inspire(d) summer 2011
DESCRIPTION
Positive and fun summer stories from the Driftless Region: Family Sabbaticals, BBQ, Local Food Directory (and local picnics), Elisabeth Maurland, Genealogy and Spring Grove, Why is the Sky Blue, Finding a Norwegian Bachelor, and more!TRANSCRIPT
FREE!
Inspiremagazine
Inspire
Be Inspired
An experiment in positive news from the Driftless Region. Summer 2011 No. 26
Local Food Directory Inside!
Pack a Picnic, Local Style
Take Your Family on Sabbatical!
Good Grovers! Genealogy for the Modern World
How One Woman Found Her Norwegian Bachelor
Why is the Sky Blue?
Time to Subscribe!Save 10–20 percent on every ticket and be guaranteed tickets to these amazing performances! Subscriptions available only until August 26!
The Passing Zone: Gravity Attacks! 3 Saturday, September 17, 2011
An Evening with Garrison Keillor 3 Tuesday, September 27, 2011
The Rose Ensemble 3 Thursday, October 6, 2011
Paul Taylor Dance Company 3 Thursday, November 3, 2011
Caroline Worra 3 Thursday, November 17, 2011
Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul 3 Friday, February 10, 2012
Spirit of Uganda 3 Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Brentano String Quartet 3 Friday, March 2, 2012
Damn Yankees 3 Friday, March 30, 2012
Regina Carter 3 Friday, April 13, 2012
For subscription information, visit http://centerstage.luther.edu, pick up a brochure, or contact us at 563-387-1357 or [email protected].
Center Stage Series2011–12
Luther College
03
BOXED (IN): NEW GLARUS & MOUNT HOREB
SCIENCE, YOU’RE SUPER! WHY IS THE SKY BLUE?
PRESERVING HISTORY: THE HJELLES
PACKING A LOCAL PICNIC
PROJECTS: FOLD AN ORIGAMI CRANE
TAKE YOUR FAMILY ON SABBATICAL!
LOCAL FOOD DIRECTORY
GENEALOGY FOR THE MODERN WORLD
ARTIST FEATURE: ELISABETH MAURLAND
...and more!
1016
182027293338
48
SUMMER 2011contents
theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2011
ON THE COVER:
Mad props to Decorah’s Fancy Pants/Rien de Nouveau for letting us borrow their awesome suitcases for our cover shoot. It took awhile to find the perfect place to set these up and a fair amount of tape to get G-Gnome to stay put. This is G-Gnome’s third summer magazine cover. It’s starting to go to his head. He’s ready to go off on an adventure – back to Norway? To New Zealand? From Europe to the U.S.? Only G-Gnome can know…(Photo by Aryn Henning Nichols).
FINDING A NORWEGIAN BACHELOR (AND MUSIC) 54
CHEF ON THE BLOCK: CHRISTY (LYNCH) BOUSKA 44
MISSISSIPPI MIRTH: TOMATO SOUP 58MOSAIC CELEBRATES 25 YEARS + PROBIT: THELMA REETZ 64
Tiny crane photo by Randi Spencer-Berg. Learn how to fold origami
cranes for good on page 27!
Tickets for all concerts and events are on sale now at all Ticketmaster outlets, online at Ticketmaster.com or by phone at 1-800-745-3000. 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 11. Grandstand tickets do not include admission to the Fair. Fair admission must be purchased separately.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17 GRAND OUTLAW NATIONAL TRACTOR AND TRUCK PULL2 P.M., $20 ADULTS, $10 CHILDREN AGES 6-11FREE FOR AGES 5 AND UNDER THURSDAY, AUGUST 18 RONNIE DUNN with special guest STEEL MAGNOLIA8 P.M., $35
FRIDAY, AUGUST 19 TRAIN AND MAROON 5 with special guest GAVIN DEGRAW, 8 P.M., $47
SATURDAY, AUGUST 20 DEMOLITION DERBY11:30 A.M., $12 ADULTS, $5 CHILDREN AGES 6-11FREE FOR AGES 5 AND UNDER
SATURDAY, AUGUST 20 REBA with special guest JERROD NIEMANN, 8 P.M., $45
SUNDAY, AUGUST 21 AN EVENING WITH JANET JACKSON 8 P.M., $65 and $55
THURSDAY, AUGUST 11 CASTING CROWNS with special guest SANCTUS REAL, 8 P.M., $30 FRIDAY, AUGUST 12 JASON ALDEAN with special guests CHRIS YOUNG ANDTHOMPSON SQUARE, 8 P.M., $45
SATURDAY, AUGUST 13 DEF LEPPARD with very special guest HEART, 8 P.M., $49
SUNDAY, AUGUST 14 THE INCREDIBLE MACHINE TOUR SUGARLAND AND SARA BAREILLES8 P.M., $46
MONDAY, AUGUST 15 DEERY BROTHERS SUMMER SERIES FOR LATE MODELS 5:30 P.M. HOT LAPS, 6 P.M. RACES $15 ADULTS, $5 CHILDREN AGES 6-11FREE FOR AGES 5 AND UNDER
TUESDAY, AUGUST 16 LYNYRD SKYNYRD AND DOOBIE BROTHERS8 P.M., $46
Alternative: Not just for hipsters anymore.
130 W. Water St. Decorah, Iowa563.382.5761
Mon - Fri 9-5 Thursday 9-8Saturday 9-5
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Think of this Inspire(d) Magazine as a leisurely-written summer letter sent to you by one of your best friends or close
family members. It’s full of great ideas for the blissfully hot season – from day trips to picnic plans, inspiring tales of where we’ve been and where we want to be, and even a new section called “Science, You’re Super!” (p. 18.) Summer is all about spending time with your family and enjoying the moment, and that’s what we tried to capture with this issue.
We were incredibly inspired by Decorah’s Spencer-Berg’s family sabbatical (story written by Kristine Jepsen). They, as the story’s title belies, followed the age-old adage: “Leap, and the net will appear.” What an adventure they had! (p. 20.)
And in the spirit of journeys and sense of place, I decided to do a little background research on my family lineage. The Giants of the Earth Heritage Center based out of Spring Grove, Minnesota, helped me figure things out, and convinced me that genealogy isn’t just for old people and boring details. It was fascinating to learn about the successes and trials of my ancestors as they made their way through life and to, ultimately, making me (p. 38).
Author and now Norwegian resident Heidi Håvan Grosch tells us a tale of going the other direction – back to the “old land.” She and her choir, Sparbu Songlag, will be in Decorah this summer for Nordic Fest (p. 54). You can check out upcoming events – like Nordic Fest – throughout this magazine, on the calendars, and in the new 25 Words/$25 Bucks section.
Summer is also a time of bountiful foods! Benji and I had a fantastic time preparing our local foods picnic (p. 29) in honor of the Local Food Directory in this issue – find the directory starting on page 34, and read more about the behind-the-scenes of our picnic adventures at theinspiredmedia.com. And of course, Jim McCaffrey offers up another delicious story and recipe in Mississippi Mirth – his Cream of Tomato Basil Soup with Bleu Cheese is de-light-ful. Try not to drool on the pages. It might be hard after reading about all the fantastic beer and cheese we got to taste as we explored the New Glarus and Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, areas for this Boxed (IN). Do I sense a road trip in your future? Don’t forget to enjoy the ride. Summer is all too fleeting and we here at Inspire(d) plan to wrench every last drop of enjoyment out of it. We hope you do too.
Happy summer, people! It’s finally here!
Looking forward,
Aryn Henning Nichols
05
Inspire(d) Magazine is published quarterly by Inspire(d)
Media, LLC, 412 Oak Street, Decorah, Iowa, 52101. This issue
is dated Summer 2011, issue 26, volume 3, Copyright 2011 by
Inspire(d) Magazine.
Co-founders:Aryn Henning Nichols / editor & designer
Benji Nichols / writer & advertising sales(& husband, support team, dinner-maker)
We couldn’t do it without:Kristine Jepsen/ contributor
Heidi Håvan Grosch/contributor
Randi Spencer-Berg/ photo contributor
Janel Clarke / contributor
Jim McCaffrey / Mississippi Mirth
Suz Clark/ Inspire(d) Intern
Although Inspire(d) is free on the newsstands, you can have it sent to your door for only $25/year. Email
[email protected] for a membership or visit
theinspiremedia.com for more info.
Want to make a comment about something you read in
the magazine?Email
Interested in advertising? Contact Benji at
[email protected] call 563-387-6290.
Write inspire(d)
support inspire(d)
Inspiremagazine
From the Editor
Visit our website:theinspiredmedia.com
“Like” Inspire(d) Media on Facebook!
Summer 2011 / theinspiredmedia.com06
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• Algerian & American Cuisine
• Patio dining over Turkey River
• Signature Cocktails plus a connoisseur’s selection of Belgian, Import & Craft Beers
Around the World in 32 Beers Beer Tasting Series
Stop by or give us a call! 508 W. Water St.
Decorah, 563.382.6440
inspire & create
www.arthausdecorah.org
CLASSES • EVENTS • WORKSHOPS
See Inspire(d) calendar or
ArtHaus website for
details!
Awesome summer events not to be missed!1. June 3: Oneota Co-op Meat & Greet! Join us outside the Co-op, meet with local producers and sample meat, produce and vegetarian options. 4:30-7:30 pm.
2. June 3: First Friday Jazz: Decorah’s Tom Bourcier Band! Kick off summer with music in the courtyard! BYOB. 8pm, $5/$3 students, ArtHaus Studio Courtyard. arthausdecorah.org
3. June 10: Decorah Human Powered Trails fundraiser. McCaffrey’s Dolce Vita (outside!). Special live music guests, food, cash bar, great setting. Ride your bike for discounted entry! [email protected]
4. June 15: Finnish fiddler Arto Jarvela and Finnish-American duo Kaivama at Vesterheim in Decorah, 7:30 concert. Tickets: Vesterheim 563-382-9681. Offering afternoon musicians’ workshop! Registration: [email protected]
5. June 17: Baker London Presents: folk/Indie duo/sisters Bethany & Jenny Erickson, well-known for original melodies & flawless vocal harmonies! 8pm, $5, ArtHaus Studio Courtyard. arthausdecorah.org
6. June 22: Musica Dulce: an evening of music, food and gardens along Ridge Road, Decorah, featuring Done Doin’ Laundry, Dames Rocket and Karsten Snitker. Tickets 563-382-3835.
7. June 24-26: NMP presents “Anne and Gilbert” on the DHS stage. Tickets available at NMP (906 South Mill) June 20-24, 3-6pm $10 adults, $5 kids.
8 June 26 – July 24: Lutheran Summer Music returns to Luther College. 50+ free performances feature LSM faculty and students. Visit www.lutheransummermusic.org for more information. 9. July 1: Celebrate (or Judge) Beer! Homebrew Contest & Live Music with Jeff Mitchell! Sponsored by Oneota Community Co-op. 7-9pm, $5, ArtHaus Studio Courtyard. arthausdecorah.org
10. July 14-17: Trouble In River City. The Music Man at Ye Olde Gray Barn, Spring Grove, MN July 14-17. 507-498-JULY. Admission $10. www.yeoldeoperahouse.org
11. July 15-17: 31st Annual Seed Savers Exchange Conference & Campout. It’s all about seeds–growing, harvesting, and saving them. Register online at www.seedsavers.org 12. July 28-30: “Take a Liking to a Viking” at the 45th Annual Nordic Fest Celebration. Opening Ceremonies at 6:45pm Thursday and Grand Parade 10:30am Saturday.
13. July 29-30: Nordic Fest Art Fair! One-of–a-kind jewelry, prints, ceramics, photography, fiber work & much more! ArtHaus/ArtHaus Studio, Friday 10-6pm; Saturday 10-6pm, FREE. arthausdecorah.org
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56
7
91
01
1
12
13
14
8
16
17
18
19
20
21
15
23
24
25
26
27
28
22
Mon
day
Tues
day
Sun
day
Wed
nesd
ayTh
ursd
ayFr
iday
Sat
urda
y
1
29
30
Jun
efun stuff to do
12
34
5
78
9
10
11
12
6
14
15
16
17
18
19
13
21
22
23
24
25
26
20
29
Mon
day
Tues
day
Sun
day
Wed
nesd
ayTh
ursd
ayFr
iday
Sat
urda
y
27
28
July
fun stuff to do
30
31
June
4 –
Aug
ust
7: “
Bor
eal A
ura”
Oil
Pai
ntin
g ex
hibi
tion
by
Mar
y Jo
Van
Del
l, re
cept
ion
July
9, L
anes
boro
Art
s C
ente
r,
Win
nesh
iek
Farm
ers
Mar
ket,
Dec
orah
W
edne
sday
s (3
-6pm
), Sa
turd
ays
(8-1
1am
).
Ever
y Th
ursd
ay t
hrou
gh S
ept.
1: T
hurs
days
on
1st
&
3rd
, Sum
mer
Mar
ket
& M
usic
Fes
t, R
oche
ster
, MN
Tom
B
ourc
ier
Ban
d,
Art
Hau
s C
rtyr
d, 8
pm
Mic
helle
Ly
nn,
Hay
mar
ket,
9
:30
pm
Buc
k H
ollo
w B
nd,
Dol
ce V
ita,
Dec
orah
, 7
pmRhu
barb
S
iste
rs,
St. M
ane,
L-
boro
, 7
:30
pm
June
5-6
: W
inde
mer
e H
ealin
g A
rts
stud
ent
clin
ics
Iron
& W
ine,
Fi
rst
Ave
, M
inne
apol
is
Ves
terh
eim
Fr
ee
Thur
sday
!
DH
P T
rails
fu
ndra
iser
co
ncer
t, D
olce
Vita
, 7
pm
June
10
: Ove
r th
e B
ack
Fenc
e, S
t. M
ane
Thea
tre,
L-
boro
, 7:3
0 p
m
June
10
– 1
1: B
andi
t C
ount
y Fa
ir, G
unne
r’s
Cam
pgro
und,
Des
oto,
WI
Bir
d W
alk,
Effi
gy
Mnd
s, 1
0am
Sch
ool H
ouse
M
usic
Fes
t,
Hig
hlan
dville
11
: Wau
kon
Fire
man
’s D
ance
, El
Cam
inos
, Goo
dfel
la’s
, 8 p
m
June
15
: Art
o Ja
rvel
a &
Kai
vam
a in
Con
cert
, B
etha
nia
Chu
rch,
D
ecor
ah, 7
:30
pm
June
15
-17
: 8th
Ann
ual D
own
on t
he
Farm
Iron
Pou
r, L
udek
ing
Farm
, Dec
orah
The
Eric
kson
s,
Art
Hau
s C
ourt
yard
, 8
pm B
ig D
addy
C
ade,
H
aym
arke
t
June
17
-18
: Ham
bone
B
lues
Jam
, Roc
hest
er, M
N
Pru
denc
e Jo
hnso
n,
St. M
ane,
L-
boro
, 8 p
m
Toni
c S
olFa
, El
kade
r O
H,
7:3
0 p
m
Art
in
the
Par
k,
with
New
R
iver
side
R
ambl
ers,
Sy
lvan
Par
k,
L-bo
ro
Yo
La T
engo
, En
gler
t Th
eate
r,
Iow
a C
ity
Mus
ica
Dúl
ce, R
idge
R
oad,
D
ecor
ah
Ves
terh
eim
Fr
ee
Thur
sday
Ever
y Th
ursd
ay!
Will
y P
orte
r,
The
Mill,
Iow
a C
ity, 8
pm
June
24
-26
: New
M
inow
a P
laye
rs p
res-
ent
“Ann
e an
d G
ilber
t”,
Dec
orah
Hig
h Sc
hool
A
udito
rium
App
le
Gra
ftin
g W
orks
hop,
Se
ed S
aver
s,
10
am &
1pm
June
26
-27
: W
inde
mer
e H
ealin
g A
rts
stud
ent
clin
ics
T-B
ock’
s O
pen
Sta
ge N
ight
fe
atur
ing
‘Alm
ost
Cir
cle’
, D
ecor
ah, 7
pmTh
ursd
ays
on 1
st &
3
rd M
arke
t &
Mus
ic,
Roc
hest
er
Hom
ebre
w
cont
est
&
Jeff
Mit
chel
l co
ncer
t,
Art
Hau
s C
ourt
yard
, D
ecor
ah, 7
pm
Mic
helle
Ly
nn a
nd t
he
Bad
Pas
sen-
gers
, Ed’
s N
o N
ame
Bar
, Win
ona,
9
pm
Big
Dad
dy
Cad
e,
Dol
ce V
ita,
Dec
orah
, 7
pm
Hap
py
4th
of
July
!
Pat
Wat
ers,
D
olce
Vita
, D
ecor
ah,
7–
10
pm
8: O
ver
the
Bac
k Fe
nce,
St
. Man
e, L
-bor
o, 7
:30
pm
Lane
sbor
o A
rts
Cen
ter
Iron
Pou
r,
2pm
Gui
ded
Bir
d W
alk,
Ef
figy
Mou
nds,
1
0 a
m
July
12
–1
6: W
inne
shie
k C
ount
y Fa
ir, D
ecor
ah
Bill
Rile
y Ta
lent
S
earc
h, W
inn.
C
o. F
air
Gra
nd-
stan
d
Thom
as
Kiv
i, Th
e R
oot
Not
e,
La C
ross
e,
8:3
0 p
m
July
14
-17
: Th
e M
usic
M
an, Y
e O
lde
Gra
y B
arn,
Sp
ring
Gro
ve
Effig
y M
ound
s M
oonl
ight
H
ike!
