Podcasts about driftless region

We welcome Taylor Henry, a farmer, entrepreneur, realtor, and the owner of Acres U.S.A. and Henry Pastures. Broadcasting from the Driftless Region of Wisconsin, Taylor shares his remarkable journey from a career as a county sheriff to becoming a leading voice in regenerative agriculture. Taylor dives into his entrepreneurial mindset, inspired by books like Rich Dad, Poor Dad and Dirt to Soil, and how he transitioned from law enforcement to farming by taking bold action. He discusses the economic necessity of regenerative practices, emphasizing that ecological farming must be economically viable to succeed. As the owner of Acres U.S.A., Taylor is revitalizing its legacy, founded by Charles Walters in 1971, by digitizing resources, hosting impactful field days, and planning the 50th annual conference to connect farmers with practical, profitable strategies. Click this link if you'd like to learn more and register for the Farm Weird Event https://conference.eco-ag.com/farmweird?am_id=monte2150 And you can also click here: https://eco-farming.com/home?am_id=monte9926 to learn more about Acres U.S.A. Membership Offers Passionate about empowering first-generation farmers, Taylor shares innovative pathways to enter agriculture, from leveraging virtual jobs and Airbnb rentals to securing grazing leases and mentorship. He challenges conventional commodity farming's reliance on hope and highlights how regenerative systems offer control, resilience, and opportunities for multi-generational success. Taylor shares insights on overcoming paralysis by analysis, the power of books over social media, and his vision for Acres U.S.A. to shape a sustainable future for agriculture. Taylor Henry is a farmer, entrepreneur, and realtor, and the owner of Acres U.S.A. and Henry Pastures. He carries forward a regenerative farming legacy, managing over 250 acres across multiple farms in the Driftless Region. A former police officer turned entrepreneur, Taylor integrates cattle and hogs into his holistic farming system and helps others acquire land for regenerative use. Passionate about supporting the next generation of farmers, Taylor shares pathways for young people to enter regenerative agriculture, from innovative land access models to financing strategies and mentorship opportunities. Through Acres U.S.A., he continues to inspire and educate farmers nationwide. https://www.acresusa.com/ asn.farm And if you'd like to learn more about what we're doing, visit our website at asn.farm and there you can click on links to follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, Linkedin, and YouTube. There's a lot of great things happening and always something to learn.

Levi Danielson is the founder and cider maker at RAW Cider, based in Dayton, Oregon. With roots in the Driftless Region of Minnesota and a cidery nestled among cider apples and pears in the Willamette Valley, Levi's story is one of wild ferments, place-based cider, and planting for the future – both in Oregon and back home. Levi Danielson Building RAW Cider Levi's path began in microbiology and health policy before a leap to France introduced him to wild fermentation and orchard life. After interning and later leading production at Dragon's Head Cider in Washington, Levi launched RAW Cider in 2020 with méthode champenoise ciders that quietly matured during the pandemic. Since then, RAW Cider has: Opened a year-round tasting room on an orchard in Dayton, Oregon Earned gold and silver medals for its first releases Focused on native yeast fermentation, minimal intervention, and orchard-first practices Planted and top-grafted cider and perry fruit in both Oregon and Minnesota Pear Ambitions and a Regional Vision Levi's passion for perry is central to RAW Cider. With 60-year-old pear trees, now top worked with perry pear varieties and wild seedlings grafted in the Mississippi River Valley, plus collaborations in Hood River, he's betting on American perry's future. He believes Hood River could become the “Domfrontais of the U.S.”—a new home for pear-driven sparkling ciders that mirrors the pear region in Normandy, France. Listen to episode 313: Wild Yeast Fermentations | CiderCon 2022 featuring a panel discussion with Levi Danielson Contact info for RAW Website: https://www.rawcider.com Mentions in this Cider Chat European Union 100% juice movement – Sign the petition today! https://www.petitions.net/protect-european-artisanal-cider-and-perry Totally Cider Tours Inn on Lake Champlain Keep #ciderGoingUP by becoming a patron at the Cider Chat Patreon!  

Beer flavored beer. Sticking with traditional beer styles. That's Turtle Stack Brewery in La Crosse, WI.A small independent craft brewery and tasting room, Turtle Stack is located in historic downtown La Crosse, directly across from the La Crosse Center and Radisson Hotel. Turtle Stack produces high quality local beer for residents of La Crosse and surrounding communities as well as visitors to the upper Mississippi River Valley - the taproom is in fact just steps from the Mighty Mississippi and waterfront district. Owner and founder, Brent, joins Jonathan for this live show in the taproom during the Wisconsin Governor's Conference on Tourism! Sales Manager, Eric, also joins us to talk about where Turtle Stack beer is located outside of the taproom (hint: they do can some of their beers now so you can take them to-go from the taproom too!).Whether you're a local or visiting beautiful La Crosse - sometimes known as the Driftless Region - stop in to Turtle Stack, say hi and try some of Brent's beers! Follow Pour Another Round: Facebook: /PourAnotherRoundPodInstagram: @PourAnotherRoundPodWebsite: pouranotherround.com

#718 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/718 Presented By: Drifthook Fly Fishing, Pescador on the Fly, Yellowstone Teton Territory, Togiak River Lodge Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors What makes Minnesota one of the most diverse fly fishing destinations in the country? From chasing wild steelhead on the North Shore and brook trout in the spring creeks of the Driftless, this state offers an incredible range of opportunities for anglers. Today, Carl Haensel—author of Fly Fishing Minnesota, fly fishing guide, and manager at Great Waters Fly Fishing Expo—breaks down everything you need to know about fly fishing in Minnesota. We'll cover the best times to fish, top rivers and lakes, and the species you can target, from lake trout and smallmouth bass to muskies and migratory browns. Carl also shares insights on conservation efforts, the history of Lake Superior's fisheries, and what makes Minnesota's public access some of the best in the country. Plus, we get a look inside the Great Waters Fly Fishing Expo and why it's a must-attend event. Let's dive in! Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/718

  Many of our trout waters run through agricultural areas. We need food and clean water and we'd like to fish for trout in these waters, but sometimes these things don't play well together.  It's when all user groups get together and come up with solutions that we have the best of both worlds. Cameron Aker [39:29] is the Outreach Coordinator for the Driftless Region of Iowa, and in this week's podcast he tells us how farmers, landowners, Trout Unlimited, and various government agencies have worked together to manage the land for food production while protecting sensitive coldwater fisheries. You'll learn how they do this, who funds the work, and how you can look into starting a similar initiative in your area.   In the Fly Box this week, we have the usual roundup of basic questions, good tips, and more advanced questions, including: How do I know when it's appropriate to use resin instead of head cement? I am very new to fly fishing and want to keep my initial fly selection simple. Do you think that's a good idea? Is it a good idea to tie a sacrificial mono loop at the end of my fly line to preserve the loop? What size dry flies do you use in the East for dry/dropper rigs? Are there more "vintage" Orvis reels that you still use? Are there notable distinctions between the various kinds of dubbing? I saw a single caddisfly on the snow recently.  Is this unusual? I had something snap my 12-pound fluorocarbon tippet in a clean break while fishing in salt water. What could have caused this? What do you keep on your fly tying desk, other than the typical tools and materials? What should I bring for a traveling fly-tying kit? Great tips from a listener on how to lessen backache when tying flies. How do you target cold, high rivers?  

About Juliette Crane is an artist based in the scenic Driftless Region of Wisconsin. Dancing between abstraction and figuration, her colorful and enchanting paintings explore overlapping themes of imagination, memory, and elements in nature. When Juliette lost her job in 2009, she returned to what she loved most as a child: painting. She began by dripping and splashing color, then defining the figures she imagined in the layers and bringing them out of the paint. Juliette uses techniques that involve building up layers of paint and mixed media to create rich patterns, celebrating the beauty inherent in imperfection. Her paintings challenge conventional expectations of everyday life, providing viewers with a space to contemplate their personal histories. She allows marks and textures to overlap in transparent layers, mirroring the human condition. Each painting becomes a deeper understanding of the world, revealing universal truths and connectedness. In addition to her original paintings and commissions, Juliette also offers painting retreats, 1-1 mentoring, and online courses.  Shownotes 0:00 Intro 0:43 Work with Desha 1:35 Who is Juliette Crane?  2:31 Making a living as an artist 5:05 Return to joy 6:13 When things get hard, find gratitude  8:53 Intentional lifestyle design 11:38 Bringing in the collaboration spirit 12:32 Peer inspiration 15:20 Following joy- the marketing magic 19:56 Business evolution/mainstreams of income 21:51 France retreat 2025 23:02 Juliette's golden nugget of wisdom 25:22 Resilience & support 27:20 Outro   Where to find Juliette INSTAGRAM //  @juliettecrane WEBSITE //https://www.juliettecrane.com/ Join our community! Follow this podcast and share with a friend! In the world of podcasts, reviews are everything! Please rate and review this episode on your favorite platform. Follow us on Instagram and let us know what you'd like for us to cover and any nominations for guests   Live your life by design.   

Welcome back to another episode of Bowhunter Die! Josh Fletcher achieves his ambitious goal of harvesting a mature buck using traditional archery equipment. Join us as he takes us through his journey in the Driftless Region of southwest Wisconsin, sharing the highs and challenges of bowhunting with a longbow.

In this episode we WadeOutThere with Jan Axtell, from Livingston Montana.  Jan grew up in Wisconsin, and started fly fishing with a friend at sixteen years old.  His first experience on the river was on a spring creek in the Driftless Region, which he continued to fish through high school and college.  After school, Jan moved to Vermont and started guiding.  He fished spring creeks in Vermont and Pennsylvania until a job opportunity took him to Livingston, Montana.  By then, Jan's love for spotting and stalking trout in spring creeks was deeply rooted, and even though Jan also guides on the Yellowstone River, and in Yellowstone National Park,  his passion remains the challenging spring creeks in the Yellowstone Valley.  Jan is also a commercial fly tier.  We discuss finding success in casting through angles, spring creek observation and sight fishing tactics, how to tie flies fast, and fishing through the learning curve.Learn More:Nelson's Guides and Flies.comHatchfinders Fly ShopInstagram: @jandaxtellREAD: WADEOUTTHERE | Slow is Smooth.  Smooth is Fast.READ: WADEOUTTHERE | Eight Reasons the Zebra Midge is the Perfect First Fly to TieREAD: WADEOUTTHERE | River to Fly Strategy (R2FS) - A Fly Tying Process for the Beginner's SuccessNewsletter Sign-UpNew Collector DiscountWadeOutThere SubscribersGet 10% off your first order.View Jason's ArtworkThanks for listening.VR- Jason

George Kaider (also appearing in episodes 95 and 119) is the owner of In the Flow Fly Fishing, a guide service in Wisconsin. George grew up fishing the Driftless Region for beautiful brook and brown trout, and the area continues to hold a special place in his heart. In this episode, we talk about how the Driftless Region came to be, what the landscape is like, access laws, species and techniques, and much more. In the Flow Fly Fishing Website: link Email: intheflowflyfishing@gmail.com Personal Instagram: @zivio51 Guide Service Instagram: @intheflowflyfishing Personal Facebook: link Guide Service Facebook: link Waypoint TV Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This one goes out to my all my Top Voices™️ out there. Today we're talking about LinkedIn! Tune in to hear me unpack:A timeline of LinkedIn's evolutionThe difference between Social Networking & Social MediaThe phenomena of LinkedIn Cringe™️How LinkedIn has changed thought leadership at largeWhy I decided to (finally) leave LinkedInAnd ICYMI — this episode has been pulled out from behind the paywall of Off the Grid Clubhouse!

While today's forecast calls for sunshine and no rain, we're still dealing with the implications of heavy rainfall from this spring and summer. Pam Jahnke sits down with NRCS Chief Terry Cosby who outlines the work the agency is doing to get money into producers' hands for conservation work. He says these practices can prevent erosion, runoff, and flooding issues. Even fish look forward to dry days -- DNR Fisheries Supervisor Tom Meronek says heavy rain has diluted oxygen levels in areas like the Buffalo Lake Watershed, resulting in fish kill. Luckily, he says the impact won't be long-lasting. Standing water around the yard and on the farm has also led to greater mosquito populations. State Entomologist PJ Liesch tells Charitee Seebecker that the Driftless Region and the Northwoods are really seeing the pressure. Wear bug spray! The Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center is celebrating its sixth anniversary. Ben Jarboe takes us there in time for their celebration to kick off. Program manager Abigail Winkel says tens of thousands have walked through the facility since they opened in 2018. The biggest draw is the baby animals. About 750 calves have been born there -- you might get to see it this week! Finally, Risk Manager Katie Burgess joins us from Ever.Ag. She says the latest milk production report emphasizes a geographic shift in the dairy industry. The Midwest is best when it comes to raising a dairy herd. New Mexico, Arizona, and California continue to see dairy sellouts, while Wisconsin and South Dakota see gains.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whoa, just went to the Normal Borlaug Boyhood Home in NE Iowa. If you are planning a trip to the Driftless Region, this should definitely be on your itinerary. I explain what you can expect, how you can plan, offer some tips and explain a little bit about the man, Norman Borlaug, the Elvis of wheat research. He is credited with saving over one billion lives through adoption of his farming methods and strains of wheat that it he developed. Experience what made hom great! Absolutely loved this trip to Normal Borlaug Boyhood Home!!

