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DRIFTLESS MAGAZINE

NO. 34 • Summer 2013

free!

POSITIVE NEWS FROM THE DRIFTLESS REGION.

Learn to make a paper gnome hat!

UNSUNG VEGGIE HEROES NORSLAND LEFSE SCIENCE, YOU’RE SUPER: GARLIC! SPUD BOY DINER PROBIT: ARMELLA ZWEIBOHMER

PLUS

LOVING ARDVAR & MORE BOXED (IN): CEDAR RAPIDS BIJOUX JEWELRY SOLAR POWERED HOMES ITALIAN COOKIN’

LOCAL NE IOWA E CTORY FOOD DIR E ID INS !

A contemporary boutique for women offering sizes XS-2X, plus children's apparel, gifts, and toys.

309 E. Water Street Decorah, IA 52101 563-382-4424 www.lillesoster.com www.facebook.com/LillesosterButikken

Pilot Odyssey CR-V

Ridgeline

Fit Civic

Accord

Crosstour Insight CR-Z

Fuel Efficient. Environmentally Sensible. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll Love More Miles Per Dollar! Check us out!

www.hondamotorwerks.com Phone: 877-751-0179

Downtown La Crosse, WI at 4th and Cameron Streets

SUMMER 2013 contents

Inspire(d)’s Summer Love List

Is it Gnome or Nisse? A Flowchart!

Norsland Lefse

SUMMER OUTDOOR LIVE MUSIC

Solar Powered Homes

NE IOWA Local Food Directory!

Science, You’re Super: Garlic!

Unsung Veggie Heroes

Bijoux Jewelry

Spudboy Diner’s Gordon Tindall

Boxed (IN): Cedar Rapids

MISSISSIPPI MIRTH: Italian Cookin’

Probit: Armella Zweibohmer

...and more!

theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2013

Ignite! Be fueled by the passion, energy, and virtuosity of this season’s series.

Center Stage Series 2013-14 Summer is the time to subscribe! Enjoy 10–20% off every ticket plus experience priority seating. Visit centerstage.luther.edu, pick up a brochure, or contact us at (563) 387-1357 or boxoffice@luther.edu. Hurry! Subscriber discounts available only until August 23.

•

Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash Weiss-Kaplan-Newman Trio Tango Fire Masters of the Fiddle: Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain Simon Shaheen Ensemble Fahrenheit 451—Aquila Theatre Notes from the Balcony: Boston Brass and Enso String Quartet River North Dance Chicago

•

Philip Glass

• • • • • • • •

School Performances Sponsor

2013–14 Center Stage Sponsors Luther College Diversity Council

From the Editor

hat can I say? It’s my birthday. I’m wearing a party hat. It’s 1 am. And if that’s not exciting enough, we’ve just finished the best summer magazine yet! Why is it the best? Well, it’s packed with things we love. Gnomes. Solar power. Jewelry. Local food. Italian food. American food. Norwegian Food. Did I mention food? Then I better make sure I mention Proof! the annual Northeast Iowa Local Food Directory (pg. 34) – this year’s version is new and improved with a map and tons of listings for local producers. Pair that with a fun feature on the “unsung veggie heroes” of the Driftless Region, and you’re ready for the farmers market! While you’re there, you can apply your new knowledge about garlic after reading this issue’s Science, You’re Super. It’s not just for stinking out those vampires, you know! Summer is the season for road trips – windows down, jams up – and we’ve got a couple all ready for you: First is Boxed (IN) Cedar Rapids. I went to school in Iowa City, always thinking there really wasn’t all that much going on in CR. Boy was I wrong. Benji and I explored this Iowa town together this spring, and we had a blast. Cedar Rapids: We’ll definitely be back. Czech out (groan) Benji Nichols’ story for details. Second is just a little north, to Rushford, Minnesota and Norsland Lefse. This is the place with the freshest lefse you will ever taste (second maybe to your grandma’s kitchen, if you’re lucky.). And it’s so worth the (incredibly scenic) drive. While you’re north, head over to Lanesboro and the Spud Boy Diner. Jim McCaffrey guest interviewed owner Gordon Tindall for this Chef on the Block, and he shares details about this tiny diner on a tiny lot. Jim, of course, still covered Mississippi Mirth, and a delicious Italian dinner – that he served to us! Including Roxie! We are so lucky to have these jobs. You, dear reader, can recreate the meal at home, so don’t worry! Finally, Inspire(d) intern Ingrid Baudler had a fun interview with mothe and -daugther-inlaw duo Vicki Berland and Karen Berland of Bijoux Specialty Jewelry for this issue’s artist feature. Other fun stuff for summer: Make a paper gnome hat! Try out the “Is it Gnome or Nisse” flowchart! Find out what Inspire(d) is loving in the Driftless Region right now! And mark all the great live music and events on your calendars – or just use ours – to inspire you to get out and make this summer count (after that winter, we deserve it)! Looking forward, my gnomies.

Aryn Henning Nichols

Inspire magazine

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

We couldn’t do it without: Sara Friedl-Putnam/ contributor Lauren Bonney/ Cover Illustrator Ingrid Baudler/ spring intern Jim McCaffrey/ Mississippi Mirth

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

Write inspire(d) Want to make a comment about something you read in the magazine? Email aryn@theinspiredmedia.com.

On the cover: Lauren Bonney, of Decorah’s Ardvar printing collective (read more about Ardvar on page 10), drew the gorgeous Gnomes for this summer’s cover (G-Gnome was excited to finally share the stage). They’re available, along with others in a series called “Gnomes in Love”, at ardvar.com and at a handful of retailers in Decorah. The Gnomes are in Love and they’re Lovely – partially because they support a great cause! “When Nathan and I first started talking about the idea of Ardvar, I knew right away that I wanted to make a series of prints that expressed my personal belief that all loving partnerships should be given the same rights,” Lauren says. “We were both really excited to incorporate that message into some ideas that I had already worked with involving illustrated gnomes, and as soon as I suggested donating a portion of the proceeds from the prints to charity, Nathan was on board!” Ten percent of the proceeds go to Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries and Reconciling Works!

Interested in advertising? Contact Benji at benji@theinspiredmedia.com or call 563-379-6315.

Visit our website: theinspiredmedia.com “Like” Inspire(d) Media on Facebook! 05

CLASSES • EVENTS • WORKSHOPS

inspire & create

Stop by or give us a call! 508 W. Water St. Decorah, 563.382.5440

See Inspire(d) calendar or ArtHaus website for details!

www.arthausdecorah.org arthaus508@gmail.com

Looking for more details about events on the calendars? Check out these fantastic summer activities! In chronological order, each event’s number coincides with its number on the calendar!

1. June 7: ArtHaus First Friday, Jeni Grouws and Nori Hadley, 8pm, ArtHaus Studio Courtyard, $7/$5 students, BYOB OK. www.arthausdecorah.org 2. June 13: Oneota Coop Meat & Greet! Join us outside the Co-op for samples of grilled, locally-produced meat and vegetarian options. Plus speak directly with local producers from the Co-op. 5-7 pm www.oneotacoop.com 3. June 16: Art In the Park, 100+ fine art/craft booths, live music with Dakota Dave Hull, food stands, PIE!, and more. Sylvan Park, Lanesboro, 10 am-5 pm www.lanesboroarts.org

JUNE 6 THROUGH AUGUST 29 GREAT PIZZA & HOT WINGS!

• Street Market 11:00am - 8:30pm • Noontime Entertainment 11:30am-12:30pm • Live Music 4:00pm-8:30pm

safehousesaloon.com

5. June 23: Attend “Discover Freeport Park Day,” 11 am– 2 pm, 1745 252nd Street, Decorah; lunch available from local outlets by goodwilldonation to benefit the Trails from Freeport project. 6. Ongoing June 23-July 21: Looking for your summer soundtrack? Join Lutheran Summer Music for 50+ free concerts and recitals on the campus of Luther College. Complete calendar at www.lutheransummermusic.org

FOOD DELIVERY IN LANSING!

CRAFT BEER:

Toppling Goliath Backpocket Tallgrass & More

GROWLERS TO GO!

4. June 22: Five-course Dinner in the Garden and Lecture featuring author David Buchanan! Join us at Seed Savers Exchange; dinner by The Pepperfield Project. $30, 6-9 pm. www.seedsavers.org

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

Monday - Saturday 9am - 5pm | Thursday 9am - 8pm

25W/ $25B

7. June 28-30: New Minowa Players presents Guys and Dolls, June 28th-30th at South Winneshiek Auditorium in Calmar. “13” will be presented August 16-18 at the NMP Building. 8. June 29: Turkey River Recreational Corridor TRI-P Triathlon – Paddle, Pedal, Putt. Two-person teams will canoe, bike, & golf! $100 registration fee benefits local programs. www.turkeyrivercorridor.com 9. July 5: ArtHaus First Friday: 4th Annual Homebrew Contest and Live Music with Faust & Field, 7-9pm, ArtHaus Studio Courtyard, $7 admission www.arthausdecorah.com

FASHION. FOR REAL LIFE. AFFORDABLE BOUTIQUE SHOPPING

115 Winnebago Street | Decorah, Iowa | 563.382.3600

Summer 2013 / theinspiredmedia.com

10. July 19: ArtHaus Live Music with the Tom Bourcier Band, 8pm, ArtHaus Studio Courtyard, $8/$6 students, BYOB Ok. www.arthausdecorah.com

fun stuff to do

Monday

Thursday

Mike McAbee, Horseshoe, Calmar, 9pm

Decorah 6 Public Library Summer Kick Off! Phelp’s Park

1 7 First Friday with Jeni Grouws & Nori Hadley, ArtHaus Courtyard, BYOB, 8pm

Friday

8 Bread & Butter Day, Historic Forestville, Preston, 10am-4pm

Saturday

LaBarge, McCaffrey’s Dolce Vita, 7pm

JUNE 15:

June 27: Ethan Rutherford reads from “The Peripatetic Coffin”, Dragonfly Books, 7pm

June 23 – July 21: Lutheran Summer Music in session, Luther College – concerts daily!

22 4 David Buchanan lecture & garden dinner, Seed Savers, Decorah, 6pm

June 21 – July 4: Freedom Fest, Cedar Rapids

• The Dale Thomas Band, Tirrill Park, 6pm • Teacher’s Pet, McCaffrey’s 7pm • Tallgrass, The Haymarket, Decorah • Down on the Farm Iron Pour, • National Luthern Choir, LSM Luther CFL,

JUNE 29

29 28 Nordic 27 Dancers, June 28-30: New Minowa Players Lawn 7 presents ‘Guys and Dolls’, Chair South Winn. Auditorium, Calmar Night, Decorah 8 June 29: Turkey River Recreational Corridor TRI-P Triathlon, Pleasant Valley Sports Club, Clermont,

• Michelle Lynn, McCaffrey’s, Decorah, • Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Iowa City • Guinea Gallop 5k Cross Country run, Kraus Farm, Decorah • Chicago with Daughtry and The Remainders, Freedom Fest, La Crosse

Bombino, 14 15 11 12 2 13 Cedar Kaivama w/ the June 14 –16: Cultural Polka Chicks, Village Fire, Oneota Food Center, CSPS, Cedar Coop Meat Community Minneapolis Rapids, 8pm & Great! JUNE 13: Singing Event, Curt & Linda Gjere, Lawn Outside, Over The Back Good Earth Chair Night, Decorah Oneota Coop, Fence, St. Village, Spring Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Mane Theatre, Decorah, Valley MN Brucemore, Cedar Rapids L-boro, 7:30pm 5-7pm

June 23: Trails From Freeport Lunch Fundraiser! Freeport Park, 11am-2pm

JUNE 30: • T-Bock’s Open Stage Night featuring James Lieder, JUNE 22: • Hey Marseilles, Legion Arts, • Absolute Hoot, Cedar Rapids, 7pm McCaffrey’s Dolce Vita, 7pm • Charlie Par, Ed’s No Name • Hambone Music Festival, Bar, Winona Rochester

Wednesday

JUNE 16: • Dad’s get in FREE at the La Crosse Children’s Museum! • Preservation Hall Jazz Band, McGraw Hill Parking Lot, Dubuque

Happy Father’s Day!

INSIDE!

Art in the Park, Sylvan Park, Lanesboro, 10am-5pm

Tuesday

NE Iowa Farmers Market listings featured in the Local Food Directory! Flip to the CAL NE IOWA LO CTORY middle of this magazine! FOOD DIRE

Volt, 2 Son Englert, Lucy Michelle, Iowa City The Courtyard, Decorah 7pm

Sunday

June

JUNE 8:

• Beet Root Stew, McCaffrey’s Dolce Vita • Baker London, The Haymarket, Decorah • Redhead Express and the Walker Family Band, Elkader Opera House, 7:30pm • Michelle Lynn, 4 Daughters Winery, Spring Valley, MN, 4:30pm

fun stuff to do

Monday

1 2

Wednesday

Vieux Farka Toure, Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis

Arlo Guthrie, Englert Theatre, Iowa City

28 Open Stage Night featuring LaBarge, T-Bock’s, Decorah, 7 pm

Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, Mayo Park, Rochester

Saturday

Chuck Suchy, St. Mane Theatre, Lanesboro, 7:30pm

13 Mississippi Band, McCaffrey’s

Monarch Butterfly Day, Paper Mavis Staples, Moon, Englert, I City McGregor, 1 pm

19 10 Tom Bourcier Band, ArtHaus Courtyard

Movies12 on the Barn, Historic Forestville, Preston, 8pm July 12-13: The Princess and The Pea by The Missoula Children’s Theatre, Elkader Opera House

JULY 26:

15 July 27: Nordic The Delta Routine w/ Hero Jr., Haymarket Fest Kubb Tom Bourcier Band, The Courtyard Tournament, The Gypsy Lumberjacks, Haymarket Decorah Middle JULY 20: School, 9am • Dog House Jon & The Misbehavers, McCaffrey’s July 27: Absolute Hoot, • David Zollo & The Body Electric feat. Matt Woods!, Tirrill Park The Courtyard, Decorah • Merle Haggard, Oktoberfest Grounds, La Crosse

Charles Steve Martin & the July 25-27: Nordic Walker Band, 13 ArtHaus & Vesterheim Steep Canyon Rangpresent “East o’ the Sun & Fest, Decorah! Haymarket ers w/ Edie Brickell, West o’ the Moon”, BethaState Theatre, MSP nia Church, Vesterheim July 25: Movement Fundamentals The Bitteroot ArtHaus Summer Band, The 12 Dance Informance! Free, Luther Col14 ArtFair, ArtHaus & Courtyard lege Jewel Theatre, CFA, 7:30pm Studio, 10am-6pm

Dawes, Englert Theatre, Iowa City

Friday

9 5 6 Happy Dave Zollo, First Friday: Fourth of McCaffrey’s 4th Annual July Homebrew Tom July 5: Joe & Contest, music Bourcier Vicki Price, by Faust & Band, The Riverside Field, ArtHaus Courtyard, on the Root, Courtyard, Decorah Lanesboro 7-9pm

Thursday

James 18 Lieder, Willie Lawn Chair Nelson, Night, Water Minnesota Street Park, Zoo Decorah July 18-21: Seussical the Musical! July 19-21: Seed Savers Exchange YOOH Gray Barn, Spring Grove Annual Conference & Campout

July 9-13: Winneshiek County Fair, Decorah

“The Amazing Castle” Exhibit at La Crosse Children’s Museum through September 8!