July
20
-2
3: L
SM
C
once
rts,
Lu
ther
CFL
July
23
–3
0: N
atio
nal E
xhib
itio
n of
N
orw
egia
n Fo
lk A
rt, V
este
rhei
m
Foot
-Not
es
Dan
ce,
Hig
hlan
dville
Sc
hool
Hou
se,
8 p
m
July
24
-25
: Win
dem
ere
Hea
ling
Art
s st
uden
t cl
inic
sJu
ly 2
8-3
0: 4
5th
Ann
ual N
ordi
c Fe
st, D
ecor
ah
Mik
e M
cAbe
e,
Hay
mar
ket
The
Del
ta R
outin
e,
Hay
mar
ket
El C
amin
os,
Nor
dic
Fest
, 8
pm–
12
am
Won
der
Cre
ek,
Hay
mar
ket
T-B
ock’
s O
pen
Sta
ge
Nig
ht fe
atur
ing
‘JR
B
rink
’, D
ecor
ah, 7
pm
June
2 –
Jul
y 2
: The
Hje
lles
of S
iew
ers
Spr
ing
Exhi
biti
on, V
este
rhei
m, D
ecor
ah
2Th
ursd
ays
on 1
st &
3
rd, M
arke
t &
Mus
ic,
Roc
hest
er, M
N
June
10
-11
: Joe
& V
icki
Pri
ce, T
om’s
B
urne
d D
own
Caf
é, L
a P
oint
e, W
I
3
One
ota
Co-
op
Mea
t &
Gre
et!
4:3
0–
7:3
0pm
1
45
6
7
Ves
terh
eim
Fr
ee
Thur
sday
!
9
Ves
terh
eim
Fr
ee
Thur
sday
!
10
July
15
-17
: See
d S
aver
’s
Con
fere
nce
& C
ampo
ut1
1
Ves
terh
eim
Fr
ee
Thur
sday
!
July
29
-30
: Art
Hau
s N
ordi
c Fe
st A
rt F
air,
10
am
– 6
pm
1
3
July
29
-30
: • W
here
All
Dir
ecti
ons
Face
Nor
th: J
ourn
ey
to t
he S
outh
Pol
e, A
rtH
aus/
Vest
erhe
im
Yout
h Th
eate
r, B
etha
nia
Chu
rch
• Pra
irie
Dog
Blu
es F
est,
Pra
irie
du C
hien
• Lig
ht U
p Th
e B
luff
, Blu
ffton
Win
nesh
iek
Farm
ers
Mar
ket,
Dec
orah
W
edne
sday
s (3
-6pm
), Sa
turd
ays
(8-1
1am
).
Com
mon
wea
l The
atre
: Thr
u A
ug 1
9: “
Syl
via”
O
pens
Jun
e 1
7: “
Litt
le S
hop
of H
orro
rs”
July
2-3
: YM
SB
/ B
ruce
Hor
nsby
, H
arm
ony
Par
k, C
lark
s G
rove
, MN
July
8-9
: St.
Joh
n’s
Blo
ck P
arty
, Roc
hest
erJu
ly 8
-9: N
atio
nal M
oto
Guz
zi R
ally
, Elk
ader
6: L
SM
Rec
ital
: Th
e S
oldi
er’s
Tal
e,
Luth
er 7
:30
pm
Mav
is
Sta
ples
&
Taj M
ahal
, M
N Z
oo
June
26
– J
uly
4: L
SM
Ret
urns
to
Luth
er C
olle
ge8
12
June
19
: Fa
ther
’s D
ay
Firs
t D
ay o
f S
umm
er!
Apo
llo
Cob
ra,
Ed’s
No
Nam
e B
ar,
Win
ona
Cha
rlie
Par
r,
Ed’s
No
Nam
e B
ar,
Win
ona
July
11
-17
: Wilk
ie
Day
s, E
d’s
No
Nam
e B
ar, W
inon
a
July
1-3
: Fir
ecra
cker
50
0 G
arag
e R
ock
Fest
, Blu
e M
oose
, Iow
a C
ity
Rea
ding
: Jo
han
Har
stad
, “B
uzz
Ald
rin,
Wha
t H
appe
ned
to
you.
..?”
Dra
gonf
ly B
ooks
, 5:3
0pm
45
6
78
9
11
12
13
14
15
16
10
18
19
20
21
22
23
17
25
26
27
28
29
30
24
Mon
day
Tues
day
Sun
day
Wed
nesd
ayTh
ursd
ayFr
iday
Sat
urda
y
23
1
31
Au
gu
stfun stuff to do
25 W
ord
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See
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day
, mon
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theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2011 09
Change your life today!
Contact Diane Sondrol for more information.
563.419.5420or [email protected] [email protected]
Movement for Health & Well-Being
Small group and private lessons available, all are welcome!
It’s like coming home......for a quick homemade lunch or breakfast, long coffee, you can even have your parties here – during business or after hours!
400 W. WATER ST, DECORAHwww.javajohnscoffeehouse.com
563-382-5690 • MON-SAT: 6:30 AM - 5:30 PM • SUN: 7:30 AM - NOON Wi-Fi throughout, also available on seasonal outdoor deck.
Luxury salon & day spa
Cuts • Perms • Up styles • Color • Highlights • Facials • Manicure & Pedicures• 60-minute massages • Makeup
Consultation & application
303 W. Water StreetDecorah, Iowa
563.382.4941
• Facials • Manicure & Pedicures• Facials • Manicure & Pedicures• 60-minute massages • Makeup• 60-minute massages • Makeup
Consultation & application
Preschool for ages 3-6 • KinderhausDecorah.com • 563.379.7303
KinderhausInspiring wonder;
education from the outside in.
Decorah Lawn Chair Night 2011 begins June 2 and is held every Thursday at 7 pm unless noted below. Come out and enjoy some great local entertainment. In the case of rain, acts are moved into the covered parking lot of the Decorah public Library.
June 2: LaBargeJune 9, 5:30: Decorah Parks and Recreation and Decorah Public Library Family Fun Night featuring the Bread and Butter String Band at Phelps Park in DecorahJune 16: Done Doin’ LibraryJune 23: Nordic DancersJune 30: Highway 52 BluegrassJuly 7: Brett JohnsonJuly 14: Jim Busta Band at the Winneshiek County FairJuly 21: Good FriendsJuly 28: Nordic FestAugust 4: Homeward BoundAugust 11: Curt and Linda GjereAugust 18: Michelle LynnAugust 25: Guttenberg German Band
Looking for more fun things to do this summer? Check out Inspire(d)’s Regional Museum Primer (published last summer) and all of Inspire(d) writer Lauren Kraus’ Driftless Trail Series online! theinspiredmedia.com
TROPICAL FISH, SMALL ANIMALS, REPTILES, BIRDS, AQUARIUMS, CAGES & SUPPLIES
303 Sanford St. (turn east at the Family Table)
Open Monday - Saturday 10 am to 5 pm
14. August 4: Free Thursday Event at Vesterheim. Join Jennifer Kovarik, Vesterheim Museum’s Registrar, for an enlightening gallery talk in the exhibition, “Norwegian-American Colleges” 3 pm.
15. August 19: Galactic Cowboy Orchestra! Country, swing, rock, jazz, bluegrass, folk... high-energy fun! BYOB. Sponsored by Cedar Dreams Inn. ArtHaus Studio Courtyard, 8pm, $6. arthausdecorah.org
Lawn Chair Nights 2011
Summer events, continued:
Summer 2011 / theinspiredmedia.com10
Dr. Jon R. Hart • Dr. Peter J. Blodgett • Dr. John E. Wilmes
108 Fifth Avenue, Decorah, Iowa • 563-382-3657 • Visit our website at: www.decorahdental.com
“Dentist day! Those 6 months took FORever!”Okay…we know you’re probably not going to say that. But
we do have digital x rays with less radiation, metal-free dentistry available, plus cable TV in every room, local art,
nice views, and, of course, free toothbrushes and floss. Hooray for Dentist Day!
Boxed (IN): Switza-way-sco or Our Visit to New Glarus and Mount Horeb,
Wisconsin
Readers be warned: this quest, should you chose to accept it, is not to be made lightly. It’s not a trip for the weak of lactose – or alcohol – tolerance. You may encounter
cheese as squeaky as your Sunday shoes and beers as hopped up as a kid on Halloween. But if this sounds like your idea of fun (and it does to us!) put on your cheese wedge and hit the highway: it’s Wisconsin road-trip time!
New Glarus / Mt. Horeb Approximately:135 miles east of Decorah / La Crosse200 miles east of Rochester,90 miles east of Prairie du Chien / McGregor80 miles east of Dubuque, Iowa
Find unique lodging options visit:www.swisstown.com • www.trollway.com
By Inspire(d) Staff
Pla
nn
ing
you
r tr
ip:
theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2011 11
GA
LLER
Y •
103
Pkw
y
A Community Variety Show 2nd Fridays, 7:30pm
Feb ‐ Nov 2011 $5/$3.
Sat July 16 6:30pm Food Tas ng 7:30pm “Queen of the Sun”
St. M
ane
THEA
TRE •
206
Park
way
Ave
N, L
anes
boro
, Min
neso
ta
Lanesboro Arts Center www.lanesboroarts.org
507‐467‐2446
“Return of the Rhubarb” Sat June 4
7:30pm CONCERT ‐ $15/$12
Prudence Johnson
“A Girl Named Vincent”
Sat June 18 8pm CONCERT ‐ $18/$15
Father’s Day Fes�val Sun June 19, 10am‐5pm
90+ Art booths Food Music & Theater
Landscape Oil Pain�ng Mary Jo Van Dell EXHIBIT Jun 4—Aug 7
Recep�on Sat Jun 4, 6‐8pm FREE
ART
in t
he P
ARK
IRON POUR Sat July 9
2‐6pm Sylvan Park
FREE
Wisconsin has always been a land of magic. Something about its rolling hills, quirky destinations, and delicious beer and cheese. And what could be more quirky than neighboring towns with the websites swisstown and trollway.com?
“Little Switzerland,” or New Glarus, has been an Inspire(d) favorite for years; it had us at microbrewery and held us at nut horn (and Heidi Fest, of course). According to the New Glarus website, the town was originally settled by “a hardy band of 108 Swiss pioneers in 1845 who left the Canton of Glarus in Switzerland during an economic crisis.” The entire downtown is “Swiss-themed” to the max. Yep.
Arrive around lunchtime and grab a table at Glarner Stube. Literally translated as “Glarus parlor” (loosely as the “living room of New Glarus”, as the menu states), the restaurant is an area landmark, first as a telephone operator’s quarters, then as a cigar manufacturing shop, a pool hall, bowling alley, and since the early 1950s in its current role as a bar and restaurant. They serve up cheese fondue, a local/house-cured meat platter, Roesti (Swiss Fried Potatoes), Wiener Schnitzel…that sort of thing. You might not see your knuckles for a while, but the food is tasty. Make sure to take a peek in the men’s room at the Biggest Urinal in the Midwest as well. Next stop: beer!
New Glarus Brewing Company began in 1993 with a small brewery right near downtown. But even though their brews – with names like Spotted Cow and Fat Squirrel – are only distributed in Wisconsin, they quickly gained in popularity and outgrew their original digs. So, in
2009, millions of dollars later, they opened the “Hilltop” New Glarus Brewery, affectionately dubbing the still-running first brewery the “Riverside” location. They offer free self guided tours daily from 10 am to 4 pm, but we suggest – if you have the time – to sign up for the new “Hard Hat Tour”, Fridays starting at 1
pm. It’s a true backstage peek into the Wisconsin beer – lasting over two hours – and takes you through most every part of both brewery locations and ends with a sampling of six to eight brews and four or five local cheeses. It’s $20 well spent. The tours fill up quickly, so sign up before you go.
If you don’t get your fill of cheese at the brewery, head over to nearby Monticello after the tour for a little cheese country! We suggest stopping first at the Swiss Heritage
Cheese Factory – the helpful staff can give you directions to other great cheeses to check out, and make sure to pick up some aged Muenster or maybe even Muenster cheese curds while you’re at it.
Looking for something to pick you up a bit before hitting the road? Grab a coffee at Fat Cats Coffee Works and a Nut Horn – as featured on Food Network – at one of Wisconsin’s oldest bakeries, New Glarus Bakery, before the short drive north to Mount Horeb.
So… “What’s with all the trolls?” Right?
By Inspire(d) Staff
(continued on next page)
Mount Horeb’s “Trollway” began as a schtick to get people to bypass the bypass and continue traveling through Main Street after the DOT rerouted things in the 80s. The marketing campaign “Take the Trollway Through Mount Horeb” was born, but it left people wondering: where are all the trolls? Mount Horeb woodcarver, Michael Feeney, went to work. The rest, as they say, is history. The town is celebrating its 150th year, and the downtown is vibrant. The Duluth Trading Company has recently put its flagship store in the former mustard museum (although the historic building was the local hardware store before that), and many other restaurants and shops line the pretty Main Street.
And since it’s surely been at least 30 minutes since you’ve eaten or drank anything, how about you go check out another great microbrewery just off Main? The Grumpy Troll brews their beer “using the most natural ingredients: Water. Barley. Hops. Yeast. And the Sun.” Yes, that’s right. They’ve installed a 7.8 KW solar system on the roof to power their beer production. They also make a mean pizza.
Okay, we know it seems like all you do (or we do) in Wisconsin is eat and drink, but there is a part where you can burn off all the beer, cheese, and pizza and explore things. The New Glarus and Mount Horeb areas have great trails for biking, hiking, and more. Cave of the Mounds National Natural Landmark is just a few miles west of Mount Horeb. And of course there’s Little Norway, a replica Norwegian town. (Littlenorway.com)
Ah, Wisconsin. Magic, right?
Aryn Henning Nichols thinks the secret treasures of Wisconsin are amazing, and she’s only visited the bottom half of the state. Here’s to future quests! Benji Nichols looks forward to joining her!
WINNESHIEKcOUNTy fair!
JULY 12-16GREAT TiMes AT THE GRANDSTAND!
Buttons $15 in advance / $18 at the fairGood for all 5 shows, children 6 and under freeTuesday
WednesdayThursday
FridaySaturday
Bill Riley Talent Search with Lee ColeMichael Martin Murphey 7 pmUpper Iowa Speedway Stock Car Races Hot Laps 6 pm, Racing 6:30 pmTri-State Truck & Tractor Pull 6 pmCC Bull Riding & Barrel Racing 7 pm
EvAN's UnItEd Midway The Midwest's best carnival is back Tuesday –Saturday!
Details at www.winneshiekcountyfair.comKids Fun Zone, Nick's Magic Show, Quail Valley Farms Petting Zoo, Antique Farm Tractor display and parade, Skidloader Rodeo, Northland Classic, Girls Open 3D Barrel Racing Competition, Kid's Pedal Pull, Horse Driving Show, live music, cooking contests, and more!PLUS
:
FREe gATe & parkIng!
theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2011 13
Happify your creative side!
Welcom
e
to
207 WAShIngton STREet, DecOrah, iowaWWw.THEclaySTudioDecOrah.com • 563.517.1022
Take a class. Schedule a party. Walk by & pop in to paint a quick pot. We can’t wait to see you!
En Route:If you are traveling through Prairie du Chien, do yourself a favor and swing by Simply Coffeehouse & Eatery for a great Ancora coffee drink, sandwich, or treat! The breakfast sandwiches are yummy and huge!www.simplycoffeehouse.com
TaliesinThis summer marks the centennial celebration of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin home and hillside school in Spring Green, Wisconsin. Tours and special events dot the schedule all summer long at this international destination for architecture lovers. The estate is a truly dynamic place to visit and tour, with several in-depth options, as well as a visitor’s center and FLW designed café overlooking the Wisconsin River. Find out more at: www.taliesinpreservation.org
Bring your bikes, boots, and bunads!?!
Cave of the Mounds www.caveofthemounds.comSpeleothems abound in this “jewelbox” of a cave. Great picnic grounds surround the cave entrance center as well.
Blue Mound State Park www.fwsp.org/bluemoundLocated on the largest hill in the southern half of Wisconsin, this 1,153-acre park offers camping, picnic shelters, hiking and biking trails, a nature center, two observation towers, and a swimming pool! (The only pool on in a WI state park…)
New Glarus Woods State Park400+ acres of camping, hiking, picnicking, and trails. Direct access to the 24-mile Sugar River State Trail that also runs to and from town. Keep going past New Glarus and the Hilltop Brewery (do stop for the self tour, tasting, and beer stock!) and the park is on your right just outside of town.
Litte Norway www.littlenorway.comNestled among the rolling foothills of Southwestern Wisconsin, there lies a place the Norwegians call “Niessedahle” – the Valley of the Elves. Here, in 1865, Osten and Birgit Haugen arrived from Telemark, Norway, clearing the land of then-thick prairie to painstakingly create a homestead. Nearly 150 years later, it still stands as a fourth generation family attraction. Don’t miss Mid-Summer’s Eve June 18, which features a bon-fire, hog roast, music, and more!
Who, What, Where, WhenNew Glarus &Mount Horeb, Wisconsin
Photo by Pedro E. Guerrero, courtesy Taliesin Preservation, Inc.
(continued on next page)
Summer 2011 / theinspiredmedia.com14
Winneshiek
HISTO
RIC
Check out the
PackageLOCALLY GROWN IN DECORAH
www.hotelwinn.com 104 E. Water Street DETAILS ONLINE!
•Overnight stay at the luxurious Hotel Winneshiek
•Breakfast for 2 at the Hotel
•Locally grown lunch for 2 at Oneota Co-op
•Dinner for 2 in Albert’s
•2 local Toppling Goliath tap beers
•Agora Arts Gallery StoryPeople print
•Packet of Heirloom seeds from Seed Savers Exchange
Starts at $157 + taxGood through 4/30/12
Reservations: 800-998-4164Ask for the
“Locally Grown Package”
Package stays = great deals!
Tap Room
The bar you’ve been waiting for.All-Iowa tap beers, amazing cocktails & martinis, even bubbles!
And check out the great bar menu, available late-night!
