Inspire(d) Summer 2015

Inspire(d) DRIFTLESS MAGAZINE

POSITIVE NEWS FROM THE DRIFTLESS REGION.

DRIFTLESS AREA WETLANDS CENTRE

NO. 42 • Summer 2015

free!

POTLUCK PARTY SUM OF YOUR BIZ:

PAPER PROJECT:

BRETT REESE

PIRATE HATS! ARRGH

TAKE A HIKE!

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

NEW TRAILS & TIPS

infographic

HANDY TOOLS foryour

DRIFTLESS SUMMER

SCIENCE

, YOU’RE SUPER:

BEES! 15+ BOREDOM-BUSTING

KIDS’ ACTIVITIES

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SUMMER 2015 contents

What We’re loving right now

07

Driftless Area Wetlands Centre

14

Random Acts of Kindness + Infographic

23

Sum of Your Business: Brett Reese

26

Science, You’re Super: Bees!

30

Local Food Directory

33

Project: Pirate Hats!

37

Local Foods Potluck + Recipes

38

La Crosse’s The Mint / Anthony Swartwout

46

Boredom-Busting Kids’ Activities

50

Hiking in the Driftless

60

Useful Tools for a driftless Summer

64

Probit: Bev Christen

50

50

38

...and more!

46

ON THE COVER: Local Potluck Party! Aryn’s good friend, Thea Satrom, helped put this spread together, and it doubled as a Mother’s Day celebration this spring. We hope you enjoy the recipes starting on page 38. Photo by Aryn Henning Nichols iloveinspired.com \ Summer 2015

03

Series

Center Stage 2015 16

Guarantee yourself a dynamic season with memorable new experiences and grand favorites! Enjoy exclusive access to priority seating, ticket insurance, and no ticketing fees.

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• Neil Berg’s 100 Years of Broadway

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• Danilo Perez Quintet Panama 500

• Wu Man and the Shanghai Quartet A Night in Ancient and New China

Acclaimed Broadway revue of enduring favorites!

Renowned performance weaves Panamanian folklore and jazz

Adventurous wind quintet’s homage to Langston Hughes

Passionate Eastern music offered by international virtuosos

• Lucky Plush Productions The Queue

• Celtic Nights

• The 5 Browns

• Lightwire Theatre

• Griffin Theatre Letters Home

• American Spiritual Ensemble

Hip, surprising, humorous dance theatre with live music 5 dynamic siblings on 5 Steinways Theatre brings to life the real letters of service men and women

Irish fiddling, singing, and storytelling extravaganza Mesmerizing black light adventure Stirring spirituals by powerful operatic voices

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Subscriber discounts expire on August 28. Renew by June 17 to save your favorite seats!

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Inspire

From the Editor

magazine

HOLY MOLY this is going to be a great summer.

Who are we?

Summers are already golden in my book, but this summer I’m especially pumped about all the awesome stuff we can do with our almost-threeyear-old gal, Roxie! Our ever-fabulous contributor Kristine Jepsen has put together an EPIC list featuring great “boredom-busting,” kid-friendly activities available in the Driftless Region (pg.

50). We can’t wait to check them all out.

On that list is the Driftless Area Wetlands Center – (the also fabulous) contributor Sara Friedl-Putnam put together a wonderful piece on this new regional treasure. The Centre is located just outside of Marquette, Iowa, and is a wealth of environmental and regional information and fun for all ages (pg. 14).

If you’re continuing the outdoor trend, make sure you read Peg Matter’s hiking tips and reviews of a couple of trails we haven’t yet featured in our pages – Pike’s Peak and Backbone State Parks. Matter brings her expertise to the table as the Driftless Area Hikers Club leader (and former Decorah Hatchery co-owner).

While you’re out on your hikes, watch for wildlife – most likely, deer, hawks, and – hopefully – bees, will cross your path! Bees are the super science we’ve featured this issue, and, for real: Those little insects are super heroes (pg 30)!

Besides hanging out with family or enjoying the outdoors, getting together with friends is at the top of the summertime list for us at Inspire(d) HQ. The days are longer and warmer and it just doesn’t seem that important to make bedtime deadlines…or an entire meal! That’s why we decided to feature a potluck party (pg.

38)! But not just any potluck – a local potluck! It ties in perfecly with the annual Local Food Directory (NE Iowa and SW Wisconsin) featured on page 33. The guide – and our potluck spread – serve as a reminder that buying local isn’t that hard, but is oh, so good – both for you and your community. We hope you’ll give it a try.

And if you make any of the dishes we’ve featured, tag us on Facebook… we’d love to see what you potluck around the Driftless! (facebook.com/iloveinspired) Other awesome reads in this issue: an inspiring Sum of Your Business, featuring Brett Reese (Rebound Hospitality / Hotel Winneshiek partner, to name just a couple), an amazing new La Crosse restaurant, The Mint (and their talented chef, Anthony Swartwout), tips, maps, and resources to get the most out of your summer, paper PIRATE HATS (because who doesn’t need a pirate hat in the summer, amIright?!?), and lots more.

Enjoy the season, folks. Because these days, hours, minutes…every little bit we get is LIFE, and – cheesy as it sounds – it is all that matters! Forget the rest. XOX.

Co-founders: Aryn Henning Nichols / editor & designer Benji Nichols / writer & advertising sales (& husband, support team, dinner-maker)

We couldn’t do it without: Kristine Kopperud Jepsen / contributor Sara Friedl-Putnam / contributor Evan Sowder / photo contributor Kat Busse / photo contributor Thea Satrom / local potluck assistant

Inspire(d) Magazine is published quarterly by Inspire(d) Media, LLC, 412 Oak Street, Decorah, Iowa, 52101. This issue is dated Summer 2015, issue 42, volume 8, Copyright 2015 by Inspire(d) Magazine.

support inspire(d) Although Inspire(d) is free on the newsstands, you can have it sent to your door for only $25/year. Email aryn@iloveinspired.com for a membership or visit iloveinspired.com for more info.

Write inspire(d) Want to make a comment about something you read in the magazine?

Email aryn@iloveinspired.com.

Interested in advertising?

Contact Benji at benji@iloveinspired.com or call 563-379-6315.

Looking forward, Visit our website: iloveinspired.com Aryn Henning Nichols

G-Gnome says hi!

“Like” Inspire(d) Media on Facebook!

05

Make Wise Financial Decisions Reflect your values, protect your future Our financial representatives can help you reach a place of comfort and confidence in your finances, all while helping you strengthen your community and supporting the causes you care about most.

At Thrivent Financial, we believe that being financially prepared and living generously go hand in hand. So we provide sound financial guidance—and help you make the best use of your time, treasures and talent.

For more than 100 years, we’ve helped families connect their Christian values with their finances. If that’s important to you, let’s talk soon.

Jeff Olinger, FIC Financial Consultant Karen Trewin, FIC Financial Associate Decorah Area Team 218 E. Water St., Ste. 1 Decorah, IA 52101 Office: 563-382-1809 Toll-free: 844-349-7388

Thrivent Financial was named one of the “World’s Most Ethical Companies” by Ethisphere Institute from 2012-2014.

Thrivent Financial representatives are licensed insurance agents/producers of Thrivent Financial, the marketing name for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Appleton, WI. They are also registered representatives of Thrivent Investment Management Inc., 625 Fourth Ave S., Minneapolis, MN 55415. For additional important information, visit Thrivent.com/disclosures.

Appleton, Wisconsin • Minneapolis, Minnesota • Thrivent.com • 800-847-4836

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What We’re

Loving

right now

A LITTLE LIST OF WHAT WE THINK IS AWESOME RIGHT NOW IN THE DRIFTLESS REGION

Summer Jams You Don’t Want to Miss Looking for a little fresh summer listening? Some of our favorite roots artists have new albums out this summer and we’d love to share them with you! First, Duluth Bluesman Charlie Parr (who will be performing in Decorah at the Courtyard & Cellar September 11) has a new album entitled “Stumpjumper” on the epic RedHouse Records label.

Charlie has been tearing up the slide guitar for years and has hit a real home run with this latest recording. Meanwhile NE Iowa’s own Joe & Vicki Price have just released a new album – recorded in a downhome Nashville studio – entitled “Night Owls”. If you don’t already know, Joe & Vicki are royalty at Inspire(d) HQ, and we can’t sing the praises loud enough for this incredible blues duo.

On the other side of the country, but in a similar-toDriftless-region of upstate NY, Ruth Ungar and Mike Merenda – along with a super-sweet crew of horns and beats and sounds – have released a truly roots-inspired record. “Mike & Ruthy” as they are known, recorded “Bright As You Can” for the 30 Tigers label and we can’t get enough of it. Shine on, indeed.

E.A.T. Experience. Ambiance. Taste. Oneota Co-op!

What’s better than celebrity cooking shows? LOCAL celebrity cooking shows! There’s still a live audience (you), and there are cameras (your iPhones), but the “celebrities” are awesome members of the community, cooking up their specialties in the new Oneota Co-op Kitchen Classroom. Aryn went to the E.A.T. featuring Brian Andreas and Vietnamese food, and she loved it. Audience members get to be part of the cooking – learning, tasting, and having fun – and the eating – each course is served up to classgoers. Want to E.A.T. your way through a local cooking “show”?

Each class is $20 for Member/Owners and $25 Community Members. Details at oneotacoop.com.

E.A.T. summer 2015 schedule: Tuesday, June 23, 6:30-8:30 pm MONSTER Stir Fry featuring Jenni Brant and Eric Peterson, Codirectors of Decorah’s ArtHaus Thursday, July 9, 6 – 8 pm Ramen Bowl with Richard featuring Richard Merritt), Professor of Art, Luther College (and homemade noodles!)

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What We’re

Loving

right now

A LITTLE LIST OF WHAT WE THINK IS AWESOME RIGHT NOW IN THE DRIFTLESS REGION

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Summer 2015 / iloveinspired.com

Beer By Bike Brigade – La Crosse Here at Inspire(d), we really like our bikes. In fact, it’s safe to say we love bikes. We also enjoy the occasional (probably craft) beer – sometimes while enjoying our bikes!

If you know much about the city of La Crosse, you may also well know that they really like beer… and bikes! For a couple of years now, a skeleton crew of folks have been organizing monthly “Beer By Bike Brigade” rides. They’re fired up for the summer season and rides have been scheduled for June 27, July 18, August 22, September 26, October 24. Check the “Beer By Bikes Brigade La Crosse” Facebook page for meet-up details. There’s no registration, no fee, and lots of fun included. The only rule is that you have to be 21 to participate as the Brigade hops from establishment to establishment with stops between. Plan ahead and make a safe night of it on Wisconsin’s West Coast!

Norman Borlaug Fest & Meals from the Heartland Packaging Event Many people know the story of Norman Borlaug and the “Green Revolution”. Lots of area folks also know he grew up near Cresco, Iowa – and is remembered fondly each fall with a town festival bearing his name. What you may not know, though, it that in the theme of tackling world hunger, a group of Cresco volunteers have organized an emergency aid mealpackaging event with Meals From the Heartland. It will take place during this year’s Norman Borlaug Harvest Fest, which runs September 17-20. The packaging event, scheduled for September 20, has a goal to package over 130,000 meals in just one day. Those meals will travel all over the world.

Hundreds of volunteers will help package – and you could be one of them! Find out more by calling the Cresco Chamber of commerce at 563-547-3434 or visiting www.howard-county.com

Decorah Downtown Betterment Association Each spring, amazing hanging baskets of flowers appear on the lampposts of downtown Decorah, and it’s no simple task to get them there! The Decorah Downtown Betterment Association has been working for years to “Provide programs, economic development, a favorable business climate, and to help maintain the vitality of the downtown and west side business areas.” The summer flower baskets are only one of their many projects. Did you know they’re responsible for downtown bench placement, the Water Street Park project near the Oneota Co-op, and the informational kiosks found downtown? They also recognize business owners on building improvements, giving annual awards to local businesses. Much of the DDBA work is quiet and behind-the-scenes, but there is no doubt that it has a major impact on Decorah’s thriving downtown areas. Find out more about the DDBA and even become a member at: decorahareachamber.com/decorah-downtown-betterment-association/

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NMP Turns 40!

This summer, the New Minowa Players celebrate 40 years of community theatre!

Started in August of 1975, this Decorah institution has entertained audiences with diverse productions of classics, original works, and everything in between! For the past 10 years, NMP has found a permanent home at their building on South Mill Street, including their sweet, postage-stamp theatre space. You can join in and help support all that the New Minowa Players do – if auditioning for a community production sounds too daunting, you can just make a donation! Check out more about their upcoming 40th summer production – Les Miserables, which runs June 26-28 at the Decorah High School Auditorium, and a Young People’s Production of “Urinetown” in August! Happy 40th NMP – now break a leg! www.newminowa.wix.com

Aase 100th Community Picnic!

As we mentioned in our Spring edition of Inspire(d), Aase Haugen Senior Services turns 100 this year. We think the original story of Aase herself is mighty inspiring, and want to make sure you don’t miss out on the unique opportunity to celebrate the 100th anniversary re-dedication celebration June 30 at the original Aase Haugen Home in rural Decorah.

Beginning at 4 pm, there will be special guest speakers from across the state, spotlight musicians, a BBQ picnic, games for the kids, and good old-fashioned entertainment. At 5:15 pm there will be a re-creation of the historic opening day panorama picture in front of the original Aase Haugen Home. The event is free and open to all. For more information contact Kate Klimesh at 563-382-6521 or visit www.aasehaugen.com.

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iloveinspired.com \ Summer 2015

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Looking for more details about events on the calendars?

Check out these great summer activities! In chronological order, each event’s number coincides with its number on the calendar!

1. All summer: Driftless Safari offers free outdoor adventure and exploration in Winneshiek County all summer long! Visit www. driftless-safari.org or stop by a Winneshiek County library to join!

2. June 1: Adventure Summer Sessions @ NE IA Montessori.

2, 5-week sessions for children ages 3-6. June 1 & July 13. 8am5pm, Full or Half Day $60-115/wk Call 563-382-6491 to Register.

3. June 2: Wisconsin Author Michael Perry! Dragonfly Books and Decorah Public Library present bestselling author with his new book The Jesus Cow. 7 pm, Carrie Lee Elementary Auditorium. www.dragonflybooks.com.

4. June 6: 2nd Annual Driftless Discovery Trail Run, Van Peenen Park,10K: $40, 5K: $30, Little Drifters 1 Mile: Free. 9 am. www.DriftlessDiscoveryTrailRun.us

11. June 20: Dry Run Fun Run 5K. Cross Country 5K on the Beard Century Farm (Hwy 9 & 52, Decorah). All proceeds to the extension of the TRT and Dry Run Trail! More info dryrunfunrun@ gmail.com. Free!

12. June 21: Lanesboro Art in the Park festival. 90+ fine arts booths, live music – including Bread & Butter String Band! Food, craft beer, family art activities. 10 am –5 pm Lanesboro.

13. June 22 – July 21: Looking for your Summer soundtrack?

Join Lutheran Summer Music for 50+ free concerts and recitals on Luther College campus. www.lutheransummermusic.org

25W/ $25B

5. June 6: Come join us at Seed Savers Exchange June 6 at 1 pm for a FREE Soil Health workshop and farm tour! For more info: blog.seedsavers.org/events 6. June 10: Magician and Puppeteer Jim Jayes appears at the Decorah Public Library, “Summer Reading Heroes” of all ages can enjoy, 1 pm, Free! www.decorah.lib.ia.us 7. June 12-14: Civil War Re-enactment – Allamakee County’s Thunder in the Park! Battles Saturday & Sunday at Waukon City Park. Dance Saturday night. Family friendly! Visit us on Facebook!

8. June 13: 2nd Annual Porter House Art, Antiques, and Adventure Auction! 4:30-6:30 pm, Porter House grounds, Broadway, Decorah. Free!