Hunt them high, watch them die. Today on the podcast I'm joined by Josh Beaman. Josh has killed bucks from all over the country. Public or private, it truly doesn't matter. But his heart really lives in the driftless region. Latitude Outdoors Website: https://www.latitudeoutdoors.com/ Save 15% off on your Next purchase by using the code methodpodcast

Show Notes:  https://wetflyswing.com/578 Presented By: Visit Helena, MT, FishHound Expeditions, Northern Rockies Adventures, TroutRoutes In this episode, we have one of the biggest names in the Driftless area give us her best tips on technical dry fly fishing and what you can do to have success on the surface. Geri Meyer, Driftless Angler Fly shop owner and guide, is going to walk us through the steps to catching fish with dry flies. Geri shares her expert tips on catching fish with dry flies. You'll also learn her top three secrets to presenting the fly and discover how to fish Tricos and other species. Plus, gain insights on the best times and spots to fish in the Driftless area. It's all here today, and guess what? We've got an exciting giveaway—a spot on a huge trip happening this September! Show Notes with Geri Meyer on Technical Dry Fly Fishing. We've just launched the Driftless Dry Fly School and we're diving into the details of what's in store for the lucky winner who will snag a spot on this exciting adventure. We're also offering six slots for those who want to join us on this epic trip with Geri Meyer and Jason Randall. Episode Chapters with Geri Meyer on Technical Dry Fly Fishing 01:42 - Geri provides a quick update on the current conditions in the Driftless region. Overall, fishing remains solid despite the challenges posed by the ongoing drought. 5:00 - Geri discusses the challenges of dry fly fishing in small, technical streams, emphasizing the need for stealth and delicate presentation. She highlights the prevalence of blue-winged olives and Tricos as key hatches, with sizes ranging from 16 to 22.   Presentation Techniques for Successful Dry Fly Fishing 08:00 - Geri Meyer underscores the significance of considering water conditions and adopting a stealthy approach. With potential weed obstacles and a focus on tail outs, seams, and tight banks, anglers must proceed slowly and deliberately to avoid spooking fish. 10:00 - Whether targeting specific fish or exploring promising areas, Geri emphasizes the importance of precise placement, typically aiming a foot or two ahead of the target. Additionally, she highlights the versatility of streamer fishing as an alternative strategy when traditional methods don't produce results. Exploring the Driftless Region: What Makes it so Different?  11:38 - The term "Driftless" originates from the lack of glacial drift due to the absence of ice coverage. This resulted in the formation of spring-fed streams and picturesque landscapes, attracting anglers from far and wide. 14:00 -Geri discusses the impact of drought conditions on the spring-fed streams of the Driftless Region.   Driftless Dry Fly School Giveaway 15:14 - We discuss the upcoming trip to the Driftless Region with Geri and Jason Randall. Geri tells us about her longstanding friendship with Jason Randall, praising his expertise and fun personality. We look forward to not just fishing but also enjoying delicious meals and relaxed hangouts. 18:17 - Geri emphasizes the importance of leveraging local expertise for a successful trip. She recommends contacting their shop, Driftless Angler, or checking their daily reports online to stay updated on hatches and conditions. 21:00 - Geri shares essential fly patterns to include in our boxes for late September fishing. Here are some recommendations: Parachute Adams in sizes 12 to 18 Trico patterns Micro olive patterns Terrestrial patterns such as hoppers, preferably in natural colors Cricket patterns like the Marsh Cricket Essential Casting Tips for Success in the Driftless Area 25:00 - Geri emphasizes the importance of precision over distance, noting that shorter, more accurate casts are often more effective than long ones. She encourages anglers to hone a solid 25-foot cast, allowing for better control and presentation. Additionally, Geri highlights the significance of delicate casting to avoid splashing. While precise casts are crucial, a subtle movement can sometimes be advantageous. Choosing the Right Gear for the Driftless Area 42:00 - When it comes to gear selection for dry fly fishing in the Driftless Region, consider the following recommendations: Rod Selection Opt for rods in the 3 to 5 weight range. A 4-weight rod is versatile and suitable for various fishing conditions. A 3-weight rod excels in perfect conditions with abundant hatches. Glass rods offer a soft presentation and precise casting, ideal for shorter casts and precise placement in tight spots. However, if you're new to using glass rods, practice casting beforehand and adjust your technique and timing for optimal performance. Leader Setup Start with a 9-foot 4X leader and adjust based on conditions. Use a 4X tippet and tie it to the leader with a surgeon's knot. Show Notes:  https://wetflyswing.com/578

Mark Noll describes his farm in the Driftless Region as a slice of heaven. But it didn't get to be that way overnight. Noll's Dairy Farm in Buffalo County has worked the land for generations to make sure that the soil stays in place, the oak trees grow tall, and the wildlife have a place to call home.  The farm is one of four finalists selected for the 2023 Wisconsin Leopold Conservation Award. Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the prestigious award recognizes farmers and forestland owners who inspire others with their dedication to land, water, and wildlife habitat in their care.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Prairie Prophets Podcast, Brandon meets with Sean McMahon, Executive Director of the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance (IAWA). Sean works with key partners to champion farmer engagement and adoption of conservation practices that improve water quality. Sean played a key role securing the Horizon II Climate Smart Commodities Grant we are actively working on.Brandon and Sean talk about the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy. This strategy aims to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus loss from farmland to 45%. The two also discuss the importance of continued collaborative efforts between agricultural and conservation groups towards a healthier ecosystem.See Sean McMahon's Interview on Prairie Prophets Web TV Episode: 7:  Episode 7: Clean Water, Breweries and Trout in the Driftless Region of Iowa - YouTubeSean's LinkedIn: (20) Sean McMahon | LinkedIn

