BCR_IV Living Magazine_Winter 2021_121821

iving L Winter 2021

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READING THE ROOM Princeton Public Library evolves with the times

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Bureau County – a great place to shop When I was a kid living in Lake Thunderbird, my parents used to occasionally load us up in the big family van and take us to Bureau County when we needed to go shopping. I still remember how excited my siblings and I were at the prospect of a shopping trip. We’d count up our change and our dollar bills if we were lucky enough to have them and head out the door.

Although our trips always included a stop at Sullivan’s and the county’s meat lockers, Walmart was the place we most liked to go. We could find there everything a kid could possibly want – toys, candy, makeup, and more. We’d walk the aisles, eyeing all the products we wanted but couldn’t afford. We’d see if we could make our meager amount of money stretch enough to at least buy something

little.

Although I’m decades older now, I’m still always happy to do my shopping in Bureau County. I never seem to run out of shops to visit or new places I want to try. I still frequent Sullivan’s – I especially love their wide assortment of spices and wine.

My husband and I love picking up packages at the meat lockers in the county. And Walmart is still a good place to buy everything I need in a one-stopshop setting.

The food options are always hard to pass up when I’m shopping. I never seem to be disappointed in all the restaurants the county has to offer. When the weather was nicer a few months ago, my family and I had great fun and food at Sheffield’s food truck night.

Bureau County has such great specialty shops to visit year-round when you’re not exactly sure what you’re looking for.

For Halloween and Christmas, I have to make sure I stop in at Hoffman’s Patterns of the Past. I can look at the differ-

ent decorations and ornaments in there for hours. There’s always something new to see.

I can stroll the shopping district in Princeton for hours – it reminds me of a mini-Galena with its assortment of cool and unique shops. If you’ve never walked the main shopping street in Princeton, I’d highly recommend it. It’s easy to spend a whole day there, especially when you factor in the possibility of taking in a movie at the Apollo, dinner, and some pie at Myrtle’s.

Little did my mom and dad know when we made our occasional treks to Bureau County for shopping that I’d still be going there all these years later.

Hopefully, my kids will remember our experiences as much as I remember those shopping trips of my childhood days.

Contents

Best wishes, Shannon Serpette Niche editor

Living magazine Bureau County Republican P.O. Box 340 Princeton, IL 61356-0340 815-220-6948

The Prime Quarter experience 4

Publisher Dan Goetz

The Living Library 8

Niche Editor Shannon Serpette

Gnome for the holidays 14

Regional Advertising Director Jeanette Smith

A rare eating concept

How Public Libraries Have Evolved to Better Serve Their Communities

A unique perspective 16

Bureau County art teachers exhibit their personal projects

Cultivating simple joy 21

On the cover: Even dogs can enjoy an occasional day at the library. Ron McCutchan, the library’s Head of Youth Services, reads Clifford the Big Red Dog to the appreciative Petunia the Puggle.

sserpette@shawmedia.com

jmsmith@shawmedia.com

Writers David Cook Brandon LaChance Katlyn Sanden Shannon Serpette Photographers David Cook Brandon LaChance Katlyn Sanden Shannon Serpette Designer Sheryl Liss

Do you have a story idea you’d love to read about in Illinois Valley Living magazine?

Share your idea with the editor by emailing sserpette@shawmedia.com.

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The Prime Quarter experience A rare eating concept Story and photo by Brandon LaChance The Midwest is nationally known for a few different reasons. Of course, everyone is familiar with the corn, cows, and all varieties of farming along the countryside. But growing food isn’t all the region has to offer -- many unique restaurants also know how to cook it.

One of those restaurants is Prime Quarter Steak House in Princeton.

“I love the family atmosphere that we have around here,” said Jaymeson Whitfield, 33, from Wyanet, who has been a grill chef and a bartender at Prime Quarter for six years. “Yeah, it’s a place of business, but I don’t come to work with co-workers – we’re all a big family. It’s a pretty close-knit group here. We all work together. We all know the common goals of getting the customers in here, making them happy, and giving them a great experience.”