9. June 19: Naturalist David Stokes brings treasures & tails from the outdoors to the Decorah public Library! Bring your “Summer Reading Heroes” for all the FREE fun – 3 pm. www.decorah.lib.ia.us

C R E AT E

INSPIRE

10. June 20: Breakfast on the Farm – 8:30 am – noon at Iowa’s Dairy Center, Calmar, Iowa. Including: wholesome breakfast, dairy tours, and more! On-site parking available; donations are appreciated. www.iowadairycenter.com

cla s s es

14. June 26-28: New Minowa Players presents Les Miserables at Decorah High School. Tickets $5/$10 Details & tickets at newminowa.wix.com/ new-minowa-players or Sheryl 563-379-5738 15. June 26: IPTV’s Dan Wardell brings the 2015 Reading Road Trip to the Decorah Public Library for 2 shows – 10am and 11am. Don’t miss out on the Club House fun! www.decorah.lib.ia.us

16. June 26: ArtHaus presents bike-touring folk singer & guitarist Paul Doffing in the ArtHaus Courtyard, 7-9 pm. Free for 18 and under, $5 for others.arthausdecorah.org 17. June 30: Magician and Illusionist David Casas brings tricks and tons of fun to the Decorah Public Library. Bring your “Summer Reading Heroes” for tricky fun! 2pm www.decorah.lib.ia.us 18. July 4: Celebrate Independence Day in Harmony, MN. Grand Parade 3 pm, Jim Busta Band 4-7pm, Food, Games, Beer Tent, Fireworks & More. Visit www.exploreharmony.com for more info.

19. July 9: Seeking Volunteers! Join the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation for seed harvesting on a beautiful native Iowa Prairie. All Ages. Call Mary 515-288-1846. www.inhf.org

next page Perfect for weddings, showers, birthdays, graduations... or just for you!

&SO MUCH MORE!

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arthausdecorah.org 508 W. WATER ST. DECORAH . 563.382.5440 10

Summer 2015 / iloveinspired.com

404 WEST WATER ST, DECORAH, IOWA 563.419.4016 . BeyondTheBarBakery.com

Mon-Fri 10am-4pm . Sat 10am-3pm

fun stuff to do

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9 19 Canvas 18 10 20 & Corks, Winn.

David Breakfast on Wildberry Winery, Stokes, the Farm, NE A Moment’s Naturalist, IA Dairy Center, Notice, Decorah Decorah Calmar, 8:30am Lawn Chair Night, Library, 3pm 11 Courthouse, 7pm June 19-20: Mumford & Sons Gentleman Dry Run 5K, Decorah, 9am of The Road Festival, Waverly, IA

Lucinda Williams, Englert, IA City

Friday

11 Night12 8 13 Nordic (Out) at the Porter House Dancers, Museum!

Art, Antiques, Decorah Lawn La Crosse & Adventure Chair Night, Children’s Auction, Courthouse, Museum, 4:30pm 7pm 5:30-8pm

4 Acoustic

Thursday

June 27–28: Great American Backyard Campout, Driftless Area Wetlands Centre

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12 Lanesboro Art in the Park festival, 10am-5pm

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JUNE 20: Brother Sun / Sister Moon, McCaffrey’s, Decorah WisCorps Family Fun Day, Myrick Park, La Crosse, 1-3pm, FREE!

If you see this on a date, know there is a pullout with more listings on the calendar!

David Casas, Magician & Illusionist, Decorah Library, 2pm

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June 27-28: Laura Days, Burr Oak, IA June 24-August 2: Great River Shakespeare Festival, Winona (grsf.org)

June 26: The Last Revel, Haymarket, 10 pm

15 IPTV’s Mississippi Lutheran Happy Father’s Day! Band, Dan Wardell, Summer Music, Decorah Library, McCaffrey’s, Free admission for all Dads, Decorah Lawn 10am & 11am La Crosse Children’s Museum Decorah Chair Night, Guardians of 13 16 Courthouse, 7pm the Galaxy, Lutheran Mavis Paul Doffing, Movies on Summer Music 14 June 26-28: New Minowa Players Staples, ArtHaus the Plaza, Englert, IA City through July 21 presents “Les Miserables”, DHS Auditorium Courtyard, 7pm Rochester, 9pm

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21 JUNE 21: 22

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Jim Hayes, Magician & Puppeteer, Decorah Library, 1pm

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June 5 (and every Friday through October 9): Friday Night Live Farmers Market, Driftless Area Wetlands Centre 4 6 “River 5 DPL Sojourn” Driftless Phelp’s Farms, Park Decorah Lawn Sara Lubinski Discovery Trail opening, Run, Decorah, Family Chair Night, Fun Night!

Courthouse, Pump House, 5 La Crosse, 5:30pm 7pm Seed Savers 5-7pm Exchange June 5-7: Iowa Free Fishing Days Soil Health (No License needed for IA Residents!)

Workshop

Wednesday

JUNE 13: Dickie!, Courtyard & Cellar, Decorah 8pm Patsy Welman, McCaffrey’s, Decorah I Like You, Haymarket, Decorah Mary Poppins, Movies on the Plaza, Rochester, 9pm

June 12-13: ArtSpire / Downtown Sound festival, La Crosse

Tractor Days, Castalia, IA

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3 Author Michael Perry reads, Carrie Lee Elementary Auditorium, 7pm

Tuesday

June 12-14: Charles City WhiteWater Weekend!

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NE IA Montessori Adventure Summer Sessions

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Monday

Elvis Rock & Roll Remembered, Elkader Opera House Rhubarb Festival, Lanesboro, MN Miles Adams Band, McCaffrey’s, Decorah Tour de Pepin Bike Ride, Lake Pepin, WI

JUNE 6:

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Driftless Safari: Free Winneshiek County adventure & exploration all summer!

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Sunday

June “Woody Guthrie’s American Song” runs through summer, Commonweal Theatre, Lanesboro

“Seeking the Sublime: Works by Stephen Hilyard” MN Marine Art Museum (Winona) through July 15.

Jason Isbell, Englert, Iowa City

July 7-11: Winneshiek County Fair, Decorah

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Ben Lee, Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis

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Mike McAbee, McCaffrey’s, Decorah

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DHS Drumline, Trails From Saturday On Freeport Decorah Lawn The Street, Chair Night, Fundraiser w/ Downtown Gaelstorm, Courthouse, Decorah, Courtyard & 7pm 8am-3pm Cellar, 8pm July 17-19: Seed Saver’s July 17-18: Old Roundhouse 23 Conference & Campout Trail Days, Elma, IA

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Harvest Native “Bee” A Hero July 10 prairie seed Kids Program, Importance with the INHF Decorah of Algific in NE Iowa Library, 2pm Talus Slopes, Driftless Area July 11: Christie Gove-Berg Book Wetlands 21 Signing & WCC Eagle Program, Centre Decorah Library, 2pm

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Steeple Day, Lourdes, IA

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31 Erik Sessions July 31–Aug 1: Prairie / John Goodin, Dog Blues Festival, Decorah Lawn Prairie du Chien Chair Night, Courthouse, July 31–Aug 2: 7pm Wapsipinicon Days, Riceville

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25 22 19 24 23 20 24 21 JULY 17: Charles General B Absolute Hoot, Hero Jr., Haymarket, Decorah WCC Bird July 23-25: Courtyard & Youth Pottery Workshop, Bonanza Kids Nordic Fest, Walker Band, and the Wiz, Cellar, 8pm Haymarket, Haymarket, Driftless Area Wetlands Cntr Program, Dec. Decorah!

Decorah Decorah Library, 2pm JULY 18: Dino Day, Driftless Area Kristen Ford, Courtyard & Cellar, Decorah, 8pm Absolute Hoot, McCaffrey’s, Decorah Wetlands 25 July 23-25: ArtHaus Summer Art Fair, Decorah “Heart”, Freedom Fest, UW La Crosse Stadium Centre

12 13 22 14 JULY 11: “Her Lost King Sunny Adé w/ Black Year” Book Market Brass, launch w/ Cedar Cultural Center, MSP Tabita & Miracle, Movies on the Plaza, Rebecka Rochester, 9pm WisCorps Family Fun Day, Green, Java Myrick Park, La Crosse, 1-3pm John’s, 7pm

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“Ocean Soul: National Geographic Photos by Brian Skerry” opens July 24, MN Marine Art Museum, Winona

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Tuesday

“Charley’s Aunt” now playing, Commonweal Theatre, Lanesboro

“Attack of the Blood Suckers” exhibit through August 30, La Crosse Children’s Museum

Through August 2: Great River Shakespeare Festival, Winona (grsf.org)

4 18 The Harmony, MN Weepies, Independence Englert, Day Iowa City JULY 4: Firecracker 4 mile run & Liberty Celebration – parade 3pm!

Dash, La Crosse Park & Rec Don Scott / Curtis Blake, If you see this on a date, know there is a McCaffrey’s, Decorah pullout with more listings on the calendar!

Monday

July

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“Mississippi River Scenes by James D. Butler” opens August 15, MN Marine Art Museum, Winona

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Greg Brown & Iris Dement, Seed Savers, Decorah, 7pm

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COMING UP IN SEPTEMBER! SEPT 3: Brian Reagan, Paramount, Cedar Rapids SEPT 5: • Tomato Tasting, Seed Savers, Decorah • Beet Root Stew, McCaffrey’s, Decorah SEPT 11: Charlie Parr w/ Jeff Mitchell, Courtyard & Cellar, Decorah Sept 24-27: Boats & Bluegrass Festival, Winona!

Aug 29: Rutabaga Brothers, McCaffrey’s, Decorah

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If you see this on a date, know there is a pullout with more listings on the calendar!

35 Sept 20: NE Iowa’s premier meal packaging event for hunger, Cresco, IA

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Katie Dahl & Rich Higdon live, ArtHaus Studio, 7pm

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Sept17-20: Norman Borlaug Harvest Festival, Cresco, IA

Aug 28-30: Great River Folk Fest, Riverside Park, La Crosse

Aug 28-30: Summer Seed 32 Saving School at Seed Savers, 3 days of workshops!

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Iconic Songs of the 70s, Elkader Opera House

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Dave Bread & Michael Zollo Duo, Butter McElrath, Courtyard String Band, Decorah Lawn & Cellar, McCaffrey’s, Chair Night, Decorah 8pm Decorah Courthouse, 7pm Aug 14-16: Czech Aug 13-23: Iowa State Fair!

Days, Protivin

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“Tails and Guttenberg Treasures” German Band, NE Iowa Decorah Lawn Humane Chair Night, Society 7pm Fundraiser, Aug 22-23: Art In The Park, Hotel 31 Founder’s Park, Elkader, IA Winneshiek

AUGUST 22: Dog House Jon & The Misbehavers, McCaffrey’s, Decorah Native Prairie Restoration, Driftless Area Wetlands Centre “From Underwear to Everywhere: Norwegian Sweaters” opens August 22 at Vesterheim

AUGUST 8: NewBo Music Festival, Cedar Rapids Into the Woods, Movies on the Plaza, Rochester, 9pm WisCorps Family Fun Day, Myrick Park, La Crosse, 1-3pm, FREE!

16

AUGUST 7: WCC Sean Hayes, Cedar Cultural Recycling to Center, Minneapolis the Rescue / Youth Outdoor Photography Earth Heroes Workshop, Driftless Area Kids Program, Wetlands Centre Decorah Public Library

9

28 7 3 5 4 Maritza, 8 WCC Nature McCaffrey’s, Bombino w/ August 1: 27 Ossian Fest, Ossian, IA Superheroes Decorah American Cresco Michelle Lynn & Adam Ptacek, Kids Program, Cream, Cedar The Sudden Art Show McCaffrey’s, Decorah DPL, 2pm Cultural Lovelys, & Fly In Homeward Bound, Movies on 29 Center, MSP Chatfield Breakfast the Plaza, Rochester, 9pm Dutcher Family Arts Center/ August 7-9: Sweet corn Days, Lime Springs, IA & La Crosse Irish Fest Art Show Opening, Western ArtHaus, 7-9pm Days

2

August

Sunday

fun stuff to do

25W/ $25B

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1

2

Tuesday

3

Wednesday

4

Thursday

5

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1

Inspire(d) World’s Greatest Party

Friday

Date (not included in word count): Worlds Greatest Party! 7-10 pm. Inspire(d) invites you to the greatest party ever! We’ll have amazing amounts of fun! See you there! www.website.com

Monday

Saturday

Questions? Email benji@iloveinspired.com

(Direct link: iloveinspired.com/25-words-25-bucks/)

See - we told you about our amazing fictional party in less than 25 words! On the visual calendar (like the one at left), your event will be listed along with a number that corresponds. People can just scan on over to the following pages to get the details!

Sunday

Simple! We get an email with all your details exactly as you’d like to see them in the listing, and then we add it to the calendar!

It works like this: 1. Go to iloveinspired.com and click on the 25W/$25B sidebar box 2. Enter your information in our online form 3. Click through to PayPal to complete the transaction

Thus we’ve implemented a simple, expandable list of events for the pages following our regular calendars. Those who are planning “fun stuff to do” get a guaranteed spot on the calendar and in that event listing by purchasing “25 Words/$25 Bucks.”

We know it’s a tough racket to put on live music, activities, and special events, so we want to give you a chance to get the word out without breaking the bank.

Calendar time is always an exciting time at Inspire(d) Headquarters. “Just how much can we fit on there this month?!?” In recent years, what we had chosen for these lovely pages had been entirely editorial and subjective. We figured, hey, you like our magazine, so you’ll probably like the fun stuff to do that we pick out from around our region. But we’re running out of space and want you, our lovely readers, friends, and fellow event planners, to be able to tell us a little more about your fun.

25 Words/$25 Bucks

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Looking for more details about events on the calendars?

Check out these great summer activities! In chronological order, each event’s number coincides with its number on the calendar!

28. August 7: Winneshiek County Conservation Nature Superheroes program at the Decorah Public Library, for 5–8-year-old “Summer Reading Heroes”, 2 pm, Free! www. decorah.lib.ia.us

20. July 10: Winneshiek County Conservation “Bee A Hero” program at the Decorah Public Library, for 5–8-year-old “Summer Reading Heroes”, 2 pm, Free! www.decorah.lib.ia.us 21. July 11: Winneshiek County Conservation Eagle program and Christie Gove-Berg book signing at the Decorah Public Library, for “Summer Reading Heroes” of all ages, 2 pm, Free! www. decorah.lib.ia.us 22. July 14: Launch party for “Her Lost Year” with author Tabita Green at Java John’s, 7-9 pm. Music, drinks, and dessert.

Sponsored by Dragonfly Books. www. tabitagreen.com

27. August 2: Cresco’s Fly-In Breakfast at Ellen Church Airport (7 am–Noon) and 54th annual Fine Arts Show in Beadle Park (9:30am-3:30pm). Two great events – one great day! www.howardcounty.com

25W/ $25B

29. August 7: Opening reception for the Dutcher Family Art Show featuring works by John Cline art teacher, Erik Dutcher & family at ArtHaus. 7-9 pm, admission free. www.arthausdecorah.org 30. August 11: Winneshiek County Conservation Recycling to the Rescue/Earth Heroes program at the Decorah Public Library, for 9–12-year-old “Summer Reading Heroes”, 2 pm, Free! www.decorah.lib.ia.us

31. August 22-23: Art in the Park, Founder’s Park Elkader. Saturday and Sunday, 30+ Fine Artists from the Midwest, Local Food, Local Entertainment, Kid’s Tentcontest and activities. www.artintheparkelkader.com

23. July 17-19: Seed Savers Exchange’s Conference & Campout! 3 days, 2 nights w/option to camp on the 890-acre Heritage Farm campus. For more info: blog.seedsavers.org/events

32. August 28-30: Summer Seed Saving School at SSE. Immerse yourself in the world of seed saving & sharing in this 3-day workshop. More info: blog.seedsavers.org/events

24. July 21: Winneshiek County Conservation Bird Bonanza program at the Decorah Public Library, for 9–12-year-old “Summer Reading Heroes,” 2 pm, Free! www.decorah.lib.ia.us

33. August 29: ArtHaus presents Katie Dahl & Rich Higdon live in the courtyard of the ArtHaus Studio (516 W. Water), 7–10pm. $10 students, $12 others. www.arthausdecorah.org

25. July 23-25: ArtHaus Summer Art Fair with 10 top local artists – photography, basketry, jewelry, ceramics, & more – times and details at www.arthausdecorah.org. Free admission.