Driftless Safari runs throughout the summer (into fall too!) www.driftless-safari.org

Social July 5-7: Distortion, Iowa City The Cabooze, Jazz Festival Minneapolis

Tuesday

Through July 21: Lutheran Summer Music in session, Luther College – concerts daily!

Los Lobos & Los Lonely Boys, Minnesota Zoo, Minneapolis

July 5-6: 80/35 Music Festival, Western Gateway Park, Des Moines

Sunday

July “Blithe Spirit” and “Sherlock Holmes” run through summer at the Commonweal Theatre, Lanesboro.

JULY 26-27:

Tuesday

Open Stage Night feat. Moth Mountain, T-Bock’s, Decorah, 7pm

Gibbon Sisters, McCaffrey’s, 7pm

Saturday

Aug 1-3: Country on the River, Prairie du Chien

Joe & Vicki Price, The Courtyard, Decorah

Friday

Elvin Bishop, Minnesota Zoo, Minneapolis

Paul Kaye, Lawn Chair Night, Decorah

30 Robert Randolph & the Family Band, MN State Fair

Sept 6: Roe Family Singers, ArtHaus Studio Courtyard, BYOB, 8pm Sept 26-29: Boats & Bluegrass Festival, Winona

UPCOMING:

Driftless Safari – family fun! Runs through October: www.driftless-safari.org

31 Maritza, McCaffrey’s Dolce Vita, 7pm Historic Forestville by Lantern, Preston, 6:30-8:30pm

24 The 23 Ericksons, Paul Kaye ArtHaus & The Blues Studio CourtCartel, yard, BYOB, McCaffrey’s 8pm AUG 24: • Bob Stromberg, Elkader Opera House • Orquesta Alto Maiz, Tirrill Park, Manchester

17 7 16 15 Dave Moore, Erik Sessions Aug. 16-18: “Sacred Waters” & John Goodin, New Minowa McCaffrey’s, Photographs from the 7pm Lawn Chair Players National Geographic Night, Water Presents “13”, “Pickle It” Society runs through Street Park, NMP Building Day! Historic Fall, MN Marine Art Decorah Forestville, Decorah Museum, Winona Preston, Aug 16: Joe & Vicki Price, Riverside on the Root, Lanesboro 11am-4pm

• Adventure Camp Music Festival, Chimney Rock, rural Bluffton • Great River Folk Festival, UW La Crosse

Aug 9-11: Jack & the Beanstalk, Ye Olde Opera House Children’s Show, Spring Grove

Aug 8-18: Iowa State Fair!

AUG 23-25:

Gogol Bordello, Blue Moose Tap House, Iowa City

Laundry, Lawn Chair Night, Decorah

1 Done Doin’

Thursday

August 3: • Garden Harvest Class, Pepperfield Farm, Decorah • Bluesmore at Brucemore Mansion, Cedar Rapids

9 10 8 15 LaBarge, Lillesoster Butikken Lawn Chair 1st Anniversary Aug 8-11: Lansing Celebration, 309 E. Patrick Night, Fish Days Hazel, Water, Decorah! Decorah McCaffrey’s, Michelle Lynn, 7pm Aug 8-10: People Brothers Band ‘People Riverside on the Fest’, Bullpen, Hillsboro, WI Root, Lanesboro, 8:30pm

Wednesday

NE Iowa Farmers Market listings featured in the Local Food Directory! Flip to the middle of this magazine!

Michelle 4 Lynn, Uptown Bill’s, Iowa City, 6pm

CAL NE IOWA LO CTORY FOOD DIREE! INSID

Monday

August

Sunday

fun stuff to do

25W/ $25B

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Inspire(d) World’s Greatest Party

Friday

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

Monday

Saturday

Questions? Email benji@theinspiredmedia.com

(Direct link: theinspiredmedia.com/?p=1132)

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

Sunday

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

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

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

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

Calendar time is always an exciting time at Inspire(d) Headquarters. “Just how much can we fit on there this month?!?” Up until 2012, what we’ve chosen for these lovely pages has been entirely editorial and subjective. We figure, hey, you like our magazine, so you’ll probably like the fun stuff to do that we pick out from around our region. But we’re running out of space and want you, our lovely readers, friends, and fellow event planners, to be able to tell us a little more about your fun.

25 Words/$25 Bucks

Looking for more details about events on the calendars?

Fine Casual Decorah Dining

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

11. July 20: Monarch Butterfly day at Paper Moon in McGregor! Kids of all ages can learn all about monarch butterflies as they make their summer migration. 1pm, Triangle Park, McGregor. (563) 873-3357 12. July 25: Movement Fundamentals Dance Informance! Dance artists gather to research and create performance. Come see what is happening! Free. Luther College, Jewel Theatre, Center for the Arts, 7:30pm 13. July 26-27: ArtHaus, and Vesterheim present “East o’ the Sun & West o’ the Moon” original theatre performance by Decorah-area young people, inspired by fantastical Norwegian tales. Bethania Church, Vesterheim, Friday 3 & 3:45pm; Saturday 3, 3:45, & 4:30pm.

GREAT GREAT PIZZA! DINNERS! Celebrating our 60th anniversary!

110 East Water St 563-382-4297 www.mabespizza.com

Banquet facilities - weddings, conferences, meetings, & more!

1101 Highway 9 563-387-0300 www.oakssteakhouse.com

25W/ $25B Personal service for a perfect look. 130 W. Water St. Decorah, Iowa 563.382.5761

14. July 26-27: Find amazing local art works for sale at the ArtHaus Summer ArtFair, Friday, July 26 and Saturday, July 27, 10am-6pm, Arthaus and ArtHaus Studio, FREE. www. arthausdecorah.org

Mon - Fri 9-5 Thursday 9-8 Saturday 9-5

www.amundsonsclothing.com

15. July 27: Nordic Fest Kubb Tournament. A Nordic backyard game for young and old alike. Championship Bracket Registration 8-9am; play 9:15am. Afternoon tournament 3pm, Decorah Middle School. www.nordicfest.com - jpsbackyardgames@gmail. com 16. Aug 9: Lillesøster Butikken First Anniversary Celebration! Weekend-long Sale, Door Prizes, Mini-Facials, Patio Party with live entertainment and complimentary refreshments 5-7 pm. 309 E. Water St., 563-383-4474, www.lillesoster.com

Luxury salon & day spa

“Delicious food + great atmosphere = fun!” 117 W. WATER ST., DECORAH, IA • 563.382.WINE DINNER: WED-SAT – OPEN AT 5 SUNDAY BRUNCH: 9-1 bar menu also available

Cuts • Perms • Up styles • Color • Highlights • Facials • Manicure & Pedicures • 60-minute massages • Makeup Consultation & application

303 W. Water Street Decorah, Iowa 563.382.4941

RESERVATIONS APPRECIATED

PLUS: CHECK OUT THE RUBAIYAT WINE SHOP!

www.RubaiyatRestaurant.com Like us!

Check in!

Read reviews!

theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2013

WE’RE INSPIRE(D)!

Arent’ these awesome?!

Downtown Decorah

Two bedrooms Full kitchen

www.decorahloft.com 563.265.1955 Large living space

Plus 2 car garage • Laundry • Internet • TV • 2 night minimum 10

Summer 2013 / theinspiredmedia.com

Taking local to a whole new level.

Here’s just a little list of what we’re loving RIGHT NOW

ARDVAR They had us at Driftless and kept us at gnomes. Nathan Matter, Lauren Bonney, and Andrew Smeby make up the Decorah-based printing collective, Ardvar, and make up some of the coolest regional swag we’ve ever seen. Yeah – It’s clear they’re just really good at making stuff. And making stuff up. “‘Ardvar’ was a nonsense word that I made up ‘cause I thought it sounded vaguely Scandinavian,” Matter says. “It’s fun to say in a stereotypical ‘European Perfume Commercial’ avoice and also fun to say in a stereotypical ‘Folksy Scandi Midwestern’ voice. So, there’s that. And the domain was available.” It is indeed fun to say. Try it, we’ll wait. The crew set up shop earlier this year, making awesome prints, posters, and – as of just this summer – tees!

• • • •

Local Bookstore Local/Regional Authors Great Local Place for Gifts Plus book signings & readings too!

www.dragonflybooks.com 563-382-4275 • 112 West Water Street Decorah • info@dragonflybooks.com M-Tu-W 10-5:30 | Th 10-8 | Fri-Sat 10-5 | Sun 12-4

contemporary women’s clothing unusual gifts RAYGUN TEES RIEN DE NOUVEAU CONSIGNMENT

It’s Lauren’s gnomes that are gracing this Inspire(d)’s cover – and there are other Gnomes in Love available at Ardvar.com. Andrew designed the super cool Driftless series prints, and Nathan handles the printing, matting, shipping, and “such”. He also runs The Courtyard beer garden in Downtown Decorah. According to the Ardvar website, if you buy a print and take your receipt to The Courtyard, Nathan will give you a complimentary Hamm’s! “We’re confident that’s the best wall art + beer combo deal you’re going to find in the tri-state area.” We bet you’re right, Ardvar. We bet you’re right.

FANCY PANTS -from silly to frilly-

411 W Water | Decorah | 563.382.8898 fancypantsonwater.com theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2013

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Gear up. Be active. Exofficio • Buff • Marmot Smart Wool • Patagonia prAna • Vasque 406 West Water St Downtown Decorah

Home of the ‘Quality

Chick’ T-SHIRT

563-382-4103 • www.decorahhatchery.com WORLD FAMOUS GEAR – SMALL TOWN CHARM

SALT/WATER

You and up to 35 n of your friends ca on e yl st travel in Holly the Trolley! Perfect for s, weddings, partie e! or parades, & m en seats • Antique wood & rails s as gl • Vintage enclosed or ir -a en Op • ar with front & re em. heat & PA syst

the Trolley! Meet Holly 563-419-8902 • decorahtrolley.com

Travel by Trolley – Travel in Style 12

Summer 2013 / theinspiredmedia.com

Justin Scardina, one of our favorite chefs in Decorah (he made amazing food for our wedding almost six years ago!), has recently launched a new Decorah popup restaurant: Salt/Water. Utilizing La Rana Bistro’s space on select Sunday nights (the Bistro is closed Sundays), Salt/Water offers a multicourse meal (three to five beautiful, yummy courses) centered around a main “theme,” such as French, Pork, Bar Food, or even a feeling, like “Home”. It’s reservations-only and space definitely fills quickly. Justin is the head chef at La Rana Bistro and owner of Driftless Food and Catering. With his new endeavor, he’s

Open all Year in Decorah! exploring the mathematical equation: water + salt = tasty food. “From the simple act of adding salt to a boiling pot of water to season your pasta to the act of combining salt and water to form a brine to make your food tastier and more succulent, the prevalence of salt and water is so strong in our ability prepare delicious food,” he says. Justin’s food is indeed delicious. He seems to be using this pop-up restaurant to really explore his creativity in cooking, and restaurant-goers will be lucky to be along for the ride. And the pop-up restaurant part of it is exciting because, well, you never know when they’re going to pop-up and what they’re going to be serving, at least not until about two or three weeks before the next meal! Fun! Get details at DFCsaltwater.wordpress.com.

LET’S RIDE BIKES! It’s no secret that we love bikes at Inspire(d). Benji is definitely the more experienced rider, but that doesn’t mean Aryn doesn’t like to get out there on both paved trails and single track. Her goal: Be a better mountain biker before she dies. So it’s exciting that Decorah resident Josie Smith has launched a new Facebook page for women riders called “Let’s Ride Bikes!” The hope is it will help women (who ride bicycles or want to ride bicycles) network with each other to bring forth a richer women’s bicycling community. “There are more women biking than ever before – people might wonder what the ‘big deal’ is,” Josie says. “It’s not to jump out and say, ‘We are women, hear us roar!’ but to provide connection among us. The whole concept is for someone to put out ‘I’m going for a trail ride on this day at this time – who wants to join?’” Smith makes it clear skill levels don’t matter, and that all women are welcome to join the page, ask for advice, call out a ride, etc. “The biking community is booming,” Josie says. “Let’s ride!” (Aryn hopes it will bring together some bada** girls who like to ride bikes and maybe drink beer [not at the same time, of course], so if you join the page, and you’re that kind of gal, say hi! [Was that creepy?])

Vesterheim’s Museum Store has everything for the Scandinavian in you! Jewelry, clothing . . .

. . . books, games folk-art supplies, CDs, and more.

Explore Scandinavian Traditions! Vesterheim offers folk-art classes for all levels. View the full 2013 schedule at vesterheim.org. Register today!

Learn about bronze in the Viking Age— design and cast your own medallion and Thor’s Hammer. With artist Kelly Ludeking July 19-20.

Norwegian- American Museum

Decorah, Iowa • vesterheim.org • 563-382-9681

WINNESHIEK

cOUNTy fair!

JULY 9-13

GREAT TiMes AT THE GRANDSTAND! Buttons $15 in advance / $18 at the fair Good for all 5 shows, children 6 and under free Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Jim Busta Band 4:30 pm Bill Riley Talent Search w/ American Pie 7 pm Little Texas 7 pm Upper Iowa Speedway Stock Car Races Hot Laps 6 pm, Racing 6:30 pm Tri-State Truck & Tractor Pull 6 pm CC Bull Riding & Barrel Racing 7 pm After: Free Barn Dance w/ Buck Hollow Band

EvAN's UnItEd Midway

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

FREe gATe & parkIng!

FEATURING LITTLE TEXAS!