“A lot of people come here for that.

They come here for the atmosphere,” he continued. “They come for the smiling faces, the great attitudes we have here, and the overall experience of being here.”

Whitfield went to culinary school at the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago with the aspirations of finding a cool, calm, amazing work environment to showcase his passion for the culinary arts. He had no idea he would find his second home and extended family in his backyard.

“I moved back home after school,” he said. “I was working at a few different places, and a buddy of mine worked here. He said, ‘Man, I think you’d really like it here. Why don’t you give it a shot?’ I came in, worked a weekend, and I said, ‘This is the place for me.’”

“This is the longest restaurant job I’ve had. I don’t plan on ever leaving here,” he continued. “I can’t imagine what I’d do without this place. There are great See PQ page 4 Living magazine

Winter 2021 – 3

PQ

FROM PAGE 3

people to work with. The clientele from Princeton, the surrounding areas, and travelers is great. My job is just awesome.”

WHAT IS IT ABOUT PRIME QUARTER IN PRINCETON THAT CAN ATTRACT AND KEEP A YOUNG START-UP CHEF? It could be the vision of Prime Quarter owner Al Sanger. In 1992, he brought Princeton his concept of big, open grills where the customer could make their own meal or a grill chef could cook while the guest enjoyed time with friends and family.

Maegan Funderberg, one-half of the Princeton Prime Quarter management team along with Abbie Mattingley, sees the rewards of Sanger’s idea every day.

“I believe it’s the unique concept. There are high-quality steaks, and everyone loves the amazing salad bar. I would say 50 percent of the customers here want to grill their own. The other 50 percent are here to have a relaxing dinner and have the staff prepare their food for them,” said Funderberg.

Funderberg knows all about the appeal of Prime Quarter. She’s worked there for 18 years and has been in management since September.

“Everyone is in a great mood when they come here, and they’re looking for that fun experience, especially after the Covid-19 shutdown. Everyone is ready to just have a good time. This restaurant allows for families to gather. We do wedding receptions and holiday parties. It’s a chance for people to get back together,” she said. “Al is an old school manager of a restaurant where he wants to make sure the customers have the best experience when they come here.

We try to implement that all the way down to the staff. And it shows.”

With the layout in place of two grills, a bar in the middle, a full salad bar with baked potatoes (another guest favorite), and unlimited bread to transform into toast on the grill, Sanger had a start. But the family vibe and the willingness to continue to improve or try new things have been staples in Prime Quarter’s success.

“I had a friend who worked here, and they were looking for a server. I got my foot in the door. I knew it would always be a good place to work. Management and the staff are very accommodating, and now they’re like a second family,” Funderberg said. “I have three kids, so it was easy to adapt my schedule with my family. Management has always been amazing here, accommodating, and they treat you like you’re one of their own.”

The restaurant management isn’t content to just keep a good thing going – they constantly try to improve it.

Prime Quarter has been at 250 Backbone Rd. E in Princeton since 1992. This location is one of a three-store chain with restaurants also in Green Bay and Janesville, Wisconsin.

“This year, we are trying to implement seasonal/holiday drink specials,” she said. “You can look forward to seeing those in the future, too.

See PQ page 6

4 – Winter 2021

Living magazine

Cameron Hargis, a 20-year-old Princeton native, is not scared of the heat when flipping or seasoning steaks. Hargis has been a grill chef at Prime Quarter for two years.

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The warm, welcoming environment of Prime Quarter in Princeton is one of the reasons for its success.

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customers as the other two stores while having a much smaller population.

FROM PAGE 4

We just developed some fall drink specials, and we’re working toward a happy hour.”