Looking for a unique and challenging gravel cycling experience? Look no further! In this episode of the podcast, host Craig Dalton introduces the founders of Gray Duck Grit, an exciting grass roots gravel cycling event in Southern Minnesota. Joining Craig are Kris Jesse, Nate Matson, and Mark Jesse, who share their passion for gravel cycling and the origin story behind Gray Duck Grit. Kris Jesse discusses her journey into gravel cycling, inspired by a friend's social media post, and her background in distance running. Mark Jesse, having participated in the Day Across Minnesota event and other ultra-endurance events, shares his love for gravel cycling's magical moments in solitude. They also delve into the details of the challenging 240-mile Day Across Minnesota event, which takes riders on a scenic route from Gary, South Dakota, to Hager City, Wisconsin. The founders highlight the unique aspects of Gray Duck Grit, including atypical distances and the creation of an ultra-endurance event. They discuss the beautiful terrain of the Driftless region near Northfield, Minnesota, where the event takes place, and the challenges riders may face, such as unpredictable weather and relentless winds. The episode wraps up with a discussion about the event's inclusive atmosphere, its charitable aspect in supporting Fraser of Minnesota, and a warm invitation to join the Gray Duck Grit experience. Topics discussed: Introduction of Gray Duck Grit founders The inspiration behind Gray Duck Grit  The Day Across Minnesota event  The challenging terrain of the Driftless region  Weather conditions and preparation  Inclusivity and the event's charitable aspect  If you're a gravel cyclist seeking an unforgettable adventure and an opportunity to push your limits, Gray Duck Grit is the event for you. With its scenic routes, challenging terrain, and an inclusive atmosphere, this event promises an experience like no other. So, buckle up, find some dirt under your wheels, and join the Gray Duck Grit community. Episode Sponsor: Dynamic Cyclist (code: THEGRAVELRIDE for 15% off all plans) Support the Podcast Join The Ridership  Automated Transcription, please excuse the typos: [00:00:00]Craig Dalton: Hello, and welcome to the gravel ride podcast, where we go deep on the sport of gravel cycling through in-depth interviews with product designers, event organizers and athletes. Who are pioneering the sport I'm your host, Craig Dalton, a lifelong cyclist who discovered gravel cycling back in 2016 and made all the mistakes you don't need to make. I approach each episode as a beginner down, unlock all the knowledge you need to become a great gravel cyclist. [00:00:28]Craig Dalton (host): This week on the podcast. I welcome the founders of a grassroots cycling event in Southern Minnesota called gray duck grit. It's happening this upcoming October 6th and seventh. Yes. I said two dates in there because there's multiple distances. They're offering a 333 mile race, a 222 mile race. Uh, 111 mile race. And a 69 mile race. Each of these distances has a significance. That we'll learn about during the conversation with this trio. This is the first time I've had three guests on at one time. There's a lot of fun. I wanted to push the podcast out as early as possible. To give anybody in the Southern Minnesota and surrounding area, an opportunity to jump on this event. It looks like a lot of fun. It's presented by the angry catfish bicycle shop and has a lot of great local sponsors and supports a great cause. Before we jump in i do need to thank this week sponsor dynamic cyclist The team at dynamic cyclists offers video based stretching and strengthening and mobility routines focused on cyclists. As you can imagine from their name. They just recently dropped an updated injury prevention program. The one I like to follow, which is the six week low back injury prevention program. It's always timely. Getting an update from my friends at dynamic cyclists. Because it reminds me that I have absolutely no excuse. To not fit these 10 to 15 minute routines into my day. I waste 10 or 15 minutes doing something not productive for my body. So it's a constant reminder that I should be stretching. I've dedicated myself this year to try to strengthen my lower back. In particular to improve my longevity as a cyclist for these long gravel cycling events. And I've found the stretching routines, particularly the injury prevention routines of dynamic cyclists to be super helpful. It's very focused on what we need as gravel, cyclists for me. It's tight hip flexors. It bands everything around my low back seems to draw everything in a tight bundle if I'm not careful. So having access to a content catalog of different stretching routines has been super important to me and motivating to just kind of frankly, get off my ass. And do the stretching I need to do. If you're interested in giving it a shot, dynamic cyclist always offers free access to, I think, a week's worth of content. For you to check out what they're doing. I'm on an annual plan. If you're interested, just use the code, the gravel ride, and you'll get 15% off. You can do month by month. If you're just someone who wants to do it in the winter. Or they've got a pretty affordable annual plan. That's just kind of the easiest thing to do. To make sure it's always there. When you need it. So head on over to dynamic cyclists.com and remember the code, the gravel ride for 15% off. So with that business behind us, I want to welcome mark Jesse, Chris, Jesse, and Nate Mattson to the show. Hey guys, welcome to the show [00:03:44]Kris Jesse: Thank you. It's great being here. . [00:03:47]craig_dalton-q2xxdhaa3__raw-audio_gray-duck-grit-ii_2023-sep-06-1110pm_the_gravel ride pod: So let's get started by just, let's go around the room, maybe starting with Chris and just talk about, um, a little bit about your backstory and then we can get into, I'm going to blub it, flub it every time. Gray duck grit. [00:04:03]Kris Jesse: Great at grit. You got it. Um, I would love to start. Uh, it's kind of funny. Um, I fell into gravel cycling from, um, just seeing a post on Facebook. A friend of mine, he was going to ride this crazy ride across Minnesota. 20 some miles, um, called, um, the dam day across Minnesota. And, um, my background really is, uh, distance running. And so that is where I came from. Um, that's my passion. Um, I'm reaching Saturday. I'm heading to Utah tomorrow now, where it'll be my almost 40th marathon. And so I'm really, uh. runner at heart. And I thought, Ooh, I can do this, this gravel, uh, cycling. And so, um, after seeing his post, signed up quickly and then did my first 50 mile gravel ride and sold my race registration for that long one. So really it is, uh, that's kind of my cycling, uh, background a couple of years ago, but now just fell in love with it. Like it's my peaceful time. Um, uh, as you'll hear, Minnesota has amazing gravel, uh, to ride and to be, um, had, and so I just love it. I'm falling in love with it and kind of transitioning to just cycling. So that's my, my background. Um, [00:05:24]Craig Dalton (host): Well, I've got lots of questions about Minnesota, I'm going to table them for a minute to allow everybody to introduce themselves. So Nate, how about you? How did you get into cycling? Do you have a running background as well? [00:05:35]Nate Matson: Uh, wow. I do actually a little bit. Um, so I actually have a triathlon slash running background and, uh, it's kind of a curious fitness person and I, I fell into gravel cycling because I got injured and I couldn't run, so I leaned more into cycling. And through this one specific friend of mine, he, he also did the dam the day across Minnesota. And he was like, yo man, you should come out with me and we'll start gravel cycling together. So I got in with him, we started going out almost every weekend. And that is how I met Mark was actually on a gravel ride. So there you go. And, uh, I can run now, but I run a lot less and I cycle a lot more. [00:06:23]Craig Dalton (host): All right, Mark, your turn. [00:06:25]Mark Jesse: Yeah, I, uh, you know, Chris, Chris is a friend of ours who, who did sign up for the dam. Um, that was sort of my introduction to gravel cycling as well. Um, and, uh, it just. I went out and participated in the dam and 2019 that was my first big ultra endurance events and gravel cycling. Prior to that, it was a 50 miler with alongside Chris, as she mentioned, and it was. During that 2019 day across Minnesota that I realized how magical gravel cycling is and, um, you know, being in the middle of nowhere, not having any bearings as to what direction you were headed. All I knew is I was following, following this trail of blinking red lights and, um, it was, I would look up and all I could see were stars and it was one of the most magical. Moments I've ever experienced on a bike and yeah, go ahead. [00:07:31]Craig Dalton (host): Amazing. I'd love to just learn a little bit more about Day Across Minnesota, because that seems like it's, you know, it's the origin story of, for the three of you, and it sounds like you had friends who were drawing you into it. How long of a ride is it? And what is it? What is the experience like? [00:07:46]Mark Jesse: It's, it's a 240 mile distance. It starts in, it started, um, it is no longer for the record. Um, but when, when it was in existence, it started in Gary, South Dakota, and you would make your way across the state of Minnesota and you would end up in Hager city, Wisconsin, um, and Trenton Ragar is the. Race director. He is also the current race director of the filthy 50, which he was his first events. And, um, and I believe that started in 2013, um, uh, the filthy 50. So the dam was a five year event that took place and I participated in 2019 and 2020. [00:08:28]Craig Dalton (host): Okay. And how long does an event like that take a sort of average cyclist? [00:08:34]Mark Jesse: Well, you know, my first year, it took me 22 and a half hours. Uh, there is a cutoff, um, of 24 hours. So the expectation is that you would, to get an official finish time, right? You would need to finish, it starts at midnight on Friday and it would end on mid at midnight the, uh, the following day, Saturday. So that was the format. Um, and it was, it was pretty, it was a pretty amazing event. [00:09:00]craig_dalton-q2xxdhaa3__raw-audio_gray-duck-grit-ii_2023-sep-06-1110pm_the_gravel ride pod: And with those kind of early experiences that drew you into the sport, did you subsequently travel outside Minnesota to do events to kind of get an idea of what the flavor was in other territories? Or have you mostly been participating in Minnesota based events? [00:09:15]Mark Jesse: I. Haven't done a ton of official, uh, races or events outside of Minnesota. I did the Redfield Rock, Redfield Rock and Roll down in Iowa, my hometown or my home state, um, last year, and that was a heck of a challenge. Um, but I did a lot of other, um, I did some gravel cycling in Florida. I've done some gravel cycling in California and, um, mountain biking, uh, in Arizona and Oregon and places like that. Um, so I've done. Um, some cycling, some pretty long distances as well, um, over several days, but nothing necessarily official in other states as of yet, but I definitely plan on doing more of that because how can you not, there's just so much to be had now, right? [00:09:59]Kris Jesse: hmm. [00:10:04]Craig Dalton (host): to those longer Distance events right from the get go, whereas a lot of people come into the sports, you know, being conjoled to do their first 25 miler and then 50 miler, et cetera. So it's going to be interesting as we talk about your event, the distances that you offer as they're a little bit atypical from what I see out there in the world, with the exception of some of the, you know, the well known ultra endurance races. [00:10:30]Mark Jesse: Well, I think that has a little bit to do with our running background. Um, I, I also came from the running background. I, I have 17 marathons under my belt, I guess. Um, so the, our fitness level was there, I think. And so it was a, it was a, wasn't the difficult transition to make, um, because we had motors. We just had to. You know, adjust the legs a little bit and get those legs and those muscles used to pedaling as opposed to running. So it wasn't a difficult transition. And I grew up on bikes, typical 80s era child did, you know, so. You know, it wasn't, I was very comfortable on the dirt growing up in Iowa on a, on a giant RS 940, 12 speed on gravel was a lot more difficult than riding a high end carbon gravel bike on, on, you know, the gravel around most anywhere else. Right. [00:11:28]Craig Dalton (host): Yeah, yeah, for What made you guys think about coming together to put an event on? I mean, you've participated in events, you've seen the hard work, but there has to be something that really made you have this burning desire to put in the hard hours, the money, etc., to create an event. [00:11:48]Nate Matson: I'm going to give this to Mark, but I just want to say before he gives a very official answer that we were, we were just having a lot of fun riding our bikes together, you know, and, uh, we, we knew that we were riding with some really good people and we just loved, loved that the way it made us feel. And, uh, I saw marketing sort of a glimmer in his eye. So when, so when he started talking about this ride, uh, when he invited me to be part of it, it was not really, I mean, it was a surprise, but it also oddly made sense to, [00:12:26]Craig Dalton (host): Got it. [00:12:27]Mark Jesse: Yeah, that was, you know, I didn't know what was going to come of this idea I had to, um, consider doing something like this. Um, you know, it all, it all went, it all dates back to, so the, here's the official origin, uh, origin story going back to 2018, I was running the Anchorage. Anchorage mayor's marathon in Anchorage, Alaska, along with Chris here. And I was experiencing some heartburn, um, during the first few miles and it, and it subsided, I took some Tom's because Chris would, would carry Tom's with her as, as we run marathons. And so I took some times it subsided, but, um. And, and I ended up finishing, but I was really sluggish. Um, and when I finished the, the world was spinning. I thought I was going to kind of faint or pass out, but I just sat next to a food truck and gathered my bearings. But to make a long story short, about two weeks later, I went for a run, just a recovery run. Um, that was maybe a week later and I ran two blocks and I. Thought my heart was gonna pop outta my chest. It was just not good. And I knew something wasn't right. So I, I went to the doctor and, um, it, it, I just ended up having, um, essentially I was diagnosed with a 90% blockage of my coronary artery. And, and here I ran that marathon with that blockage. Um, so, you know, it was a miracle that I even survived it. And, um, had a, had a stent placement. Um, and I. Fully recovered, but it was during that when they were reading, anytime you go in for something like this, they, they read all the possible outcomes and that really freaked me out. I, I, and so I made this promise to myself that if I, if I make it through that. I want to focus more, not just on myself and to, you know, be in better health. It was a genetic thing for me. It wasn't because of my diet. It wasn't because of my fitness, I wanted to do more for others while I had this time, um, available to me moving forward and. I didn't know what that meant, but I knew that I wanted to do something. And so then it was just a couple of years later, um, doing the dam, I wanted to prove to myself that, Hey, I'm not, I'm not be, you know, I'm not too far gone. I can still do this. You know, I'm not, I don't, I didn't want to live my life in fear of never being able to participate in something I loved, which was that, that endurance, um, activity, because, you know, it was through running that I fell in love with endurance sports. Um, not just what it does for me physically, but it's, it's cathartic, it's therapeutic, you know, um, just like it is for people who ride bikes, you get out there and, and you forget, and you, and you solve a lot of the problems that you're, you're going through and that you're experiencing. Um, it's just a very special thing to experience. And so, um. That was the, the, um, the start of it really. And, um, COVID came and went, I saw some events come and go. And then the day across Minnesota, the, the gravel event that really, um, caused me to fall in love with gravel cycling, um, they announced Trenton announced that it would be their last event in 2021. And, um, or their last year of doing it. And I just felt like, you know what, there was a void that could be filled. And, and we are by. No means trying to be the damn, um, that isn't our intent, nor is that our goal. But I do feel like there is a demographic of, of cyclists out there that would truly appreciate what I appreciated in, in doing an event that is an ultra endurance events. So that's what we have created. And. Um, it started out by doing some Strava group rides with some of the friends that I, I, I followed on Strava. I announced it, um, a couple of weekly rides and lo and behold, I, I, I met some new people. Um, and I met Nate, I met a guy named Greg Simogyi, um, in the process. Sam and some other people. And, um, it was just a great experience just meeting these people who basically we like the same band, you know, and you're not strangers when you like the same band, you know what I mean? [00:17:00]Craig Dalton (host): Yeah. Exactly. Well, thank you so much for sharing that story, Mark, and thank God you're still around to share it. It is a takeaway, I think, for all of us to think about, you know, how big of a void, if you're an endurance athletic participant, how big a void it create in your life. To not be able to do that thing, because as you stated eloquently, for so many of us, it's rolling meditation. It's where we process a lot of things that go on in our lives. And I know as someone who's faced challenges in my life, like the idea of managing the rest of my life without endurance athletics would be a real difficult pill to swallow. [00:17:44]Mark Jesse: Exactly. I mean, when I'm having a tough day, when I'm stressed out, the very first thing I think about as, as far as how am I going to deal with this, this stress, this anxiety, this pressure I'm feeling, I got to get on my bike. I got to go. And it's, it's the pressure relief valve. Um, you know, radiators have them. Why can't we have them? Um, so, um, you know, it's, it's, um, you know, on, on those days I go out on my bike or when I was running, I'd go run and I finish up, you know, after 25, 30 miles on my bike, it's rainbows and butterflies after that. So, um, it feels good. [00:18:23]Craig Dalton (host): there something specific about Northfield, Minnesota? Is that where y'all live? Or is it just where you knew of amazing terrain? [00:18:34]Nate Matson: I'll, I'll take this one and Mark, please interject or Chris. Um, so Northfield is awesome. First of all, it's a great, it's a great little city that it's a college town with. Coffee shops and a lot of green space, and there's a great bike biking culture there. Um, but it's also close to what is known as the Driftless region, uh, of Minnesota, which basically, uh, it's not just Minnesota, by the way, it's Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, parts of Illinois. And basically there were icebergs around this part of the world, uh, uh, during the ice age, except in the Driftless area, there weren't, so it's a very like specific little region. And that is full of caves and rivers and valleys and buttes and really, I think it has like more freshwater streams than anywhere else in the country. And it's just like this little pocket, this little area and Northfield sits right on the edge of that. So it's kind of like the gateway to this really beautiful sort of bucolic scene. And uh, it's a, it's a gravel cycling haven for sure. It's wonderful. [00:19:45]craig_dalton-q2xxdhaa3__raw-audio_gray-duck-grit-ii_2023-sep-06-1110pm_the_gravel ride pod: gotcha. So if you're a gravel cyclist in Minnesota, in sorry, Minneapolis, you might on occasion go down there as a starting point for a [00:19:52]Kris Jesse: Right. [00:19:52]Nate Matson: Totally. So Northfield, uh, is about 45 minutes. [00:19:55]Mark Jesse: from Minneapolis. So it's, it's [00:19:57]Nate Matson: So it's, it's a really, it doesn't take all day to get there. You just, you know, put your bike in the back of your car. You drive down, you can have a great ride. Mark and I were down there last weekend. So it's, it's an awesome place to be. And they have the infrastructure for cyclists there. [00:20:13]Mark Jesse: infrastructure and [00:20:14]Craig Dalton (host): all those geological attributes you described sound wonderful for gravel cycling. How does it actually translate to What the terrain feels like when you're riding, what kind of gravel, how would you describe it to people coming from out of state or out of the area in terms of how they would equip their bike and what they should expect? [00:20:33]Mark Jesse: it was really [00:20:34]Nate Matson: Well, it was really fast last weekend in parts, you know, uh, we were cruising. Uh, and at the, so when you're, there's also lots of farm roads and fields. So you can be. You know, being passed by combines and tractors, uh, one minute, then you can go down in these valleys. And you might experience something completely different. Uh, and, uh, Minnesota is known as a pretty flat state, but in the Driftless region, it's constant hills. Um, I think the, the, the 333 mile route that we have that, which Mark will talk about, I think that has almost 20, 000 feet of climbing. So, cause it's just constant up and down and up and down. And in those hills, like it can get pretty. Pretty chunky, pretty chunky. But what's really cool about the water runoff is the, the, a lot of the roads never really, uh, flood or wash out. You might get wet, but you won't have to carry your bike. [00:21:25]Mark Jesse: you won't have [00:21:26]Craig Dalton (host): Okay. So Mark was sort of describing how, you know, his passion for the sport, you guys started to get together. You find other members of the community. You have this interest in maybe putting on an event. What happens next? You form an entity. Do you set a budget? How do you get the original, the first version of the event off the ground? [00:21:50]Mark Jesse: Well, I, you know, we, we get, you get together at a bar over some drinks is how you do it. Right. That's, that's the right way to do [00:21:57]Nate Matson: That's what happened. [00:21:59]Mark Jesse: but before I did that, I, I reached out to Trenton, the filthy, filthy 50 and Dan race director. And I asked to get together with them and just go over my idea. And, and I figured if he liked it, then it gave me, it was going to get, and he may not know this and, and I apologize Trenton, but if, if he liked it, um, it was my green light to, to move forward. And, [00:22:24]Craig Dalton (host): can can I interject and ask a question about Trenton and the dam? Was it, he was just sort of tired of doing it or was there some logistical problem with doing the event? I'm just sort of curious what, since it was such a important event in your lives to see it end, if you understood what the end story of that event was. [00:22:45]Mark Jesse: I, I would, I hesitate to really comment. I just know that the, he had, you know, he's, he's, you know, uh, middle aged. He has a lot going on. Uh, he has, you know, a wife and kids, um, and he's, he's, he's a dad. And so, you know, he, he probably wanted. Maybe part of that back and, and already, you know, really 50. That's a very successful event. That's that sell, they sold out, I think, in, in less than 24 hours, a thousand registrations this year. So it's very popular. Um, and, and he's. Killing it with that event and um, you know, maybe he thought that it was something that you know, it isn't done done I don't think he he did announce that it was gonna be the you know, the last year But I get the impression he isn't done done with it. I have a feeling it could be resurrected at some point and the website still exists so and he does Encourage people to do it on their own, um, and, and he will record, uh, you know, um, any times in, in the record books or, you know, official times. So, you know, it is still a thing, um, it isn't gone forever, but, um, you know, I have a feeling it might come back. I don't want to suggest that it will, but, um, but yeah, that's, that's sort of, um, what I do know about, you know, it not being around. I, I don't want to. Speak for Trenton, but [00:24:12]Craig Dalton (host): got it. No, thanks for that with what I've seen about gray dot grit and the number of distances you do that first night at the bar. Maybe you had more than enough drinks because instead of just saying we're going to do 100 kilometer race. You actually offered a bunch of different distances and they're not short distances. [00:24:32]Mark Jesse: I'm a bit obsessed with the number three. I don't know if you could tell, um, you know, three ones, three twos, three threes, three is, you know, and numerology represents completion, uh, three strikes in a baseball game, three outs, um, nine, nine players, three outfielders. You know, nine innings, it's, it's, it represents completion. And, and I kind of being a baseball geek growing up, um, I, I, uh, it just made sense to me that, why not, you know, uh, 111, that's, that's no walk in the park. The 69 or that Nate and I rode last Saturday is no walk in the park. It's going to challenge you. [00:25:17]Nate Matson: We thought it was going to, you know, we thought it was going to be 70 