DRIFTLESS

SAFARI

Inspired by the original safari in Lincoln, Nebraska, the Northeast Iowa Food & Fitness Initiative and several other local organizations joined together to pilot Driftless Safari – a countywide treasure hunt lasting from Memorial Day to Labor Day – during the summer of 2011. The (super cool, totally FREE) program is designed to get families and groups out of the house and exploring the natural, cultural, and historical treasures of Winneshiek County. It’s basically a fun and educational scavenger hunt around your county! You get a map and a guidebook that tells you more about the site and how to get there. Then it gives adventurers a clue to find the rubbing post and a place to make your rubbing so you can check off that location. Once you’ve completed your guidebook, you bring it to your librarian and enter your name in a drawing for a prize! The Winneshiek Driftless Safari has been so popular in past years, it is extending the adventuring by two months (it’s now open Memorial Day through Halloween) and adding “Extreme Adventures: Unique ways to join one-time activities and events that will help you get to know a new place even better!” Safari participants are also privy to exclusive discounts and specials created by local sponsors. Want to join the fun? The program is catching on: other Safari programs have popped up in the region – one in Allamakee county and one in the Turkey River Corridor – so there are ample opportunities to explore. So, get to your local library, grab your guidebook and map, and start your Safari! www.driftless-safari.org safari.allamakeecounty.com www.turkeyrivercorridor.com

LANSING, IOWA

PLUS:

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

Have we mentioned we like river towns? Boats, trains, beautiful vistas, friendly people, unique seasonal businesses, old buildings – and the never ceasing flow of the mighty Mississippi. We’ve had a thing for Lansing since the summer Joe Price had one of those awesome above-ground swimming pools – and our love has only grown. Tucked into Allamakee County’s “Eastern Coast”, Lansing has a treasure trove of unique businesses and landmarks. Horsefall’s Variety claims

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stock of over a million items, and Paul Horsefall knows where all of them are – really, he does. Just across the street at the Safe House Saloon, Nick and Missy Hammell lay out tasty homemade pizza and wings – with a killer selection of local craft beers. They even offer growlers to go of anything on tap – and don’t miss the s’mores pizza! But if you want to see possibly the most unique retail shop in Northeast Iowa, you’ll have to wander down to Front Street – inside the giant yellow brick Kerndt building just across the tracks (watch out for the noon freighter!) sits The Painted Lady. Pauli Schmadeke and her husband have created one of the most amazing re-sale stores we’ve ever seen. Having cleared out decades of filth and grime, the wide plank floor and soaring beams make for an architecturally stunning space – not to mention that the treasures plucked from around the Driftless Region are (almost) all for sale. Need an authentic buffalo head for your wall? How about an enormous threepiece vintage “Full o’ Pep Feed” sign? There’s even a full service coffee counter! If you feel like making a night of it, check out our favorite place to stay – The Lansing Loft. Built in the top floor of an immense old lodge building, the porch peeks out to the Mississippi and the lofted ceilings make space for the great furnishings. Or if you are in search of your sea legs, there’s always S&S Houseboat rentals – yep, from a couple days to a www.wildrosetimberworks.com couple weeks, you can rent 563 382 6245 a floating, driveable house. DECORAH This is the river, folks, and it’s summer. Now get out there and enjoy!

Serving Allamakee County Barb Smed, Broker/Owner 563-568-7159 barb@smedrealty.com smedrealty.com

IA & MN Licensed

theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2013

{

Is it short? No

Yes

These days, it’s hard to tell what kind of mythical creature is lurking in your garden, your window, or under your bridges. Was it the gnome that did the chores? The nisse who threw a fit? Here’s a handy flowchart to help you figure out just which fairy creature is your tale’s main feature.

Is it mean?

Good clothes take you great places

That’s a human, silly.

Does it wear a red hat? Yes No

Or it could be

Is it ugly?

Hmmm... It may be the elusive young hipster gnome...

Yes

Cool

Yes

Casual

Surprise! That’s neither gnome nor nisse – you found yourself a troll!

Does it live under a rock or a bridge?

Yes

No Did you forget to put butter on its porridge?

Yes

It’s a Nisse!

Yes

Does it like to work?

Trendy

Yes

Does it live in your barn?

No Does it live in your pantry?

No No Did you lay a finger on its treasure?

Yes

It’s a Gnome!

Flowchart by aryn henning nichols • theinspiredmedia.com

Summer 2013 / theinspiredmedia.com

Yes

GNOME or NISSE

Is it

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Does it have a beard?

Does it live underground?

That might be your LITTLE BROTHER!

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

GREAT FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY! BUTTON + PROGRAM COMBO JUST $3. DETAILS ONLINE!

www.nordicfest.com Thursday – Jim Busta Band featuring Mollie B (Polka) Don’t miss Friday – Audio Drive (Rock) Canopy 5! nt Entertainme 's Saturday – Back Home Boys (Country) for everyone ! style Eulenspiegel Puppets Plus these fun free events!

Kai Robert Johansen (solo Trumpeter ) Foot-Notes (Folk) Hardanger Fiddlers

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And there’s more!

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DECORAH, IOWA

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Summer 2013 / theinspiredmedia.com

efse. For many Driftless Region folks claiming Norwegian roots, just hearing the word conjures up a singular fond memory: Grandma.

Specifically, grandma donning her favorite apron, pulling out that passeddown-through-the-generations recipe, ricing and boiling potatoes (Russet, of course!), and rolling and rolling ball after ball of lefse dough until each round reached a perfect paper-thinness. Mark Johnson, manager and co-owner of Norsland Lefse in Rushford, Minnesota, vividly recalls his own grandmother toiling in the kitchen to ensure the lefse (or potato flatbread) always appeared on the holiday dinner table, piping hot from the griddle. It’s that memory that drives the one-of-a-kind lefse factory nestled in the heart of Minnesota’s scenic Bluff Country. “Our goal is to mass-produce lefse that’s as good as, if not better than, the lefse grandma used to make in her own kitchen – and to do so year-round,” he says.

See a video of the lefse machines in action at facebook.com/iloveinspired!

theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2013

That may sound like a tall order to those who grew up helping grandma make this popular Norwegian treat, but Johnson says he’s up to the task – and no, preservatives and instant potatoes (perish the thought!) aren’t part of the equation. The company, in fact, purchases more than 250,000 pounds of fresh potatoes each year. “Our lefse is the real deal – dry Russet potatoes mixed with vegetable oil, flour, and salt, rolled out nice and thin,” he says, gesturing toward the bright, spacious kitchen that’s the undisputed centerpiece of the Norsland Lefse building. “We don’t sacrifice quality for quantity.” Visible through five large plate-glass windows, that kitchen offers inquisitive visitors a glimpse of finely tuned lefse-making in action most mornings of the year. As one employee prepares rounds of dough for rolling, another moves just-rolled dough to a flat, open-faced griddle, where yet another uses a thin, wooden lefse stick to heat those rounds for just over a minute or so before placing them on a cooling conveyor. The highlight of the entire operation? Nine automatic rolling machines, still humming along after more than three decades of use. “A roller alternately moves from the center to the outside of the dough while the platform rotates an eighth of a turn with each swipe,” explains Johnson, who has clearly been asked about the machines many times before. “The repetitive motion flattens the rounds until they reach just the right size, about 16 inches in diameter.” The machines, created right in Rushford, are part of the local lore. It was 1981 when a trio of individuals – including Merlin Hoiness, a local grocer looking to sell high-quality lefse in his stores –approached Jim Humble, a Rushford-based ironworker, with

the prototype for a hand-operated lefse-rolling machine designed to ease the labor-intensive rolling process. Sensing its potential, Humble immediately set to work creating several mechanized versions, using surplus computer motors from IBM – purchased for just $10 a piece – to power the machines. “You don’t just go out and buy machines like that,” observes Johnson. “I’m sure it was a lot of trial and error.” That trial-and-error process produced a surprisingly successful result. By 1985, Hoiness was making enough lefse to supply not only his stores but also many others – more than 150 in all. Today Norsland Lefse employs the very same machines to roll some 500,000 rounds of lefse a year – including the 10,000 served up

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Personal Shopping Assistant! Val or her associate will be on hand with fashion tips & tricks!

The Funky! You’ll love the variety of fashions & accessories!

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at Nordic Fest in Decorah each July. The factory produces “a couple thousand” rounds of lefse daily during its busy season (September through December), Johnson says. “There’s really no other lefsemaking operation quite like this.” That’s abundantly clear from the moment you pull into the Norsland Lefse parking lot, where can’t-miss signage proclaims “Parking for Lefse Lovers Only.” The Norwegian flavor extends to the building’s red, brick exterior (adorned with a Norwegian flag and a Viking-helmetwearing mascot) and natural-lightfilled interior, which houses not only the lefse-making kitchen but also a handful of side businesses. A coffee shop and bakery, run by Johnson’s wife, Carolyn, offer a mouthwatering array of baked goods (breads, muffins, cookies, bars, and other pastries) as well as sandwiches, soups, and a breakfast wrap served on – you guessed it – lefse. “Ninety percent of lefse is eaten with butter and sugar,” Johnson makes sure to note, “but you can put most anything on it.” In the adjacent gift shop, that point is well made in “91 Ways to Serve Lefse,” just one of myriad Scandinavian-themed products on display. Interested in a “99 ½ Uff Da Jokes” CD or a “How to Talk Minnesotan” guide? You’re in luck! How about “Uff Da” chips (made in-house and available in two varieties) or “Ole and Lena” fortune cookies? You’ll find those too, as well as a slew of other quintessentially Norwegian fare, from Glögg drink mix and Lingonberry preserves to rosettes and, yes, even lutefisk. The gift shop, bakery, and coffee shop were all part of an effort to expand and diversify the business following the flood that ravaged Rushford in the summer of 2007. “We were completely flooded,” says Johnson, whose family has owned Norsland Lefse since 1997. “Although we were eventually able to get up and running again, we realized then that if we were

NE Iowa & SW Wisconsin

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Purl Up & Knit for a Spell Yarn, Knitting & Fiber Art Supplies, Classes, & More! Tues-Fri: 11 am – 5 pm, Sat: 10 am – 4 pm Monday: Drop In & Knit Night 6-8 pm 563-517-1059 • store@blueheronknittery.com

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ever going to grow the business, we needed to move to a larger location. This building is nicer, and it’s newer, but, because of the increased overhead, we’ve had to be even busier.” And they have been, thanks in large part to savvy Internet, e-mail, and direct-mail marketing that has attracted customers from every state and many countries, Norway included. While Norsland Lefse still does a solid wholesale business – two-thirds of the lefse it makes is shipped directly to stores – the majority of its growth has come through individuals purchasing rounds that are vacuum-sealed and mailed factory-direct the day their orders are placed. Johnson expects that growth to continue as he leverages the as-yet-untapped marketing

Take a scenic drive to Rushford, Minnesota, on State Highway 43 to view lefse-making in action. Norsland Lefse is open weekdays from 7 am to 4 pm and Saturdays from 7 am to 2 pm year-round, with lefse-making occurring most mornings (If you want to make sure you get to see the action, call ahead to confirm they’re rolling lefse that day, though.). To find out more about Norsland Lefse (or to place an order), call 1-800-584-6777 or visit www.norslandlefse.com.

power of Facebook and other social media tools. Like any good businessperson, Johnson is, of course, looking for ways to increase the bottom line – but he also sees Norsland Lefse as providing a service to countless “displaced Norwegians” scattered throughout the world who can’t find lefse in their brick-and-mortar grocery store or don’t have the time (or experience) to whip up a batch. “People are busier today, and the family lefse-making tradition handed down through the generations is slowly disappearing,” he says. “Our goal is to make sure that everyone who wants to can carry on enjoying grandma’s lefse, whether it be during the holidays or at any other time of year – that’s the niche we’re filling.” Would grandma approve? You betcha! Sara Friedl-Putnam claims no Norwegian roots but still looks forward to savoring a good round or two of Norsland Lefse’s signature product (with butter and sugar, of course!) each July during Nordic Fest in Decorah.

Come & See the Natural Beauty of Niagara Cave.

Enjoy the Refreshing 48 Degrees Year Round. Picnic Areas, Gift Shop & Gemstone Mining Available Walking Shoes are Recommended. Voted Bluff Country’s Best Family Destination 2009-2012 CALL 1-800-837-6606 or 507-886-6606 www.niagaracave.com ! 18 hole mini golf coming soon!

NEW

Open Weekends - April and October Open Daily - May thru September

Located 2 miles south of Harmony, MN on Hwy 139 then 2 miles west on County Road 30. Just 1 mile north of the Minnesota/Iowa border on Hwy 139, then west.

Summer 2013 / theinspiredmedia.com

Projects: Paper Gnome Hats!

And a bonus beard!

theinspiredmedia.com!

step-by-step instructions at

Park It OUTSIDE & Listen to Live Music! Summer is the season of outdoor live music, and we couldn’t be happier it’s finally here! There’s nothing quite like flopping a blanket down and checking out the beautiful Midwestern sky while nearby your favorite band plays your favorite jam. Or heading out with your friends and dancing barefoot, grass wiggled up between your toes! We can’t wait to take a step away from the computers and get out there ourselves. Here’s a handful of summer live music offerings in the region that we’re getting excited about – we hope to see you!

Northeast Iowa’s new premier wedding destination venue! Spend your special day in a casual, elegant setting overlooking the Oneota Valley and the Upper Iowa River. Enjoy the Amish-built post and beam barn and restored one room school house – along with outdoor patios and beautiful garden spaces – located just outside Decorah, Iowa.

Visit us at denovobarn.com Or call 563-419-8902

Summer 2013 / theinspiredmedia.com

McCaffrey’s Dolce Vita Nights! Editor’s note: Anyone who knows Decorah’s James P. Ronan knows the man loves live music. He’s worked with Inspire(d) contributor and friend Jim McCaffrey for the past four summers to put together a great outdoor music series – we could certainly tell you all about it, but, really, who better to invite you to these shows than the man himself? So, without further ado… a note from Dance and Stay Young Productions James Ronan: “Don’t be alarmed, but the annual McCaffery’s Dolce Vita Nights Concert Series is already in full swing! Now through September 7, live music will be featured, rain or shine, from 7 to 10 pm every Saturday at McCaffrey’s Dolce Vita restaurant just outside of Decorah. Dance And Stay Young (D.A.S.Y.) Productions has booked a wide variety of music for the 15 shows. The park-like Twin Springs setting is perfect and McCaffrey’s new stage makes the shows

even more fantastic. This a family friendly environment, so bring the kids along with the grandparents. Enjoy a wide variety of tunes, with everything from the multi-talented Lew Klimesh Band, the blues of Dog House Jon or Paul Kaye and the Blues Cartel, to the great harmonies of The Gibbon Sisters and singer songwriter, Michelle Lynn. The Iowa Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame is well represented with The Mississippi Band and the one man band Patrick Hazell (who is also an inductee in the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame). Decorah Iowa’s own R n’R hall-of-famer, Erik Berg, will be drumming with at least four of the scheduled acts! We’ve booked everything from local and regional acts to touring groups from throughout the Midwest and beyond. I wish I had the space to tell you about all the bands – trust me, I could go on – but summer is short! You better get out there and Dance and Stay Young! Between the great atmosphere, fabulous food, and topnotch entertainment, McCaffrey’s Dolce Vita 2013 Live Outdoor Music Concert Series is a must-do on your travel destination list this summer!” www.nbea.com/dasy.htm Dolce Vita Nights May 25: Lew Klimesh Band June 1: Labarge June 8: Beet Root Stew June 15: Michelle Lynn June 22: Absolute Hoot June 29: Teacher’s Pet July 6: Dave Zollo Michelle Lynn July 13: Mississippi Band July 20: Dog House Jon & the Misbehavers August 3: Gibbon Sisters August 10: Patrick Hazell August 17: Dave Moore August 24: Paul Kaye & The Blues Cartel August 31: Maritza September 7: Tom Bourcier Band

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Gently used donations accepted at the back of the building theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2013

Tirrill Park Concert Series - Manchester Smack dab between Waterloo and Dubuque in Delaware County is Manchester, Iowa. And right in the middle of Manchester is Tirrill Park – a perfect spot to catch an outdoor show this summer! Manchester resident Taylor Matteson has been connecting the dots to get some of the regions best music through town each month. Of special note to Inspire(d) is the Dave Zollo / Matt Woods show on July 20. Zollo is a long-time favorite on the Iowa scene with his band The Body Electric, Dave Zollo and Matt Woods brings his own blues flavor to light up the stage in a never-before-attempted clashing of Iowa greats! Dale Thomas twangs up the start of the series on June 29, and don’t miss what will promise to be a hot, hot night of salsa dancing with Orquesta Alto Maiz on August 24. If we haven’t convinced you to take the field trip to Manchester yet, let us remind you that a stop at the Irish Shanty in Gunder, Schera’s in Elkader, or the Franklin Hotel in Strawberry point would be right on the way (or close enough!). Check out these shows and take a little field trip to Manchester this summer.

