Valley Sentinel - 09-22-2022

Richland County considers operating levy referendum — Ad Hoc Committee leading the effort

The Richland County Board of Supervisors has directed an ad hoc committee to investigate the possibility of a referendum that would increase the county’s operating property tax levy, if passed by Richland County voters. Two of the goals of the Referendum Ad Hoc Committee are to educate the public about what Richland County government does for the people and why the County is looking into the possibility of a referendum.

Richland County has approximately 280 employees. The vast majority of those exist at Pine Valley Community Village (85), the Health & Human Services Department (75), the Sheriff’s Department, (33), and the Highway Department (30). The remaining 57 employees are in smaller departments such as Ambulance, UW-Extension, and many courthouse offices. The County’s employees care for its seniors, people with mental health needs, victims of crime, people

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor:

I write in the hope of persuading your Republican-leaning readers to put fundamental democratic principles ahead of party loyalty.

It seems to me obvious that we are on the edge of a frightening crisis and that MAGA Republicans are substantially to blame.

Democracy is utterly dependent on a voluntary social contract. Once the commitment to peacefully accept the will of the majority is broken, autocracy looms. Look to Hungary to see how easily it can happen and how independent courts

Dear Editor:

The River Valley community has once again shown its amazing heart and generosity in supporting the 4PeteSake Charity. After 2 years of COVID cancellations, this year’s Day in the Park was a tremendous success. Attendees of all ages enjoyed music, activities, great food, and the joy of sharing a beautiful summer day together with neighbors, friends and family. Thank you, thank you to all who attended, volunteered, and donated time and treasure to our

Dear Editor:

Having recently met Leah Spicer and having been thoroughly impressed with her knowledge, her energy and her passion for our area and its people, I am writing to express why I think she is the best choice for the Wisconsin State Assembly district 51.

Leah’s focus on public education gives me hope that, with her working for us in Madison, there will be more equity in Wisconsin school funding. If we want a thriving democracy, we can’t

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are quickly circumnavigated. How any rational human being, in the face of overwhelming evidence, can continue to vote for MAGA Republican candidates is beyond my comprehension. And yet people I have always regarded respectfully as rational humans, have consistently supported extreme GOP candidates such as Howard Marklein. (Candidate for reelection to WI Senate, District 17)

To keep this letter brief, I will focus on one item: gerrymandering - one of several corrupt devices that the GOP uses to remain in power, thus thwarting the will of voters and

most important fundraiser!

As a result of the community’s support, 4PeteSake will be having a 2022 Fall Funding round. Individuals and families who are experiencing financial hardship due to a health-related situation and live within the boundaries of the River Valley School District may apply for assistance. The goal of 4PeteSake assistance is to make a substantial and lasting impact in the lives of recipients so they can focus on recovering and healing.

short change our public schools and I’m sure you know that our rural public schools are struggling.

Leah will strive to make every citizen’s vote count. The gerrymandering that her opponent, Mr. Novak, voted for sliced away parts of Ridgeway, Barneveld and Hollandale rendering those areas less competitive. No one wants to feel that their vote doesn’t matter!

Leah loves the driftless area and she is concerned about the environmental

Dear Editor:

I have only known Leah (Lay-ah) Spicer since she announced her candidacy for the 51st Assembly District. I have now met her several times, heard her presentation and seen her respond to diverse groups of people with multiple different and competing concerns. She is smart, well versed in the issues we in southwest

Dear Editor:

"Patrick Michaels took this great photo during September's Evenings Afield at the Welsh Hills. We obviously benefit from the tragic fires out west by having great sunsets. But there is something eerie about it, too."

-Barb Barzen, Community Conservation Specialist Driftless Area Land Conservancy

Submit your artwork or photography for cover consideration: editor@valleysentinelnews.com

Cover image lightly imaged traced by Julianna Williams

Marklein is in the wrong job. He should be a state auditor who monitors and ensures accountability of executive branch expenditures. He is more interested in building up a big state surplus account rather than governing to

Dear Editor:

I recently read in a letter to the editor that Senator Marklein was wrong for the job because he’s an accountant and wants to ensure accountability of expenditures. I would like to partly agree with that letter to the editor.

I do disagree with one word in that letter to the editor - "wrong". Senator Marklein is in the RIGHT job because he is an

traveling on public highways, and many others needing County services.

The County has an annual budget of $36 million, with the majority of funds coming from federal and state sources.

$10 million comes from Richland County property taxpayers every year.

Some departments such as the Sheriff’s Department rely heavily on property tax revenues. Others such as the Health and Human Services and Highway Departments rely less on property taxes, but need local monies to match

thereby overturning democracy. (Gerrymandering is wicked wherever it occurs, Marylanders take note!) More specifically, I will concentrate on local politicians where the votes of your readers can help turn the tide.

Howard Marklein ludicrously claims that Wisconsin doesn’t have a gerrymandering problem; Todd Novak (Wisconsin Assembly, 51st) is, in some ways, worse: he is a secret gerrymanderer and a blatant hypocrite. He knows full well that rigging maps is flagrantly wicked. He even supported a non-partisan map writing process when there was no chance of it becoming law but as soon Wisconsin Republicans

The application deadline is Saturday, October 8 and recipient interviews will be held on Sunday, October 16 at Christ Lutheran Church in Spring Green. Applications are available online at www.4PeteSake.com and at Arcadia Books in Spring Green. Please encourage people you know who would benefit from assistance to apply. Not everyone knows about 4PeteSake, and it is sometimes difficult to ask for help. Questions may be directed to Todd Miller at tmiller@4petesake.com or

legacy that we will leave our children and grandchildren. She also wants fairness in paying for pollution cleanup. Her opponent prefers to excuse water polluters from paying their fair share of this task. They made the mess while reaping their profits. I am in agreement with Leah that the burden of the cleanup should not fall entirely on the taxpayers. Her opponent prefers to hold them blameless while Leah knows that the fair thing to do is to hold them accountable.

Wisconsin face and she is creative in her approaches to solving our problems. In short, she is a refreshing new voice for our whole area.

We have serious problems in our region with schools attracting/keeping young families; water quality issues with both organic contamination and PFAS; a struggling farm economy and wages that

benefit ordinary Wisconsinites.

In one of his campaign letters, Marklein frets over inflation and that a family picnic costs 17% more. Then in the next paragraph worries over the 4.7% rise in K 12 teacher salaries and education expenses. Because it might reduce his

accountant. We couldn’t be LUCKIER that an accountant is willing to be our State Senator.

Accountant’s love to monitor expenditures and keep folks accountable. That’s something sorely needed in government.

As an accountant myself, I feel better knowing Senator Marklein is actually “fretting” about inflation because

revenues from the federal government and State of Wisconsin.

Since at least 2003, the State of Wisconsin has been reducing its shared revenues, which returns the income and sales taxes it collects to local governments. In 2001, Richland County government received $1.36 million. By 2022, that number had fallen to $1.22 million. If adjusted for inflation, that amount today would be

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needed universal compliance from their members, he voted for a provision that gave high priority to keeping maps the same – thus perpetuating the ability of an illegitimate minority government to remain in power.

We are being put to the test but fortunately all is not lost. We can vote for candidates who decry gerrymandering and fear the loss of democracy. In the 51st district, please, please support Leah Spicer. Only then can we return to a civilized debate on the issues that confront us.

David Frank Spring Green, Wisconsin

608-588-4619.

Once again, our deep appreciation to all the individuals and businesses that support the 4PeteSake mission. Your commitment helps to make the River Valley a truly extraordinary place to live.

4PeteSake Committee

Jean Alt, Ellie Barta-Moran, Caryn Birkhauser, Megan Perry Bond, Natalie Iausly, Evelyn Matten, Jeannie McCarville, Todd Miller and Svea Youngquist

Leah’s stances on public education, gerrymandering and the environment are just three of the many reasons that I support her. She is more than capable and extremely motivated to listen to and work with and for us. Unfortunately her opponent seems only to listen to Republican leadership. Leah Spicer will listen to us and fight for us in the Wisconsin State Assembly.

Kathy Britt Dodgeville, Wisconsin

fail to fully support young families. Leah Spicer is ready to address all of our issues and it’s time for new leadership in the 51st District. I am heartened by Leah Spicer’s fresh ideas, energy, and commitment for all the people of our area.

Zann Liljegren

Mineral Point, Wisconsin

surplus state savings.

Do not vote to re-elect Marklein because he really is an accountant and in the wrong job.

Linda Donnelly Spring Green, Wisconsin

inflation means less money for my family. I’ll be voting to re-elect Senator Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) on Tuesday, November 8th.

If you like more money in your pocket, re-elect the Accountant that knows how to keep it there.

Leo Almeida Reedsburg, Wisconsin

"Sunset on the Welsh Hills" (2022) Photo, by Patrick Michaels

Shaun Murphy-Lopez, Richland County Board Supervisor

Our Fragile Democracy — Part 5: The Senate – but first, the Senators

Beverly Pestel, Columnist

“Our Fragile Democracy” is a series of thought-provoking columns by retired local professor Beverly Pestel exploring the history and struggles of our nation's form of government from its founding to our current social, cultural and political tensions — looking at solutions and means of learning to work with one another, in hopes of preserving our democracy.

On Aug. 16, President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, a component of that Act puts $45 billion toward the expansion of the Internal Revenue Service enforcement department. In 2021, audits of corporate returns were only 2% of all audits, but those audits generated twice as much income as that from individual tax returns. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the enhanced IRS enforcement, targeted at high-income and corporate tax evaders, will generate an additional $204 billion in revenue over 10 years. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has directed the IRS to only use the new funding to increase enforcement of taxpayers earning more than $400,000. Ok, these are the facts according to Factcheck.org, now to the incomprehensible, violence-inciting rhetoric.

Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) tweeted: “Biden is building a shadow army of 87,000 new IRS agents to hunt you down and take your money. And, by the way, these IRS agents aren’t there to go after billionaires, they’re there to go after you. They’re there to go after your small business.” Factually incorrect. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said in an interview: “Are they going to have a strike force that goes in with AK-15s (sic) already loaded, all ready to shoot some small-business person in Iowa with these? Because I think they’re going after middle-class and small-business people.” Unimaginably irresponsible.

Threats of violence against IRS employees has skyrocketed. What are these senators thinking? It is hard to imagine anything more dangerous to our democracy than this kind of rhetoric– but this is where we are. In the face of this, it

is hard to go back to the structural issues that leave our democracy fragile – but here we go.

As we explore the contents of the Constitution as originally written, the statement by Heather Cox Richardson in a recent “Letters from an American” is worth keeping in mind. “The Framers had quite explicitly organized the United States not on the principles of religion or tradition, but rather on the principles of the Enlightenment: the idea that, by applying knowledge and reasoning to the natural world, men could figure out the best way to order society.” It is too easy to criticize decisions made 250 years ago. But it is also worth keeping in mind that it was men and not God who wrote the Constitution, and given the opportunity for Amendments, the Constitution is - and probably should be considered to be - a work in progress. The structure of the Senate should definitely be included.

I’m not a historian or a political scientist, so I’ve had to do a lot of research for this series. If you Google “U.S. Senate” a word that shows up with alarming frequency is dysfunctional. That dysfunction is probably a result of several things. First, the extreme partisan divide that currently exists. Second, the un-anticipatable level of expansion and nonuniform population growth that has occurred over 200 plus years. Third, the compromises necessary to get the Constitution written and ratified in the first place.

Let’s set the first two issues aside for now and get to the compromise. Known as the “Great Compromise” or the Sherman or Connecticut Compromise, this is evidently what kept the writing of the Constitution from blowing up in the Founders' faces and ending the Constitutional Convention altogether. The compromise was all about the sovereignty of the states and the dispute between small and large states over representation in the new federal government. It had been agreed that the House of Representatives would have proportional representation based on a state’s population – true representative government. However, the smaller states knew that could put them at a disadvantage. To resolve the issue, the Senate was constructed using equal

representation of the states, two Senators per state. The creation of this bicameral or two-chambered legislative body was the compromise to representative democracy given to the smaller states. In addition, the senators would not be elected by the people but would be appointed by the state

Considering the proposed bicameral legislature, Madison continues: “No law or resolution can now be passed without the concurrence, first, of a majority of the people, and then, of a majority of the States. It must be acknowledged that this complicated check on legislation may in some instances be injurious as well as beneficial.” Hmmmm.

Whether injurious or beneficial, “people rule” was compromised in this decision. The current state of affairs is a 50/50 Senate split. No clear Democratic Senate majority exists even though Democrats represent over 41 million more people than the Republican half of the Senate.

The Great Compromise got us a Constitution and a country, for that we need to be grateful. That doesn’t mean we need to be content with this status quo, we should be able to do better.

legislatures. So, representative democracy took a hit before the Constitution was ever completed.

The Federalist Papers were written and published by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison to advise the public on the contents of the Constitution and garner support for its ratification. Consequently, they are a good source of information on the deliberations of the Founders during the writing of the Constitution.

In Federalist Paper No. 62, James Madison tried to downplay the heated debate over the compromise resulting in the structure of the Senate: “The equality of representation in the Senate…does not call for much discussion…every district ought to have a proportional share in the government, and that among independent and sovereign States…however unequal in size, ought to have an equal share in the common councils.” Madison did, however, concede, “A government founded on principles more consonant to the wishes of the larger States, is not likely to be obtained from the smaller States. The only option, then, for the former, lies between the proposed government and a government still more objectionable. Under this alternative, the advice of prudence must be to embrace the lesser evil…” Eeek.

This brings me back to Alexander Hamilton in Federalist Paper No. 1.

Hamilton admitted, “Among the most formidable of the obstacles which the new Constitution will have to encounter may readily be…the obvious interest of a certain class of men …to resist all changes which may hazard a diminution of the power…they hold…” Those delegates to the Constitutional Convention who held positions of authority in the small states forced a compromise to representative democracy in order not to sacrifice some aspects of their state authority to the new federal government. This situation seems not to have changed.

At least one weakness in representative democracy was corrected in 1913, with the ratification of the 17th Amendment. The people were given the right to elect senators in that Amendment rather than have them appointed by the state legislatures. It may be time to explore additional changes to the Senate that would put it more in line with representative democracy and possibly put our democracy in a less fragile state.

Beverly is a retired professor. She lives in a remodeled farmhouse and tends 40 acres of woodland in Richland County. When not in the woods she spends her time reading, writing and enjoying the beauty of the Driftless Area.

We've been pretty consistently facing pressing issues due to graphic design bottlenecks, mostly when it comes to layout. The single thing that takes the most time each edition is manual publication layout. We have enough content each week for 20+ pages, but currently lack the manpower to layout and paginate as timely or extensively as we'd like. An easy remedy to the situation would be to give up print and become online-only — which is not something we ever plan to do. We ask for your patience as we update our hardware in the next few weeks and seek solutions as we grow. Press updates are always on our website. If you or someone you know has graphic design experience and would like to volunteer even a few hours every couple weeks to publication layout, many of our current bottlenecks would resolve and we'd be able to continue to expand our offerings to the community. Interested? Please let us know: editor@valleysentinelnews.com — Additionally, we have postponed our fall special section to Oct. 6.

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Beverly Pestel

Chris Hardie's 'Back Home' column

Goldenrod Corn moving to maturity

It’s tempting to proclaim the lawn and garden season over as we creep closer to fall, but the work remains even after the growing season ends.

Certain chores have already been suspended – like weeding our pathetic excuse for a vegetable garden – but we’ve planted new fall mums and have started to plant bulbs for next spring. I have been told that the flower gardens around the yard need one more weeding before the cold weather hits.

High on the weeding agenda is the removal of some goldenrod plants that emerged in one of the flower gardens.

Before I tangled with the enemy, I decided to do a little research on my foe. Goldenrod gets an undeserved reputation as the late summer hay fever contributor when it is actually ragweed that is the true culprit.

While goldenrod does have pollen, it is sticky and not wind borne like that of ragweed. They bloom at the same time, however, which prompts the blame.

Goldenrod grows all over any unpastured areas of our farm. I remember a day more than 50 years ago when my grandfather Keith Hardie and I were walking through the woods.

It was late fall and we came across the dried stalks of many goldenrod plants.

“I want to show you something,” Grandpa said. “You can use these plants to fish. Do you know how?” “Can you use the stalks as fishing canes?” I asked.

Grandpa smiled.

“Good guess, but no. Here’s how.”

Grandpa pulled out his pocket knife and cut into a round ball on the stem of

the goldenrod. Inside was a small grub. “Here,” he said. “Fish love these.”

Larva not used for fishing survives the winter and emerges as a fly the next summer.

Goldenroad is also edible. The flowers and leaves can be used for tea and the leaves can be cooked or blanched and frozen for soups or stews. It has some medicinal benefits.

Unlike other weeds, goldenrod is actually native to North America. There are now hybrid forms of the plant that are sold in garden centers.

I mentioned some of these interesting facts to my wife Sherry, thinking perhaps she would look more kindly upon those beautiful yellow flowers in her garden and I could scratch off one task in the to-do list without having to lift a finger.

None of this was news to her. The directive was again reiterated. “They are invasive and I want them gone.”

It was a good try though.

Chris Hardie spent more than 30 years as a reporter, editor and publisher. He was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and won dozens of state and national journalism awards. He is a former president of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. Contact him at chardie1963@gmail.com.

Chris Hardie, Columnist

Fall is officially here and farmers will soon be busy bringing in the harvest of corn and soybeans as the growing season comes to an end.

The annual growth cycle of corn is entering its final stages when soon it will be immune from frost damage. Every year corn moves through a series of stages from planting through the harvest. The progression varies by date every year with the changes in the weather.

Corn is the staple crop of farming country. There are just under 3 million acres of corn planted in Wisconsin this year. Nationwide the corn harvest for 2022/23 is expected to be just under 14 billion bushels, compared to 15.1 billion bushels last year.

A recent crop report in Wisconsin put out by the United States Department of Agriculture said that 78 percent of the state’s corn crop was good to excellent.

Ninety-two percent of the crop was in the dough stage or beyond and 63% of the corn was in the dent stage.

The dough stage is reached about 25 days after the corn cobs silking stage, according to R.L. Nielsen of the Purdue University Agronomy Department in his article “Grain FIll Stages and Corn”. It is defined by the doughy consistency of the corn as the kernels milky inner fluid begins to dry.

Reflections from Evenings Afield with the Lowery Creek watershed partnership

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controlling invasive plants, creating an interactive map of the watershed, and hosting workshops on pollinator plantings and other land management practices. We are also eyes and ears on the ground who make sure new landowners connect with resources they need to accomplish their goals for their land. That often means introducing them to area residents who have similar goals. We joke that we are becoming the local Welcome Wagon.

From the get-go, our group has intended to have an impact beyond our 8,600-acre watershed. We are already seeing that happen. Leaders from the Harry Nohr Chapter of Trout Unlimited assisted with our water monitoring and have now started monitoring another Iowa County stream. A resident of Clyde did the same and is now working with residents there to monitor a stretch of Otter Creek.

Our biggest impact beyond our borders gets me back to our Evenings Afield sessions. This is our favorite

activity because it gets to the heart of what we do – building community around conservation. You will hear these words a lot from our partner organizations. Since the Driftless region is 97% privately owned, it is up to all of us to steward this landscape.

Government programs and resources do play a critical role, but the driving force for land conservation here is individual passion, knowledge, and action.

