I always knew I wanted to be a farmer’s wife.  Having grown up in the city, I really enjoyed spending summers on my Grandparents farm.  I loved staying in their old farmhouse that had no heat upstairs.  I remember my Grandmother turning on the electric blankets for us before we went to bed so we would be nice and snuggly warm at bedtime.  I remember my Grandfather calling to her at what seemed to be the middle of the night…”Wife!” and she would get right up to start her day while we stayed sleeping.   The smell of strong coffee was the first hint to me that it would be morning soon. 

Shortly after, I would hear the milk machine go on, and the hungry calves calling for their morning feeding.  By the time we kids would get up, the house would be empty, and their morning dishes washed and put away.  My grandparents were hard at work.  Days usually consisted of my Grandfather doing field work or working on machinery, and my Grandmother doing house chores such as laundry in her old ringer washer, or going to the orchard and picking some fruit to can or make pies with.  All the while, lunch was already in the oven, and I’m sure supper was already on her mind. 

I always thought she had the best life.  She got to be with her family all day and got to do whatever she wanted (I thought, until I realized when I got older that she was working all day and night.) Nonetheless, I’ve always wanted to be like my Grandmother.  She taught her family to do our life’s work well.  She taught us how to take care of other people and love our family as best we could.  My Grandparents both taught me how to grow from the land and use the bountiful harvest to feed my family.  You can take the girl from the country, but you can never take the country from the girl.I use my Grandmother’s recipes, and other tried and true recipes of farm wives past and present to bring to the table food that is good and good for you. 

I use only locally grown fruits and vegetables grown right here in Wisconsin.  I do not use additives or preservatives, and I only sell foods that I serve regularly to my own family. I named my business after the people I hope will carry on our family tradition, my children:  Russell and Brooke.