miles. And we were both like, this is so much harder than we thought it was going to be. It was a reality check for sure. [00:25:29]Craig Dalton (host): So for the listener, just to put a pin in it, you've got a 69 mile race, 111 mile race, 222 mile race, 333 mile [00:25:39]Kris Jesse: Yes. [00:25:40]Nate Matson: Yeah. And as he's telling us these numbers over a beer, again, I could see his eye glistening. Like you could just kind of tell, like it's, it's happening, you [00:25:49]Mark Jesse: It's the mad scientist look. [00:25:52]Nate Matson: like, we can make this [00:25:53]Kris Jesse: And Craig, that doesn't mean I'm always like, what about a 50 miler? What do we think? And I'm not giving up that yet, that request. [00:26:03]Craig Dalton (host): I'm just imagining the kind of orchestration required, and I've seen the start times on your website from, I think it was 10 a. m. Friday for the 333, 9 p. m. for the 222, and then you start the next day for the 111 and the 69 Is the idea that theoretically everybody should be finishing around the same time? [00:26:25]Mark Jesse: Yeah, that was sort of the, the idea, right? Is that no matter when you started, you could be riding next to someone who just is a, is like they, they, they don't even know where they are because they're riding in the three 33 and, and you're, you're in the last 10 miles of your, your one 11 or your 69 mile route. Um, so to have that, you know, there is something special when. You know, by by the time you're coming around through the road to Burma, which is a section of the route just north of Northfield, um, When you, when you're coming back home, um, in the last 10 miles, um, there's something pretty cool anytime you come across someone on a bike and you know that they're doing it too, right? And so there's that instant bond that you have with that person and you've never met them before. You don't know their name and you may forget their name, but you're a brother now, or you're a sister of theirs because it's when you're out there, your family. [00:27:27]Craig Dalton (host): When you're starting at the, at the 333 mile distance. Are you offering aid stations? What type of infrastructure exists for those riders who are going to be doing it 24 plus hours? [00:27:43]Nate Matson: we, we definitely had aid stations and I would say last year was also a learning experience for what we need to offer writers and when in the sort of level of support that we should give them. Uh, I don't know, Chris, if you want to talk [00:27:56]Kris Jesse: I can, [00:27:57]Nate Matson: we learned a lot last year. [00:27:59]Kris Jesse: did. We did. I do the nutrition for the aid stations and I think what's unique about Great Oak Grit is that we do actually have, and we are thoughtful about our nutrition. I know, you know, and that's kind of what some gravel races are about is you're on your own and you know, we may supply a water stop. Or, you know, throw out some pizza or donuts or whatever. But, um, you know, so we are, uh, thoughtful about our aid stations and, um, have like, um, like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and pickles and things like that, that we had last year. Um, this [00:28:34]Craig Dalton (host): so even if I'm out in the middle of the night somewhere, [00:28:37]Kris Jesse: Yeah. So you will, you'll find us. Yep. Yeah, we'll have an aid station for you. And this year, um, we are, we were sponsored, we're sponsored by Kodiak and so we'll have like protein balls and then NOM nutrition and they're right out of Utah, um, Salt Lake City, kind of a new hydration. And so we'll have that, um, we're going to be really purposeful about the, and thoughtful about that long distance. Distance, yeah, nutrition, and so we'll have these aid stations set up for all the distances and, um, yeah, we'll have things like that and the finish and start. So we're really excited that we're able to do that, [00:29:15]Craig Dalton (host): that's great. Yeah, it's interesting as you sort of think about the spectrum of like bikepacking, [00:29:19]Mark Jesse: packing [00:29:20]Craig Dalton (host): Grand Depart, just start and fend for yourself. To something like this, where maybe somebody who may be a little bit intimidated to go off by themselves and forage and worried about, you know, if they're going to get the nutrition and hydration they need to be able to do an event like yours and have that infrastructure around, maybe a good starting point for people who want to. Attempt their first ultra distance event. [00:29:43]Mark Jesse: their first [00:29:44]Nate Matson: definitely, [00:29:44]Mark Jesse: Right. Definitely. Yeah. [00:29:46]Nate Matson: we also have fire pits. So [00:29:48]Mark Jesse: Minnesota in [00:29:50]Nate Matson: in October is cold and you never know, uh, what the weather's going to be. It could be, it could be 60 degrees. It could be 30 degrees. So it, it, we really don't know yet. So we're prepared. Um, but we had, we started a couple of fires last year and that was one of the things that riders, especially the 333 riders, where they were. By the fire just sitting there, you know, uh, heating up and we could tell that why not let's keep doing [00:30:18]Craig Dalton (host): Yeah. Yeah. [00:30:19]Nate Matson: a vibe. [00:30:20]Mark Jesse: the year before our first event, um, so this would be 2021, yeah, 2021, uh, that very weekend, it was 70 degrees and sunny the weekend of, uh, you know, a year prior. So in Northfield and, um, you know, it ended up being a little bit colder than that. Um, but, um, and it, it does definitely impact at what. You as, as a cyclist and what you should prepare for. Um, but we're going to assume that we're going to have 70 degrees and sun this year. Um, and, but if we don't be ready, you know, [00:30:58]Craig Dalton (host): Was there, um, was there a reason for choosing an October event date? [00:31:02]Mark Jesse: it's beautiful. It's peak autumn foliage in Minnesota. So if you geek out on autumn foliage, if you appreciate, if you like Thomas Kincaid paintings or Bob Ross paintings come to Northfield in October, because you're going to see it. And you're going to see it like every other turn. It's absolutely beautiful. [00:31:23]Kris Jesse: that's another, in this region, this area, Craig, it's so beautiful. It's, it's just that fall crisp and you see, you know, you just look out in the leaves and the trees and it's really nice, [00:31:37]Nate Matson: It definitely has like Sunday morning PBS specials. You know, vibes when you're riding around, it's just really beautiful, you know, and there's tons of farmland and you'll be cycling past cows and [00:31:51]Craig Dalton (host): Is it a lot of, a lot of farm roads or are you getting onto narrower trails? [00:31:57]Mark Jesse: There's some pretty narrow roads. Um, there's some roads that you're going to go down and it's like, how, how do, how do cars pass each other on this road? You know, um, they're pretty, we have some MMRs, um, and, uh, yeah, some, that's the thing about it is despite how, um, remote it can be and how narrow some of the roads are, um, when it, it isn't a course that's going to punish you as far as the surface. Um, and, and we love unbound, um, but we're not going to, you know, if there's a storm the night before, you're not going to have to hike your bike three miles. Um, it drains very well. So, um, there's, there's the course, the distances are going to punish you more than anything. Um, the surface will not [00:32:42]Nate Matson: And the wind potentially, the wind can definitely be brutal. Um, and relentless until you get into a valley, then you get some, uh, some peace, but if it's a, if it's a windy day, that can be. [00:32:56]Mark Jesse: like any, like anywhere. [00:32:57]Nate Matson: any ride, but there's not a lot of tree cover in parts of the ride, so you're really open. [00:33:03]Kris Jesse: I always say if you're not cursing the race director halfway through your ride, they didn't do something right. [00:33:10]Craig Dalton (host): yeah, that's for sure. I haven't done an endurance event that I haven't wanted to curse the event organizer. Uh, man. So as you guys were thinking about creating this event, and maybe this goes to kind of Minnesotan cycling culture, were you thinking about, we're building a race and we want a competitive front end. We want lycra clad athletes to come all over this. Or did you have a different orientation? And maybe if it's differs from year one to year two, let me know. But I'm just curious because there's kind of, there's no right or wrong answer here. It's just curious, like what the intention was. [00:33:47]Mark Jesse: The intention was to get people to push themselves beyond what they think they're capable of. Because that's what my experience was. When I did the dam the first year in 2019, I had no idea if I could do it. And when I finished, I realized that was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. And then like, two days later, I'm, and I was thinking to myself, I got to do that again. And I did it. And I improved by five hours on my time the following year. And I realized I can't be the only one who feels this way. I'm also not the fastest, you know, out there. I'm a middle of the pack type of rider. Um, there are people I know who are far faster than I am. I ride with them pretty regularly. Um, Our motto and, and our, our mindset is you should ride your ride, ride your ride. That's literally everywhere on our social media, on our website, because it isn't up to me to tell you, Craig, how you should ride. Um, coming from a different background, a different experience, life experience. Some people are overcoming cancer. I'm coming from my own health issues, as I've talked about. Um, people ride for, uh, uh, for every person out there is a different reason that that person's on a bike and we want them to take away from our event, whatever it means to them, if you want to race it, race it, take first, make a name for yourself, do something that, you know, is going to the event. Thank you. You know, make you happy. If you just want to finish, do that. If you don't know if you're going to finish, do it anyways. Challenge yourself, push yourself. Exactly. Even more reason to do it than the person who might podium. [00:35:40]Nate Matson: And Mark will be there to cheer on every one of them too, by the way. It's kind of a magical thing to see Mark at a finish line. It's its own meme waiting to happen because he's there cheering. Literally every person on who crosses the finish line. It's, it's so great. [00:35:58]Mark Jesse: I can't, I want to see every person finish. Like every single person. I truly, I truly give a damn about every single person that's out there. Um, I'm thinking about what they're experiencing. I'm hoping that they're experiencing what I experienced. I'm hoping they don't experience what I've experienced in the dark moments because you do go to dark places literally and, and, and mentally as well, but it's how we come out of those dark places that changes who we are and, and, um, and we're, we become better for that. [00:36:29]Craig Dalton (host): What's the rough breakdown between the different distances, if you guys had to guess, in terms of the number of participants? [00:36:37]Mark Jesse: it dropped significantly as, as we go, you know, you know, we're, we're like right now about half our participation, just over half our participation or registrations thus far this year with our new 69 mile route. We didn't have that last year. This isn't, this is a thank you and ode to those who did participate last year because we only had. 69 official registrations last year. So that's why we have a 69 miler. Um, it isn't for what maybe other people might think it is. It is because we had 69 participants for the record. Um, but when you go past and when you get past that, yeah, it starts to drop off. We have about half of that for the one 11 right now. So, um. And, and then, you know, the 222 I think is our crown jewel, quite honestly, because you get pretty deep into that driftless region and you're going to be riding overnight. Riding overnight is, is something I think anyone who's, who's thinking about, um, you know, going beyond that 100 mile distance. It's, it's just surreal. I can't even describe it. I can't find the words to describe it. It's so special to me. [00:37:48]Craig Dalton (host): I to say, that's the slippery mental slope I've been going down lately. I've done plenty of night riding. But I've never asked my body to ride completely overnight, short of a 24 hour kind of team mountain bike event. And there's a curiosity there from talking to other people I know about like, what will happen when I have to ride all night? [00:38:11]Kris Jesse: Right. [00:38:12]Nate Matson: and there's something just so spooky and beautiful about rolling out in the middle, uh, of the prairie, basically, or the farmland with crystal clear skies. It's the moon, the stars, and you're, you're just kind of like, to Mark's point, you just take it in and you never forget it. And then just seeing them kind of roll out into the darkness. We're all wondering, I hope this all goes okay for everybody because, because they literally disappear. It's amazing. [00:38:45]Craig Dalton (host): Yeah. [00:38:45]Mark Jesse: And, and that's why, you know, uh, where was I recently? I had on a damn jersey. Um, and I can't remember where it was. It was at an event and Oh, a young, a young guy came up to me. He's like, I want one of those pointing at my Jersey. And I'm like, Oh, I can't do it anymore. They don't, they don't sell them anymore. You can't get it. You know? And so, but he knew what having that Jersey meant. Um, and, and every, every time I see someone with that Jersey on, and this, this, the dam can't be the only event like this. Right. Right. But. Anytime you see someone with that kit on, there's a respect level. You know, it's kind of like You know, something that it's like you've been through, you've been through something together. It's a bond. [00:39:33]Craig Dalton (host): I think that's one of the interesting things in digging into your event. You guys starting out with these four distances, I think it creates sort of this aspirational journey for athletes attending to say, Oh, I'm going to do the 69. Oh, that went well. I think I can do the 111. I think I can do the 220 and just sort of inspiring people to go up. So not surprised at all to hear that kind of percentage breakdown between the different ones, but it's going to be curious to see how it changes over time. And from return participants, do they come back and do the same thing or are they changing their distances? [00:40:11]Mark Jesse: We found that there are, uh, a good number of people who, who didn't, uh, the one 11 last year and they're, they're trying for the two 22 this year. Um, or maybe they're doing the one 11 last year and they dropping down to the 69. Um, you know, it goes both ways, but I guess the, the, the idea behind it for me was. To especially this year with a 69 miler is to send a message that, Hey, we know we're not the 30 mile distance. We know we're not the 50 mile distance. There are plenty of other events and group rides that do offer that throughout the spring and summer months. We're towards the end of the season. Um, and we're hoping that people can maybe work up to that. And, and if the 69 miler seems like a lot, maybe we can be the final hurrah for you this year. Um, and, um, but you know, we're at the end of the season and, and people who are looking to do something beyond what they did last year, or maybe they haven't done a 200 miler this year or ever, maybe the 222 is what they're, they're, um, hungry for. [00:41:17]Craig Dalton (host): exactly. As the athletes complete the event, what kind of experience do they arrive to in Northfield when they hit the finish line? Are you building a kind of festival type atmosphere? [00:41:30]Mark Jesse: It is, it's definitely fest, it's definitely festive. Um, you [00:41:35]Craig Dalton (host): know we get Mark's hug first, [00:41:37]Nate Matson: It's Mark with a [00:41:38]Craig Dalton (host): then, [00:41:39]Nate Matson: bullhorn. It's Mark with a bullhorn. First of all. [00:41:42]Mark Jesse: yeah, uh, if, yeah, we should hand out earplugs as they're crossing the finish line, cause I feel like I am, they're kind of almost turning away from me, their heads to maybe, [00:41:52]Nate Matson: No, it's great. [00:41:53]Mark Jesse: I get excited about it, you know, I'm passionate about it, which is why we're here, but, um, because I've been there, I know what that feeling is and it's just like. Such a relief. I'm so glad this is over. And then it's just, we just want to be, we're all happy. One of the, one of the, um, one of the, my favorite moments is, is a gentleman who crossed from last year is, he crossed, he was one of the last people to finish. Um, maybe the last, within the last dozen or so people who finished and He finished, I, I ran up to him as I did with all the other, uh, finishers and I put my arm around him and his head was hanging. And I'm like, Oh, this, he's not in a good place right now. And maybe he's even upset. What's he going to say to me? How dare I, you know, kind of like I was expecting, expecting something negative. And he looks up at me and he says to me, you, you are proof that perception can become reality. And I had no idea. I like tears. I just had tears because I, I felt that from him, you know what that meant. And then he reaches in his wallet, who I've never carried my wallet with me, but this gentleman had his wallet on him and he reached in and pulled out a hundred dollar bill and handed it to me. He's like, I love what you're doing and I want to do more. And he said, you're changing gravel cycling. And obviously more tears. So that was very, it was very unexpected. Um, but it was, it was very special. And that's one of the moments I remember the most. [00:43:31]Craig Dalton (host): Amazing. If a listener was attending this year's ride in October. Is there anything else you'd want to share with them about how to prepare to be successful at the event? [00:43:46]Mark Jesse: That's a tough one. Be prepared to do something that you've never done before. Um, it's, it's as, as. Difficult as it can be physically, it's just as much mentally, but at the end, when you finish, you're gonna, it's gonna be one of the most rewarding experiences, I think, that a lot of people ever experience in their life. Um, you know, we do have big aspirations, um. We, um, we just want it to be, we, we're, we're sharing our, our, you know, our labor of love with the world we're, we're creating something, our own flavor of gravel. Um, this is our version of what a gravel, what, if we were to, you know, if we wanted to do an ideal event or create one, this is our version of it. Um, you know, we want to, we want to be all inclusive. We want to, um, you know, we give women 20 percent off their entry automatically just because you're a woman, because we want to create that diverse space. We want it to be an all inclusive event, as inclusive as we can be, despite the challenge, right? We realize that the challenge itself is not necessarily inclusive. It isn't all welcoming. Right. But we're hoping that people can understand and they get our message that, Hey, it's okay to challenge yourself and to push yourself. There's nothing wrong with that. Um, that's a healthy thing to do. And, um, That's, you know, that's what we want people to, I guess, maybe get out of it is, is that, that experience. And, um, as far as the prep, just, you know, put it in as many miles as you can. And, you know, quite honestly, we had, I had a cyclist email me the other day saying, Hey, you know, I signed up for this, this distance this year. And they, and they did participate last year. Right. But he's like, I signed up for this distance this year and I just don't have the training. I didn't, I'm not where I thought I would be. When I signed up, is there any way I could drop down to the, to the, you know, shorter, shorter of the next shorter distance and I gladly obliged him and, and made that accommodation for him. Um, you know, that's, that's what this is about is being able to, to, um, you know, do, do what you can do and, um, Yeah, let's ride your ride. [00:46:11]Kris Jesse: And watch the weather. [00:46:14]Nate Matson: I would say prepare for the weather too. Pragmatically be ready for anything almost, you know. Especially if you're flying in from another state. [00:46:24]Kris Jesse: Yeah. [00:46:25]Nate Matson: Be prepared for 72 or 32. [00:46:30]Kris Jesse: Or both. [00:46:31]Nate Matson: Or both! Yeah! [00:46:33]Mark Jesse: You could, there is a possibility of, of, yeah, maybe one day there, you know, we had a 20 degrees swing from yesterday's weather to the, to today. Yesterday it was in the 90s and, and today it was, I think it may have hit 70, maybe not. [00:46:50]craig_dalton-q2xxdhaa3__raw-audio_gray-duck-grit-ii_2023-sep-06-1110pm_the_gravel ride pod: Yeah. Well, guys, I love the energy of the three you are putting out there in the world. Um, if the event translates through your love of what you've intended to put on and what you're putting out there to the Minnesota cycling community and anybody who comes in to sample it, I'm sure it's going to be an amazing event this year and I can't wait to hear about it after the fact. [00:47:12]Kris Jesse: Thank you, Craig. [00:47:13]Mark Jesse: Yeah, thank you. We, we just. Yeah, we're just trying to build on, on everything that people here in Minnesota have already, you know, the foundation it's, it's rich, rich history of cycling with, with all the companies that have come out of here. Um, the, the cyclists, uh, you know, current pro cyclists as such as chase work, who's out there. He took second at gravel worlds just recently. Um, he's a great ambassador of the sports and he's a great, you know, home hometown talents. [00:47:42]Kris Jesse: my coach [00:47:43]Nate Matson: And her coach, [00:47:45]Kris Jesse: think he's a great guy. [00:47:48]Mark Jesse: but, you know, instead of just, you know, solely focusing on ourselves. Um, as athletes and endurance athletes and gravel cyclists, you know, we want people to know that, you know, this is a fundraiser. This is, you know, we are giving a portion of the proceeds to Frazier of Minnesota, which is a mental health nonprofit, and they, um, help families, um, who have, um, You know, children with autism, um, they have a school for those individuals as well. Um, they also help other people with mental illness and other disabilities. So, you know, when going back to, if I could just say just briefly, going back to why and, and that promise I made, that's the doing things for others. [00:48:28]Craig Dalton (host): Yeah, [00:48:29]Mark Jesse: Um, so yeah, you're gonna, you know, we, we do charge a fee. But know that every person involved with this event is a volunteer. I didn't pocket a dime from last year. In fact, I paid a little bit, you know, out of my own, out of my own pocket at the end of the day. But the point was, was we wanted to do something good for the community and give back in, in meaningful ways that, you know, in ways that are going to leave, you know, positive ripples throughout our communities. [00:48:56]Craig Dalton (host): Yeah. Thanks so much for making sure that you mentioned that because I was remiss and not asking you about the Frazier charitable donation and just another, another reason to flock to this event. Everyone. [00:49:10]Mark Jesse: Oh, well done. [00:49:13]Nate Matson: Uh, man! [00:49:15]Mark Jesse: We have a spot Open [00:49:16]Nate Matson: Perfect! Yeah! Thank [00:49:20]Mark Jesse: so, yeah, and, and people can find out more these, if they just go to www.gr grit.com. That's our website. You can find us on Facebook at GR Grit, Instagram on at gr grit. Um, and just check us out, you know, um, we just, we, we want people to, uh, It's just, we're just trying to share what Minnesota has to offer and, and continue that, that amazing community that is already here and share that with the rest of the world. [00:49:46]Craig Dalton (host): Thanks you guys. Have a great evening. [00:49:48]Kris Jesse: Greg. [00:49:48]Mark Jesse: Craig. Thanks for having us. [00:49:52]Craig Dalton (host): That's going to do it for this week's edition of the gravel ride podcast. Big, thanks to Nate, mark and Chris for coming on and telling us all about. Gray duck grit. It sounds like an amazing grassroots event out there in Minnesota. I love the challenge of those various distances. I wish there was something like that in my neck of the woods. Just something that year after year I could go back to and kind of up the distance and challenge myself in different ways. You'll hear from another upcoming podcast. I'm super curious about riding overnight. As I mentioned briefly, I've done it in some 24 hour. Mountain bike races, but I've never fully written the night. I've always sort of been part of a team and jumped in and done a lap or two while it's dark out. Anyway, go check out gray dot grit on the website. You can learn everything you need to know. And if you do it, make sure to ping me. I'd love to hear about it. Big, thanks to this week. Sponsored dynamic cyclist. Remember use the code, the gravel ride. You get 15% off any of their plans and they've got a free one week trial. So no excuse other than like me laziness for not stretching, but give it a try. I think you'll enjoy it. If you're interested in supporting the show, ratings and reviews are hugely appreciated and go a long way in the podcast game. Also, if you have a moment share this podcast with a gravel cyclist, you know, that's another great way to help out as well. Until next time. Here's to finding some dirt under your wheels   