To that end, our Evenings Afield events provide practical information, historical context, and valuable connections for people interested in land conservation. This year’s topics included controlling invasive plants, early Driftless life, European settlers in the area, farming systems for healthy Driftless soils, and prairie and savanna restoration. These happen at properties in and around the watershed.

Evenings Afield events provide a great stage for local expertise. Joe Stapleton told stories of his family settling here in the mid-1800s and passed around artifacts he has dug up

during decades of plowing fields. Dick Cates described this family’s transition from a conventional cow-calf and crop farm to grass-fed beef and wholefarm management, leading to a 2013 Leopold Conservation Award. Mark Cupp and Ryan Howell shared their vast knowledge of early human history in the Driftless Area and Riverway. World renowned soils expert Gary Zimmer got us digging in his organic farm field. Mike showed us that a slope covered with cedar trees can indeed revert back to a beautiful prairie, with hard work and prescribed fire. In May, he and Gigi La Budde passed samples of invasive plants around and advised us to start the often overwhelming fight against them in our favorite part of our property, then expand from there. The best parts of these events are the people who show up. Many are regulars who are getting to know each other, and most are from within 30 miles of Spring Green. Despite their varied backgrounds and professions, they all bring a contagious interest in learning, doing, and making a difference.

The dent stage is when the kernels dent near their crowns and 30 days later the corn is considered to be physiologically mature and safe from frost.

“Physiological maturity occurs shortly after the kernel milk line disappears and just before the kernel black layer forms at the tip of the kernels,” Nielsen writes. “Severe stress after physiological maturity has little effect on grain yield, unless the integrity of the stalk or ear is compromised.”

It’s funny how corn can quickly mature with each growing season while some would make the strong argument that I haven’t yet reached maturity after nearly 59 years. I’ll blame it on genetics because clearly I’m not a hybrid and there are questions about the integrity of my ears, which my wife says are usually not functional when she’s talking to me. Corny jokes … guilty as charged.

Early harvesting of corn is done in the form of silage, when the entire stalk is chopped and fermented for feed.

My days of unloading chopper boxes and filling silos are over, but one whiff of the slightly sweet and acid smell of corn silage takes me back to what seemed like simpler days on the farm. One of the last chores of the day was to fill the outdoor feed bunk before turning the cows out for night.

There was something satisfying about watching the cows enjoy the blend of corn and hay silage, particularly on fall days when night settled in. It was another day’s work complete.

To my farmer friends and colleagues, have a safe and prosperous harvest season.

When asked how these events have impacted attendees’ personal decisions and actions, we commonly hear that the information is helpful, but it’s the enthusiasm and comradery of these gatherings that have impacted them most.

We have been told that we are unique among watershed groups in focusing as much on community building and outreach as we do on water quality. It turns out, creating the chance to tap into local knowledge, watch a beautiful sunset, and drink a good beer with people who all love to care for this Driftless landscape is a pretty effective way to get land and water conservation done.

The Lowery Creek Watershed Initiative partnership is currently supported by the Bradshaw-Knight Foundation and generous individuals. For more information, contact barb@ driftlessconservancy.org.

Barb Barzen is a Community Conservation Specialist at the Driftless Area Land Conservancy.

Richland County considers operating levy referendum — Ad Hoc Committee leading the effort

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$2.27 million.

The State of Wisconsin has two laws that limit the amount of property tax a local government can levy. The first law says the County cannot raise the levy for operating expenses at a rate faster than new construction, unless the voters approve an operating levy increase through a referendum (Wisconsin Statute 66.0602). In Richland County, this is about 0.5% per year. The second law says the County Board can raise the levy for debt, as long as it stays below 5% of the value of all property in the County (Wisconsin

Constitution, Article XI).

The County Board has raised the levy for debt in recent years to build a new nursing home and fix our roads.

But the County Board has not been able to raise the levy for operating expenses, and as a result has reduced wage increases and health insurance benefits for employees, which has increased employee turnover rates to an unsustainable level.

The County Administrator has created a 5-year financial plan that estimates an approximate $4 million budget gap that will occur to keep up with rising costs by 2027, including regular pay raises for employees. The County Board

has directed its departments to identify how it will respond to necessary budget cuts.

The next job of the Referendum Ad Hoc Committee is to work with County departments to better understand which budget cuts can be made permanent, and which may be placed on a referendum to increase the operating property tax levy. If the committee decides voters should have a voice in determining whether budget cuts should be made permanent, it will make a recommendation to the Richland County Finance & Personnel Committee.

The Referendum Ad Hoc Committee

welcomes questions and thoughts from the public as it investigates the possibility of a referendum.

The public may contact Committee Chair Shaun Murphy-Lopez at 608-462-3715 or shaun.murphy@ co.richland.wi.us, or visit the committee’s website at https:// administrator.co.richland.wi.us/ minutes/referendum-ad-hoccommittee/.

Shaun Murphy-Lopez is the Richland County Board Supervisor for District 2 and Vice Chair of the County Board, as well as serving in leadership roles on multiple committees.

Chris Hardie, Columnist

Chris Hardie

Reflections from Lost Horizon Farm — The Dairy Barn (Part 2)

Each edition, retired dairy farmer Barb Garvoille brings her musings on dairy farm life from her own years of experience on Lost Horizon Farm with her late husband Vince “Mr. Farmer” Garvoille. This mooving memoir focuses on 1980-2000, join Barb as she rises with the herd.

The focal point of any livestock farm is its barn. Last edition we covered the hay mow, the upper level of the barn; in this edition, we cover the dairy portion of the barn, the lower level.

The Dairy Component of the Barn

Absent of cows, a dairy barn is a cold and character-less hollow; with cows, it becomes an incomparably vibrant space. On a dairy farm, the dairy barn is certainly the hub of all activity because every operation performed on a farm with milk cows is linked to the dairy barn.

Besides the stanchioned cows, the dairy barn at Lost Horizon Farm was home to hunting barn cats and their rodent prey. Barn Swallows nested on the exterior of the south end of the barn. (A myth exists among farmers that a barn with nesting swallows is protected from fire.) With the interior of the barn darker than the outdoors, rarely did a swallow fly into the dairy. Should a much beloved swallow fly into the dairy, it could easily be persuaded to fly out of one of the double doors found at either end of the barn.

Infrequently, starlings, pigeons or sparrows would fall from their roosting spots in the silos and fly into the dairy; these birds were usually soon caught by an alert cat and killed. Pigeons and sparrows were quickly reduced to a pile of feathers and a few less desirable “spare parts;” for some reason, starlings were killed but never consumed. Only once was a snake noticed emerging from a crack in the lime rock wall that bordered the mangers. It retracted itself so quickly that the identification of its species was impossible.

In the summertime, of course, insect life was plentiful. House flies, stable flies, and horn flies were a general nuisance but largely controlled by environmentally friendly pyrethrum premise sprays as well as knockdown sprays within the barn. The southern door through

which the cows exited the barn held a liquid insecticide filled jar fitted with wicking rope fingers that caressed the cows' backs as they left, providing them some relief from

biting flies.

Because of a cow's tougher hide, mosquitoes were more of a nuisance to humans than the cows. The cows wore insecticidal ear tags that repelled annoying face flies; dust bags positioned at proper cow height between uprights positioned in strategic places in the barnyard or pasture could also offer relief.

A cow, on her way to the pasture, would bunt the bag, and the insecticide-laden dust within it would powder the animal's face with protection.

In the heat of the summer, gigantic horse flies would occasionally ride on the back of a cow and get into the barn. The sound of a single buzzing horse fly and the memory of its painfully sharp bite would be enough to cause an obvious level of agitation within the entire herd. Horse flies are big targets when perched, and a person could generally walk between stanchioned cows and slap and kill or disable them. If a person was very adept, one could also use the pump sprayer and try to spray the big insect in flight.

Heel flies were a bit more discreet. If a cow had been attacked by this species, the larva would actually live in the cow, and during the winter, a bump would appear on the cow's top line. As the winter progressed the bump would enlarge, and, in the spring, a tiny hole opened, and an emerging whitish grub would become visible.

Well into each winter, louse powder would be applied to the top line of each cow. The louse powder took care of the heel fly grubs and also, of course, cow lice. Cows always

broadcast a louse infestation by exhibiting a very noticeable itchy behavior: rubbing their necks against the stanchion, rubbing posteriors with a stanchion mate, rubbing against stanchion dividers: rubbing, rubbing, rubbing.

The large barn door on the north end of the barn was fitted with a screen in the summertime, and on that screen, an early observant riser might find Luna or Cecropia Moths, Crane Flies or June Bugs.

Cows pick up visual cues, and each cow knew her own particular stanchion and owned that particular position in the barn. Any cow would demonstrate its territoriality with a bunt or push if another cow mistakenly took the wrong space. Lost Horizon's barn had 40 stanchions (6 of which had been remodeled into tie stalls for the biggest cows). Each stanchion was about 46 inches wide and 66 inches long with curved metal dividers between each cow. When a person would look into the barn from its north end, one would see the walkway, gutter grates covering the gutter that went in an elongated U on either side of that and then the rows of stanchions with cows on either side of the U. Locked in their stanchions, the cows faced the barn mangers formed by the space between the stanchion curb and the barn walls. Midway down the walkway was a gated feed alley connecting both mangers with the silo room.

The silo room had double locking doors that were kept closed except at feeding time. In the silo room were wheelbarrows and the feed cart. The feed cart was always covered with a homemade plywood cover so that the cats would not use the ground cattle feed in it as a litter box!

Along the barn wall was the medicine cabinet for storing durable items; medications requiring cooling were kept in a tiny refrigerator stored on a table where the wall was

recessed somewhat. A rectangular space in the limestone covered by a wooden slide provided a home for various brushes and currycombs. Special feed forks and scoop shovels and brooms for sweeping up feed as well as blue or white 5 gallon recycled plastic pails with feed scoops inside were propped against the manger walls. Any item not placed right against the wall could be reached by the cows and either knocked over or dumped. Cows were surprisingly adept at stretching their necks longer than a person might imagine!