This location is one of three operating Prime Quarter restaurants, with the others in Green Bay and Janesville, Wisconsin. Prime Quarter Vice President Jed Blohowiak is amazed how Princeton can entertain the same amount of

“Princeton has a ton of regulars. Princeton is a small town, and people are traveling an hour or two hours away to come to Prime Quarter,” said Blohowiak, who lives in Green Bay and had his first job at Prime Quarter.

“They are very loyal, returning customers that we get week after week, month after month, and year after year.

We have Christmas parties

that keep coming back.

“We get such great feedback from our customers,” he said. “It’s unbelievable the repeat customers we have down there. Princeton likes to relax a little more. We, our grill chefs, grill 40-50 percent of the steaks in Princeton, where the other restaurants are more 20-30 percent.”

Blohowiak knows firsthand that the family sentiment Prime Quarter offers is real and not just for show. He

jumped into the restaurant business early with Prime Quarter in Green Bay before leaving and trying his hand at other establishments. In 2015, Sanger asked him to come back and be the vice president of the company. It was hard for Blohowiak to say no.

“Al is an incredibly loyal guy. He’s old school, business savvy, and very, very smart,” Blohowiak said. “He just turned 75 in September, and every day, every week, that I

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talk to him, I learn something new. Whether he’s telling old stories or talking about business, he has so much knowledge to pass on.”

By far, one of Prime Quarter’s most unique features is the lack of a full kitchen.

“With our concept of a grill-your-own steakhouse – we don’t have a kitchen where we’re doing lobster, fish, and chicken – we don’t have to staff a full kitchen.

Since we’re saving in that cost, we can run a higher food cost with our meat, but give an incredible value to our guests. We might be running twice the food cost of what a normal restaurant spends because we want to keep that price down, that value, for our customers,” Blohowiak said.

BUT HOW DOES A RESTAURANT RUN WITH NO KITCHEN? “I’ve been in full-service restaurants kind of my whole life,” Blohowiak said.

“This concept just kind of simplifies things. You don’t have to worry about a kitchen. You don’t have to worry about expediting food and timing of different courses. It allows people to eat on their own time with the baked potato, the salad bar, unlimited toast, and the grill. They control their own dining experience, and it takes a little bit of stress off of restaurant managers and our staff. It’s a very unique concept, it works, and people love it.”

And when employees love a business as much as the customers do, that’s a winning formula.

“I lived in the city for a year, and I couldn’t stand it.

I didn’t like how close you were to your neighbor,” Whitfield said. “I’m a small-town boy and city living was just not for me. I didn’t find anything up there that I liked, so I moved back. I feel the same way about this place. I love coming to work, and I don’t Meat lovers enjoy the quality cuts of meat the restaurant uses. want to be anywhere else.”

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As graphic novels have increased in popularity, so has the library’s impressive collection of them.

The Living Library How Public Libraries Have Evolved to Better Serve Their Communities Story and photos by David Cook For many, the idea of a public library may still be a boxy brick building filled with towering bookshelves of dry, hard-to-digest leatherbound information. There’s probably a few old paintings of important looking, stodgy historical figures whose disapproving gazes likely rest across a few rows of hard, 8 – Winter 2021

dark wood tables and chairs.

Overseeing this stereotypical environment is the stern librarian, arms full of books, hair pulled into a tight bun above an equally tight collar, and piercing eyes that will glare through a pair of small round glasses if her highly attuned ears detect any familiar sounds of fun.

While that image may have been more accurate in times past, many libraries have

changed as much as the cities surrounding them. Modern libraries have grown into much more than a building of books, they’ve successfully evolved into important hubs of their communities.

“Shhh! That’s the first thing so many people think of when they think of a librarian,” Margaret Martinkus, curator for the Princeton Public Library, said while laughing.

“A lot of people were intimidated by old libraries, but this is so much more open and accepting,” she said of the modern, 21,000 squarefoot library in Princeton.

Opened in 2007, the new library was a major change from the Matson Public Library which had housed services for nearly a century.

