter school with a love of books, they will be eager to learn to be a word reader. Being a strong reader helps ensure school success. This can change the trajectory of a child’s life.”

Community events and weekly evening service sites are also added to RedLou’s summer schedule. A calendar of planned stops for RedLou Library, a fundraising and events list, and information about how you can get involved can be found at redlou.org or by contacting Mary Mulvaney-Kemp at redlouinc@gmail.com.

Tallitha Reese is a freelance writer and content manager based in Cashton, WI. She owns Words By Reese and you can find out more about her and her work at www.wordsbyreese.com. Find them here

The RedLou van serves many different sites throughout Vernon County, WI

History DECORAH

While the discovery that Decorah sits atop an ancient impact crater and was once home to the world’s oldest-recorded sea scorpion, Pentecopterus decorahensis, may seem like old news (literally!), the excitement surrounding this fascinating history is alive and well.

In fact, Decorah even has its very own crater “taskforce” – a small, informal group of local scientists and crater enthusiasts. Dedicated to public education and outreach, taskforce members recognize how important and unique it is for residents and visitors of Decorah to be aware of the area’s history and timeline, and to understand how a connected, invested community made it happen.

“From the beginning to where we are now, these incredible discoveries required collaboration among people of all different backgrounds and from all walks of life,” says Birgitta Meade, a local Winneshiek County Instructor in Environmental Education.

The whole story from initial hunch to published scientific findings unfolded in about 20 years – warp-speed in the world of science. In 2004, amateur geologist and long-time Decorah resident Jean Young was working with the Iowa Geological Survey to analyze stratigraphic data (rock layers) of well-drilling cores as a way of mapping local geography and helping to predict the best locations for constructing wells. In the Driftless area, the various layers of rock underneath the ground’s surface typically follow an established, predictable sequence. But Jean began to notice something odd – all of the samples within a 3.5-kilometer diameter circle contained mysterious layers of shale (a fine-grained rock primarily composed of clay and silt particles especially conducive to preserving fossils) that wasn’t present in any of the samples outside of that area.

Jean wasn’t the first person to notice this unexpected anomaly, but when everyone else brushed it off and moved on, she honored her hunch that the shale was pointing her towards a bigger discovery and began to investigate.

“That was the start of every crater-related discovery that has been made in Decorah,” says Laura Peterson, Professor of Environmental Studies at Luther College and a member of Decorah’s informal crater enthusiasts group. “We only know everything we do now because Jean paid attention to something that was unusual and didn’t match the expected pattern, and trusted herself enough to pursue that.”

Eventually, Jean and her collaborators at the Iowa Geological Survey discovered copious amounts of breccia – a conglomerate rock made of fragments of many other rocks and minerals – underneath the shale. Not only is breccia a problem for the construction of deep geothermal wells, as it can interfere with water movement and the way heat is transferred, it is also a strong indicator of impact events.

DEEP TIME EDITION

It was one of the major pieces of evidence that led to the discovery of Decorah’s impact crater, which is estimated to be around 465 million years old. Jean passed away in 2007, but the impact, pun intended, of her dedication should be recognized in the Decorah community for, well, the rest of time.

The presence of the crater, which is buried around 100 feet below the surface of Decorah, is likely the reason that the layer of Winneshiek Shale, and all of the fossils encased within it, has been preserved in this area, even though it eroded away everywhere else. Currently, the area inside the impact crater is the only known location of Winneshiek Shale in the world. For the most part, the shale is deep enough underground that it can only be reached by taking core samples, meaning that only very small fossil fragments are able to be excavated. But Jean and her team were lucky enough to discover one area where the shale rose to surface level – the fact that it was underwater was not enough to deter them. They were able to dam the flow of water, allowing access to large portions of shale. This excavation led to the discovery of a wide variety of ancient creatures and organisms, many of which had never been documented before.

One such find, of course, was that of the Pentecopterus decorahensis, a giant six-foot long eurypterid (yew-RIP-ter-id) – the scientific name for a group of extinct marine arthropods that feature segmented bodies, jointed limbs, and a flexible organic exoskeleton. Pentecopterus decorahensis is the largest organism that has been found in Winneshiek Shale, and the second-largest eurypterid that scientists have discovered in the world so far. But that’s not all – one of the greatest contributions that Pentecopterus decorahensis has made to the discipline of paleontology is related to its extremely old age. As the oldest known eurypterid by nearly nine million years,

STORY & ILLUSTRATIONS BY CLARA WODNY

this fossil confirmed suspicions that eurypterids evolved a lot sooner than had been previously estimated and

Pentecopterus decorahensis is something of a celebrity in the Decorah area, especially since the arrival of a lifesized model, affectionately known as Scorpy, that now resides at Luther College. Decorah’s crater taskforce was thrilled when the model was able to permanently return to Decorah, providing a fantastic tangible resource to help locals and tourists learn more about the crater and its

But why stop there? Steve St. Clair, a Decorah resident and member of the taskforce, had a vision for another Pentecopterus decorahensis model – one that would be able to withstand traveling and being touched. So, he reached out to the original Scorpy artist, Dennis Wilson of Pangaea Designs, and the new, more durable Scorpy will arrive in Decorah soon, with the intention of making appearances at various public events such as parades, school visits, and local festivals.

The new Scorpy is just one step towards engaging the community in our area’s incredible history, and teaching future generations about all of the possibilities within the field of science. Hopefully, Scorpy’s story will inspire the development of future scientists who will carry on Decorah’s wonderful tradition of

Clara Wodny is a 2025 graduate of Luther College, where she studied English and Visual Communications. She loves creating tangible expressions of community, both with words and stories as well as visual art. She can often be found elbows-deep in clay or printmaking ink and is excited to see where life after college takes her.

STAND ON THE “POINT OF IMPACT”

In Van Peenen Park in Decorah, there is now a large bronze medallion, set into a concrete base, that marks the scientific ‘point of impact’ from the meteor strike 465 million years ago. The Decorah Impact Crater sits many layers far below the current ground level (about 300 feet below the marker – one of the highest points in the crater circle, in fact!). It’s a short, pretty hike to the spot.

Here’s how to get there:

• Park at the main entrance to Van Peenen Park off of Quarry Hill Road in Decorah

• From the park informational kiosk, take the Higinn Trail loop (a 1.7 mile round-trip trek) to pass right by the impact marker. This off-road trail includes slight elevation changes. Dress for the weather and conditions, avoiding times of mud if possible.

VISIT SCORPY!

The current Pentecopterus decorahensis model lives in Valders Hall of Science at Luther College, and you can check it out and learn more about Scorpy! Here’s how:

• Go to Luther College’s main entrance / 700 College Drive, Decorah

• Stay left for Upper Campus.

• Park in a visitor spot near the first building on the left, Sampson Hoffland Laboratories. Enter SHL.

• In the lobby of SHL, stay right to enter Valders Hall of Science.

• See “Scorpy” on display in the hallway!

Go to visitdecorah.com/decorah-impact-crater for more Impact Crater activities!

Listen to a great Rhymes With Decorah Podcast interview with Birgitta Meade by Inspire(d)’s Benji Nichols at benjinichols.podbean.com/e/jyoungcrater

Turn the page to learn even more fun facts and deep time history of Decorah’s impact crater and Pentecopterus decorahensis, aka Scorpy, in an illustration by Clara Wodny!

Decorah’s ancient impact crater, one of fewer than 200 impact structures on the entire planet, sits about 100 feet below the earth’s surface. This means that the crater itself is not visible or present in Decorah’s current topology. Instead, the city’s bowl shape is a result of many years of erosion, rather than the meteor strike.

Fun Facts

While it is true that there are a lot of cool, ancient fossils found inside the impact crater, the impact itself is not what killed or preserved them. Instead, they probably lived many thousands of years after the impact and are preserved in a mysterious layer of shale that includes rocks, sediments, and fossils from many different time periods, all combined into one. Because the shale was deposited in deep, oxygen-free waters, it provided unique conditions that allowed for the preservation of very fine fossil features.

Pentecopterus decorahensis might be the most famous organism extracted from Winneshiek Shale, but it is far from the only one. Conodonts are a fully extinct group of jawless marine vertebrates. Because the only portion of Conodonts that become fossilized are their teeth, scientists must study and compare these fragments to modern creatures that have similar features and body types and produce a series of reconstructions before landing on the best estimation of what the creatures may have looked like.

slate breccia

Conodont teeth

by Clara Wodny

about

CRATER & SCORPY! DECORAH’S

The term “Sea-Scorpion” is simply a nickname for the Pentecopterus decorahensis, because it looks relatively similar to modern-day scorpions. In reality, it does not share a close genetic relationship with them. It is actually an Eurypterid (yew-RIP-ter-id) – the scientific name for a group of extinct marine arthropods that feature segmented bodies, jointed limbs, and a flexible organic exoskeleton. Pentecopterus decorahensis belongs to the same category as creatures like insects, shrimp, and lobsters, and is probably most genetically similar to a horseshoe crab.

