Foods and Culinary Activities Multi-Grain cooking - All seasons Grains can be the key to nutrition. In this class you will learn the nutritional benefits of popular grains like Wheat and Rice as well us extremely healthy grains like Quinoa. You will also learn how to work with such grains by prepare a healthy multi-grain meal. Yum! Country Bread Baking - All seasons Learn to make beautiful loves of homemade bread. Learn how to bake with yeast and alternative sweeteners like Sorghum or Honey. Rise and knead the dough into soft loves and then bake them up. Nothing beats sampling fresh hot bread and enjoying your work! Micro-biotic nutrition and cooking  - All seasons The Mico-biotic dietary philosophy is that food and food quality powerfully affect health, well-being, and happiness. So you’ll learn how to cook with an emphasis on locally grown whole grain cereals, pulses (legumes), vegetables, seaweeds, fermented soy products and fruits, combined into meals with great for thought over creating balanced meals. American Pie Making - All seasons Learn to make a pie full of a sweet seasonal fruit like apples or cherries. First you’ll learn how to make and roll out the perfect pie crust. Then we’ll fill it with a homemade pie filling and bake it to perfection. Then we will have to sample it! Typical Country Cooking - All seasons Wisconsin Country Folk are mainly farmers so they cook large farm fresh meals that can provide the power and nutrition to keep every one working hard and fit all day. This class can either revolve around cooking up a Farm Breakfast or a Farm Dinner (lunch). Cooking for a Healthy Life - All seasons Cooking for a healthy life, means cooking with nutrition, taste and long-term health in mind. You will learn how to plan a healthy meal, which types of dishes make up a good balance, which types of ingredients you should use to make up each dish of food. You will learn these things while preparing an example meal. Fresh Foods Cooking - June - October Don’t wonder the supper market, wonder the garden and pick fresh ingredients up off the ground! Learn to cook with seasonal veggies and/or fruits on one of our local farms. Find out how eating with the season in your local area can help with allergies and all sorts of health problems. This style of fresh local cooking makes for the richest and most nutritious meals possible.   Herb Walk and Processing - All seasons Walk the land and learn about plants native to the region. Discover edible plants and plants useful for medical purposes. Create tinctures and salves from the herbs that you’ve picked on your herb walk. Conventional medicines often use these herbs – you’ll get them fresh from nature! Cheese Factory - All seasons Wisconsin is the Dairy state of the USA. Visiting one of our cheese factories is a must! You’ll see how cheese is made and get the chance to try a fresh local delicacy - “Cheese Curds!” Wild Foods Cooking - May - July (may is the best) Walk out into nature and pick your own lunch! Learn to find, harvest, and prepare wild local foods. You won’t believe the joy of tasting these wild flavors. Food Processing - June - November Canning, freezing and drying foods are great ways to capture the nutrition of each season. Learn methods of preparing and processing foods for the winter. Jam and Jelly - June - September Create delicious jams and jellies using local, seasonal fruits. Jars full of these delicious treats will make great souvenirs to take home. Cooking with Monique - All seasons Monique Hooker is a world-leading chef. Raised and trained in France, she ran one of Chicago’s finest restaurants - called Monique’s! Chef Monique has retired to bountiful Wisconsin where she’ll welcome you to exclusive, small-scale cooking classes. Her classes emphasize the importance of eating organic, local foods.