Acknowledgments to the past are found throughout the sleekly designed, yet Living magazine

terials. People would visit the library, get what they needed and leave. Few people spent much time there, unless they were looking for Outside the expansive a quiet place to study or read. windows at the front of Today, libraries are bustling the building are gardens, a environments where patrons fountain, seating areas, and use the facility for a variety a permanent art installation. of reasons, and libraries have Just inside the entry is a cafe with spacious counter seating become more about comfort along with large windows, ta- than efficiency,” she said.

bles, comfortable chairs, and “Libraries continue to a friendly, social atmosphere. be relevant because people continue to have a love for Stephanie Van Ordstrand, The outside of the library features a permanent art installation, native wonderful stories, a thirst a former board member and gardens, a small fountain, and seating areas. for knowledge, and a place co-chair of the library’s successful capital campaign, said to gather with others. Lieveryone involved in the proj- braries are a place of disect shared the same vision for covery,” Library Board of Trustees President Carolyn the new library.

Schafer said, adding that all the best parts of the older “We all saw it as a comdays of libraries are still munity gathering center and present and thriving, such as a place for public life,” she browsing the bookshelves, explained. comfortable reading corners, Library Director Julie Way- children’s story times, and helpful studying assistance. land said libraries have be come more important today “Some of the things people than they were in the past.

“They didn’t have many See Library page 10 Exhibits are always popular with library patrons, and the Princeton programs or services. They Public Library has hosted many. were just about printed macomfortable and welcoming atmosphere of the more contemporary location.

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the ever-growing ‘Library of Things’ – a collection of items most wouldn’t expect to be able to check out from their local library. Included in the inventory are Wi-fi hotspots, Roku streaming devices, a telescope, a bean bag toss game, a carpet cleaner, and more. Plus, there’s an extensive collection of movies and music in the library’s collection of materials, as well as current and archived periodicals. There’s also a room dedicated to preserving local history and genealogical information, and multiple private study rooms.

Princeton Public Library curator Margaret Martinkus takes care of

their popular community puzzles. It’s a common sight to see various “We also have Binge Boxes, people working on the shared activity for a few minutes at a time over which contain three or four the course of a day at the library, providing an actual connection bemovies with a theme, such as tween residents. comedies, musicals, concerts and musicians, and romantic comedies. We’re continuing to any time of the day or night. add to our Library of Things Those have been especially and our Binge Boxes and I’m popular during the past couexcited for the new books and FROM PAGE 9 ple of years, and I continued movies that are going to be to buy digital resources for pareleased soon. I believe our might not realize the library trons to use while the library collection in all its forms will offers are digital materials, was closed during March-May continue to grow to help our eBooks and eAudiobooks es2020,” Head of Technical Sercommunity,” Fine said. pecially. They can be accessed vices Dana Fine said.

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Services and programs are another mainstay of the modern library. Services include copying, notarization, faxing, printing, laminating, digitizing VHS tapes, public computers, free Wi-fi, membership to genealogical websites, and more.

Programs since the Princeton Public Library opened include traveling Smithsonian exhibits, multiple art shows, a wide range of musical performances, magicians, bubble art performances, agricultural equipment shows, health fairs, travelogues, photography exhibits, craft

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making, movie nights, author fairs, book clubs, book sales, discussion groups, and various others.

“Libraries are an integral part of our lives. They open up the world and teach us about diversity and different ways of life. As technology develops, libraries feel like a link to ‘the good old-fashioned days’ and we hope that’s how they’ll stay,” Lydia Henderson, a mother who visits weekly with her four young children, said.

While being a convenient gathering place for friends and a common destination for students who need to study, the modern library also provides help in other ways.

It can help uncertain travelers get pointed in the right direction or obtain helpful suggestions as to where to get a bite to eat or a destination not to miss. It’s also a place where people in need of help can reach out for assistance.