A twine barrel into which sisal baler twine from small hay bales could be stored was also positioned against the wall. It doubled in wintertime as a favorite insulated and sheltered bed for whichever barn cat was lucky enough to hop into it first!

Manure forks (4 tines), pitchforks (3 tines), shovels, grate cleaners, manure scrapers and rakes were positioned mid-barn and at either end of the barn. Invariably the tool sought out had been placed at the end of the barn opposite to where it was needed! Wall hooks at various places held things like calving ropes, extra chain, nose rings, feed scales, and calf halters. Hanging over the walkway were extension cords threaded like colored snakes around a taut wire. These could be pulled into place to provide a plug-in for electric cow clippers or power tools, and, occasionally, for an additional light source needed when the vet had to perform a surgical procedure in the barn…

Barb has called Lost Horizon Farm, just north of Spring Green, her home for the past 42 years. She is fond of all creatures (including snakes). Her joy stems from being able to be outdoors every day observing and treasuring the plant and animal life on her small piece of this planet. She loved milking cows and is proud to have been a dairy farmer.

Barb Garvoille, Columnist

Barb Garvoille

Photo contributed by Barb Garvoille Young Barn Swallows in their nest.

Photo contributed by Barb Garvoille Cattle dust bag hung for cows to use as insect relief.

Photo contributed by Barb Garvoille A Cecropia moth on the farm.

COmmunitycalendar

COmmunitycalendar

Events for September 23 - October 7

Friday, September 23

THEATER: River Valley Players — Songs for a New World 7:30 PM Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green americanplayers.org Join us for a River Valley Players concert production of Songs for a New World. Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, featuring the ten-year reunion cast: Paula Daniel, Becky Schinker, Matt Snow, and Bob Willoughby. It's about hitting the wall and having to make a choice, take a stand, or turn around and go back. Tickets $15 in advance at slowpokelounge.com

SOLD OUT – LIVE MUSIC: Shitty Barn Session MIR4: Ben Mulwana - Musician In Residence 7:00 PM 506 E Madison St, Spring Green shittybarnsessions.com Doors open at 6 Ben Mulwana is a Ugandan-born and raised artist residing in Wisconsin. With soulful lyrics and a diverse range of musical inspiration, Ben's music has a storytelling quality that is both unique and familiar. Advance tickets sold out. That sald, tickets often come up that people can't use. Check website or socials for the latest detalls about ticket availability.

Saturday, September 24

Sunday, September 25 cont.

Honey Sunday — Pick Up Fresh Honey! 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM Reisinger Hilltop Farms, S11225 Schweppe Rd, Spring Green For more info search Reisinger Hilltop Farms on Facebook In honor of Jim and Jean Reisinger’s 46th Wedding Anniversary on September 25th. Come on by on Honey Sunday to pick up your honey. Discounts available for pick up.

Sunday Series — Yoga For Rural Bodies 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM Classes held North of Plain in a private studio space. ruralremedy.com What is a rural body? One that moves, works, and plays hard. One that requires the long view, the clear air, feet on the earth, the sounds of critters in the background, the darkness of a starry night sky. One that knows a long drive, a heavy lift, the firm hand of a neighbor. This series will help you build a regular movement and mobility practice based in the yoga traditions. Regular mindful movement can reduce your susceptibility to injury, contribute to your longevity, help you find some freedom, and just feels darn good.

Monday, September 26

Building Sustainable Trails 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM

The Driftless Trail, Spring Green driftlessconservancy.org Learn about the art, physics, tools, and techniques involved in designing and building trails. Willie Bittner, owner of Great Lakes Trailbuilders, designs and builds trails around the world, and loves to share his passion with others. This workshop involves trail construction activities, so be prepared to use tools for digging, raking, and moving rocks. Bring sturdy boots, leather gloves, water, and lunch.

Hill and Valley Exploration Tour 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM E3346 Kessenich Road, Plain Free explorehillandvalley.com The Hill and Valley Exploration Tour: A Celebration of Rural Living is a unique opportunity to explore the beautiful hills and valleys, view the fall colors, shop the fall harvest at rural farms, restaurants and businesses, and learn about the vibrant small farm economy of Northern Sauk and Richland Counties!

Spring Green Farmers Market 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM S230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green Spring Green Farmers Market Is a year-round outdoor market offering seasonal produce, local meats, baked goods and many other wonderful items. Held outside the Spring Green Community Public Library every Saturday morning. Pre-or ders are recommended. Visit our Facebook or Instagram page or email SGFarmersMar ket@gmail.com for a list of participating vendors and their contact into.

Healthy You 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM Spring Green Community Center 117 S. Washing ton St. Spring Green sgcommunitycenter.org Free event Dawn Kabot will host sessions on health issues. You will be provided with simple, realistic steps that you can take to achieve and maintain your best health. Myths will be debunked. Be prepared to share the health topics that you would like most addressed and ask questions about health that you would like to have answered.

Open Mic 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM . Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green slowpokelounge.com Join us the fourth Monday of every month for an Open Mic, hosted by Dylan Harris. We’ve got the mics, the plug-ins, the piano - you bring the music! Whether you want to play solo, sing to a back up, or get the band together, this is the place. So come on out and show your stuff, or just support the folks on stage. Either way, we’re making music together! No cover, but tips for our host are always welcome!

Plein Air Painting 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM Ars Lab, 143 S. Washington Street, Spring Green artslabspringgreen.org Create an alla prima painting with the guidance of award-winning plein air arist Bethann Moran- Handzlik. Plein air painting is outdoor painting. Alla Prima means "right away." Paricipants will complete their piece that day. The instructor will demonstrate techniques in the first hour. Then paricipants will set up in a nearby garden to paint. Bring your own materials and lunch. Materials list provided.

Tuesday, September 27

Driftless Landscape Tour 9:45 AM - 10:45 AM

Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center, 5607 Cty. Rd. C, Spring Green www.taliesinpreservation.org Join us for a conversa tion about land and culture while enjoying a 1-mile walk across the Taliesin estate. This outdoor tour will speak to the natural history of the estate, using Frank Lloyd Wright as the connecting theme. Guests will explore the landscape that Wright felt drawn to and learn about the geology, ecology, and agricultural history of SW Wi.

LIVE MUSIC: 9th Annual BBQ Cook Off — Smoke in the Valley 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Prem Meats, E5028 Hwy 14, Spring Green premmeats.com 21 and older: $25. 13-20: $15. 12 and under: FREE! Competitors will be turning in their best cooked Ribs, Chicken and Appetizers for a chance to win 1st prize. Samples of pork, chicken, pizza, appetizers, beer, liquor, and wine will be available all day. Live Music beginning at 11 AM with Psycherelic. At 1:30 PM Don Helix and The Champagne will take the stage and Shawn Schell will wrap up the evening beginning at 4 PM. Bean Bag Tournament registration opens at 11:30 AM, tourney begins at Noon. If you are interested in showing off your BBQ skills or entering the Bean Bag tourney, email smokeinthevalleyb bq@gmail.com.

LIVE READING: Peter Geye, "The Ski Jumpers" 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green slowpokelounge.com Peter will be reading from his newest novel, The Ski Jumpers, and will take questions and sign books. The Ski Jumpers is a remarkable story about love: between two brothers, and between a father and son. But it's also about the intense love of place, and a time in three lives when gravity had less hold and a spirit might fly. Peter Geye brilliantly captures the physicality of our connection to a landscape and to the moments when—despite incalculable loss—we bring the best of ourselves.

Wormfarm Institute: A Feast For The Senses — Edible Madison Harvest Dinner 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM Homecoming, 242 N Lexington St, Spring Green ediblemadi son.com $100/seat - ticket includes all food. Drinks sold separately Celebrate the fall 2022 issue of Edible Madison and get a preview of Wormfarm Institute's Farm Art DTour. Come at 5 for a happy hour with American Wine Project, and at 6, enjoy a chef-led multicourse dinner featuring fermented fare! Visit Edible Madison's website for more details and to purchase tickets.

Arcadia Book Club: Cynthia Newberry Martin, author of "Tidal Flats", at Slowpoke Lounge & Cabaret 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green readinutopia.com Cynthia Newberry Martin will discuss her book, Tidal Flats, with Arcadia’s Caitlyn de Araujo. What sacrifices would you make for a life with the person of your dreams? That is the question Cass and Ethan face on a vacation walk early in their relationship.

LIVE MUSIC: Drew Peterson with Long Mama 7:30 PM Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green slowpokelounge.com Drew Peterson is an independent Americana singer-songwriter who has captivated fans across the Midwest for over 20 years. Since fronting the Minnesota-based group Forty Watt Bulb, Peterson has spawned two other successful Roots projects; the twangy, upbeat Dead Pigeons and bluegrass- influenced Boxstore Bird.

Sunday,

Hill and Valley Exploration Tour 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM E3346 Kessenich Road, Plain Free explorehillandvalley.com

The Hill and Valley Exploration Tour: A Celebration of Rural Living is a unique opportunity to explore the beautiful hills and valleys, view the fall colors, shop the fall harvest at rural farms, restaurants and businesses, and learn about the vibrant small farm economy of Northern Sauk and Richland Counties!

Family Storytime 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM Plain Kraemer Library and Community Center, 910 Main St, Plain kraemerlibrary.org Fun stories, songs, and themed activities each week for children and their caregivers. Stories and songs 20-30 minutes followed by craft/activity. Children under 6 must be accompanied.