Wild ginseng and bobcats may seem an unlikely pairing, but they do have one thing in common: They're both disappearing from the Driftless Area. We talk with the editor of Big River Magazine about ginseng and bobcats, plus what's going on in his corner of the state.

The Fly Fisherman's Channel is the most extensive collection of fly fishing-specific content on the web! Subscribe now and get 10% off your subscription by using code: FFIP10SPRING23 203 - Driftless Region History and Spring Creek Stealth Approach Tactics - Mel Hayner Your host Christian Bacasa speaks with Mel Hayner, the owner, and operator of The Driftless Fly Fishing Company. With over 50 years of experience in fly fishing, Mel is a wealth of knowledge regarding spring creeks and other tactics. He briefly describes the Driftless region and then dives into the tips, tactics, and techniques of fishing spring creeks and the overall Driftless region for trout. Contact Information:  Instagram - @driftlessflyfishingcompany https://www.instagram.com/driftlessflyfishingcompany/ Driftless Fly Fishing Company https://www.minnesotaflyfishing.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Fly Fisherman's Channel is the most extensive collection of fly fishing-specific content on the web! Subscribe now and get 10% off your subscription by using code: FFIP10SPRING23 203 - Driftless Region History and Spring Creek Stealth Approach Tactics - Mel Hayner Your host Christian Bacasa speaks with Mel Hayner, the owner, and operator of The Driftless Fly Fishing Company. With over 50 years of experience in fly fishing, Mel is a wealth of knowledge regarding spring creeks and other tactics. He briefly describes the Driftless region and then dives into the tips, tactics, and techniques of fishing spring creeks and the overall Driftless region for trout. Contact Information:  Instagram - @driftlessflyfishingcompany https://www.instagram.com/driftlessflyfishingcompany/ Driftless Fly Fishing Company https://www.minnesotaflyfishing.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Cabin is presented by the Wisconsin Counties Association and this week we're featuring Oneida County; https://bit.ly/3G2tTZr The Cabin is also presented by Jolly Good Soda, available in all your classic favorite flavors that we remember from childhood. The diet line offers 0 calories, 0 carbs, 0 sugars, and no caffeine – perfect for mixers or just enjoying on a warm summer day (or any day, for that matter); always Wisconsin-based, you can follow @jollygoodsoda on social for the latest on new flavors, fun promotions, and more. Learn more here; https://bit.ly/3TSFYY4 Campfire Conversation:Eric and Ana – with Logan too – hit the water in this Campfire Conversation, highlighting some Wisconsin's “Must Visit” water recreation locations.  Much of the conversation begins in the north, with the Apostle Islands and its bevy of options in Lake Superior. The Brule River, known as the “River of Presidents” for its history as a popular fishing and getaway spot for U.S. presidents in the early 20th century, also gets some love as its flows into Lake Superior not too far to the west. Hopping the subcontinental divide, the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway offers all of fun and natural beauty you could expect from a river. The Wild Rivers Conservancy is active along the river, and the waterfalls coupled with fishing, paddling, and hiking along the shore offer abundant options for an adventurous day. We also cover the Vets on the River Program, which is active on the St. Croix. Flowing into the St. Croix in western Wisconsin is the Apple River, which offers tubing, floating, and a variety of popular water recreation activities in the areas around Somerset, making it a big summer destination. Of course the Wisconsin River gets its due, whether you're fishing in the Eagle River area, water skiing with the best of them in Wisconsin Rapids, touring the sandstone and limestone bluffs around Wisconsin Dells, or kayaking the Lower Wisconsin Waterway. The Wolf River runs through much of the North Woods and offers unbelievably amazing fishing. Ana dives into the Madison “chain o' lakes” (literally too, in real life) as she and Eric discuss the many options of Lake Mendota, Monona, Wingra, Waubesa, and Kegonsa in the Capitol region. Other chains of lakes popular in Wisconsin also draw a wide variety of water recreation opportunities, including the chains around Eagle River, the Cisco chain on the Wisconsin-U.P. border west of Land O'Lakes, and the Waupaca Chain O'Lakes. In the south, Geneva Lake and its nearby companions – including Delavan Lake and Lake Como – draw plenty of crowds but still offer areas of serenity. Geneva Lake is one of the deepest spring-fed lakes in the state; Green Lake, in central Wisconsin, takes the title of the deepest. Its also hugely popular for boating, fishing, and water skiing. Up for whitewater rafting? Head to northeastern Wisconsin and check out the rapids on the Menomonee River! Comparisons to rivers in the Mountain West are frequently made to a section of the Menomonee between Niagara and Pembine, where the rapids and drops are truly an adventure. The Peshtigo River in Oconto and Marinette Counties also offers fantastic kayaking and canoeing; the whole area teems with waterfalls. For extra twists and turns, we recommend heading to the Driftless Region in southwestern Wisconsin and exploring the Kickapoo River, which is one of the crookedest rivers in the Midwest – if not the country. Some great options for rentals can be found in Ontario, near Wildcat Mountain State Park. We didn't forget the cities, either: explore charter fishing opportunities off the lakeshore in Kenosha, Racine, Milwaukee, Port Washington, Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Algoma, Kewaunee, Sturgeon Bay, Green Bay, Oconto, or Marinette on Lake Michigan, or from Ashland, Bayfield, or Superior on Lake Superior! And for paddling in urban areas, it's hard to beat the La Crosse area on the Black and Mississippi Rivers – especially Pools 7 and 8 – or kayaking amidst the bustling action and tall buildings in Milwaukee on the Milwaukee, Menomonee, or Kinnickinnic Rivers in the heart of the city. Let's just say your options are many – and we offer plenty to choose from on The Cabin today! Inside SponsorsVISIT Lake Geneva: https://bit.ly/3wHvilfGroup Health Trust:  https://bit.ly/3JMizCXMarshfield Clinic; All of Us Research Program; https://bit.ly/3Wj6pYj