“It’s a safe place. And it’s

The modern library has several free computers for the public to use, and there are also several apps and digital memberships available to library card holders and guests.

Many digital devices are available to those with a library card, including Wi-fi hotspots and e-books.

one of the few that’s free. We get people from all walks of life here, and that’s one of the things that makes the library so great,” Martinkus said.

Stephanie Van Ordstrand enjoys getting a drink from the cafe when she’s at the Princeton Public Library.

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Gnome for the holidays Story and photos by Shannon Serpette Hoffman’s Patterns of the Past in Princeton offers a large variety of gnomes, which continues to be one of the hottest home décor trends in 2021, according to Jyl Morse, owner of Hoffman’s.

14 – Winter 2021

Everything that goes out of style always seem to come back in. Need proof? Just look at bell bottoms and scrunchies.

The home décor darling of 2021 is a familiar face to those who remember the 1970s. Those adorably cute gnomes you might recall from your parents’ or grandparents’ gardens have made an astounding comeback the past several years in gardens all over the U.S. But last year and this year, gnomes have been remarkably popular for Christmas décor as well, according to Jyl Morse, owner of Hoffman’s Patterns of the Past in Princeton, a store that sells china, decorations, ornaments, and much more.

“The popularity of gnomes really hit the fan last year,” Morse said. “Gnomes are really big this Christmas. It’s a big European thing, but it’s coming here. They’re just so darn cute.”

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big resurgence after falling out of favor for decades, Morse isn’t entirely sure. Perhaps it’s because they’re seen as harbingers of good luck, especially when placed in the garden.

Or maybe it’s because it brings back a sense of nostalgia for generations old enough to remember them in the 1970s. But one thing is certain – Morse has been seeing them fly off her store’s shelves this year.

“People buy them year-round,” she said. “They’re nice, and they’re colorful.”

Whatever the reason for their new popularity, Morse said it’s refreshing to see such a positive, fun trend come back into play, and she’ll enjoy it while it lasts.

“Next year, it might be something else,” she said.

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A unique perspective Bureau County art teachers exhibit their personal projects Story and photos by David Cook

Artist and teacher Kathy Ballard displays one of her ceramic creations.

16 – Winter 2021

Living magazine

W

hen thinking of a school-age art class, the image of a room lined with similar yet slightly different art projects likely comes to mind. Art teachers routinely inform their students of a certain style or technique and then guide them through the completion of a project of their own.

opening reception on Nov. 5 and spoke of what art and art education means to them.

To guide students through the artistic process surely requires those teaching to have some creative chops of their own. To showcase their talent, the art teachers of Bureau County, both current and retired, have once again come together to share their personal projects with the public.

Before her time as a teacher, she’d acquired a degree in illustration and had worked in professionally creative fields before returning to school to get another degree in education. Her favorite medium is pottery, but she still enjoys illustrative work and the ever-changing nature of teen culture.

From Nov. 1 to Nov. 27, the Princeton Public Library hosted a wide array of art for the public’s appreciation.

Teachers Kathy Ballard, Joann Bowman, Susan Berry, Dana Collins, Linda Fine, Vicki Giehl, Sheila Heth, Julie Jenkins, Carol Johnston, Karen Klopcic, Amy Knapp, Cindy Smucker, Tara Washkowiak, and Karen Zeilman were in attendance at the

“I’ve always done art, and I wanted my students to gain an appreciation for it, to help them see the possibilities and know they can do it too,” Ballard, who taught art for 15 years in DePue, said.

Teacher Linda Fine also shared her outlook on the fine arts in schools.

“It’s important to have art available for all kids. The fine arts are sometimes considered to not be academic, but it’s such a necessity for Susan Berry is shown next to one of her striking skull paintings. Rather See Art page 19 than symbolizing death, Berry creatively sees skulls as life-affirming.

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Hundreds of people attended the opening night reception for the teacher’s art show, the first such event at the Princeton Public Library since the beginning of the pandemic.

