Wisconsin Writers
The air is crisp, the leaves are starting to turn, and there’s no better time to curl up with a new book. Fall is prime book publishing season and many Wisconsin authors have new books out.
Tractor
It’s the first day of fall, and with that nip in the air comes the last outdoor activities before the snow flies. The sounds of tractors and chainsaws fill the autumn air.
Kayaking
What’s the best way to see Wisconsin on a perfect fall day? In a kayak. Today, Maureen McCollum takes us to the backwaters of the Mississippi River near LaCrosse, to meet some dedicated paddlers.
Tolerance
What does it mean to root for a team, a state, or a political party? You cheer for your side and hope they crush the other guys. Commentator Lynda Barry has been thinking about how easily we jump from loving one group to hating another.
Vintage Baseball
The Brewers are red-hot so far this season, seemingly on their way to fall glory. Baseball has been America’s game since the 19th century, though the modern game looks quite different from its roots in small towns.
Foraging for Berries
While many of us think of summer as berry-picking time, in the fall, Wisconsins woods and prairies burst with native berries if you know where to look. Forager Sam Thayer eagerly hunts for his favorites every year, for both the flavor and the fun.
Ironworker
Ironworking is not for the faint of heart. Known for walking steel tightropes and dangling off bridges, ironworkers have been called “cowboys in the sky.” Folklorist Jim Leary interviewed retired Madison ironworker George Bunders of Local 383.
Summer Swimming
Summer is coming to an end. Kids are heading back to school and swimming pools, the heart of summer fun for many families, are closing for the season. Producer, Cynthia Woodland, visited Madison’s Goodman Pool recently to find out why swimming is so fun.
Lake Superior Rock Picking
Meandering along Wisconsin’s beaches in the last lazy days of summer, you can find all sorts of rocks and pebbles that have washed ashore. Writer Jill Sisson Quinn went looking for rocks at Lake Superior and found something more along its shores.
Sand Island
The Apostle Islands have been a favorite summertime destination for more than 100 years. Hotels and summer cottages sprang up to accommodate tourists drawn to the wild beauty of Lake Superior.
Immigrant Plants
Many of the herbs and vegetables in our summer gardens are European immigrants. They came to Wisconsin as seeds and cuttings along with the people that came to call Wisconsin home in the 19th century.
Goat Cheese Season
The springtime birth of baby goats has Wisconsin’s goat cheese makers working long hours on the farm. Locavore Erin Clune thought it was about time she learned how local seasonal goat cheese gets to market.
Coming Home
College students are on the move this time of year, heading out to new places and excitedly seeking new adventures. Many are grateful to be out of their hometowns, thinking they’ll never live there again.
Historic Gardens
August is a time of abundance in the vegetable garden. Many of these plants came to Wisconsin with our 19th century Yankee settlers and European immigrants. The plants our ancestors grew tell stories about their way of life and culinary traditions.
Coffee Break
French writer Balzac once wrote that “Coffee is a great power in my life.” Wisconsin’s Scandinavian immigrants could relate, bringing their prodigious thirst for the morning brew with them. But while coffee has been around for centuries, taking a daily break to drink it is a more recent development.