When I was a kid, I always wanted to live on a farm. I often asked my parents, ‘Can we at least live in the country?’ I loved animals more than anything. Photos by Hedi Lamarr Rudd But we always lived in town, in the La Crosse area. My dad’s a physician and my mom …
A Century-old, Family-run Farm Perfects the Corn Maze. Read More »
I was born in Chicago Heights, a Chicago suburb. When I was six years old, my family and I moved to Middleton, Wisconsin because my dad had a new job. Photos by Hedi Lamarr Rudd This was a huge culture shock and a tough experience for me. In Chicago Heights, I was around a lot …
My ancestors came from Ireland and Ohio to a parcel of land in the Driftless region and homesteaded in 1854. Photo by Hedi Lamarr Rudd I am the sixth generation to be raised on the family property formerly used as a 40-head milking dairy farm, but the government pretty much forced out family farms. It’s …
I grew up in a multi-generation dairy farm family. My parents got married at 18 and 19, and dad started dairy farming right away, a mile from where he grew up. Photos courtesy of Corey Geiger My dad had been studying to be a Catholic priest; but in 1966, when he was 16, his dad …
The Wisconsin Historical Society Press published ‘Hope Is the Thing: Wisconsinites on Perseverance in a Pandemic’. In this series, we feature five writers who share their experiences as they explore hope in the era of Covid. Yia Lor contributed an essay to the book. I am from Chippewa Valley. I spent much of my childhood …
The Wisconsin Historical Society Press published ‘Hope Is the Thing: Wisconsinites on Perseverance in a Pandemic’. In this series, we feature five writers who share their experiences as they explore hope in the era of Covid. Jay Gilbertson contributed an essay to the book. I live with my husband in Prairie Farm, it’s a very …
If you see a large sculpture of a mouse holding a slice of cheese, you know you are in Wisconsin. Across the country, we are known as Cheeseheads, but how much do you actually know about the “dairy” in America’s Dairyland? Back in 1841 Anne Picket used milk from her neighbors’ cows and established one …
Master Cheesemaker at the Last Limburger Cheese Factory in the U.S. Read More »
If you see a large sculpture of a mouse holding a slice of cheese, you know you are in Wisconsin. Across the country, we are known as Cheeseheads, but how much do you actually know about the “dairy” in America’s Dairyland? Back in 1841 Anne Picket used milk from her neighbors’ cows and established one …
“Life changes and takes you to different places for a reason.” Read More »
If you see a large sculpture of a mouse holding a slice of cheese, you know you are in Wisconsin. Across the country, we are known as Cheeseheads, but how much do you actually know about the “dairy” in America’s Dairyland? Back in 1841 Anne Picket used milk from her neighbors’ cows and established one …
“I have a lot of passion for the dairy industry in Wisconsin.” Read More »
I grew up in a place called Veefkind. It used to be a little bitty rural community with a store, post office, a couple of sawmills, tavern, church, and, of course, the cemetery. It was named after my great-great grandfather, Henry Born Veefkind, who actually built our farm. The home farm went through six generations …
In recent decades, many of Wisconsin’s independent and local newspapers have folded or been absorbed by large media conglomerates that hollow them out and reduce local content. Gillian’s story is part of a series that illustrates why local journalism matters and why we need journalists to confront our urgent local issues. I live on a …
“I have a passion to ensure we have a well-informed population.” Read More »
I am in awe of the local food system here in Mount Horeb. Sometimes I can’t believe I’m a part of it. It is one of the most beautiful, amazing things I’ve ever witnessed. My quality of life as a farmer is so much better than I could have ever imagined. I’ve never felt more …