Tirrill Park Concert Series All shows at 6pm 149 W. Union Street Manchester, Iowa June 29: Dale Thomas Band July 20: David Zollo & The Body Electric featuring Matt Woods August 24: Orquesta Alto Maiz

Preservation Jazz As anyone in New Orleans would argue, a party just isn’t a party without the perfect band. That’s why Hancher is bringing the Preservation Hall Jazz Band – Hancher’s opening performers in 1972 – back to Iowa for a series of seven free outdoor concerts and a red hot 40th anniversary celebration. Named for the esteemed music venue in the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band is a true national treasure. Now in its 51st year, the PHJB continues to honor the dirty rags, mournful blues, and laid back swing that form the jazz legacy. Hancher will present free, outdoor performances by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band in seven Iowa communities: Iowa City, Dubuque, Davenport, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Council Bluffs,

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and Muscatine. The performances are a centerpiece of the Living with Floods project. The project will commemorate the fifth anniversary of the 2008 flood, celebrate progress made towards recovery, and raise awareness of strategies to mitigate floods as well as of the interconnectedness of our environment and watershed. Project partners include the University of UI College of Engineering, UI College of Education and the Interdisciplinary Flood Institute, the Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research, and the Iowa Flood Center.

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www.preservationhall.com www.iihr.uiowa.edu/livingwithfloods www.hancher.uiowa.edu June 7 Des Moines: Simon Estes Riverfront Amphitheater, 8 pm June 8 Council Bluffs: River’s Edge Park, Bluffs Bash, 7:30 pm June 11 Muscatine: Riverfront Park, 7:30pm June 13 Cedar Rapids: Brucemore Greenhouse Lawn, 7:30 pm June 14 Davenport: LeClaire Park Bandshell, 7:30 pm June 15 Iowa City: Pentacrest, 4 pm June 16 Dubuque: McGraw Hill Parking Lot, 3 pm

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Adventure Camp Music Festival August 23-25, 2013 Chimney Rock Campground Rural Bluffton, Iowa The second installment of Adventure Camp has taken wing for late August in rural Decorah. The music festival focuses on cutting edge Electronic Dance Music (EDM), DJ artists, and producers, as well as a solid lineup of regional bands for the 2013. Four different stages are planned for the threeday festival, which is being held at Chimney Rock Campground near Bluffton. Chimney Rock is an idyllic rural location directly on the Upper Iowa River with perfect access for canoeing, kayaking, tubing, and fishing. Find more information at: www.facebook.com/ AdventureCampMusicFestival

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SOLARDARITY

Decorahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bassford-Lantz family installed an 18-panel 4500-watt solar array on their garage.

Summer 2013 / theinspiredmedia.com

Solar just may be the energy of the future – and now’s the time to make your investment!

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Text and photos by Aryn Henning Nichols

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theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2013

Thinking about going solar?

hen things go south, it’s generally a bad thing

But when your garage roof goes south, better slap some solar power on there, quick! “You gotta look south – literally, look south – and see if you have the sun for this thing to work,” says Decorah resident Scott Bassford. We can do it all! After installing their 18-panel 4500-watt solar array late last year, Bassford’s family joined the rising number of folks looking south – and then up – to harness the power of the sun. Residential •Residential (and commercial) solar projects are gaining popularity in the region (and world) – and not just within •Commercial the environmental-soap-boxers crowd. •Energy Star “We did it because it’s fun and I feel like it’s the progressive thing to do,” Bassford says, “and also Certified Homes for the longest time it’s been so out of sight. But this is this magical year where these three funding • Solar Installs sources are perfectly aligned. You’re looking at payback in six to seven years if you plan it right.” What sources, you ask? Tom 1. The price of solar (or photovoltaic) panels has gone way down – it’s less than half the price it was just five years ago, and a small fraction of the cost back in the 70s when the technology was still quite CONSTRUCTION young. Quality Home Construction Since 1979 2. Government rebates: Federal (covers 30% of the cost of project) and state (for Iowa, an Licensed Contractor additional 15% off). 1510 Laurel Dr., Decorah, IA And, if you’re a lucky Alliant Energy customer: 3. Alliant Energy rebates (25-30% more; ending 563-380-6712 tommassmanconstruction.com December 2013). Add on to that the general population’s rising awareness about all things environmental, and you’ve got a whole lot of sun catching going on. It really is one of those times where good environment since 1983 and good economics ride the same train. When people like superKitchens Home offices Bars investor Warren Buffett get behind solar in such a big way – his Entertainment centers Fireplace mantles MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company floated an $850 million Cabinets & shelving bond offering for the world’s largest solar project, Cailfornia’s Topaz Remodeling Finished carpentry Solar Farm – it’s hard not to take notice. That was the first time a public bond offering for a U.S. photovoltaic power project had been Visit my new website! deemed “investment grade”, making it seem that greening the world paulbauhs.com can actually, well, make some green. 563-382-4750 There’s even a company called Mosaic that implements crowdfunding, allowing small, non-accredited investors to earn interest financing clean energy initiatives. It’s first offering, four solar projects that projected a 4.5 percent return, had loans starting at just $25. 24 hours and 435 investors later, the projects were sold out. So what is it about solar that’s so great? Well, it’s been around awhile – more than 50 years – so a lot of the kinks are worked out. It pays back 10 to 30 times or more it’s environmental cost, it’s adaptable to most any sized project as long as there’s good sun, and it’s widely available throughout the world. And, since there’s not much to the panels in terms of mechanical parts, there’s not much to break. 302 College Drive, Decorah, IA We service “Our panels are ‘guaranteed to work 80% as well for 25 years,’” all brands. 563-382-4856 • M-F 8-5 • Sat 8-3 Bassford says.“It’s hard to lose. Even if the technology is twice as good in five, 10, 20 years, the project still holds value.” is always the right time to tune Besides good sun (the mantra is “shade-free from 9 to 3”), there are a few other things you’ll need in order to jump on the solar up or upgrade your mower or blower! bandwagon. “After you’ve identified where solar will fit spatially on your property, TOP-OF-THE-LINE BRANDS – TORO • CUB CADET you need to have some idea how much solar you want/need,” says Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws, & More!

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Summer 2013 / theinspiredmedia.com

Did you know? HALF of Germany’s 53,000 megawatts of renewable energy is locally owned!

GoSolar solar installation business owner Dennis Pottraz. Pottraz was the first nationally certified NABCEP solar installer in Iowa. “People often look at their current usage as a place to start. How much of that usage do you want to make for yourself? Almost certainly not more than you use. Though you may anticipate increasing your future usage,” he (sort of) jokes. “I hear an electric car in some people’s dreams.” Once you’ve accessed your usage, you need to be sure your site can accommodate the system, and that your wallet can handle the investment, even with all the rebates and incentives. Local environmentallypassionate bank, Decorah Bank and Trust – they have their own large array on top Scott Bassford with his wife, Lisa Lantz, and their two sons, Van and Gray. of their downtown Decorah building – has recently launched an “energy loan” campaign to help people clear that last hurdle. “We want to eliminate the roadblock for people who don’t have the cash or don’t want to spend the cash up front for the system,” says Decorah Bank and Trust co-president Joe Grimstad. “It’s a good investment in their future. Most of these projects will provide a return to the homeowner. We are seeing a lot of solar projects going up now that should pay for themselves in energy cost savings in five to seven years. After that, it is free electricity! We work to set it up so that the customer can complete the project with little or no additional need for cash flow. Once the system is installed and working, the homeowner applies the funds to the loan that they would have paid to the utility company.” With the current “magical funding” in place, that’s an investment folks should be able to leap at. Andy Johnson, director of Decorah’s Winneshiek Energy District, breaks it down. “Take a typical five kilowatt home rooftop system: installed cost may be $20,000 max. Take the Alliant rebate off first – potentially $7,000 – it brings it down to $13,000, take off 30 percent for federal and 15 percent for the state tax credit (AfTER the utility rebate comes off), and that brings it down to $7,150,” says Johnson. “If you’re paying 12 cents/kwh, it’s typically in the seven to nine year simple payback – comparable to the historical stock market and a WHOLE lot more predictable and stable!” Winneshiek Energy District is great regional resource for all sorts of clean energy projects, solar included. Certified Midwest Renewable Energy Association solar site assessor Joel Zook consults on projects and helps wade through questions and paperwork, and energydistrict.org is packed with links and helpful research from finding a local installer to understanding just how selling your solar works. What? You sell it? Well, yes. Think of it like this – when you’re using grid-connected (i.e. utility-

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theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2013

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Summer 2013 / theinspiredmedia.com

provided) electricity, you’re renting your electricity. But when your solar array has created energy, it goes back into the grid, purchased by the electricity company at retail value. That’s electricity you own. Your utility provider then credits it to your account. If you make more electricity than you need, you don’t start to make money (although excess summer energy rolls over and can ride you through darker winter months), though, so it’s essential – and makes the most sense – to only install This contraption monitors the electricity a system sized for your that’s made and sent back to the grid. needs. Sadly, just “slapping” some solar panels on a roof is not really a reality – the process of approving and installing a system takes months, so interested folks better get on it if they want to take advantage of the “magic” 2013! “If you’re an Alliant customer interested in solar, think NOW, NOW, NOW,” says Johnson. “If you’re NOT an Alliant customer, still think NOW!” And lots of people are, indeed, thinking just that. “Nearly anyone who has a place to install solar and apply the incentives is interested this year,” says Pottratz. “Solar sure looks like it is here to stay, and that it’s going to keep on growing.” After writing this story, Aryn Henning Nichols finds herself looking south – and eyeing their garage roof wishfully – to see if they have the sun to “make this thing work.” Using the sun for electricity is pretty darn cool (er, hot, but you know what she means).

CLEAN ENERGY MAP Regional solar-lovers in the residential sector are in good company with their commercial-sector friends – Luther College finished “the largest single solar energy production facility in the state of Iowa” and it’s hard to miss the huge arrays that went up on Decorah’s Pizza Ranch this spring, and Decorah Bank and Trust has a nicesized array collecting rays on its roof in Downtown Decorah. You can get a chance to learn more about clean energy projects such as these and any other clean energy project that is uploaded (by its owner) through a new tool on the Winneshiek Energy District website. tools.energydistrict.org/rmap For other great solar resources, visit: energydistrict.org/programs/solar-solar

FARMERS MARKETS HOWARD COUNTY Chester Chester City Park Thursday, 1-4 pm 3rd Saturday of month, 1-4 pm June - October

Cresco 2nd St & 1st Ave, Grube’s N. Lot Tuesday, 2- 5:30 pm Friday, 2-5:30 pm May - October Accepts WIC/SN Elma Elma Locker & Grocery lot Tuesday, 2:30-5:30 pm Friday, 2:30-5:30 pm June - October Lime Springs Brown Park Saturdays, 9 am-12:00 Noon May 28 - October Protivin Protivin City Park Wednesday, 2:30-5:30 pm May - October

McGregor Triangle Park, Downtown Friday, 3- 6 pm Late May - Late September Monona Gateway Park Wednesday, 3 - 6 pm Saturday, 8 - 11 am Late May - Early October Strawberry Point Inger Park, Park Street Wednesday, 4-6 pm May 29- September 30 Accepts WIC/SN and SNAP

CHICKASAW COUNTY Fredericksburg N. Washington & E. Main Street Wednesdays, 3- 5 pm May - September New Hampton Main & Linn St, Carquest Lot Thursdays, 4-6 pm May 23- October Accepts WIC/SN and SNAP

FAYETTE COUNTY Elgin Town & Country Market Elgin City Park Thursday, 4-5:30 pm May - October

Nashua City Hall, downtown Main St. Saturday, 8:30-10:30 am May 15 - September

Oelwein Farmers Market NE City Parking Lot (1st Ave NE) Monday, 3-6 pm Friday, 8-11 am Mid May - October Accepts WIC/SN and SNAP West Union Farmers Market 407 West Bradford Redeemer Lutheran Church Tuesday, 3:00 - 5:00 pm Friday, 3:00 - 5:30 pm May - October Accepts WIC/SN CLAYTON COUNTY Edgewood Edgewood City Park Friday, 3-5 pm June - September Elkader Farmers Market Keystone Park, Bridge Street Saturday, 9 am-noon May - October Guttenberg Farmers Market South Park by new marina Saturday, 8 am - noon End May - early October

2013 LOCAL FOOD DIRECTORY

Volga City Volga City Park Friday, 4-6 pm June - October

Riceville 203 Main Street (Hwy 9) Saturday, 9-11:30 am May 28 - October

Fayette Open Air Market 305 W. Water Street Shelter Wednesday, 3-5 pm May - October

WWW.IOWAFRESHFOOD.COM

Decorah (Winneshiek FM) Claiborne Drive, Decorah Wednesdays, 3-6 pm Saturdays, 8-11am May 1 - October 31 Accepts WIC/SN and SNAP Ossian Farmers Market Carey’s Park, Main Street Wednesday, 3-6 pm mid-May - September ALLAMAKEE COUNTY Harpers Ferry Bluff View Park Friday, 5-7 pm June - September Lansing Main Street Plaza Saturday, 9 am - noon June - mid-October Waukon (Allamakee) Waukon City Park Monday, 3:30-5:30 pm June - September Farmers Market Nutrition Programs WIC = Women, Infants & Children SN = Senior Nutrition SNAP EBT (Food Assistance) can be used to buy fruit, vegetables, meat, eggs, baked goods,honey, cheese, herbs, jelly and jam, etc. You may not use EBT for hot prepared foods or hot drinks.