The crater is often estimated to be around 465 million years old, but this is just a rough guess. Calculating a more exact age of the crater would require a dating process that involves analyzing little bits of sand called zircons – molecules that essentially had their atomic clocks reset by the impact.

Most fossils were found in pieces

Illustrations

Decorah’s Scorpy!

SUMMER LEARNING IS COOL!

Did you love learning about Scorpy? Well, get excited, ‘cause there’s always more to learn more about the natural world! Here’s a short list of some of our favorite educational places to visit in the Driftless – add them to your “to-explore” for this summer season!

The Driftless Region is home to many great things – one being the only National Monument in the entire state of Iowa. Effigy Mounds National Monument, located on Hwy 76 north of Marquette, is the site of 200 plus American Indian effigy mounds, built between 800 and 2500 years ago. Effigy Mounds is open every day in the summer, 9 am to 4:30 pm, with daily guided tours and programs. Learn more and plan your visit at nps.gov/efmo

Driftless Area Education & Visitor Center is well-worth a trip. Located on the banks of the Mississippi near Lansing, Iowa, the 10,000-square-foot center includes super cool cultural, recreational, natural, and historical exhibits. Check allamakeecountyconservation. org for workshops, special hikes, backwater paddling trips, and more! Open Monday-Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm, Sat-Sun. 12-4 pm. More info at facebook.com/AllamakeeCountyConservation or 563-538-0400.

Clayton County’s Osborne Nature Center features a native wildlife exhibit, walking trails, open shelters, a welcome center, and more. Located five miles south of Elkader, Iowa, on Hwy 13, folks can check out the outdoor nature playground, hike the trails, and fish along the Volga River as well. Clayton County Conservation also hosts fun Trail Runs, day camps, Heritage Days, and more. Summer hours: Mon-Sat 8 am-4 pm and Sun 12-4 pm. Learn more at claytoncountyconservation.org or 563-245-1516

Driftless Area Wetland Centre’s mission is to connect people of all ages to the natural world and empower them to positively impact their local environments. We love that! The visitor center features wetlands, prairie, wildlife displays, and more. Located near Marquette, Iowa, it is open Tues-Sat, 11 am - 4 pm. Learn more (and check out the kids’ day camps!) at driftlessareawetlandcentre.com or by calling 563-873-3537.

International Owl Center in Houston, Minnesota, works to make the world a better place for owls, and you can learn how to help at this neat education center! We suggest you visit for one of the three daily owl programs. There are usually live birds present each day, as well as fascinating owl displays. Summer hours: Friday - Monday, 10 am - 5 pm, with educational programs at 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm daily. Learn more (and see the 24/7 live owl cam) at internationalowlcenter.org or by calling 507-896-6957.

Effigy Mounds Marching Bear Group / Photo courtesy NPS

How do you throw a party in space during summer? You planet.

BY WILLIAM D. PETERSEN

This photo of compass plants was taken

is part

The profusion of these compass plants and other native prairie flowers on this land can be attributed to the successful restoration work done by Craig Thompson, for whom the prairie is aptly named after. Regular readers of Inspire(d) will recognize Craig and his talented wife, Mary, as regular contributors to the magazine. Want to thank Craig for his awesome work? Check out the new organization he’s started: driftlessbirds.org

See more of William’s photos on Flickr at rb.gy/73tzlf

PHOTO

in Thompson Prairie, which

of Upper Hixon Forest on the La Crosse Ridge in La Crosse County, Wisconsin.

Outside & Inside seating! Great Venue for your next event!

Summer hours: Fridays 4-8pm, Sat. 10-5 & Sun 1-5

Empty Nest Winery

Serving Wine, Fresh Sangria, 10 Craft Beers on Tap, House Ciders & Seltzers

Upc ing Events

May 30: Release Dragonfly Dreams

July 6: Live music on the patio featuring Sal & Dean 1-4pm

August 1: Release Blind Wine Winners

August 29: Release Fall Wines: Midlife Crisis, Apple Road, Crimson Cranberry

August 30-September 1: Labor Day Weekend! Food buffet Labor Day weekend

August 31: Live music on the patio featuring Danny Whitson, 1-4 pm SAVE THE DATES!

October 4: Release Radiant Strength proceeds donated locally to breast cancer & Sticky Buns

November 1: Final Release Night: Temptation, Berrylicious, Private Reserve

December 31: New Year's Eve Mystery Dinner Theater at 6pm with prime rib & seafood alfredo

What Makes You Feel Abundant?

“What makes you feel metaphorically wealthy?” I was posed this question in a newsletter last year, and it sat with me for a long time, tickling the edges of my brain with little pockets of delight. What makes me feel abundant? What makes me feel vibrant and lucky and taken care of?

ABUNDANCE Recognizing

I started with some little things: A whole pizza. Herbs on food. Beginning a new book series. Then I went a little bigger: TSA precheck. Nicely framed art. Monthly massages.

But it can be hard to feel like there’s any abundance of good things in the world when your grocery bill ratchets up, there’s no time for a summer vacation, your car breaks down…you get the idea. Bad stuff happens. And it always will. But you mustn’t forget that good stuff happens too. And it always will.

Approaching life with an abundance mindset can help make those harder times feel just a little bit easier.

Much of an abundance mindset lives in the ability to believe. In yourself, in the world, in the future, and in the big, beautiful, unknown universe of possibilities. It also lives in the ability to hold gratitude for your current reality.

The way I see it, there are three aspects of an abundance mindset.

Manifesting abundance: Believe that good things will come your way. They have before, why not again? Set intentions and activate your faith in the universe.

Recognizing abundance: Focus on the good things in your life and let yourself feel happy about them. Savor them. It doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s a positive feedback loop, and we’re allowed to utilize this tool whenever we want. It doesn’t mean the bad stuff is gone; it’s just a reminder that we don’t have to carry it all the time.

Cultivating abundance: Make a plan to bring more abundance into your life. Buy some fresh herbs. Wash your sheets. Make an Abundance Jar (see page 73). Set goals and go after them.

To start building an abundance mindset, try practicing an Upward Spiral of Gratitude. Gratitude produces dopamine and boosts serotonin, making you feel good. Instead of spiraling down, you spiral up. I promise: If you look for gratitude, you will find it. Start by tuning into your senses. Close your eyes, breathe, and focus on what you hear, feel, or taste that makes you feel grateful. A warm cup of coffee, a cool breeze, the smell of fresh bread, etc. Then open your eyes and look around. What fills you with gratitude? Maybe knowing there’s food in the fridge, a sleeping dog at your feet, or fresh flowers on your table. Focus on those things and let yourself feel happy. Repeat as often as needed.

When you change your perspective, you change your reality. Remember though: People can change, but you can’t change other people. Your abundance mindset is for you, and you alone. Other people’s abundance will likely be totally different from yours. Don’t compare, and don’t allow other’s opinions to sour your thoughts on what makes you feel abundant.

Generally, there is always something that is working well in every person’s life. Focus on what’s going well in yours, and tap into that gratitude, happiness, and fulfillment. We live in a glorious, complex, abundant world, friends. Let’s grab hold of the good this summer.

XOXO - Aryn

INTRO & INFOGRAPHIC BY ARYN HENNING NICHOLS

Celebrate wins big and small

Live in the possibilities

Celebrate other people’s wins, too

From Aryn ’ s abundance list: Car wash tokens

You Are What You Think

Affirmations of Abundance

Try these: “Even if I lost everything, I am surrounded by people who would help me rebuild.”

“I am resilient. I have handled many challenges in the past.”

“I am creative and resourceful, so I will always be able to find a path forward.”

When you focus on things you don’t like, you’re more likely to notice other things you don’t like in life. When you focus on things you do like, you’ll see more of those. And when you tune into what you want in the future, you’ll start seeing paths toward that future.

From Aryn ’ s abundance list: Fizzy water

You can’t know the future. Let go of your limiting beliefs and imagine what good could come.

From Aryn ’ s abundance list: Frothy coffee

Be Mindful of a Scarcity Mindset

When you notice a feeling of scarcity in your statements, try reframing them. Instead of “I can’t do that because I’m too busy,” say, “I’m not prioritizing that right now.”

