April 2025 Maple Syrup production

April's program was all about backyard maple syruping. Roger and Gayl Stewart gave a great presentation starting with how to identify a maple tree to the last step of putting it in a jar. We learned trees should be at least 10 inch diameter at breast height. Sap flows when night temps are in the 20's and day temps in the 40's. 

Forty of sap boils down to 1 gal of syrup. Those were just a few of tips they taught us from their years of making syrup. Making maple syrup is a lot of work, but their product was great tasting. They gave us a taste of their maple syrup on some delicious treats! Thanks for the wonderful presentation!

March 2025: Program Olive Farm

Becky Nelson visited her cousin Pamela who is co-owner of Grumpy Goats Farm in California where they produce organic olive oil. They have 8000 olive trees on 17 acres northwest of Sacramento. Pamela was connected by phone during the meeting so she could answer our questions while Becky showed and narrated photos she took.

This farm in the Capay Valley gets around 12 inches of rain annually so irrigation hoses deliver water to each row of trees. They produce 1000 gallons of olive oil in a good year. There are several large growers in California in addition to small growers like Pamela and only about 1% of the olive oil used in the US is home grown.

They contract with a “manager” who provides the workers to hand pick the olives. Strict guidelines cover worker rights which include number of hours worked each day, breaktimes, drinking water available and port a potties. The manager was responsible for all of these and workers were paid $20 per hour.

Like many fruits, the olives on one tree will be in various stages of ripening. They want a blend of 60% green olives and 40% ripe olives which will be black or purple.

The olives are picked and then driven to a mill for processing the same day to ensure optimum freshness. They produce extra virgin olive oil so the olives are sorted, washed and crushed without using any extra heat. Centrifuges separate the oil from the rest of the olive which is discarded.

Becky brought a bottle of each of four olive oils that this farm produces so we could taste them.  How interesting since most of us just look for words like light, virgin and extra virgin!

         60/40 blend of picked olives ready for washing

The bottle lists the specific variety in it and the Grumpy Goats Farm website says the oil can be purchased at the Driftless Market in Platteville.

September 2024 Meeting: Garden Tour

Sharon Stauffer and Ben Russell hosted our September 4th garden club tour at their home in Mineral Point. 

We last toured there three years ago after run off was addressed and major renovations were made to the foundation of the garage. Even to a discriminating eye it is impossible to tell major excavation took place as Sharon did an amazing job integrating plants back into the landscape creating a natural look. 

Sharon dug over a hundred perennials up prior to the work and then planted them back despite a drought. Likewise, stones were selected and piled to be put back later into the landscape. Two large rocks on the side of the house appear to have been there forever as anchored so well in the terrace but actually are relatively new to the landscape. 

Sharon selects perennials with a variety of textures and she has a large terraced slope to showcase this design element. In the shade Shredded Umbrella plants and perennial geranium are paired nicely for garden interest.

August 2024 Program - Tour of the Frost's Gardens

On August 7th, garden club members toured the gardens of Nancy and Joe Frost in rural Highland, a good example of the Driftless Area. Members were not disappointed as the views were spectacular with layers of rolling hills, some tilled, others forested or growing with perennials. 

To the west was a planting of 20,000 trees and shrubs, mostly conifers with ash and oak that the Frost's planted in 2003, two years after moving to their property. The trees are now huge and go on and on; what an undertaking! The forest had been a treeless pasture and now provides a windbreak along with habitat including a recent bobcat. They also have 18 acres in CRP which they planted with a pollinator mix of native grasses and forbs. 

The vegetable garden is adorned with tall sunflowers of all color combinations. Nancy said many had self-seeded and allowed to grow if not in the way of vegetables. 

The flower beds were lovely, tucked above and below rock walls. Chickens clucked happily and staked out spots to settle in for the night. The large patio provided a serene setting for visiting, meeting and treats. 

Thank you Nancy and Joe for opening your gardens for us to enjoy.

July 2024 Program - Tour of the Shallow's Gardens

On July 10th club members toured the gardens of Vicky and Mike Shallow in rural Barneveld. 

It took us a while to even leave the parking area near their shed as Vicky showed us a shelf of prairie plants she had started from gathered seed. She also gave us a peek at the robin nest with eggs that had been built in one of her flower containers. 

A gravel garden, which Vicky states is little if any maintenance was built on a remnant of a gravel pile from a driveway project. Lead plant and wooly thyme are among the thriving plants in it. 

Vicky does not shy away from planting perennials such as lavender and hardy begonia which can be borderline hardy here. Near the house, they incorporated stone with various levels and curves, along with just the right complementary plants, to create a visual flow from nearby conifers, dianthus and thyme to large swaths of lavender, coneflower and other perennials and finally a smoke bush. 

Thank you so much Vicky and Mike for sharing your lovely gardens with garden club members. 

June 2024 Program - Tour of Ridnour's Gardens

On June 5 our members toured the gardens of Harriet and Glen Ridnour. 

Harriet titled her program "Gardening on a Budget" but innovation and cleverness prevailed. Harriet and Glen explained that their property had been the site of a church. Rocks, rubble and other remnants of the past have been exposed through the years when gardening. 

Harriet's well composted cherry tomatoes are planted where her mail carrier can pick some when walking by. The fence provides a backdrop to her perennial and annual border and vines including Sweet Autumn. She transformed turf into a symmetric herb garden with paths and a stone sculpture from Maine in the center. Glen has recently turned a swath of turf into a meadow for habitat and visual interest while cutting down on mowing. 

Harriet pointed out a number of objects, many from England, now repurposed for utilitarian purposes such as containers. An old wooden ladder serves as a trellis for cucumbers to climb. 

Just as the tour was ending it started to rain and the screened-in porch accommodated the well-attended group with comfortable seating and a refuge from the rain for our meeting and treats. A big thank you to Harriet and Glen for hosting!

April 2024 Program - Trip to the Sardeson Forest Preserve

There’s something really wonderful and amazing about a guide who can stand in one spot and tell you everything that’s been growing there, that will grow there, and how conservation has effected the location.

Zach Pacana land property manager of the DALC (Driftless Area Land Conservancy) has been exercising strong conservation measures at the Sardeson Forest Preserve outside Mineral Point for the past two years and is bringing the 12 acres into a state of readiness of indigenous flora for the public to view. Five communities or ecosystems exist in the area as well as St. Peter Sandstone boulders (beautiful) which were explained by Mark Sturnek’s handout on the geologic history of the area.

UGC paid for the big school bus to travel there - a five minute trip - and of the 46 people hiking, about a quarter were UGC members. It’s definitely a worthwhile trip, so close to town, where suddenly you’re in the woods and see/think about the variety of communities, and how wonderful was Rollie Sardeson to donate the land to DALC. It’s hilly and you have to stretch your legs! Do visit this beautiful place.