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

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2013 LOCAL FOOD DIRECTORY V Vegetables, flowers, herbs F Fruit M Meat & Dairy E Eggs O Other Products: Baked goods, honey, syrup, coffee 1 Annie’s Gardens & Greens • V F M E O (562) 562-4222 – Iowa Products 117 E. Main Street, Calmar Store Farm Stand – Ft. Atkinson Meat, poultry, dairy, eggs, wine Fruit, vegetables, herb mixes & more! Accepts SNAP at Farmstand 2 Apples on the Avenue • V F Nashua, (641) 430-4312 Apples, pumpkins Two miles S. on Hwy 218 Farmstand open mid-September

3 Benjegerdes Greenhouse • V 1115 Hwy 52, Postville (563) 864-3081 Vegetable and bedding plants Open Mid April-June 30 or by appt 4 Bullwacker Logistics Calmar, (563) 419-4207 Packaging & shipping. Insulated cold shipping; overnight services 5 Buzz in a Bottle (large ad) • M O 6 Cardinal Acres Produce (large ad) • V F O 7 Cedar Ridge Farm • V F E M Neal & Carolyn Lambright Elgin, (563)-423-5153 Free Range Eggs, Grass Fed Beef, Certified Organic Fruits, Vegetables

MN WI IL

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CLAYTON 8 Clayton Ridge Farm and Meat Market • M V – 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! 9 Country View Dairy (large ad) • M 10 Cutting’s Belted Galloways • M Decorah, (563) 382-3894 Grass-fed beef; whole, ½ or ¼ 11 Driftless Hills Farm • M Calmar, (563) 562-3897 All natural, grass-fed lamb driftlesshills@gmail.com Restaurants and individuals 12 Eagles Landing Winery, B&B • O Marquette, (563) 873-2509 www.eagleslandingwinery.com

13 Empty Nest Winery • O Dave & Pam Kruger, Waukon (563) 568-2758 – 20 berry & grape wines. Free wine tasting Saturdays 10-5 & Sundays 1-5 closed in January. www.emptynestwinery.com 14 Fagle View Meats • M Dan & Melissa Fagle Fayette, (641) 330-6695 Whole, 1/2 or 1/4 beef; Retail cuts Find us on Facebook 15 Farm to School (large ad) 16 FJM Produce • V M Francis Martin, (563) 774-2023 Wadena– Produce, heritage turkeys 17 G It’s Fresh • V Glen & Elizabeth Elsbernd Cresco, (563) 379-3951 Certified organic vegetables www.gitsfresh.com

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18 Grazing Acres Yogurt (large ad) • M 19 GROWN Locally • V F E M A Community Farming Cooperative (563) 380-9848 www.grownlocally.com Wholesale sales to institutions 20 Hawkeye Buffalo Ranch (large ad) • M 21 Iowa Food Hub (large ad) • V F M E O 22 Jason’s Veggies • V O Virginia Keppler, Strawberry Point, (563) 880-5069 – Vegetables, baked goods, jams/jellies Oelwein, Strawberry Point & Dyersville Farmers Markets Accepts SNAP 23 Jason Klinge • V M Farmersburg, (563) 783-2456-Organic sweet corn, broilers, grass-fed beef 24 Kerns Sweet Corn • V Blake Kerns, Oelwein (319) 621-1361 – Sweet corn, pumpkins, squash 25 Koehn Berries & Produce • V F W. Union, (563) 422-3716 Pre-pick and U-pick strawberries 26 K’uun Coffee • O Calmar, (563) 562-9033 Fresh Roasted, Fair Trade Coffee Order online or find stores at www.kuuncoffee.com 27 Kymar Acres (large ad) • V E O 28 Luther College Dining Services

We welcome special orders! Bread, rolls, cookies, bars, cakes, pies.

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29 Nature Haven Farm • V E Garnavillo, (563) 880-7022 Vic & Kay Vifian - Farm Stand All natural produce, herbs, eggs vickay@alpinecom.net 30 Oneota Community Food Coop (large ad) • V F M E O 31 Oneota Slopes Farm • M O Andy & Emily Johnson Decorah, (563) 382-0537 Grass-fed meats; Christmas trees www.oneotaslopes.org

THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT OF THESE PARTNERS This directory is organized by the Northeast Iowa Food & Farm Coalition and its partners. Visit www.iowafreshfood.com for more information on the farmers listed in the directory.

32 Patchwork Green Farm (large ad) • V 33 Peake Orchards, Inc. • F Waukon, (563) 419-0449 Great apple varieties incl. Honeycrisp Family-run orchard Farm Stand, mid Sept-Thanksgiving 34 River Root Farm • V Decorah, (563) 382-6249 Certified organic seedlings & produce Winneshiek Farmers Market www.riverrootfarm.com 35 Rolling Hills Greenhouse • V West Union, (563) 422-9311–Wholesale lettuce, herbs, microgreens all year 36 Rubiayat (large ad) 37 Sharing Spaces Kitchen (large ad) 38 Sweet Earth Farm • V M CSA Shares Available Anne Bohl & Meghan Spees Decorah, (563) 277-0079 Chemical free vegetables, herbs; pastured poultry. Decorah Farmers Market www.sweetearthfarmdecorah.com 39 Mike and Laurie Tallman • V M Castalia, (641) 330-8160 Heritage vegetables and turkeys 40 Timber Ridge Gardens • V O Greenhouse & Bakery West Union, (563) 422-5844 Fresh Produce; gourmet angel food cakes Decorah & West Union Farmers Mkts 41 Top of the Hollow Organic Farm • V Decorah, (563) 380-8344 Certified organic produce, potatoes Decorah Farmers Market Oneota Co-op and special order 42 Upper Iowa Organics, LLC Decorah, (563) 419-2222 Bulk compost & composted manure M-F, 8-5; Call on weekends 43 WW Homestead Dairy (large ad) • M 44 Waving Grains Bakery (large ad) • O 45 Windridge Implements (large ad)

Science,

You're super! GARLIC! By Aryn Henning Nichols

It’s magic! It’s science!

All photos courtesy Seed Savers

theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2013

But how, exactly, does that head of garlic form? We turned to Seed Technician Heidi Cook at the world-renowned, but local-to-us Seed Savers Heritage Farm for some answers.

arlic sure has been purported to have a lot of uses: it can apparently cure the common cold, prevent heart disease, and keep vampires away. All I know for sure is it can make How does that one clove of garlic magically become a whole head my food DELICIOUS! I love crushing fresh cloves with the of garlic under ground? flat of my knife and mincing them into most all of my savory dishes. Within each clove of garlic a leaf begins to form even before So it’s handy we inherited a pretty large patch of German Extra planting. At the base of this leaf, tiny cloves begin to develop and in Hardy garlic when we moved into our house six years ago (thanks, spring they continue to grow or swell around the stalk. Essentially Rhodes’!). Every summer, we pick out the biggest heads out of the each clove is but harvest – and there are a tiny garlic plant. some giant ones – to be It is a common planted that fall, and every misconception year, without fail, I marvel that the bulbs over the fact that one little form cloves later clove turns back into a whole in the season but head garlic. Magic! Science! they actually begin Interesting garlic facts: to form even China definitely wins the before planting. garlic growing contest, with approximately 23 I read that garlic billion pounds grown there actually does annually – that’s more than better when it’s 77 percent of world output! planted close The United States (where together? Is this garlic is grown in every state true? If yes, why? except for Alaska) is in sixth Planting garlic place with a sad 1.4 percent cloves 6 to 8 of the world’s production. inches apart, And most of THAT is grown depending on in Gilroy, California, the the variety, can “Garlic Capitol of the World” allow the bulbs to (they might need to rethink grow to a desired size and aid in the care they Seed Savers has 13 that title…)(1) need to be given, from the gardener, as they difference varieties of garlic Garlic is generally propagated by planting grow. Having a layer of mulch on the beds will (they all taste different, cloves, which are the small sections that are help in the spring and summer for suppressing amazingly!), depending on broken out of the whole head. Each large weeds. A weedy bed of garlic will result in an garlic bulb, or head, contains about 10 cloves, the quantity and quality of undesirable harvest as garlic does not compete depending on variety. The bigger the cloves you the year’s harvest. They start well with the weeds. plant, the larger the cloves and heads you get taking orders July 1. at harvest. (2) Why does garlic need to be exposed to colder It’s time to harvest when the tips of the temps in order to form bulbs in the spring? leaves become partly dry and bend to the ground. The bulbs are Garlic should be planted roughly four to six weeks before the gently pulled and gathered to dry (or cure) for about a week. (2)

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Summer 2013 / theinspiredmedia.com

To be well, you have to

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Join the Seed Savers Exchange community! Garlic cloves forming in the bulb in early spring (long before harvest).

ground freezes. This allows the garlic cloves to develop a good root system and yet not enough time to send up leaves. If leaves emerge before winter it can damage the plant so waiting until October to put your cloves in the ground would be a fine recommendation. The soil around the garlic cloves and a good layer of mulch over your planting will allow protection from cold winter temperatures. The period of cold over winter is ideal for encouraging a better flavor for the garlic. What’s the difference between hardneck and softneck garlic? What works in the Midwest? The Midwest can be an ideal area to grow large, vigorous, and tasty cloves of garlic. Garlic is divided into two main types by how they grow. Hardnecks varieties are directly related to wild garlic and are especially hardy in this area. These send up flower stalks in the spring which are more commonly called scapes. Breaking off these scapes as they begin to curl will allow the energy to be directed below ground and at harvest time the bulbs will be larger. Softnecks are varieties of hard necks that developed later. In our climate, soft necks generally do not send up a flower stalk so the energy to produce the bulbs is continuously directed to creating larger cloves of garlic. They have become the most commonly grown varieties on the market as they are known for their longer shelf life, bulb size and more distinct hot or mild flavor. What do YOU love about garlic? Garlic is a very easy and satisfying plant to grow. It requires little maintenance and at harvest time it gives a great reward. It can be an extension of off-season garden work for an avid gardener giving the grower one last shot before winter to work in the garden and an early harvest reward for the following year. There are many different varieties all unique in flavor and use. I like the hardneck varieties because the scapes are yet another tasty addition to my garden.

Aryn Henning Nichols is lucky Benji Nichols also loves garlic. For a variety of reasons. Sources: 1. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garlic 2. www.plantanswers.com/garden_column/oct03/2.htm 3. Heidi Cook, Seed Savers Heritage Farm seed technician

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• amazing food • signature cocktails • connoisseur selection of beers Elkader, Iowa • 563-245-1992 • scheras.com theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2013

Unsung

VEGGIE HEROES Photos and text by Aryn Henning Nichols

Summer 2013 / theinspiredmedia.com

ust like people, vegetables come in all sorts of sizes, shapes, and flavors. And, just like people, some are more popular than others. There always seems to be some produce that gets pushed to the back the fridge – if it even makes it there. More likely, those vegetables sit at the farmers market, still on the table at 11 am, way after the rush for lettuce and sugar snap peas has passed. We here at Inspire(d) knew there was more to the story – the lives – of these (sometimes homely) little veggies (hey, have you SEEN celeriac?). So we asked our farmer, Erik Sessions, for more information. Erik runs Patchwork Green Farm with his wife, Sara Peterson, and his three daughters. We call him OUR farmer because, in a way, we bought (part of) the farm through a Patchwork Green Community Supported Agriculture share. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) offers a great way to “meet” some of the unsung heroes of vegetable land. At the beginning of (or a bit before) a growing season, CSA members buy a share of the anticipated harvest. Once things are growing and ready to harvest, members receive weekly “shares” of vegetables and fruit – ours comes in a reusable bag that we return the following week. Yes, lettuce and snap peas are often part of the bounty, but there’s also sometimes kohlrabi or fennel, and occasionally even flowers (the sunflowers from Patchwork Green Farm are particularly happy). With the share comes a letter detailing that week’s harvest, ways to use it and cook with it, and a couple of recipes too. The first CSA in Northeast Iowa launched in 1997: Sunflower Fields CSA was a collaborative of 10 small Northeast Iowa farms – most in the Postville area – that served a multi-county area for about 10 years. Patchwork Green Farm started offering shares in 1999, followed by Decorah-area Rock Spring Farm (no longer offering CSA shares) and Annie’s Gardens and Greens (Ft Atkinson). Kitchen Table CSA (Mary Klocke/Jeff Abbas) started to offer shares a few years ago, and this year, Sweet Earth Farm is offering vegetable CSA shares. “Co-owners of Sweet Earth Farm have both worked on my farm as summer interns!” Erik says. It seems proof that farming in this region really is not about competition at all. “The part I love about our local CSAs is that each is run quite differently, each has it’s own niche, it’s own member demographics,” he continues. “In a small community, I think this is vital, and it’s a great way to get local food to a wide variety of people.” Anne Bohl and Meghan Spees operate Sweet Earth Farm on rented land by Twin Springs Park in Decorah. They are young farmers who are thoroughly passionate about bringing great produce to the region, especially through CSAs. “Community Supported Agriculture is our ideal way to farm and distribute fresh local food to the community because it is a connection and support system for both the farmers and the members. By connecting where the food is being grown to where it is being eaten, and to have that connection be so close (less then 10 miles for most of our CSA members) is a powerful thing,” Anne says. “It pulls us together as a community around a common goal.” Erik and Anne both took a minute out of the busy spring growing season to share some of their favorite “unsung heroes” of the Driftless Region farm. Check them out here, then pick them up at the market. C’mon, don’t leave a sad celeriac hanging!

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Bok Choy Erik’s picks (www.patchworkgreen.com): • Kohlrabi is always at the top of my list, and I have been on a mission to get everyone to try it in the last couple of years. What kid can turn down a slice of raw, crisp, sweet kohlrabi? It is good in slaw, on a veggie platter, cooked in soup, mashed, etc., but best raw, I think. Tips: buy them small to medium size (except the giant variety). They are very tender when they have had lots of water and size up quickly in the field. If we are in a drought, ask if they were irrigated – if not, they are probably woody. Eat your kohlrabi as soon as you can (within a couple days of purchase) for sweetest flavor. Like most brassica family crops, it will get a strong flavor if it hangs out in the fridge too long. 42

Summer 2013 / theinspiredmedia.com

Celeriac • Bok Choy is way better than celery – more versatile, crunchy, pretty, not stringy. Just as good in ‘American’ dishes as Asian. • Italian (flat) parsley has a wonderful, full flavor. Easy to grow (cut and come again), good raw and cooked, used in many cuisines around the world, keeps for several weeks in the fridge, loaded with vitamin A, etc. • Garlic Scapes are the flower head of the hard-neck garlic plant, ready to be trimmed off the plant and consumed in mid-June (ed. note: read more about garlic in this issue’s “Science, You’re Super: Garlic!”). They are not hollow like onions, and should be picked when they are very short and tender (not two-feet long and curled). Mild garlic flavor, best when cooked. They can be pickled, made into hummus, and sautéed with any recipe that calls for garlic. Keep in the fridge for a month! • Celeriac – strong, celery flavor for soups and slaw. Not stringy, like celery. Keeps all winter in cold storage. Extremely ugly! • Patty pan squash – an unusual summer squash. Very tender at 2” size;

Italian Flat Leaf Parsley

Leeks

good for stuffing and baking at the 4” size. They come in many color phases and can be eaten raw, sauteed, baked, etc. just like any summer squash or zucchini. Anne’s picks (www. sweetearthfarmdecorah.com): My first two may seem commonplace, but I’m tellin’ you, they should be waaaay more popular then they are... • Leeks: Full of vitamins and minerals, tasty, and delicious! Leeks are best in the fall and winter and are wonderful storage crops so you can use them into the winter months. They are fantastic in soups, although that’s what most people already do with them. I like to lightly sauté them in butter or olive oil as a precursor to just about every savory dish that I make when they are in season... fried/scrambled eggs, stir fry, sautéed greens (spinach and kale)... basically any time you would use onions or garlic, plus lots more because they are a little milder and a little more delicate of a flavor. • Italian Flat Leaf Parsley: This is one of my all time favorite crops!

