• Spring season is April though mid-June. It’s the season of flowers, with glowing green buds and blossoms on the trees. Farms are producing early goods from green houses. Also, great spring crops, like leafy greens, asparagus, rutabaga, strawberries, are already up and edible. It’s also the tastiest time of the year to head to the woods to pick wild plants and mushrooms.

• Summer is from mid-June to the end of August. With the gardens full of green beans, raspberries, carrots, black berries, tomatoes and all the leafy salads, summer in Wisconsin is sweet! The weather is hot enough to go for a swim, but cool enough to stay outside all day and enjoy it.  

• Fall is from September to the first of November. The season of plenty! Everything is ready to be harvested: corn on the cob; apples; grapes; squash; potatoes; cabbage; watermelons; all of the garden goodies! Fall colors are world class as leaves turn marvelous shades of yellow, orange, and red.  

• Winter is beautiful, but the cold weather and snow make it hard to do farm tours. We close down our operations and focus on cutting wood and keeping our homes warm!

Day 1 

Arrival and Welcome Dinner - After picking up Tomoko from the La Crosse Wisconsin airport we headed back to our country town of Viroqua. We had a lovely welcome dinner with local teachers and friends in our home.

Day 2

Organic Soil Lesson and Garden Planting Experience -  In the morning we attended a local high school class about working with organic soil. Then we headed to the farm in the afternoon where Tomoko learned how to sow seeds and plant a garden. since this was in the spring all the students that came later got to see these same plants grow and grow! by mid summer we were enjoying lots of lovely vegetables from this round of planting, yummmy!

Day 3

We had a lovely Tea Time and Language Exchange with locals in the morning.

Then it was off for a Farm Tour of Harmony Valley Farm one of the biggest organic CSA farms in the USA. Everyone was amazed at the diversity of vegetables. They grow hundreds of kinds!

Then we went to visit nutritionist Jane Siemon for a Wild Cooking Lesson and Wild Foods Dinner. We picked our ingredients right form the woods. Then Jane taught us about the amazing nutritional benefits of wild plants. Then we cooked them all up into a splendor dinner of wild flavors.

Day 4

Organics 101 Lecture on Turkey Ridge, one of the most progressive organic apple orchards in the usa. Greg and Faye (owners and organic Ag teachers) gave us a great walking lecture about working with nature. We discovered how to work with beneficiary bugs and plants.

We then had a Lunch and Tour of Organic Valley, worlds biggest organic cooperative. 

In the afternoon we visited a Vegetable Farm and pitched in with the transplanting, weeding and harvesting of some vegetable and herbs that we went on to use for our organic cooking class on day 5.

both of these farms were just amazing! They are pioneering all sorts of organic growing techniques.

Day 5

Gardening and Organic Cooking with Anne Marie author of "Cooking for the love of the world". We Harvested some fresh vegetables from her garden then she showed us how to prepare them into a delicious healthy lunch. Anne Marie studied Micro biotic for 30 years and really tries to tie the balance of Micro biotic in with the health of farm fresh eating. After lunch she taught us how to make extremely easy and use full Medicinal Tinctures out of plants!

Day 6

Farm to Farmer’s Market experience! We helped a local organic farmer with picking, prepping and boxing their vegetables for market. We also got to pick wild watercress from a huge spring on their farm. We made pesto out of the wild watercress and some home grown walnuts. We took all these farm fresh goods to Farmers Market and spent the evening hours vending them.

Day 7

Amish Touring, we visited Amish family farms and shopped at their cute little shops full of homemade crafts and sweets. They make amazing hand crafted goods and really yummy Jams and sweets. The Amish farming and live without a tractor, car or electricity. So they use houses and work really hard! they are the ultimate in sustainable living.

Day 8

We went to visit nutritionist Jane Siemon for a Whole Grain Organic Cooking Class. We leaned about all the different types of Whole Grains and their nutritional benefits. Then we learned how to Cook and bake with them! everyone enjoyed making Whole Grain Bread and a multiple grain lunch! 

Then Jane gave us a Gardening lecture and tree planting lesson as well.

Day 9

Mississippi River Sightseeing! The Little Country School is located just 30 minutes from the Mighty Mississippi River. on day 9 we headed for lunch and a hike at Trempealeau. Trempealeau is the only place in the Mississippi where there is a mountain in the middle of the river! The views at Trempealeau are wonderful. We stopped at the Trempealeau Hotel which sits right on the rivers side and had their famous walnut-burger.
    

Day 10

In the morning the local High school asked if we could come and help them with their Noh Play( Japanese Play) rehearsal. We helped decorate the stage with Japanese words and they gave us a sneak preview of their amazing play. 

In the after noon we went to visit Sofya Hundt a teacher of folk skills. She taught us Jam making and Pie making with the seasonal fruit Rhubarb. yummmmmy!

Day 11

Spring Transplanting! We visited a local organic vegetable CSA farm and took a great farm tour.  Then we helped them trans plant some cute little celury plants. We buy our vegitables off of this farm and we ate these celury later in the year.

Day 12

Back to Japan!

• includes continental breakfast
• Swimming pool and Spa
  
• Internet access
  
• Mini refrigerator & microwave
  

• Includes American Breakfast with organic and local foods
  
• Antique atmosphere
• Located right down town in the small country town of Viroqua!
  

• stay in a rustic cabin
• surround your self in nature
  
• cabins for couples 
  
• family or group cabins
  
• be able to make your own Breakfast