The Fly Fisherman's Channel is the most extensive collection of fly fishing-specific content on the web! Subscribe now and get 10% off your subscription by using code: FFIP10SPRING23 200 - Smallmouth and Musky in the Driftless Region and the Musky Mental Game - Kip Vieth Your host Christian Bacasa speaks with Kip Vieth of Wild Wood Float Trips based out of Minnesota. Kip's 20+ years of experience targeting trout, musky, and smallmouth in the driftless region is explored and will open your eyes to the quality of fishing in the region. If you are thinking of a location to target multiple species with various techniques to add to your fishing repertoire, then you'll want to listen to this one.  Contact Information:  Instagram - @wildwoodfloattrips www.wildwoodfloattrips.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Fly Fisherman's Channel is the most extensive collection of fly fishing-specific content on the web! Subscribe now and get 10% off your subscription by using code: FFIP10SPRING23 200 - Smallmouth and Musky in the Driftless Region and the Musky Mental Game - Kip Vieth Your host Christian Bacasa speaks with Kip Vieth of Wild Wood Float Trips based out of Minnesota. Kip's 20+ years of experience targeting trout, musky, and smallmouth in the driftless region is explored and will open your eyes to the quality of fishing in the region. If you are thinking of a location to target multiple species with various techniques to add to your fishing repertoire, then you'll want to listen to this one.  Contact Information:  Instagram - @wildwoodfloattrips www.wildwoodfloattrips.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, veteran artist Mike Sudal proves the pen is mightier than your basic understanding of fishing, we agree we're not nice enough to live in the Driftless Region, discuss whether AI is the solution to your grip-and-grin problems, and catch a 72-pound striper with an old phone cord.

Jonathan joins and John Mleziva live in front of a live audience in the State Line Distillery tasting room in Madison, WI. The State Line story begins 3,700 miles northeast of Madison, in Edinburgh, Scotland. John was studying to open his own brewery!  Soon enough, the intricate science and subtle art of distillation captured John's imagination, leading him away from beer and toward the production of spirits.Fast forward - State Line is Madison's first grain-to-glass distillery,  where their spirits are made with heritage grains sourced from Wisconsin's Driftless Region.They make: American Gin, London Dry Gin, Barreled Gin, Coffee Liqueur, Rum, Vodka, Aperitivo, Aquavit (which is arguably worse than Malort!), Whiskey COMING SOON "arriving when it's matured" - and many of these are award winning!---------------This episode is brought to you by Destination Madison's Madison on Tap.Madison on Tap is your FREE roadmap to more than 30 breweries, cideries and distilleries in the greater Madison, Wisconsin region. And there are discounts and prizes along the way! Madison on Tap is mobile exclusive but requires no app download.Sign up at VisitMadison.com and all you need to do is check-in at each location you visit on the trail, get your discounts and receive extra perks. Just 3 check-ins gets you a Madison on Tap sticker; 6 check-ins gets you a Madison on Tap hat and 12 check-ins gets you entered to win an overnight Madison Craft experience!Cheers and happy trails!---------------Follow Pour Another Round:Facebook: /PourAnothrRoundInstagram: @PourAnothrRoundTwitter: @PourAnothrRound

Running can be one of the best exercises for your physical and mental health. But it can pretty challenging to get started. In this episode, Dr. Tookey is joined by Margaret Ho, a local runner with many of years of experience. She shares some great tips for someone who is looking at starting running or getting back into running regardless of their current level of fitness.   A disclaimer, we're providing general guidance but everyone is different and you should always discuss with your health care professional management of any disease and therapy before trying anything you discover from a source on the internet (including this podcast) 

Melissa Wagner is Lanesboro's Area Fisheries Supervisor. Today we talked about her work with DNR fisheries in the driftless region of Minnesota. They do habitat work on quite a few trout streams in southeastern Minnesota. We will cover how project planning works and what information is collected for fish stocking. We will also talk about how the DNR works with Trout Unlimited.   If you enjoy our podcast, we would love it if you left us a review on Spotify or Apple, since that helps other people find our podcast.    For more information check out the links below!  MN DNR  MN Trout Unlimted   TU Driftless Area Restoration Effort (TUDARE)  Southern MN Stream Restoration Video     The Wright Brothers Theme Music     

In today's episode you're meeting Taylor McCabe-Juhnke, the executive director of the Rural Schools Collaborative. It's important that our rural schools know who their advocates are and what resources they provide. Rural Schools Collaborative, also known as RSC, is certainly one of them. Across the county, there are 11 RSC regional hubs that align with their goals. The School of Education just happens to be one of those 11 – we are the Driftless Hub, supporting rural education in the Driftless Region of Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and Illinois. In today's interview, Taylor will provide you with an understanding of what RSC is and why their advocacy matters. You'll leave this episode with yet another resource.

Our hunting was rained out for the day so we sat down with Pheasants Forever private lands biologist, Blake Charbaneaux, to talk all about Pheasant hunting and habitat in Iowa! The "Driftless Region" of Iowa and how Blake landed there The "free dog" and learning to hunt with him Foot hunting vs hunting with a dog? How to hunt and find Pheasant for the beginners Native habitat vs Agriculture Brome grass. Good or Bad? CRP breakdown What do "Good Winters" and "Good Springs" for birds actually mean? The different types of cover: Loafing, Thermal, and Escape Types of plants to hone in on to be more successful on birds Blakes hunting approach --- Patreon and Partners: Support the Podcast: PATREON Gear: STANDING STONE SUPPLY Training Collars: DT SYSTEMS Whiskey: Ugly Dog Distillery Other GDIY LINKS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/375 Presented By: Drifthook, Togens Fly Shop, Range Meal Bars, FishHound Expeditions Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors Director of Casting For Recovery, Faye Nelson, provides a behind-the-scenes look at the organization with the mission to provide outdoor healing retreats for breast cancer survivors. We find out how you can get involved in breast cancer awareness, how they hold 55 events a year around the country, and how they manage to get going with an almost all-volunteer-based labor force.  For over 25 years, women from all walks of life have benefitted from CfR's inspiring program model. How does it work? Why is this an important topic? And how does breast cancer affect the lives of these women? Listen to the episode to learn more. Casting For Recovery Show Notes with Faye Nelson 04:30 - Faye is the Chief Executive Director of the nonprofit at Casting For Recovery 06:30 - Today, the organization holds 55 retreats around the country. 10:30 - St. Croix designed a traditional spinning rod in pink called, The Triumph Rod - they made only 500 of these and sold them for $150 each - Casting For Recovery received $100 for each rod sold. They sold out in less than 4 hours on Oct 1st. 11:45 - You can get involved in their movement by emailing them at info@castingforrecovery.org to get started. 12:45 - They have an event coming up on October 22 called Cast One Home Waters, where you can submit your fishing photo and win Yetti prices. Click here to learn more. 13:35 - They also have a virtual live auction that people can tune into. They auction trips to Alaska and the Driftless Region, and some non-fishing prices like bird dog, etc. 14:40 - CFR is based on a huge volunteer labor force. They have about 1800 volunteers every year. 19:45 - CFR started 26 years ago with 2 women who were fishing together - 1 was a guide and 1 was a breast reconstruction surgeon. 25:30 - About 10 years ago, Faye joined an organization, Warriors on Quiet Waters - they serve combat veterans through fly fishing. 27:22 - They have 13 national staff all over the country that are paid employees of the organization. 29:55 - They have an opening for a Southern Regional Program Manager role. If anyone is interested, reach them by email at info@castingforrecovery.org 36:00 - They've also done snowboarding for breast cancer with Yetti 37:00 - They've partnered with Project Healing Waters before Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/375

Our rural school districts in the Driftless Region are creating dynamic opportunities that are responsive to community needs and set children on paths for valuable future careers. Dodgeville High School recently hired Max Frommelt as their STEAM educator. Dodgeville is south of Madison along 151. His charge was to create a stem-rich curriculum focused on digital production. In this episode, you'll meet his principal to learn why this direction, his students to learn how it's been impactful, and of course, you'll hear from Max on how the process evolved. Max has also been named to the Rural Schools Collaborative's Young Educator's advisory council.