34. SAVE THE DATE! September 17-20: Norman Borlaug Harvest Fest, Cresco, Iowa. Learn more at www.howard-county. com and www.crescochamber.com. Entertainment, parade, vendors, music, quilts, cars, MORE!

26. August 1: Greg Brown Concert at Seed Savers Exchange!

Celebrate summer with Iowa’s favorite folk-musician, Greg Brown. 7-10pm, August 1st. Tickets $25 ($30 @ door) Campsite $15. blog.seedsavers.org/events

Wednesdays 3-6

Greg Brown Featuring

35. SAVE THE DATE! Sunday, September 20: Northeast Iowa’s premier meal packaging event for the hungry. Cresco, Iowa. You are invited to volunteer and/or sponsor. 563.547.3434

Saturdays 8-11

Outdoor Benefit Concert

Iris DeMent with

Dave Moore & Bob Black with re August 1, 2015 • 7pm

Seed Savers Exchange 3094 North Winn Road, Decorah, Iowa 563-382-5990

Photo by Roman Cho

Tickets available at www.seedsavers.org/greg-brown $25 advance, $30 at the door

Downtown Decorah www.winneshiekfarmersmarket.com

iloveinspired.com \ Summer 2015

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Photo by Kat Busse 14

Summer 2015 / iloveinspired.com

Have you visited the Driftless Area Wetlands Centre in Marquette, Iowa, yet? It opened its doors in August 2013 with one goal in mind: Connect people of all ages to the natural world and empower them to make a positive impact on their local environments.

We say, “Mission accomplished” – this place is awesome!

Story on next page...

iloveinspired.com \ Summer 2015

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Photo by Sara Friedl-Putnam

“Why is it sitting on those rocks?”

“Are there a lot of others like it around here?”

After (almost) stumbling upon a white-bellied, brown-winged bird and its nest, three inquisitive young boys – busy planting purple coneflowers during a native plants restoration event – excitedly fire questions at Katrina Moyna, the gung-ho director of the Driftless Area Wetlands Centre (DAWC).

“It’s a killdeer,” Moyna replies softly to the first question, motioning the boys to back away from the nest. She answers the second just as succinctly: “Those aren’t rocks – they’re eggs.” The answer to the third question, however, will have

16

Summer 2015 / iloveinspired.com

Photo by Sara Friedl-Putnam

“What kind of bird is that?”

to wait – the killdeer (or charadrius vociferous), resting comfortably just moments before, has suddenly broken into a dramatic, attention-grabbing “broken-wing act” to lure the boys, whom it views as predators, away from its nest.

It’s a spectacular display of the spontaneity of nature. It’s also a prime example of the experiential – and occasionally accidental – learning that regularly transpires at the Driftless Area Wetlands Centre, an environmental education and community center established in 2013.

Katrina Moyna

By Sara Friedl-Putnam

“Our mission is to get people of all ages to unplug and experience the outdoors,” says Moyna, an Elkader, Iowa, native.

“Everyone, regardless of age or background, can reap the benefits of connecting with – and learning from – the natural world, especially in a place as breathtakingly beautiful and biologically and geologically rich as the Driftless Area.”

That was exactly the message a committed group of citizen volunteers successfully conveyed to members of the Iowa Great Places Board in 2008, the year the board awarded the neighboring Mississippi River towns of Marquette and McGregor a “Great Place” designation and a $325,000 grant to build DAWC, develop the surrounding area (including a man-made wetland and restored prairie), and construct the McGregor-Marquette Center for the Arts.

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By 2011 the two communities had secured the funding needed to break ground on a three-acre site just a half-mile from the Mighty Mississippi. (Bright-colored railroad cars in the center’s “backyard” serve as a highly visible reminder that the site once accommodated the largest railroad terminus in the state.) And in August 2013, DAWC finally opened its doors. “We’ve worked hard to spread the word that we are here, that we are open –yearround, in fact – and that we have interesting things going on,” says Moyna without a pause. “Though we’ve only been open a short while, we’re gaining momentum each month.”

And that’s a (very) good thing. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American spends a whopping 93 percent of his or her life in buildings or vehicles – but innumerable studies have shown that spending time outdoors boosts creativity, improves physical fitness, and reduces stress. The takeaway?

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Turn off the TVs. Stash away those cell phones. Unplug the video games. Then throw on some shoes and head outside.

“Kids who spend time in nature grow into adults that care about protecting it,” says Moyna. “Something as simple as holding a frog or planting a flower can help children form a magical – and lasting –connection with the land.”

In 2014, nearly 4,500 visitors streamed through the center’s doors, half hailing from far beyond the region. This year DAWC expects to attract even more, thanks in large part to a “somethingfor-everyone” schedule boasting more than 50 events. “Nature provides a way for families to bond,” says Moyna. “We want to ensure this is a place where learning is fun for all ages.”

Mission accomplished. A hawk watch drew hundreds of nature enthusiasts last fall, as did an Easter egg hunt and petting zoo last spring. Highlights this summer include a rollicking “Friday

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Night Live” Farmers Market (music included!) each Friday from May into October, an “epic” (Moyna’s word) Dino Day at the end of July, and a Tom Sawyer Adventures program that will take area youth out on the Mississippi River to fish, swim, bird watch, wade for mussels, and, yes, learn a bit about the history of the world-famous waterway. This kind of inventive, locale-based programming, Moyna emphasizes, could not succeed without the help of many partner organizations, including the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, Big Springs Trout Hatchery, Effigy Mounds National Monument, Osborne Nature Center, La Riviere Park, and the Upper Iowa Audubon Society. “Our partners are the ones doing the ‘dirty’ work – forging into the Driftless Area’s back waters, exploring its deep ravines, and hiking its forests,” she says. “They are our eyes and ears in the area’s plant and animal communities.”

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cOUNTy fair!

Photo by Sara Friedl-Putnam

WINNESHIEK JULY 7-11

Buttons $20 in advance / $25 at the fair Good for all 5 shows, children 6 and under free Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

Friday Saturday

Upper Iowa Speedway Stock Car Racing Hot Laps 6pm, Racing 6:30pm Cory Farley Band 7:30pm James Otto 9pm Bill Riley Talent Show - 11am Jim Busta Band - 4pm Tri-State Truck & Tractor Pull 6pm The Last Ride Band w/ Tony Winkler 7:30pm Sawyer Brown 9pm CC Bulls & Barrels Show 7pm Free Barn Dance with Buck Hollow after!

EvAN's UnItEd Midway

The Midwest's best carnival is back Tuesday –Saturday!

FREe gATe & parkIng!

FEATURING SAWYER BROWN

PLUS:

www.winneshiekcountyfair.org Kids Fun Zone, Nick's Magic Show, Miller’s Petting Zoo, Antique Farm Tractor display, Skidloader Rodeo, Northland Classic, 3D Barrel Racing , Kid's Pedal Pull, live music, cooking contests, Hobby Shop Creations & more!

And if DAWC has its way, it will soon have even more “partners” spreading the word about the wonders of this region – its deep caves and cold-water streams, temperature-regulating (algific talus) slopes and awe-inspiring bluffs, colorful plants and crafty animals. The DAWC Ambassadors Program, piloted last year and launched in January 2015, immerses participants in nature so they can learn about and promote the plant life, birds, fish, and mammals in their own backyard. “What if we could help people develop as much pride in and enthusiasm for their natural ecosystem as they have for their local sport teams?” muses Moyna. “What if they then shared that passion with those around them?”

Regardless of age, participants must attend three discovery/ exploration activities at DAWC or partner sites; take part in three educational events at DAWC or local schools; and work with a skilled mentor to complete and present a special-interest project that positively impacts the Driftless Area. Upon completion of the program requirements, participants receive a badge and have the opportunity to take part in a special trip down one of the area’s major waterways. Might that waterway be the Mississippi? “That part’s a surprise,” says Moyna with a smile.

But folks interested in DAWC need not sign up for the Ambassadors Program nor wait for one of its many events to reap the benefits of visiting the center. It is open five days a week and offers plenty of opportunities to touch, feel, and explore both indoors and out. Inside, a muskrat and mink look to tussle in one of several taxidermy displays that line the building’s large glass windows. Four black shelves feature an array of rock formations – calcite, stromatoporoids, straight-shelled cephalopods, and others – endemic to the region. And a large wooden table in one corner showcases more than 20 preserved waterfowl, all poised as if ready for flight.

Grab your shoes & head outside!

The Driftless Area Wetlands Centre – located at 509 U.S. 18, in Marquette, Iowa – is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 am to 4 pm. For more information, call 563-873-3537or visit www.driftlessareawetlandcentre.com.

Following is a list of select DAWC events planned for Summer 2015. See complete schedule online.

June 5 (and every Friday thereafter through October 9): Friday Night Live Farmers Market June 27–28: Great American Backyard Campout July 6–23 (a daylong event with dates for 11 Driftless Area towns): Tom Sawyer Adventures July 10: The Importance of Algific Talus Slopes July 17: Youth Pottery Workshop July 25: Dino Day August 7: Youth Outdoor Photography Workshop August 22: Native Prairie Restoration

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Just outside, a large observation deck extends into the wetland area to facilitate viewing of local flora and fauna, and eye-catching signs present important facts about the wetlands themselves. Were you aware that half of the world’s wetlands have disappeared since 1900 – or that development and conversion continue to pose huge threats to these areas?

Did you know that wetlands are home to some of the richest biodiversity on the planet – or that they provide vital habitat for more than 40 percent of the entire world’s species, including killdeer, or charadrius vociferous?

That fun fact recalls the third question posed during the center’s native plant restoration event last April – namely, is killdeer prevalent in the Driftless Area? Yes, charadrius vociferous is a common species inhabiting a wide range of wetlands throughout North America, including those in Northeast Iowa. And the chance to spot one doing its thrilling “broken-wing act” is just one of many reasons to dive into this area called the Driftless. “There really is nowhere else like this place in the world,” says Moyna. “Once people begin to really understand all the Driftless Area has to offer, they also begin to really value it.”

A Florida native, Sara Friedl-Putnam still remembers the awe she felt upon first viewing the spectacular limestone bluffs of the Driftless Area nearly two decades ago. She is thankful that organizations like DAWC are working hard to connect area residents with this special place and share its many natural wonders.

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Nordic Fest

JULY 23-25, 2015

DANCING TROLLS with the

3 FUN DAYS of live entertainment, events, activities & food!

Nordic

FEST 2015

Dancing TROLLS With The

Decorah, Iowa

www.nordicfest.com LIVE MUSIC

at

Canopy 5! $5 gets you in all weekend!

FRIDAY, JULY 24:

PLUS TONS OF FREE EVENTS:

5 pm – Miles Adams Band (dance/rock)

Live music up & down Water St.

8 pm – Cory Farley Band (country/rock)

Elvelopet 5/15k Race

SATURDAY, JULY 25: 5 pm – Gaelstorm (rock) 8 pm – Audio Drive (rock)

800-382-FEST

PROGRAMS & BUTTONS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE! DETAILS ONLINE!

Like Nordic Fest on Facebook

Arts & Crafts Show Free Decorah Trolley Shuttle Grand Parade Fireworks

And more!

DECORAH, IOWA

20+

Random

Acts of

kindness

W

e here at Inspire(d) often talk about changing the world…or, more accurately, changing the community.

But what about simply brightening someone’s day? That, honestly, changes the world right there. We thought we’d put together a fun list of ways to easily bring a smile to your family, friends’, neighbors’, and fellow community-members’ faces.

It’s not so hard, and, happily, it makes both the giver and receiver feel all kinds of good.

The phrase “Random Act of Kindness” was actually born in a classroom in Bakersfield, California, in 1993.

Dr. Chuck Wall was sick of the constant barrage of “random acts of senseless violence” in the news. So the professor decided to do something about it in the form of an assignment for his college class: “go out and commit a ‘random act of senseless kindness’ and write about your experience.” The experiment took off, garnering a lot of press and a new movement: random acts of kindness!

Learn more about the story behind random acts of kindness at www.kindnessusa.org. An act of kindness doesn’t have to be something huge – you don’t have to buy anyone anything, make anything, or even do much of anything. It can be as simple as a smile to a stranger or holding the door open for someone. Or it can be as thoughtful as preparing an extra meal for a friend or sending a note in the mail. Either way, kindness has a way of coming back around, and we love getting balls rolling!

“Kindness Week” is celebrated in February, but we think any time is a great time for compassion and general good-ness! So turn the page for more than 20 ways to brighten your days (it’s gotta rhyme, right?!).

next page

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23

Pass some kids clothes on to another family.

smile

Hold the door for someone It’s the Midwestern way!

Leave more than a 20% tip next time you dine out. And tip at the coffee shop!

leave some quarters in the car wash

Tip: Carry sticky notes, because writing on a mirror is no bueno. Try something like this: “You look gorgeous!” or “My, who let this amazing unicorn in here?” That sort of thing.

Leave a positive note on a mirror

n d e ss n i k

Acts of

Random

20+

Be kind to yourself

Send dessert to the next table

When you’re making a dish, double it for a friend who you know is super busy right now.

They’ll wash off in the next rain but brighten days until then!

Sidewalk chalk hearts = happy.

Introduce yourself to someone you don’t know.

Or you could write thank yous to specific folks in community making positive change!

A piece of mail literally asking someone to “Open Me!”? Fun! Write positive or uplifting cards, and then tuck them away around town…ideas? In a library book, on a bulletin board or an empty seat at the coffee shop.

Anonymous cards

If you’ve got something positive to say about someone, say it!

Baking on a rare, chilly summer morning?

Make extra and bring some over to a neighbor.

Bring your neighbor a treat Or coffee, or tea, or ice cream… Did you know in some places (like, the Courtyard & Cellar) you can “leave” a beer (or whatever the place sells) for someone else? Generally, there’s a list on the wall or on a board, saying, “So and so buys_______ for _______.” You pay for their drink in advance, and the next time they come in, it’s on you! Fun!

Pick up trash & bring it to the nearest can.

Buy lemonade from a lemonade stand

put down your phone

Say yes at the store when the cashier asks if you want to donate $1 to whichever cause.

Let’s cut everyone a little slack.

Forgive, forgive, forgive.

Accept, accept, accept.

Write or email someone who made a difference in your life

Facebook message genuine compliments to friends & family

Buy a beer for a friend!

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25

SUM Brett Reese of BUSINESS Rebound Enterprises OF YOUR

INSPIRING ENTREPRENEURS IN THE DRIFTLESS

By Aryn Henning Nichols • All photos courtesy Brett Reese

IF

ever a person were “born an entrepreneur”, it would be Brett Reese. Reese is one most inspiring business professionals I’ve ever met. We recently chatted about business beginnings and parents’ lessons in money over breakfast at Restauration in the Hotel Winneshiek – one the properties maintained by Rebound Hospitality, a Northfield, Minnesota, company owned by Reese and his business partners Jennifer Sawyer and Todd Byhre.

“I still remember the first dollar my brother and I saved. We pooled all our change together to get this one bill.

But then we realized there was only one – who gets to keep it?!” he says with a laugh. “We agreed we’d have to share it.” That was just the beginning of Reese’s investment partnerships and doing nothing – business-wise – alone.

Born and raised in Castle Rock, Minnesota, Reese went to Luther College in Decorah. He graduated in 1981 with a B.A. in accounting and political science and passed the CPA exam as a senior. After graduation, he worked as an auditor with Grant Thornton in Minneapolis. While continuing this “day job”, he made the leap into self-owned business ventures in 1982 with the purchase (with a partner) of a Northfield pub, where, coincidentally, Reese logged many an hour working in his younger years.

He currently calls Northfield home with daughters Meredith and Milly. It also serves as the birthplace and home office of Rebound.