Teacher and photographer Sheila Heth points out some details of her work to admiring patrons during the Princeton Public Library’s teacher’s art show reception in November.

18 – Winter 2021

Living magazine

Art

nothing I couldn’t show them.

It’s really opened up the art world,” Johnston said.

students to have that foundation,” Fine said. “I hope they can learn to enjoy their creativity and experience a lifetime love of new adventures.”

“I was able to use it to get more into art history and make my students more aware that art could enrich their lives without even doing any art themselves,” Giehl added.

FROM PAGE 17

Giehl taught for 21 years in different Illinois schools, including 16 years in Princeton.

She said she first learned of the existence of art teachers in the fourth grade when she was 9 years old, and after that day, her goal was to become one herself. Her favorite mediums are pastels, acrylic paints, and watercolors. Asked if there was a medium with which she struggled, she had an intriguing answer considering her favorite materials.

“Watercolors. I love them, but they’re a challenge, and I’m always learning more. I think anybody in art finds that,” she said.

All agreed the digital age is here to stay, for better or worse. While much can be created on a screen, several educators at the show said there’s no replacement for the hands-on, tactile approach to artistic endeavors.

“With the internet, there’s so much more available; there’s

Jennifer Donnelly, the assistant principal in Ohio, attended the opening reception and appreciated the talent on display.

“It’s great to see the art teachers help students get excited about art so they can pursue their own passions,” she said.

Her son Tyler was also appreciative of the teacher’s personal creative projects.

“It’s honestly kind of amazing, much better than I could do,” he said.

Another student in attendance was Ella Entas, who had attended the classes of both Berry and Heth.

“This is a lot different from what you see at school. You can really see their personal style,” she said.

Princeton Public Library

Teacher and artist Tara Washkowiak is seated in front of one of her dynamic designs.

See Art page 20

The delicate watercolors of Dana Collins’ paintings, created while in a boat on the Mississippi River, perfectly captured the locale’s inherent beauty, and they were admired all night long during the well-attended teacher’s art reception in November at the Princeton Public Library.

Living magazine

Winter 2021 – 19

Art

FROM PAGE 19

curator Margaret Martinkus helped coordinate the show.

A retired teacher herself, Martinkus’s husband is a retired drama teacher, and her son is also an art teacher.

“Art is part of the educational balance, it’s the

expressive thing that helps teach students how they can be themselves. There’s so many techniques and varied styles on display here, and the teachers are all so humble about their talent,” she said.

While it can take young art students time to develop their skills, the library’s art show helps demonstrate what can be achieved with practice, creativity, and passion.

Teacher and artist Julie Jenkins stands next to her vibrant art that celebrates the natural world.

Throughout the evening, people were eager to view Susan Berry’s wire interpretations as well as her paintings.

Art on display at the Princeton Public Library’s teacher art show included ceramics, paintings, sculpture, jewelry, photography, collage, prints, and more.

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Living magazine

A customer enjoys spending time with her sister at Rural Stems You Pick Flowers while picking out the best flowers for a special bouquet.

Cultivating simple joy Story and photos by Katlyn Sanden

W

hat started as a dream quickly blossomed into two acres of over 21 flower varieties for the Redmond family, the owners and founders of Rural Stems You Pick Flowers.

When Covid hit, Nancy Redmond and Amanda Redmond knew they had to do something to bring simple joy back to the forefront.

See Joy page 22 Living magazine

Winter 2021 – 21

Joy

FROM PAGE 21

“It’s our tag line,” Nancy said. “Simple joy. That’s what we wanted. The cool part about it is you can see the joy from people. They enjoy walking through here, talking and laughing. We had two ladies that spent over an hour here laughing and taking pictures. That’s what we want.

Simple joy.”

The Rural Stems You Pick Flowers farm is located just east of Sheffield on U.S. Highway 6 on a corner of the Redmond family homestead that used to be corn and soybeans.