Farm Visits and Gardening Activities Garden Planting - May - July Dig in the dirt and learn to plant a garden! We transplant cute little plants into the freshly tilled soil and place seeds into tiny little holes. Then water them and hope for sun-shine and grow power! Soil Health Building and Compost Making - All seasons There are more living things under the ground then above the ground! Learn how to work with all the microorganisms of the soil. Make compost to feed the soil so that the soil can feed us! Farm to Farmers Market Experience - June - October Learn first hand about the connection between farmer and consumers. Help a farmer pick vegetables or wild foods and prep them for farmers market. Load up and head out to farmers market where you will set up a beautiful display of homegrown goods. Enjoy vending and chatting with customers. Vegetable Farm - All seasons Get you’re hands dirty digging up organic carrots and potatoes! Learn how sustainable farming works, and know the importance of eating local foods. Dairy Farm - All seasons Have you ever milked a cow? Get ready - we’ll learn how to milk our beloved bovine friends on a local dairy farm. Apple Farm - All seasons Visit organic apple farmers who lead the world in exploring sustainable methods. On their farm, pigs turn the sod under the trees, and chickens eat unwanted bugs in the freshly turned soil! We’ll also learn to press fresh apple juice, and taste the goodness. Diversified Sheep Farm - All seasons Tour an organic, diversified sheep farm producing wool, chicken, eggs, shiitake mushrooms, beef cows, and fruit. Learn how they turn sheep fur into wool yarn. Then, eat a totally local, organic meal from right on the farm! Organic 101 - All seasons Learn to understand the basic cycles behind Organic Farming and Gardening. Learn how organic farmers work with nature and strive for sustainability! You don’t have to be a farmer to enjoy this class, it’s a great class for consumers as well.   Tobacco Harvest - Late August and Early September only Wisconsin has a strong history in tobacco farming. Come join in this community harvest and spend the day working with your hands. Tobacco harvest means beautiful summer days lots of people working together and great country cooked meals. As a farm kid it was always my favorite thing to do on the farm! Potatoes Digging - August - October Have you ever dug up dinner? Come get your hands dirty digging for all sizes, shapes and colors of potatoes.   Strawberry Picking - June only Everyone loves to pick strawberries, but most of them never seem to make it in the bucket. Some how this activity always ends with a bucket full of berries and a red smile. Apple Picking and Pressing into cider - August - October Making apple cider is fun and delicious. Fist we will pick apples then press them in an old fashion hand cranked apple press. The taste of fresh apple cider is unbelievable!
Outdoor Adventure Activities Canoeing the Kickapoo - June - September The Kickapoo is the world’s most crooked river, weaving between sandstone bluffs that arch out of the water. Beauty exudes from the valley where this scenic gem is tucked. You’ll love it! Camping Trips - June - September            Sleep out under the stars! Everyone enjoys Camping in the silent beauty of Wisconsin’s nature. We set up camp at one of our many favorite spots and then it’s campfire cooking and star gazing till bedtime. In the morning we make my families special camp breakfast sandwich and head out for a long day of canoeing or hiking! Rock Climbing - All seasons Rock climb with a professional climbing guide! We climb at devil’s lake state park, which is the Midwest’s best set of rock faces. Learn the techniques and scale your way to the top to enjoy the views out over the lake!   Mountain Bike Touring - All seasons Ride an old railroad line through the rolling hills Wisconsin’s Driftless region. Pass through long train tunnels and or ride along the banks of the mighty Mississippi.   Horse Riding - All seasons Giddy up! Load up on a lovely horse and take a scenic ride through the rolling hills and farm fields of Wisconsin. Cave Exploring - All seasons Find your way through pitch-black sand stone caves and sink holes. Be ready to get dirty and scared as you crawl from room to room through a under ground maze. Backpacking on Lake Superior - September - October This is a hiking and camping tour, meaning we will be on our feet every day and ever one will have to be able to carry a backpack. We like to run this tour only in the fall monthes so we can trek through the reds, yellows and orange leaves. We will hike up mountains and along creeks and beaches. Sip wine and enjoy the sunsets over the world’s largest lake “Lake Superior”. Where do we go for our outdoor adventures? Kickapoo Valley Reserve, Wisconsin - All seasons Explore this unique nature reserve shared by our community and local Native Americans. The Kickapoo Valley Reserve is an 8,569 acre tract that surrounds the Kickapoo River. The Kickapoo is america’s most windy river. It weaves it’s self though lush green forest and by sandy beaches and tall cliffs. Enjoy great canoeing, horseback riding, camping and hiking in this drifftless paradise. Perrot (Trempealeau) S.P. Wisconsin- All seasons Experience geographical and Native American history at Perrot State Park. where the Trempealeau River meets the Mississippi River, Perrot state park has 1,270 acres of diverse ecosystems. The riverbanks and surrounding wetlands provide wonderful habitat for the many migratory birds that travel through this area twice a year. Hardwood forests with mature black walnut, oak, and hickory are home to many animals, birds, and woodland wildflowers. Unique to southwestern Wisconsin and Perrot are the goat prairies perched high on the bluffs. Sacred burial grounds lay among enormous bluffs and the Mississippi River. Canoeing, hiking and Barbequing are a few of the fun things we like to do here. Devil’s Lake, Wisconsin - All seasons Is the creation of glaciers and rivers cutting and fighting each other, leaving behind a clear lake surrounded by huge cliffs. Devil’s Lake State Park is Located in Baraboo, Wisconsin and situated along the Ice Age Trail and is visited by more than 1.2 million people per year! With spectacular views from 500 foot cliffs, miles of hiking trails, swimming areas including 2 large sandy beaches, hundreds of campsites, mountain bike trails, cross country ski trails, great climbs and so much more, it’s no wonder why Devil’s Lake is Wisconsin’s premiere natural vacation destination! Porcupine Mountains S.P. on Lake Superior, Michigan - September - October The Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park is located on the shores of Lake Superior in Michigan’s Western Upper Peninsula. The Park has 60,000 acres and encompasses the largest tract of old-growth timber in the Midwest. Offering hundreds of miles of hiking trails, mountain bike trails, cross-country ski trails, and wildlife from birds to bears, the area has something for everyone. Tettegouche S.P. on Lake Superior, Minnesota - June - October Come to Tettegouche for a great sense of the North Shore of Minnesota: the spectacular overlooks at Shovel Point; rocky, steep cliffs and inland bluffs; the cascading 60 ft. High Falls of the Baptism River; and the historic Tettegouche Camp where visitors can stay the night. This is a hiker's paradise with miles of trails that overlook the Sawtooth Mountains and wind down to inland lakes accessible only by foot. The Palisade Valley Unit features broad scenic vistas coupled with an expanse of multi-use, four-season trails. Two more trout lakes complement the fishing opportunities within the rest of the park. The park is also known for rock climbing opportunities and quality bird watching in the spring, summer, and especially the fall.