For many years, Reese ran Rebound as a consulting business that worked as a sort of “business doctor”, helping mismanaged or financially troubled companies in a variety of industries rebound to success. It was 2008 when the investment and advisory side of the company – Rebound Enterprises – was founded with the help of business partner Jennifer Sawyer. Reese currently serves as Managing Principal of the Organization.

From Rebound Enterprises grew Rebound Hospitality. The Rebound partners had a passionate desire to preserve, maintain, and enhance the Archer House River Inn (circa 1877) in Northfield.

During its renovation, which began in 2008, Rebound Hospitality was then created to invest in and preserve historically significant properties – such as the Archer House – that are important assets to their communities. On January 1, 2010, a second property was added – the Hotel Winneshiek (circa 1905) in Decorah. The company – whose vision is “to create a portfolio of historic boutique inns and distinct properties” – currently has five properties on its roster – stretching from Des Moines, Iowa (Des Lux Hotel) to Lakeshore, Minnesota (Lost Lake Lodge).

Rebound also encourages everyone on its team to give of their “time, talent, treasure, and thinking” in the communities where they live and work. It comes back to one of the biggest lessons Reese has learned along the way: “Don’t work in a vacuum. Do nothing alone. Together, we can always achieve so much more.”

A brighter smile in only 20 minutes

CROWNS

DR. JOHN E. WILMES • DR. LANA W. MCDERMOTT • DR. PETER J. BLODGETT

563-382-3657 . 108 Fifth Avenue, Decorah, Iowa . www.westsidedentaldecorah.com 26

Summer 2015 / iloveinspired.com

The Basics: Name: Brett D. Reese Age: 56 Business: Rebound Enterprises Years in Business: 35 Tell us about the “leap” moment.

When/how did you decide to jump in and become your own boss?

Being an entrepreneur was in my blood at young age. At age five I wanted to be a CPA – just like my dad – though I didn’t know exactly what he did, just that he would “bang away” on a great big old adding machine that spit out numbers on paper.

I rode my bike at age 10 to my first job watering trees at Switzer’s Castle Rock Nursery for $.50 per hour, and then “graduated” to baling hay for a local farmer at $1 per wagonload.

I grew up on a hobby farm, and at age 12, started my own cow/calf operation. To fund the business, I took out my first loan with the President of the Castle Rock Bank, Dan Nicolai, who, 44 years later, is still the President of the Bank and someone I still do business with!

I bought my first business at age 23 – one year out of college – with my first business partner Dave Delong. We had the opportunity to purchase the “Rueb-N-Stein,” a bar and grill in Northfield, Minnesota, where I had worked from 9th grade through college. I had worked every position, knew it inside and out, and learned a great deal from the owner, Dan Freeman. My partner ran it while I worked along the sidelines and continued working as a CPA in the Twin Cities.

After 3 years as a CPA auditing companies, I followed my entrepreneur spirit in “taking the leap” by leaving public accounting to became my “own boss” as a “turnaround artist/business doctor.” Playing basketball I was known as “Rebound Reese,” and now found myself helping companies that were struggling by “Rebounding” them back to health. Over time Rebound Consulting became Rebound Enterprises with verticals in Hospitality/ Real Estate/ Manufacturing / Financial Services / Community and now recently Rebound Solutions – led by partner Jennifer Sawyer.

Also at a young age, I learned the value of delegating and surrounding oneself with partners and people smarter than you – helping them realize their dreams, while they’re helping you realize yours.

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

• Independence, Flexibility, Freedom • Controlling your own destiny • The ability to take in and enjoy your kids’ activities, and spend time with them when you want • Creating wealth for your family and investors • Being able to choose to work with others by partnering and collaborating • Seeing value where others don’t and being able to carry out a plan to realize it.

How about the worst?

• Lots of responsibility and at times being alone; Knowing that the buck stops with you • Sometimes taking on too much risk; Payroll comes around and there is no money in the bank!

• Long hours at times • Going out on a limb and being criticized by others

MAKE YOUR MOVE. Start here.

Online Mortgage Pre-Approvals at decorahbank.com Call Mike Huinker, Muriel Lensch or Wanda Walter!

563-382-0091

2 CONVENIENT SIMS LOCATIONS

112 Winnebago St, Decorah • 121 N Vine St, West Union

Bigger isn’t always better.

Small box store. Small box service.

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Sims: $19.99

Big Box: $19.99

Total cost difference: $0.

Added value: Convenient in & out shopping, questions answered, & no games or gimmicks.

Why shop anywhere else?

563-382-CELL (2355) • www.simstvandelectronics.com Mon-Fri 8am-6pm • Thurs ‘til 8pm • Sat 9am-5pm • Sun 12-4pm

iloveinspired.com \ Summer 2015

27

Tap Room

HISTORIC

Was there ever a hurdle where Any mentors/role models you look to/have you just thought, “I can’t do looked to? this?” How did you overcome it?

I owe a great deal to many individuals: In 1990 I was on “top of the • My father Bert Reese (pictured, left, with world, flying high” as the President Brett), a great friend, mentor and rock of CCM, turning around this • Dan Freeman – bought my first business, struggling local manufacturer the Rueb-N-Stein from him in 1983 with located in my hometown of $5,000 down; Great Marketer. Learned Northfield into a very successful from him what to do, and what not to do. company. Then the shareholders • Bill Palmquist – helped me through my first started fighting, and the minority major turnaround – Braco Manufacturing in owners bought out the majority Moses Lake, WA – where at age 25, I had to owner, who then fired me. Never fire my first employee (I think I cried more than having been fired, it was difficult he did.) for me to get out of bed as I was • Bob Skluzacek – Helped me develop as a so depressed. I would sleep till CEO / President of a manufacturing company: noon, getting up to play basketball CCM – Computer Controlled Machines. over the noon hour at Carleton $2m in sales to $18m over three years; 20 College, which helped keep me employees to 150 employees; from near going. After a while (like months!) bankruptcy to success.

I picked myself up and decided • Curt Swenson – introduced me to MCG that in the next turnaround –Motion Control Group. A struggling company project, I wasn’t only going in that was bankrupt that become a very as management, but was also profitable company. MCG built a relationship in getting a piece of the action by China beginning in 1999. Owned from 1991 taking an ownership stake. From to 2008: sold just before the downturn of the Brett Reese & partners Jennifer Sawyer & Todd Byhre Great Recession. A smart move! this strategy, over time I was able to take ownership positions in a • Bill Cowles – first met him in 1987 when variety of companies that helped form the foundation of Rebound he was a customer of CCM; He became an important mentor and Enterprises. a valuable sounding board for me and still is today.

Winneshiek The

welcome is real.

Call now to book a stay at the Hotel Winn! • hotelwinn.com • 104 E. Water St. Decorah, IA • 1.800.998.4164

What’s the one thing you wish you had known before you started?

There were a lot of times I didn’t realize that “I didn’t know what I didn’t know.”

Experience has taught me to really think about this. If I don’t know, I learn from the experiences of others and surround myself with people who do know. To then go out and find the answers and solutions. By not working alone, but through teamwork and collaboration, together we can arrive at the very best decision.

How do you manage your life/work balance?

I have been very fortunate by living and working the best of both worlds! I have had the opportunity to work with companies both globally – traveling the world over on business with our manufacturing firms, and at the same time being a part of local communities with our hospitality businesses and real estate investments.

Also I am blessed to have Margaret Jacobson help manage my work as my administrative assistant, who keeps me organized and who says her work purpose is “I am here to serve you, to make your life better and easier.” How lucky am I? I have a passion for life, wanting to bring positive energy along with a good attitude.

I try to be the best that I can – in my work, with my family, and in my faith.

Here’s what works for me: • Set aside time for faith, family, profession, working out / physical activity and good nutrition.

• Lots of travel. Finding new, fun, and interesting life experiences.

• To be able to work from anywhere, anytime. Pick and choose when to work and when to play, relax and enjoy life.

What keeps you inspired? Any quotes that keep you going?

I am inspired by challenges; A banker recently shared – “that is what Rebound and Brett do – they take on the unthinkable, the worst of conditions and have the ability to turn it around into success.”

I also am inspired by starting new ventures, such as my most recent, the Northfield Real Estate Fund – where local people invest in their backyard- supporting the community and also providing a return to investors. I think the Decorah community would be ideal for this type of venture.

featuring...

Three of Rebound’s properties. Top: The Archer House in Northfield, MN; Middle: Hotel Winneshiek in Decorah, IA; Bottom: Lost Lake Lodge in Lakeshore, MN.

Some quotes I live by: Energy is Everything!

“Success is when Planning meets Opportunity” (by partner Jennifer Sawyer) When the going gets tough, the tough get going Never say never You will never achieve your greatest success without failing Treat others as you would want them to treat you Do the Right Thing

211 W. Water St. | Decorah In closing, I am very proud of the Hotel M.T.W. Fr. Sat 9-5 Winneshiek, Restauration Restaurant, Tap Room, Thurs 9-8 and the Steyer Opera House of Decorah. The 563-382-8940 management team of Dan, Tom, Tammy, Deb, Laura, and their staff have taken a beautiful hotel WWW.JTUPYS.COM renovated by Helen Basler – “a gift to Decorah”– and made it into a sustainable, successful business.

My appreciation and thanks to you all!

29 iloveinspired.com \ Summer 2015

Science,

You're super! bees!

01

Summer 2015 / iloveinspired.com

By Aryn Henning Nichols

There’s always been a buzz around bees.

Okay…it’s a bad pun. But, really, bees are pretty darn amazing.

They fly their slightly cantankerous (especially for the bumble bees) bodies around, pollinating flowers and crops across the world – in the U.S., alone, their work is worth an estimated $10 billion. (3) Some even say bees are responsible for one out of every three bites of food we eat. Most crops grown for their fruits (like squash, cucumber, tomato, eggplant), nuts, seeds, fiber (such as cotton), and hay (alfalfa grown to feed livestock), require pollination by insects. Pollination is “the transfer of pollen from the male parts of a flower to the female parts of a flower of the same species, which results in fertilization of plant ovaries and the production of seeds.”

According to Michigan State University’s entomology department, the main insect pollinators, by far, are bees. There are hundreds of species of bees that contribute to the pollination of crops. (5) So where do these little super heroes come from and how do they know how to do their jobs?

Scientists believe that both bees and flowering plants evolved around 100 million years ago during the Cretaceous period. Before this, many plants released seeds and pollen using cones (think pine trees, but both big and small cones). The wind brought the pollen and cones together, thus fertilizing them. But some plants began to reproduce using flowers, and they needed the help of insects and other animals to achieve pollination. (2) Around the same time, bees were evolving from their wasp-like ancestors. Prehistoric wasps were carnivores that lay their eggs in the bodies of their prey. After flower reproduction happened, bees became herbivores, eating pollen and nectar from the plants and pollinating flowers as they went. (2) To further enhance pollination, a bee’s body is covered in fuzzy hair that collects pollen, and its legs are built for specific pollen-collecting tasks. The body has three sections – the head, the thorax and the abdomen – much like other insects. The abdomen houses the stinger, and the crop, or honey stomach, where the bees store nectar. A bee has five eyes – three simple eyes, “orocelli”, and two compound eyes made of lots of small, repeating eye parts called “ommatidia” that specialize in seeing patterns. This allows bees to detect polarized light – a super-power humans do not possess! (2)

next page

Photo by Evan Sowder evansowder.com

riftless Gardens Maintenance & Design

driftlessgardendesign.com

Design Maintenance Installation Plant Sales Hardscape Consultation Education

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Your Path to Pure Happiness

Annuals • Perennials Hanging Baskets Trees • Shrubs Decorative Rock Mulch • Block Gardening Tools & More!

Outdoor Decor and Garden Gifts Daily Lunch Features plus homemade fudge, cupcakes and other sweet treats at

The Bakery

4.5 miles west of Decorah, IA

2475 State Highway 9 563-382-0010 PintersGardensAndPumpkins.com

Then, the sisters head out to forage. They make Bees can be solitary – living mainly alone – or up to a dozen trips back and forth between the hive social – living in colonies. Less than 15 percent and the food; each bee can carry half her weight in of bees are social, even though many people pollen or nectar! are most familiar with social bees since they Inside the hive, the worker bees transform the produce things like honey and beeswax, and nectar into honey. Nectar is 70 percent water will pollinate in large groups in orchards and compared to honey’s 20 percent. Bees evaporate gardens. (2) the extra water by regurgitating the nectar Two of the most advanced social bees are over and over, and also fan their wings over the honeybees and bumblebees. Each colony honeycomb. has a single queen, many workers, and – at While doing all this foraging for nectar and pollen, certain stages in the colony cycle – drones. A bees inadvertently pollinate nearly 100 crops. All commercial – human provided – honeybee hive told, insect pollinators contribute to one-third of the can contain up to 40,000 bees at their annual world’s diet.

(3) (Super heroes!) spring peak (but it’s usually fewer). (1) Bees themselves gather enough honey to survive Although honeybees and bumblebees are winter.

During winter, bees leave their hives only both social, their societies are quite different. to go to the bathroom.

Inside, they take care of Honeybee colonies are perennial – a nest will the queen and heat the hive by vibrating their wing last generations. Bumblebees, on the other muscles, similar to humans’ shivering. To control hand, have annual nests. (2) But no matter the temperature in the how they live, most summer they circulate bees have a similar air with their wings and approach to mating. In • The average American consumes a little over sprinkle the honeycomb nearly every species, a one pound of honey a year. with water. (3) male bee’s only job is • In the course of her lifetime, a worker bee will The length of a female to mate with a female. produce 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey. honeybee’s life is usually After the female mates, • To make one pound of honey, workers in a hive only a few weeks.

A she either retreats to fly 55,000 miles and tap two million flowers. queen, though, can live a shelter for the winter • In a single collecting trip, a worker will visit three to five years! or returns to her nest between 50 and 100 flowers.

There has been to lay eggs. A female a major decline in solitary bee lays only a • A productive hive can make and store up to commercial honeybee few eggs in her lifetime, two pounds of honey a day. Thirty-five pounds of numbers over the past but a queen honeybee honey provides enough energy for a small colony 50 years – and even lays thousands! (2) to survive the winter. (3) more so since 2007 – Bees have an acute called Colony Collapse sense of smell, and Disorder (CCD). The cause hasn’t been pinpointed can recognize symmetry and patterns, such yet, but researchers say reasons could include as colors or shapes. This helps bees find parasites and bacteria, environmental stress, like a and recognize flowers and food. Honeybees lack of pollen, and, very likely, pesticide usage. communicate food’s location with a special bee What can we do to help? Here are three easy language: dancing. ideas: When a scout finds food, she uses two known 1. Plant a Pollinator Garden. See online guide for tools to remember its location. 1. A solar plantings. (www.pollinator.org/guides.htm) compass that helps her calculate where things 2.

Reduce your use of pesticides, especially when are in relation to the sun. The bee’s ability to flowers are in bloom and bees are out foraging see polarized light (remember the ommatidia 3.

Buy local to help support local beekeepers eyes) tells her where the sun is even if it’s a cloudy day. 2. An internal clock that tells her how far she has flown.

Aryn Henning Nichols was amazed by When the scout returns to the hive, she bees as she researched this story – distributes nectar samples, then performs a dancing? Polarized light? Awesome. dance on the hive “dance floor.”

Let’s work to save the bees! Plant If the food is nearby, the scout does a “round some butterfly weed (and other dance,” making loops in alternating directions. pollinator garden plants) today!