“I don’t have the money for that,” becomes “I don’t have the money for that yet.”

“I can’t do it,” becomes “I’m going to learn how.” Say

ABUNDANCE Ways to Recognize

9

Turn problems into puzzles of possibility

Practice an Upward Spiral of

Ask Yourself Questions A little introspection can open up possibilities. What do you feel when you’re seeking abundance? Who has a positive influence on your life? What do you do when you’re not feeling abundant? What little things make you feel metaphorically wealthy?

Gratitude produces dopamine and boosts serotonin, making you feel good. Instead of spiraling down, you spiral up. If you look for gratitude, you will find it. Tune into your senses and note all the things around you that make you feel grateful. Repeat as needed.

How can you solve this in a creative way? When you believe change is possible, your brain starts noticing solutions. The more you do this, the more confident you become in your ability to create change. From Aryn ’ s abundance list: A new book series Head to iloveinspired.com for Abundance Jar templates and prompts

Make an Abundance Jar! Write down the things that make you feel abundant. Put them in a jar and pull some out whenever you’re feeling low.

MENTAL HEALTH INSIGHTS for

CULTIVATING AN ABUNDANT LIFE

Mental health counselor

Olivia Lynn Schnur helps us cultivate abundance.

BY OLIVIA LYNN SCHNUR, MA, LMHC, LPC, CYT-200

Sources of abundance surround us in summer. Prairies are infused with colorful wildflowers in bloom. Rivers and waterfalls flow through lush green landscapes. The sound of chirping birds permeates the air. Seemingly endless days of sunshine offer ample opportunities for delight.

According to Cambridge Dictionary, the word abundance means having “more than enough.” Our capacity to experience abundance, then, is only limited by what we consider enough. We can seek abundance in the material world, of course, but our potential for abundance expands when we look for it in connection with others, nature, and meaningful experiences. There are, simply put, abundant ways to find abundance in all things, little or big. Yet, we cannot (and should not) attempt to capitalize on every opportunity extended our way. The fact remains that our time, energy, and resources are limited. Too much of anything (even a good thing) can lead to feelings of anxiety, overwhelm, and exhaustion. Abundance without limits leads to excess and extremes. We can take a lesson directly from the seasons. Nature teaches us that abundance is more circular than constant. Summer, the season of abundance and growth, is followed by autumn, a season of harvest and decay. When life is abundant, we can relish in the

joy, nourishment, and generosity that springs forth. When that wanes, we can practice gratitude for what remains. If we trust in the seasons, we know abundance will come again.

ABUNDANCE VS. SCARCITY

We are not all conditioned to seek out (or notice) sources of abundance. In fact, our life experiences may have primed us to notice the opposite – scarcity.

Scarcity is defined as “lack” or “situations in which something is not easy to find or get.”

A scarcity mindset can feel like a lifetime of winter – when resources, opportunities, and second chances are few and far between. Endless winter can create a “survival of the fittest” mentality. It’s only natural that when we feel resources are scarce, we fight to obtain them.

This can lead us to hoard any resources we are given because we believe those resources are finite. If the choice is between sharing and starving, few will choose to starve.

A scarcity mindset can also breed jealousy, making us believe that another person’s prosperity is our demise, or that their needs are getting met at the expense of our own. When we believe opportunities are limited, we may act outside of our values to obtain success. We may lie, cheat, and steal if we believe we’ve only got one chance to win.

On the flip side, people with an abundance mindset believe life is filled with ample opportunities for success, growth, and connection. We are not blind to failure or setbacks. The difference is, when something does not work out, people with an abundance mindset know that another chance is just around the corner. We see hard times as an opportunity to learn.

An abundance mindset also allows us to be more generous with our resources. We share what we have in excess, knowing it will come back around to us. We do not need to compete with others. We can celebrate their wins, knowing their success does not mean our failure.

ABUNDANCE AND GENEROSITY

Unfortunately, we do not live in a society where everyone is given equal access to resources and opportunities. In truth, many people face real inequities based on race, gender, sex, class, sexual orientation, and more. And being born into scarcity can be a difficult pattern to break. When we find ourselves in a season of abundance, it can be helpful – to ourselves and society –to lean into generosity. Having access to anything in abundance allows us to share, and oftentimes, generosity can lead to a greater abundance. For example, if we volunteer our time, it comes back to us in gratitude. If we share our resources, it can enhance our sense of purpose. When we give freely to others, our sense of community and connection grows. Think about areas of your life where you have more than you need. It could be time, resources, energy, or insight. How can you share that with others? How might that impact your passion and purpose in life?

ABUNDANCE VS. ACCUMULATION

Abundance without generosity can lead to accumulation or excess. Hoarding too much stuff overwhelms our physical space. Overfilling our schedules leaves us unconnected and exhausted. There really can be too much of a good thing.

In a world of endless options, we need boundaries. We must know when and how to say “no.” As difficult as it may be, boundaries free us up to say “yes” to things that truly make us feel abundant.

We cannot accept abundant opportunities when we do not have space for them, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. We need to leave room in our lives for abundance to flow through.

When we free ourselves from excess, we can appreciate the little things. We have time to sit, listen, and play. We have the capacity to connect with the people around us and nurture our most important relationships. We can mindfully embrace our current abundance and foster the chance for more.

ABUNDANCE GLIMMERS

Another way we can cultivate an abundance mindset is by looking for abundance glimmers.

Abundance glimmers are little sources of joy, positivity, optimism, gratitude, or generosity that exist all around us. They are small moments we might otherwise take for granted. They are reminders that we have more than enough.

Glimmers can be simple: Working in a garden, stopping to appreciate a view, or listening to music. A favorite drink or meal from a restaurant. Fresh sheets, open windows, or fluffy towels. An entire day off from work. Sometimes glimmers come from others, too, like when a child draws us a picture, a stranger gives us a compliment, or a loved one offers to help with something we need.

Everyone is going to have different sources of abundance. What makes you feel abundant? Take a moment to ponder that question.

June 7: Joseph Hall Elvis Tribute Show

July 24-27: CCT Productions presents Wizard of Oz

August 23: Scriptless In Seattle – Comedy Show

September 27: Mentalist – Don Marlette

Showing movies nightly at 7 pm and a Sunday matinee at 2 pm

Rent the Opera House for large events or Champlin Hall for reunions, showers & more.

Visit crescotheatreoperahouse.com or call 563-547-1066 for details

FINDING BALANCE IN ABUNDANCE

As with all areas of life, we feel best when we achieve a sense of balance. When we have abundance in one area of life, but feel scarcity in another, how can we find greater balance? Perhaps, we can transfer resources from an area of excess, into another area that’s lacking.

Try making a Wheel of Life in the worksheet following this article to help visualize different aspects of your life, like your health, social and home settings, entertainment, and more. Consider areas that feel unbalanced.

For example, if endless career opportunities have been afforded to you, but they limit opportunities for fun and recreation, maybe it’s time to hire an assistant or think about bringing on an intern to mentor in your field. Or if finances are abundant, maybe you can spare some money to improve your health or physical environment.

Get creative as you approach greater balance, and therefore, more meaningful abundance.

ABUNDANCE FOR LIFE

Regional Health Services of Howard County welcomes Dr. Keenan Laraway to the provider team! Internal medicine physician, Dr. Laraway, specializes in Adult Medicine & Geriatrics, as well as treating and managing ongoing health issues for adult patients

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Laraway, call 563-547-2022 or visit rhshc.com to learn more.

Each of us has a different idea of abundance. Thinking about things that make us feel abundant, looking for abundance glimmers, and considering areas where we have abundance to share can lead to a more fulfilling life.

When we encounter setbacks, we can lean into sources of support in the community around us. Remember that seeking the help of a licensed therapist can be another source of support. Knowing when to ask for help is an important part of creating a balanced life.

When we rely on others, it may feel like we have nothing to offer in exchange. However, no matter who you are, you have something to offer. Your presence is often more than enough.

An abundant life does not mean that everything is always overflowing. It does not even mean that life is easy or smooth. Instead, we can learn to look for sources of abundance in the simplicity of a mindful life. We can cultivate moments of abundance by being more present with others and grateful for what we have. When life gives us seasons of abundance, we can enhance the experience by sharing it with others. And we can prepare for seasons of lack by developing an abundance mindset. We can take comfort in the knowledge that something beautiful is always right around the corner.

