Get Green In Decorah

Two special events are coming up in Decorah to help you get green!

29th Annual Seed Savers Exchange Annual Conference and Campout

July 17 -19, 2009 – Decorah, IA

Organic farmer, author, and teacher, Eliot Coleman will keynote the Seed Savers Exchange 29th annual Summer Conference and Campout at Heritage Farm, Decorah, Iowa, July 17 to 19.  Coleman will speak on Saturday, July 18 at 7:00 p.m. Other featured speakers include Barbara Damrosch, Coleman’s wife and co-owner of Four Season Farm in Harborside, Maine, and Mike McGrath, host of the popular nationally syndicated show “You Bet Your Garden” on National Public Radio.

With nearly 40 years experience in all aspects of organic farming — including field vegetables, greenhouse crops, rotational grazing of cattle and sheep, and range poultry — Coleman still practices what he preaches. He and Barbara operate a year-round commercial market garden, in addition to conducting horticultural research projects, at Four Season Farm.  Coleman’s workshop will focus on the use of hoophouses and moveable high tunnels in growing year-round vegetables on his Maine farm.  (A note of interest, Seed Savers is in the process of building one 35’ by 96’ hoophouse and one 30’ by 48’ moveable high tunnel at Heritage Farm).

Coleman is author of “The New Organic Grower,” “Four Season Harvest,” and the newly published “Winter Harvest Handbook”.  Articles about the couple have appeared in a variety of publications, including The New York Times, House and Garden, Mother Earth News, Gourmet, Organic Gardening and Downeast.  Coleman also designs garden tools for his own use, many of which will be on display at the conference.

Damrosch has worked professionally in the horticultural field since 1977. She writes, consults and lectures on gardening, farming and landscaping and currently writes “A Cook’s Garden,” a weekly column for The Washington Post. Damrosch is author of two books, “The Garden Primer” and “Theme Gardens.”  With Coleman, Damrosch was host of the TV series “Gardening Naturally” on The Learning Channel.

McGrath offers advice to gardeners as host of “You Bet Your Garden” on NPR, with tips on everything from fending off pests to wrestling with weeds. He is also garden editor for WTOP News Radio in Washington, D.C., and contributing editor and columnist for Greenprints magazine.  McGrath has authored several books, including “Mike McGrath’s Book of Compost,” “Kitchen Garden A to Z” and “You Bet Your Tomatoes!”  His most recent book is “Kitchen Garden Box – Save and Sow Seeds of Your Favorite Vegetables”.

This year’s annual conference will also include several workshops on various aspects of gardening and farming, a panel discussion, field demonstrations, heritage seed swap, lots of good local food, inspiring conversation and even a barn dance. Local vendors will be selling products on Saturday morning

New this year – kids activities!  While the registered adult  attends the conference, students K-8 can participate for free in our Dig & Discover program! Each child will explore Heritage Farm on an adventure scavenger hunt; find out how the four B’s – bees, butterflies, birds and bugs – help in the garden; learn the stories behind heritage seeds, and create a garden t-shirt to take home.

The cost for the weekend conference is $75 for Seed Saver’ members and $100 for the general public.  One-day only registration is also available. Registration details and a list of scheduled events are available at www.seedsavers.org or by calling Seed Savers Exchange at (563) 382-5990.

Seed Savers Exchange is the largest non-governmental seed bank of its kind in the United States. The vast seed collection maintained at Heritage Farm includes thousands of vegetable varieties, many of which are rare and heirloom seeds. Members receive many special benefits, including a 10 percent discount on purchases online or at the Lillian Goldman Visitor’s Center, four quarterly publications and access to thousands of heirloom varieties not available in the public catalog. More info at www.seedsavers.org or call (563) 382-5990 for membership information.

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The Decorah, Iowa Green Initiative

August 21-23, 2009 – Decorah, Iowa

The Winneshiek County Convention and Visitors’ Bureau is kicking off a fun and educational new festival called “Dig IN: the Decorah Iowa Green INitiative” this August 21-23. The WCCVB and partners established this first annual event to celebrate the Decorah area as leaders in “green” initiatives. Dig IN is a weekend-long festival set in idyllic Northeast Iowa featuring off the grid homes and sustainable farm tours, along with live music at both a street dance and garden party, an expert-filled green expo, seminars and forums, and local foods all weekend.

