Southwestern Wisconsin Agriculture Place-Based Workshop
May 19 - 21, 2008
Thanks to the generosity of the Nelson Institute, CHE is organizing a place-based workshop focused on agricultural landscapes of Southwestern Wisconsin for May 19 to 21, 2008.
The goals of this workshop are to explore the many facets of the region's environmental history, to meet with area residents to learn how they engage with their places, and to build community among CHE members. We will stay at the Crooked River Resort in Readstown, WI, and visit Cotton Wood Farm (large dairy near Wiota), the Ho-Chunk Bison Range, a rotational grazing operation near Arena, the Kickapoo reserve (includes canoeing), Organic Valley cooperative, an Amish farm near Viroqua, and more yet to be determined.
Preliminary Schedule:
Monday May 19 We will depart Madison at 7:30 am and drive through Madison vernacular architecture sites to Cottonwood Farm in Wiota, where we'll observe a large-scale dairy operation. We'll lunch on pasties at the Red Rooster restaurant in Mineral Point. In the aftenoon, we'll visit a rotational grazing farm and the Ho Chunk Nation's Bison Range in Muscoda. We'll arrive in Readstown at the cabins for dinner. Map of tentative Day 1 itinerary
Tuesday May 20 We will be spend the morning exploring the Kickapoo Reserve on a geologic history tour, followed by lunch at Organic Valley in La Farge. In the afternoon, we'll get to tour the Coulee region and the soil conservation area of Coon Valley. We'll visit the lock and dam area of the mighty Mississippi in Genoa, and take a driving tour along the river and through orchrards in Gays Mills and Soldiers Grove before heading back to the Crooked River Resort for a home-cooked meal. Map of tentative Day 2 itinerary
Wednesday May 21 We will learn about the Amish farms and communities of the Kickapoo Valley. In the late morning, we'll canoe down the Kickapoo River. Before we head home, we'll visit another farm and the Cedar Grove Cheese Company in Plain, WI. We'll plan to arrive back in Madison around 7 pm. Map of tentative Day 3 itinerary