When the food is far away, she does a “waggle dance”. She runs in a straight line SOURCES: while waggling her abdomen, then returns 1. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bee to the starting point by running in a curve to 2. animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/bee.htm 3. www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bees/ the left or right of the line. The straight line 4. www.cnn.com/2015/03/04/living/iyw-5-ways-toindicates the direction of the food in relation to help-bees/ the sun. (3)

BEE FACTS:

5. nativeplants.msu.edu/about/pollination

32

Summer 2015 / iloveinspired.com

LOCAL DRIFTLESS FARMERS MARKETS ALLAMAKEE COUNTY Harpers Ferry - Church Parking Lot Friday, 5-7 pm June - September Lansing - Main Street Plaza Saturday, 9 am - noon June - mid-October Waukon - Fairgrounds Monday, 3:30-6:00 pm June - September

CHICKASAW COUNTY Fredericksburg N. Washington & E. Main Street Wednesdays, 3- 5 pm May - September New Hampton (Accepts WIC/FMNP/EBT) City Park Lot, Water Street Thursdays, 4-6 pm June - September

CLAYTON COUNTY Edgewood - City Park Friday, 3-5 pm June - October Elkader Keystone Bridge City Park Saturday, 9 am-noon May - October

Fayette Open Air Market 305 W. Water Street Shelter Wednesday, 3-5 pm June - October Oelwein (Accepts WIC/FMNP/SNAP) Hwy 150 & Hwy 3 Monday, 3-6 pm Friday, 8-11 am Mid May - October

HOWARD COUNTY Chester - City Park Thursday, 1-4 pm June - October Cresco (Accepts WIC/FMNP) 2nd St & 1st Ave, Grube’s N. Lot Tuesday, 2- 5:30 pm Friday, 2-5:30 pm May - October

Protivin - City Park Wednesday, 2:30-5:30 pm May - October

Guttenberg River Park Drive - City Park Saturday, 8 am - noon End May - early October

WINNESHIEK COUNTY

Monona - Gateway Park Wednesday, 3 - 6 pm End May - Early October Strawberry Point (Accepts WIC/FMNP) Inger Park Wednesday, 4-6 pm End May- September Volga City Park Friday, 4-6 pm June - September

FAYETTE COUNTY Elgin Town & Country Market Elgin City Park Thursday, 5:30-7 pm May - October

GREAT RIVER PARTNERS: NE IOWA & SW WISCONSIN

Lime Springs - Brown Park Saturdays, 9 am-12:00 Noon May 28 - October

Riceville (Accepts WIC/FMNP) 203 Main Street (Hwy 9) Saturday, 9-11:30 am May - October

McGregor - Triangle Park Friday, 3-6 pm May - September

2015 LOCAL FOOD DIRECTORY

Cresco Beadle Park Sunday Market 10 AM: June 28, July 12 3:30 PM: August 2, Sept 20

Garnavillo 201 N. Main. City Park Saturday, 8:30 - 11 am May - October

Marquette Driftless Area Wetlands Centre Friday, 4-7 pm May 22 - Oct 9

WWW.DRIFTLESSFRESHFOOD.COM

Decorah (Winneshiek FM) (Accepts WIC/FMNP/EBT) City Lot behind Oneota Coop Wednesdays, 3-6 pm Saturdays, 8-11am May 1 - October 31

WISCONSIN Prairie du Chien – Lucky Park 312 W. Blackhawk Ave Saturdays, 8 am - 1 pm May 2 - October 17 Gays Mills - Lions Club Park (Accepts WIC/FMNP) Wednesdays, 2 - 6 pm May 13 - October 14 Ferryville Market in the Park Saturdays, 9 am - 3 pm May 16 - October 31 Farmers Market Nutrition Programs WIC = Women, Infants, Children SN = Senior SNAP EBT (Food Assistance) can be used to buy fruit, vegetables, meat, eggs, baked goods,honey, cheese, herbs, jelly and jam, etc. You may not use EBT for hot prepared foods or hot drinks.

This Buy Fresh Buy Local Chapter is a consumer education program for BFBL Iowa. BFBL Iowa is part of the FoodRoutes Network, a national nonprofit organization that provides technical support to community based groups that are working to strengthen regional markets for locally grown foods.

Visit www.foodroutes.org.

Special Pull-Out Section - Paid Advertisement

Rd

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Local Food Map!

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Chester Fifth Ave

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23 28

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Fredricksburg

FARMSTAND FARM

West Union

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Fayette

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STORE 187

RESTAURANT 150

SUPPLIES FOOD HUB

FAYETTE

SUPPORTER 29

2015 LOCAL FOOD DIRECTORY V Vegetables, flowers, herbs F Fruit M Meat & Dairy E Eggs O Other Products: Baked goods, honey, syrup, coffee

3

Oelwein

Hazelton

BUCHAN

3 Bear Creek Acres • M Al Dlouhy & Jen Gamerdinger Edgewood, (563) 255-2839 Certified organic pasture raised beef BearCreekAcresDairy.com 4 Benjegerdes Greenhouse • V F 1115 Hwy 52 - Postville (563) 864-3081 Vegetable and bedding plants Open Mid April-June 30 or by appt

1 Andon Acres • V Gordon Murray-John Maynard, (563) 637-2766 Chemical-free vegetables Oelwein, Independence Farmers Markets

5 Clayton Ridge Farm and Meat Market, Guttenberg (large ad) • M V

2 Apples on the Avenue • V F O Nashua (S. on Hwy 218), (641) 210-5506 20+ Apple varieties, pumpkins, mums www.applesontheavenue.com Farmstand open mid-August

7 Driftless Hills Farm • M Calmar – (563) 562-3897 All natural, grass-fed lamb.

Restaurants & individuals. driftlesshills@gmail.com

6 Country View Dairy Hawkeye (large ad) • M

MN WI IL

IOWA

Dorchester 26

76

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Lansing

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Harpers Ferry 76 27

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Postville

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Volga City

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3 Strawberry Point Edgewood

5 miles

CLAYTON

Good food has a great story.

NAN 8 Empty Nest Winery Waukon (large ad) • O 9 Fidelity Bank and Trust Decorah & Waukon • (large ad) 10 FJM Produce - Francis Martin • F V M Wadena - (563) 774-2023 Produce, heritage turkeys 11 Forest Hill Farm St. Olaf (large ad) • M 12 Fox Greenhouse & Garden Center • F V O Randalia, (563) 428-4638 Flowers, bedding, vegetable plants Fresh produce, baked goods, crafts Open 8 am - 5 pm, M-Sat 13 From Farm to Market/McClain Family • F V Westgate, (319) 240-0464, (319)240-2725 Sweet Corn, Tomatoes, Peppers, Raspberries Waverly, New Hampton Markets larbear50@hotmail.com

14 G It’s Fresh • V Glen & Elizabeth Elsbernd, Cresco (563) 379-395. Certified organic vegetables. www.gitsfresh.com 15 GROWN Locally • V F E M A Community Farming Cooperative (563) 380-9848 www.grownlocally.com Wholesale sales to institutions 16 Hawkeye Buffalo Ranch • M Fredericksburg - (large ad) 17 Iowa Food Hub • V F M E O West Union (large ad) 18 K&K Gardens, Hawkeye, (563) 427-5373. Bedding plants, vegetables, gifts. Trees, shrubs, perennials. www.kkgardens.com 19 Kymar Acres (large ad) • V E O

Water Street Caf é f r e s h .

312 West Water Street • Decorah Co-op 563.382.4666 • www.oneotacoop.com kitchen Monday-Saturday 8:00-8:30 • Sunday 10-7 classroom

everyone can shop

everyone welcome

o r g a n i c .

l o c a l .

ONEOTA COMMUNITY

FOOD COOPErative decorah, iowa

no membership required

Rock Cedar Ranch River Root Farm Patchwork Green Farm Driftless Hills Farm WW Homestead Dairy Country View Dairy Hansen's Dairy Lynch BBQ Company

563.382.WINE

think local

117 W. WATER ST. DECORAH www.rubaiyatrestaurant.com

20 Leon Kern • V F Garber, (563) 590-7812 Chemical-free produce Raspberries, apples, pears Call for availability

27 River Root Farm – Decorah • V O (563) 382-6249, www.riverrootfarm. com. Certified organic seedlings & produce Decorah Farmers Market.

Fall/Winter CSA shares available

21 Low Oaks Farm • V M Little Turkey, (563) 202-0399 Chemical free vegetables, flowers, herbs, lamb. Decorah & Cedar Rapids Dtwn Mkts. www.lowoaksfarm.com

28 Rubaiyat, Decorah (large ad)

22 Mountain Lane Farm, LLC • M V Wauzeka, WI, (608) 874-4414 Grass-fed Beef, Poultry and Sweet Corn. Find us at Prairie Street Farmer’s Market. www.mountainlanebeef.com 23 Oneota Community Food Coop (large ad) V F M E O 24 Oneota Slopes Farm • M O Andy & Emily Johnson Decorah – (563) 382-0537 Grass-fed meats; Christmas trees www.oneotaslopes.org 25 Patchwork Green Farm (large ad) V 26 Peake Orchards, Inc. • F O Waukon – (563) 419-0449 Great apple varieties incl. Honeycrisp Family-run orchard Farm Stand, mid Sept-Thanksgiving

THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT OF THESE PARTNERS This directory is organized by the Northeast Iowa Food & Farm Coalition and its partners.

Visit www.iowafreshfood. com for more information on the farmers listed in the directory.

29 Sauser Farms • V Hazleton, (319) 481-8737 Vegetables, melons, herbs, pumpkins Great fresh cut flowers sauserfarms.com 30 Shrimptastic, Fayette (large ad) • M 31 Timber Ridge Gardens • V O Sara and Randi Vagts West Union - (563) 422-5844 Chemical-free Produce & Angelfood cakes Decorah Farmers Market 32 Top of the Hollow Organic Farm • V Decorah – (563) 380-8344 Certified organic produce, potatoes Decorah Farmers Market Oneota Co-op and special order 33 Unionland Market West Union • V F M E O 34 Upper Iowa Organics, LLC Marty Grimm Decorah (563) 419-2222 Bulk compost & composted manure M-F, 8-5; Call on weekends 35 Windridge Implements (large ad) 36 WW Homestead Dairy (large ad) • M O

Arrgh

PAPER PROJECT:

PIRATE HATS!

er newspap r e y e om 1. Sav pired.c s n i e v o o il s 2. go t ate hat r i p r e ig y e for b n 3. make i l n o tions eys! instruc tle mat t i l d n a or a ready f u o y h g 4. Arrr mer?! fun sum

step-by-step instructions at

iloveinspired.com Paper Project! iloveinspired.com \ Summer 2015

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Local

TLUCK O P PARTY h

tomatoes cheese curds basil

cabbage

eggs

shrimp treats from the farmers’ market!

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Summer 2015 / iloveinspired.com

arugula

cabbage flowers

What’s local on our table? bulk candy from the co-op

apples bleu cheese beets goat cheese sausage cucumber carrots

yogurt flat bread iloveinspired.com \ Summer 2015

39

Local

TLUCK O P PARTY h

Story and photos by Aryn Henning Nichols • Photo/Food Assistant Thea Satrom

G

etting together with friends is the stuff of summer.

Getting together with friends, eating food grown by friends, is the stuff of a Driftless summer.

When you live in a place like the Driftless Region, you sometimes forget that you’re even eating local…you’re just serving up the produce grown by farmers up the road! They might even be sitting across the table from you – ‘cause this is the Midwest, people.

We’re friendly. And we like to potluck.

In case this is your first day in the Midwest, a potluck is “a gathering of people where each person or group of people contributes a dish of food to be shared among the larger gathered group.”

It’s a beautiful thing not just because it’s a great format for a party, but also because sometimes summertime livin’ isn’t so easy; it’s busy. Make it a little simpler by having your friends make all the food. Okay…you still have to make one dish, but that’s a lot better than a whole meal.

What goes into planning a potluck? Just an email, text message, or phone call with a loose “you do a main course, I’ll do veggie, they’ll bring dessert” sort of thing. Take it a step further and challenge potluck-goers to use local produce in their dishes.

Buying locally is good for your environment, economy, and – most importantly – yourself. And shopping in season at your area farmers markets and food co-ops is also way more affordable than you’d think!

We put together our own potluck of local foods for this issue – from local shrimp (yep!) to bacon-wrapped dates to a beet and apple salad to cheese curd caprese skewers, we’ve got you covered.

In a pinch and don’t have time to actually cook something? That’s totally okay too! We looked to the bulk section of our local co-op for a few ideas…chocolate-covered ginger, anyone? Goes great with a mint julep, we think!

Make it a potluck-y summer, friends, and enjoy!

grocery bulk produce café meat cheese bakery wine/beer supplements body care

We get a little excited about GoOD Food.

ONEOTA COMMUNITY

FOOD COOPErative decorah, iowa

Water Street Caf é f r e s h .

40

o r g a n i c .

l o c a l .

312 West Water Street • Decorah 563.382.4666 • www.oneotacoop.com Monday-Saturday 8:00 am-8:30 pm • Sunday 10-7

everyone can shop

Summer 2015 / iloveinspired.com

everyone welcome

no membership required

Cheese Curd Caprese Skewers 1/2 C balsamic vinegar 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes 1/2 lb fresh cheese curds fresh basil leaves, cut or ripped in half if large salt & pepper Drizzle of olive oil toothpicks Bring balsamic vinegar up to a boil in a saucepan, then lower heat to medium and simmer until it’s the consistency of very thin maple syrup, about 10 minutes. Pour into a bowl and let cool.

Cut large tomatoes in half / leave small ones whole. Thread a small cheese curd, basil leaf, and a tomato onto a toothpick. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Sprinkle with salt & pepper, then alternate a drizzle of balsamic reduction and olive oil on top.

Bacon-wrapped dates (makes 36) 12-ounce package of bacon, cut into thirds 8-ounce package of pitted dates Preheat the oven to 350°F. Position oven rack in the center of the oven. Cover a cookie sheet with tin foil. Using scissors, cut bacon slices into thirds. Wrap one (third) piece of bacon around each date. Make sure the bacon seam is on the bottom, so it is less likely to unravel. Repeat until all of the dates are wrapped in tasty bacon.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until crisp (go a little longer if they don’t look crispy). Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

GALLERY | OUTREACH

June 6 - Aug 9, 2015 Opening Reception

live music & hors d’ouevres

SAT., June 6, 6-8pm

exhibit | OPEN ROAD, featuring 41 artists in a variety of media. FREE!

Deviled Eggs 12 hard-boiled eggs 1/2 C mayonnaise 2 T milk 1 tsp yellow mustard 1/4 tsp salt ( or to taste, I use seasoned salt) 1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper 1/4 tsp garlic powder Paprika for dusting Slice the eggs in half lengthwise; remove the yolks, and set whites aside.

Add all ingredients except for paprika into food processor (it makes it so much smoother!), or whisk by hand if you must.

Spoon mixture into a plastic bag, snip one corner, and pipe into the whites.

Sprinkle with paprika and cover tightly with plastic wrap.

Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

OPEN ROAD

ART in the PARK SUNDAY, June 21, 2015, 10am - 5pm

90+ fine ARTS booths | Live MUSIC-

-Brian Laidlaw, Reina del Cid, The Bread & Butter String Band | FOOD, craft BEER & WINE | Family art activities | FREE Galleries & Art Loft Lodging 103 Parkway N St. Mane Theatre 206 Parkway Ave N 507.467.2446 lanesboroarts.org

iloveinspired.com \ Summer 2015

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convenient sustainable lodging

{CEDAR DREAMS INN} DOWNTOWN DECORAH

Details at facebook.com/cedardreamsinn

521 W. Water St. Decorah . 563-277-1061

Affordable Elegance.

Luther College Catering Wedding Receptions • Anniversaries Birthdays • Corporate & Family Events • A wide variety of menus with a worldly flair, featuring locally grown foods and homemade recipes • A dining room that overlooks the beautiful Oneota Valley and accommodates 300-plus guests

Let us help you with your next event.

Contact us at 563.387.1395 or email catering@luther.edu Check us out online at luther.catertrax.com 42

Summer 2015 / iloveinspired.com

Tzatziki Dip 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced 1 C plain greek yogurt 1/2 C sour cream 2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 clove garlic, minced Freshly ground black pepper and salt, to taste Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate for 2 hrs. before serving. Serve with fresh veggies and pita triangles, or try it on top of grilled or roasted meats like lamb, chicken, or gyros.