Olivia

Lynn Schnur is a Licensed Mental

Health Counselor,

EMDR Certified Therapist, Certified Yoga Teacher and Reiki Master. Her mental health writing is designed to inspire, educate and uplift readers. You can learn more about Olivia, or book a yoga session, at oliviaschnur.com.

IDENTIFY ABUNDANCE WITH THE WHEEL OF LIFE

As you go through the list, think about the sources of abundance (or lack thereof) in each category of your life. Fill in each section of the below circle based on how satisfied you feel in that area on a scale of 1-5. Do you feel abundant in Fun and Recreation? Fill that section up to line five. Lacking in Romance? Color that section to line one, and so on. Once you’re finished, look at the completed wheel. When you have abundance in one area of life, but feel scarcity in another, how can you find greater balance? Perhaps, you can transfer resources from an area of excess, into another area that’s lacking? It’s important to note that at any given time, you may only have a few areas of life that feel abundant. Try not to judge what you notice but just take note of where you’re at right now.

We can start to identify what abundance means to us by looking at different ways it can manifest. One way to do this is by making a “Wheel of Life,” which contains eight different life categories: FINANCES & PERSONAL RESOURCES

FUN & RECREATION

FINANCES & PERSONAL RESOURCES

LISTENING TO THE NEXT GENERATION

We created Future Focused, a new Inspire(d) column written by pre-teens and teens, to help give the next generation an opportunity to share their voices. Partnering with Dana Hogan, the Extended Learning Program teacher at Decorah Middle School, we offered prompts around the idea of abundance for this issue (and Dana had the genius idea of a metaphorical “Abundance Jar”). Students submitted some really great work, and five were chosen for this Inspire(d). You can read all the Future Focused pieces published so far at iloveinspired.com/category/future-focused.

Here’s to Listening to the Next Generation! - Aryn

In the window sill, there is a jar, Although it may have a little scar, The jar holds strong, It holds the memories from my past, Making room for all that will pass.

Up and at ‘em at 4 in the morning, The sun has yet a new aborning, Putting on my neon orange, And the boots that almost fit,

Getting in the truck, barely awake, Hiding in the corn stalks

Making a maze

Seeing the birds swooping in Getting ready for the big win.

The breeze in my hair, Blowing it everywhere, The smell of the earth, That makes life all worth,

The sound of the waves crashing into the shore, It’s almost like I’ve been here before,

Swinging in my hammock, dear, Reading a book for all to hear,

Getting up after a snooze, And it’s time to put on my shoes, Go to the bank, And cast my line, Hoping to catch my dinner, All mine.

Stomach turning,

People yearning, You hear the starter’s gun, It’s time to run,

Pound pound pound, It’s time to pass, Let’s hope that I can last, Hearing the crowd, Chanting loud,

Seeing the end, My legs might mend,

Finishing strong, Maybe I was meant to do this all along,

The sun is setting, It’s getting dark, Begging to stay outside, Or else I’d cried,

Lightning bugs all around, Barley making a sound, Click, click, click Family near, Friends dear,

Storing this fire in my jar, So that it won’t be so far, Bringing a light to my day, So that it can always stay.

Hattie is a 7th grader at Decorah Middle School and is currently involved in soccer, basketball, softball, and track and field. She values her education and friendships, making them the center of her life.

IN MY ABUNDANCE JAR

ABUNDANCE IN THE SUMMER WOODS

The burnt, dry, ground is scorched in the sun. Suffocating heat ripples around me. Birds chirp in the distance. I look toward the glistening green and shaded woods. They seem quiet and calm, but inside they are full of life. That is only if you look deep inside. Not just from the outside but deep into the roots of the woods. Only then can you see what the woods are all about.

The woods are not scary. They are much more than what they seem. They are not just a lot of dirt and plants, but a deep and complex system. The cold wet ground is a safe haven away from the heat. Mighty lush trees provide shelter to all, no matter who. Mice all the way to moose roam and savor the summer woods.

Smells of bark and unique plants draw me in. As I get closer, the more I feel, see, and wonder. I step into the shade and realize what it’s all about. The woods don’t just bring a great physical feeling but also a place to clear the mind and become one with your surroundings.

Brent Burkey has lived his whole life in Decorah, Iowa, on an acreage with plenty of woods. He’s a new author and wanted to share the wonderful feelings and inspiration he finds in the woods with readers.

HATTIE SAUER, AGE 13

BRENT BURKEY, AGE 13

All the joys of being a child, the clanking sound of a rollercoaster ascending to its peak, a stinging, rosy face coming inside from the snow.

All of the things kids are meant to love, like soft blankets and Christmas presents and playing with toys and childhood joys.

So easily forgotten yet somehow always missed, like the fleeting warmth of the world when you haven’t yet learned how cold it really is.

So your honey and jam jars run out eventually; leaving you empty and then, inevitably, you mourn the simplicity of field trips and ice cream covered faces and running around too loudly in the yard at house parties with your sister.

As I move in my mind, and heart, alongside the years and spinning of the Earth, I run out of time to feel full

And the small life I’ve created for myself evaporates into thin air, leaving me to wonder: When did this happen? How did I not notice the time slipping away?

Maybe the old, empty jar of hope I’ve left on my windowsill, imagining that it might soak up even just a drop of love from the Sun, will need to learn to find the energy it needs in unexpected places.

So, I start to take it out with me when I leave the house. To the coffee shop where the familiar man waves to me from the corner. I don’t need to give my name for my order because the barista, Leroy, remembers.

It follows me into the car with my dad where I can see his expressions, realizing I make the exact same ones.

I take my jar with me during the summer and scoop up some of the thick fog covering the river before sunrise.

I steal the laughter from my friends and I as we reference some obscure inside joke, and slip that into my jar too.

My jar comes everywhere with me now. Sooner than I realize, replenishing it becomes second nature. I watch it grow and with some occasional support, it learns to flourish on its own; I no longer need to keep a watchful eye on it all the time.

It comes to school with me and fills when I’m relieved to pass an assignment or when I’m proud of something I’ve done,

And at home the sweet scents from shower soaps waft into the jar and the smell of candles I light on my nightstand;

the starry colors of the jar twist and shimmer in the flickering light of flame.

And before bed, I see those swirling colors and think they’re all too similar to the galaxy which makes up a person; intertwining with others, forming constellations of who we are.

Moving and changing and growing and learning.

Every now and then, I notice a slight discoloration, a pinkish hue that stains the glass, which is evidence of the bright, loud, saturated colors which once occupied this jar and my life.

I find my joy in those quieter places I once ignored in childish arrogance. So this jar of mine fills now in different ways and takes different hues.

Lula McAbee, eighth grade student at Decorah Middle School, is once again incomprehensibly grateful that they get to share such personal feelings and experiences like the ones displayed above outward into the world. When they’re not delving into such topics, they enjoy reading, crafting, drawing, and music.

LULA MCABEE, AGE 13

MY ABUNDANCE JAR

RUTH KUENY, AGE 13

While some may fill their jars to the brim

With fleeting joys

Like walking in the city late at night

Or biting into a melty and rich freshly-baked cookie

Or rereading a favorite book

The flicker of light brought by these is not dependable

What happens when there is no city to walk in

Not a freshly-baked cookie to bite into

Nor a book to reread?

Like fireflies, they flash bright and then disappear

Their sparkle of joy seemingly vanished.

My jar occasionally gathers dust from neglect

The lid loosens with yelling and fighting.

The light seems to leak with insecurity.

The body cracks with stress.

And then I remember what I keep in my jar I like to fill my jar with the moon, the weather, the stars, the clouds.

The sky.

When the moon shines bright and illuminates everything with an ethereal glow

When the beautiful spattering of the Milky Way is thrown across the night sky

When the clouds form animals and bound across the sky, dancing with the wind

When the thunder rocks you to sleep, humming its deep lullaby

When the sprinkling of rain decides to pour until your clothes are sodden and your spirits light

When you take a moment to appreciate the sky

To appreciate the filled canvas that the earth paints every day

To appreciate that as the atmosphere reflects blue, we can reflect on the sky too

To appreciate that not every day is perfect and sunny, and sometimes the most beautiful moments are in the rain.

That is my jar

And any time the light dims and the dust collects, I look to the sky

And the dim light brightens

Radiating its warmth and light

Showering everything with warmth

And I have my own star

Ruth (Kueny) is an 8th-grade Decorah Middle School student who enjoys many activities, such as running, playing guitar, playing basketball, drawing, and reading.

NATHANIEL CROSE, AGE 14

There’s a jar in my home

Filled with the joys I hold dear

It shines brighter and brighter with each passing year.

