women-owned

Lots of Summer Ramblings Here: Strawberry Moon to Strawberry Festivals

Several years ago the bulb in our yard light burned out. It was one of those dawn-to-dusk lights set high on a line pole and even though my husband’s job is to regularly climb such poles, he just never got around to climbing ours.

At first, when I’d go out at night it seemed unnervingly dark. We don’t have immediate neighbors so nothing but the celestial sky lit our yard. Oh, but let me tell you, there’s no going back. The event of that burned-out bulb has totally heightened my appreciation of the night sky and I’m now a moon-gazing habitué.

Given that, here’s to a happy Strawberry Moon (Tuesday night) and upcoming Summer Solstice (Friday night). I love them both. With the full days of summer ahead, it’s a wonderful time of festivity and adventure.

Speaking of Strawberries…

They’re finally here! We live on a windy hill and it seems my patch is always a bit behind. But they’re here now and as delicious as ever. Just look at how red and juicy they are, unlike those so-called “strawberries” you find in the grocery store.

Hey folks, shop your local farmers! Eat real food!

Strawberry Festivals and More

One of my tastiest childhood memories is of a strawberry festival we attended while camping in northern Michigan. If I recall, it was a community church serving shortcake piled mile-high with strawberries and cream. Oh, so good!

Quite often such festivals are benefits for a specific cause (like these upcoming festivals here and here). Joining the celebration not only creates fun memories but also supports grassroots working together at its finest.

Food festivals have become one of the fastest growing forms of tourism and there’s a good reason why. They offer a sensory overload of the landscape, ethnicities, history, and food cultures of their given community.

Food lovers love food festivals; ask me how I know!

Which Leads Me To…

When it comes to festivals, I’m proud to help promote two Wisconsin biggies: The Soil Sisters in August and Fermentation Fest in October. These are annual celebrations that each draw thousands of people and have great social and economic impacts on their rural communities. Needless to say, a lot of organizing and marketing goes into these events.

Do you know of a festival looking to grow in its success? I’d love to help. Let’s talk about what makes a good festival and how to get the word out to all those fun-loving, destination travelers!

Wisconsin Women are Go-Getters

I’m always proud to be a Wisconsin woman. However, this month my heart swells even more as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Wisconsin’s ratification of the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing women the right to vote. On June 10, 1919, Wisconsin—movin’ people that we are— was the first state to take such action. We even beat the U.S. Congress, which didn’t ratify the amendment until the next year.

The Wisconsin Historical Society has a great exhibit on display in our beautiful State Capitol Rotunda all the way through November. My pictures don’t do it justice so definitely take time to see it for yourselves.

Certainly, a tip of the hat is due to those progressive thinkers of Wisconsin’s legislature. But the real heroes are the women who fought more than 70 years to bring the 19th amendment to fruition, women like these Wisconsin demigoddesses.

Women’s rights groups began forming in Wisconsin in the 1860s and they rallied for an array of social reforms such as anti-slavery, temperance, education, health, and married women’s property rights. The Wisconsin Women’s Suffrage Association (WWSA) was started in 1869. Besides campaigning for suffrage, these ladies fought to improve public schools. By 1869 they were running for school boards and by 1886 women could vote for issues “pertaining to school matters,” according to the Wisconsin Women Suffrage in School Matters Referendum.

Notice a whole lot of nurturing going on here?

“Bitches get stuff done.” — Tina Fey

When women rise up, they by nature don’t do so with self-serving ambitions. If we examine the motives behind what some label as “women being bitches,” we see they’re most often raising their voices for the welfare of others; family, children, the sick, the poor. Even 19th-century women’s quest for rights to their property was done with their children in mind; to prevent a drunken husband from taking a mother’s earnings or to will a woman’s inherited land to her own children rather than those of her husband’s second wife. Sometimes women being bitchy is the only way people listen.

Today I’m admiring…

These days inspiring Wisconsin women continue to stand up for the good of others. I’m thinking of several in my world alone, caring women who have dedicated time out of their busy lives to basically make things better in Wisconsin. Women like:

Be a Wisconsin Woman

Wisconsin women are gutsy go-getters. They get things done. But really, you don’t have to live in my beloved Badger state to be so emboldened. Just get up and go wherever you are.

And don’t forget to vote!

Eshet Chayil

This past weekend I was saddened by the loss of Christian author Rachel Held Evans. Also known as RHE in the media world, her sudden death was brought on by what seemed only the flu and infection. Needless to say, it shocked a flock of people who followed her writing.