THEATER: Bread + Puppet perform "The Apocalypse Defiance Circus" 10:30 AM11:15 AM . Performing Arts Pavilion, Mazomanie . breadandpuppet.org .The perfor mance is by suggested donation ( $10-25) with no one turned away for lack of funds. The show is approximately one hour long. The Apocalypse Defiance Circus, is a bright, raucous melee of short acts governed by a brass band, addressing the heart of the current moment with diverse puppetry styles.

Wednesday, September 28

Open Play 10:30 AM Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St. Spring Green springgreenlibrary.org There will not be a storytime, as Ms. Grace is out, but families are still welcome to come in for open play in the community room! These will be cancelled if we have less than 3 families signed up, so make sure to sign up if you plan on attending!

River Valley Broadband Coalition 4:00 PM Virtual event rivervalleycommons.org We’ll be reading Chapters 1-4 of the Digital Inclusion Manual from the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA). We’ll discuss digital literacy training and how we can best provide that in the River Valley. Register for the discussion online.

SOLD OUT – LIVE MUSIC: Shitty Barn Session 276: The Deslondes // David Quinn

7:00 PM 506 E Madison St, Spring Green shittybarnsessions.com Doors open at 6 Infusing everything from saxophone, flute, and synth to string arrangements and a full drum kit for the first time, the group naturally progress and evolve in real-time on their third full-length offering, Ways & Means. Advance tickets sold out. That sald, tickets often come up that people can't use. Check website or socials for the latest detalls about ticket availability.

Thursday, September 29

Stitch and Bitch 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM Spring Green General Store, 137 S. Albany St. Spring Green springgreengeneralstore.com . The Spring Green General Store’s Stitch and Bitch handwork group meets Thursday afternoons weekly. All are welcome.

LIVE MUSIC: Janna and the Junkyard Dawg, Ft. Steve Brown @ Local Night 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM Post House Garden, Jefferson Street, Spring Green Look up “The Shed” on Facebook for more . Grills will be fired and beverages available, so come and enjoy the best that River Valley has to offer!

Knit Night at Nina’s 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Nina’s Department Store, 143 E. Jefferson St. Spring Green ninasdepartmentstore.com Every Thursday from 6 to 8 pm. All knitters and crocheters are welcome. Store closed after 5:30 pm.

Friday, September 30

59th River Valley School Fair 8:30 AM -7:00 PM River Valley Middle School gymnasi um, 660 Daley St, Spring Green rvschools.org The exhibits open at 8:30 a.m. with the gymnasium exhibits (in the River Valley Middle School gymnasium) along with various livestock and small animal exhibits showing on campus around the middle school. The livestock auction will begin at Noon near the School Fair Pavilion. Interested bidders may register 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. at the registration shed.

River Valley Homecoming 10:30 AM -7:00 PM 660 Varsity Blvd, Spring Green rvschools.org . This years theme: Wild Wild West! Stadum open house from 10:30-1:30. RV Athletes Meet and Greet 12:30-1:30. The parade begins at 3 PM, lineup begins at 1:30 pm at River Valley High School Parking Lot. The Blackhawks will play the Lancaster Flying Arrows at 7 P.M.

Friday, September 30 cont.

Teen Game Day 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM . Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green . springgreenlibrary.org . Come try out video games, board games and more! Designed for middle and high school aged teens.

LIVE MUSIC: The Driftless Plowboys

7:30 PM - 10:00 PM Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green slowpokelounge.com The Driftless Plowboys are a new band playing vintage music that combines hillbilly pre-country with Hawaiian steel guitar. This unique quartet also incorporates the Gypsy Jazz of Django Reinhardt and the Western Swing of Bob Wills, as well as more modern country tunes from the '40s and '50s. It's an ear-catching amalgamation of heart, humor and rootsy flavor. $10 in advance, $15 at the door

Saturday, October 1

Spring Green Farmers Market 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM S230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green Spring Green Farmers Market Is a year-round outdoor market offering seasonal produce, local meats, baked goods and many other wonderful items. Held outside the Spring Green Community Public Library every Saturday morning. Pre-or ders are recommended. Visit our Facebook or Instagram page or email SGFarmersMar ket@gmail.com for a list of participating vendors and their contact into.

Driftless Landscape Tour 9:45 AM - 10:45 AM Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center, 5607 Cty. Rd. C, Spring Green taliesinpreservation.org $25 Join us for a conversa tion about the interconnectedness of land and culture while enjoying a 1-mile walk across the Taliesin estate. This outdoor tour will speak to the natural history of the estate, using Frank Lloyd Wright as the connecting theme between topics. Guests on this tour will explore the landscape that Wright felt drawn to and learn about the geology, ecology, and agricultural history of southwestern Wisconsin that attracts so many people to the Driftless Area. Registration required.

Farm/Art DTour 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Various locations throughout Southern Sauk County wormfarminstitute.org Join us to celebrate the fall harvest with live dance, music, and a 20-foot-tall puppet. Check online to see the full schedule and locations!

Experience Agroforestry! — Farm/Art DTour and Open House 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM E6828 State Rd. 60, Spring Green (use East entrance) wormfarminstitute.org You can explore the sights, smells, sounds, and tastes of agroforestry for yourself during the Savanna Institute’s North Farm Open House on October 1st! Members of the public are encouraged to visit to learn more about how agroforestry can fit into the Sauk County landscape. For their own safety, please NO DOGS. Restrooms not available.

Farm/Art DTour: The Giant Farmer of Plain 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM Green Blvd., Plain wormfarminstitute.org On view Oct 1-10! The Farmer, made by local fabricators from Kraemer Bros., will amble across a harvested hemp field during both DTour weekends, suspended from an extendable forklift and activated by puppeteers from the region.

Fall Open House at Wild Hills Winery 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM . Wild Hills Winery, 30940 Oakridge Dr., Muscoda wildhillswinery.com Join Wild Hills Winery for their Fall Open House! They'll have wine samples, wood fire pizza, a vineyard walk, and live music by Donnie Reyzek. Come and see the incredible Fall colors on the ridge and try some of their delicious wine made with grapes grown right from the estate.

Sunday, October 2

Fall Service at the Brown Church 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM The Brown Church, 29864 Brown Church Dr. Lone Rock friendsoflittlebrownchurch@gmail.com Services at the Brown Church are ecumenical and everyone is welcome to attend. The sermon will be given by Pastor Rebecca Clancy, retired minister from the First Congregational Church of Geneva, IL and Professor of Theology at Elmherst University. Special music will be by the Spring Green Ukulele Group.

LIVE MUSIC: Farm/Art DTour 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM E6828 State Rd. 60, Spring Green wormfarminstitute.org Join us to celebrate the fall harvest with live music from: Kelly Jackson, folk, jazz, country, hip/hop and rock, from 1-2, Taiqaa//Ambe Omaa, melds Anastasia’s Yup’ik throat singing traditions with nibiiwakamigkwe’s Nunavut-based throat singing teachings.and Felix B. Sainz, Jr. + Jahmes Finlayson, a collaboration of music and storytelling, multilingual vocals with a fusion of samba & jazz from 4-5. The Giant Farmer of Plain will be from 1-3:30!

Coffee with the Cows 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM Green Pastures Cattle Co, S8857 CTH-C, Plain greenpasturescattleco.com Save the date for a fall edition of coffee with the cows. We will have our shop full of delicious Longhorn ground beef, our merch, some original art prints by me, pumpkins and everyone’s favorite barista Sam of @butternutroad_coffeetruck will be there slingin’ coffees.

APT Apprentice Program 1:00 PM 5950 Golf Course Rd, Spring Green american players.org.com This program is vitally important to finding and encouraging young actors who are interested in classical theater. The Apprentice Project offers an opportu nity to see their talent in action. The event is free and tickets are not required.

Monday, October 3

Morrill Lecture Series — A Decent Home: Screening and Conversation 6:30 PM Gard Theater, 111 E Jefferson, Spring Green morrilllectures.org Film by Sara Terry; Conversation with Candi Evans Gard Theater The evening will begin with a screening of A Decent Home, a feature length documentary film that addresses urgent issues of class and economic inequity through the lives of mobile home park residents who can’t afford housing anywhere else. Candi Evans, Iowa park resident and activist for manu factured home park issues, will share her experiences after the screening.

Trivia Night 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green slowpokelounge.com Join us for a night of Trivia! Kyle Adams will host as we put teams together for a contest of trivia. Come for the prizes, stay for the fun! First Question at 7:00 - and it should last about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Tuesday, October 4

Family Storytime 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM Plain Kraemer Library and Community Center, 910 Main St, Plain kraemerlibrary.org Fun stories, songs, and themed activities each week for children and their caregivers. Stories and songs 20-30 minutes followed by craft/activity. Children under 6 must be accompanied.

Wednesday, October 5

Fall Storytime 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM 234 N. Broadway St, Lone Rock. For more info, search Lone Rock Community Library on Facebook Join us for storytime and crafts! Storytime at the Library 10:30 AM Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green springgreenlibrary.org Join Ms. Grace this morning for storytime at the library. We'll have stories, songs, and fun! We ask that people sign up in advance online, as storytime will not be hosted if less than 3 families sign up. Families are still welcome to attend if they have not signed up, but be sure to check the website or Facebook page to ensure we have not cancelled for that day.

Hike With Mike & Grace: Prairie Botany 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM 5607 County Road C Spring Green taliesinpreservation.org Free event Join us for a series of natural ist-led hikes on the landscape that inspired Frank Lloyd Wright. This hike will highlight southwestern Wisconsin’s geology, flora, and fauna as you take in the fresh air and scenic views. Registration required.

LIVE MUSIC: Shitty Barn Session 277: Shane Leonard w/ Abigail Zimmer 7:00 PM 506 E Madison St, Spring Green shittybarnsessions.com Doors open at 6 Advance tickets $20 Shane Leonard is a record producer, musician, mix engineer, and songwrit er who lives in Eau Clair. Equally at home in an indie rock band as he is in an old time stringband, those who work with Shane know him as a studio/live swiss army knife, helping their sound to evolve past previous benchmarks.