My joys aren’t too grand

Or covered in gold

Instead, they’re small dreams that will never grow old.

Thunderstorms at night, Or a cozy winter storm

I find delight when the world is cold and I am warm.

I love resting after a long day

In a clean and organized room And kicking up my feet with nothing really to do.

But it’s not just the relaxing things I enjoy

It is grinding day after day with a true runner’s grit

And the satisfaction that award brings when you finally earn it.

However, sometimes the weight of the world is too much

The jar goes dark, my Light seems gone

And I forget the joys that once made me strong.

I trudge through the day

Without meaning or scope

Until at last my jar shines with newly found Hope.

So that is my abundance jar

My treasure, my heart, my soul

I hope you too find pleasure in the things that make me whole.

Nathaniel Crose is an 8th-grade student at Decorah Middle School (soon-to-be High School Freshman). He is in band, chorus, cross country, and track & field. Nathaniel enjoys reading, learning, drawing, listening to music and podcasts, and running in his free time.

This issue’s Future Focused inspired our Summer Paper Project! Check it out on page 73 and make your own – actual – Abundance Jar!

Decorah’s Wendy and Jim Stevens host an epic cake party every year.

/ Photo by Kendra Marable

CAKE PARTY MAGIC

life is sweet

BY RENEE BRINCKS

Wendy has baked as many as 37 cakes for the annual cake party.

/ Photo by Kendra Marable

CAKE PARTY MAGIC

Flowers add magic to the lighting at the party. / Photo by Kendra Marable

Jim lights candles at the cake table. / Photo courtesy the Stevens

Lanterns guide guests down the path to the party clearing.

/ Photo courtesy the Stevens

Wendy poses with the table of cakes.

/ Photo courtesy the Stevens

LIFE is sweet

When it comes to memorable birthday parties, Wendy Stevens’ annual festival of friends, food, and homemade frosting takes the cake.

BY RENEE BRINCKS

You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

Or so goes the old saying. Still, Wendy Stevens sure does try. The Decorah resident and retired Luther College biology professor has hosted a huge annual birthday party for 37 years and counting, baking as many as 30 cakes for 200 people a year.

Each year, guests marvel at the cake party magic. Candles tucked into jars line the walking path. Lofty maple trees circle the event site. Trestle tables await the parade of cakes – annual favorites like chocolate torte, fresh peach cake, and carrot cake, to name just a few – carefully carried by partygoers, one-by-one, to the forest clearing.

THE INGREDIENTS

Wendy and her husband, Jim, moved to rural Decorah in the early 1970s. The couple raised two sons in a wooded valley with a stream and an old limekiln. Trails, grass, and gardens surround a late-1800s log house that Jim relocated and reconstructed for the family.

In 1987, friends helped the couple pour the concrete foundation for a summer kitchen. It was a drizzly day. Wendy, who started her baking hobby while in graduate school, baked a carrot cake in celebration of the slab being poured – and to celebrate her 40th birthday. As the group stood in the mist, snacking on cake, Wendy remembered some advice from her good friend, Bernice Feltis, a retired Winneshiek County schoolteacher who has since passed away.

“Bernice told me, ‘If you don’t want to be disappointed, you plan your own party,’” Wendy says. “I thought that was really good advice.”

Bernice used to mark her birthday with a grand potluck. From that drizzly afternoon on, Wendy decided to always plan her own party, as well.

A year later, she baked seven cakes and welcomed 20 families for the first cake gathering. Though the date now varies slightly each year, there is always plenty to celebrate. Wendy and Jim both have early August birthdays, and their anniversary also falls in August.

They’ve hosted guests annually since 1988, except for 2020 when COVID-19 risk ran high. That year, Wendy baked a white bundt cake with almond extract. Jim set out lawn chairs and built a fire, and the two of them ate their cake with black raspberry sauce and vanilla ice cream while watching low clouds backlit by the moon.

THE RECIPE

Today, with nearly four decades of parties behind them, Wendy and Jim have developed efficient planning, baking, and setup routines. Early on, Wendy marks her calendar with tasks like defrosting the freezer and cleaning the root cellar. She also tracks ingredients on spreadsheets. For example, to bake 24 cakes in 2016, Wendy used 98 eggs, 127 tablespoons of butter, 26.5 tablespoons of cocoa, and 44 cups of sugar, including granulated, powdered, and brown sugars. Other elements on that year’s shopping list included eight toffee bars, seven cups of strawberries, four cups of walnuts, and two lemons.

Wendy typically starts baking cakes three weeks before the party. Things like cream puffs and meringues are best when made the morning of the event, but she finishes and freezes most other cakes ahead of time. The inaugural party taught her to stretch out her schedule.

The cakes are cut into small pieces so guests can try a variety.

/ Photo by Kendra Marable

Angie Herrmann

David Finholt

Photo courtesy the Stevens

Photo by Kendra Marable

“That first year, I only had two nine-inch round pans. It didn’t even occur to me that when the cake comes out, you have to let it cool. Then you have to wash the pan. And I only had a regular-size oven. I could only get a maximum of three pans in the oven at one time,” she says.

Wendy works from a binder of printed recipes framed by notes she’s scribbled over the years. While a few cakes build on boxed mixes, she makes the majority from scratch.

“It’s mostly the same cakes every year. I try to have one or two new ones, but when you make a new cake, it doesn’t always work out like you think it’s going to,” she says.

Other surprises sometimes derail Wendy’s careful plans. One year, she started over after leaving sugar out of the cupcake batter. Another time, a carrot cake layer slid from the cooling racks and hit the floor. An angel food cake once emerged from the freezer with a wide dent, and another once went missing. (Wendy later found it in a box at the bottom of the freezer.)

Last summer, as she was baking 28 cakes, the oven stopped working. Jim was in La Crosse buying beer for the party, so a friend helped Wendy shuttle ingredients and an oven thermometer to a neighbor’s house. Wendy thanked the neighbor with a party invitation.

“I’ll invite him again this year. There’s no doubt about that,” she says.

While she bakes most cakes herself, a friend typically provides extra support a day or two before the party. Others help weed the gardens and write up cake descriptions. On party day, Wendy’s sister and family bring lunch for the friends and relatives who assist with prep. Wendy whips the cream and makes each frosting from scratch and then entrusts others to top cakes with chopped fruit, flowers, and carefully swirled frosting.

Wendy (in front of her carrot cake) typically starts baking cakes three weeks before the party. / Photo courtesy the Stevens

by

Photo

Kendra Marable

Meanwhile, Jim positions long tables in the lawn and places candles along the path between the parking area and the party site. He and Wendy also solicit help stacking wood for a towering, post-dinner bonfire. Inspired by Wendy’s years as a Girl Scout, it’s a shoulder-height structure that resembles a log cabin, topped with tall sticks arranged in a tent shape.

Partygoers start arriving around 6:30 pm, and everyone brings a snack to share – “everything from a bag of chips to little open-face sandwiches to salads to fruit to meatballs,” Wendy says. “It’s all sorts of things, so most people don’t eat dinner before they come.”

Shortly before 8 pm, Wendy invites attendees to carry cakes from the house to the party grounds. Occasionally, someone suggests carrying two cakes at once.

“I have a rule, and that’s one cake per person,” Wendy says. “Number one, people don’t realize how heavy the cakes get. Number two, I just say, ‘If you should happen to fall, then we lose two cakes. This way, it’s just one cake and it’s not that big of a deal.’”

Next, Wendy gives her guests an official welcome, thanks those who helped with party prep, and makes one gentle request.

“I love making the cakes, but it’s hard for me to see cake thrown away if people have taken some and not eaten it. So, I ask that people please take what they’re going to eat and then come back for as much cake as they want later,” Wendy says. “It works. People come up later and say, ‘I ate all my cake.’”

She personally greets each guest who comes through the cake line. People enjoy their slices, chat with other partygoers, and circle near the fire that gets lit around 9 pm. When guests leave for home, they follow the candlelit path back to their cars.

“At the end, it is so magical, silently putting out the lanterns. We put them out starting at the parking area. When we get to the cake area, all that’s left are the glowing coals from the fire, and then all these candles around and on the table,” Wendy says. “It’s like a fairytale, or another Brigadoon. We’re done with another year, and everything reverts back to normal.”

THE ICING ON THE CAKE

In the musical “Brigadoon,” two American travelers happen upon an enchanting Scottish village that appears for just one day every 100 years. But Wendy and Jim have cultivated a more permanent village for themselves: a community of treasured friends and family who look forward to this party every year. Guests have traveled from as far as New Mexico and Hawaii to attend, but most are local friends, relatives, coworkers, and colleagues from volunteer activities.