JUST OFF THE HOTEL WINNESHIEK LOBBY 104 E WATER ST, DECORAH• 382.4164
OPEN AT 4 PM7 NIGHTS A WEEK
Festivals:Really…where to start? We warned you this was a trek un-fit for the weak…
June 10-12, 201110th Annual Roger Bright Memorial Polkafest, New GlarusFree Music and Dancing the entire weekend!
June 24-26, 2011Heidi Festival/Taste of New GlarusHighlighted by the presentation of Johanna Spyri’s classic play, Heidi.
August 7, 2011Swiss Volksfest (Swiss Independence Day)www.newglarusmaennerchor.orgChoral folklore music, yodeling, flag throwing, thalerschwingen, alphorn playing, and accordion music.Tell Shooting Park, 1/2 mile north of New Glarus on County Hwy O.
September 2-4, 2011 Wilhelm Tell Festivalwww.wilhelmtell.orgLive theater presentation with intricate costumes and a lively cast that includes goats, cows and horses. More than 200 local volunteers join to make each colorful performance come to life.
September 10, 20119th Annual Thirsty Troll Brew Fest25 craft brewers serving over 100 different beers, live Music by The Pints and bagpiper Jim Curley, and you can get your picture taken with Jorgen the Thirsty Troll! Festivities run from 1-5pm on Saturday, Grundahl Park, downtown Mt. Horeb.
Beer / Food:The New Glarus Brewing Companywww.newglarusbrewing.comFamily-run, award winning awesomeness. Owners and wife and husband team Deborah (President) and Daniel (Diploma Master Brewer) Carey have built an amazing business while maintaining a down-to-earth Midwestern appeal. Check out a special treat on the following dates when La Fortuna Pizza (from Madison) rolls their mobile wood fired pizza oven to the New Glarus Brewing Company’s Hilltop spread: June 11 and 26, July 31, August 12 and 28, and September 4 and 25.
The Grumpy Troll, Mount Horebwww.thegrumpytroll.comFor over 15 years this solar powered brewery and pizza pub have been keeping trolls fed and watered. Housed in a 100-year-old creamery, the pub offers up to a dozen of brewmaster Mark Knoebl’s taps at any given time. Don’t forget your growlers for a take home treat!
theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2011 15
Maple Leaf Cheese and Chocolate Haus, New Glaruswww apleleafcheeseandchocolatehaus.comLocal cheese, sausages, homemade fudge, ice cream, coffee, what else could you want?
New Glarus Bakerywww.newglarusbakery.com One of Wisconsin’s oldest bakeries – don’t miss the nut horns, stollen, specialty cookies, hearth breads, and more.
Puempel’s Olde Tavern, New Glaruswww.puempels.comOne of the oldest taverns in New Glarus – don’t miss the 1913 murals and beer garden.
Fat Cat Coffee Works, New GlarusSuper funky local coffee shop near the train tracks! A great place to fuel up before hitting the trails, brewery, or road – or find a nook and dig into the paper.
Sommer House Café, Mount HorebWord on the street is that this café frequently offers lefse wraps, open-face sandwiches, and Swedish yellow pea soup. Wave your Scandahooovian flag high!
Cheese!!! (…duh…)We suggest making a slight detour to Monticello to check out some real deal family creameries and their tasty comestibles. Don’t expect fancy tasting rooms or complicated decisions. These are true, working family cheese producers – arrive early in the day if you want to see the magic happen!
Swiss Heritage Cheese Factory, 114 E. Coates Ave. 608-938-4455
Edelweiss Creamery, W6117 Cty. C. 608-938-4094 Monday-Friday 8 am – 12 pm.
Silver-Lewis Cheese Co-op, W3075 Cty. EE. 608-938-4813Monday-Friday, 7 am – 3 pm and Saturday, 7 am – 1 pm.
Museums and things not beer and cheese related:Wally Keller Tool Museum / Duluth Trading Companywww.duluthtrading.com3,147 old tools, free coffee, great modern work wear, and gadgetry galore. This is Duluth Trading’s one and only flagship store where you can find everything from long tail shirts to “ballroom jeans”. A destination worthy of your time…
The Chalet of the Golden Fleece MuseumFor tours call 800.527.6838An authentic copy of a Swiss Bernese mountain chalet – three full floors of painted furniture, antique silver and pewter, original artwork, paintings and etchings, samplers, prints, Swiss scissors cuttings, quilts, fabrics, antique glass and china, coins, stamps, Swiss woodcarvings, Swiss dolls, and more!
The Swiss Historical Village Museumwww.swisshistoricalvillage.orgFourteen different buildings that tell the story of New Glarus: log cabin, cheese factory, one-room school house, fire house, print shop, blacksmith shop, general store, and a replica of the town’s first log church, to name a few.
Jodlerklub of New Glarus – YODELING CLUB!www.jodlerklubnewglarus.comThe New Glarus Yodel Club celebrates its 80th anniversary with a total membership of 31, ranging in age from 33 to 80, showing the vitality of the group for years to come. Not all have emigrated from Switzerland, but many are of Swiss decent, along with a mix of other nationalities.
digINthe decorah iowa green INitiative
Tour off-the-grid & retro-fitted homes, check out sustainable farms, & enjoy local foods,
film screenings, energy-saving tips from experts, KDEC’s Green Expo, & more at the 3rd Annual Decorah Iowa Green INitiative!
Brought to you by the Winneshiek County Convention & Visitors Bureau
More info at digindecorah.com
September 16-18, 2 11
PRINTS JEWELRY POTTERY FURNITURE SCULPTURE WOOD GLASS
Join us on June 25 for the very first book signing by
Diane Whealy of her new book:
Gathering, Memoir of a Seed Saver
A s a kid on a carefree summer day, you’ve probably put your head down in the grass and stared up at the big blue sky, contemplating
life, the world…the flavor of your next snow cone. Maybe you remembered later and asked your mom or
dad that question of all questions: why IS the sky blue? Heck, maybe you still do this as an adult (you should). But
do you know the answer yet?We here at Inspire(d) thought we might know. Maybe.
Turns out we really didn’t. We had to brush up on our physics and work out some details to give an easy-to-understand
answer. Here’s what we learned:Sure, the light shining down from the sun looks white, but it’s
really made up of every color! Good ol’ Isaac Newton did more than just figure out gravity; He discovered that a prism (a specially
shaped crystal) would separate white light into all its colors, forming a spectrum, a rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and
violet. (You did the Roy G. Biv thing too, didn’t you? Hooray for mnemonic devices.)But here’s the tricky part: The colors of light are separated by their
different wavelengths. Nasa’s Space Place website said it well: “Like energy passing through the ocean, light energy travels in waves, too. Some light
travels in short, ‘choppy’ waves. Other light travels in long, lazy waves.” (1)The red wavelengths are the longest, ranging down to violet – the shortest –
with all the other colors in between. The human eye most easily recognizes red, green and blue wavelengths. Light all travels forward in a straight, albeit wavy,
line… until something interrupts it to bend it (like the prism does), reflect it (mirror), or scatter it, which is what happens when sunlight meets the oxygen and nitrogen
molecules in the air.Still with us? Let’s talk about the scattering.
Why is the Sky Blue?
16 Summer 2011 / theinspiredmedia.com
Science,You're super! Words and Photo By Aryn Henning Nichols
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• 1 Pelican Freedom 100 Kayakfrom Upper Iowa Marine
• A weekend stay for 8 at Pine Creek Cabins
• Catered barbequed picnic for 30 from U-2 BBQ & Catering, Calmar
• New gas grill from Wal-Mart
• Bud Light cooler filled with beverages
• A Pepsi cooler filled with Pepsi products
• $300 in gift cards from the Oneota Food Co-op
Plus other fun prizes all summer long!
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In 1859 a scientist named John Tyndall discovered that when light passes through a clear liquid that has tiny particles floating throughout, the shorter blue wavelengths are scattered more than the red, thus easier for our eyes to see. The physics department at the University of California Riverside suggests this experiment: “Try shining a beam of white light through a tank of water with a little milk or soap mixed in. From the side, the beam can be seen by the blue light it scatters; but the light seen directly from the end is reddened after it has passed through the tank. It is more commonly known to physicists as Rayleigh scattering – after [British physicist and mathematician] Lord Rayleigh, who studied it in more detail a few years later.” (2) Einstein went on to calculate the detailed formula for the scattering of light from molecules in 1911.
My smart, sciency brother, Wade (he’s a brilliant statistics TA/grad student at the University of Florida), helped explain it further.
“Imagine you are in your yard and you have two similar garden hoses with similar flow rates, except that one of the hoses produces blue water and one produces red water. The experiment is that you will turn them both on and leave them in the yard. After two hours you will survey all of the blades of grass in the lawn, asking each blade the question, ‘If you experienced any water, was the water blue or red?’ Suppose each hose produced exactly the same amount of water, however the blue hose was attached to a sprinkler that widely scattered the water and the red hose was not. What will be the outcome of the survey?” (3)
Of course! The blue water (or, pertaining to the question at hand, blue light) is distributed more widely BECAUSE of the scattering. Sunlight traveling through the earth’s molecules is like hooking a blue light “hose” up to a sprinkler. The red light might travel farther, but the blue showers (re: scatters) all over the sky!
Thanks, sciency brother!
Inspire(d) by a trip to the California Academy of Sciences in San Fran-cisco, Aryn Henning Nichols simply had to start a new section in the magazine featuring all the amazing, cool, and stunning designs that just EXIST in nature and science. We do our best to be accurate and well-researched, but if you’ve got some other information or a local, regional, or world-wide sciency thing you think we should feature, by all means: send it on! [email protected].
Sources:(1) Nasa’s Space Place kids page has TONS of great stuff that’s easy to understand. Thank you, amazing space scientists! http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/misrsky/misr_sky.shtml
(2) University of California Riverside has taken the time to answer some great questions. There’s a slew of answers to other cool physics questions on this site as well. Start here: http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/index.htmlHere’s the page that helped us with the Blue Sky question:http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/General/BlueSky/blue_sky.html
(3) Wade Henning. (He was recently nominated for outstanding teaching assistant, and I can see why! http://stat.fsu.edu)
Summer 2011 / theinspiredmedia.com18
family documents. The Civil War-era house became the place where family members could leave an ever-growing collection of family letters, photographs, postcards, memoirs, scrapbooks, and mementos dating back as far as the mid-nineteenth century. Some of the material was familiar to visitors, but most was stuffed into drawers or boxes and largely forgotten. Many old cardboard-mounted photographs were stuffed into any spare nooks, and showed people and places that meant nothing to me. I found some important handwritten memoirs stuck in the back of a cabinet with the corners partially nipped at by mice.
I’ve always been curious about what was tucked away in the house, but it was only when I began scanning the material and reading their identifying information that I could put together family stories that were in danger of being lost. Once I became known as someone working with this archive, more family members began to send me their own family material. Just recently I was sent over 100 negatives from Montana, among the best I’ve encountered.
Since January 2011 I have been on sabbatical from my job as an Associate Professor of Art at Borough of Manhattan Community College. To this point I have scanned some 400 photo prints, 100 postcards, five scrapbooks, and 1,000 pages of letters dated 1867-1939. I’m also lucky that my partner Ira Landgarten took over the meticulous task of scanning over 500 photo negatives. These negatives took some time to get around to scanning because they
(d) Tell us how you are related to the Hjelles and what inspired you to find out more about your family history?
My great-grandparents John and Anne Hjelle raised 10 children, including my grandfather Ole, on the Siewers Springs farm that they bought in 1901 from Thrina Siewers, my great grandfather’s first cousin. I’ve visited the farm from a young age, usually in connection with family reunions but later just to enjoy the place on my own. The landscape always intoxicates me with its natural beauty and mossy fragrance, and I’ve been enchanted to find mysterious fossils in its wooded valleys. Especially important was my acquaintance with older Hjelles who still lived in the Decorah area or came for family reunions. Among John Hjelle’s original children I have especially vivid memories of great aunts Laura and Marie, as well as Albert, Walter, and Herman, who left us years earlier. Encouraged by family, I eventually began taking material from the house to New Jersey for scanning. I always returned everything back to Iowa while my project took on a life of its own because there was so much to work with.
(d) What was the event that led to you obtaining so many great photographs?
The Hjelle family has been lucky to possess the Siewers Springs farm for over 100 years as a location to preserve
Preserving History, Come
Hjelle or High Water
Q&A by Benji Nichols
A special photographic exhibition “The Hjelles of Siewers Springs” takes place from June 2 to July 2, 2011 at the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah. Planned to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the first Hjelle family reunion on June 25 and 26, 2011, the exhibit features outstanding photographs and documents from the Hjelles’ large archive at the historic Siewers Springs brick house just outside of Decorah.
Drawing from hundreds of photos, negatives, postcards, scrapbooks, and more than a thousand pages of letters, New Yorkers Ann Hjelle and her partner Ira Landgarten have compiled a rich overview of the Hjelle family history and homestead.
See it in person!“The Hjelles of Siewers Springs”
June 2-July 2Vesterheim Museum
Decorah
theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2011 19
Preserving a heritage. Connecting us all.523 W. Water St., Decorah, Iowa • 563-382-9681 • vesterheim.org
Norwegian-American Museum
Highlighting the contributions of Norwegian-American higher education
to preserving ethnic culture.
Norwegian-American Lutheran CollegesMay 17, 2011-April 7, 2012
Special exhibition
at Vesterheim!
When in Decorah, visit Vesterheim’s New Museum Store
Norwegian sweaters, jewelry,
books, CDs, original artwork,
and other great items.
Westby-Torgerson Education Center
on the corner of Water and Mechanic Streets
vesterheim.org 523-382-9682
didn’t look all that promising as dusty remnants of former times. It was only when we saw the results of the scans that we realized we were developing a treasure trove.
(d) What have been your favorite photos to find and preserve?
The images you have chosen for your magazine are as appealing as any. The one of John Hjelle with the boy by the stream – that boy was my father John Orlo Hjelle. And all of the pictures remind me what lively people my great aunts and uncles were in their younger years.
(d) Beyond the exceptional exhibit that will grace Vesterheim in June, what are your hopes for this collection of wonderfully restored photographs?
There is no doubt that I am on a learning curve from this whole experience. This was always meant to be an in-family project and the fact that it has expanded to become something public was not part of my initial expectation. Now that I realize its import in terms of breadth and depth, I consider myself one of its stewards and will always be on the lookout for ways to expand its legacy. There are also many more stories to be brought to light from the letters and memoirs.
The general public is invited to attend “The Hjelles of Siewers Springs” opening reception on Friday, June 24 from 5 to 7 pm in the Vesterheim Gallery at 523 W. Water Street. This exhibition is made possible by Ferneva Brimacomb of the Winneshiek County Historical Society, Laurann Gilbertson of the Vesterheim Museum, and the PSC-CUNY Grant Foundation of New York City. For more information visit www.vesterheim.org.
Leap.
The Net Will Appear. By Kristine Kopperud Jepsen
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If you ask Decorah’s Spencer-Berg family, you might as well fly the 8,000 miles to New Zealand. Mom Randi Berg, dad Matthew Spencer-Berg, homeschooler/artist/nanny Jeanine Scheffert and kids Aidan (15), Anna (12) and Kaj (9) left Decorah August 12 for a family sabbatical of sorts, and returned just over four months later on December 29, 2010. Anna, in her journal, got to the meat of it as they taxied out of the Minneapolis airport, calling the trip a “happy, depressing, dangerous, enjoyable, exhillarating [sic] and unknown ADVENTURE!”
It all started when Randi (rhymes with Gandhi), a family doctor, decided to move her practice to Harmony, Minnesota. “I felt like I was in a rut with 14-foot high walls. I couldn’t find that healthy balance, that center, between the needs of my patients, my family, and my own health. I also felt that I couldn’t find that center without dismantling our life as we currently knew it and rebuilding it with radical changes.”
Things picked up from there. A non-compete clause in a previous employment contract mandated that Randi work at least 35 miles from Decorah for a period of time. Those 35 miles might as well be 3,500, she figured, but it was co-worker/close friend Norma’s advice that really sealed the deal: “You know, an international experience is one of the greatest gifts you can give to your children.” Randi was convinced.
Aidan and Jeanine, after poring over another Decorah family’s photos and mementos, were angling for New Zealand. “It’s sooooo beautiful,” Aidan says, swooning a little even now, back home in a chair around the family dinner table. “How can you not want to see if someplace that looks so magical is real?”
Matthew, a carpenter and general contractor of the family’s new rural-Decorah home, couldn’t argue with the timing – he’d
lose a few months of his regular building season but gain a second summer in the Southern Hemisphere, a luxurious amount of time to focus on family.
Anna, who is home-schooled full-time by Scheffert, couldn’t wait to try out the Monday to Thursday school week, capped off by three-day all-family weekend outings. And Kaj, who goes to public school full-time, would get to say he’d had a birthday (December 14) oceans away from home.
It was decided then: They were going to New Zealand. “We were right in the throws of transitioning from a home in town to our new house,” Matthew explains. “We just sort of threw all of our stuff in the basement here and left.” Working with NZ Locums, an organization that places doctors in clinics where their skills are determined to be in critical need, the family settled in Darfield, about 22 miles west of the city of Christchurch on the south island, or Maui’s Canoe, in the native Maori lore.
Summer 2011 / theinspiredmedia.com22
Imagine you’re changing jobs, scrambling hard to get out of a professional rut. Meanwhile, you’ve undertaken the mother of all house projects: building one. And not just any house – a board-by-board showcase of reclaimed materials and
family focused intention. And of course, you must find the energy to support your busy, talented kids, who pull at your schedule, wallet, and heart. Uff. Da.
So now imagine what it would feel like to strip down your commitments, scoop up your family, and leap away for a while?
Could you do it? How far would you go?