Beets & Apple Salad 2 T honey 1 T apple cider vinegar 1 T olive oil Four beets, roasted or boiled, skins removed, sliced into bite sizedpieces 1 Fuji apple, sliced into bite sized-pieces 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese 1/4 C walnuts Whisk together honey, vinegar, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Toss walnuts, cooked beets, and apple slices with dressing. Top with blue cheese and give a little stir. Add another drizzle of olive oil if needed.

Did you know there’s local shrimp now (or soon)? There’s a new farm north of Fayette called Shrimptastic and also a farm in Ridgeway called Sherlock Shrimp. Product will be available later this summer (we got the shrimp at right at the Oneota Co-op).

Getting local shrimp will work like this: You head to the farm, they harvest your shrimp fresh, you bring them home and cook ‘em. Pretty cool!

Marinated Grilled Shrimp 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 T olive oil 2 T chopped fresh basil 1/2 tsp salt Juice from half a lime Juice from half a lemon 1 lb fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined skewers In a large plastic bag, mix the marinade. Add shrimp and coat evenly. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat grill for medium heat. Thread shrimp onto skewers, piercing once near the tail once near the head. Discard marinade.

Cook shrimp on preheated grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until opaque.

Head over to shrimptasticllc.com for a how-to on peeling & deveining shrimp

Local

TLUCK O P PARTY h

Northeast Iowa’s premier wedding destination venue!

Spend your special day in an elegant yet casual setting overlooking the Oneota Valley and the Upper Iowa River. Enjoy the Amish-built post and beam barn and restored one room school house – along with spacious outdoor patios and beautiful gardens.

Decorah, Iowa . denovobarn.com . 563-419-8902 iloveinspired.com \ Summer 2015

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Local

Walnut Pesto 1/2 C walnuts 2 cloves garlic 3 cups packed basil leaves 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 freshly ground black pepper 1/3 C olive oil (or more if needed) 1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese 1-2 tsp lemon juice

TLUCK PO PARTY h

Place basil, walnuts, garlic, salt and pepper, and olive oil in food processor.

Blend until thoroughly combined.

Add Parmesan and blend 5-10 seconds more. Splash in lemon juice to taste. Add additional salt to taste, if needed. For storing, a layer of olive oil on top keeps the pesto from browning. It also freezes great, so double the batch to get a little summer freshness when winter hits!

Tradition of Deceit

Chloe Ellefson Historic Sites Mystery # 5

From Kathleen Ernst, the bestselling author of Heritage of Darkness, comes the eagerly awaited sequel‌

Curator and occasional sleuth Chloe Ellefson is off to Minneapolis to help out a former college classmate facing a monumental task.

Together they must write a winning proposal for a controversial and expensive project: convert an abandoned flour mill complex, currently occupied by homeless people, into a history museum.

When a body is found at the complex, stuffed down a grain chute, Chloe's attention turns from milling to murder. Back in Wisconsin, her love interest Roelke McKenna gets awful news. His best friend, a Milwaukee police officer, has been shot dead in the line of duty.

Separated by hundreds of miles, Chloe and Roelke must sift through clues from the past and present. Alone, each takes risks that threaten their growing trust in each other—and their very lives.

The Chloe series is for adults and mature teens who like books without explicit sex, violence, or gore. They are available from independent bookstores, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and publisher Midnight Ink as trade paperbacks and as e-Books for reading with iPad, Kobo, Nook, and Kindle apps and devices.

facebook.com/kathleenernst.author 44

Summer 2015 / iloveinspired.com

www.kathleenernst.com

Pesto Pasta Salad with Local Sausage 1 lb package of pasta (we used campanelle, but also love penne or other hardy pastas) 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 package (4) local sausage (we used chicken, but any sausage would work great), grilled and sliced.

2 cups arugula 1/4 cup goat cheese 1/2 cup pesto (see recipe above) Cook pasta according to package directions. We always undercook a bit, because mushy pasta is no good! In a large bowl (or just use the same pot you made the pasta in), combine pasta, red pepper, and chicken sausage. Add in 1/2 to 1 cup of pesto...whatever your taste preferences are. Gently stir in arugula leaves and top with goat cheese. Great served warm or cold!

Coleslaw 1 sm cabbage sliced thin 1/3 C mayo 1T poppy seed 1/3 C cilantro, chopped 2 med carrots, shredded 1 T rice vinegar 1 T honey 1 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 1 pinch celery seed Combine all ingredients. Let sit at least one hour before serving so flavors can meld.

Apple Crisp 5-6 medium tart cooking apples, peeled and sliced thin (5 cups) 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats 1/2 cup butter 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg Ice cream, if desired

Burgers • Sandwiches • Salads • Appetizers • Breakfast • In-House Catering Locally Sourced Menu Options • Come watch your favorite games! • 22 Beers on Tap! Two event spaces for small or large groups – up to 200 people. Contact our Event Coordinator at tbocks.events@gmail.com for details.

206 W. Water St. •563-382-5970 • tbocks.com

Pacific white shrimp. Locally grown!

563-425-3232 • shrimptasticllc.com Sign up for shrimp alerts so you don’t miss the next batch!

15916 Lincoln Road . Fayette, Iowa. We sell fresh to you!

SUBSCRIBE!

SUBMIT!

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease bottom and sides of 9x13 pan with shortening (I just use butter). Spread apples in pan. In medium bowl, cut butter into dry ingredients until well mixed; sprinkle over apples. Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve with ice cream (if you want)!

Aryn Henning Nichols (that pic is me when I was a kid!) loves a good potluck. She also loves to cook, so putting this spread together didn’t even feel like work! We hope you enjoy the recipes! Head over to iloveinspired.com for recipe printables – we’ll feature each dish online different days throughout the summer – extra details, and more potluck ideas!

Extra special you’re-the-best, thank you to my friend, Thea Satrom, for helping put all this food together. We had a fun time drinking (local) mint juleps and chopping, mixing, and pureeing together. Woot!

Potlucks are already paying off for me!

YAY! IT’S HERE!

WHERE YOUR ART HAS A FLIP SIDE! Each hang-able, frame-able, gift-able issue also features the work of a regional writer.

DRIFTWARDPRESS.COM iloveinspired.com \ Summer 2015

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CHEF

ON THE

BLOCK

The MINT

LA CROSSE

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Summer 2015 / iloveinspired.com

SUMMER

2015

Anthony Swartwout

SHOWS

Introduction by Benji Nichols • Photos by Inspire(d)

T

historic

Swartout, on the right, with sous chef James Foreman.

MUSIC-THEATRE-COMMUNITY

Name: Anthony Swartwout Age: 41 Restaurant: The Mint Number of Years Cooking: 18ish

Joseph Hall

Formal training or live-and-learn?

Both. Live-and-learn for the first seven or so. Then Culinary School at 30.

CEDAR VALLEY CHAMBER MUSIC

A License to Trill

HAYDN • BEETHOVEN • TARTINI

19

July

What’s your earliest or most significant memory of cooking or being cooked for?

I don’t remember exactly how old I was, but it was when my mom was teaching me how to make oatmeal for my sister and myself.

I would make it for us before we went to

June 6

ELVIS ROCK ‘N’ REMEMBER

ICONIC SONGS OF THE

Aug 22

he Mint in La Crosse sits on a snug little corner of State Street – just across from the UW. It’s a cozy home for one of the Driftless Region’s freshest restaurants – literally. Specializing in farm-to-table fare, the food couldn’t get much fresher. From local pheasant (“I used to drive past the farm where it was raised on my way home,” says Chef Anthony Swartwout) to oyster mushrooms to, of course, lots of inseason produce.

Add to that exquisite craft cocktails – think cayenne and cinnamon on the lip of a tasty tequila concoction or house-made marinated cherries in a yummy Manhattan – plus amazing homemade desserts – like the best-ever angel food cake made by Mint pastry chef Jen Barney – and you might never want to leave.

Plus, the place is pretty darn charming. This button of a building and dining patio (previously home to Kate’s On State) is rustic, country, and modern at the same time. Bright blue dining chairs, brick walls and chalkboards, and metal barstools bring together an ambiance that feels just right.

Behind that magic? The dynamic duo and management team of Corrie Brekke and Dane Gonzalez. (They’ve also brought the downtown creperie / coffee shop / craft beer bar stronghold, the Root Note, to life!) They’ve also joined forces with Cody Cottrell of the Ground Up Coffee Shop as part of the “Driftmore” group of establishments. All three of these joints represent grassroots businesses that have done their best to serve amazing products in fun environments – which Inspire(d) loves!

But this feature is about chefs – and Chef Anthony Swartwout of The Mint is the real deal.

Coming from haunts like Lucia’s in Minneapolis and The Waterfront in La Crosse, Swartwout and his sous chef, James Foreman, have fully embraced the local concept, connecting with producers like Hoch Orchards, Second Cloud on the Left, Driftless Meats, River Root Farm, Willow Creek Ranch, Driftless Organics, and more.

The menu often features fresh trout, local birds, incredible vegetarian options, as well as locally raised beef and pork dishes – and the beauty is that it changes seasonally – heck, sometimes weekly depending on what is fresh, fun, and tasty.

We suggest you check it out for yourself. If you’re lucky, the lovely Caite will be your server – tell her Inspire(d) sent you!

EARLY 70’S

AJ Swearingen & Jayne Kelli

For additional events & ticket information visit ElkaderOperaHouse.com 207 N. Main, Elkader, IA

563-245-2098

THIS AD PAID FOR IN PART BY THE IOWA TOURISM OFFICE.

iloveinspired.com \ Summer 2015

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school in the morning. I was getting bored with plain oatmeal and started playing around with the spices in my mom’s pantry. I came to the realization that a little cinnamon and raisins can completely change the final outcome!!!

Then I discovered cardamom and have been hooked ever since.

Why did you decide to become a chef?

To make a very long story short, I was way better at cooking then I was waiting tables. After bouncing back and forth between the two for years, I decided I was going to make one of them my life long career. So, off to Culinary School I went.

GOOD TIMES GRILL 48

Summer 2015 / iloveinspired.com

Do you have any monumental food fails you’d like to share with us?

The first time I ever tried cooking with ground cloves when I was a kid!!! I still remember how bad that tasted. I had no clue how little you needed.

How about secret food indulgences you don’t normally talk about?

Sugar or Sweets in general... I have a horrible sweet tooth!

FM 100.5 for details:

kdecradio.com

LANDSCAPE & GARDEN DESIGN LINDSAY LEE & LEE ZIEKE

W I LLOWGLEN

great food + amazing cocktails!

1810 State Street, La Crosse www.facebook.com/ 608.519.5011 TheMintLaCrosse

What’s your favorite: Ingredient: Pork. Anything that comes off of a pig.

Dish: Anything that I didn’t have to cook for myself a.k.a. my wife’s cooking.

Cookbook: Savoring the Seasons of the Northern Heartland by Lucia Watson Random (or not so random) kitchen tool: Knife sharpening stones Vegetable: Heirloom tomatoes Fruit: Raspberries or perfectly ripe strawberries

Benji Nichols is a huge fan of local food – and, heck, most food. He has also been a huge fan of the style and tone of the Root Note in Downtown La Crosse for years, and can’t wait for his next trip to The Mint to see what Chef Anthony and the crew have dreamed up. Cheers!

Plan your visit: Lunch: Tues – Sat / 11 am – 2 pm Dinner: Tues – Thurs / 5 – 9:30 pm Dinner: Fri – Sat / 5 – 10:30 pm Sunday Brunch: 10 am – 2 pm Sunday Dinner: 5 – 9 pm

willowglennursery.com 563-735-5570

Direct from a garden to your cart.

519 1 ST

AVENUE SW ROCHESTER

507.289.9061

315 5 TH AVENUE L A C ROSSE 608.784.5798

S

good. honest. local. www.pfc.coop

Reservations for parties of 6 or more – otherwise just walk on in! iloveinspired.com \ Summer 2015

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Summer 2015 / iloveinspired.com

Photo courtesy ArtHaus

50

AND THE LIVIN’ IS EASY

OPEN SWIM Monday-Sunday 1-6pm FREE Friday Nights! June 5-Aug 7: 7-9pm

By Kristine Jepsen

S

o, school’s out, and the snow clothes have been washed and pushed to the back of the closet (finally). Light plays out longer in the evenings, breathing extra life into after-dinner games of tag, dogwalking, and park-going.

Sounds magical, right? Like everyone in your family should understand summer to mean shade-sitting.

And catching up on reads that friends have been recommending. Or leisurely picking of wildflowers. Surely?

More likely, I – er, you – won’t make it through one golden evening before the summertime chorus starts up: “I’m bored!”

If this refrain has you locking yourself in the bathroom for a sanity check, try these kid-friendly pursuits in the Driftless. From spelunking to strawberry picking, there’s something for every pint-size naysayer. Best of all, many activities are free.

Private Parties & Swimming Lessons Available

600 Maple Dr., Spring Grove | 507.498.SWIM springgrovemn.com

Saturday Bloody Mary bar

Recently Dai expandedr specily als craft bee n o ti c sele

2-for Tuesda-y1s!

More than just a small town bar! & LIQUOR STORE OPEN AT NOON, M - F; 10AM SAT

DOWNTOWN SPRING GROVE www.sgbirdwalk.org

Into the Wilds: Exploring Native Landscapes

EXPANDED TRAIL!

Photo courtesy Driftless Safari

1, 2, or 4 mile trail is open all year and crosses meadows, hills, woods, ponds, and streams.

Located on the east side of Spring Grove, behind Red’s IGA.

Driftless Safari Best for: Anyone!

Open: Memorial Day through Halloween www.driftlesssafari.org Rare trees and prairie plants, springs to splash in, wildlife tracks.

Driftless Safari is both a self-guided tour of natural resources in Northeast Iowa, Southeast Minnesota, and Southwest Wisconsin and an introduction to community programs that support educational adventures for families.

To get started, pick up your guidebook and map packet for this year’s destinations from a public library in Winneshiek County (or print one online), then visit sites in any order. Prove you were in each location by making a crayon rubbing in your guidebook of the ‘marker’ placed there (crayons provided in your packet). When you have 15 or more rubbings, you may return your guidebook to the library to register for awesome prizes.

Join us for our Homebrew Contest August 1 Stay tuned for info on Cliff De Young event in September!

summertime S AV I N G S Mention this ad and get

10% OFF any one item

111 W. Main, Spring Grove | 507.498.2787 www.bluffcountryartistsgallery.org

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115 Winnebago Street . Decorah, Iowa

/modishdecorah www.modish.boutiquewindow.com

GREAT PIZZA & HOT WINGS!

563.382.3600

Open Monday-Saturday

safehousesaloon.com

FOOD DELIVERY IN LANSING!

UNIQUE CRAFT BEERS! GROWLERS TO GO!

563-538-4228 • 359 Main St. Lansing, IA

Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center Location: Lanesboro, Minnesota Best for: 6+ (Kids able to hike some distance without whining!)

Open: June – August (by appointment in off-season) www.eagle-bluff.org Located on nearly 100 acres of Root River bottom, limestone bluffs, and tall-grass prairie, Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center offers organized outdoor education courses for kids during the school year and family programming and multi-age ropes/ zipline courses on Saturdays and Tuesdays ($25/person) in the summer months. Free stuff includes its nearly nine miles of hiking trails and public geocaching course, as well as access to the Schroeder Visitor’s Center.

The center also hosts River Roots Skills School courses for teens 15 and older and adults (generally $40/person) ranging from orienteering to Amish bread-baking to taxidermy basics. Follow the directions online (eagle-bluff.org/top/about-us/visit-us/directions), rather than your GPS, to avoid sometimes-impassable back roads.

Photo courtesy Eagle Bluff

AFFORDABLE BOUTIQUE SHOPPING

Holistic Health Solutions: • Homeopathy • Herbal Remedies Quantum Biofeedback • BioEnergetic Assessments

Naturally Unbridled

Wellness

LLC

Patti Bartsch, M.A., Ph.D. Traditional Naturopath & BioEnergetic Practitioner

Photo by Sara Friedl-Putnam

www.NaturallyUnbridled.com . Onalaska, WI . 608-799-8326

Driftless Area Wetland Centre (see full story on page 14) Location: Marquette, Iowa Best for: Anyone!