Variety Show with Jill Minor

Guests bring chairs and gather in the clearing to eat cake and connect on a summer evening. Below, the bonfire gets lit around 9 pm. / Photos courtesy the Stevens

Candles light emptying cake plates as the evening continues on. / Photo courtesy the Stevens

“This is one way that I can thank these people for being in our lives,” Wendy says.

Back in the party’s 15th year, some friends surprised Wendy and Jim with a custom-made tablecloth that guests got to sign. It still graces a table each year. In 2023, as partygoers celebrated Wendy and Jim’s 50th wedding anniversary and Jim’s 80th birthday, some of those same attendees crafted a three-tiered cardboard cake to hold cards for the couple.

Though hosting the party takes a lot of planning and preparation, marking milestones with friends makes it all worthwhile.

“There’s always a day when I’m thinking, ‘What on earth are you doing? Why are you doing this?’” Wendy says. “But as soon as people start to arrive, I’m done. I can’t do anything more. All I need to do is enjoy these people.”

Renee Brincks (reneebrincks.com) writes about travel, nature, nonprofits, and small businesses. Her favorite kinds of cake are snickerdoodle bundt cake and white cake with heaps of homemade frosting.

TIPS FOR THROWING YOUR OWN CAKE PARTY

1. Start small. “People come to this and say, ‘I could never do it.’ At the beginning, maybe seven cakes and 20 families is too many for you. But just start small, and decide how to build from there,” Wendy says.

2. Be flexible if it rains. “The thing that ages me the most is the weather,” Wendy says. “I’ve learned to be real gutsy about doing this...One year we all had to be inside, and that’s the year everybody remembers.”

3. Have fun. “I will always go with Bernice Feltis’ advice: plan your own party. That’s it. If it’s an annual thing, make sure it’s something that you look forward to doing,” Wendy says.

A (CAKE) WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE

When Wendy Stevens bakes for her annual birthday party, she chooses cakes that her guests love. While her own favorites include Viennese torte and a devil’s food coconut creme, she enjoys most all flavors on the menu.

“I like just about all of my cakes really well, because you never know what’s going to be left over,” says Wendy, who also serves cake for breakfast the morning after the party.

Here’s what guests have to say about the annual event.

Nancy Bolson

The cake party date is one of the first things Nancy writes on her calendar each year. “It’s just such a big summer event. It’s right up there with Christmas,” she says. Favorite cake: “I just take little, tiny bits of lots of them, and usually by the time the fork hits the plate, it’s dark. It’s a mingling of these wonderful, whipped cream-chocolate-fruit bites,” Nancy says.

Melissa Brown

Melissa marvels at thoughtful party decorations like wildflowers on the mailbox, candles in jars, and cakes topped with carrot-shaped icing or sweet Johhny Jump Up blossoms. «I love to watch the parade of cakes as partygoers each carry a cake to the tables for cutting,” she says.

Favorite cake: Flourless dark chocolate cake with raspberries, white cake with lemon filling, and better than sex chocolate cake

David Cavagnaro

One year, David and a friend vowed to taste every cake at the party. His friend filled a plate with samples of all the chocolaty cakes, David filled his plate with cakes featuring fruit, and they later traded. They couldn’t pick a favorite, and David says it took about a week of fasting to recover.

Favorite cake: “Well, of course, that is an entirely impossible question!” David says.

Betsy Hayes

Wendy’s sister Besty attends with her husband, Roland, and their daughter and her family. She calls the party a joyful event with sometimes unpredictable weather. “‘Is it on?? Is it off??’ and ‘Everybody, cover the tables!! Everybody uncover the tables!!’ It’s very exciting,” Betsy says.

Favorite cake: Chocolate eclair cake and the layer cake with peach slices and whipping cream

Dale and Frances Garst-Kittleson

“When we got our first invitation, we asked someone about it. I remember their eyes just lighting up. We were told, ‘This party is not to be missed,’” Dale says. “They were right. It is the one not to be missed. It’s beautiful.”

Frances helped make both the guest-signed tablecloth and the cardboard cake that held cards for Wendy and Jim. She appreciates the couple’s graciousness as hosts, and the community they’ve built. “At the end, you make the long walk back to the cars and there are little tiki torches and candles,” Frances says. “It’s always really late, and you’re just walking away very happy and satisfied and full of cake.”

Favorite cake: Cheesecake and the cake with fresh peaches and whipped cream (Frances), plus all the chocolate ones (Dale)

Guests find it hard to pick a favorite cake. Above, a peach cake. Opposite, a carrot cake. / Photos by Kendra Marable

CARROT CAKE recipe

3 eggs, beaten

½ cup canola oil

1 cup buttermilk

1 ½ cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained

2 cups grated carrots

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup flaked coconut

Frosting

½ cup + 1Tbsp butter, softened

1 package (8 ounces) regular cream cheese

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 ¾ cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. cream or milk if needed to make the frosting spreadable

by Wendy Stevens

Preheat oven to 350°

In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, oil, buttermilk, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in another bowl, and whisk flour mixture into egg mixture. Stir in pineapple, carrots, nuts and coconut. Line three 9-inch round pans with parchment paper. Put 2 1/3 cups batter into each pan. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans after 10 minutes of cooling. Cool cake layers completely before frosting.

To make frosting, combine butter, cream cheese and vanilla. Beat until smooth or blend in a food processor. Add powdered sugar and beat until creamy. Add a little cream or milk if the frosting is too stiff. Spread on cooled cake layers, assemble cake and frost the outside of the cake.

Stringwood Chamber Music Festival is held annually at Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center in Lanesboro. / Photos courtesy Stringwood

HARMONY IN NATURE

The

Stringwood Chamber Music Festival Celebrates 25 Years of Music-Making in the Driftless

BY LAURA BARLAMENT

Ah, summer camp! Pack your hiking boots and your flashlight, because it’s time for canoeing, hiking, and playing chamber music. Wait, what? Yes, we are talking about a special kind of summer camp, the Stringwood Chamber Music Festival, founded by St. Paul, Minnesota’s Artaria String Quartet.

Celebrating its 25th year, Stringwood is held annually at Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center in Lanesboro. Each summer, this bucolic spot above the Root River becomes a musical retreat in nature, where young violinists, violists, and cellists ages 12-22 discover the riches and joy of classical chamber music. And, in turn, they give this richness and joy back to surrounding communities in a series of concerts in midAugust.

“Stringwood was really where I discovered my lifelong love for music,” says violinist Brianna Lai. Now a student at Vanderbilt University, she attended Stringwood for three summers in her middle and high school years. “I was incredibly moved by my experience there and who I met, both my fellow students, the assistant faculty, and Artaria. It showed me so many possibilities and instilled this love of music, and love of community, and love of the community that you can have through music.”

FROM THE BERKSHIRES TO BLUFF COUNTRY

The Stringwood Chamber Music Festival is the brainchild of husband-and-wife team Ray Shows and Nancy Oliveros Shows, both violinists. Nearly 40 years ago, Ray and Nancy, then graduate students at Boston University, started the Artaria String Quartet and became its core members, developing a distinctive sound and a dynamic sense of mission. Today, violist Annalee Wolf and cellist Rebecca Merblum round out the quartet.

The members of the quartet discovered they had a love for both teaching and performing.

For a couple of summers, they were the artists-in-residence quartet at Lenox, Massachusetts’s Tanglewood, a world-renowned classical music education and performance center – and the summer home of the Boston Symphony – in the beautiful Berkshire Mountains. “We oversaw the high school chamber music program, and we loved it,” says Nancy.

During the academic year, they were the quartet-in-residence at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Nancy’s hometown. On a trip to Lanesboro to play a concert, they discovered Eagle Bluff

The members of the Artaria String Quartet: Founders Nancy Oliveros Shows and Ray Shows, with Rebecca Merblum and Annalee Wolf. / Photo courtesy Artaria

Environmental Learning Center, including its then-new climatecontrolled dorms. Immediately, their vision for a “Midwestern Tanglewood” took shape.

“We said, ‘Can we have a program here?’, and they welcomed it. Our last summer at Tanglewood was 1999,” Nancy explains. “In 2000, we created Stringwood in Minnesota.” August

A MUSICAL CONVERSATION

Chamber music, originally intended to be played in a room or “chamber,” is written for small groups in which each musician has a distinct part. It is often described as a conversation, because each player’s unique voice responds to the others.