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“I’m terrified of volcanoes, tsunamis and earthquakes,” Randi explains. “And Darfield was the only place in New Zealand that had none of those things,”
say Anna and Aidan in cadence. They’re a close family, each voice easily blending with another’s as they share their story.
Ironically, just two short weeks after they arrived, fate and chance caught them off-guard. Darfield was the epicenter of the strongest earthquake recorded in New Zealand in a century.
“We were leaning against the hallway walls to keep from falling over,” Anna explains.
“Then we sat in the car for about an hour, and every few minutes it would rock,” Matthew adds.
“But only about one brick moved in our garage,” Kaj concludes.“That set the tone for the trip,” Matthew says. “Everything masonry, particularly
chimneys, suffered. We had some 4,000 aftershocks – a couple strong tremors a day with several little ones. It was definitely not something you got used to.”
New in town, with few acquaintances and literally shaken by the event, they
theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2011 23
Uprooting your family for an extended trip isn’t as complicated as it seems, Randi says. You just have to believe in the benefits, trust that you can weather challenges (fairly) well together, and keep your mind open to the change that can grow from a shift in perspective. NZ Locums, the non-profit that paired Randi with the Darfield clinic, places medical doctors all over New Zealand and assists with securing housing and transportation: nzlocums.com. Families interested in traveling Europe might find seasonal, temporary or exchange work through the European Centre for Eco Agro Tourism, which offers “green holidays” in more than 1,500 locations in 22 countries, with many located in the Baltic region: www.eceat.nl/home_en.htm More info on farm work experiences is available at World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms: www.wwoofinternational.org If educational opportunities are central to your travel plans, many resources such as childtours.com offer services to help families find the “best of” their destinations. And if you’re only just in the dreaming stage, there’s much to learn from families who’ve undertaken extended trips and lived to write about them. Try familysabbatical.com or transitionsabroad.com.
Try it Yourself!
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wondered if maybe they had leaped a little too far.
“For the week following, Aidan, Anna and I slept out in the living room,” Jeanine explains, “and ‘slept’ doesn’t really describe what happened. We’d occasionally drift off just to be awakened by massive earth and house shaking. I would lay between Aidan and Anna and hold their hands. The remainder of our stay, we were roommates. It was like a four-month sleepover: we’d play games late into the night, read, and fall asleep giggling and telling stories.”
And so, more than ever, the Spencer-Bergs found themselves turning over each day’s offerings like gifts, taking nothing for granted. “Because we traveled everywhere and did everything together, we became our best friends,” Aidan explains.
Jeanine, a painter and experiential learning enthusiast, has been with the family since the kids were nine, six and three. In New Zealand, she organized the homeschooling, centered on journaling. Aidan found herself drawn to studying Maori music and instruments.
Anna focused on Maori mythology and legend, and Kaj rallied a neighborhood gang of friends, who helped him bring to life a
fictitious but factually rooted chapter of New Zealand’s colonial history – the study of mythical nature-loving creatures called “Snuffballs.” Sticks and branches – some 88 in all, picked up from the family’s “tramps”
to destinations all over the islands – became the talismans of his lore, and he wrote legends about Snuffballs, offering them as a test to newcomers. Pick them up and you want peace. Throw them back and you want war.
Randi – who worked in a nearby office – couldn’t help noticing how New Zealand was offering her a new perspective. One morning, she arrived to find a newborn lamb, crusted with dung, skittering around in the waiting room.
“It belonged to one of the nurses, and she brought it because it needed to be bottle-fed during the day,” Randi explains. “It hit me that New Zealanders are just a very practical, pragmatic kind of people. They don’t live so much by rules but common sense about what’s doable and right in the situation. So, of course, I called the family to come and lamb-sit! When would that ever happen here?”
Slowly, one friendly “good on ya” at a time, Randi began to settle in. “The color of the water is just something you can’t shake,” she says, “and you never get over how mountains and sea are right before your eyes everywhere you turn. We started referring to the water as ‘glacier blue’ because there’s absolutely
no sediment in it and it’s a pure, cleansing, blue-green. It’s just…unbelievable.”
It was truly an adventure. Weekend highlights included swimming with Hector’s dolphins, an endangered species whose skin is as sensitive and delicate as a human’s eyelid. “You have to blow bubbles or make tapping or clicking sounds to get them to weave in and out of your group,” Anna explains. “You’re there to entertain them, not the other way around.” Penguins and seals were also a part of almost every shoreline excursion.
For one special afternoon at Milford Sound (really, a fjord), they chartered a small plane to fly them into the heart of the sound. There they met up with a boat for a memorable sea-level tour. They also did a hike-in overnight in Abel Tasman National Park, where they saw arc after arc of white beaches and visited glowworms at night in a nearby cave.
Together they studied Maori bone carving and took lessons in poi, a physical training regimen originally used by Maori to build arm strength. On Tuesday nights they went lawn bowling, a quiet game played on stretches of pristine grass, and on Wednesdays, you could catch Mr. Ed on TV, in Maori with English subtitles.
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Christchurch cathedral before the earthquake / Photo by Randi Spencer-Berg
Kaj Spencer-Berg’s “Snuff Balls” journal cover
theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2011 25
And, of course, there was the matter of interpreting Kiwi English and driving on the left side of the road, using “indicators” instead of blinkers, which were positioned on the opposite side of the steering column than in most North American models. “We kept turning on the windshield wipers trying to turn corners,” Aidan says, laughing.
In the grocery stores, they found other stuff just slightly left of ‘normal,’ such as “Rice Bubbles” instead of “Krispies,” and ketchup that tasted like cinnamon. Fruits like kiwis (obviously) were plentiful. Other familiar staples, like spinach, were not. “I began having dreams about eating spinach,” Jeanine confesses. “There, ‘spinach’ is roquette or arugula, and rare in the heat of the summer.” Even the notepaper was a little different, Randi explains. “The standard sheet is just slightly larger than 8.5 by 11 – close, but definitely its own dimension.”
For Christmas, the family discovered the cultural custom of sharing more of self than stuff. “There, it seemed like Christmas was less ‘on special,’” Anna says.
“Yes, people would give or receive maybe one gift, maybe none but a shared meal,” Matthew adds.
Following local tradition – because after all, Christmas falls in the middle of summer – the family tramped to a lakeside beach to feast with neighborhood friends on wild boar, turkey, tar (a species of Himalayan goat), wild hare, and lamb, fresh off the barby. Much of the game was harvested by their friend, 75-year-old Possum Jack, a consummate backcountry hunter and guide who has lived alone in the bush for more than 30 years.
Later, they attended midnight Mass at Christchurch Cathedral, which, fatefully, has since been destroyed by remarkably strong after-effects of the Darfield earthquake.
“It’s a surreal thing to see that someplace magnificent you’ve actually been in no longer exists,” Randi begins, sifting through
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online images of the rubble. “It gives you an urgency, some kind of momentum.”
It’s that awareness that the Spencer-Bergs want to maintain, back home in Decorah. Their Southern Hemisphere tans have faded, but not their new habit of appreciating the life right underfoot.
Jeanine is mapping out the family’s first huge vegetable garden. Anna and friends have each folded 100-some small origami cranes and
taught others to make hundreds more as part of an art fundraiser for earthquake disaster relief in Japan (Learn more about this on the next page). Kaj is teaching friends “All Black’s Haka,” a Maori song and posture dance that talks of living and dying and climbing up and out.
Randi keeps a photo of herself near the surface of her computer’s desktop, a rare thing as she is usually photographing others and hates to be on the other side of the lens. In the image, snapped by one of the kids in New Zealand, she is smiling, her hair sea-damp-wavy and her eyes joyous.“I went there wanting to find balance,” she
says, “and here, in this picture, I see someone who has found her center and has no intention of ever losing it again.”
Many of Kristine Kopperud Jepsen’s “notes to self” involve natural phenomena she’d like to experience first-hand. Some things, such as succulent morel mushrooms, she’s grateful to encounter in her backyard. Other things, like feeling a whale’s vocalizations pound past her ears underwater, aren’t likely to happen this far inland. You can bet she’s angling for the sort of “working holiday” that would break the landlock. Stay tuned!
Learn about Anna’s Crane Project on the next page!
Photo by Randi Spencer-Berg
Photo by Aidan Spencer-Berg
Summer 2011 / theinspiredmedia.com26
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The Spencer-Berg crane project actually started over a year ago when Anna and Aidan were looking for a way to raise money for victims of the earthquake in Haiti. They made earrings using tiny cranes that are smaller than a dime (the square of paper that you start with is 3/4” square) and also made strings of cranes interlaced with colorful glass beads. When the earthquake and tsunami happened in Japan it seemed a perfect time to bring the project back with a few changes. And after Anna and Aidan and their family experienced the massive earthquake in New Zealand, they had renewed interest in the plight of people suffering from natural disasters and especially earthquakes. The sisters have been organizing crane-folding
gatherings, so far bringing together more than 40 people. Collectively they’ve folded about 800 cranes. Anna’s goal is raise $1000 with the proceeds going to earthquake/tsunami relief for Japan.
Inspiration for the project came from the story a real-life girl named Sadako who died from leukemia after the bombing of Hiroshima. She folded cranes while ill with a goal of reaching 1000. These cranes were folded from anything she could get her hands on including the labels from her IV medications and wrapping paper from gifts received by fellow patients, but she died before reaching 1000. A memorial to her stands in Hiroshima. Her efforts to bring about healing for herself and her nation through the simple act of folding peace cranes
has been an inspiration for Anna’s project and the many other crane-folding projects across the country.
Join Anna Spencer-Berg on her crane-folding mission. You can adopt a “family” of beautiful beaded cranes that are strung in smaller sets of three to five. (Suggested donation is $5 per bird – so a string of three would be $15). Adopt a “flock” of cranes – simple garlands of cranes without beading. (Suggested donation is $1 per bird.) “Adoptions” come with a lovely picture and thank you message that can be displayed in your home or business along with the birds. Or you can offer to host a “sale” of cranes.
Anna’s hope is that more crane projects will continue to form. It’s so easy to forget about a natural disaster within a few weeks as new disasters come along to grab our attention, but the people of Japan will be suffering for years to come.
Tips from the Spencer-Bergs on starting a crane project and folding origami:
• Be in it for the long haul. It takes a looooong time to fold 1000. • Consider playing some quiet music from Japan in the background (itunes or pandora are nice sources) • Number your cranes so you are accountable to yourself for getting to 1000 • Before starting the crane take a minute to pause and reflect, write a simple message on the blank side of the paper and sign your name. It will not be visible but the message inside will be carried with the bird where ever it goes. • Be creative with paper sources. We’ve used opera scores, postage stamps, maps, old books with Sanskrit poetry, and traditional origami paper. One time Aidan was in the bathroom longer than usual and emerged with a lovely gentle white crane folded from a square of toilet paper!
• Take time to get the angles of the neck and tail just right. Gently shape the wings into a gentle arc rather than creasing them into a harsh flat shape. Treat each bird gently and with respect, appreciating the delicate beauty. Don’t give into the temptation to be in “assembly line mode”. It’s not about getting to 1000 so much as it is about the journey along the way.
More information is coming soon at thousandcranesproject.com and theinspiredmedia.com (where you can also find a step-by-step tutorial on folding paper cranes). You can even use the page to the right as your paper! And share your accomplishments: upload your crane pictures to Inspire(d) Media’s Facebook page!
1,000 Cranes for the WorldP
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Crane Your HeartYou’re never (well, probably never) going to be able to fold an origami crane by these lines alone…but you can use this piece of paper! Go to theinspiredmedia.com for a step-by-step tutorial, and turn the page to find out how you can fold cranes for good, and do other things to make the world a better place (we’re calling them “inspira(c)tions”)!
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Join Anna Spencer-Berg on her crane-folding mission (see details on page 26). Anna’s goal is raise $1000 with the proceeds going to earthquake/tsuna-mi relief for Japan – there are 15,000
of these magazines out there…do you think we can surpass her goal?More info is coming soon at thousandcranes project.com & theinspiredmedia.com
You can also donate directly to relief efforts for Japan, U.S. victims of the spring tornadoes in the south, or flooding along the Mississippi (to name a few) through reputable organizations such as Red Cross. You can find your local Red Cross at www.redcross.org, and can donate in-kind, fundraising support, or your time if you can’t actually contribute your own cash.
Other great international avenues for giving:www.globalgiving.orgwww.salvationarmyusa.orgwww.shelterbox.org (they deliver cool aid boxes to disaster-stricken areas)
You can help around your area too!Volunteer at food pantries, free clinics, or with local non-profits and charitable organizations. Pick up trash on roads and in rivers. Take an interest in fundraising happening in your town: how can you contribute?
Finally: Help us help you! “Like” Inspire(d) Media on Fa-cebook or become a member of the Inspire(d) Family at theinspiredmedia.com. Membership starts at just $25 and gets you a free one-year subscription to Inspire(d) Maga-zine! Additional membership levels (with other cool free stuff) coming soon. Learn more at theinspiredmedia.com.
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theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2011 29
312 West Water StreetDecorah, Iowa 52101
563.382.4666www.oneotacoop.com
EVERYONE CAN SHOP - EVERYONE WELCOME - NO MEMBERSHIP REQUIRED
Water Street Caf éf r e s h . o r g a n i c . l o c a l .
Summer Hours (Apr-Oct)Monday-Saturday 8:00 am - 8:30 pm
Sunday 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
Winter Hours (Nov-Mar)Monday-Saturday 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
Sunday 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
grocery • bulk • produce • cafémeat • cheese • bakery • wine/beer
supplements • body care
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Fall in love with food
Few things celebrate the spirit of summer more than eating a meal out of doors. Picnics take it a step even further into nature, and with this picnic, we kept walking. Why not have a basket filled with the bounty of your neighbors’ gardens and farms? 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 built this meal around the main course: chicken! People don’t buy whole chickens enough, in my opinion. It’s definitely the most delicious and economical way to bring poultry to your plate – and seriously: they just keep on giving. We made a week’s worth of meals out of this one bird! The lovely thing about this recipe is that it’s great hot or cold: a must for a picnic. The same goes for everything else in our local basket (except for the beer – try to keep that cold). We’ve got everything from a Bacon Bleu Salad to a light and summery angel food cake. This picnic will impress your friends AND your belly, without busting up your mellow summer mood. Turn the page for details on the spread, with recipes following!
Go to theinspiredmedia.com for fun “Behind-the-Scenes” details of this photoshoot!
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Whatchugot in Your Pic-a-Nic Basket?Words and Photos by Aryn Henning Nichols
Toppling Goliath Brewing,
(staff fave: Golden Nugget)Growlers are a great way
to get your beer to go!
Great cut flowers are available at every Farmers’ Market –
usually at a great price!
Local Bacon Bleu Salad (‘cause who
says salads need to be low-cal?). Recipe
on next page.
Angel Food cake is a great summer dessert – pick one up at your farmers market if you don’t want to separate
all those egg whites!
One of the absolute best food combos from the Oneota Co-op: Marinated
Bocconcini (fresh mozzarella w/ olive oil and herbs) and Waving Grains
Sourdough
Spend a Weekend Pickin’ Strawberries –
so fun!
Lemon-Rosemary ChickenWhole bird stuffed with a whole lot of goodness! (Recipe on next page)
Some summer favorites:
Roasted fingerling potatoes and
steamed green beans! (“Recipe”
on next page)
Sweet school trays, right? Garage sales rule!
Summer 2011 / theinspiredmedia.com32
Local Bacon Bleu Salad (Serves 2-4)3-4 Strips of Bacon (we love Grass Run Farms’ Peppered Bacon, yum)2 Hard-boiled Eggs (try free range or organic – there really is a difference)3 C. Romaine & Arugula, mixed (both from Canoe Creek Farm, use less Arugula than Romaine unless you really like the added nutty spice)1 small handful of Microgreens (optional, we used River Root Farm’s – they tasted as good as they looked)1/2 C. Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes (check out your farmers’ market – these were outstanding!)1/4 C. Bleu Cheese Dressing (Rubaiyat Restaurant now sells their dressings to go!)
1. Get your eggs boiling (I bring the water to a boil then put the eggs in, turn it down, and cover for 16 minutes).2. Then start in on the bacon. We broiled the bacon in this recipe, but sometimes we make it in a cast iron pan on the grill outside. Either way, get it crispy without burning it. The key is watching it and flipping it. Place it on paper towels to cool and dry.3. Next is assembly. Rip your greens into bite-sized pieces, peel and chop your eggs, slice your bacon and just toss in the tomatoes. Drizzle on the dressing, sprinkle Microgreens on top and you’re good to go. Yum!
Local Lemon Rosemary Chicken:1 4lb bird (try one of the poultry providers in the Local Food Directory on the next page…adjust cooking times depending on pounds)1 Lemon3-4 sprigs Rosemary (we used Rock Spring Farm)1 head Garlic (we used our own!)1/2 medium OnionOlive OilSalt & Pepper
1. I prepped and stuffed this bird the night before we cooked it. Thaw it, then rinse it thoroughly inside and out. Pat dry.2. I’ve never met a piece of chicken that I thought was over seasoned. So get out the salt and pepper. Drizzle a little olive oil over the bird then salt liberally – on the skin outside, under the skin (pull on it a bit to lift it away from the breast, and while you’re at it stick some garlic slices under there too!) – and inside the cavity as well. Then salt just a little bit more. Get some fresh-ground pepper going in all the same places.3. Now you’re ready to stuff! It’s super easy. Cut the lemon in quarters (I like to give the bird a good squeeze of lemon too), then stuff half on in. The rosemary goes along, as well at the garlic cloves – peel them, but
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there’s really no need in chopping…they’ll do their work no matter what. Put the quartered onion in and then put the other half of the lemon quarters in as well.4. It now will look like an 8-pound bird. Amazing! Give it just one more shake of salt, stick ‘er in the fridge, and come back to it when you’re ready to roast tomorrow.5. Good morning! Preheat your oven to 425 with the rack in the middle. Stick the chicken in, covered, and set the timer for 50 minutes. After that, take the lid off and roast for another 30 minutes or until your meat thermometer reads 175. We highly recommend using a thermometer – nobody wants over or under-cooked chicken! We didn’t baste or use any butter, and this was delightful!