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/363 Presented By: Bearvault Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors Peter Murry and Gary Huey share the 7 Leave No Trace Principles to explore the outdoors sustainably and how we can all be a solution to conservation. We discover what they have going on to keep your natural areas clean and diverse, which auto manufacturer is leading the way in conservation, and what you can do today even if you're just camping at a local park. How can we be more responsible outdoors and how do BearVault canisters help us to leave no trace? Listen to this episode to find out. Leave No Trace Show Notes with Gary Huey and Peter Murry 4:05 - Gary's first backpacking trip during a study-away program was when he first learned about Leave No Trace.  5:00 - Peter grew up fly fishing in the upper Midwest. He went to a school up in the Driftless Region where there are phenomenal areas for fly fishing, mountain biking, and climbing. He studied in South Africa for a year where he joined a mountain club. That's where he had his first true introduction to the organization. 9:57 - Peter emphasized that the 7 Leave No Trace Principles are more like a framework than direct guidelines. These principles are meant to be adaptable and flexible depending on the activity. That general guideline of being aware and present is what they strive for when applying that to outdoor spaces. The 7 Principles of Leave No Trace 1. Plan ahead and prepare. - Gary says it's the principle of all principles. 2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces. 3. Dispose waste properly. 4. Leave what you find for the next person to enjoy. 5. Minimize campfire impacts. 6. Respect wildlife - Rule of thumb: Put your hand out straight with your thumb up. If the thumb completely covers the animal, you're at a safe distance. 7. Be considerate of others. Recognize that everyone has the right to be outdoors in their own unique ways. 16:12 - Gary talks about poop as a big problem, especially in the backcountry areas. Peter recommends packing poop depending on where you're at because different ecosystems have different abilities to process human waste. When in doubt, use a WAG (Waste Alleviation and Gelling) bag, but recognize that what you do in the Pacific Northwest is not necessarily what you're gonna do in the Southwest. 18:17 - Gary recommends some brands of WAG bags such as Restop and The WAG Bag (now known as Cleanwaste). 19:15 - Peter shares how lnt.org got started. Leave No Trace as a concept has been around for quite some time. It was originally a guideline developed by National Park Service and a group of land managers in the '60s. It was then adapted and adjusted into a full-blown conservation-minded organization in 1994. 20:53 - Gary explains how tossing food even as small as apple cores if you're in a thick wooded forest can disrupt wildlife. It takes time for these food wastes to break down. He suggests to just pack them out instead of just tossing them on the ground. 21:58 - Peter mentions the slogan "A fed bear is a dead bear", emphasizing that even a small amount of food left in the wildlife can attract squirrels and other small animals which then can attract large animals. It's important to not feed animals in the wild. Animal interaction can have detrimental effects on the ecosystem. 23:23 - Peter talks about the science and research behind Leave No Trace. Before they put out any education and information, it goes through a very rigorous process and has been vetted by a committee with representatives from the five major national land managers as well as university professors who do research on human interaction in the outdoors. 25:10 - Gary recommends using bear canisters, such as the ones from BearVault, as it is becoming a requirement now. 29:01 - The Leave No Trace principles were originally developed for hiking and backcountry, but they're now adapting the LNT ethics to the backyard and the everyday users like those having a picnic in the local park and quick day hike in a somewhat urban park. 30:47 - Peter encourages everyone to check them out on their social media accounts and follow their website for updates on their programs. Gary encourages everyone to volunteer and participate even on social media if they cannot go to their events. 33:00 - As a minimalist packer who also loves dehydrated food, Peter recommends the BV425-Sprint BearVault canister which is perfect for quick 1-2 day outdoor trips. Gary likes the medium-size one which is the BV450-Jaunt. 36:35 - I gave a shoutout to REYR Gear for their collapsible fly rods that pack out in seconds. 38:13 - Peter doesn't leave without a good pair of polarized sunglasses. His current favorite is the Ferg sunglasses from Costa. Another one is an inflatable pillow from Big Agnes, one of their great partners in Leave No Trace. 39:42 - Peter recommends diving into local non-profit organizations that are doing important work on conservation on a smaller level. 42:00 - Gary talks about Subaru, one of their biggest partners. The car company has a Zero Landfill Initiative wherein they try to get a few national parks to go zero landfill. Subaru also sponsors their travels to be able to go around the country and educate more people. 43:00 - Peter talks about the Outdoor Retailer (OR) event which is one of the staple gatherings in the industry. It's got a little bit of everything. A lot of those are general apparel outdoor groups. If you're a gear junkie, there's no better place for sure. 45:00 - Peter mentions other brands and organizations that support the conservation work they are doing, such as Fjallraven and Big Agnes. He also encourages everyone to be mindful of where these brands are doing and putting their money. 47:25 - Gary shares their upcoming activities in the summer and next year. 48:26 - Peter encourages everyone to check out their membership plan in their website to access resources and other information about the organization. Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/363

This episode was recorded at the event ‘Planting the Future: Medicinal Plant Conservation in the Driftless Region' hosted by United Plant Savers on August 12, 2017 in Wisconsin.  Thank you to Sam Thayer and Susan Leopold for sharing this! Beyond, sustainable harvest, we look at the long-term future of our landscape, and the special role that plant gatherers have in maintaining its ecology and prosperity. We'll talk about the threats and historical changes to our ecosystems, and discuss strategies to work and grow past them. We can do more than just "reduce our impact"—we can be a positive force to create and maintain vibrant and diverse communities of native plants that are at once productive for us and a paradise for wildlife. Nurturing the land that nurtures us. The Driftless Area will be used as an example for ecological and management concepts that apply everywhere. We'll explore some traditional, mutually beneficial relationships between Native peoples and the plants that support them, and discuss practical techniques for implementing this kind of harmony on our own sacred gathering grounds. BECOME A MEMBER OF UNITED PLANT SAVERS

This episode was recorded at the event ‘Planting the Future: Medicinal Plant Conservation in the Driftless Region' hosted by United Plant Savers on August 12, 2017 in Wisconsin.  Thank you to Sam Thayer and Susan Leopold for sharing this! Beyond, sustainable harvest, we look at the long-term future of our landscape, and the special role that plant gatherers have in maintaining its ecology and prosperity. We'll talk about the threats and historical changes to our ecosystems, and discuss strategies to work and grow past them. We can do more than just "reduce our impact"—we can be a positive force to create and maintain vibrant and diverse communities of native plants that are at once productive for us and a paradise for wildlife. Nurturing the land that nurtures us. The Driftless Area will be used as an example for ecological and management concepts that apply everywhere. We'll explore some traditional, mutually beneficial relationships between Native peoples and the plants that support them, and discuss practical techniques for implementing this kind of harmony on our own sacred gathering grounds. BECOME A MEMBER OF UNITED PLANT SAVERS

This episode was recorded at the event ‘Planting the Future: Medicinal Plant Conservation in the Driftless Region' hosted by United Plant Savers on August 12, 2017 in Wisconsin.  Thank you to Sam Thayer and Susan Leopold for sharing this! Beyond, sustainable harvest, we look at the long-term future of our landscape, and the special role that plant gatherers have in maintaining its ecology and prosperity. We'll talk about the threats and historical changes to our ecosystems, and discuss strategies to work and grow past them. We can do more than just "reduce our impact"—we can be a positive force to create and maintain vibrant and diverse communities of native plants that are at once productive for us and a paradise for wildlife. Nurturing the land that nurtures us. The Driftless Area will be used as an example for ecological and management concepts that apply everywhere. We'll explore some traditional, mutually beneficial relationships between Native peoples and the plants that support them, and discuss practical techniques for implementing this kind of harmony on our own sacred gathering grounds. BECOME A MEMBER OF UNITED PLANT SAVERS

This episode was recorded at the event ‘Planting the Future: Medicinal Plant Conservation in the Driftless Region' hosted by United Plant Savers on August 12, 2017 in Wisconsin.  Thank you to Sam Thayer and Susan Leopold for sharing this! Beyond, sustainable harvest, we look at the long-term future of our landscape, and the special role that plant gatherers have in maintaining its ecology and prosperity. We'll talk about the threats and historical changes to our ecosystems, and discuss strategies to work and grow past them. We can do more than just "reduce our impact"—we can be a positive force to create and maintain vibrant and diverse communities of native plants that are at once productive for us and a paradise for wildlife. Nurturing the land that nurtures us. The Driftless Area will be used as an example for ecological and management concepts that apply everywhere. We'll explore some traditional, mutually beneficial relationships between Native peoples and the plants that support them, and discuss practical techniques for implementing this kind of harmony on our own sacred gathering grounds. BECOME A MEMBER OF UNITED PLANT SAVERS

We check in on Wisconsin's west coast with the editor of Big River magazine. Stories include a tiny freshwater shrimp, the ecological status of the Upper Mississippi and a new wheatgrass that could improve soil health.

Frank Lloyrd Wright, Taliesin, FLW's family, Celtic influence, Driftless Region, high strangeness, House on the Rock, Alex Jordan, Neil Gaiman, Circle Sanctuary, neo-paganism, Neo-Druidism, bardism, Rosicrucianism, Wright's style, influence from Japan, feng shui, flow of house, Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead, Church of Satan, murders that occurred there, Julian Carlton, Wright's wives and mistresses, Wright's morals, Chicago, 1893 World's Fair, Richard Lloyd Jones, H.H. Holmes, sprites, Tree of Life, Celtic symbolism, Wright as Fortean, Gurdjieff, Nicholas Roerich, Fortean Society, Aztec/Mayan revival, John Sowden House, the Black Dahlia murders, strange deaths linked to Wright designs and familyMore on Wright:https://copycateffect.blogspot.com/2012/06/frank-lloyd-wright-and-synchromysticism.htmlMusic by Keith Allen Dennis: https://keithallendennis.bandcamp.com/ Get bonus content on Patreon Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Big news story this week is the destruction of the Driftless Region in Wisconsin Wisconsin 1 Wisconsin 2 Illinois Michigan Indiana --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jim-miller00/support

Jacob Hundt is Executive Director, Board Member and a Faculty member at Thoreau College in Viroqua, Wisconsin. Growing up on a dairy farm in the Driftless Region of southwestern Wisconsin and one of the founding students of the Youth Initiative High School, Jacob gathered inspiration for transformation in higher education through his studies at Deep Springs College, the American University in Bulgaria, and the University of Chicago. Tune in to learn more about: Jacob's own journey and background that led him into the educational field; Holistic higher education at Deep Springs College; What a microcollege is and what type of education it offers; Thoreau College, its programs, and partnerships in the community; To learn more about Jacob and Thoreau College go to https://thoreaucollege.org/.

Art aficionado Linda Tacke of Lanesboro says she plans to devote a day or two to this weekend's Bluff Country Studio Art Tour. It's the 21st year of the event, which grew from four artists to around 36, spread across 23 locations. Courtesy of Bluff Country Studio Art Tour A painting titled Country Rhythms by Joan Finnegan, one of the artists participating in this weekend's Bluff Country Studio Art Tour. Visitors can stop by the studios of painters and potters, jewelry makers, woodcarvers, fabric artists and more. Print off a map of artist studios here, or download the mobile app through the website to guide your arts tour across the Driftless Region. The event runs Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. John Sievers, trombonist of Loud Mouth Brass is sharing the word about a new work by fellow Rochester artist and musician Becky Schlegel. “The Lullaby Collection” is an alphabet book with Schegel's animal illustrations with poems and original songs for each. From the book Courtesy of Becky Schlegel A page from Becky Schlegel's new book "The Lullaby Collection," which she wrote, illustrated and wrote music for. Courtesy of Becky Schlegel A page from Becky Schlegel's new book "The Lullaby Collection," which she wrote, illustrated and wrote music for. Courtesy of Becky Schlegel A page from Becky Schlegel's new book "The Lullaby Collection," which she wrote, illustrated and wrote music for. Courtesy of Becky Schlegel A page from Becky Schlegel's new book "The Lullaby Collection," which she wrote, illustrated and wrote music for. The book includes a CD, which Schlegel recorded in the granary of her family farm. Schlegel will hold a book launch and concert for Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with music from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Dwell Local in Zumbrota. Carol Jackson is a Twin Cities theater fan and blogger, and she's looking forward to seeing the new show this weekend from Minneapolis Musical Theatre. The theater specializes in staging lesser-known musicals, sometimes in site-specific venues. Their new show, “Hands on a Hardbody,” about an endurance competition to win a new truck, is set in a car dealership. The musical, which was briefly on Broadway in 2013, is based on a 1997 documentary about 10 Texans all vying for a new pickup truck. The rules were simple: Keep your hand on the truck; last person standing wins. “Hands on a Hardbody” opens Friday and runs through May 8 at Luther Cadillac in Roseville. The theater offers a range of ticket and pricing options in this non-traditional venue, from regular seats to Bring-Your-Own chair to — somewhat immersive — standing room only. The show is not recommended for children under 10 due to mature themes.