Fennel It is so flavorful and juicy when harvested fresh and once it as gotten to a decent size. This is another vegetable I will put in everything when it is in season, which is practically the entire summer. It’s one of the first things in the spring, as well as one of the last hardy crops hanging on in the fall. I like to chop it up and put in all kinds of salads... really, any salad. Some fresh lettuce with chopped flat leaf parsley, olive oil, and lemon juice is the most refreshing salad a person could have. Italian parsley is also wonderful sautéed in a little butter or olive oil with your onions, garlic, or... leeks! It’s great in eggs for breakfast, salad for lunch, soups, parsley pesto, tabouli, and lots more. My last two are a little harder to find at the market or in a CSA share, but are definitely worth seeking out. • Fennel: Very high in antioxidants and with a unique flavor and texture, fennel is definitely on the list of unsung vegetable heroes. There are usually the few die hard, reliable fennel buyers out there, but their numbers are small. It is in season mid summer through fall. Fennel is a very versatile vegetable which is delicious paired with citrus and a light vinaigrette, roasted with beets and herbs, chopped into cubes and baked into a vegetable pot pie, and added to soups, theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2013

gratins, or casseroles. It’s got a delicious, juicy crunch to it and very pleasant and unique flavor.

Stretching with

Matt Johanningmeier LMT

DVD

Great gift idea!

• Improve ﬂexibility & health of the muscles, tendons & ligaments • Stimulate the circulation & drainage of lymph • Help to eliminate metabolic wastes • Help with arthritis pain • Increase range of motion • Reduce muscle spasms • Reduce the risk of muscle strain & tears • Increase muscle performance • Assist in alleviating pain from: headaches, wrists/hands, shoulders/neck, lower back, & legs

DVD Features Each stretch repeated 3 times. Audible alert when stretch is complete. You do each stretch with me. 10 second clock counts you down.

• Mache/Corn Salad: Mache is a delicious little green harvested in rosettes that is very popular and common in Europe. It is a coldloving crop, and can be grown in our climate pretty much all winter long if you have some basic row cover on it. It is wonderful eaten raw as a salad or slightly wilted w/a hot vinaigrette. Mache is a mild, tender, and delicate tasting green with a slightly nutty flavor to it. It does tend to be a bit more expensive because of the labor needed to grow, harvest, and wash it, but well worth seeking out when it’s in season.

Aryn Henning Nichols is going to make it a point to learn more about ALL the veggies on the farmers market tables. Who wouldn’t want to pull out one of those ugly celeriacs and know just what to do with it?!?!

Detailed close-ups of each stretch. Menu allows you to select one of 36 different stretches that make up the one-hour full body routine.

To purchase or if you’re a retailer who’d like to carry this DVD, contact Matt at 563-880-8886 or stretchingwithmatt@hotmail.com.

DID YOU KNOW? Some employers are even getting hip to the benefits of CSAs – Luther College in Decorah covers a portion of the cost if an employee wants to buy a share, recognizing the health benefits of eating healthy and locally. If you’re an employee of Luther, check it out! If you’re an employer yourself, consider trying something similar with your business!

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Special Orders Available • Try us at the Oneota Food Co-op! 44

Summer 2013 / theinspiredmedia.com

Patchwork Green Farm CSA also offers a way to support the Decorah food pantry.

“The Master Gardeners in Decorah have partnered with the Winneshiek Farmers Market for quite a few years now to get end-of-the-day extras from market vendors to the Decorah First Lutheran Food Pantry. This is great for the vendors – we just bag up veggies, put them in the little red wagon, and then feel good that we are supporting the pantry and all the folks that utilize it,” Erik says. “Jackie Jones of the Master Gardeners and I came up with this plan years ago, and I always have lots of goodies to send. Sara and I decided that we could encourage even more giving by involving our CSA members. We offer them the chance to make a $50 contribution, and we then make sure that all of the pantry pledges go toward Patchwork Green produce heading up to the pantry. We are now sending not just ‘leftovers’ but lots of prime produce as well. Last year, over $1000 was pledged by members of our CSA, and we added lots of top of that. Share the good food, right?”

Join us on the Trout Run Trail Iowa's newest 11-mile recreational trail!

g • Camp • See the Dunning’s Spring waterfall • Hike to Pulpit s • Go fishin Rock • La ah eagle r unch a o c e utstanding single track • Feed the trout at the Hatchery • Visit o f D kayak the Butter 0+ miles o mous 2 e a f h t or c e e k i h fly Gard h r o g n Se e t i k e i n • VIS anoe b n i ta n IT DEC u o O R AH Go m !

Look for the Trout Run Trail signs! $15/shirt - all sizes available. Get yours at the Visitor's Center in downtown Decorah.

For more Trail info, a complete map, or a Visitor's Guide call or click: 800.463.4692 • visitdecorah.com "Visit Decorah" on Facebook

Bijoux Jewelry By Ingrid Baudler Photos by Aryn Henning Nichols

Summer 2013 / theinspiredmedia.com

n a spring afternoon in a cozy Decorah coffee shop, Vicki Berland sips her lightly steeped cup of tea as we chat, waiting for her daughter-in-law to arrive. Karen Berland rushes in a few minutes later. “He took a spill right as I was walking out the door,” she says of her two-year-old son. “So I have Cohen love all over me.” Karen brushes the barely noticeable residue off the collar of her black shirt and sits down next to Vicki. The two smile at each other. They are used to dealing with the boys, Cohen (2) and Elliot (4). When Karen is working as a part-time speech pathologist in Waukon and Decorah schools, Vicki’s on grandma duty. Yet both busy women somehow manage to make time to maintain a jewelry business called Bijoux Specialty Jewelry. And that’s while hand-making every piece! “The thing about what we do is that it’s not real exact,” Karen says. “We kind of pride ourselves on the fact that it’s whimsical and a little bit off. We like asymmetrical.” Karen first learned how to make jewelry 10 years ago from a friend in South Carolina. When she moved back to Decorah, she got Vicki into it, and they haven’t stopped since. “We just kept buying beads and then the more beads you have the more you have to make,” Vicki said. They’ve taken a few classes on jewelry making but normally just

experiment and learn from what works and what doesn’t. Trying out new techniques and materials together is part of the fun. Karen and Vicki decided to start selling their wares eight years ago when their inventory had outgrown their space. They started at the Decorah Farmers Market and set up shop at ArtHaus art fairs and other art galleries in the region. “But we’re fair weather marketers,” Vicki warns of any outdoor vending. Rain or strong winds don’t mix well with a jewelry stand, and they’d rather chase after the boys than the jewelry. The duo’s specialty is earrings, but they also make necklaces, wine charms, bookmarks, rings, and embellished serving spoons. Sitting on the same side of the booth, both women sport Bijoux-made earrings. Vicki’s are small silver pieces that dangle delicately while Karen’s are thicker silver hoops with a bead at the bottom. The conversation floats easily between the two women, exchanging an inside joke or urging the other into a story. “I was just at the doctor and she wants pink earrings,” Vicki says. This causes them to giggle, because, as redheads, they normally stay away from pink. Impromptu requests are typical, and none of their pieces are ever exactly the same – which serves their repeat customers and a small town well. Karen and Vicki even have a charming system for jewelry repairs. “Just drop it off in the mailbox at one of our houses,” Vicki says. They estimate that they have made thousands of pieces of jewelry since they started, selling 50 to 60 pairs of earrings at each show. Their favorite material to work with is earthy-tone wire manipulated with some basic tools, but they end up improvising often. “I shape it as I hammer it down,” Karen says. “We just use whatever to shape it: a medicine prescription vile.” They see metals as a stylish and versatile material to work with.

theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2013

Comple

springgter rules online at: ovemn.c om

4444

in Spring Grove Dollars! GRAND PRIZE Drawing held October 5

: Plus

WEEKLY DRAWINGS

144

Weekly drawings held on Wednesdays at community events!

in Spring Grove Dollars!

2nd & 3rd Weekly Prizes: SG Cinema or SG SWIM Center Passes * Must be present to win $144; if not present, $44 will be forfeited and winner will be notified of the $100 prize. Need not be present to win the GRAND PRIZE of $4444. Weekly winners will be qualifiers for the $4444 Grand Prize drawing. Winners will be drawn on Wednesdays at community events such as Music in the Park One registration per person per location per day please. Must be 18 to register. On Oct. 5 there will be 10 additional qualifiers drawn at the Community Street Celebration. Contest rules and complete list of registration locations online at springgrovemn.com

Summer 2013 / theinspiredmedia.com

CHECK OUT BIJOUX SPECIALTY JEWELRY AT: Decorah Farmers Market ArtHaus Art Fair at Nordic Fest Bluff Country Art Gallery (Spring Grove, Minnesota) Or at www.bijouxdecorah.com or on Facebook “You can layer it and mix it in so many different ways,” Karen says. “It can be really simple and really elegant at the same time.” Vicki nods in agreement. They also work with beads, glass, and found and recycled objects. This tendency to upcycle even runs in the family. “My father-in-law [Vicki’s husband] is renowned for recycling and keeping things for entirely too long,” Karen says. “But one of our coolest pieces was a…” “Junk piece of metal that had an interesting shape to it,” Vicki says, jumping in. “We made it into a necklace and it sold within five minutes of a show,” Karen says. Working with – or sometimes around – the family can add an interesting dynamic to the business. In the winter they have to move their studio out of the fair-weather sunroom and into the basement, next to the playroom where tiny hands like to explore. “Cohen came upstairs with his mouth full,” Karen says. “I knew he would put beads in his mouth from time to time and he’s kind of going about his business and I said, ‘Cohen, do you have something in your mouth?’” Karen sighs and leans back. “Like eight beads fell out into my hand,” she says. This, of course, wasn’t the only time the boys have caused trouble.

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“There were those little tiny gold metal beads that they were having a war with one day,” Vicki reminds Karen. Karen launches into the story: “If Cohen’s slightly interested in messing with something, Elliot eggs him on,” she says. “Those beads were microscopic and it was an entire Cool Whip dish full of them, all over the floor when I came downstairs.” “We’re still finding them,” Vicki adds. They have since always made sure to kid-proof the set up of their workspace, thinking through every possible way the kids could climb up or grab hold of something. Even though young boys can make working on jewelry a lot harder to do, Vicki and Karen wouldn’t have it any other way. Time is a premium for both women, but crafting jewelry always seems to make its way into their schedule. Some days they might order wire that’s too hard to hammer or one of the boys will spill on their shirt, but it keeps the inspiration coming and the spontaneity in their art. The two even get mistaken for being mother and daughter instead of mother- and daughter-in-law, and not just because of their hair color. They share a special relationship that has only been strengthened by Bijoux. “She is a daughter and a good friend as well,” Vicki says. They both smile and laugh. “Aw, special moment,” Karen jokes. Ingrid is an English and political science major at Luther College and has one year left before she takes on the real world. She is learning a lot at as an intern for Inspire(d) but if journalism doesn’t pan out, maybe Karen and Vicki will teach her how to make jewelry. In the meantime, she will be enjoying a beautiful Midwestern summer.

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theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2013

Interview by Jim McCaffrey Photos by Benji Nichols

or this issue we traversed northerly to interview Gordon (Gordy) Tindall, owner with his wife, Val, of the Spud Boy Diner in Lanesboro, Minnesota. Gordon has a real thing for diners – he previously owned the Clarksville Diner in Decorah and the Red Rose Diner in Towanka, Pennsylvania, having lovingly restored both himself. The little Spud Boy Diner sits on a postage-sized lot smack-dab in the equally tiny Lanesboro. It is the last existing wooden wheel diner in the U.S. as far as we know. It has 20 fixed metal stools at the counter and two booths – you practically have to go outside to make a decision. It’s definitely a roadtrip back in time. Gordy serves up a mean breakfast and tasty lunch with simple, honest ingredients and a whole lot of love. But, really, you must not miss the pie. Gordy’s blackberry pie gets rave reviews, and for good reason – flaky crust, tart, yet sweet filling. Yum! It’s obvious that restoring and working in diners is Gordy’s dream. And doing it in Lanesboro might just be icing on the cake – er, pie. Gordy even likes to say about Spud Boy, “It’s the little diner that died and went to heaven, I mean Lanesboro.” It was so fun to guest interview for this Chef on the Block – I’ve been wanting to sit down with Gordy for awhile, so this was the perfect opportunity!

cheF

ON THE

BLOCK

Summer 2013 / theinspiredmedia.com

GORDON TINDALL OF SPUD BOY DINER

So, did you have formal training or was it live and learn or by the seat of your pants? When I worked for the railroad, I would cook for the guys in the caboose. Sometimes I would get fixings for sub sandwiches and sell them to the guys. When I was growing up, we had a pool table at our farmhouse. A lot of friends would come over and I would make cheeseburgers for them. I have no formal training but when I brought the Clarksville Diner to Decorah, a guy by the name of Ed Hughes showed up. He was from out East and had worked in several high end restaurants. He

Lanesboro

Arts

Center.

Learn more about Gordy and Val and the Spud Boy Diner (along with other diners) at spud.nydiners.com

stayed for about a year and taught me about things like making mirepoix and different sauces. What is your earliest or most significant memory of cooking or being cooked for? My parents taking me to the Clarksville Diner. We went at least once a week. I also traveled with my dad delivering tomatoes and stopped at diners all over. They were about 10 miles apart. Why did you decide to become a chef? I always liked making food for people and making people happy. I got encouraged by fellow workers to own my own place. (In walks Val with a lemon chiffon pecan pie, utterly delicious!) What is the best thing you ever made? Several. A good cheeseburger. Nick’s Greek platter – a spinach, feta cheese, and Kalamata olive omelet on pita bread with tzaziki sauce, tomatoes, and black pepper with a side of potatoes. Also spaghetti. And I really like to make chili with beef or venison stew meat. Any monumental food failures you can share with us? I tried selling tomato gravy at the Clarksville Diner. It is made of chopped canned tomatoes, evaporated milk and flour. It is a Pennsylvania Dutch dish and nobody would order it. I grew up on

it and ended up eating the whole batch myself. Do you have any secret food indulgences that you don’t talk about? I used to love Twinkies and also a good hotdog. What’s your favorite ingredient? A couple. Fresh cilantro and fennel. Also fresh garlic from Gilroy, California. How about your favorite dish? A good cheeseburger and a great salad with homemade dressing. Val and I eat a salad for supper almost every day. Also I like cornbread with sorghum with homemade chili. Do you have a favorite cookbook? I don’t have one. (Literally.) Well, I guess I have this Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook that we consult if we have a question about something. (Publishing date 1930.) A favorite cooking utensil? My whisk. I just love beating eggs. Vegetable? I’d go with asparagus and fresh tomatoes out of the garden. Fruit? I’d say a good orange. We pick fresh blackcaps in our backyard. And you just can’t beat a ripe honeydew melon.