You can read more about the event by CLICKING HERE on the Inspire(d) Site.

Register online at www.digindecorah.com to get full access to a program guide, a map for home and farm tours, plus a chance to a prize package. Registration is $10 for adults and kids 18 and under are free.

For the latest news, event listings, and information, visit www.digindecorah.com.

Jeni Grouws & Friends play Winn. Co Fair Tuesday

Jeni Grouws and Friends Live
at the Winneshiek County Fair,
Tuesday, July 7th at 7 p.m.

(missing from picture: Benji Nichols, Nori Hadley & Jessica Breed
Photo courtesy of Silver Moon Photography online at www.silvermoonimages.com)

The Winneshiek County Fair will open Tuesday night with grandstand entertainment from “Jeni Grouws and Friends.” The eclectic show will include over 25 local performers, many being selected from Winneshiek County Schools to perform on the grandstand stage this Tuesday night, July 7th, at 7pm.

“I can tell you, from the auditions of those selected to perform, this is going to be one fantastic night of live, local music!” said show organizer Jeni Grouws.

Those chosen to perform at the Grandstand during Jeni Grouws and Friends include: Joseph Sir, Cresco, Annalise Johnson, Decorah Schools, Buck Towne, Hesper, Lynnae Bigler, Decorah, Miriah Hageman, South Winneshiek Schools, the group of Paul Sullivan, Anders Wahlberg and Lucas Bleckenberg, all of Decorah Schools, the Eric Anderson Family Band, Lime Springs, Siri Hedestrom, Decorah, Kalissa Georgia, Turkey Valley Schools, Ethan Adams, South Winneshiek Schools, Juan Pagaza, Decorah and Aggie Schoening, Chester.

These area performers will be backed on songs that range from pop to country, blues to bluegrass by an All Star Band made up of Benji Nichols, Lloyd Bolz, Mark Stumme, Erik Berg, Jessica Breed, Nori Hadley, David Lester, and Jeni Grouws. Jeni Grouws and Friends Live at the Winneshiek County Fair will also feature selected songs from Grouws’ EP “Scenic Route”, crowd favorite cover songs and even a fun tribute to the great ladies of country music.

The show  is this  Tuesday night, July 7^th from  7-9pm. It’s going to be an incredible showcase of this area’s talent and you won’t want to miss a moment of Jeni Grouws and Friends Live at the Winneshiek County Fair! Entry to the show requires a Winneshiek County Fair Button, which can be purchased at various locations in the area and at the fair. For more information on the Winneshiek County Fair visit www.winneshiekcountyfair.com.

Fun things to do the first week of summer!

 

Welcome to summer!

To really kick it off right, check out all these fun things to do in the very first week of this wonderful season!

Windemere Student Massage Clinics, June 22: www.windemere.org

 

The First Lutheran Summer Music Academy Faculty Recital in Noble Recital Hall at Luther College, June 22, 8 pm: www.lutheransummermusic.org 

Aaron Bodling artist reception at the Decorah Public Library, June 23, 7 pm

 

Down on the Farm Iron Pour June 24-27: http://theinspiredmedia.wordpress.com/2009/06/12/hungry-for-the-pour/

Anne of Green Gables, New Minowa Players June 26-27, 7 pm: www.newminowaplayers.org

DRAC’s Art Walk opens June 25: www.decoraharts.wordpress.com

 

Celebration Iowa dress rehearsal, June 26, Storre Theatre, 5 pm: http://celebrationiowa.luther.edu

Laura Days in Burr Oak June 27-28: www.lauraingallswilder.us

http://theinspiredmedia.wordpress.com/2009/05/19/laura-days-the-ingalls-wilder-museum/

The Rainmaker opens in Lanesboro, MN: www.commonwealtheatre.org

Foot-Notes Dance at the Cutting Farm, Rural Decorah, June 27, 7 pm

HAVE FUN AND BE INSPIRE(D)! 