A note about the simple things:PotatoesSometimes potatoes get a bad wrap. They shouldn’t! Potatoes have more potassium than a banana and are good sources of vitamin B and C. And there’s no need to over-do them. Fingerling potatoes are amazing left whole and just roasted for 30 minutes. We slathered ours in the leftover bacon grease from making the Bacon Bleu Salad and COVERED them in kosher salt. They were amazing. Try blue potatoes or cranberry red potatoes for a fun and delicious variation.
Green BeansGenerally bountiful and inexpensive in summer seasons, green beans are easy and so good hot or cold. We just threw them ours in the chicken-roasting pan when we removed the lid. They soaked up all sorts of good seasonings and, of course, salt!
It’s Where
You Want To Be...
206 W. Water Street • 563-382-5970
www.tbocks.com
2011
Local Food D
irectory
Chester Farmers Market Chester City Park
Thursday, 1-4 pm 3rd Saturday of month, 1-4 pm
June - October
Cresco Farmers Market 2nd St & 1st Ave, Grube’s N. Lot
Tuesday, 2- 5:30 pm Friday, 2-5:30 pm
May - October
(Decorah) Winneshiek Mrkt Claiborne Drive, Decorah
Wednesday, 3-6 pm Saturday, 8-11am
May 1 - October 31
Edgewood Farmers Market Edgewood City Park
Friday, 3-6 pm June - September
Elgin Town & Country Market
Elgin City Park Thursday, 4-5:30 pm
May - October
Elkader Farmers Market Keystone Park, Bridge Street
Saturday, 9 am-noon May - October
Elma Farmers Market
Elma Locker & Grocery lot Tuesday, 2:30-5:30 pm
Friday, 2:30-5:30 pm June - October
Fayette Open Air Market
305 W. Water Street Shelter Wednesday, 3-5 pm
May 4 - October 5
Fredericksburg Farmers Market N. Washington & E. Main Street
Wednesday, 3- 5 pm May - September
Guttenberg Farmers Market
Guttenberg City Park Saturday, 8-11:30 am
May 28 - September
Harpers Ferry Farmers Market Harpers Ferry Conservation Park
Friday, 5-7 pm June 3 - September 30
FARMERS MARKETSLime Springs Farmers Mrkt Brown Park Saturdays May 28 - October Marquette/McGregor Mrkt Triangle Park, McGregor Friday, 3- pm May - October Monona Farmers Market Gateway Park Saturday, 8 am-noon Mid July - October New Hampton Farmers Mrkt Main & S. Chestnut Street Saturday, 8-11 am June - October Oelwein Farmers Market NE City Parking Lot (1st Ave NE) Monday, 3-6 pm Friday, 8-11 am Mid May - October Ossian Farmers Market Carey’s Park, Main Street Wednesday, 3-6 pm May 18 - September Protivin Farmers Market Protivin City Park Wednesday, 2:30-5:30 pm May - October Riceville Farmers Market 203 Main Street (Hwy 9) Saturday, 9-11:30 am May 28 - October Strawberry Point Farmers Mrkt Inger Park, Park Street Wednesday, 4-6 pm June - September (Waukon) Allamakee Farmers Mrkt Waukon City Park Monday, 3:30-5:30 pm June - September West Union Farmers Market 407 West Bradford Redeemer Lutheran Church Tuesday, 3:00 - 5:00 pm Friday, 3:00 - 5:30 pm May - October
2011
Local Food D
irectory
WWW.IOWAFRESHFOOD.COM
Annie’s Gardens & GreensFt. Atkinson, 563-534-7760Meat, poultry, dairy, egg shares(see Vegetables and Produce)
Blake Family Organic Farm Waukon, 563-568-3212 Organic bison and beef
Cutting’s Belted GallowaysDecorah, 563-382-3894Grass-fed beef; whole, ½ or ¼
Dale & Margaret SuhrCalmar, 563-382-4988Free-range chickens, USDA inspected
Driftless Hills Farm, Calmar563-562-3897, [email protected] natural, grass-fed lambWhole or by the cutCatering to restaurants and families
Fairfield Farm MeatsClermont, 563-423-7105Grass-fed beef and pork(see Vegetables and Produce)
Annie’s Gardens & GreensFt. Atkinson, 563-534-7760Meat, poultry, dairy, egg sharesLarge selection of Iowa productsWinter and Summer CSA shares
Benjegerdes Greenhouse1115 Hwy 52, Postville563-864-3081, Bedding plantsVegetables, fruit, cut flowersOpen Mid April-June 30 or by appt
Elderwood Farm, LLCSteve Jensson & Bob PercivalRiceville, 641-985-2210Herbs and herb/vegetable dip mixesRiceville Farmers Market
Fairfield Farm Larry Reiling & Josh HennesseeClermont, 563-423-7105Potatoes, onions and other vegetableswww.fairfieldfarm.org
Fox Produce & Greenhouse, Randalia17762 150th Street, 563-428-4638Vegetables, fruits and flowersDawn to dusk, M-Sat.
G It’s Fresh (see ad)
Given Gardens - Nathan & Sarah Wicks Decorah, 563-382-3216www.givengardens.com - CSA Organic vegetables, herbs, flowers Decorah & Cedar Rapids Farmers Mkts
GROWN Locally (see ad)
Gordon’s Garden Gordon Murray-John Maynard, 563-637-2766 Speciality potatoes and greensUnique vegetables
Jason’s VeggiesVirginia Keppler, Strawberry Point563-380-5069, Vegetables Oelwein, Strawberry Point &Dyersville Farmers Markets
Kerns Sweet Corn - Blake Kerns Oelwein, 319-621-1361 Sweet Corn, Pumpkins, Squash
Koehn Berries & ProduceWest Union, 563-422-3716Strawberries, raspberries, tomatoesFarm Stand and U-PickWinneshiek Farmers Market
Kymar Acres (see ad)
FJM Produce- Francis Martin Wadena, 563-774-2023 Produce, heritage turkeys
Forest Hill Farm - Glenda Plozay St Olaf, 563-783-2670 Grass fed beef, lamb, pork, poultry
Grass Run Farm (see ad)
Hawkeye Buffalo RanchFredericksburg, 563-237-5318 Buffalo meats
Jason KlingeFarmersburg, 563-783-2456Broilers available after July 1
Nature Haven FarmGarnavillo, 563-880-7022Eggs, Farm Stand(see Vegetables and Produce)
Off the Land - Luke & Hope ClineElgin, 563-426-1048Beef, pork, eggs(see Vegetables and Produce)
VEGETABLES AND PRODUCE
MEAT - POULTRY - EGGS - DAIRY
May - Sept get (1) box per month of our best-selling 100% grass-fed beef and “fresh air” pork. CS
Summer
grassrunfarm.com/csa
GROWN Locally (see ad)
Gordon’s Garden Gordon Murray-John Maynard, 563-637-2766 Speciality potatoes and greensUnique vegetables
Jason’s VeggiesVirginia Keppler, Strawberry Point563-380-5069, Vegetables Oelwein, Strawberry Point &Dyersville Farmers Markets
Kerns Sweet Corn - Blake Kerns Oelwein, 319-621-1361 Sweet Corn, Pumpkins, Squash
Koehn Berries & ProduceWest Union, 563-422-3716Strawberries, raspberries, tomatoesFarm Stand and U-PickWinneshiek Farmers Market
Kymar Acres (see ad)
PATCHWORK GREEN FARMAlways 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. 2011 CSA traditional and market shares now available for $275.
Eat Local & Eat Well!
Check out patchworkgreen.com for all the details!
R Eat BetterJoin the
Rock Spring Farm CSA!Summer CSA Shares now available—Call 563 735-5613 or visit rsfarm.com
Pick up sites in Decorah & Rochester
3765 Highlandville Rd., Decorah, IA 52101
Nature Haven FarmVic & Kay Vifian, 563-880-7022Garnavillo, Farm StandAll natural produce and [email protected]
Off the Land - Luke & Hope ClineElgin, 563-426-1048Vegetables, flowers, [email protected] - FacebookFayette, Elgin, McGregor Farmers Mkts
Our Produce Patch (see ad)
Patchwork Green Farm (see ad)
Peake Orchards, Inc.Waukon, 563-419-0449Great apple varieties incl. HoneycrispFamily-run orchardFarm Stand, Mid Sept-Thanksgiving
Ridgetop AcresScot & Marissa NordschowDecorah, 563-735-5814Melons and [email protected]
River Root Farm, Decorahwww.riverrootfarm.comOrganic seedlings, greens and produce
Rock Spring Farm (see ad)
Rolling Hills GreenhouseWest Union, 563-422-9311Lettuce, herbs, microgreens all year
Stone Creek Farms - PlantpeddlerCresco, 563-547-2162Tomatoes, cucumbers, leafy greens
Stone Prairie Farm Decorah, 563-382-3119 Vegetables grown organically
Timber Ridge Gardens Greenhouse & Bakery West Union, 563-422-5844 Fruits and VegetablesDecorah, West Union Farmers Mkts
Tir na n’Og - Paul YoungFarmersburg, 563-516-1146Vegetables
Top of the Hollow Organic FarmDecorah, 563-380-8344Certified organic produce, potatoesDecorah Farmers MarketOneota Coop and special order
Village Creek Farm Market, Lansing1917 Doehler Drive, 563-379-1680Variety of local produce, eggs, meatFarm Stand - 3.5 miles SW of Lansingwww.villagecreekfarm.com
VEGETABLES AND PRODUCE
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.
This directory is organized by the Northeast Iowa Food & Farm Coalition and its partners.Visit their website for more information on the farmers listed in the directory, www.iowafreshfood.com.
WE THANK THESE PARTNERS FOR THEIR SUPPORT.
Oneota SlopesAndy & Emily JohnsonDecorah, 563-382-0537Grass-fed meatswww.oneotaslopes.org
Our Farm Meats, LLCJerry & Wanda BrinkElkader, 563-245-2048Quality, family raised pork and beefUSDA inspected
Ridgetop AcresScot & Marissa NordschowDecorah, 563-735-5814Delicious chicken(see Vegetables and Produce)
Rock Cedar Ranch (see ad)
Sunset Ridge - The Shindelars Protivin, 563-379-4598 Goat cheese and butterMany tasty varieties to choose fromwww.shindelarsunsetridge.com
Learn more about buying local at www.iowafreshfood.com
Bullwacker Logistics (Ron Bullerman) Calmar, 563-419-4207 Source for packaging and shipping needs
Annie’s Gardens & Greens, Ft. Atkinson 30975 Lincoln Road, 563-534-7760 Herbs, flowers, bedding plants www.anniesgardensandgreens.com Benjegerdes Greenhouse, Postville 1115 Hwy 52, 563-864-3081 Vegetable and bedding plants Open Mid April-June 30 or by appt Fox Produce & Greenhouse, Randalia 17762 150th Street, 563-428-4638 Flowers and bedding plants Dawn to dusk, M-Sat.
BEDDING PLANTS
Elderwood Farm, LLC Steve Jensson & Bob Percival Riceville, 641-985-2210 Jams & Jellies; Dip mixes Riceville Farmers Market Jason’s Veggies - Virginia Keppler Strawberry Point - 563-380-5069 Jams, jellies and baked goods Oelwein, Strawberry Point and Dyersville Farmers Markets Off the Land - Luke & Hope Cline Elgin, 563-426-1048 Preserves, goat milk soap [email protected] & Facebook Fayette, Elgin, McGregor Farmers Mrkts
Upper Iowa Organics, LLC Marty Grimm Decorah, 563-419-2222 Bulk compost and composted manure M-F, 8-5; Call on weekends
Rock Cedar RanchRiver Root Farm
Patchwork Green FarmThe Herbal TurtleRidgetop AcresWapsie ProduceDriftless Hills Farm
think local
Bringing local producers right to your table
117 W. WATER ST. DECORAH563.382.WINE www.rubaiyatrestaurant.com
Annie’s Green Grocery, Calmar 117 E. Main Street, 563-562-4222 Your Local Food Connection! Local produce, milk, butter, eggs, bread, meats www.anniesgardensandgreens.com Clayton Ridge Farm Meat Market & Gift Shop Jane & Tom Augustyn, Guttenberg 563-252-3820, claytonridgefarm.com Humanely-raised pork & beef; seasonal fresh vegetables Home of the Picket Fence Cafe Featuring homemade soups, sandwiches, salads & the best pies around!
STORES AND RESTAURANTS
SERVICES
Nature Haven Farm Vic & Kay Vifian Garnavillo, 563-880-7022 Flowers and plants, Farm stand [email protected]
BAKED GOODS & OTHER PRODUCTS Timber Ridge Gardens Greenhouse & Bakery Sara & Randi Vagts West Union, 563-422-5844 Gourmet angelfood Cakes Decorah & West Union Farmers Mrkts
Eagles Landing Winery, Marquette 563-873-2509, www.eagleslandingwinery.com You’ll love our Marquette Maid Wines!
Luther College/Sodexo (see ad)
Oneota Community Food Coop(see ad)
Rubiyat (see ad)
Winneshiek Wildberry Winery (see ad)
CHRISTMAS TREES
Oneota Slopes Andy & Emily Johnson Decorah, 563-382-0537 Christmas trees www.oneotaslopes.org
All the usual fun & food you know and love, and so much more! Details online!
45TH ANNUAL NORDIC FEST
Scandinavian fun for the whole family!
JULY 28-30, 2011
Viking
Take a Liking to a Viking!
Thursday Opening Ceremonies
Friday
Kanelopet Canoe Race
Saturday
Elvelopet 5/15k Race
Grand Parade
Fireworks!
Canopy 5 Live Music +
Beverage Tent!
Friday
Never the Less
Saturday
El Caminos
www.nordicfest.comAnd make sure to“take a liking”
to Nordic Fest on Facebook!
Once upon a time the daughter of a rich Scottish distillery owner fell in love with a poor, orphan ship carpenter. Mary threw all caution
out the window and married George. Her father disowned her. George surely promised to love Mary until the day he died; unfortunately, that day came sooner than expected. He drowned in
me
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Words and Illustration by Aryn Henning Nichols
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Summer 2011 / theinspiredmedia.com38
Giants of the Earth celebrates genetics, geneaology, Spring
Grove, & community stewardship.
theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2011 39
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Nestled in the heart of historic Decorah
Fresh &Delicious English-style tea room
From scratch daily:Delightful scones, tarts, &
desserts, entrees, soups, salads, & sandwiches!
Tues-Sat: 11 - 3Store opens at 10
113 W. Water St.Decorah,
563-382-3795hartsteaandtarts.com
A Decorah dining experience not to miss!
Specials posted daily!
an accident at sea, leaving a pregnant Mary behind to raise their only son, whom she named George to honor his father. George, Jr. grew up, married, and at the age of 28, came to America with his wife and three children.
While it’s no fairytale, it’s still the beginning of a story I’ll tell my children one day. It’s a story about me. About where I came from, the stuff I’m made of – literally: my genetics, my genealogy.
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springgrovemn.com
recreationarts
heritageeventstheater
swim center
art gallery, exhibits & classes
Showcasing the diverse work of 70 artists of the bluff country region
bluffcountryartistsgallery.org
genealogy & ancestry experts
Giants of the Earth Heritage Center, Inc.www.springgrovemnheritagecenter.org
Dedicated to celebrating and preserving the history and
cultural heritage of our region.
Folk and Fine Arts School
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Graphic Design | Advertising
great design
doesn’t have to be
complicated!
robinbartelldesigns.com
graphic design services
recreationarts
heritageeventstheater
swim center
Genealogy is the study of families and their history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, and genetic analysis
to learn about a family. But frequently – at least in my mind – genealogy meant old people and boring details. So and so was born on this day and died on this day. I don’t know what changed in me – perhaps the passing of two of my three remaining grandparents. Perhaps the fact that I’m about to turn 30 and children will be running around before I know it. I’m realizing the importance of carrying on tradition, of recording stories before they die with their tellers, and that all of this is a huge part of understanding just who I am. Luckily, others have realized this fact long ago.
The Giants of the Earth Heritage Center in Spring Grove, Minnesota, for instance, takes history and heritage completely under their wing and into their mission. Incorporated as a non-profit educational institution in 2009, the center “empowers families with the skills, principles, and belongingness of their pioneering ancestors. It’s dedicated to honoring, preserving, and interpreting the history and heritage of people from Southeastern Minnesota.”
The name “Giants of the Earth” gets its roots from the writings of Ole Edvart Rølvaag, a Norwegian-American novelist and professor. One of his most famous works was “Giants in the Earth: A Saga of the Prairie”, an award-winning, epic novel about Norwegian immigrant homesteaders in Dakota Territory. Some of Rølvaag’s material for “Giants in the Earth” actually came from in-laws who had made Spring Grove’s Norwegian Ridge – Minnesota’s first Norwegian settlement – their home.
theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2011 41
State of the Art Digital Cinema with 3D!167 West Main Street • Spring Grove, MN
summer fun at the swim center
live community theater
splash!
OPEN SWIM 1-5 & 7-9 Mon - Fri
1-5 Sat - Sun June – August
www.springgrovemn.com
MondayBasketball
NightTuesdays
$2 Admission
Wednesday NightsFREE Popcorn
RefillsThursdays
Tube Night
FridaysFREE 7-9pm
June 22 & August 3DJ Swim Party
with us in Spring Grove!