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theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2013

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riving through Cedar Rapids on I-380, you might catch a peek at Mays Island, and the Veterans Memorial Building stretching up from the Cedar River. You’ll also likely catch a grainy whiff of Quaker Oats (one of four original Quaker Oats plants!), and see the sleek glass upper windows of the newly renovated Doubletree Hotel at the US Cellular Center (formerly Five Seasons Center). What you won’t see driving, however, is the size of Cedar Rapids’ huge collective heart – worn proudly on its sleeve. Luckily you don’t have to detour far to see just how deep Cedar Rapids’ roots run – or Grant Wood’s studio! The second largest city in Iowa, Cedar Rapids (named so because of the large Red Cedars that once lined the river banks more than a century ago) is home to more than just industry. Art, culture, food, and local business have defined – and are redefining – Eastern Iowa. With a rich history in grain and meat processing, and the influx of Czech and Slovak immigrants that helped power those industries, Cedar Rapids has balanced between major industrial center and fringe art magnet for decades. And then there are the tales of the 2008 flood. More than 1,100 city blocks were under feet of water, with some neighborhoods completely devastated. In fact, there are still reminders everywhere – like the desolation of the “Time Check” neighborhood just across from downtown, or the “High Water Mark” sign eight feet up on the wall behind the bar at Little Bohemia on 3rd Street SE, an establishment so steeped in local bliss that you won’t believe it was flooded by anything but rowdy Czech beer drinkers. In fact, by the grace of the ghosts of thousands of Czech-beer-drinkers-passed, the giant front windows of Little Bohemia even survived the flood – a metaphor that could represent well the idea that although much history was washed away, the local culture still stands tall. Just up the street you’ll find the freshly opened NewBo Market – a local food lovers dream, with over 25 permanent vendors, as well as outdoor market vendors, teaching space, and much more – a sign of not just recovery, but respectful re-visioning of what Cedar Rapids can look like. And across the street – Legion Arts, based in the CSPS building, has been presenting and showcasing world-class art and music since 1991.

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Through various means, the dynamic non-profit was able to purchase and refurbish the CSPS building (a home for over a century to neighborhood fraternal and community groups). It continues to host incredible visual, musical, and movement performances in incomparably unique spaces. The CSPS building frontage also now houses the fantastic Brewed Café and equally stunning NewBo Books. If you really want to know what makes Cedar Rapids unique though, you have to look to the people – past and present. Ask almost anyone in the shops and establishments of Cedar Rapids and they’ll tell you about a place that they are not only proud of, but that continues to reinvent itself while hanging on to its slightly faded and rinsed history. Eateries are popping up downtown, local museums like the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library are drawing crowds from afar, while favorites like Sakora’s bakery, the Blue Toad, and the Village Meat Market in the Czech Village continue to draw faces new and old. In many ways, strolling around downtown Cedar Rapids, one feels like a new leaf is just turning over in a city that still maintains much of Eastern Iowa’s modern past. So go Czech it out (oh yes we did…) – here’s a few of our favorites to get you started!

TURN THE PAGE, AND GO EXPLORING!

theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2013

Sykora Bakery

Hotel Kirkwood

Legion Arts / CSPS

Parlor City

Village Meat Market

Landmarks:

Legion Arts / CSPS • 1103 3rd St SE www.legionarts.org Since 1991 Legion Arts has been presenting world-class music, art work, and presentations in the CSPS building and beyond. Their contributions to the creative fabric of Eastern Iowa continue to be immense. Having fully refurbished the CSPS building after the 2008 floods, this incredibly active non-profit organization continues to anchor and attract creative arts to Cedar Rapids. It’s worth a visit in itself, but even if you just have a minute, peek in to see the beautiful refurbished digs!

Summer 2013 / theinspiredmedia.com

NewBo Books at CSPS

Bata’s

National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library • 1400 Inspiration Place SW www.ncsml.org In the heart of the Czech Village, this museum celebrates the deep historic and cultural ties of Czech and Slovak immigrants to Cedar Rapids. With exhibitions ranging from traditional immigrant home details to modern traveling exhibits, the museum is a great destination. The large library and oral history collection make this a true and important treasure to Cedar Rapids. Brucemore Mansion and Estate • 2160 Linden Dr SE • www.brucemore.org This National Historic Trust Site sits on a 26-acre estate in the middle of Cedar Rapids. From 1884 to 1981 three different families lived in the mansion (and also three different Lions – no kidding – but you’ll have to visit to get that piece of history!) Beautiful gardens and grounds host countless events throughout the year including Bluesmore, Brucemorchestra, Garden & Art Shows, and much more. The tour alone is worth the stop!

Little Bo’ Brewed

Cobble Hill

Cedar Rapids Museum of Art • 410 3rd Ave SE www.crma.org The CRMA features, amongst many other things, the world’s largest Grant Wood collection! And while that collection is always rotating, upcoming traveling exhibits include works by Bertha Jaques, Brian Selznick, Conger Metcalf, and a Marvin Cone inspired exhibit of pots by Decorah’s own Dean & Gunnar Schwarz (March-November 2014).

Grant Wood Studio • 810 Turners Alley SE This is Grant Wood’s cute-as-a-button studio where, among many other things, Wood painted American Gothic. Used from 192435, this property is part of the CRMA (above) and open seasonally on weekends 12 to 4 GETTING THERE: pm April to December. Studio entry is free! 106 miles from Decorah

169 miles from Rochester

Theatre Cedar Rapids • 102 3rd St SE 160 miles from La Crosse www.theatrecr.org African American Museum of Iowa • 55 12th Ave. SE 79 miles from Elkader Having performed over 80 seasons, TCR is blackiowa.org a much-loved local theatre company. Their 3Since 1994, the African American Museum of Iowa has educating Iowans on the African American Legacy left on the building and theatre are worth the peek alone, not to mention their performances! www.cedar-rapids.com cultural landscape of our great state. From the Tuskegee “Our Town” runs June 6 – June 16, “Spring Airmen to the legacy of George Washington Carver - the museum educates both on site as well as through traveling Awakening” June 28 - July20. programs throughout the state. 10-4 Mon-Sat theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2013 55

Paramount Theatre 123 3rd Ave SE www.paramounttheatrecr.com Reopened in 2012 following extensive renovations, this 1700-seat “Crown Jewel” is home to Orchestra Iowa as well as a busy schedule of Broadway shows, ballet, comedy, and music tours. U.S. Cellular Center 370 1st Ave E www.uscellularcenter.com/ Following a massive multiyear renovation, the US Cellular Center (formerly Five Seasons Center) reopened May 31st. Home to concerts and entertainment, along with indoor pro football team the Cedar Rapids Titans, this space will once again be a major event destination in Eastern Iowa. Cirque Du Soleil Quidam runs June 6 to 9, Barry Manilow brings the party on June 22, and the WWE rolls into town on June 29.

Eat . Drink.

NewBo City Market • 1100 3rd Street SE www.newbocitymarket.com With over 25 permanent vendors, seasonal market vendors, an educational culinary kitchen, and even growlers of local beer (!), this indoor/ outdoor market in the heart of the NewBo district offers an incredibly vibrant eating and shopping environment. Plan on spending some time looking around as well as eating – Thursdays 4-8pm, Saturday 8am-8pm, Sunday 10am-6pm.

Summer 2013 / theinspiredmedia.com

Bata’s • 1006 3rd St SE www.batasrestaurant.com Father and son Tony and Nick Bata sling some pretty fun and tasty food – and beverages – in their fresh clean space on 3rd St. SE. “Local… global…indigenous” is one way their fare is self described – a better way is perhaps to reinforce that the blueberry muenster burger with caramelized sweet potato strips is pretty much the stuff of gooey delightful dreams. Go hungry and shoot for the exotic – that goes for the beverages too including small craft beers ever-rotating on tap! Cobble Hill Eatery & Dispensary 219 2nd St SE www.cobblehillrestaurant.com Iowa natives Andy and Carrie Schumacher went round trip from living in NYC to returning to Iowa seeking the good life (ed. Hey – this sounds familiar!). They’ve recently hung out a very fine new shingle in downtown Cedar Rapids with their stunning new restaurant. Handcrafted local foods – and cocktails – along with a unique and vibrant interior put this spot on the map. Worth the drive from wherever you are reading this… Village Meat Market & Café • 92 16th Ave SW www.villagemeatmarketcafe.com The motto is “If it’s legal, we smoke it!” and Lou Thompson isn’t messing around, smoked or otherwise: Jaternice, Rope sausage, Butcher Loaf, Czech dogs, Head & Liver Cheese, Souse, Old Fashioned Loaf, Olive Loaf, and that’s just the meat case. The café is an amazing combination of Cajun and southern favorites like shrimp boil specials or pan friend chicken (thanks to a 20+ year field trip cooking on the Gulf Coast) as well as Czech favorites like goulash and dumplings, or schnitzel. There are also tenderloins, and beignets, and bacon candy, and bottles of beer, and well – you should really just go see it for yourself. Nothing fancy here, just serious down home cooking and meat market.

Parlor City •1125 3rd St SE www.parlorcitypub.com 56 beers on tap. 56 really good beers on tap. Just go, and start a tab, and don’t bother looking at how much you’re spending. We suggest doing a flight or two if you really want to taste your way around the taps – and still walk out. From small Iowa favorites like Toppling Goliath and Confluence Brewing, to hardcore west coast outfits like Green Flash, and those crazy bastards at Ommegang – there’s a lot of really precious, delicious amazing beer to taste here. Oh yeah – they also serve pub grub, and have a delightlful outdoor patio, complete with bike repair station. Apparently they also serve breakfast on the weekends, but remember – “Beer has food value, but food has no beer value.” We’ll also offer the obligatory reminder at this point that you should always drink responsibly. Now go drool over the beer list, don’t worry, its covered in plastic for a reason. Brewed Café www.brewedcr.com Housed in the front of the CSPS building, Brewed Café is the coffee shop that you always hope you’ll find when searching for that perfect coffee shop. Sleek, spacious interior, chalkboards, minimalist display – and killer coffee. They also have delightful quiche, quick sandwiches, treats, and dinner served on the weekends! And if you’ve had plenty of coffee for the day, they serve a nicely selected

TiCkeTs on sale now

list of wines and craft beers. These mighty fine folks also run the Carlo Bar – adjacent to the Legion Arts music hall upstairs, which serves an equally noteworthy list of tap beers and treats. Little Bohemia Tavern • 1317 3rd Street SE ‘Little Bo’s’ – as it is affectionately called – is exactly the kind of place you want to wander into in the middle of the afternoon and not leave – maybe until much after dark. Despite having been completely inundated by the flood of 2008, this bar feels like it hasn’t changed in 50 years. Actually more like 78 years, and that’s a good thing. Pork Tenderloins the size of tall tales,

2013 IowaState Fair

presenTed by

Grandstand line-up

Thursday, augusT 8

sunday, augusT 11

wednesday, augusT 14

saTurday, augusT 17

Casting Crowns

Dierks Bentley

Grand Outlaw National Tractor and Truck Pull

Demolition Derby and Figure Eight

with special guest Jeremy Camp, 8 p.m., $30

with special guest JusTin moore, 8 p.m., $39

Friday, augusT 9

monday, augusT 12

Happy Together Tour 2013

Deery Brothers Summer Series

starring The TurTles FeaTuring Flo &

laTe models, sporT mods, sToCk Cars, hobby sToCks and dirT TruCks, 5:30 p.m. hoT laps, 6 p.m. raCes, $17 adulTs, $5 Children ages 6-11 free for ages 5 and under

eddie, gary puCkeTT & The union gap, ChuCk negron Formerly oF Three dog nighT, mark lindsay Former lead singer oF paul revere & The raiders and gary lewis & The playboys,

8 p.m., $25

Tuesday, augusT 13

saTurday, augusT 10

Victoria Justice

Dana Carvey, Dennis Miller and Kevin Nealon From SNL

with special guest penTaTonix, 8 p.m., $29

11:30 a.m., $15 adulTs, $5 Children ages 6-11 free for ages 5 and under

sponsored by iowa Farmer Today, 2 p.m., $20 adulTs, $10 Children ages 6-11 free for ages 5 and under

saTurday, augusT 17

Thursday, augusT 15

Carly raE JEPSEN and THE WaNTED

Toby Keith Hammer Down Tour presenTed

by Ford F-series with special guest kip moore, 8 p.m., $49

sunday, augusT 18

alan Jackson and Gary allan

Friday, augusT 16

Train

with special guest Tba, 8 p.m., $35

with special guest maTT naThanson, 8 p.m., $39

8 p.m., $39

8 p.m., $38

augusT 8-18 800.745.3000 | iowasTaTeFair.org

Tickets for all concerts and events on sale now through all Ticketmaster outlets, online at ticketmaster.com or by phone at 800.745.3000. All concert seats are reserved. All track events are general admission. Convenience charges apply to all tickets. The Iowa State Fair Ticket Office will open July 8. Grandstand tickets do not include admission to the Fair. Gate admission must be purchased separately.

homemade Czech goulash, a few beers on tap, and the kind of folks who are happy to strike up a conversation with you, and introduce you to their friends, who might even buy you a beer – you get the idea. Prost!

Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity Restore 350 6th Ave SE www.cvhabitat.org/cvhfh/restore Probably the best Habitat Restore we’ve ever seen. You never know what you might find, but be prepared to find it! You can also feel good shopping from a great organization!

The Blue Toad 86 16th Avenue SW In the heart of Czech Village, serving authentic Czech fare along with American favorites. Bring your appetite, as the portions are impressive! And if there’s apple strudel, save room!

Cellar Door Antiques 2900 1st Ave NE thecellardoor.net Facilitating consignment and tag sales since 1983, this is a serious treasure hunt.

Treasure

1st Class Finds: 227 14th Ave SW www.facebook. com/1stClassFinds This resale shop specializes in all things mid-century modern and beyond. Their sign letter collection alone is worth checking out, and inventory changes often. Just across the street from Little Bo’s!

Farmers Daughters Market 495 Miller Rd, Hiawatha www.fdmarket.com Jennifer Goodlove presents an eclectic mix of farm fresh produce, specialty food items, antiques and gifts. A fresh soup, sandwich, panini, quiche, and dessert menu is also available on site. Little Bohemia

sleep.

eat.

work & play.

wake up at the winneshiek | breakfast • happy hour • dinner

HISTORIC

Life is

delicious at

Winneshiek NEW!

Tap Room

Happy Hour 4 - 6 pm Wednesday Free Apps! Sun-Thurs 4 pm - closing Fri-Sat 4 pm - closing

Breakfast Daily!

Albert’ s RESTAURANT&PUB

with Chef Tom Skold

Mon-Fri: 7 am - 10 am Sat-Sun: 8 am - 12 noon Sun-Thurs 5 pm - closing Fri-Sat: 5 pm - closing

Call about our event spaces! The historic Steyer Opera House can accommodate up to 250 people for conferences, weddings, performances – smaller venues are available for more intimate groups. Exceptional full-service catering.