 

P.S. Don’t forget about First Friday next weekend! See events page for details!

Hungry for the Pour

By Aryn Henning Nichols

 Sculpture artist Kelly Ludeking loves metal. Pretty much all kinds of it. And while he originally started with bronze and aluminum, it was an iron pour that really pulled him in. For Kelly, pouring iron is about community. It’s about learning and teaching, and it was this aspect that really sealed his path and passion.

Born in Decorah, Iowa, Kelly attended the local high school, and like many small town teens, was involved in essentially every extracurricular activity that he had any interest in. Mostly art-related things: band, drama, painting, sculpture, etc.

Diane and Kelly at a pour

“It kind of amazed me to look back and see how much art I dabbled in to find my niche,” he says.

That niche was eventually found at the Minnesota College of Art and Design where he was studying metal work. Kelly and some friends were invited to an iron pour – their first – and they watched as nearly a dozen people worked together as a team to feed a fire, melt iron, and pour it into molds to make each person’s individual art works.

“It was more of a production,” Kelly says. “It was such an incredible event.”

After, Kelly and friends went back to their college, inspired. They wanted to build their own furnace. And with help from the school, they did. Amazingly, they hosted their very own iron pour later that year. That furnace lived on at the Minnesota College of Art and Design for several years until it was donated to a sculpture park. It’s still used today, and in fact, was recently done so by Kelly.

You see, this is what Kelly does. He is an artist. He’s only just relocated with his wife to Madison, Wisconsin, from the Twin Cities, and he’s already got a gallery showing lined up. He is doing it. He travels around the Midwest and nation to be a guest artist, speaker, or participant in iron pours and events. He was invited to three pours this spring alone, and even spoke at the National Conference on Cast Iron Art in Birmingham, Alabama. The goal was to help students realize there is “casting after college.”

“The conference helps teach the next generation,” says Kelly. “We want them to know that once they leave college, they can continue to cast. Through businesses and institutions, they can make a living at it.”

There are a lot of inventive ways to cast post-graduation, he says. One is to set up your own event, like the sixth annual Down on the Farm Iron Pour Kelly is hosting on his family’s farm this June 24 through 27. The whole thing started on a whim – after organizing more than a decade of pours elsewhere, Kelly was living in Decorah helping his family and decided to bring an event here.

 

Down at the Farm Iron Pour

“I figured I could show my family what I do and not have to leave the farm,” he says. “And this way I have control of things. My dad’s very cool about it, we can build a bigger furnace and I know there will be enough room for everyone. And from the sounds of it, it’s going to be quite a bit larger than it’s been in the past. It’s looking like 50 artists are coming.”

 

People of all experience levels will stay in rural Decorah out at the Ron Ludeking farm and cast and teach and learn from each other. They come here from a variety of locales –Kentucky, Minnesota, Wisconsin – for this “Down on the Farm” pour. Artists are beginning to look forward to the annual event, even recognizing the barn in the promo posters before they even know Kelly.

“I have a t-shirt with the barn on it and people say, ‘You’re that guy,’” Kelly says. “It’s growing. People are coming from all over to play at my farm. For some ‘weekend warrior’ kind of artists, this is their get-away. This is their time to make art.”

The entire four-day event is organized by Kelly’s company, Ironhead Sculptural Services, and is open to the public each day from noon until 7 pm. Visitors can come watch artists in the process of creating patterns and molds. Then on Saturday, June 27, at roughly 5 pm, Kelly and his crew of artists will fire up the furnace and pour molten metal into the molds they’ve been working on throughout the event.

After, DJ Efraim Santiago from White Bear Lake, Minnesota, will fire up the tunes and mix music for the annual iron pour party.

Kelly is also teaching classes at the farm Wednesday, June 24, through Decorah’s ArtHaus. The first class, open to students age 13-17, begins at 1 pm. The adult class begins at 5:30 pm (go to arthausdecorah.com for more information or to sign up for the class). Students will learn the casting process and create their own medallions.

“I especially enjoy teaching kids, because they seem to be getting away from hands-on learning – tactile stuff. There’s so much virtual work,” he says. “Hands-on building is something so different from building on a computer. I think it’s just a good learning experience for them. And for the adults too.”