Restaurant & Ice Cream
Parlor
www.docsbluemoose.com133 W. Main | 507.498.DOCS
fine family dining
big movies on the big screen
Spring Grove still has a bit of that “come settle here” feel. The town’s new website www.springgrovemn.com says it best: “A little elbow grease and a stubborn streak can go a long way.” Managing to make a village of 1,300 people a hub is a combination of beautiful surroundings, great infrastructure, and folks who really care. From the awesome family swim center, fiber-optics throughout the city and surroundings (seriously!), and new digital movie theater to the city-wide support of artists of all kinds at Ye Olde Opera House and
the Bluff Country Artists Gallery, and of course, the Spring Grove Soda… one can see where it gets its new tagline: “Pretty. Neat. Small town.”
“We’re lucky,” says Giants of the Earth board chair Karen Gray. “We have ambitious people willing to commit to a cause and make it come to fruition.”
The Giants of the Earth Heritage Center was another cause the community had to see thrive. And it all started because of one woman: Georgia Rosendahl. Rosendahl took a class from Spring Grove’s leading genealogy expert Lee Grippen in 1978 – and she was hooked.
“It’s one of those situations where the student surpasses the master,” says Giants of the Earth board member and genetic genealogy research leader Johnathan Storlie.
Up: A mural by Norwegian artist Norwegian artist Sigmund Aarseth. Down: Georgia Rosendahl, Aryn H. Nichols, and Johnathan Storlie.
Summer 2011 / theinspiredmedia.com42
Depot OutletThe
Monday-Friday 9-5 • Saturday 9-3
www.depotoutlet.org or find us on Facebook
Reusable clothing, books, & household goods.
Do you like saving the earth AND getting a great deal?
563-382-2700•105 Railroad Ave•Decorah, IowaGently used donations accepted at the back of the building
Renae lost 60 lbs & 37 inches: from size 18 to 6!
Professional Health Coach Renae McIntosh, Decorah
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www.got2bthin.tsfl.comor call 563-380-7764
Meetings (optional) at 5:30 pm on Tuesdays at Java John’s in Decorah or Thursdays at Super 8 in Cresco.
Rosendahl has equal respect for Storlie’s work.
“I have a lot to learn about all of this,” she says humbly, gesturing to the computers and DNA kits. “I go through obituaries and newspapers, research census records and work with Family Tree Maker (on ancestry.com). It’s amazing what John’s research can do.”
So for more than 30 years, Rosendahl has been helping area folks research their past. Giants of the Earth got off the ground with the goal of honoring and continuing her work, and pairing her expertise with Storlie’s is a perfect complement of history and science.
The organization’s perfect complement was the historical Ballard House. Spring Grove wanted the building in good hands, restored, and part of the town’s heritage; the Giants of the Earth needed a space. They got the building early 2010, and immediately started on fundraising and renovations. The result – and it’s not even finished yet – is beautiful. The Center is bright and sunny and well designed, with walls covered in murals by famed Norwegian artist Sigmund Aarseth. A crystal chandelier was donated as a centerpiece – its previous home an area church – and plans are in the works for outdoor gardens and gathering spaces. The Center is currently staffed Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and is a lovely place to delve into who you are genetically and genealogically.
So how does it all work? You start with your parents’ and grandparents’ names for Rosendahl’s side of things, entering information in family trees on sites like ancestry.com (they have free and membership-based options). Then if you’re interested in pursuing your genetic history, you purchase a DNA kit and “spit in a vial and send it in”. Storlie works with the website and lab 23andme.com. Markings in your DNA will tell you exactly where it has been and where your ancestors lived and traveled. For instance: if you’re
a man, your Y chromosome is the same Y chromosome that your great, great, great, great…infinity…grandfather had. The exact same one. Seriously amazing, right?
The Center also offers classes and events through the Giants Folk and Fine Arts School. Classes range from sewing a bunad to soap making to fishing excursions. The classes are just one part of their community stewardship mission. They’ve even begun videoing area residents with stories to tell. Because of programming dollars raised through grant challenges, they were able to purchase first-rate equipment and have a little studio set up in the back of the Center. They’ll also do home video shoots.
Another part of their mission is practical.
“Given uncertain times ahead, it is prudent, wherever you live, to relearn the skills and principles that allowed your ancestors’ communities to be relatively self-sufficient. You and your neighbors can pioneer the rebuilding of the healthy local interdependence that once existed in small towns, in order to promote community self-reliance,” says the Giants website.
The rest of it is fun.“We really want to enrich the lives of
the people who live here,” Gray says. “And we want…no we’re going to be the best heritage center in the U.S. We want to do
our own part to make Spring Grove a daily place to visit.”
Learn more about the Giants of the Earth membership, services, or classes and events, at springgrovemnheritagecenter.org.
Aryn Henning Nichols has only scratched the surface of researching her genealogy. She looks forward to someday “spitting in a vial and sending it in” and hopes to tell her kids one day about their interesting ancestors and cool chromosomes.
Pho
to b
y R
obin
Bar
tell
Des
igns
All day long you’re busy taking care of everyone else. Take a few
minutes to take care of yourself. After all, you need to stay healthy
so you can be around to care for those you love.
Our experts offer women of all ages the most advanced healthcare, from
gynecology, obstetrics and menopause education to screening mammography*
and diagnostic breast services.
We want to partner with you to make your health a priority.
To find the Gundersen Lutheran clinic nearest you go to gundluth.org
or call (800) 362-9567.
Are you up-to-date on your wellness checks?• Annual wellness exam• Yearly mammograms after age 40• Colonoscopy after age 50, earlier if family history• Bone density test after age 65• Vaccinations• Laboratory screening (cholesterol and glucose)• Regular eye exams
*Gundersen Lutheran offers breast services atthe Gundersen Lutheran – Decorah Clinic andPalmer Lutheran in West Union.
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GL8.5x11womhlth:Layout 1 1/31/11 2:18 PM Page 1
Summer 2011 / theinspiredmedia.com44
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Summer – graduations are over, festivals are in full tilt, there’s family time to be had… and it’s BBQ season! We know there are at least a handful of you weekend warriors out there who love to spend
countless hours stoking the coals, carefully cooking fall-off-the-bone treats and looking for those perfect pink smoke rings, but for the rest of you, the option of having someone else prepare part of your summer feast is highly appealing!
Inspire(d) had the great fortune of meeting Chris (Lynch) Bouska of Lynch BBQ Company while speaking this spring at NICC’s “Be Your Own Boss Day”. Chris is passionate about food, business, family, and – yes – bacon. As a family-owned ag business, Lynch Livestock and Lynch BBQ offer more than 90 years of experience in the pork industry. The Lynch BBQ team has competed nationwide, garnering awards across the Midwest, but more importantly gaining legions of BBQ-loving fans around the tri-state area. In addition, Lynch BBQ offers popular sauces, spices, and meats including whole roasting hogs – processed at their own USDA inspected facility near Decorah.
Find out more at www.lynchbbq.com. There’s a lot more going on here than just the pig, but as Chris will tell you – don’t forget the bacon!
Foreword by Benji Nichols
Christy Bouska of Lynch BBQ
CH
EFON THEBLOCK
theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2011 45
201 West Water Street, Decorah, Iowa • 563-382-2626
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Name: Christy Bouska – Given name Christian Kelly Lynch – Yes I have an Irish heritageAge: 38Restaurant: Lynch BBQ CompanyNumber of Years Cooking: As an occupation 16 years
Formal training or live-and-learn? My training was more “Watch, Ask, and Try.” I have taken the
opportunity to learn from those who are willing to teach, no matter their degrees or titles.
I watched my grandparents and family cook my entire life, but I always was one to ask why or how. I did not really have the “foodie” bug that pushed me into cooking, but I was always surrounded by good cooks who poured their passion into their dishes.
I took a cooking class in New Orleans, a few local cooking classes, and learned from others on the barbecue circuit. It was really a trip to New Orleans that opened my heart into the creative side of cooking. The people there opened my eyes to the possibilities of
Photo by Benji Nichols
Summer 2011 / theinspiredmedia.com46
All you need to know for food ‘n’ fun
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what food could be. It was not just a meal, but a part of a culture and identity.
Along with cooking classes, I also loved watching shows such as Wok with Yan, Julia Childs, Two Fat Ladies, Good Eats, Rachael Ray and Emeril Lagasse. They showed me that food was a giant, fun, and delicious experiment. The high energy and passion they have for their food, and for their guests, was very influential.
What’s your earliest or most significant memory of cooking or being cooked for?
My grandparents would make fresh bread, homemade jelly, and beef barely soup when we would come visit them. My two sisters and I would finish off a loaf of bread and half a jar of jelly. It was so fresh, so delicious, and my grandparents were so proud of how much we would eat!
Why did you decide to become a chef?
Becoming a chef found me. The science of that cooking technique, the variations of wood and seasonings to create distinct flavors was so fresh and new. It was a whole new medium to play with – and who doesn’t like fire? It created such delicious flavors from pork, I became inspired. I would ask to go on catering events with my co-workers and I would take a smoker home on weekends. I would keep a BBQ journal and see what flavors worked, how long certain foods took to cook under the weather conditions, and what sauce tasted the best. When my husband and I started competing on the Kansas City BBQ Society Circuit and winning awards, our catering business continued growing. As our business grew, our family developed a line of seasonings, sauces, and ready-to-heat meats based off of what we learned.
What’s the best thing you’ve ever made?A majority of the awards we have won on the BBQ contest circuit
have been for chicken. Which is crazy when you consider that I come from a family that has been producing pork for 95 years.
The Lynch BBQ Family
theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2011 47
WORKSHOPS • PRINTS • OILS • DRAWINGS • WATERCOLORS • EXHIBITS AVAILABLE
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great giftidea!
But if you ask what my best dish is, they would tell you it is my New Orleans Bread Pudding with Banana Fosters Sauce.
Do you have any monumental food fails you’d like to share with us?
I thought a long time ago that if you added crushed pineapple to store bought chicken noodle soup it would give a tropical flavor to soup. Pineapple Chicken is good – but only on a grill. It will never make a commercial flavor soup. The dog wouldn’t eat it.
How about secret food indulgences you don’t normally talk about?
Walking Tacos with Extra Jalapenos. I could eat them every day.
What’s your favorite:Ingredient: baconDish: roasted duckCookbook: Emeril Lagasse’s books - I love the stories with his recipes.Random (or not so random) kitchen tool: I have two; my stick blender (I have three) and my three-inch paring knife. I can’t leave home without them.Vegetable: Brussel sprouts… with bacon, of course.Fruit: Strawberries on a mixed green salad… with bacon!
The Lynch BBQ Family
Summer 2011 / theinspiredmedia.com48
“New ideas come from creating and creating and creating. When I come up with a new design, I
repeat it. Each time, it gets better.”– Artist Elisabeth Maurland
This Land is Maurland’s
theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2011 49
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Some things are better left unsaid; others speak for themselves.
“It seems cliché,” artist Elisabeth Maurland says with a smile, “but if I could put my work into words, I wouldn’t have to do what I do.”
By Susie Clark
Maurland’s pottery is certainly not in need of many descriptive words. Her signature bright colors, animal motifs, and unique Scandinavian style is well-known and recognizable in this region and beyond. The now-Decorah resident has made art her life and career.
Born and raised in Oslo, Norway, Maurland attended Luther College then went on to graduate school at Illinois State University and finally did a five-year apprenticeship at Genszler Stoneware Designs in Wisconsin… before she found herself right back in Decorah. She now has a sweet little pottery studio built behind her home.
But how did she get from Olso to Decorah? “Growing up I wanted to travel. I was very interested in languages.” After high school, Maurland lived in Germany for a year, where she learned about an opportunity to study in the United States. She applied to Luther, and transitioned from Norway to “Little Norway”. (Not the one in Wisconsin.)
This Land is Maurland’s
Summer 2011 / theinspiredmedia.com50
The intention was to study at Luther for a year. But plans change and life paths are altered. “Halfway through my first year I decided I wanted to stay, “ she says. By then she has also discovered the wheel and clay. While picking classes at Luther, on a whim she signed up for pottery. “I thought, ‘hey, this could be fun,” she says. She never looked back.
But it wasn’t as though the artist had never been exposed to such things before. Maurland’s father was an architect, and she remembers always enjoying art and design.
“One of Norway’s most famous modern art museums was close to my home growing up,” says Maurland. “I liked to look at art books, and took as many art classes as I could. I was exposed mostly to Norweigian art, Edvard Munch being one of them, but I loved the rococo styles from Renaissance paintings.”
The swirls and ornate flourishes of her pots display this early affection.
“It’s unintended, but undoubtedly inspired,” she adds referencing the design on a greeting card called “Phoenix.”
“It took me a long time to find my own style. What I was exposed to in Norway was very different from the art I saw here,” she says. “I was confused as to what I liked. It took me years to discover what that was.”
And, interestingly, sometimes making something you don’t like helps direct you to what you do.
“In graduate school, I had a teacher who told us one day in class to draw the ugliest picture we could. And I couldn’t do it! This
AUTHOR CONNECTIONS
563-382-4275 • 112 West Water Street, Decorah
CONNECTIONS
Author. Reader.
Check out all the events, plus staff picks, regional authors, and more at www.dragonflybooks.com
Coming up June 16: Norwegian Author Johan
Harstad: “Buzz Aldrin, What Happened to You in
all the Confusion?”
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NEW at Dragonfly Books: Readings with local, nationally & even internationally known writers.
100 EAST COFFEE STREET • 507-467-9002SUNDAY - WEDNESDAY 10 AM - 5 PM
THURSDAY - SATURDAY 10 AM - 7:30 PM
LANESBORO, MINNESOTA
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clothing and accessories to gourmet foods, even unique baby items!
Photo by Aryn Henning Nichols
cedar ridge distillery * great river brewery * millstream brewing co. * mississippi river distilling co. * old main brewing co. * peace tree brewing co. * templeton rye * toppling goliath brewing co. * driftless hills farm * patchwork green farm * ridgetop acres * river root farm * rock cedar ranch * wapsie produce * cedar ridge distillery * great river brewery * millstream brewing co. * mississippi river distilling co. * old main brewing co. * peace tree brewing co. * templeton rye * toppling goliath brewing co. * driftless hills farm * patchwork green farm * ridgetop acres * river root farm * rock cedar ranch * wapsie produce * cedar ridge distillery * great river brewery * millstream brewing co. * mississippi river distilling co. * old main brewing co. * peace tree brewing co. * templeton rye * toppling goliath brewing co. * driftless hills farm * patchwork green farm * ridgetop acres * river root farm * rock cedar ranch * wapsie produce * cedar ridge distillery * great river brewery * millstream brewing co. * mississippi river distilling co. * old main brewing co. * peace tree brewing co. * templeton rye * toppling goliath brewing co. * driftless hills farm * patchwork green farm * ridgetop acres * river root farm * rock cedar ranch * wapsie produce * cedar ridge distillery * great river brewery * millstream brewing co. * mississippi river distilling co. * old main brewing co. * peace tree brewing co. * templeton rye * toppling goliath brewing co. * driftless hills farm * patchwork green farm * rock cedar ranch *117 W. WATER ST, DECORAH, IA • 563.382.WINE
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experience was important to me. As an artist, I had always tried so hard to make everything perfect – to please somebody else. That moment sticks with me to this day,” she says.
The residency at Gelzner Stoneware Designs further encouraged Maurland to think independently and develop her own style, although finding that niche didn’t come overnight.
“I didn’t really make anything artistically for about two years,” she said of to her time at Gelzner. “But then one day, I threw a few pots, and painted them – just with a few black flourishes and strokes of a paint brush. And it evolved from there.”
Incorporating animals into her designs also happened during her time in Wisconsin. “I lived in the middle of nowhere, and there were animals all around me. It came to me naturally. Animals are good vehicles to express emotion,” she says, pointing to a pot adorned
with rabbits. “You can arrange them in different shapes, patterns, and designs, but when you’re done, they really still do look like rabbits. This gives me the opportunity to express really complex things.”
And just as all Maurland’s pottery pieces are unique, all artist’s methods – or venues – of inspiration are different. “It doesn’t just come from one time or place.” An artist’s inspirations cannot be manufactured, she says, and don’t necessarily come with maturity.
“I have a six year old daughter who has a lot of ideas [when it comes to art]. Sometimes I ask her if it’s hard to come up with new ideas. She tells me ‘sometimes’. Other times I ask her where here ideas come from. She tells me she gets her ideas for her new designs from her old designs. And that is exactly how I work.”
No matter what, Maurland tries to approach her pieces with an open mind and attempts to simply “do”. She continues to create pottery, selling at art shows and through her studio, and has extended her designs into greeting cards and with plans for textiles in the future.
“New ideas come from creating and creating and creating. When I come up with a new design, I repeat it. Each time, it gets better.”
To learn more about Maurland and her pottery, cards, and process, visit www.elisabethmaurland.com
Susie Clark (most commonly known as Suz) is a 2010 graduate of Luther College, (Majors: Music, Communication studies, Flamenco dancing). In her spare time this spring, this native Minnesotan enjoys watching baseball, reading, and coming up with countless ways for her front lawn to mow itself. When asked of her favorite animal, she promptly responds, “Oh, that’s easy: a Snipe”… (yes, they do exist).
Summer 2011 / theinspiredmedia.com52 All photos courtesy Heidi Håvan Grosch
theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2011 53
When I hooked my very own Norwegian bachelor farmer four years ago and followed my heart to a little Christmas tree farm overlooking a fjord in Nord-Trøndelag (the middle of Norway), it was music that gave this Midwestern girl a place to belong.
Morten and I had been friends for almost 20 years before, when, unexpectedly in 2006, there was a spark of something more. I guess Garrison Keillor was right when he said Norwegians have to think about things a long time before acting. But once the decision was made, within months I had sold my house, packed boxes, and gotten married – twice (once in the US, once in Norway). My relatives were thrilled because I was returning to the Promised Land, the home country, the land of “our” people. My new home was far north of our ancestral roots in Gol, Hallingdal; nevertheless, I was in the land of rømmegrot (sour cream porridge), lefse (though not always made with potatoes), and the language that created the signature Midwest Scandinavian lilt.