Explore our great package, mid-week, & extended stays online! • hotelwinn.com • 104 E. Water St. Decorah, IA • 1.800.998.4164

Cedar Rapids Kernels Baseball • 950 Rockford Road SW www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t492 Now a class A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins! Get out to a game this summer! Wickiup Hill Learning Center 10260 Morris Hills Road, Toddville, Iowa www.facebook.com/wickiuphill Fantastic outdoor learning center with unique features all ages! Indian Creek Nature Center • 6665 Otis Road SE www.indiancreeknaturecenter.org With over 200 acres and four miles of trails, this Nature Center offers tons of family friendly programming near the city!

1st Class Finds

Snooz e

The Hotel at Kirkwood Center • 7725 Kirkwood Boulevard SW www.thehotelatkirkwood.com One of only two Iowa Hotels to have the AAA Four Diamond rating, this property is especially unique as it acts as the teaching hotel for Kirkwood’s hospitality management program. Don’t let that fool you though, the rooms are sleek, stylish, and extremely comfortable – and the details are perfect (they even emboss the toilet paper triangle!). Just three miles from the Eastern Iowa Airport, the hotel also offers free shuttle service to the airport, and also houses a state-of-the-art conference and event center. The Class Act Restaurant – a gourmet establishment served by Kirkwood’s groundbreaking Culinary Arts program – is on-site and worthwhile. Watch for special dinner event offerings and feel free to splurge on room service – you won’t be disappointed!

Prairiewoods www.prairiewoods.org Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center is a retreat and conference center focused on ecology and spirituality (or ecospirituality) located in Hiawatha just outside of Cedar Rapids. It features 70 acres of quiet nature walking trails, an outdoor labyrinth, and a lending library with an extensive collection of environment and meditation materials. Benji Nichols has always had a thing for river towns and can easily say that Cedar Rapids is his favorite new destination in Iowa. To quote a favorite and applicable lyric; “Don’t tell me this town ain’t got no heart – you just got to poke around.” Na zdravi!

DoubleTree by Hilton 350 First Avenue NE www.doubletree.com Opening in early June, this property, once known as the ‘Five Seasons Center’ has had a multimillion dollar facelift and joined the DoubleTree by Hilton family of hotels. Brand new rooms and views of the city extend from both the guest rooms as well as the top floor ‘350 First’ restaurant. Attached to the US Cellular Center, this facility can accommodate the largest of events with over 28,000 square feet of indoor space.

Outside

There’s plenty to do outside in the Cedar Valley as well. Check out a few of these local favorites while visiting! LAMBA Linn Area Mtn Bike Association lambaonline.org LAMBA is the regional organization responsible for developing and maintaining area mountain bike trails – located in Beverly Park as well as Squaw Creek Park and others.

Open Daily 6 am - 6 pm. Front St. Lansing, Iowa. 319.594.6795. thepaintedladyshop@gmail.com

theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2013

Now, Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Italian! Jim McCaffrey serves up an Italian meal to remember... By Jim McCaffrey Photos by Aryn Henning Nichols

Summer 2013 / theinspiredmedia.com

theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2013

Nothing but the best for our patients. • Same day crowns, veneers, & bridges with CEREC CAD technology • Less radiation & better diagnostics through digital x rays & records • Soft tissue laser to help heal canker sores & cold sores without a scalpel, drastically reducing healing time • New “wand anesthesia systems” that allow us to numb your teeth without a shot • State of the art building & equipment, with Wi-Fi in the waiting room • Wide range of all white & ceramic filling options • Now offering Invisalign

We’re here to make you smile.

Dr. Peter J. Blodgett • Dr. John E. Wilmes • Dr. Lana W. McDermott 108 Fifth Avenue, Decorah, Iowa • 563-382-3657 • www.decorahdental.com • Find us on 62

Summer 2013 / theinspiredmedia.com

The makings of a party..

have been kind of enamored – okay, totally hooked – by the food and culture of Italy ever since my good friend, James Ronan, and I backpacked Southern Europe the fall of 1976. We spent three memorable days in Venice. On our first outing we ventured down to the open-air fish market right near the Rialto Bridge. A plethora of freshly harvested sea inhabitants was set out on ice. The fishmongers used long water hoses to constantly spray their wares, keeping everything as fresh as possible. Well, looking fresh, anyway. The buckets packed with squirming live eels are indelibly etched in my mind even now, close to 40 years later. Eeew! Being young men on the go, hunger was always just around the corner, so we moved down to the end of a pier to a little takeout restaurant. Clueless to what to order and being on tight budgets, we went with the least expensive item on the menu. OMG! Mind-blowing. That spinach gnocchi had just added a credit or two to our culinary credentials. We enjoyed it so much we repeatedly kept returning back for more during our three-day stay. I’ve been back to that fair country a couple of times with my wife and current traveling companion, Brenda, and the food never disappoints. The meals are always simple and totally delicious. I decided for this month’s column I would like to recreate this dining experience for you (or really, for a fun group of my friends – you will recreate it for yourself with these recipes!). For the main dish I would prepare gnocchi from scratch, pan seared in a brown sage butter. Add to the plate Chicken Marsala with organic oyster mushrooms. Raised by local food producers, Fred and Caroline Finch of Back Forty Farms. They’re located just north of Harmony, Minnesota, and their mushrooms are to die for! I can’t get enough of them. If you like mushrooms at all, you positively have to try these

beauties. Great bold flavor and texture. They’re available to the public at the Oneota Food Co-op in Decorah. Yum! Anyway – back to the meal! Chicken Marsala is a surprisingly simple dish to prepare. Fifteen minutes from start to finish. Being a culinary genius is not a requirement here. Just bring your poultry to the kitchen counter, follow the easy instructions, and your loved one (ones) will be fawning all over you. Ok, maybe not quite fawning, but you get the gist. Finishing out the plate, I decided on asparagus drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with a bit of kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Simple. Delicious. But that still leaves the best part: dessert! Every good Italian meal should have a scrumptious dessert. My choice was Torta de Mele con Pinoli e Uvetta. Translation: Apple torte with pine nuts and raisins. I found this recipe a few years ago in a Williams Sonoma cookbook called “Savoring Tuscany”. I’m usually not much of a dessert person, but this rendition is decadently delicious. (Don’t forget the spring form pan; it makes life so much easier.) Our Italian dinner party happened to be a lunch party – we invited Aryn, Benji, and Roxie out, and the latter goes to bed too early for any late-night camaraderie. I realized that I have been working with Inspire(d) for almost four years and we haven’t really ever gotten together and broken bread, so it was high time! I also invited my erstwhile traveling companion James Ronan, and rounding out our little venue was the hostess with the mostest, my lovely wife, Brenda. High noon arrived and so did our guests. Everybody got settled in and I started by serving a simple salad with choice of homemade dressing. While Brenda and our guests were working on that, I went to the kitchen to prepare the main meal. Since the Marsala Chicken had the longest cooking time I began with that. Next I put my asparagus under the broiler. Timing is everything. I had already boiled my gnocchi and now pan seared those delectable

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Sue McKone-Burks, R.Ph. Mark Branum, R.Ph. Lori Rissman, R.Ph. 702 Montgomery, Decorah ph: 563-382-8765 fax: 563-382-1329 M-F: 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Sat: 8:30 a.m. -1:30 p.m. www.medicap.com/decorah © 2013 Medicap Pharmacies Incorporated, a Cardinal Health company. All rights reserved. All images are copyright-protected and must not be reproduced in any manner.

theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2013

puffs of potato pasta in a fresh sage butter. I plated up everything and brought it out just as salads were being finished. I got a few utterances of delight as Brenda and I served, and the Chicken Marsala was a hit with Roxie. Aryn almost couldn’t cut it fast enough to feed her. We chatted, laughed, and giggled through the meal, and everybody sat fully sated. But I jumped up: I’d forgotten to serve dessert! We managed to make room for that decadence just in time for Roxie’s nap…and I think we were all ready to second that notion. Ciao Baby!

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 humorous cookbooks “Midwest Cornfusion” and “Mississippi Mirth”. He has been in the food industry in one way or another for more than 40 years.

GNOCCHI 3 large russet potatoes, washed 1 egg yolk 2 1/3 cups flour ½ stick butter 1 Tbl fresh sage, chopped Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper ¼ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prick and bake potatoes until soft (about 90 minutes). While still hot, cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Let cool. Scoop potatoes out of skin and mince with a food scraper. Spread potatoes into a 24” by 12” rectangle. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle beaten egg yolk over potatoes. Add 1 ¼ cups flour and cut into potatoes. Turn mixture over on itself and fold together. When dough looks like coarse crumbs bring mixture together into a ball. Sprinkle a little flour unto the work surface. Flatten the ball into a disk. Add a little more flour. Fold and press dough until flour is incorporated. Add a little more flour until dough is no longer sticky. Roll into a compact log and cut into 8 pieces. Lightly dust work surface with flour. Roll each piece into a ½ inch cylinder. Cut into 1 inch pieces. Use the back of a fork to indent each piece. Heavily salt a pot of water and bring to a boil. In three batches, drop gnocchi in water for 2 to 3 minutes until they float. Retrieve with a slotted spoon and place on a plate. When ready to serve, melt butter in a skillet and add sage. Pan sear gnocchi until slightly browned. Plate up and add parmesan. Yum!

SPECIAL DELIVERIES IN DECORAH

Brought to you by the Gundersen Decorah Clinic

Providing full-service prenatal care including two nurse educators who along with our doctors help prepare moms for the delivery of their baby. Babies are delivered locally at Winneshiek Medical Center. Call (563) 382-3140 to schedule an appointment. Matt Thompson, DO • Janet Ryan, MD • Kurt Swanson, DO • Kristy Schilling, MD • Mary Payne, RN • Kirby Jones, RN Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, Inc. | Gundersen Clinic, Ltd.

Summer 2013 / theinspiredmedia.com

Evening Specials!

Specializing in wood-fired pizza & International Cuisine!

CHICKEN MARSALA ¼ cup all purpose flour 4 Tbl butter ½ tsp salt 4 Tbl olive oil ¼ tsp ground black pepper 1 cup sliced mushrooms (Oyster if available) ½ tsp dried oregano 4 skinless, boneless chicken ½ cup Marsala wine breast halves-pounded ¼ inch thick ¼ cup cooking sherry Combine flour, salt, pepper, and oregano. Dredge chicken breasts in flour mixture. Melt butter in oil in a large fry pan in medium heat. Lightly brown chicken, turn over and add mushrooms. Add wine and sherry. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, turning once. Chicken should be no longer pink inside. Enjoy!

Wednesday: Spaghetti & meatballs / kids pizzas Thursday: Chef’s Choice Check www.mcdolcevita.com Friday: Blackened Salmon for special daily dishes! Saturday: Steak of the Week Pizza, pasta, salads, sandwiches, soups, appetizers, homemade cheesecake & more! NAMED BEST PIZZA IN IOWA BY USA TODAY! Gift certificates available!

563.382.4723 SORRY - NO RESERVATIONS

2149 Twin Springs Road, Decorah, Iowa 4-9 pm Wed – Fri | 11-9 pm Sat | 11-8 pm Sun

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APPLE TORTE WITH PINE NUTS AND RAISINS 2 Golden Delicious apples 1 cup cake flour Juice of one lemon 1 tsp baking powder 3 eggs 1/8 tsp salt 1 ½ cups sugar 1 tsp lemon zest 1 stick butter, melted 1/3 cup raisins, (soaked ½ cup milk in warm water 30 minutes) 1 tsp vanilla 1/4 cup pine nuts Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter a 10 inch spring form pan. Dust with flour and shake out excess. Peel apples, halve and core. Thinly slice and place in bowl with lemon. Whisk eggs and sugar together in a bowl. Stir in butter, milk, and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, and lemon zest. Gradually pour and stir in egg mixture. Drain raisins and add along with pine nuts into the batter. Pour batter into spring form pan. Arrange apple slices on top in concentric circles. Bake for 45 minutes until a toothpick comes clean after inserting in center. Let cool completely. Cut into wedges and serve.

PeacefulSpringsWellness.com Doris Pfister Thompson, LMT, Owner

563-379-9700 •105 N Maryville St (Hwy 52) Calmar, Iowa

Movement for Health & Well-Being Change your life today! Contact Diane Sondrol for more information. 563.419.5420 or taichigrandmadi@msn.com Small group and private lessons available, all are welcome! theinspiredmedia.com \ Summer 2013

PROBITUARY – A NOTICE OF LIFE!

Armella Zweibohmer – 87 & loving family life!

Armella’s life in Northeast Iowa has been blessed by family! With 11 siblings and nine children of her own, she has 29 grandchildren and 35 great grandchildren that make up her loving bunch! Granddaughter Jill Wenthold interviews Armella, and gets her to share just a few of her life’s tales. What did you want to be when you grew up?

A mom, I always wanted a bunch of kids. Growing up I was the oldest of 12 children so there were babies around all of the time. It’s amazing all of my siblings are still living, I am 87 years old and my youngest siblings are 66 years old. What do/did you do?

I love babies and always wanted to be a mom. I was 19 years old when I married the neighbor boy, Gustave Zweibohmer, in October of 1945. We had nine children together and their names are James, Mary Jane, Ron, Dale, Karen, LouAnn, Jean, Michelle and Joan. We raised our kids on a farm. I gardened, sewed, and the kids were in 4-H.

Armella with her late husband, Gus.

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

My cell phone, water, and some kind of food. Try to describe yourself in one sentence.

I love people and have to be around people. If you could eat anything every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Banana or apple

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

Name one thing you could not live without.

A picture of my husband Gus. Multiple choice: tell us about…

Your first job: At the age of 16 I was hired by the Swenson family of Clermont to take care of their baby, cook and clean. When I wasn’t working for the Swenson’s I worked seasonally at Decorah Produce picking chickens. Your favorite memory: In 1944 when my neighbor, Gus, was honorably discharged from World War II. We had kept in touch over the three years he had been away in the service. Gus came home and found me out in the field picking corn; it was there he proposed.

Vennehjem Decorah’s Active 55+ Community

1102 Nordic Drive, Decorah IA email: friends@vennehjem.org

563-382-6521 www.vennehjem.org

Summer 2013 / theinspiredmedia.com

A Lifestyle Worth Living!

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Private, stacked ranch homes, 1 low monthly fee!

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Dr. Bradley E. Schwartz

Dr. Ashley K.Klocke

FIND US ON

Specialty Surgeons Close to home. When it comes to health care, the people caring for you make all the difference in the world. Winneshiek Medical Center has top-quality surgical facilities and technology, but our greatest investment is in our people - because you deserve the best experience that goes beyond your expectations. When you need surgery, ask for Winneshiek Medical Center. Our surgeons and staff are committed to putting the needs of our patients first—so you can stay close to home for quality care. www.winmedical.org/surgery 901 Montgomery, Decorah

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