Stitch and Bitch 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM Spring Green General Store, 137 S. Albany St. Spring Green springgreengeneralstore.com . The Spring Green General Store’s Stitch and Bitch handwork group meets Thursday afternoons weekly. All are welcome. Knit Night at Nina’s 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Nina’s Department Store, 143 E. Jefferson St. Spring Green ninasdepartmentstore.com Every Thursday from 6 to 8 pm. All knitters and crocheters are welcome. Store closed after 5:30 pm.

Friday, October 7

LIVE MUSIC: Jambidextrous 7:30 PM - 10:30 PM Slowpoke Lounge, 137 W Jefferson St., Spring Green slowpokelounge.com Jambidextrous is a 5 piece jazz group of recent vintage, but comprised of 5 veteran musicians from the Spring Green area. A history of jazz is presented, showcasing progressive jazz, funk, and rock. Pies, Pages and Puzzles 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM 910 Main St, Plain kraemerlibrary.org

Visitors are invited Friday and Saturday to fill a new library tote bag with a wide variety of books, DVDs, and jigsaw puzzles for $5. Homemade pies will be available for $10 each on SATURDAY ONLY.

WHAT’S HANGINg ?

ongoing art exhibitions

Local Art at the Library: Sharon Nicholas and Amber Westerman Ends Sept. 30th Hours Vary Spring Green Community Library, 230 E. Monroe St., Spring Green Sharon Nicholas is exhibiting her Bead Architecture in the Glass Case Gallery. Amber Westerman is illustrating a variety of her architectural design projects with hand-drawn sketches, color marker presentation drawings, hand drafted plans and elevations, computer aided drafting (CAD) plans, photographs and more in the Community Room Gallery Monday-Thursday: 10 AM - 7 PM Friday: 10 AM - 5 PM Saturday: 9 AM - 1 PM

Art in the Woods Ends October 9th Sunrise - Sunset Throughout APT property, 5950 Golf Course Rd, Spring Green americanplayers.org FREE Art in the Woods is a series of art installations displayed throughout the APT property. Art that evokes conversation, that intertwines with our landscape, that sparks your imagination. Art in the Woods is presented with major support from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.

FARM/ART DTOUR: What's the PassWord? October 1st - 10th The Farm/Art DTour wormfarminstitute.org Five poems and 10 honorable mentions were selected by guest judge Katrin Talbot. The winning five poems — by Rob McClure, Cherie Burbach, Sandy Swanson, J.A. Berlin, and Cari Tenadu — will be hand-painted on a series of signs that over 20,000 DTourists from across the Midwest read as they drive by.

CIVICS & SERVICES Calendar

For everyone asking “where have all the Bridge and Cribbage clubs gone?” (those go in our general community calendar, but nice try), “why won’t any young adults attend village board meetings?” and “how do I get more people at my service organization meetings?” — this is the calendar for you!

This calendar will be a place listing (for free) the typical meeting dates for area governmental bodies,

This calendar will grow and change, but is not necessarily intended to be exhaustive. We can't build it alone, if your service or community organization would like to be included, please let us know.

Please email us with these meetings, or use the form on our Community Calendar page — and let's build community together: editor@valleysentinelnews.com

September 28:

MEETING: Village of Spring Green Board Meeting 7:00 PM Virtual event vi.springgreen.wi.gov

October 1:

DONATION: Friends of the Library Book Collection 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Library Community Room, Spring Green Library, 230 E. Monroe St. Spring Green spring greenlibrary.com The Friends of the Spring Green Community Library will accept donations of gently used books for resale. Donations of no more than four boxes are preferred.

October 2:

MEETING: Coon Rock – Join 4H! 5:00 PM Arena Fire Station, 111 David Cir, Arena Develop positive relationships with peers and adults, be actively involved in their own learning, contribute as active citizens through service and leadership,and much more!

October 4:

MEETING: Village of Arena Board Meeting 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Arena Village Hall, 345 West St, Arena villageofarena.net Arena typically holds board meetings the first tuesday of the month.

October 10:

MEETING: River Valley Area Community Gardens Board of Directors Meeting 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM River Valley Area Community Gardens, Corner of Westmor Street and Locust Drive, Spring Green

October 13:

MEETING: Richland Area Retired Educators’ Association (RAREA) 9:30 AM The Phoenix Center, 100 South Orange Street, Richland Center . The cost will be $15 for RAREA members, their guests, and prospective members; this meeting is not open to the public. RSVP deadline for all attendees will be 12 noon on Monday, October 10, 2022, and should be directed to RAREA President Paul Murphey, 269 South Park Street, Richland Center, WI, 53581-2303; 608.647.6439 or pmurphey@mwt.net.

October 14:

VOLUNTEER: Ridgeway Pine Relict Workday 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Ridgevue Road, Ridgeway Ridgeway Pine Relict State Natural Area is known for its large, quality wetlands and spring complexes. With prescribed burning and brush control, DNR crews and volunteers have increased efforts to improve this site. Questions or to RSVP to attend this workday, contact Mary Kay Baum at marykbaum@gmail.com or 608-935-5834.

The Community Calendar is curated and designed by Julianna Williams. Events are subject to change, always check ahead for up-to-date information on any events you are interested in.

Thursday, October 6

Updated: 9/21/2022

covid case activity level

Updated: 9/21/2022

This map shows the current CDC COVID-19 Community Level for each county in Wisconsin. Community levels measure the impact of COVID-19 illness on health and health care systems in communities.

COVID-19 community levels can help communities and individuals make decisions based on their local context and their unique needs. Community vaccination coverage and other local information can also inform decision-making for health officials and individuals.

county level weekly statistics

Updated: 9/21/2022

Vaccine Summary Statistics

9/21/2022

These two core measures are measures of herd immunity in Richland, Sauk and Iowa County. We do not yet know what level of vaccination leads to herd immunity for COVID-19, or how current or future variants might affect herd immunity. We know based on other diseases that herd immunity is likely at least 60%, and if more transmissible variants become more common, that threshold may become higher, so the current target range is 60-90%. -Adapted from Madison Public Health and Dane County

River Valley Fall Sports and Activities

Mock Trial competes in Yale tournament

Jason Hollenberger, RVHS Mock Trial Head Coach

River Valley Mock Trial competed in the prestigious Bulldog National Invitational Tournament at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut on September 17-18. Hosting championship-level high school mock trial teams from around the country, the Bulldog Invitational is one of the premiere secondary school mock trial tournaments in the nation.

Because of continuing COVID-related difficulties, this year’s tournament was split into two separate weekends with the Blackhawks taking part in the first weekend through Zoom video conferencing. The Blackhawks compiled a 0-3-1 record over the two day tournament, drawing a tough slate of large school competitors.

In the first Saturday trial, the

Swimming

The River Valley/Richland Center (RVRC) Girls Swim Team had a busy start to their season swimming 4 meets in 7 days. First meet was the Deforest Invite where RVRC team finished 6th out of 7th teams with Oregon taking 1st place. This meet ran a little different than normal. There were three divisions and each team could enter one swimmer in each event. Our top finishes in individual events were Lily Saperstein who won a third place in the 200 Individual Medley and 2nd place in the 100 Backstroke. Grace Tjossem took 3rd place in 50 Freestyle for the Red Division and Bobbi DuCharme also finished third in the 50 Freestyle in the Blue Division. McKenzie Kruse took second place in the 100 Freestyle in the White Division. Megan Nachreiner finished third in the 500 Freestyle for the Blue Division. RVRC’s high placing relay was third place in the 200 Free Relay with Alexis Webb, Tessa Schluter, McKenzie Kruse and Grace Tjossem for the Red Division. Next for the RVR Girls Swim Team was a triple dual meet with Baraboo and Manitowoc Lincoln. RVRC defeated Manitowoc Lincoln by a score of 98 to 70. RVRC was defeated by Baraboo 119 to 49. Baraboo also beat Manitowoc Lincoln. Top individual finishes in the Manitowoc Lincoln meet were Charlotte Ferstl taking 2nd in the 200 Freestyle and 2nd in the 500 Freestyle. Bobbi DuCharme finished 1st in the 200 Individual Medley and 1st in the 100 Freestyle. Lily Saperstein was 1st in the 50 Freestyle and 1st in the 100 Backstroke. Megan Nachreiner took 1st place in the 100 Butterfly and 2nd in the 100 Backstroke. Tessa Schluter took 2nd place in the 100 Breaststroke. RVRC won all three relays against Manitowoc Lincoln. Finishing first in the 200 Medley Relay was Lily Saperstein, Grace Tjossem, Megan Nachreiner and Bobbi DuCharme. In the 200 Free Relay RVRC took first with Marissa Needham, McKenzie Kruse, Charlotte Ferstl and Grace Tjossem. In the 400 Free Relay Bobbi DuCharme, Charlotte Charlotte Ferstl, Megan Nachreiner and Lily Saperstein also took first place. In the dual meet against Baraboo RVRC’s top individual finishers were Lily Saperstein taking 2nd in the 50 Freestyle, Megan Nachreiner finishing 1st in the 100 Butterfly, Bobbi DuCharme with a 2nd place in the 100 Freestyle and Charlotte Ferstl taking 2nd place in the 500 Freestyle. Baraboo took 1st and 2nd places in all three relay events.

Blackhawks met Invictus Advocacy Academy, a school from Tampa, Florida, that finished second in the Florida State Mock Trial Tournament this spring.

Junior attorney Gigi Royko Mauer led River Valley in the scoring, and was named the second best attorney in the round; Junior witness Tiana Rabine and Junior witness Jacob Klein also earned top rankings. In the end, Invictus was too strong for the Blackhawks, taking both of the judge cards in the trial.