In this episode we Wadeoutthere with Dale Osthoff from Madison Wisconsin.  Dale grew up learning fly fishing from his father and has taken his passion for the sport into teaching what he has learned.  We discuss Dale's home waters in the Driftless Region, using videography to view and improve your own casting, and some of his adventures in the remote lakes of the Rocky Mountains.https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSCnKeRpkw8y35-CQZ3TBdATo contact Dale reach out on Instagram at:@daleosthoff.flyfishingTo learn more about planning your own Rocky Mountain fly fishing adventure check out these resources and books:https://wgfd.wyo.gov/https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Trails-River-Mountains-Wyoming/dp/1936178214Including this one by Dale's father Rich:https://www.amazon.com/Fly-Fishing-Rocky-Mountain-Backcountry-Osthoff/dp/0811727661For more fly fishing stories, lessons learned, and artwork check out my blog and online gallery at:https://wadeoutthere.com/Beyond trailsFly fishing the rocky mountain backcountry

In this Fly Fishing Insider Podcast episode, your host Christian Bacasa speaks with Craig Amacker. Orvis endorsed guide at Madison Fly Fishing Company in Wisconsin's Driftless Region, Craig has a ton to share. Learn several tactics for gin clear water and how to dupe those picky fish. Now available on WAYPOINT TV - https://waypointtv.com/ Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, LinkedIn Business, Pinterest, and YouTube. Other Mentions in this Podcast:  Kendjam Lodge - https://www.kendjamlodge.com/ Untamed Angling - https://untamedangling.com/ Contact Guest:  Madison Fly Fishing Company - https://www.madisonflyfishing.com/ Instagram - @madisonflyfishingcompany This Episode's Sponsors: This episode is proudly sponsored in part with the following:  Angler's Coffee - www.anglerscoffee.com - @anglerscoffeeco - Business owners and anglers, Angler's Coffee has been on the leading edge of coffee for over 40 years.   Dupe a Fish - www.dupeafish.com - Register Now; we aim to have a comprehensive list of service providers that can guide you in selecting the perfect trip for you and your party. Book a trip now and have your own adventure of a lifetime! www.dupeafish.com and @dupeafish  Lidrig - www.lidrig.com - @lidrig - Innovative products for fly fishing from anglers for anglers. Nippers, Magnetic Fly Patches, and Fly Boxes. Like the Podcast, Show Us:  Leave a review! - Here is how I know you will love this podcast and the guests; please share, like, and support this episode.  Do you have an excellent idea for a guest or an Episode? Please let us know. You can reach the team at www.flyfishinginsiderpodcast.com. We are also very social where you can find a tone of great fly-fishing content, giveaways, tips, and more follow us on Instagram @flyfishinginsiderpodcast or see our Facebook page Fly Fishing Insider Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Fly Fishing Insider Podcast episode, your host Christian Bacasa speaks with Craig Amacker. Orvis endorsed guide at Madison Fly Fishing Company in Wisconsin's Driftless Region, Craig has a ton to share. Learn several tactics for gin clear water and how to dupe those picky fish. Now available on WAYPOINT TV - https://waypointtv.com/ Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, LinkedIn Business, Pinterest, and YouTube. Other Mentions in this Podcast:  Kendjam Lodge - https://www.kendjamlodge.com/ Untamed Angling - https://untamedangling.com/ Contact Guest:  Madison Fly Fishing Company - https://www.madisonflyfishing.com/ Instagram - @madisonflyfishingcompany This Episode's Sponsors: This episode is proudly sponsored in part with the following:  Angler's Coffee - www.anglerscoffee.com - @anglerscoffeeco - Business owners and anglers, Angler's Coffee has been on the leading edge of coffee for over 40 years.   Dupe a Fish - www.dupeafish.com - Register Now; we aim to have a comprehensive list of service providers that can guide you in selecting the perfect trip for you and your party. Book a trip now and have your own adventure of a lifetime! www.dupeafish.com and @dupeafish  Lidrig - www.lidrig.com - @lidrig - Innovative products for fly fishing from anglers for anglers. Nippers, Magnetic Fly Patches, and Fly Boxes. Like the Podcast, Show Us:  Leave a review! - Here is how I know you will love this podcast and the guests; please share, like, and support this episode.  Do you have an excellent idea for a guest or an Episode? Please let us know. You can reach the team at www.flyfishinginsiderpodcast.com. We are also very social where you can find a tone of great fly-fishing content, giveaways, tips, and more follow us on Instagram @flyfishinginsiderpodcast or see our Facebook page Fly Fishing Insider Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike talks about following his dreams of running a brewery and hotel operation - and we're here for it! What better set-up than to hang out at a brewery all day and then be able to head upstairs to your hotel room. This small town in southwestern Wisconsin has a tie to the late, great Betty White. Commerce Street Brewery has a buy-a-friend-a-beer-board. Patrons began buying Betty White beers. She accumulated thousands of beers! Commerce Street Brewery will be donating those funds to local no-kill animal shelters! Mike is passionate about creating a brewery that invests in its small town of Mineral Point. Stop by and hang out with locals and regulars, as well as visitors, enjoying pints together. Be sure to get a Betty White story out of your drinking sessions, everyone's got one and you're likely never going to hear the same story. Follow Commerce Street Brewery: Instagram: @CommerceHotelFacebook: /CommerceHotelWebsite: commercehotel.comFollow Pour Another Round:Facebook: /PourAnothrRoundInstagram: @PourAnothrRoundTwitter: @PourAnothrRoundPour Another Round now has merch. Show off your favorite beer podcast to friends with the softest t-shirts and some pretty sweet hats. Even if you're drinking alone, wearing one of these will be like two of your favorite drinking buddies are always with you too. Check out the shop! 

In this episode of DelangusCast Graham talks about the importance of the human connection, the beauty of the Driftless Region in western Wisconsin, the goodness of seeing a good friend in person for the first time since before the pandemic as well as missing all his dead friends. ___________________________________ Delangus@gmail.com Music by Emerald Douglas https://emeralddouglas.bandcamp.com/

In Edible-Alpha® podcast #91, Tera talks to Rod Ofte, a fourth-generation farmer and wearer of many hats, whose latest venture is a small USDA-inspected meat-processing plant outside Viroqua, Wisconsin. Nordik Meats opened last July, right in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rod and Tera discuss the business's wild first year plus the state of local meat processing nationwide. Like a lot of farm kids, Rod initially didn't want anything to do with agriculture. He went to West Point, worked for Mars in Germany for 14 years and traveled the world. But when it came time to start a family, he and his wife moved back to southwestern Wisconsin, bought a farm and began raising grass-fed beef. Next, Rod started a food and beverage consultancy and became general manager of the Wisconsin Grass-fed Beef Cooperative (WGBC), owner of the Wisconsin Meadows brand. Through these experiences, Rod grew frustrated by the dwindling availability of local meat processing for small producers and co-ops. He wanted to help reduce farmers' pain—and costs—by getting involved with processing in the Driftless Region of Wisconsin, but capital constraints held him back. Finally, in December 2019, Rod and a few other WGBC members and partners purchased the shuttered Driftless Meats plant. With a closing date set for April 1, 2020, the partners began due diligence. By March, COVID-19 was storming the nation, upending the food supply chain and exacerbating longstanding issues in the meat business. Suddenly, processors were in higher demand than ever. Nordik began booking appointments in advance, smartly requiring a reservation deposit, which provided capital for building up the facility, website and other infrastructure. Upon opening July 1, the plant was booked solid nine months out. Nordik Meats handles hogs, lamb, sheep, goats and some beef and offers slaughter, cutting and value-added production. Demand for appointments has since cooled, just as it has for most meat processors. But as Rod tells Tera, the pandemic-spawned demand had been overblown, primarily a product of ranchers overbooking slots for fear they wouldn't find processing when they needed it. Next, they discuss the seasonality of the business, which poses challenges—i.e., maintaining revenue, retaining skilled workers—for meat processors everywhere. Rod then gives his take on how the pandemic has impacted consumer behavior and buying patterns, such as more home-cooking, increased demand for local meat and greater acceptance of cuts once deemed less desirable, and whether these trends will last. Finally, Tera and Rod talk about the problems with meat processing, which largely stem from massive corporate consolidation and the many obstacles faced by small players and potential new entrants. Yet despite these challenges, Rod believes it's possible for small-scale meat processing to reemerge a la the current microbrewery renaissance. In closing, he offers sage advice for food and ag entrepreneurs looking to tackle this space.

The Driftless region of Wisconsin is no stranger to flooding. Its spectacular valleys and ridges were formed by the flow of rushing water over millions of years. But in recent memory, the floods are getting more intense, and happening more often—a combination that is having a profound impact on local people and communities. In this episode, we'll hear stories from people who experienced the flooding firsthand, from farmers to firefighters. And we'll hear from people who think that these stories might just hold the key for creating a sustainable future in the Driftless—and beyond.In 2019, The Driftless Writing Center based in Viroqua submitted a grant application to Wisconsin Humanities describing "Stories from the Flood." The project was to record interviews with residents about their experiences of the catastrophic flood of 2018. "Stories from the Flood" was awarded a Major Grant and the seed of that idea has grown and continues to expand. The project published a book that can be read online here.In this episode:Caroline Gottschalk Druschke is an associate professor in the Department of English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she incorporates her research interests in watershed-based conservation into her teaching. She is also earning a master's degree in environmental resources with a focus on stream ecology.Tim Hundt has worked as a journalist in the Driftless Region for the last 20 years: as a reporter for the Vernon County Broadcaster, News Director for three radio stations in Viroqua (WVRQ-Q102-WKPO), and as a freelancer livestreaming under the VernonReporter name. He has covered the flooding that has impacted the region as well as environmental issues, local government, and politics. Born and raised in La Crosse County on a dairy farm at the top of the Coon Creek watershed, Tim now lives in Viroqua where he works as a district representative for Congressman Ron Kind. He has written about the watersheds including the Lessons of Coon Creek and worked with the Driftless Writing Center on the “Stories From Flood” project that included a video he produced about the watersheds.Curt Meine is a conservation biologist, historian, and writer who serves as a senior fellow with both the Aldo Leopold Foundation and the Center for Humans and Nature, and as associate adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has written several books, including Aldo Leopold: His Life and Work (University of Wisconsin Press, 1988).  You can read his reflections on The Driftless Area, where he lives, in "The Edge of Anamoly" and hear him interviewed on Backcountry Hunters & Anglers.  He also edited The Driftless Reader, which includes writings by Native people, explorers, scientists, historians, farmers, songwriters, journalists, and poets.Ellen and Nick Voss live with their coonhound Loki on a small farm near Soldiers Grove in Wisconsin's Driftless Area. They spend their free time fly fishing for trout and muskies, finding new rivers to paddle, and road biking. Ellen is the Aquatic Invasive Species Program Director with River Alliance of Wisconsin, and Nick is the head fly fishing guide at the Driftless Angler fly shop in Viroqua.

In today's episode, Rick and Sam are joined by Jacob Hundt for a discussion on education as a means of engaging together in community. The conversation explores the influence of common values and shared stories, the value of experiential learning, and the role that conversations in the classroom play in creating moments for personal and intellectual growth. A big thank you to guest Jacob Hundt. Jacob is a founder and current Director of Thoreau College in Viroqua, Wisconsin. He grew up on a dairy farm in the Driftless Region of southwestern Wisconsin. He studied at Deep Springs College, the American University in Bulgaria, and the University of Chicago Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences, earning a BA in History and an MA in Social Sciences. Since 2004, he has worked as a trained Waldorf high school teacher and guidance counselor at Youth Initiative High School in Viroqua and was a founding board member and instructor of the Driftless Folk School. Jacob is passionate about the importance of the liberal arts for our civilization and has created a model that enables students to freely choose a post-secondary education dedicated to the cultivation of thinking, feeling, and willing. Sam Scinta is President and Founder of IM Education, a non-profit, and Lecturer in Political Science at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Viterbo University. Rick Kyte is Endowed Professor and Director of the DB Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University. Music compliments of Bobby Bridger- “Rendezvous” from "A Ballad of the West"