If things go as Kelly hopes, the entire Down on the Farm Iron Pour will really be one big learning process. Casting iron for fun and for an art didn’t start until the 60s, Kelly says, and a lot of the original “old dogs” are retiring from pouring and moving on.

“I want to learn as much as possible. It’s cool to be a part of something where the founders are actually still around,” Kelly says. “It hasn’t changed, why we do it. It’s the love of the metal. It’s really key to the process. If you can make iron beautiful and change the way people look at it – that it’s not machinery, it’s not something that’s cold and hard any more – if you can change somebody’s perception about it… that’s art. It’s pretty cool.”

 

Aryn Henning Nichols thinks molten metal is pretty darn neat. She hopes lots of people visit Kelly’s cool pour.

 

Down on the Farm Iron Pour: June 24 through 27 (pour at 5 pm on Saturday)
According to Kelly: “Completely open to ALL skill levels”
Ron Ludeking Farm, 1421 200th Street, Decorah
To get more information or to be involved, contact Kelly at:
651-280-5744
kelly@ironheadsculptural.com
www.kellyludeking.com

One Year passed since Decorah Floods…

It was just one year ago that a series of torrential storms dropped incredible amounts of rain on the tri-state area. At the time, inspire(d) was allowed access to capture many aerial photos of Decorah as the flood waters crested. If you would like to see these photos please CLICK HERE.

Also, Luther College Professor and Inspire(d) Book Critic Amy Weldon shared her perspecitves on the floor later last summer – you can read her accounts of community and high water by CLICKING HERE.

Sandbags in Decorah

Here’s to a much happier, healthier, and weather stable summer in the upper midwest!

Dewayn Bros. bring Blue/New-Grass Music to Decorah

The DeWayn Brothers

Live @ Cafe Magpie – Tuesday, June 9, 2009  – 7pm to 10pm

FREE SHOW – donations requested for the band

BYOB or enjoy great summer coffee, tea drinks, sandwhiches, and treats during the show at Cafe Magpie.

From the front porch of the Flinthills in East Central Kansas comes The DeWayn Brothers. “After more than two years of touring across the U.S. in a conspicuous 42-foot bus, we’ve sure had our run-ins with a good deal more than just the law! We’ve evaded cops in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas, blazed through nine inches of snow in Illinois, and made it through 110° New Mexican heat. We’ve survived sunburns on the beaches of New Jersey, a shooting in Tulsa, lost brakes on a mountain road in Idaho, and all the hazards of big city driving. We’re not complainin’, though, because The DeWayn Brothers’ style bluegrass is spreadin’ like a ragin’ fire.”

The DeWayn Brothers are a fast-paced insurgent bluegrass band that draw influences from old-timey bluegrassers, modern punk, heavy metal, blues, and good ol’ rock and roll. Simply put, they’re not your grandpa’s bluegrass, but you can bet even he will be tappin’ his feet and singin’ along.

From bar-room brawls and drugs, to murder and mayhem, the DeWayn Brothers draw inspiration from their time on the road and from the people they meet. The DeWayn Brothers are all songwriters, and they’ve all got stories to tell. Rippin Mandolin, Smokin Banjo, Fierce Guitar, Poundin Bass, and the most powerful voice in the midwest.  DEWAYN!!

The Dewayn Brothers have 5 albums under their belts and hundreds of shows including appearences at Wakarusa and opening for artists like Ralph Stanley, Leftover Salmon, Hot Buttered Rum, and Tea Leaf Green.

“With possibly the best female vocalist in the midwest, Jamie Lee belts out songs of lost loves and bad guys, to The Boy singing about death and drinking or just picking a good ol’ banjo song about gettin rabies from your own dog DeWayn is pushing their Kansgrass sound all over the country. With Josh Finley possibly one of the fastest mando players in the country and an incredible artist added to the mix you would think he was an 80’s shredder not a bluegrass mandolin player.” (from – www.lawrence.com)

Don’t miss your chance to see this great grasss roots midwestern band at one of Decorah’s most unique establishments!