The first year was met with growing pains. While English is traditionally taught beginning from first grade on, knowing Norwegian is key to communicating in daily life. The phrase “Uff da”, unfortunately, didn’t get me far, and intensifying a Scandinavian accent didn’t make my English any more Norwegian. That I wasn’t fluent after two weeks was tough and frustrating for this 40-something-year-old.
My sister-in-law, Lise, suggested I use a language I did understand: song. She was a member of the 80- year- old Sparbu Songlag choir from Steinkjer kommune (municipality) and invited me along. “Practically everyone is related to someone else. And even if you’re not, we are almost like a big family. You’ll fit right in even if you don’t speak Norwegian very well.”
She was right.
One woman’s journey from the US to Norway and Back Again with Sparbu Songlag
“Music and song are an important Norwegian tradition,both in times of sorrow and in times of joy,”
Aud Eva Opheim, member of Sparbu Songlag.
The Secret in the Wings by Mary Zimmerman
| Directed by Bob Larson
theatre / dance
center for the arts, luther college, decorah, iowa
Luther College
$10. adult /$5. children under 12
Marat/Sade by Peter Weiss
Directed by Bob Larson | Scenic Design by Matthew Imhoff ’12
Nov 11, 12, 16, 18, 192011-12 season
March 2, 3, 8, 9, 10Invited to Tea | Directed by Amanda Hamp
April 27, 28; May 3, 4, 5
2011-12 Season details at www.luther.edu/theatredance
Tickets @ Luther College box office 563.387.1357 &
1 hour before shows at Jewel Theatre
By Heidi Håvan Grosch
All photos courtesy Heidi Håvan Grosch
Kom å Syng (Come and Sing):
(continued on next page)
Summer 2011 / theinspiredmedia.com54
I remember sitting in my first Sparbu Songlag choir rehearsal, patiently waiting for director Eva Renaa Eggen to finish her instructions. At least I think they were instructions. To my unpracticed ear they sounded like riffs in a strange Scandinavian folk melody. But when we started to sing it didn’t matter; the music was the language I understood.
“We come from different places with different backgrounds, but when we sing we are equals and it doesn’t matter where we work or how much money we make: ‘Jørgen hattemaker and kong Salomon’ (both the poor and rich are equal). It is together that we create something.” says Asbjørn Dahlum, member of Sparbu Songlag
Music is so deeply engrained in Norwegians it can withstand pretty much anything.
Imagine it is late Sunday morning, April 21, 1940. Church bells are ringing in the town of Steinkjer, but they aren’t calling people to worship, they are calling them to run. Norway has been occupied by the Germans and they have been warned that bombs will drop and residents would be smart to seek shelter elsewhere.
2,700 people fled to neighboring farms that day and by nightfall most of them were homeless as 82 percent of the city center was destroyed. This would be enough to break the spirit of most, but the Norwegians are strong, and music was one of the thingssomething that kept them going. When choirs were forced to disband and the singing of Kongensangen (God Save the King) was declared illegal, the Norwegians found ways to alternatives. They sang in their barns while milking
2011 SeasonJuly 30 - August 7
www.cvcmf.comHunter CapoccioniArtistic Director
This ad sponsored in part by the Cedar Falls Tourism Bureaucedarfallstourism.org800-845-1955
theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2011
the cows. They sang in their living rooms by the light of a blazing fire, and they always carried songs in their hearts.
The need for music is still strong, and Steinkjer kommune (now a municipality of 20,000 people) is home to nine choirs, including Sparbu Songlag. The choir meets once a week to practice, socialize, and make music.repertoire. “It is an important part of my life,” says choir member Rita Berg.. People tend to stick around as well:, Johan Fossum has been singing for over 50 years, while others join every year, as I did, looking for a place to belong.
We start our eight-day choir tour this summer in Chicago and end in Minneapolis, singing at two churches where I have been on staff. We will cross paths with people eager to celebrate their own Norwegians roots, as well as those who have never seen a bunad nor heard the Norwegian National Anthem, and I think the choir will have many stories to tell when they get home. But it is Decorah’s Nordic Fest that has drawn us here, and I am honored to accompany Sparbu Songlag to the part of the country where my Norwegian American family was born.
55
Good clothes take you good places
211 West Water StreetDecorah, Iowa
M.T.W.Fr.Sat 9-5 Thurs. 9-8
563.382.8940
fall
mod
ern
fun
In addition to Sparbu
Songlag, you have the chance
to see The Weston Noble
Alumni Choir. The choir will
congregate at Luther College
the last week of July. A finale
full-length concert is planned
for Thursday, July 28 at the
Center for Faith and Life
after the Nordic Fest opening
ceremonies.
The concept of the Weston
Noble Alumni Choir was
formed in the summer of
2006 during a European
concert tour led by choral
director Myron Heaton. A
1968 Luther graduate, Heaton
invited Weston Noble to
serve as guest conductor
for his chorale’s tour. To
augment Heaton’s ensemble,
the two conductors invited
Luther College Nordic Choir
alumni to join the group. The
combined choir presented
concerts over the course
of three weeks in England,
France and, finally, the
Salzburg Music Festival in
Austria. The Luther contingent
returned with a pledge to
organize a similar activity
annually beginning in 2007
to allow more Nordic Choir
alumni participate and share
the invigorating experience
of intense rehearsals under
the direction of Weston
Noble and culminating
with a concert. The Weston
Noble Alumni Choir is now
an annual summer event.
westonnoblealumnichoir.org
Excited about choirs at Nordic Fest?
Sparbu Songlag will perform multiple times at Nordic Fest in Decorah July 28-30. Please visit www.nordicfest.com to see the complete entertainment schedule.
Heidi Håvan Grosch works with English as a second language, writes for the Norwegian American Weekly newspaper and continues to learn about her new Norwegian home.
Summer 2011 / theinspiredmedia.com56
“Take a liking to a Viking” this July as the 45th annual Nordic Fest gets underway. Started in 1966 by a small committee of J.C.’s
and community members, the event has been responsible for welcoming over 1.5 million visitors to Decorah in it’s
45 year history. Nordic Fest celebrates Decorah’s Norwegian
Heritage with a plethora of activities, cuisine, sporting events, cultural displays, a grand parade, and community activities. For example, the festival kicks off this year with the Thursday night opening
ceremonies featuring the Nordic Dancers, a pageantry of flags, Norwegian music, and more. Both Friday and
Saturday nights will feature street dances, as well as live entertainment under the stars. The Grand Parade kicks off
Saturday with countless entries from the tri-state region, and the day is capped off with a torchlight parade and fireworks. An abundant offering of great, free, live entertainment is always featured at various tent stages throughout the downtown as well as in the courthouse square.
Several sporting events are also offered as part of the festival, from Lutefisk eating, to a rock throw, Elveløpet 5K & 15K run, Kanoløpet canoe race, and a disc golf tournament. Street dances are also a popular attraction featuring Decorah’s own Foot-Notes Scandinavian dance band.
In addition, The Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum presents several special events showcasing Scandinavian Artisans including demonstrations of rosemaling, wood carving, and more. Upstart Crow Theatreworks will also present the original children’s theatre production “Where All Directions Face North: Journey to the South Pole”.
A complete schedule of entertainment is available two weeks prior to the Festival by calling (563) 382-FEST, and more details can be found on-line at www.nordicfest.com.
An intimate boutique with a great selection of natural fiber clothing for women – create your own style! We
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furniture and vintage hats and jewelry. Finally a fashion destination in Southern Minnesota!
See the latest
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Bittersweet Boutique & AntiquesLanesboro, Minnesota
(507) 467-2292Thursday - Saturday 10-7Sunday - Wednesday 10-5
Stop in and fill your heart, mind, and soul
with new insights.
World-renowned Finnish composer and master fiddler Arto Järvelä will tour the Midwest this June. Järvelä is one of Finland’s most accomplished folk musicians and a third generation fiddler in the Kaustinen tradition. Joining Järvelä on tour will be the new Finnish-American acoustic folk band Kaivama. Sara Pajunen and Jonathan Rundman have teamed up to form KAIVAMA - Finnish for “to delve or dig.” From fiddle and guitar, to harmonium, piano, and banjo this duo’s instrumental skill and fresh approach in creating music is alternately joyous, primitive, experimental, haunting, and time-honored. The concert will be held at the Bethania Church (Vesterheim), in Decoarh on WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15th, 7PM. Tickets are $10 with more information available at 563-382-9681.
Arto Järvelä and Kaivama to perform in Decorah
45th Annual Nordic Fest July 28-30, 2011
45th AnnuAl nordic Fest "tAke A liking to A viking" Nordic Fest begins with Thursday night’s opening ceremony, followed by two days of fun activities, delicious food, lively dancing, a colorful parade, intricate costumes, traditional crafts and boundless entertainment. Celebrate the Scandinavian spirit! July 28-30. 800-382-FEST www.nordicfest.com
hotel WinneshiekBeloved for its magnifi-cent architecture and welcoming hospitality, the restored historic Hotel Winneshiek awaits you. Luxurious guest rooms and suites, award winning Albert’s Restaurant, and a contemporary Tap Room Bar are all part of the hotel’s fabulous downtown location. Romance and Getaway Packages available. 800-998-4164, www.hotelwinn.com
cedAr dreAms inn Cedar Dreams is eco-friendly lodging at its finest with many reclaimed or recycled materials used in the building's restoration. The Inn features two queen rooms, sitting area with queen sleeper sofa, dining area, kitchenette and wireless internet. Close to Trout Run Trail, Luther College and downtown shopping. 563-387-6185, www.cedardreamsinn.com
Winneshiek Wildberry WineryTake a tour of this country winery, stroll the grounds of the 140 year old family farm and vineyard or just sit and enjoy a glass of wine and live music at one of the scheduled weekend events. This winery features award winning Midwestern grape and fruit wines, wine tasting, vineyard & wine cellar tours as well as local artisan wares in their gift shop. Also an ideal setting for weddings. 563-735-5809, www.wwwinery.com
rubAiyAt Skillfully prepared ingredient-driven dishes reveal Rubaiyat’s commitment to using the highest quality products, in season, and local when available. The New York Times says Rubaiyat is “THE place to eat” when visiting Decorah. Experience Iowa's largest wine & beer list and see why we were voted “Best of the Bluffs.” 563-382-WINE, www.rubaiyatrestaurant.com
oneotA Food co-opA full-service grocery store featuring fresh, local and organic foods. Cafe serves hot entrees, salads, sandwiches, soups, desserts and espresso drinks. A variety of packaged groceries, local and organic produce, dairy, meat and seafood, bulk foods, breads and baked goods, wine and beer, nutritional supplements, and body care are also available. 563-382-4666, www.oneotacoop.com
crAFt ' s At bluFFtonA fresh air, up close, opportunity to learn about Jacob sheep in a beautiful country setting adjacent to the Bluffton Fir Stand. Dating back to biblical times, the black and white spotted sheep have multiple horns. Their fleeces are prized by spinners and weavers. 563-735-5533 www.craftsatbluffton.com
14Th aNNual NorThEaST IoWa arTISTS' STudIo Tour october 7, 8 & 9www.iowaarttour.com
dug road INN563-382-9355www.dugroadinn.com
harT'S TEa & TarTS563-382-3795www.hartsteaandtarts.com
laura INgallS WIldEr MuSEuM563-735-5916www.lauraingallswilder.us
SaMpSoN SprINgS caMpgrouNd563-382-4849 www.sampsonspringscampground.com
Where Eagles Fly
For more information call 800.463.4692
Decorah
AgorA Arts Agora Arts features contemporary fine American Craft by over 250 artists. A four time winner of the Niche Top 100 Retailer of American Craft award, Agora has become a premiere destination for high-quality hand-crafted jewelry, Sticks furniture, pottery, prints, sculpture and more. Open 7 days a week. 563-382-8786, www.agoraarts.com
vesterheim norWegiAn-AmericAn museumUSA Today named Vesterheim one of “Ten great places in the nation to admire American folk art.” With 24,000 artifacts and 16 historic buildings, this national treasure uses the Norwegian-American experience as a lens to explore the diversity of an immigrant nation. Open all year. 563-382-9681, www.vesterheim.org
mccAFFrey's dolce vitAExperience an unparalleled menu which includes exceptional wood-fired pizzas, a selection of international cuisines, and offering an extensive beer and wine list. Named “Best Pizza in Iowa” by USA Today. It's located just minutes from scenic and historic downtown Decorah. 563-382-4723, www.mcdolcevita.com
phot
o by:
Joh
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Join our millions of fans worldwide & log on to view the Decorah eagles or request a vacation guide at visitdecorah.com
Summer 2011 / theinspiredmedia.com58 Photo by Aryn Henning Nichols / Soup by Benji Nichols
theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2011 59
Heritage Farm • Decorah, Iowa563-382-5990 • seedsavers.org
31st
AnnuAl
ConferenCe
& CAmpout
July 15-17, 2011
Seed Savers Exchange
Go online for details on speakers, workshops & more!
Register byJune 15 for Early Bird discount.
LOCALConnect the dots...
Easy, right?
Local & friendly US Cellular, Dish Network, Direct TV, & Satellite Internet services. Connecting’s never been so easy.
Check out our great selection of HD TVs, laptops, digital cameras, & electronics supplies – we’ve got your part or can order it.
112 Winnebago St., Decorah, Iowa563-382-CELL (2355) • www.simselectronics.com
Mon - Fri 8 am - 6 pm • Sat 8 am - 5 pm • Thurs ‘til 8 pm
So is working with Sim’s TV & Electronics.
At the restaurant I wear a multitude of different hats. One of them happens to be the chief soupmeister. In other words, I makea dah soup. Actually, three to four soups a week. We have a “two soups at all times” goal. Heartier soups in the cold months and lighter soups as the seasons bloom into warmth, but one soup remains constant: Every Friday I make a new batch of seafood chowder. The rest of the time it is up for grabs. A balancing act ensues as we try new recipes and also try to fulfill requests for previously prepared potages. And sometimes, if we are really busy and the soup’s sailing out of the kitchen, it becomes an Irish scramble just to put something presentable and delicious in the bowls.
All that being said, let’s look at what it takes to make good, (ah great), soup: A balance of the freshest ingredients available – preferably local – and flavor, flavor, flavor. Or, in other words – onion, celery, carrots. Leave it to the French to concoct the perfect base to enhance stocks, sauces, soups, stews, roasts, and a myriad of other dishes. Mirepoix is the common name for this base. Sometimes referred to as the “Holy Trinity” of French cuisine, it’s a mixture of aromatics: two parts chopped onion to
What the #@&--- is Mirepoix?
If I had to name my favorite comfort food I would have to proclaim a category, not a single dish. Or plate
or bowl for that matter. I am simply unable to narrow it down. Impossible! But I do really like soup. No, no. Let’s change that: I love soup! Hot soup, cold soup, cream based soup, no holds barred soup, etc. You get the picture.
By Jim McCaffrey
(continued on next page)
Summer 2011 / theinspiredmedia.com60
since 1983
563-382-4750 paulbauhs.com
Visit my new website!
Artistry in Cabinetry Kitchens Home offices Bars
Entertainment centers Fireplace mantles Cabinets & shelving
Remodeling Finished carpentry
one part each of chopped carrot and celery. It can be utilized either raw, roasted, or sautéed. When making stocks, mirepoix is normally roasted to add more flavor and color – that works well for brown stocks. Parsnips can, and often are, substituted for the carrots for clear stocks. Since the mirepoix is removed at the end of stock making, one can make the case for the old saying “Size does not matter”. Well, for chopped vegetables anyway. Uniform pieces are ideal, so everything is cooked evenly. Smaller pieces cook in less time and tend to emit more flavor.
For most cream based soups the mirepoix is run through a food processor and blended into the featured ingredient. (ie: Cream of Broccoli, Cream of Tomato, etc.). So that allows for bigger chunks and less chopping. For soup, traditionally
the mirepoix is sautéed in butter. Ah, those French again! I, myself, prefer to use extra virgin olive oil. Either way is perfectly acceptable for a great end product. Olive oil just makes it easier for the lactose intolerant and imparts a wonderful flavor of its own.
Also, not being a traditionalist and more of a renegade, I always add fresh minced garlic. Garlic is good, garlic is great, garlic makes the world go round. That is one of the great presents my dad gave to me. I still have fond memories of working in the family garden and Dad pulling up a bulb of garlic, breaking off a couple of cloves, and sharing one with me while expounding upon the great health benefits of eating raw garlic every day. A little warm Old Style helped to offset the stinky rose’s pungency. Hey, everybody’s family is a little dysfunctional.
Little House on the Farm B&B
892 Pole Line Road • Postville, Iowa • 563-864-7304•www.littlehouseonthefarm.com(between Decorah & Waukon)
Made-from-scratch
breakfast using locally grown
foods
Small appliances,
cookware, & linens
provided
enjoy life's simple pleasures & the peacefulness of the country
David J. Wadsworth • 563.419.0390 • wadsworthconstruction.com
Specializing in sustainable residential & light
commercial construction[ ]
• Residential & business programs
• Partnerships & volunteer opportunities
Save money... AND the world!
Visit us online at energydistrict.org or call 563-382-4207
(Almost) Everybody’s doing it!
DISTRICT
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ENERGY
Maytag Bleu Cheese. Yum. Photo by Benji Nichols
theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2011 61
PATCHWORK GREEN FARMAlways 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. 2011 CSA traditional and market shares now available for $275.
Eat Local & Eat Well!
Check out patchworkgreen.com for all the details!
Specializing in wood-fired
pizza & International
Cuisine!
