What’s your story?
I was born in New York, to newly immigrant German parents. I was raised in Beloit, Wisconsin, mostly by a single mother – in the 1970’s – a time when it was difficult to be a divorcee. My brother and I had a lot of time on our hands to find trouble- and we did. Circumstances also taught us how to be critical thinkers, self reliant, independent spirits, and how to fix things ourselves. I turned 18 on a Wednesday, graduated from high school on Friday, and moved to Madison the following Saturday. My first real job was at a collectively run vegetarian restaurant in Madison (the Main Course). Living in Madison was my first real introduction to the Driftless region. My boyfriend at the time took me canoeing on the Wisconsin River, and I visited Spring Green for the first time. At the Main Course I learned every single position in the business- but successfully avoided the bookkeeping. This set the groundwork for becoming my own boss. We grew up with very little- so I never imagined owning anything like a business- but I walked into an opportunity at age 22, and had the nerve to say yes (long, very cool story) and signed a contract to buy out a natural food store in Evanston, Illinois- the Green Earth. It was an organic food store, and we were fortunate enough to ride the “Alar apple scare” an organic food boom. After 10 years or so, I had gotten married, had a baby, and we were looking for a place to plant ourselves together. I discovered that the General Store in Spring Green was for sale, and 6 months later- we moved and started running the business together. 20 years later we got divorced- and you saw it coming- I crossed the final frontier, and learned all about finance and bookkeeping! What keeps me here for almost 30 years? The land, the people, the rural spirit, and the fact that I can visit Milwaukee-Chicago-Minneapolis in about a 3 hour drive (it’s nice to get out once in awhile).