Even though I wasn’t always in complete ideological fellowship with Rachel, I still counted myself as one of her many fans. I’m of the conviction that no person, denomination or culture, no matter how learned, has all the answers on the Bible. None of us has the omniscience to fully understand the mind and workings of God, especially me.

Given that conviction, here are three of the many reasons I admired Rachel.

Doubts

“If your faith is so fragile it cannot handle questions, doubts, and honest inquiry, if it is so threatened by the full engagement of your heart & mind it runs from potential challenges, that’s not faith; it’s fear.” 
― Rachel Held Evans, Twitter

Everyone has questioned the Bible or their faith at one time or another (if you haven’t, you’re deceiving yourself and the truth is not within you:-). When writing of her faith journey, Rachel openly admitted her doubts, whether they were in God or in how people acted about God.

Knowing they’re not alone with their questions, and knowing there’s someone out there that doesn’t condemn them for their questions, has been inspiration for a lot of people. As one Amazon reviewer said in response to Faith Unraveled: How a Girl Who Knew All the Answers Learned to Ask Questions, “This book brought me the hope to keep searching, to keep seeking God in the jungle of my doubts.”

Inclusiveness

“But the gospel doesn’t need a coalition devoted to keeping the wrong people out. It needs a family of sinners, saved by grace, committed to tearing down the walls, throwing open the doors, and shouting, ‘Welcome! There’s bread and wine. Come eat with us and talk.’ This isn’t a kingdom for the worthy; it’s a kingdom for the hungry.”
― Rachel Held Evans, Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church

Perhaps Rachel’s most beloved attribute was her adamant insistence of God’s love for all people. She reminded us how those we often deem as unworthy have been made worthy by God’s grace.

Rachel refused to shy away from this conversation of inclusiveness. Even when those who opposed her became openly hostile, she carried on with graciousness and respect. Wow, what if the whole online community demonstrated such faith-based love!

Eshet Chayil (Woman of Valor)

“One of my goals after completing my year of biblical womanhood was to “take back” Proverbs 31 as a blessing, not a to-do list, by identifying and celebrating women of valor: women who are changing the world through daily acts of faithfulness, both in my life and around the world.”
― Rachel Held Evans, Blog

The Bible shares many accounts of women who were fierce and fearless, not only in the way they lived but also in their faith. Many people overlook these women in favor of more masculine heroes, but not Rachel. She promoted them as Women of Valor.

Rachel explained the cultural context behind Proverbs 31 and she encouraged today’s women with an enthusiastic “Eshet Chayil,” which is a traditional blessing of praise in the Jewish community based on these Proverbial verses.

Eshet Chayil. Isn’t this beautiful? I love it.

Eshet Chayil, Rachel Held Evans. Rest in the peace of God’s salvation!



Successful Entrepreneurship Takes a Village

What do FedEx, AirBnB, and Evernote have in common? We can all agree they are hugely successful companies. They’re also companies from which most of us benefit on a regular basis. Interestingly, all three also were once startups on the verge of collapse when they were saved by investors who cared enough to lend a hand. So when I heard one of my favorite specialty cheesemakers, Landmark Creamery, needed a hand, I immediately donated to Go Fund Me and I then went shopping for three of its cheeses.

Landmark Creamery is a labor of love for Anna Landmark and Anna Thomas Bates. Since 2014, “the Anna’s,” as they’re known, have been churning, and rubbing, and aging small batches of cheese made from local, small, family-owned dairy farms. You can find their products online, and at Madison area specialty stores, co-ops and restaurants. Two years ago they opened their own retail shop in the quaint village of Paoli, where they sell not only their own cheeses but also those of other Wisconsin cheesemakers. Coincidentally, in the next few weeks you can find them featured on PBS’s Wisconsin Foodie.

So, it seems Landmark Creamery has recently found itself in a bit of a bind. According to the Go Fund Me page, the ladies lost over 1,000 pounds of cheese after their cold storage company threw it out. The Anna’s had fallen behind on payments and owed the company $1,000. According to the page, they told the company owner they would pay as soon as possible, but the owner declared the space abandoned and threw away the cheese. The cheese, valued at $20,000, is a hand-crafted product needing six months to age, so it’s not easily replaced.

Seeing Both Sides of the Cheese Wheel

As a small business owner, I understand the importance of being paid. The storage facility provided a necessary service to Landmark Creamery and it was right to expect the agreed-upon compensation. You bet I’m all about responsibilities and holding up one’s end of the bargain.