Community Activities Wine Tasting at Vernon Vineyard - All seasons Taste-test local wines at this scenic vineyard, featuring a bird’s eye view over the North Fork of the Bad Axe River. Organic Valley - All seasons                     The world’s largest, farmer-owned, organic food cooperative leads the organic movement - locally and nationally! Visit the Headquarters and learn about this exciting business. Enjoy hot, fresh, organic lunch in Organic Valley’s own “Milky Way Cafe”. Learn more at www.organicvalley.coop Amish Shopping and Country Tours - June - September See the beauty of Amish communities and learn about their history in Wisconsin. These hard-working people live as if time had stopped in the early 1600’s! The Amish are the ultimate in sustainable living. The Amish community creates unbelievable quality, handcrafted goods - including beautiful quilts. Tour Amish Communities and artisan shops. Mississippi Queen Dinner Cruise  - All seasons Board this classic steam engine boat and relish a sunset dinner cruise. The mile-wide Mississippi River will provide the sights, from Bald Eagles and Blue Herons, to powerful barges pushing their cargo north and south. Viroqua Farmers Market - June - September The Viroqua farmers market is the Central melting pot of a multi cultural community. You’ll find organic vegetables venders, buggies surrounded by Amish handmade crafts and goods, local Maple syrup venders, old ladies selling hand sown hot pads and quilts, amazing fresh doughnuts and Vietnamese flower growers. La Crosse Farmer’s Market - June - September The Cameron Park Farmer’s Market is set in a beautiful, little city park just blocks from downtown La Crosse. You can shop at the local farm and artisan stands, then head downtown, or take a walk to the mighty Mississippi River, nearby. Joining Local High School Classes for a day - May, September and October only Get your good outfit on cause it’s back to school! Meet American youth at the local high school and participate in classroom activities. You can attend either the Viroqua Public school our a local youth governed alternative school called Youth Initiative High School. Coffee Tasting and Roasting Tour - Last Friday of every month Tour a local coffee roasting facility (Kickapoo Coffee) and learn about the art of roasting the world’s favorite beverage. Taste test all the different styles of coffee and learn where they come and way the taste so different.
Arts and Crafts Activities Watercolor painting - All seasons Bleed colors together to create emotion and beauty. Watercolor painting is a style of painting where you paint on top of wet paper and each stroke radiates out ward. Candle making from bees wax - All seasons You’ll learn how to melt down raw bee’s wax and dip wicks till you get candles. Then we will decorate the candles with flowers. These candles make great gifts to bring home with you! One Stroke Painting - All seasons                    One stroke painting is an amazing way of creating 3d like images on a d2 canvas. By dipping your paint brush in multiple colors of acrylic paints at the same time, then making careful strokes, you end up with depth and shade coming to life on your paper. This class is lots of fun and easy to learn! We focus our drawings around natural items like flowers and vines. You’ll end up with several nice little creations (like a painted plate) that make great keep sakes or gifts. Yarn Making - All seasons This class reconnects you with how cloths are and where made from sheep’s wool. Visit a farm and see how sheep are grown for there wool. Then Learn how to work with the wool and mash it together to make long strings of it. Finally spin the wool into yarn via delicate hand/eye/foot coordination.	ljl