In the second Saturday trial, Valley faced Veritas Preparatory Academy from Phoenix, Arizona. Veritas was highly rated coming into the Bulldog Tournament having won the Arizona State Championship and placing third at Nationals this spring. Despite two perfect performance scores from Royko Mauer, a perfect performance score

August 25 the RVRC team hosted the Lodi/Wisconsin Height team in Spring Green at the municipal pool. RVRC won the meet with a score of 113 to 38. In the 200 Medley Relay RVRC finished first with Grace Tjossem, Bobbi DuCharme, Lily Saperstein and Megan Langrehr and 3rd place with Marissa Needham, Megan Kannenberg, Alexis Webb and Caroline Dittmer. In the 200 Freestyle RVRC took first with Megan Nachreiner, second with Charlotte Ferstl and fourth with Tessa Schluter. In the 200 Individual Medley RVRC placed second with Marissa Needham, third with Megan Kannenberg and fourth with Alexis Webb. RVRC swept the 50 Freestyle with Bobbi DuCharme, Megan Langrehr and Tessa Schluter. In the 100 Butterfly Lily Saperstein won first place and Megan Langrhr took third place. In the 100 Freestyle Grace Tjossem was second, McKenzie Kruse was third and Marissa Needham took fourth place. Megan Nachreiner finished first and Charlotte Ferstl second in the 400 meter freestyle. In the 200 Free Relay RVRC won first with Bobbi DuCharme, McKenzie Kruse, Charlotte Ferstl and Megan Nachreiner. Finishing second in the relay was Alexis Webb, Megan Kannenberg, Tessa Schluter and Caroline Dittmer. RVRC had no competition in the 100 Backstroke taking first with Lily Saperstein, second by Grace Tjossem and third place was Alexis Webb. In the 100 Breaststroke RVRC had Bobbi DuCharme take third and Megan Kanneberg was fourth. In the 400 Free Relay RVRC won first place with Megan Nachreiner, Charlotte Ferstl, Lily Saperstein and McKenzie Kruse. Finishing in third was

from Sophomore witness Jazmine Gauger, and top rankings from Klein, Gauger, and Sophomore witness Megan Langrehr, Veritas bested the Blackhawks on both of the judge cards in the round. Veritas would go on to win the Bulldog Tournament.

The first Sunday trial saw the Blackhawks matched up with Bishop Lynch High School from Dallas, Texas. The Blackhawks earned ranked attorney performances by Royko Mauer, Junior Ryan Kane, and Sophomore Isaac Deibert. Klein was ranked best witness in the trial; Gauger also received a top ranking on one of the judge cards. Despite Bishop Lynch’s enrollment being almost three times greater than River Valley, the Blackhawks battled the Friars to a split decision among the judges’ cards.

In the final trial of the tournament, Valley met King’s Academy, a private school from West Palm Beach, Florida. The round featured another perfect performance by Gauger and a standout performance by Junior witness Isaac Daniel as well as top rankings for attorneys Deibert, Kane, and Royko Mauer. The Lions narrowly defeated the Blackhawks by 2 points out of the 222 total points on one judge card to avoid another tie.

The Yale contingent of the River Valley Mock Trial Team included attorneys Isaac Deibert, Ryan Kane, and Gigi Royko Mauer, as well as witnesses Isaac Daniel, Jazmine Gauger, Ryan Klein, Megan Langrehr, and Tiana Rabine. River Valley is coached by attorney coach John Conlon and teacher coach Jason Hollenberger.

Megan Langrehr, Marissa Needham, Grace Tjossem and Tessa Schluter. August 27 the RVRC girls swim team competed at the Milton Invitational. At the meet RVRC edged out Beloit Memorial by ten points for third place out of the ten teams swimming in the event. Milton won the meet with Jefferson/Cambridge taking second. Scoring points individually for RVRC were Charlotte Ferstl taking 7th in the 200 freestyle and 7th in the 500 freestyle. Marissa Needham finished 9th place in the 200 Freestyle and 9th in the 100 Backstroke. Megan Langrehr won 7th place in the 200 individual medley and 15th in the 100 Breaststroke. Megan Kannenberg was 8th in the 200 individual medley and 12th in the 100 Freestyle. Lily Saperstein took 4th in the 50 freestyle and 5th in the 100 individual medley. Bobbi DuCharme finished 6th in the 50 freestyle and 3rd in the 100 freestyle. Grace Tjossem was 11th in the 50 freestyle and 8th in the 100 backstroke. Megan Nachreiner took 3rd place in the 100 butterfly and 3rd place in the 500 freestyle. Alexis Webb finished 15th in the butterfly and 14th in the 100 individual medley. Tessa Schluter was 13th in the 100 freestyle and 14th in the 100 breaststroke. McKenzie Kruse took 11th in the 100 individual medley and 12th in the 100 breaststroke. Relays scoring for RVRC was the 200 Medley Relay finishing fourth with Megan Nachreiner, Lily Saperstein, Grace Tjossem and Bobbi DuCharme. The 200 free relay also took fourth place with Marissa Needham, Grace Tjossem, Charlotte Ferstl and McKenzie Kruse. RVRC won 3rd place in the 400 free relay with Bobbi DuCharme, Lily Saperstein, Megan Nachreiner and

McKenzie Kruse.

Coach Emily Nachreiner said “We are proud of how hard the girls have been working in practice since the start of the season. They have been practicing twice a day for most days since August 9th and their hard work is paying off. Besides being 2 and 1 in our first three dual meets and finishing 3 out of 10 in our last invitational, many of the girls are swimming some personal best times already early in the season. It will be fun seeing how well they improve over the rest of the season”.

The River Valley / Richland Center (RVRC) varsity girls swim team defeated the Portage Warriors with a score of 114.5 to 33.5 September 1, improving their dual meet record to 3-1.

Individual scorers were: Megan Nachreiner – 1st in 200 meter freestyle, 1st in 400 meter freestyle; Charlotte Ferstl – 3rd in 200 meter freestyle; Bobbi DuCharme – 1st in 200 meter Indiviudal Medley, 1st in 100 meter freestyle; Megan Langrehr – 2nd in 200 meter individual medley, 2nd in 100 meter butterfly ; Alexis Webb – 3rd in 200 meter individual medley, 4th in 100 meter backstroke; Lily Saperstein – 1st in 50 meter freestyle, 1st in 100 meter breaststroke; Grace Tjossem –2nd in 50 meter freestyle, 2nd in 100 meter freestyle; McKenzie Kruse – 3rd in 50 meter freestyle, 3rd in 100 meter breaststroke; Megan Kannenberg –3rd in 100 meter freestyle, 2nd in 100 meter backstroke; Marissa Needham – 2nd in 400 meter freestyle, 1st in 100 meter backstroke; Tessa Schulter – 4th in 100 meter breaststroke.

Relays scoring were: 1st place – 200 meter medley relay: Marissa Needham, Megan Kannenberg, Lily Saperstein and Tessa Schulter; 1st place – 200 meter freestyle relay: McKenzie Kruse, Grace Tjossem, Megan Langrehr, Lily Saperstein; 2nd place – 200 meter freestyle relay: Charlotte Ferstl, Alexis Webb, Megan Nachreiner, Bobbi DuCharme; 1st place – 400 meter freestyle relay: Megan Nachreiner, Charlotte Ferstl, Marissa Needham, and Bobbi DuCharme; 3rd place – 400 meter freestyle relay: Megan Langrehr, Olivia Hackl, Megan Kannenberg, Tessa Schulter. Coach Mike Nachreiner said, “It is great that the girls’ hard work continues to pay off. It’s fun to see the team get excited when somebody gets their best time. We are looking forward to seeing them compete again next Saturday at Lodi.”

Emily Nachreiner, RVRC Swimming Co-Head Coach

We will continue to get caught up with Swimming, Cross Country and Soccer next edition

Photo by Taylor O'Neill River Valley/Richland Center swim team seniors, left to right: Alexis Webb, McKenzie Kruse, Charlotte Ferstl, Megan Nachreiner, Grace Tjossem.

River Valley vs. Dodgeville

Recap: Q&A

The River Valley Varsity Football team came into this September 9 game 0-3 on the season. They lost versus Dodgeville, 14-20.

Q: Watching the game it seemed that just about everything that was working for RV was answered by the Dodgeville defense. Talk about how the game flowed for you and the way the Dodgers answered.

A: Dan — Dodgeville did a great job with their backers and slot corners of getting into the run mix. That created passing opportunities for us, but we couldn’t connect on them. They definitely came to play. They had a ton of fight in them. Even when we came out in the second half and had our most success, they never backed down. Hats off to them.

Q: Some good running, some good pass catching just came up short. How did you feel the overall play was for the Blackhawks and what were the bright spots?

A: Dan — Overall play was very

Dan Machovec, RVHS Football Co-Head Coach

River Valley vs. Broadhead-Juda Recap: Q&A

The River Valley Varsity Football team came into this September 16 game 0-4 on the season. They lost versus BroadheadJuda, 0-41.

Q: A very tough team that plays old school smash mouth football. How well were you able to follow the game plan against their size, strength and talent?

A: Chadd — We played physical football and did a pretty good job against the run. We had a few mental mistakes that led to touchdowns.

Dan — We showed that we could move the ball against them. We had multiple successful drives but came up short. They stiffened the defense up in the red zone and we couldn’t capitalize.

Q: What do you consider the bright spots for the Hawks in that one?

A: Chadd — We had played physically and didn’t quit. The score doesn’t really represent what happened on the field.

Dan — The offense has been moving the ball. It’s nice to know we have the ability to get first downs and get into their territory so our defense can get a rest. We just need to put points on the board.

Q: What did B/J do to limit what you could do against them?