But I also remember those startup days, struggling to succeed and stretching money to pay the bills. I appreciate all the help I received back then (my husband’s support was and still is a necessary component to me staying in business). I firmly believe when we uphold one another, we all stand stronger; that supportive action today generates positive reactions tomorrow. Kudos to the Culinary Ladies Collective for setting up the Go Fund Me for Landmark Creamery. This network of female chefs, food and beverage producers, growers and artisans is an example of how we go far when we go together.

I’m also a believer in communication. In Adunate’s 14-year running, I’ve only had a few clients fail to pay me on a timely basis. Those who respected me enough to talk to me about it are still my clients today. Those who ghosted me, well, you can bet I now refuse to work with them. According to the Go Fund Me page, Landmark Creamery had just made a payment on the balance and had communicated with the storage facility they would pay the rest as soon as possible. If this was the case, I just can’t see how destroying $20,000 of product for a $1,000 bill was beneficial to anyone, including the owner of the storage facility.

Be Part of the Village

Folks, if you’re a fan of small businesses and local foods, if you love Wisconsin specialty cheese, if you have a minute and a few extra dollars, please consider supporting Landmark Creamery. You may very well be benefiting more people than you know, not to mention keeping some fantastic cheese in production!


Where We Talk About Women and the Difficulties of Self-Promotion

My cousin JerriLynn is an amazing woman. When we were both barely into our 20s, she was an audacious entrepreneur with her own whole foods store. Since then she’s succeeded in a variety of ventures, always with moxie and always with finesse. These days she’s in real estate and even though I’m a Great Lake away from her Lansing, Michigan market, I love following her work.

I’m bragging about my cousin because just about the time Lisa Kivirist and I were taping our In Her Boots episode on the difficulties women have promoting themselves, JerriLynn’s quarterly newsletter came in the mail. I was blown away by how skillfully she announced her latest achievements, all the while keeping to her genuine and unpretentious self (and anyone who’s met JerriLynn knows this is who she truly is).

No matter what industry you’re in, tooting one’s horn is a necessary component of running your own business. It’s marketing, after all. Interestingly, many women think of self-promotion as a necessary evil. Maybe you do too? I admit I have to push myself, but I’ve also learned ways to make advocating my work easier and more authentic.

So here’s our In Her Boots, episode 60. Lisa and I share great first steps for telling your story and effectively promoting what you do. Listen up and then share your own ideas!

Marketing Beyond Your Comfort Zone

Okay, we hear this all the time: life begins at the end of your comfort zone. Like when you explore places you’ve never been. Or hang a shingle for your own business. Or, in my case, do a podcast for some of the coolest ladies ever.

That was me recently when I was interviewed by Lisa Kivirist, host of the In Her Boots Podcast. This is a great series celebrating the collaborative spirit of women farmers and, yes, I was a bit outside my comfort zone (who doesn’t cringe at the sound of their own voice?). But Lisa is awesome and her talented son, audio engineer Liam Kivirist made me feel right at home. It was super fun.

Lisa and I talked marketing—specifically marketing for small farms and women farmers. Both entities are unique and often find marketing to be outside their comfort zone. For some it’s a time constraint, for others it’s not in their personal nature. We discussed how marketing overall has changed and how we can adapt these new strategies to better fit who we are.

Stay tuned in the weeks ahead for each of these episodes!

Speaking of small farms and women farmers—last week my husband and I explored the cranberry regions of western Wisconsin. Neither of us knew much about this industry and we found it fascinating. While touring the Wisconsin Cranberry Discovery Center, a great place to learn all things cranberry, we asked where we could buy fresh cranberries (certainly the one and only item not in this well-stocked gift shop). We were directed just up the road to Wetherby Cranberry Company (ahem, strategic marketing happening right there, folks).

Wetherby Cranberry Company has been in business since 1903. It’s been owned by Nodji Van Wychen’s family since 1972. They’re one of the few farms—or marshes, as cranberry growers call their land—that sell their product independently rather than through cooperative giants such as Ocean Spray. I’m in awe of how Nordji promotes her cranberries.

Guess what I’m serving for Thanksgiving this year!

Wetherby Cranberries, Warrens, WI

 

It Takes Grandparents and a Full Flock

The Instagram rule of poultry is if you’re going to raise layers, you must produce a rainbow of egg colors. Given that—and because I have grandchildren who, in my mind, rate much higher than Instagram—I choose breeds specifically for their color of eggs. My chick order this spring consisted of Ameraucanas for their pastels, Marans for their chocolate (I usually forget and say chocolate covered instead of colored, haha, wouldn’t that be nice), and the gentle, very pretty Lavender Orpingtons for their brown.