563.382.4723
2149 Twin Springs Road, Decorah, Iowa4-9 pm Wed – Fri | 11-9 pm Sat | 11-8 pm Sun
SORRY - NO RESERVATIONS
Friday:
Pizza, pasta, salads, sandwiches, soups, appetizers, homemade cheesecake & more!
Gift certificates available!
Wednesday:
Blackened Salmon
Spaghetti & meatballs / kids pizzas
Thursday: Prime Rib Dinner
Even
ing
Spec
ials!
Saturday: Steak of the Week
Check www.mcdolcevita.com
for special daily dishes!
NAMED BEST PIZZA IN
IOWA BY USA TODAY!
Ok, time to don our Julia Child frocks and go to work. First pour a glass of your favorite wine or beverage. Savor a sip or two. Relax. Breathe slowly. Proceed with the following recipe and continue savoring throughout.
Since we are heading into the summer gardening season, I decided a fresh cream of tomato and basil soup would be just the ticket to round out this sojourn into basic cooking techniques. Fresh plum tomatoes work well here as they are meatier than most and make for a thicker soup. You can parboil them for 20 to 30 seconds to remove the skins if so desired for a more creamy variation. If you want to make this soup when fresh from the garden tomatoes are not available, substitute one 28-ounce can of whole plum or crushed tomatoes for every two pounds of tomatoes. So let’s savor a little more wine then take our creation to another level by adding some bleu cheese right at the end. Some crunchy French bread, candlelight, probably a little more wine, and your significant other will be marveling at your culinary genius. Congratulations, you have now mastered French Cooking 101, or at least the Mirepoix section. Julia would have been proud. Next time perhaps we will work on foie gras.
But, for now, as Julia always said, “Bon Appetit!”
Cream of Tomato Basil Soup with Bleu Cheese (Serves 4)
2 tablespoons extra virgin oil 1 rib celery, washed and diced 1 small carrot, peeled and diced 1 medium onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 pounds fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped 1 tablespoon tomato paste 2 cups chicken broth or water 2 tablespoons fresh minced basil 1cup heavy cream 1-2 ounces fresh crumbled bleu cheese Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste In a large stainless steel or nonstick saucepan, add olive oil over medium heat. Add celery and carrot. Sautee for three to four minutes until softened. Add onion and garlic. Sautee two to three minutes until onion starts to turn translucent. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, broth and basil. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover, stir frequently at a simmer for fifteen minutes. Puree soup in a food processor or blender in batches. Reheat in saucepan. Stir in heavy cream Add bleu cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer once more until soup is hot to taste. Serve with crusty French bread. Enjoy!
Jim McCaffrey is a chef, author, and co-owner with his
family of McCaffrey’s Dolce Vita restaurant and Twin Springs
Bakery just outside Decorah. He is author of a humorous
cookbook titled “Midwest Cornfusion”. He has been in
the food industry in one way or another for 40 years.
Summer 2011 / theinspiredmedia.com62
Appea
ranc
es 301 W. Water St.Decorah, Iowa563-382-2610
Matt’s available 7 days a week.
Massage can heal. Call me. I’d like to help.
Matthew Johanningmeier, LMTCarlson College of
Massage Therapy Graduate563-880-8886
Traditional Swedish MassagePrenatal MassageReflexologyAcupressureCouples MassageDeep Tissue MassageInjury MassageStretching
30 minutes for $3060 minutes for $5090 minutes for $80120 minutes for $110
MASSAGE:
Are you injured? Do you have chronic pain?
THE Heavenly Foot Treatment45 minutes for $45
Matt’s Signature Facials45 minutes for $50
Blissed Out Body Scrubs45 minutes for $3570 minutes for $60
Universal Contour Body WrapNo measuring: $125 • With measuring: $165
Chair massages at the Oneota Co-op:Tues, Thurs, & Sat,
12 - 2 pm
WhiplashHerniated disc
SciaticaCarpal Tunnel
On-site & Work massage treatments available.
Matt’s Stretching DVD is here! Are you a retailer? Carry this amazing DVD!
Call Matthew for details or to reserve your own today!
563-880-8886 Stretching DVD $30
Get your copy and feel the results!
Get ready to CHANGE YOUR
LIFE!
MON-THURS: 10:30-8PMFRI-SAT: 10:30-9PM
Ede's The Angry Pickle
&
213 WEST WATER STREETDOWNTOWN DECORAH
HOUSEMADE SPECIALTIES FROM AROUND THE GLOBE. FULL CATERING AVAILABLE
ON-SITE OR TO GO!
theangrypickle.com
563-382-9600
The Winneshiek County Driftless Safari is a county-wide scavenger hunt, lasting from Memorial Day through Labor Day, that fosters opportunities for families to play and explore local treasures. Participants are outfitted with a guidebook and a map to find rubbing posts at 20 historical and natural sites. Once at the site, follow the clue from the guidebook to find a two-foot-tall rubbing post and make a rubbing with a crayon as proof of your visit. In order to receive both items, you can register online at www.driftless-safari.org and pick up your FREE guidebook and map at any of the public libraries in either Calmar, Decorah, Fort Atkinson, Ossian, and Spillville. Get out there and enjoy our beautiful surroundings this summer!
• Calmar Public Library, 101 S Washington St • Decorah Public Library, 202 Winnebago Street • Fort Atkinson Public Library, 302 3rd St. NW • Ossian Public Library, 123 West Main Street • Spillville Public Library, 201 Oak Street
Driftless Safari Kicks Off!
Check out all this fun
summer stuff!
theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2011 63
5,000+ Vinyl LPs(many obscure and hard to fi nd)
1,500 Games3,000 CDs…$4.95 or less
4,000 DVDs…$4.003,500 VHS…$1.50
*All discs or vinyl must be in good condition. We reserve the right to reject items based on condition or need.
563-517-0109118 E. Water St., Decorah-next to Mabe’s
BUY-SELL-TRADE364 Days a Year!
RECYCLE YOUR MUSIC,GAMES AND MOVIES!*
MUSIC • GAMES • MOVIESYour Home for
Inexpensive Entertainment!
Buy 5 Items, 6th One FREE!Buy 10, 3 More FREE!
(lowest priced items count as free items)
120 WASHINGTON ST, DECORAH, IOWALunch & dinner Monday - Saturday • 563-382-3067
RESERVATIONS APPRECIATED
Give yourself
116 Washington, Decorah, Iowa
Day SpringSpa
56
3.3
82
.07
99
a break.
KITCHEN GARDEN BASICS: A series of half-day Saturday classes on site in the Pepperfield garden will cover all the basics you need to know to manage a successful home kitchen garden. Classes are held at Pepperfield Farm, 1575 Manawa Trail, Decorah, from 9 am to 1 pm. Register for each class by sending $15 to Pepperfield, 1575 Manawa Trail, Decorah, IA 52101. Send direct inquiries to host/class leader David Cavagnaro by e-mail, [email protected]., or call 563-382-8833. June 11 - SUMMER MAINTENANCE: Learn to recognize all the important garden weeds (and which ones are edible). This class will also cover pest and disease management, learning when to do jobs at the right time, composting and fertility management, and summer watering details. July 9 - SUMMER HARVEST, FALL PLANTING: Proper timing of harvest, seed-saving techniques, and the planting dates for fall crops will be the emphasis of this session. September 3 - FALL HARVEST, WINTER PREPARATION: Bringing in the harvest, storage for winter, more seed saving, garden cleanup and preparation of the garden for winter will finish the kitchen garden season.
Brave the 4th Annual Kickapoo BRAVE (Bluffs, Rivers and Valley Event) Bicycle Ride starting and ending in Gays Mills, Wisconsin, on September 17, 2011. Gays Mills is located along the Kickapoo River in Southwest Wisconsin, in the heart of the scenic Kickapoo Valley. The ride will start from Riverside Park in Downtown Gays Mills, located on Highway 171. Riders choose between 20, 40, 60 and 100 mile routes. All routes take cyclists through breathtaking scenery: ridge tops with distinctive panoramic views and deep, lush valley roads. Enjoy rest stops at a cheese cooperative (with store), flower farm, and organic vegetable farm. Several SAG wagons will be on hand, as well as a mid-route mechanized rest stop. Afterwards, celebrate with a Harvest Dinner of local food and beer and enjoy a small farmers market with delicious samples. Early bird registration runs through early September. Find out more at www.kickapoobraveride.com
Take in a full day of art, music, food, and fun at the Chales City Artafest August 20 from 8 am – 4 pm. Held in the Central Park, this show features works for sale by more than 40 artists, and also features the music of Michelle Lynn and Maritza. You can also check out a rotating gallery of artist shows at the Charles City Arts Center throughout the entire year from 1pm – 7 pm Wednesday & Thursday, and 9 am – 5 pm Friday & Saturdays. The center will feature the oil paintings of Elizabeth Benehoutsos during the 2011 Artafest. Find out more at www.charlescityarts.com.
Pepperfield Kitchen Garden Basics
4th Annual Kickapoo Brave Ride
Charles City Artafest!
Summer 2011 / theinspiredmedia.com64
When people with intellectual disabilities finally began receiving local services 25 years ago, the opportunity for a stronger economy, an awareness of accessibility issues, and greater diversity grew – all because Mosaic founders cared enough to make services available for intellectually disabled people in their own community. Mosaic is one of the many reasons Northeast Iowa is a great place to call home.
This year marks the local Mosaic’s 25th Anniversary, and is a great time to recognize the positive impact people with disabilities bring to a community, while also looking back on the history that brought Mosaic to life. In the late 1970s a small group of local leaders saw a need for an organization
like Mosaic, and persisted for more than seven years to make the dream a reality. They set the foundation and contacted people from Martin Luther Homes in Nebraska (an agency that offered innovative solutions to people with developmental disabilities) about starting a branch in Northeast Iowa.
The first group home opened in Waukon on June 1, 1986. It was the beginning of many good things, strengthening both families and communities. Mosaic provided more life options for people with intellectual disabilities, and a stronger sense of belonging. Some of the people Mosaic serves live entirely on their own, some receive 24-hour care, and others are a bit more independent, receiving only hourly services. The current trend is toward developing host homes for clients.
Over the years, services have evolved to meet changing needs. The early focus was on developing community home sites, and the number of these sites grew with demand. In 2006, Mosaic expanded to Decorah. There were many involved in the growth and development of the Decorah facility, including an impressive partnership with a pair of dedicated parents, the Habitat for Humanity, Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation, Winneshiek Medical Center, and Keystone Area Education Agency in Decorah.
As Mosaic continues to pursue sustainable growth through partnership with other organizations, donors, and volunteers, the belief that every individual is a person of worth also continues to grow. This dedication to inclusion and acceptance expands through staff training, enhancing both education and quality of life in Northeast Iowa. In 1992, Mosaic was invited to participate with other organizations to help develop respite care policy on a statewide level. In addition, Mosaic in Waukon was one of the first agencies in the state of Iowa to earn certification status, and is
Did you know...one in 62 Americans has an intellectual disability; many requiring life-long help?
Did you know...Mosaic is a nonprofit agency that offers services to people with disabilities?
Did you know...Mosaic used to be known as Martin Luther Homes in Waukon?
Did you know...before Mosaic offered services in Waukon, Iowa, the only life choice for people with disabilities was to live in a state institution, far from home, or remain living with parents who were aging?
By Janel Clarke
A local organization celebrates 25 years of service
theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2011 65
BE EMPOWERED. BE ENGAGED.
MAKE AN IMPACT.
Find out how you can help provide a life of possibilities for people with intellectual disabilities.
Mosaic in Waukon | 12 E. Main St., Ste. 103 | Waukon, IA 52172-0015 563.568.3992 | www.mosaicinwaukon.org
Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.3rd generation locally owned & managed
community bank in the Decorah area.
Dimes they are a-changin’!
Go to www.decorahbank.com to learn about easy-to-use tools that’ll help you achieve financial success!
119 Winnebago St, Decorah, IA 563-382-5337
promoting peace, pursuing justice
non-profit, non-partisan, interfaith resource center Offering services such as: Diversity Training • Conflict Resolution Training & Facilitation • Facilitation of interfaith events and initiatives • Immigration
assessment & document processing • Mediation Services • Human rights education & advocacy • Peer-support substance abuse counseling • And much more.
[email protected] More information at neipjc.org
Banquet facilities - weddings, conferences, meetings, & more!
1101 Highway 9563-387-0300
www.oakssteakhouse.com
110 East Water St563-382-4297
www.mabespizza.com
Fine Casual Decorah Dining
proud to continue this tradition.For the history buff, there is much more to this story. The
very beginning started in the early 1900s, when an immigrant from Norway was moved to become a Lutheran pastor and developed services for people with disabilities in the state of Nebraska. To improve the lives of people with disabilities, Lutheran pastors and lay people founded both Bethphage and Martin Luther Homes.
Those two organizations expanded nationwide and merged into Mosaic in 2003 to serve more than 3,500 clients in more than 250 communities in 13 states. Mosaic’s mission is to advocate for people with disabilities and focus on providing opportunities for a life of possibilities. To find out about home tours and help celebrate the good things that make life worthwhile, attend any of the special anniversary events or visit www.mosaicinwaukon.org.
Janel Clarke is a communications and public relations specialist. She lives in Waukon, works at Mosaic and loves writing about social change and personal transformation.
• Join Mosaic in downtown Waukon on June 1 for ice cream, music and more - 11 am to 2 pm
• See the Mosaic Quilt, proudly on display at the Robey Memorial Library in Waukon
• Read our news archives to discover those who made history and brought Mosaic to this area
• Come to F & M Bank September 22 for a seminar by David J. Nielsen, Planned Giving Counsel and author of “Will You Remember Uncle Sam in Your Will? Estate Planning Strategies for Today”
• Mark your calendars for the annual Mosaic Fundraiser at Hardee’s in Waukon – Breakfast Buffet October 30
Take Part in Mosaic’s 25th Anniversary Celebration!
Summer 2011 / theinspiredmedia.com
What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?I do not remember.... but I can share that the best thing I ever did was to travel away from home when I
was young. When I returned home, I had made many new friends and had many new experiences to bring back with me. I have friends from one coast to the other.
How about the worst?The worst advice was when one of the residents told us not to build
a home for people with intellectual disabilities in their neighborhood. They told us... “No, don’t build that here.”
The home was built eventually, and it turned out very well, so that was a rather shortsighted view at the time. What did you want to be when you grew up?
I was not sure of the opportunities that were out there when I was younger; but my destiny found me because of the good scores I earned on a typing test that I took in Ames, Iowa What did you do?
I worked for the FBI in Washington D.C. as a clerk/typist. If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you? A guide to get me back home! Plenty to eat and drink! My dog - Jente’
Try to describe yourself in one sentence. I have been rather independent most of my life, but it is always nice to have others around! If you could eat anything every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Raspberries. Name one thing you could never live without.
Jente’ my faithful dog companion. The name Jente’ means “girl” in Nordic. Tell us about....
I will never forget what I was doing when we heard the news about Pearl Harbor. I was sight-seeing in Washington D.C. with a group of co-workers near the White House, when someone came up to us to let us know of Pearl Harbor. We all went home right away because we knew we would be called in to work, and we were! And, when asked about J.Edgar Hoover, Thelma did say that she remembers that while he would always say hello; he was a very busy man.
66
Do you know someone you’d love to interview for this
page? Let us know! [email protected]
ALWAYS FRIENDLY, COURTEOUS & ON TIME.Our drivers are happy to take
you where you need to go. Call us today for a ride!
563-382-3155
6:30 am - 6 pm Mon/Tue/Wed/Fri6:30 am - 8 pm Thursday7:30 am - 8 pm SaturdayClosed Sunday
TAXI HOURS
Thelma Reetz was one of the many progressive leaders that were involved in getting services for people with intellectual disabilities started in Waukon, Iowa in 1986 (the beginnings of Mosaic - learn about the organization on page 65). She is now living at Good Samaritan in Waukon, Iowa and was gracious enough to speak with us about her life.
Thelma Reetz on a life of travel, opportunities, and destinyInterviewed by Janel Clarke
901 Montgomery St., Decorah www.winmedical.orgPhysician Services provided by Decorah Clinic Physicians - Mayo Health System
Clinic & Hospital563-382-2911Call today for an
appointment
Cultivate your healthHealth, like a garden, must be carefully cultivated to blossom. With so much going on, it’s easy to neglect your health especially if you’re feeling fine, have to tack on an additional 75-minute drive for an appointment, or wait for a mobile imaging machine to come to town.
Whatever your health requires, ask for your Ultrasound, MRI, CT, Mammography or X-Rays to be performed at Winneshiek Medical Center - you’ll experience the same cutting edge capabilities found in larger medical centers - without the drive.
Make your health a priority. If not for yourself, do it for the family that counts on you.
Optometry Residency: Kansas City VA Medical Center, Kansas City, MO
Doctor of Optometry: Pacific University College of Optometry, Forest Grove, OR
Bachelor of Science: North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND
Member: American Academy of Optometry
Ashley K. Olson, OD
(563) 382-4279 www.DecorahEye.com • 805 Montgomery Street • Decorah, IA 52101 (On the campus of Winneshiek Medical Center) • Fax: (563) 382-2672
“Iʼve been lucky to have great educators, mentors, and colleagues to help me realize there are many ways to improve patientʼs quality of life, and that is what I enjoy so much – truly making a difference in peopleʼs lives. Iʼm excited to join the Decorah community and do just that.”
Proudly Introducing...
Call today to schedule with Dr. Olson!
Dr. Olson enjoys her time providing top quality eye care to patients. While not doing that, she enjoys activities such as cooking, running, camping, or helping on her family’s ranch in North Dakota.
“We are very impressed with Dr. Olsonʼs credentials and are so excited sheʼs joining our practice.” James F. Meehan, OD