A: Honestly, we both feel like we limited ourselves. They are a good team. We don’t mean that in a bad way at all, but we had plenty of mistakes.

slopping with blocking. We had too many missed assignments from all positions in blocking. There were times we called double teams for a player that hurt our scheme and freed up a defensive player to make the play. Dodgeville capitalized on those. Our problem has been consistency in execution. We show flashes of a strong offense and other times we hurt ourselves.

Q: How big a factor was Dodgeville's speed when it came to defending them?

A: Dan — Their speed showed when it came to coverage. We didn’t get enough pressure consistently on their QB to make him throw it right away. It caused issues for us to cover their receivers that long. It’s a tough task for defensive backs to cover for more than five seconds.

Q: What will the Hawks take away from this one?

A: Dan — The takeaway is we need to be cleaner blocking across the board. We can be successful and have proven that against the Dells and Dodgeville. We just need to put a complete game together.

Q: How do they compare to the other tough teams you have faced?

A: We both agree that they are a solid team and top dog in our conference. However, of the teams we have faced we believe Columbus is in a league of their own. They did have an injury that kept #2 out and he is very solid, so that’s a game changer as well.

Q: What was it like getting to play on your new field and how exciting was it for the community and school?

A: Chadd — The energy was high. The players were very excited for the opportunity to play. The community support was visible in the stands.

Dan — We are very fortunate to have such a great facility. Brodhead mentioned how lucky we are. We couldn’t agree more. We are very fortunate to have this facility.

Experience the Plain Area Street Festival

Saturday, October 8, 2022

11:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.

Business District: Alma Avenue Plain, Wisconsin

11a.m. – 2p.m. Janna Johnson-Fuchs and Steve Brown 2p.m. – 5p.m. Better Daze 3:30 p.m. Prize Drawing

Local Businesses * Live Music Great Food * Drinks * Prizes * Bike Ride Bucket Raffle * 50/50 Raffle * Meat Raffle WEAR YOUR BAVARIAN ATTIRE!

Giant Farmer Puppet Show part of Farm/Art DTour in the Honey Creek Business Park on Green Blvd

AUTUMN ANTICS POSTPONED UNTIL NEXT EDITION

graphic design and layout bottlenecks, we'd decided to postpone our fall special section until next edition — October 6 — to ensure we can put out a special section that is up to our standards.

A huge part of what we wanted to share is WormFarm Institute's Farm Art/DTour. We still will — but the events start Oct. 1, so please check out their website at www.wormfarminstitute.org and be sure to check out the Giant Plain Farmer Puppet on weekend afternoons in Plain on Green Blvd.

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The Sauk County Gardener

Saving Heirloom Tomato Seeds

Jeannie Manis, Wisconsin Certified Master Gardener

“High-tech tomatoes. Mysterious milk. Supersquash. Are we supposed to eat this stuff?

Or is it going to eat us?”

—Anita Manning

I spent the past couple weekends processing many vegetables from my garden. I canned numerous pints of green beans, spaghetti sauce, and salsa; froze eggplant (my dehydrating experiment failed−twice); prepped cabbage to ferment for sauerkraut; and even made some zucchini bread. My salsa recipe is one of the first recipes my mother-in-law shared with me years ago when I first started canning. I’ve been using the same recipe ever since then. One of the things that make this salsa recipe so amazing is that it’s best when you use a variety of different tomatoes and that’s exactly what I had.

I have a few hybrids, but most of my tomatoes are heirloom varieties. One of the main reasons to plant heirloom tomatoes is that they tend to have amazing flavors. It’s easy to enjoy those wonderful flavors from your heirloom tomatoes every year if you take the time to save their seeds.

Saving tomatoes seeds is not difficult but there are some things you should keep in mind. You want to first make sure your tomatoes are open-pollinated or heirloom varieties. Only heirloom varieties will be true from seeds. Hybrid tomatoes are those whose parent plants have been crossed to create a hybrid variety.

Once you’ve determined that your tomato is an heirloom, save the seeds from the best tomato on the plant.

‘Best’ can be whatever you determine is the characteristic you are trying to get save – ie. biggest, tastiest, or even most colorful. No matter what attribute

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To find out more detailed information about all open positions and to apply, go to our website at www.uplandhillshealth.org

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you are trying to save, select from the healthiest plant. Choose a tomato that is in its prime, not over- or under-ripe, diseased, misshapen, etc. If possible, save seeds from several healthy plants from the same variety.

The next step is fermenting the seeds. Scope out the seeds into a small container and then add a quarter to a half cup of water. Set this container aside out of the sun for three to five days. It will most likely get a moldy scum on top of the container but that’s okay. Carefully remove the scum, add more water, and stir. The good seeds will sink to the bottom. Carefully pour off the water, floating seeds, and any bits of pulp. Repeat this process until you have “clean” seeds. Drain the seeds and place them on a screen or paper plate to dry. I’ve also let them dry on a paper towel but it’s a little more difficult to separate the seeds from the paper towel. If that happens, you can always plant the seed with the paper towel still attached. Always remember to label your varieties unless you like mystery plants.

Once your seeds are completely dry, store them in an airtight container. Old prescription bottles work well. Tomato seeds can remain viable for years,

even at room temperature. For extra protection, you can store them in the refrigerator or freezer. If you do store them in either of these locations, allow them to come to room temperature before opening the container so you don’t get moisture from condensation.

If you have extra silica packets, you can use them as well.

Don’t worry if you’re unsuccessful at saving your seeds. You can also get heirloom tomatoes at the Sauk County Master Gardeners Association’s annual tomato plant sale next spring. The sale is typically held one of the last weekends in May. Then, at the end of the summer, the SCMGA holds a tomato tasting event to select the best tasting tomatoes. This year the winners were (1) Honeycomb, (2) Chocolate Cherry, and (3) Wapsipinicon Peach. Those are the ones I’ll be looking for next spring. This fall, try saving some of your favorite heirloom varieties – it will give you a great sense of accomplishment and help ensure continued tomato diversity.

If you have any gardening questions, please contact the Extension Sauk County by emailing to trripp@wisc.edu or calling the University of Wisconsin Madison Division of Extension Sauk County office at 608-355-3250.

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join The Richland Hospital team, whose work was just recognized with 5-Star ranking for

Currently

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Richland Hospital,

Center,

An Outdoorsman’s Journal

Mark Walters, Columnist

Hello friends, I was supposed to be on a very simple goose hunt near Burnett for this week’s trip, but that changed when my hunting partner told me that there were not any geese coming into the fields that he had permission to hunt. In a matter of hours my plan went from a simple field hunt and staying in his house to loading up my 18.6 War Eagle with decoys, my canoe, sleeping bags, guns and other gear and heading to Ferryville on the Mississippi River to spend two nights living out of my boat.

Wednesday, August 31

High 81°, Low 53°

So, it’s Ruby, her pup Red and myself. We are going to live and hunt in my boat and explore by canoe. The teal season as well as Early Goose season opens in the morning, and I am running out of daylight as I explore. The water is very low on the Mississippi backwaters and the vegetation is numerous which should mean I can hide the boat and whack some birds the next morning.

My first surprise came when I jumped out of my boat into chest deep water and my waders told me that they have several leaks. I got back in the boat after hiding the War Eagle in some wild rice, opened a can of beer and watched the skies. I saw three flocks of teal, numerous woodies, and not a goose. Towards dark I heated up some chili, put my cot together, and tried listening to my radio, but the batteries were dead. I have to mention that the charger for my phone went to heaven as well, so this would be 48-hours of nonintervention from the outside world.

After supper I became very

comfortable in my sleeping bag with two golden fur balls laying besides and I watched the sky. By midnight the dew was so heavy that it had soaked through my sleeping bag. I got up, put a tarp over it and kind of slept until 4:00.

Thursday, September 1 High 84°, Low 55°

I had trash bags that I put in my chest waders, that helped. They only went to my thighs, so I still get wet. This morning I had a flock of teal offer some very easy shots as they flew by, I missed and Ruby was not happy with me. Red on the other hand was fine with watching the sky and about every half hour doing a quick run and dive off the boat into the water. An hour after legal shooting began every bird in the area vanished and so I went exploring by canoe. I was confident the late day hunt would be good, and I really had no cares as I was on the water, my housing was free and I did not have to go home for another day.

Another kind of conundrum was that the sun was a bit of a scorcher and when I tried taking a siesta it was simply too hot. With three hours of daylight left I was super excited for the massive teal and goose flight that was about to begin. I did not care that I was burnt to a crisp, had no radio or phone, had not harvested a bird and that my waders leaked quite profusely. Fiftyone years ago my dad, the late Robert Walters, took me hunting to Ferryville for the first time and I honestly was living down memory lane.

At dark I got in my sleeping bag with two bundles of gold wrestling to see who could put their face next to mine and I watched the sky. Late in the night it started raining, I packed my bag, put on my rain gear and waited for it to get light out where I planned on limiting out on teal and geese. Daylight came,

a teal snuck in and landed in my decoys. Ruby kept looking at me and in dog talk was saying, shoot the bird fool! The teal sprung into the air, I took three shots at the flying bird, I missed and then just like the day before the sky was empty.

I packed up, made the journey back to the landing, ran my bear baits before I got home, just like the way

I started this trip and thus another “epic” journey came to an end!

Love to hunt!

Sunset

Follow along the adventures of Mark Walters, a syndicated outdoor adventure columnist who lives in Necedah, Wisconsin. He began writing his column, An Outdoorsman’s Journal, in 1989. It includes hunting, fishing, lots of canoeing and backpacking. He currently writes for around 60 newspapers on a weekly basis. He hopes you enjoy reading about his adventures!

Want to read more?

Check out previous weeks’ columns at www.outdoorsmansjournal.com

Photo contributed by Mark Walters A Mississippi River sunset.

Minute Teal Hunt

Photo contributed by Mark Walters This bullfrog seemed pretty tame.

Photo contributed by Mark Walters The pups “Red and Ruby” love their canoe rides.