Add these to my white-egger Leghorns from last year and you get a full spectrum in every dozen. All for the grandchildren.

flock of chickensRecently my husband was perusing the Abendroth catalog and noticed Lavender Orpingtons were $9.95 each. Oops, I guess I never checked prices. And…Lavender Orpingtons only come as a straight run, meaning they could be male or female. Oops, I didn’t check that either. They’re for the grandchildren, after all.

Isn’t it funny what we do as grandparents?

Fermentation Fest event guide 2018

Last week I wrapped up work on the Fermentation Fest event guide and sent the final draft to press (put the paper to bed, to be jargonly correct). Because this year’s guide is to be a reversible (half of it printed upside down), I went to the print agency to verify it was laid out correctly. Look at this, not only was I provided with individual proof pages and a full size mockup, I also got a cute, mini mockup. I feel like a beloved grandchild.

I’m thinking my favorite businesses are like grandparents; they give more than their all without a second thought. And just as it takes a full flock to produce that colorful dozen of eggs, so it takes a multitude of grandparently businesses to produce a successful event guide. Donna Neuwirth, founder of Fermentation Fest, is a brilliant visionary. Cricket Design Works illustrated the gorgeous front covers—both of them! Badger Group is the dedicated agency doing our professional printing. I can’t put into words how honored I am to work with each of them.

2018 Fermentation Fest event guide

Lastly, Fermentation Fest is made possible by a long list (can we say full flock?) of sponsors, funders and partners. Be sure to check them out in this year’s event guide, which will soon be out in various locations. Watch for it!

Lavender Orpington rooster

And now…drumroll…here’s a Lavender Orpington update. One, and only one, is a rooster. He’s developing his comb, learning to crow and is violaceously beautiful (men have all the luck). If he’s gentle enough, maybe we’ll keep him and hold back a few eggs for hatching.

You know, for the grandchildren.

 

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Women’s Farm Groups, Then and Now

One of the great things of old house living are the gifts that come with it. Ours bequeathed to us an extraordinary collection of scrapbooks compiled by the lovely woman from whom we bought our farm. For nearly five decades, starting in 1941, she devotedly clipped, pasted and immortalized whatever and whoever captured her interest. Just imagine the local history we have treasured away in our walk-up attic.

Fireside Homemakers Club 1955
Fireside Homemakers Club, Lake Mills, WI, 1955

I was recently browsing the scrapbooks and came across this photo—a women’s homemaker club, circa 1955. Homemaker clubs began in the 1920s as a way of bringing the latest home economic research to rural areas. In the early days of my marriage I joined my mother-in-law’s club (no, not the group in this photo and not in 1955…just saying:-). I was a naive 19-year-old back then but I still recognized the importance of these ladies getting together. They were hard-working farm women and their once-a-month sisterhood was as much an emotional necessity as it was social.

Brandi Harris and Emily Harris, Wylymar Farms, Monroe, WI
Wylymar Farm owners Brandi and Emily Harris talked tools and machinery. Emily previously studied mechanics while serving in the Navy and now maintains all their machinery.

Last week I was honored to be part of a rural women’s group of a slightly different nature—an In Her Boots workshop on Wylymar Farms. In Her Boots and it’s counterpart Soil Sisters provide support for the growing number of women in farming and food-based businesses. Yes, they cover home economics—the renewed interest in domesticity is huge, after all—but the greater focus is on farming.

Last week’s gathering was a far cry from those I attended decades ago. For starters, In Her Boots met under a tent in the hayfield, which, because of a steady rain, we quickly obliterated. Wind, rain and all, we covered topics ranging from organic dairying, to tractor mechanics, to selling cookies, to marketing. And lunch, don’t let me forget that delicious lunch!

Mud-slogging brought new meaning to the name In Her Boots.

Women’s farm groups are not the only things that have changed. According to the USDA Census of Agriculture, the number of farms owned and operated by women is on the rise (interestingly, the census didn’t fully count women as farmers until 2002, when it finally allowed entry for more than one family farm operator). This means women are taking on more leadership roles, whether on the farm or on ag-related boards. They’re insisting seed salesman and implement dealers talk to them. They’re in the media everywhere. Yes, farm women have gone from invisible to invincible, as Lisa Kivirist says in “Soil Sisters: A Toolkit for Women Farmers.”

The unveiling of a cottage-food-safe frosting, in celebration of Betty Anderson’s birthday.

In all of this, there’s something special that hasn’t changed. That neighborliness of 1955 is still with us today in more ways than we realize. Women, by nature, recognize the need for camaraderie. They still come to together for sharing and encouragement. They still learn best from one another.

As a woman, and one with her hands in the soil, and a marketing professional, I am so proud to be part of women’s farm groups, both then and now. So very, very proud!