Tindalls to open “Spud Boy” diner in Lanesboro

Spud Boy Diner, Lanesboro, MN

Many area residents will recall the famed “Clarksville Diner” that was once located in Decorah in the early and mid 1990s. It was moved to Decorah, restored, and run by Gordon Tindall for several years before he closed it’s doors and the diner was sold and moved to a TV station in Gennevilliers, France. Gordon has had many adventures on the East Coast since the days of the “Clarksville,” including refurbishing and running the “Red Rose Diner” in Towanda, PA  -  but has now returned to the midwest with a new project in tow.
The “Spud Boy” diner now sits on a button of a lot in downtown Lanesboro, patiently awaiting it’s continual restoration. Details at this date are sparse, but Gordon and his wife Val live in Lanesboro and are renovating the wooden dining wagon as time allows. Tindall has put incredible efforts into the restoration and saving of a true piece of diner history, including mahogany wainscoting, marble countertops, and period-authentic stools and lighting fixtures.
A hand written sign in the window of the diner proclaims that it was built in Silver Creek, NY in 1927 by Goodell Hardware, and is the only one of it’s kind known to be left in existence – and only one of two wooden diners left in operation. Seating is expected to be about 20 people inside with a couple of additional tables outside as weather allows.
For those who recall Gordon and his cooking from the Clarksville Diner days, the opening of this new dining establishment will certainly be a highly anticipated and celebrated event.

Many well wishes to Val & Gordy from the Inspire(d) team, and may there be waffles in the near future… and catsup… of course…

Decorah First Fridays – this Friday!

Don’t miss First Fridays in Decorah this summer! Come stroll down Water Street and take in great art, great food, cool refreshments, and fun people! All the fun starts at 5pm Friday June 5, and July 3 – see you on Water Street!

Ye Olde Opera House (YOOH) Presents “Lucky Stiff”

For almost three decades, Ye Olde Opera House has been presenting summer musicals in Spring Grove, MN. “Ye Olde Gray Barn” has been the unique venue for these theatrical escapades; from “Oliver,” to “Annie,” and “Little Abner,” to “Oklahoma,” this summer tradition is not to be missed. July of 2009 will be no different, with five nights of productions of “Lucky Stiff” – a musical theatrical production from the team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty,  based on a book by Michael Butterworth.

This musical tells the tale of an unassuming shoe salesman who’s life takes a dramatic turn when he learns he is about to receive a major inheritance – under one rather odd cicrumstance that involves a trip to Monte Carlo, and a dead Uncle that must go along!

Ye Olde Opera House presents “LUCKY STIFF” outdoors at Ye Olde Gray Barn, just east of Spring grove July 15-19, 2009. The cast will include such regional favorites as David Storlie, Mark Schroeder, Bill Fried, Jacob Grippen, Tyler Engen, Chelsea McManimon-Moe, Rachel Grippen, Sarah Holland, Sara Kroshus, Jen Solberg, and Alisha Solum.

The unique setting offers theatre goers a quintessential midwestern summer experience, with dinner and refreshments available “on the green” two hours before the show. Don’t miss your chance to enjoy a great night of theatre in one of the midwest’s most unique venues!

For tickets and information call (507) 498-JULY, or visit www.yeoldeoperahouse.org

Inspire(d) Events Page…

Hey Inspire(d) Friends!

Thanks for stopping by here to check out what we’re up to. Feel free to poke around and don’t miss our ‘Inspire(d) Events‘ page where we post select events that are coming up in our great region!

You can also swing by www.theinspiredmedia.com to get a taste of the new flavor that our website is headed in. Soon we will have a whole new look and feel that you’re going to love – so keep your eyes & ears open for changes here in Inspire(d)ville.

We’re busy getting the June/July issue of Inspire(d) Magazine ready to go to press this week – it will be on stands by June 6th, and it’s going to be GREAT – just like summer in Iowa…  All 6,000 of our April/May issues have flown off the racks, so if you’d like to SUBSCRIBE to Inspire(d) to make sure you get a copy of each new issue- just CLICK HERE!

Cheers!

Aryn & Benji