Open: Year-round www.driftlessareawetlandcentre.com The Driftless Area Wetlands Centre opened its doors in August 2013 with one goal in mind: Connect people of all ages to the natural world and empower them to positively impact their local environments. The facility provides a shared environmental education and community gathering space, covered plaza area, and 24/7 bathroom, in addition to a beautiful, man-made wetland and viewing platform. See a full story on the Centre on pg 14!

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Summer 2015 / iloveinspired.com

Photos by Aryn Henning Nichols

Movement for Health & Well-Being Change your life today!

Contact Diane Sondrol for more information.

563.419.5420 or taichigrandmadi@msn.com Small group and private lessons available, all are welcome!

Driftless Region Fish Hatcheries Best for: Anyone Open: Sunrise to sunset year-round The Driftless is home to renowned fishing along its creeks and winding rivers, and some of those fish (hundreds of thousands, actually) are stocked from Department of Natural Resources fish hatcheries in the summer months. Many hatcheries are open year-round, allowing kids to feed varying ages of brook, brown, lake and rainbow trout a quarter’s worth of pellet food, available from gumball-like dispensers. Tips: Bring a small bucket or cup to hold the food, and wear closed-toed shoes suitable for walking.

Iowa Decorah Fish Hatchery (Decorah) This facility raises around 150,000 “catchable” rainbow and brook trout annually. Features include their stately limestone office, built in the 1930s as a Civilian Conservation Corps project, and familyfriendly (clean) bathrooms. Group tours are available 7:30 am – 4 pm daily by calling the office at 563-382-8324.

Big Spring Fish Hatchery (Elkader) Located on the Turkey River and fed by the largest cold-water spring in Iowa, this hatchery raises 150,000 rainbow and brook trout from 2” in length to 10-12” over 15 months on average. The Big Spring Watershed is nationally renowned among researchers of karst (limestone) groundwater activity. River access at the hatchery is open for trout fishing and primitive camping, featuring a new angler access trail, a trout pond open for public fishing, and Iowa’s first kids’ fishing pond for anglers 15 and under. Fisherpeople must have appropriate licensure. Group tours are available 7:30 am – 4 pm daily by calling the office at 563-245-2446.

Guttenburg Fish Hatchery (Guttenburg) This hatchery spawns Northern Pike fry in the spring, then operates the kid-friendly Guttenburg Aquarium and Fish Management Station May – October 8 am – 4 pm. See 35 species of fish, fresh-water mussels and turtles native to the Mississippi River ecosystem and its tributaries. Admission to this Great River Road Interpretive Network educational site is free. Call ahead for tour information and special events: 563-252-1156.

Minnesota Lanesboro Fish Hatchery (Lanesboro) This spring-fed hatchery produces a jaw-dropping 120,000 pounds of trout per year: 450,000 brown trout fingerlings (spring or fall of their first year) 24,000 brown trout yearlings (spring following their hatching) 85,000 rainbow trout fingerlings and 200,000 rainbow trout yearlings

120 WASHINGTON ST, DECORAH, IOWA

RESERVATIONS APPRECIATED

Lunch & dinner Monday - Saturday • 563-382-3067

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Vesterheim’s

Folk Art School

Traditional Norwegian baking

with Darlene Fossum-Martin!

Preparing Lefse and Flatbread November 6-7, 2015 Traditional Norwegian Cookies of Christmas November 8, 2015

Check vesterheim.org for a 2015 schedule Classes half price on stand-by for Winneshiek County Residents.

Call 382-9681 to register.

Visit Vesterheim’s Museum Store for Nordic inspired gifts, apparel, jewelry and more!

Wisconsin Genoa National Fish Hatchery Located on both sides of the Great River Road Scenic Byway (State Highway 35), three miles south of Genoa, Wisconsin. Visitors should first head to the office (west side of the highway) to check in and learn about operations. There are 13 species of fish reared on site and a number of mussel species common to the upper Mississippi River basin. You’ll also find a 1,000 gallon aquarium, a wetland and native prairie boardwalk with outdoor classroom area, a walking trail , and culture buildings housing 24 species of fish, freshwater mussels, and amphibians. Call 608-689-2605 to schedule group tours, generally provided 7 am – 3:30 p.m. Monday – Friday.

Photos by Aryn Henning Nichols

Sign up today!

Guided group tours are available by reservation (507-4673771). Hours for self-guided tours are 7am–3:30pm Mon – Fri. Peterson State Fish Hatchery (Peterson) This hatchery specializes in spawning lake trout, stocked to deep, cold lakes in northern Minnesota, and rainbow trout stocked in the Driftless and urban lakes in the Twin Cities. Self-guided and curated tours are available 7am – 3:30 pm Monday – Friday: 507-8752625.

Cave Systems Locations: McGregor, IA, Preston, MN, and Harmony, MN. Best for: Anyone, but best for kids who don’t mind cool, damp conditions and close enclosures.

Open: May through October The Driftless Region’s craggy bluff topography offers stunning viewscapes underground, too, where water has carved formations and caverns into the area’s soft(ish) bedrock.

Vesterheim

The National Norwegian-American Museum & Heritage Center Decorah, Iowa • vesterheim.org • 563-382-9681

Spook Cave & Campground near McGregor, Iowa, offers 35-minute curated boat tours 9 am to 5:30 pm daily. No walking is required, as you travel by boat through the cave chambers. With a free picnic area and reasonable camping hook-ups and cabins on site, Spook Cave suits families, especially those with small children

and seniors in the mix. Be sure to dress for the coolness (literally) of the cave itself, which remains 47 degrees year-round. Tour admission is $11 for adults 13 and older; $8 for kids ages 4-12, and free for kids 3 and under. spookcave.com Mystery Cave, managed by the Department of Natural Resources, lies between Spring Valley and Preston, Minnesota, and is the longest cave system in the state, at nearly 13 miles.

Park naturalists lead curated tours of the stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, fossils, and iridescent underground pools, where flash photography is allowed, if you’re up to it.

Programs range from a scenic tour for all ages and degrees of mobility (available daily; $12/adults, $7 ages 5-12, youngers are free) to flashlight and geology expeditions for children 8 and older ($13-$20/person). If your teen can’t resist mud or physical challenge, check out the Wild Caving tour, a four-hour exploration of undeveloped sections of the cave system, outfitted with real spelunking gear ($75/person; 13 and older; group maximum of five people).

Reservations for Mystery Cave tours are recommended and available online (dnr.state.mn.us/mystery_cave) or by calling the Minnesota DNR at 866-857-2757.

Photography, Wild Caving and advanced geology tours are arranged by calling cave personnel directly at 507-937-3251.

Follow guidelines for appropriate dress (48 degrees underground!) and be sure to consult the GPS-defying travel directions online.

Mystery Cave is located in a state park and requires a park day pass ($5) or sticker valid for the year ($25). While you’re in the gate, consider visiting Forestville, a living history replica of the settlement before railroad development in Minnesota.

Niagara Cave near Harmony, Minnesota, boasts a one-hour, one-mile, guided tour April through October (see niagaracave.com for current hours). Visitors climb down a set of stairs into another world – there’s an underground stream leading to a waterfall nearly 60 feet high, tiny and massive stalactites, calcite flowstone, and fossils that have been dated to more than 400 million years old. There’s also an in-cave wedding chapel where more than 400 weddings have been performed. After the tour, take your minis for mini-golf or gemstone mining. Reservations for tours ($14 / $8 for 4-12 / youngers are free) are recommended, but not required.

507-886-6606.

Visit iloveinspired.com to check out Inspire(d)’s in-depth (haha) Driftless cave feature from 2012.

si

• Underground Waterfall • Wedding Chapel • Stalactites • Fossils

Come & See the Natural Beauty of Niagara Cave!

Enjoy the refreshing 48 degrees year round.

Picnic areas, Gift shop & Gemstone mining available. Walking shoes are recommended.

VOTED BEST FAMILY DESTINATION 2009-2014

Nationally recognized as one of the best caves in the U.S.!

CAVE

and 18 Hole Miniature Golf Course

•Concession stand available •Ice cream •Sandwiches •Beverages

Call 507-886-6606 or 800-837-6606 www.niagaracave.com Open weekends - April. Open Daily - May thru September Fall Schedule - Check Website or Call

2 mi. south of Harmony, MN on Hwy. 139 then 2 mi. west on County Road 30.

A community-minded family business for 80+ years

BRUENING ROCK PRODUCTS From our kids to yours:

YOU ROCK!

PATCHWORK GREEN FARM Always fresh and super tasty vegetables & herbs produced chemical-free near Decorah by Erik Sessions & Sara Peterson.

Available at the Decorah Farmers’ Market from June - October.

2015 CSA Traditional and Market Shares now available.

Check out patchworkgreen.com for all the details!

Eat Lo cal at Well! &E

Free dump truck coloring pages at

brueningrock.com

CRUSHED STONE PRODUCTS • SAND • GRAVEL AG LIME SPREAD • CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

Serving communities in Iowa, Minnesota, & Missouri

900 Montgomery St, Decorah, IA 563-382-2933 . brueningrock.com

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Photo courtesy Marlene Deschler

Shop Charles City

charlescitychamber.com 415 W WATER ST, DECORAH, IOWA

Splash Down: Awesome Swim Facilities Locations: Spring Grove, Minnesota and Hokah, Minnesota Open: June - August (or, when lifeguards go back to school) LEARN TO QUILT & SEW! CLASSES OFFERED FOR ALL LEVELS

563-382-4646 | redroxyquiltco.com

220 Main Street • Charles City, Iowa

Boutique Shopping for Women & Children Wine Shop • Tea Shop & Frozen Yogurt

COUPON 10% OFF!

Tues-Fri: 10am–6pm . Sat: 9am–4pm . Extended Holiday Hours

Join us for Sunday Brunch in the Woods!

Wood-fired pizza & International Cuisine!

NAMED BEST PIZZA IN IOWA

BY USA TODAY!

mcdolcevita.com

2149 Twin Springs Rd, Decorah, Iowa • 563.382.4723 4-9 pm Wed – Fri | 11-9 pm Sat | 10-8 pm Sun 56

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SORRY NO RESERVATIONS

There are city pools, and then there are swim destinations. Spring Grove Swim Center, in quaint Spring Grove, Minnesota, offers a toddler slide, waterfalls and a zero-depth entry wading area for younger kids, and more thrilling two-story water slides, drop slides and diving boards for, you know, older guests who usually beg off getting in the water. If you’re willing to let carb and sodium counts slide for a day, you can find a whole meal at the poolside snack bar.

Admission is $4/person for the whole day; ages 62+ or 2 and under are free. “All day” means 1-5 pm and 7-9 pm Monday through Friday. Weekends are 1-6 pm. Get in free 7-9 pm on “Free Fridays.”

Toward the beginning and end of season or whenever weather might interfere, call ahead at 507-498-7946 to check pool hours. www. springgrovemn.com/swimcenter If chlorine isn’t your thing, head over to 20 Como Street in Hokah, Minnesota, where you’ll find a natural phenomenon uncommon beyond the Yellowstone Caldera of the West: a sand-bottom, springfed swimming area. The Hokah ‘pool’ offers diving boards, an inwater volleyball court, snack concessions and sandy banks for landlocked ‘beach’ play. Admission is $3/person Monday-Saturday 12-5 pm and Sunday 11 am–3 pm. Get in for $1 on Wednesday nights 5-7 pm. Call ahead to confirm pool hours at 507-894-4557. www. facebook.com/HokahPool

Stick a Fork in It: DRIFTLESS Food Adventures Wold Strawberries Location: Rural Mabel, Minnesota Best for: Anyone who can pick more than s/he eats.

Open: Daily when berries are ripe. Call ahead for details. woldstrawberries.com Summertime means seasonal food-a-palooza in the Driftless. If you’re looking to dig in beyond visiting your local farmers’ market, check out Wold Strawberries between Decorah and Mabel, Minnesota. Established in 1973 as a pick-your-own strawberry farm, the Wold plantation now offers ready-picked and pickyour-own varieties of strawberries in early to mid-June; raspberries (red, black and purple) in mid-July and late-blooming red raspberries again in mid-August.

If you’re on top of the season’s optimal weather for berry harvest, you might also get in on their sought-after blueberries and currants in mid-July through

TOUR BIKE

early August. (Hint: Call Wold’s at 507-493-5897 each week for peak picking forecasts, or follow them on Facebook.) In 2015, the highway entrance to the Wold farm is under construction, so follow alternate directions on their site (woldstrawberries.com) to get picking.

Northeast Iowa Dairy Center Location: Calmar, Iowa Best for: All ages Open: Daily www.iowadairycenter.com Read about robotic milking or seen it on YouTube? It’s here in Iowa – and truly hands-off – as the newest innovation in dairy science. At the nationally acclaimed Iowa Dairy Center, cows produce more milk when they self-select when to enter the robotic milking parlor – up to six times per day.

Get a bird’s-eye view from the visitor platform, open 24/7. The center also has a human-powered milking parlor for another 140 cows, where visitors can watch the process three times per day – 4 am, 12 noon, and 8 pm. The adjacent calf barn gives you a peek at doe-eyed dairy youngsters, and if you’re lucky, you might see a calf born in the transition barn.

Don’t miss the free/free-will donation Breakfast on the Farm June 20 from 8:30 am-12 pm. Fill up on ‘Dad’s Belgian waffles,’ sausage and dairy products made in Northeast Iowa before exploring the center’s educational exhibits, including a curated tram tour of the barns. For more info, call the center coordinator at 563-534-9957 ext. 107.

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Bestsellers plus special interest: gardening, Scandinavian, cooking, poetry, children’s books & more…even e-books!

www.dragonflybooks.com 563-382-4275 • 112 West Water Street, Decorah info@dragonflybooks.com

Courtesy Seed Savers

Knowledgeable staff • Great Gifts • Book Signings

Seed Savers Exchange Heritage Farm Location: Decorah, Iowa Best for: Mobile kids or those content to traipse about in a backpack or sling Open: Daily 10am-5pm March 1 – Oct 31 seedsavers.org If your kids are just getting the food-to-earth connection, visit the internationally renowned Seed Savers Exchange Heritage Farm north of Decorah, especially at the height of summer, for a look at where a diverse diet comes from. Spread over 890 acres, the farm is home to display gardens growing 1,000 seed varieties of heritage vegetables and flowers; an orchard (preserving 950 apple varieties); a herd of Ancient White Park cattle; and heritage breeds of turkeys, chickens, ducks and geese.

Explore eight miles of hiking trails or cool your heels in bubbling Pine Spring Creek (where trout fishing is allowed). If your kids are game, you could spend a good day getting between the growing areas. Pack a lunch and regroup at the Lillian Goldman Visitor Center, which offers picnic facilities, (air-conditioned) bathrooms, a water fountain, and a gift shop. Check online or call ahead to dial in the best times to catch up with the cattle herd, for example, and to learn about special events that may affect visiting hours.

Cooking Classes at Oneota Community Food Co-op Location: Decorah, Iowa Best for: Ages designated in course descriptions (young’uns through teens) oneotacoop.com/education-events Someone brilliant once suggested that we parents should let kids do the cleaning while they still think it’s fun. The same might also go for cooking and kitchen skills.

To give your kid a knife (with supervision!) and encourage an interest in cooking with fresh healthful ingredients, try a summer session from Oneota Community Food Co-op. Courses cater to little ones through teens, and use the co-op’s stylish new cooking classroom, adjacent to the store on Water Street. Register for classes online (starting at $40) and check out the co-op’s free educational kids’ booth at the Winneshiek Farmer’s Market most Saturdays in May, June and July.

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Show Time: Summer Arts Opportunities

Photo courtesy ArtHaus

Mud Club at The Clay Studio in Decorah is a monthly night in for kids ages 5-13 featuring a projectbased lesson, art games, and a snack.

Sign up online at theclaystudiodecorah. com for upcoming Mud Club events (6-8 pm occasional Saturdays). Note: Register at least a day in advance; online sign-up is not available the day of an event.

