Dear Curiosity Journal,
It was an honor to speak as a panelist for Wisconsin’s first Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference in Platteville, which was co-hosted by Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission and the Community Development Institute, Division of Extension at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. The vision of this conference is to strengthen rural Wisconsin’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by engaging rural entrepreneurs, leaders, and innovators in rural communities. This two-day conference was a gathering of economic development practitioners and local decision makers, featuring presentations and technical programming to help small towns create environments in which entrepreneurs can thrive. Our discussion was titled, “New Crops and New Farms: A Panel of Driftless Agri-preneurs”, described as, “a lively discussion with many farm variations, from agri-tourism to retreats and
farm-grown pizza and beer to learn about a vast array of farming options, including the triumphs and
the challenges of blazing new trails”. My co-panelists were Kyle Vesperman, owner of Vesperman Farms,
Chad Foresburg, owner of Footjoy Farm and Brewing, and Sarah Lloyd, Supply Chain Specialist with Grassland 2.0. It felt a bit surreal to sit on a stage beside these kindred spirits to share our work with the community. I’m so grateful to have been invited and inspired by the passion of my peers and the curiosity from the crowd.
~Joy