“When we moved here 20 years ago, it’s always been a question in my mind, ‘What else can we do besides soybeans and corn?’ Nancy said.

“We thought of everything.

What can we do besides renting it (the land) out?”

Amanda thought of a Christmas Tree farm but started researching flowers and everything just came together.

“We went and visited a you-pick flower farm five hours away,” Amanda said.

“We decided to try it and see what happens.”

The rest is history. The mother/daughter-in-law duo began scouring the web for everything flowers and found a bunch of good resources for growing blooms ideal for a fresh-cut flower business.

Nancy remembers spending much of her childhood outside helping her parents in the flower gardens, while Amanda laughs at her lack of a green thumb prior to beginning Rural Stems. Now, she says she’s much better with plants and knows all the secrets to creating a beautiful bouquet.

Haddie Redmond, 8, can usually be found helping her mom and grandma at the flower farm. Her jobs include weeding and tying the twine bows around the vases available for purchase.

“You want an odd number of stems,” Amanda said. “Make sure there’s nice fillers like greenery.

Different dimensions of the flowers make an interesting bouquet.”

“That’s what’s kind of fun too,” added Nancy.

“People can use their own imagination and creativity in building their own bouquet. Different heights are important. Different colors and hues.”

Amanda remembers questioning if it was going to work too.

“Every day, we were staring at the trays like ‘Are they going to come up?’ Finally, they did,” she said.

While the early days were spent wondering if their plants would actually grow, now their days are filled with weeding, watering, pruning, and planning for next year.

The duo put in a drip system to ensure their plants get While it may appear easy plenty of water. When they’re and dreamy to run a flower not tending to their rows and farm, there’s a lot of behind- rows of flowers, they are findthe-scenes work. After a lot ing areas they can add more of research, the duo started flowers. their seeds inside.

Everything is in successional planting, so there’s always “There was a time like, something in bloom during ‘Oh my gosh, is this going to work?’ Nancy said of the spring, summer, and fall. And when asked how they keep early days. the insects away, they said Nancy Redmond (right) and Amanda Redmond (left), founders and owners of Rural Stems You Pick Flowers just east of Sheffield, help fill a customer’s vase with fresh-cut flowers the customer cut.

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they use Dawn dish soap and neem oil as they don’t want to kill off the healthy pollinators like honeybees, caterpillars, and butterflies.

Amanda’s daughter, Haddie Redmond, who helps out at the flower farm when not in school, said she enjoys catching the caterpillars and watching a beautiful butterfly emerge. She can often be found at the farm helping customers find the perfect vase for their bouquets or tending to her favorite flower -- snapdragons.

When the Redmond ladies officially opened for business, they were humbled by the outpouring of excitement from the community.

“A lot of people were excited because it’s different,” Amanda said. “A lot of people haven’t heard of a youpick flower farm. It’s been a good response.”

“It’s very humbling, too, because people are so excited about something you did,”

Nancy said. “It’s wonderful.”

Whether it’s been mothers and daughters, spouses, friends, brides, or florists, the community has really shown up at the farm.

“We were at a market, and I suggested to one of the brides to pick up buckets of flowers,” Nancy said, explaining the different ways their flowers can be used. “The morning of (the wedding) have the bridesmaids make their own bouquets from the buckets of flowers. That way everyone’s is a little different, but they’re all fresh flowers.”

Looking ahead into spring 2022, the duo hopes to offer tulips and daffodils while ramping up their on-farm events.

“We’re hoping to have a date night with a food truck,” Nancy said. “We’re thinking of doing something for the kids, too. Maybe a wildflower garden that’s a maze for the kids to go through.”

No matter what the duo

Amanda Redmond, co-founder and owner of Rural Stems You Pick Flowers, shows off the finished product of a customer’s hand-picked bouquet. decides, one thing is assured for next year. And that is simple joy.

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