ArtHaus Camps, Mud Club at The Clay Studio, & Drama (of course!)

Location: Decorah, Iowa Best for: Ages designated by course descriptions (2-teens) Do you find yourself confiscating all the household writing or snipping tools from your little artist(s)? Sanctioning the Playdough?

Send them to an ArtHaus camp or Clay Studio class, where professionals with more patience will help channel their creative impulses. Read about ArtHaus classes – from Saturday morning art studio for tots to Art Innovations Camp for kids ages 6 through 12 – and register online at arthausdecorah.org.

If your kids are more at home on the stage, don’t miss summer productions by area community theaters.

The region is also home to outstanding professional companies, including the Commonweal Theatre (commonwealtheatre.org) in Lanesboro, Minnesota, and the Great River Shakespeare Festival

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2015 IOWA STATE FAIR

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 16

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MONDAY, AUGUST 17

with special guest EASTON CORBIN 8 P.M. | $35

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 15

TUESDAY, AUGUST 18

with special guests STYX and TESLA 7 P.M. | $53

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19

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SPONSORED BY IOWA FARMER TODAY 2 P.M. | $20 ADULTS, $10 CHILDREN AGES 6–11 free for ages 5 and under

FRIDAY, AUGUST 21

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 22

MEGHAN TRAINOR with special guest TBA 8 P.M. | $40

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Tickets for all concerts and events are on sale now through all Ticketmaster outlets, online at ticketmaster.com or by phone at 800.745.3000. All concert seats are reserved. All track events are general admission. Convenience charges apply to all tickets. The Iowa State Fair Ticket Office will open July 6 for walk-up orders only (assuming tickets remain). Grandstand tickets do not include admission to the Fair. Gate admission must be purchased separately.

250 artists.

7 days a week.

1 gallery.

Shakespeare for Young Actors, 2014, Photo by Kathy Greden Christenson.

(June 24-Aug 2) in Winona, Minnesota. Great River Shakespeare Festival even offers summer youth education programs like Shakespeare for Young Actors or Creative Drama and “Chill with Will” (Shakespeare, of course) free performances for ages 1018 (grsf.org). Me thinks there’s an alchemy in the warm night air, bright stage lights and stories from far-off places.

May 28-31 Mary Poppins - Theater Cedar Rapids, Cedar Rapids, IA theatrecr.org June 12-21 Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Community Theatre for Youth, La Crosse, WI wrctheatre.org June 26-28 Les Misérables - New Minowa Players, Decorah, IA newminowa.wix.com/new-minowa-players July 10-11 Cinderella - Elkader Opera House Players, Elkader, IA elkaderoperahouse.com July 16-19 Little Shop of Horrors - Ye Olde Opera House, Spring Grove, MN • yeoldeoperahouse.org August (dates TBD) Urinetown: The Musical New Minowa Players Young People’s Production, Decorah, IA • newminowa.wix.com/new-minowa-players Great River Shakespeare Festival “Chill with Will” performances (ages 10-18*) Chill With Will performances feature free tickets and special student programming before and after the performance. Adult chaperons get a ticket discount, too!

Thursday, July 9: Much Ado About Nothing Thursday, July 16: The Glass Menagerie Thursday, July 30: Romeo & Juliet *Do you have a student younger than 10 interested in going to a performance? Contact GRSF for more information. Some Shakespeare fans are ready to join the audience at a younger age!

Kristine Jepsen is definitely one of those parents in need of a go-to guide for kids’ activities in the warm season. When she’s not hunched over her laptop, writing on assignment and for herself (kristinejepsen. com), she’s outdoors drumming up something to do with her family, including her daughter, Eliza.

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Photo by Lauren Kraus

HIKE, TOTALLY.

By Aryn Henning Nichols • Photos courtesy Peg Matter unless otherwise noted

the club does one full day, 8 to 12-mile-hike in the Driftless Region, and also one half-day, 5-mile hike in the Decorah area. There is also a walking group that meets in Decorah in the parking lot across from the Dunning Springs’ entrance every Tuesday at 5:15 pm for an hour-long walk in the woods. Find details at www.facebook. com/driftlesshikers or by inquiring at Decorah Hatchery (ww. decorahhatchery.com).

Plus, more good news: Waking is not only good for your body; it’s good for your mind as well. A recent Stanford study found that walking increases your creativity by an average of 60 percent! As Henry David Thoreau says, “The moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow.”

Do you have a favorite trail in the Driftless Region you think we should feature? Let us know! Email aryn@iloveinspired.com with your ideas!

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PHOTOS BY BRITTANY TODD

Soaring bluffs, craggy rocks, open fields, and mossy trails… yes, the Driftless Region is an amazing place for a nice, long hike.

Or even a quick walk!

There are tons of wonderful trails – both rugged and groomed – in Northeast Iowa, Southeast Minnesota, and Southwest Wisconsin. Inspire(d) has featured a good number of them through a series by former contributor Lauren Kraus (see sidebar for the list), but we felt it was about time to talk the walk (pun!) again.

Inspired by the (relatively) new Driftless Area Hikers Club, we decided to catch up with club leader, Peg Matter, to get some hiking tips and new trail ideas. Matter, former co-owner of Decorah Hatchery, was off on the Superior Hiking Trail on Minnesota’s North Shore as we were going to press, so good thing for the Internet!

The Driftless Area Hikers Club was founded by the Decorah Hatchery, and hikes are generally led by Matter. Each month,

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Check out other Driftless trails we’ve featured at iloveinspired.com/category/driftless-trails. Here’s what you’ll find:

Photo by Lauren Kraus

DRIFTLESS TRAILS ONLINE

Decorah Area Trails: Twin Springs, Upper Ice Cave Hill in Dunning’s Spring Park, and Van Peenen Park Trails north of Decorah: Pine Bluff and Coon Creek The Backwoods of Winneshiek County: Bear Creek and Pine Creek Areas Falcon Springs State Wildlife Area and Lionberger Environmental Preserve Trails at Lake Meyer (Calmar, Iowa) + Mother’s Day Trail in Decorah Southeast Minnesota: Root River State Trail and Harmony-Preston Valley State Trail Effigy Mounds National Monument (NE Iowa) Kickapoo Valley Reserve (SW Wisconsin)

Interview with Driftless Area Hikers Club leader, Peg Matter Do you have any favorite area trails that we haven’t covered yet?

City, county, and state parks provide beautiful, well-groomed hiking trails in the Driftless Region. We even have a national park in Iowa – Effigy Mounds National Park – with plenty of hiking trails, Mississippi river overlooks, and of course effigy mounds that are thousands of years old. There is a great museum and kids can spend the day earning a junior ranger badge.

At Pikes Peak State Park (Iowa) you can see the Wisconsin River entering into the Mississippi along with the limestone bluffs you expect in the region.

There is a mature maple forest providing shade on hot summer days and beautiful fall colors later in the season. There are enough hiking trails that you can do an all day loop or head out for just a couple hours.

Backbone State park was Iowa’s first state park and is at the southwestern limits of the Driftless area. You will find a backbone of bedrock jutting out over the Maquoketa River. The river is dammed, providing a lake with a swimming beach or you can kayak around the lake and then up the river a good distance before returning downstream to the lake. There are 21 miles of trail going by springs, caves, sinkholes and karst topography. The East Lake trail and Backbone are not to be missed.

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128 W Water St, Decorah, Iowa • 563-382-9829 • Check current hours online

Details: Pike’s Peak State Park McGregor, Iowa Of special note: There are fossil remains including brachiopods, gastropods and cephalopods, and the trail goes past Bridal Veil Falls, a beautiful (and cool in the summer) spring. Note there is road construction heading into the park through the end of July, 2015 Backbone State Park, Between Strawberry Point and Dundee, Iowa Of special note: There are exclusive trails for snowmobiling and /or cross-country skiing in the winter, and also mountain biking trails: Barred Owl, Bluebird, East Lake, and West Lake. Plus, there are opportunities to rock climb here!

The most popular climbing spots are located near Backbone Trail.

Climbers must register at the park office.

What do you need to head out on the trail?

Basics for heading into the woods – other than the all important water – are sun protection (hat, lotion, sun glasses), extra layer (rain coat), first aid supplies, illumination (headlamp or flashlight), and insect repellent. You can spray your feet and socks with insect repellent before heading into a tick area.

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Photo by Lauren Kraus

If you’re heading out for a longer hike it is important to have a map.

Many parks have maps of their trails on line that you can print off before leaving home. Otherwise if there is a map posted at the trailhead, take of picture of it with your phone so that you will have something to refer back to. Learn more about other helpful items by researching the Ten Essentials for hiking (see sidebar at right) Are there any extra tips you’ve gathered over your years of hiking?

Knowing your plants and animals will enhance your hiking experience.

Additionally it’s good to be able to recognize poison ivy, to know which wild parsnip causes a reaction, and to study up on deer ticks to reduce the fear factor. Consider yourself lucky if you ever see a rattlesnake!

Remember the Leave No Trace principle: You carry it in, you carry it out – that means apple cores and orange peels too, so bring a little plastic bag.

What do you think is the best part about hiking?

Hiking is a great way to spend time with friends and family, appreciating the beauty of our parks and feeling good after a nice long walk. The solitude of a walk in the woods is restorative also, just be sure to let someone know that you’re headed out – or sign in at the register box by the trailhead if they have one.

DECORAH HATCHERY WORLD FAMOUS GEAR SMALL TOWN CHARM

10 ESSENTIAL SYSTEMS The original Ten Essentials list was assembled in the 1930s by The Mountaineers, a Seattle-based organization for climbers and outdoor adventurers, to help people be prepared for emergency situations in the outdoors.

In 2003, the group updated the list to a “systems” approach rather than listing individual items (for example, map and compass now fall into the Navigation “system”.)

Updated Ten Essential “Systems” 1. Navigation (map and compass) 2. Sun protection (sunglasses and sunscreen) 3. Insulation (extra clothing) 4. Illumination (headlamp/flashlight) 5. First-aid supplies 6. Fire (waterproof matches/lighter/candles) 7. Repair kit and tools 8. Nutrition (extra food) 9. Hydration (extra water) 10. Emergency shelter

406 W. Water St. • Decorah, Iowa • decorahhatchery.com 64

Summer 2015 / iloveinspired.com

www.mountaineersbooks.org/Assets/ ClientPages/zz_TenEssentials.aspx

DrIFtLess sUMMer Looking to totally win at summer this year? Check out these handy maps, apps, and resources to help make it all happen!

Iowa by Trail: For over 30 years, the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation has been helping establish recreational trails across the state. In just the past year, they have released a highly useful App that not only locates trails, but shows points of interest along the way, natural resource information, and also tracks distance, weather, events, and more. Check it out for iPhone or Android at www.inhf.org/iowabytrail.cfm

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Pocket Maps! In just the past year, some fantastic local resource maps have been produced by regional outlets. Grab a map and go this summer!

Trout Run Trail Bike Map: A handy pocket map of the TRT and Prairie Farmer Trail was produced last year by Winneshiek County Conservation, the Winneshiek County CVB, and Inspire(d) Media. Points of interest, difficulty, and fun tips are all included. They’ve flown off of racks, but can still be found at the Decorah Visitors Center, Decorah Campground, & various spots in downtown Decorah. You can also find it online at:

iloveinspired.com/places/winneshiek-countytrail-map

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Trout Fishing Map: Just this spring, a new pocket-sized reference guide to Winneshiek County Trout Fishing Streams was created by the Northeast Iowa RC&D and Winneshiek County CVB. It’s an extremely well done map that features streams and public areas that you may not even know of! Grab a copy at the Winneshiek County CVB office or contact Northeast Iowa RC&D at 563-864-7112.

Water Trail Maps The Driftless Region is rich with great river and stream trails for paddling and fishing. Here in Northeast Iowa, we’re lucky to have an amazing resource for water trail maps also from the Northeast Iowa RC&D. Maps for the Turkey, Yellow, Wapsipinicon, and Upper Iowa Rivers are all available for a very small cost, or for free download. Plan your summer adventures on the great wild water of the Driftless – www.northeastiowarcd.org New Historical Decorah Walking Trail Signs “A Walk Into the Past” A new series of historical signs have been placed around downtown Decorah offering glimpses into the past at specific sites. Decorah High School art teacher Elizabeth Lorentzen, retired Luther professor Ed Epperly, and the Winneshiek County Historical Society have teamed up to create and implement the project, placing almost 20 historical signs throughout Downtown Decorah. A walking map is planned for this summer (2015).

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PROBITUARY – A NOTICE OF LIFE!

Bev (Halverson) Christen • Interviewed by friend Elly Lensch

There are a few special people in the world who light up any room or hall they enter with rays of sunshine on a gloomy day. Bev is one of those people. Bev is always so pleasantly positive, you can’t help but love her the instant you meet her. And every time after that, she will remember you and probably make your day by just saying hi with a smile. She does this so successfully because her smile and welcome are authentic. Her life is less about quantity and so much more about quality. What Bev gives back is priceless.

What’s the best advice anyone ever gave you?

My grandmother and mother instilled in me some really great advice: work hard (they came from farming backgrounds), do the best job you can, and be kind and considerate to everyone.

How about the worst advice?

BEV’S WORDS TO LIVE BY:

Have one more cookie. Have one more roll. See, I like to eat, so that’s probably the worst advice or suggestion anyone could have given to me.

Spend time with those you love.

Cherish your grandparents.

Have fun.

Do what you can for others to the best of your ability.

A smile and hello go a long way.

What did you want to be when you grew up? I thought about nursing, but as long back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a secretary.

What do/did you do?

I got married in 1958 while I was working at the Decorah Superintendent of Schools office, and then I was a stay-at-home mom when the kids were small. I lived away from Decorah for 10 years and really enjoyed getting to know all the people and teachers elsewhere, but my husband, Elliott’s, job brought us back to NE Iowa in 1970. I had suggested he take the Waverly job, so I would be able to visit Decorah when the kids were out of school or on breaks, but he took the Decorah job! (Which ended up just fine, it’s just, I didn’t have anywhere to visit then!) Then I got the last and longest job I had, which was 27 years as the front desk secretary at NEIA Behavioral Health. A job I LOVED! I retired in 1999 from that job and have kept going ever since with volunteering, travelling, bridge, and coffee club.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?

Bev (far left) as a child

• Good supply of food, water and Diet Coke or Pepsi.

• Television – I do like my television; it’s a good source of entertainment.

Nothing specific, but I do like detective shows.

• Some kind of project to do to help someone with something.

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

Try to describe yourself in one sentence. If there’s a job to be done, I want it done two weeks ago (that makes me a little OCD I guess).

If you could eat anything every day for the rest of your life, what would it be? Something sweet... I like most anything sweet and like to have my sweet in the morning, but I would want to be able to have my sweet every day.

Name one thing you could not live without. My family, extended included, and my friends.

Recall a favorite memory. So many good memories, it’s hard to just pick one. I was born in the house on the farm, and was two years old when we moved into town. I’m the middle sister, and am a graduate of the Decorah Class of 1956 (the best class!). I was a cheerleader because I was a busy body who always liked to stay active. I was Homecoming Queen, which I wasn’t happy about that day because I could not cheerlead that game. We had an end-of-August wedding. It was an evening wedding as they all were back then, and had a nice little honeymoon up north of the cities. We have wonderful kids and their spouses, and a great grandson who has brought us a lot of joy and who we got to see because he went to Luther. I love my church and enjoy volunteering there. I am enjoying retirement, bus trips, loved travelling to the East Coast and had the experience of driving to see my previous boss in the fall through the northeastern states.

Just beautiful. The best thing that has happened to me overall is the volunteering I do. I volunteer for the Winneshiek Medical Center Auxiliary, the Chamber, and Aase Haugen Homes. To be able to bring joy to other people and fill someone else’s life is priceless. We’re really blessed here in Decorah. Very lucky to be here and have all the activities, attractions, and arts at our disposal. And to have Family Table coffee time. Keep going as long as you can.

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