“Chamber music teaches you how to collaborate with others, work as a team, listening to others, watching others. It’s like working on a group project; knowing how to communicate with your colleagues is important,” says Brianna, reflecting on lessons she learned in the Stringwood program.

The program accommodates about 32–36 students, many who come for multiple years and others recruited by Nancy and Ray. Applicants hail mostly from Minnesota and nearby states, but also from as far as Oregon, New Mexico, Florida, and Massachusetts. The Artaria members evaluate each applicant’s portfolio and assign them to a chamber music group before they arrive. “It’s not so much that we’re looking for the best of the best. We welcome students across all skill-levels,” Nancy says, “but we do get some amazingly talented students.”

Competitiveness is just not the Stringwood style. “We’re there to nurture these kids. We’re not there to put stress on them. We’re there to light the fire and show them what chamber music is all about. We invite them in,” says Nancy. “Then we say, ‘Let’s go!’”

Students learn from members of the Artaria String Quartet as well as guest artists, who offer concerts during the program.

/ Photo courtesy Stringwood

The students receive one-on-one lessons and start rehearsing with their assigned chamber groups right away, with musical coaching by members of Artaria. Assistant faculty – advanced college or graduate student musicians who are also serving as camp counselors – offer additional coaching.

During the Stringwood program, Artaria and guest artists offer a concert series at Lanesboro’s Sons of Norway Lodge. Students study and discuss the musical scores their teachers play, and benefit from master classes with the guest artists, who are invited because they are not only great musicians but also gifted mentors.

Students get their chance to shine in public each weekend. They

perform pieces they learned that week at various locations – mostly in Lanesboro, but also Winona, Chatfield, and finally, Minneapolis (see sidebar for details). There is one performance in Spillville, Iowa, as well, and it’s an annual Stringwood highlight. The great Czech composer Antonin Dvořák spent the summer of 1893 in Spillville, where he composed his beloved American String Quartet.

The Stringwood students visit the Bily Clocks Museum, located in the Dvořák family’s former home. They see a Dvořák violin. And they give a concert in Spillville’s historic St. Wenceslaus Church, where Dvořák played the organ. It’s thrilling for them to connect with the history of a composer whose work they are learning to revere. “It

50 TALENTED ARTISTS

was a really special opportunity,” says Brianna. “When you’re a musician and you’re playing these pieces, you

BEYOND MUSIC

Just as important to the students’ growth and team building process are the Eagle Bluff activities like rock climbing, hiking, canoeing, and high ropes courses; visits to town for shopping and ice cream; biking the Root River Trail to the Whalan pie shop; familystyle meals at the camp; and late nights hanging out and playing music just for fun. Continued on next page

Brianna Lai (in white) with her Stringwood quartet.

/ Photo courtesy Brianna Lai

Students trying the Eagle Bluffs ropes course. / Photo courtesy Stringwood

“Stringwood brings something we could not possibly get anywhere else nearby,” says Heidi Dybing of Lanesboro, a festival supporter who attends every concert. “Getting to know the instructors is delightful, as is getting to know the kids and seeing them grow and improve. You see them biking around town or at the ice cream shop together in their matching t-shirts. It’s delightful to see how much fun they have together. They form a unit of friendship and community that they would not have had otherwise.”

Heidi points out that Stringwood gives the Lanesboro community a chance to grow, too, by offering them the opportunity to hear intricately crafted music played by highly trained and passionate performers right in their own community.

“People who are afraid of classical music because they think it’s hoity-toity or it’s not for them, give it a chance,” Heidi adds. “You will be blown away. Just close your eyes and listen, and you will be transported.”

Laura Barlament lives in Decorah, Iowa, where she works at Luther College. She plays flute in the Oneota Valley Community Orchestra and counts Antonin Dvořák among her favorite composers.

CATCH A STRINGWOOD CONCERT THIS SUMMER!

Artaria & Guest Artist Festival Concerts, all located at Sons of Norway, Lanesboro

August 5, 7 pm: Artaria String Quartet and Dmitri Murath, viola

August 12, 7 pm: Artaria String Quartet and Boston Duo

August 14, 7 pm: Boston Duo and John Jensen, piano

Stringwood Student Concerts

August 8, 7 pm at Sons of Norway, Lanesboro

August 9, 10 am at Lanesboro Arts Gallery and Paddle on Coffee, Lanesboro

August 9, 3 pm at St. Wenceslaus Church, Spillville

August 10, 8 am at St. Mary’s Catholic Church Service, Chatfield

August 10, 10 am at Bethlehem Lutheran Church Service, Lanesboro

August 15, 7 pm at Elstad Church, Lanesboro

August 16, 2 pm at Winona History Museum

August 17, 2 pm at Antonello Hall at MacPhail Center, Minneapolis Learn more and find the concert schedule: www.stringwood.com

Cultivating an abundance mindset this summer? Simply hoping to appreciate more things around you? Or perhaps you want some positive notes on hand the next time you’re feeling down? Make an Abundance Jar! Download our coloring template and prompts for this easy project!

SUM BUSINESS

INSPIRING ENTREPRENEURS IN THE DRIFTLESS OF YOUR

DAN BELLRICHARD of

INTRODUCTION & INTERVIEW BY ARYN HENNING NICHOLS

Making the world a better place through snacks seems like the best possible business plan in existence, honestly. It’s what Sogo Snacks owners / husband-and-wife team Dan Bellrichard and Liza Hicken have set out to do since they launched their meat stick business in Decorah in 2016.

Sogo Snacks makes meat sticks filled with good things – premium natural pork, free range turkey, and 100% grass-fed beef – and simple, clean ingredients you can pronounce. While most meat snack companies are run by large corporations, Dan and Liza got the memo on “family-owned business.” The two manage everything from production to fulfillment to customer service (no kidding, a call to Sogo gets Dan on the phone), and their three kids, Lulu, Poppy, and Solveig help out writing family notes or creating origami creatures for orders heading into the world.

Dan and Liza met at Luther College in the early 2000s, falling in love with each other and the Decorah community. The dream of

returning to this corner of the Midwest was planted then, but there was some world to experience first.

Dan joined the Peace Corps in 2002, and spent two years in Mali, West Africa, as a Small Enterprise Development Volunteer. Liza joined AmeriCorps, maintaining trails for the Montana Conservation Corps, then spent several months visiting Dan in Mali. After returning to the United States, they both joined the AmeriCorps (second time for Liza) and moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to volunteer with nonprofits working with underserved populations through AmeriCorps: Liza teaching GED classes and Dan working in microfinance.

They finally made it back to Decorah in 2007, but it would be almost a decade before they created Sogo Snacks, “convenient, high protein snacks for busy lives.”

The name and logo were inspired by Dan’s time in Mali: Sogo means “meat” in the Bambara language. And the Boabab tree

featured on the logo often provided the only shade in Mali’s blazing sun. Its leaves were used to make a dipping sauce for a meal called Tô (which Dan would eat every other day for dinner.) But perhaps the biggest inspiration was creating a mission-driven business with lasting values.

“We strive to be a humble and courageous company that follows the Golden Rule in all aspects of operations. And use our support and success to benefit society, both at home and abroad,” they write on their website, sogosnacks.com. “Join us in our motto and Snack Well, Do Good.”

Folks can find Sogo Snacks in the Driftless at a handful of locations across the region (see sidebar) or online at sogosnacks.com.

The Basics:

Name: Liza Hicken and Dan Bellrichard

Age: 45 and 46

Business: Sogo Snacks

Year Business Established: 2016

Business address: Decorah

Website: www.SogoSnacks.com

Dan took time out of his busy schedule for our Sum of Your Business interview. We loved his insightful, inspiring answers!

Tell us about the “leap” moment. When/ how did you decide to jump in and become your own boss?

I had been interested in starting a business since my time as a small business development volunteer in the Peace Corps and a microfinance volunteer with the Americorps. Timing, life, and a somewhat low tolerance for risk delayed this from happening for 10 or so years, until all the dots connected.

I got into the beef stick world working for a local grass-fed beef producer, however, they decided to sell the company to a large corporation. With two small children and one

on the way, our options were to leave Decorah to work for this new company, find a new job more aligned with my values, or start our own brand of beef sticks based on what I already knew. After the Peace Corps, corporate America and I didn’t see eye to eye and we had zero desire to leave Decorah. Since Liza had a job that provided health insurance, we figured if we were ever going to do it, now was the time. In addition, as I got things started, I could also be a stay at home dad for our soon-to-be third daughter.

So, I got to work developing recipes, finding suppliers, going through the USDA labeling process, creating a website, and everything else that comes with a business. When it was time for our very first production in the fall of 2016, we took everything we had in savings and made our first batches of three flavors. Solveig was born shortly after and would be in a carrier on my chest or back while I fulfilled the orders that started coming in.

What’s the best thing about being your own boss?

I think it’s the flexibility and working for more than an hourly wage. While I work more than I did in my 9 - 5 jobs, and at different times, there’s something about knowing all the effort is going towards a business you created.

Continued on next page

Liza Hicken and Dan Bellrichard / Photo courtesy Sogo Snacks

The whole Sogo Snack family sharing samples of Sogo meat sticks. / Photo courtesy Sogo Snacks

How about the worst?

Two things come to mind. The first is always having to be the one to deal with the bad and not so fun stuff. The second is trying to go on a family vacation. Getting away is a challenge when it’s just Liza and I. Luckily we know someone that has been extremely helpful the last few years.

Was there ever a hurdle where you just thought, “I can’t do this?” How did you overcome it?

Oh, definitely and many times over. The beef stick market is very competitive and over-saturated. It’s challenging being the small guy in a world that caters to big players. We overcame challenges in a variety of ways: smarts, being nimble, desperation, and a lot of LUCK. Sales started declining in 2019 and got worse once the pandemic hit. Our products are used when people are on the go, not sitting at home. Unexpectedly, and with zero notice, the smokehouse we arranged to make our products informed me that they wouldn’t anymore and the three future purchase orders to get us through the busy holiday season wouldn’t be made. Our orders weren’t big enough since they themselves had grown significantly in the past several years.

Our one employee at the time wisely said, “Dan, I think it’s best I take a different job” so I became a one-man show again. About six months later I was scanning the help-wanted section frequently and preparing to find a job myself when a podcaster happened to order and love our products. In my experience, “influencers” charge you to promote products to their “followers” but they typically don’t translate to sales.

This podcaster didn’t ask for a dime, just a coupon code to give his listeners, and he saved Sogo Snacks. We gained enough new customers to keep us going and kept building from there.

with Sogo

customers.

Any mentors/role models you look to/have looked to?

and

I’ve always looked up to my hardworking grandparents doing what it took to raise their families. Both were small business owners, one in bulk fuel delivery and the other a crop farmer. Both of our parents rock as well!

How do you manage your life/work balance?

Life/work balance has always been important to me since my experience in the Peace Corps. I’ve kept my tastes simple as a way to make this easier to achieve and I think I’m pretty good at it. Being an ecommerce business we have a little more flexibility. For example, I try to do computer work when watching sports so it frees up time when I want to do family or personal activities.

Dan

orders, boxed up

ready to go out to

/ Photo courtesy Sogo Snacks

What are some of the pros and cons of working with your spouse (and your entire family)?

Pros: We get to spend a lot of time together. We like our coworkers. We have a very good understanding of how each other operates and what their strengths and weaknesses are. Official meetings are almost non-existent. You can be your true self almost all of the time. Everyone works as hard and efficiently as possible because we don’t want to work any longer than necessary. We don’t feel the need to make small talk so we listen to a lot of audiobooks when doing mundane tasks.

Cons: We sometimes spend too much time together. It’s challenging to both miss work at the same time. Home life and work life can spill into each other more easily.

What keeps you inspired?

What inspires me is trying to have a small business that my girls can work for or take over one day if they want. As a young person, I often felt limited in the ability to pursue crazy thoughts, ideas, or side hustles because work opportunities were more rigid. While it’s changed a lot in the last five years, I think working in the family business would allow them to work hard to earn a living, yet have the flexibility and support to chase a dream. In all probability, they won’t want anything to do with it:)

How

My

Above: It inspires Dan and Liza to build a business their daughters, (pictured here a few years back, left to right) Poppy, Solveig, and Lulu, could one day take over (if they want to, of course!). Right: Sogo boxes get a second life at places like Decorah’s River Root Farm, owned by friends Mike Bollinger (pictured) and Katie Prochaska. / Photos courtesy Sogo Snacks

choices..those little quirks that define me as an individual. Life in Mali was very community oriented because there wasn’t wealth. I experienced people taking me in and caring for me when I was the “wealthy” stranger that would leave after a short period, back to the land of plenty, while they continued to try to survive day by day. It has definitely affected how we connect and treat customers. We see the relationship as more than a transaction. It’s about two strangers, with both similar and different values, supporting each other. We try to treat customers, suppliers, and others like they are our neighbors. We are frugal and try to utilize material wisely. We try to find a second life for boxes we generate and give second life to materials we get from other local businesses. Every penny spent is purposeful because waste should not be tolerated in a world with poverty.

Since you don’t have a storefront, what are some of your favorite ways to connect with customers?

Connecting to customers is very challenging especially when email marketing and social media aren’t your jam! While we do a little of this, it’s not annoyingly frequent and very low budget and authentic. Not actors, influencers, or professional copy, just our family.

We take a more old school approach and customers really like the little things we do. My personal cell and email is listed as the contact for Sogo Snacks. This means I communicate directly regarding any question, complaint, compliment, or request that may come in. I like to get to know people so this often leads to great conversations from folks all over the U.S. When Liza fulfills orders, she writes a little thank you on every packing slip. Solveig, our 8 year old, loves origami and makes baby dragons and other creations to include in orders. Finally, we borrowed a great idea from a local producer of eggs that we’d purchase at the Oneota Co-op in Decorah. Each family member takes turns writing a note about anything going on in our lives. It’s a handwritten, black and white, one-third page, photocopied and hand cut note that customers LOVE getting. They can be funny, include drawings, share milestones, and talk about what is good and bad in our lives, but they are always US. I’ve been told by customers that they’re not sure what they look forward to the most when ordering, our products or the most recent note they’ll be receiving. These notes have even led to customers sending our girls many complimentary emails, hand crocheted stuffies, a blanket with a photo of the customer’s dog printed on it, gift cards for good grades, many postcards from all over the world, and handwritten letters encouraging them in different aspects of life. How lucky are we!

FIND

IN THE DRIFTLESS

Decorah: Oneota Food Co-op, The Landing Market, Sugar Bowl, Luna Valley Farm Store (during pizza hours) Winona: Hy-Vee Dubuque: Hy-Vee #2 Platteville: Driftless Market-Platteville Or order online at sogosnacks.com. Use the coupon code SAVE15 coupon code for a 15 percent discount!

SOGO SNACKS

Left: Each family member takes turns writing a note about life in the Bellrichard household. It is then photocopied and put into Sogo orders. Customers really enjoy this connection to the people behind the business! Right: Sogo Snacks are great for camping trips! / Photos courtesy Sogo Snacks.

Calvin R. Anderson

Anyone who has met my father knows he loves to ask questions! His questions come from the heart, a genuine curiosity. This served him well in his profession as an attorney. When roles were reversed, and I was asking the questions, the answers were short. He is a true conversationalist, as long as he focuses on you.

Dad was born in Chicago and grew up in Albert City, Iowa, a small farming community in Buena Vista County. He still owns the farmstead today. He attended Iowa State University, served in the U.S. Army, and attended the University of Iowa for law school. He and Mom (Betty) were married in 1967, have made Decorah home since 1969, and they cannot imagine living elsewhere. He is strong in his faith, family, and Swedish heritage.

Restful

What’s the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Two pieces of advice have served me well: the six Ps – proper planning prevents piss poor performance – and, if it is simple, ask yourself, “What am I missing?”

What did you want to be when you grew up? A farmer.

What was your profession?

I practiced law in Decorah for 45 years, serving six years as county attorney.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you? Water, food, and a good book.

Try to describe yourself in one sentence. Inquisitive.

If you could eat anything every day for the rest of your life, what would it be? Pie à la mode.

Name one thing you could not live without. Family.

What was an unusual compliment you received, but really appreciated?

Having our law firm name painted on a stock car by a client I represented in a jury trial lawsuit.

What simple pleasures of life do you truly enjoy?

Time with family and friends.

A bike ride or walk.

Sitting in my recliner and looking out the picture window to the west at the trees.

Visiting a national park or monument.

Watching a good documentary or movie.

Helping someone.

Fishing.

What is your best advice?

Set a good example by what you say and do.

Show your love.

Money and time management.

To be grateful for what you have. To be thoughtful of others.

Have open communications.

Do you know someone you’d love to interview for this page? Let us know! aryn@iloveinspired.com

Calvin Anderson, Decorah, June 2024

Family Photo, Anderson Farm, Albert City, Iowa, June 10, 2017, Betty and Calvin’s 50th Anniversary.