Barnyard Adventures: A Journey Through Wisconsin's Agricultural Treasures
Three destinations in Wisconsin for a group of four from Promote Pulaski. Inspiration and ideas for The Barnyard Estates project expected to be built in Pulaski, Wisconsin.
On Friday, October 4, 2024, a team of four embarked on an exciting journey through southern Wisconsin, visiting three remarkable destinations that sparked our creativity for the Barnyard Estates project in Pulaski.
Our first stop was the Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center in Manitowoc, conveniently located just off Highway 43. We were captivated by the impressive barn structure, which we plan to emulate on a smaller scale at Barnyard Estates. As someone raised on a farm, I found the experience particularly enriching. The interactive exhibits throughout the expansive facility were a highlight. Bruce even learned how to milk a cow by hand—a skill he humorously struggled with years ago! Mom and Dad picked up a few tips, too. We envision incorporating similar interactive displays at the Pulaski Discovery/Heritage Center within Barnyard Estates, showcasing our rich agricultural history, including cheese-making and century farms. We've already begun discussions with a local cheese manufacturer to share their story and heritage, which will be an essential part of our project.
The Discovery Center also featured a retail store filled with farm-themed gifts, decor, apparel, and refrigerated sections offering local cheeses and agricultural products. Our vision for the Pulaski Center includes a deli that partners with local farmers to sell meat, cheese, and dairy products, further enriching our community's offerings.
Breakfast at the Wisconsin Cafe was another highlight, with a menu focused on fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. This farm-to-table experience aligns perfectly with our goal for Barnyard Estates, especially since our recent surveys indicated a demand for more breakfast options in Pulaski.
Our next stop took us to the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts in Cedarburg. Housed in a beautifully restored barn, this museum is dedicated to showcasing the artistic, cultural, and historical significance of quilts and fiber arts. Since its inception in 1988, the museum has documented over 8,000 quilts and offers educational classes, events, and workshops throughout the year. The unique retail store features one-of-a-kind gifts and decor, emphasizing the importance of supporting local artisans. As we develop Barnyard Estates, we aim to highlight local products, so if you're an artist or farmer interested in selling your creations, please reach out to us at promotepulaski@gmail.com, as we will add your to our list of prospects, and keep you informed through email communications.
Our final destination was the cheerful Elegant Farmer, famous for its gourmet pies baked in brown paper bags, alongside cheese, cider-baked hams, and delightful gift baskets. While they do have an online store, the experience of shopping in their expansive grocery store is unmatched, and when we were there, the store was filled with shoppers. While we were shopping, we also enjoyed a delicious meal of sandwiches, soup, and pie under a charming covered area. The Elegant Farmer, which began as a family dairy farm in 1946, continues to produce a variety of baked goods daily, including muffins, pies, and cookies.
This trip was not only enjoyable but also profoundly inspiring. We connected with staff and board members at each location, gathering valuable insights and ideas for our own project. Our vision for Barnyard Estates is to create a space that fosters community connections and celebrates our agricultural heritage, enhancing Pulaski's reputation beyond just our Polish roots.
As we move forward, we are focused on securing funding and ensuring the sustainability of Barnyard Estates. Our next steps include applying for grants and seeking sponsors to bring this dream to life in Pulaski, Wisconsin.
Thank you for joining us on this journey. We’re excited about the future and can’t wait to share more updates as we progress!
Join the Utterly Exciting Movement: Barnyard Estates Project Update
The latest journey on the Barnyard Estates. The community project, for the community, built by the community. Become a part of something really special for Pulaski, Wisconsin and surrounding areas. Read our latest,
Chatty Belle, World’s Largest Talking Cow located in Wisconsin, an inspiration for the Barnyard Estates project.
This week has been utterly fun, and yes the pun is intended - you’ll see later on. On Monday, July 10, 2023, we presented our project to Terry Handstedt, Partner of MCL Industries, and Tonya Dittman, Director of Engagement at the Village Companies. Tonya Dittman was raised in Advance, Wisconsin. Her background with Miron Construction Co, Inc. a design-build, industrial, and general construction service in the US will be a benefit to the group as she intends on joining the steering committee. Both individuals were excited about the project and asked what the next steps would be moving forward.
The Pulaski Area Chamber of Commerce held their monthly meeting on Wednesday morning of this week, so an update on the Barnyard Estates journey was provided. There was excitement, along with a lot of questions on how everything will work together, the logistics of it. However, it was explained to them that the project is huge and the goal is to have an estimate on the project costs by July 31, 2023, so we can move forward with our fundraising efforts. We need to have a clear understanding of the cost of the project so that we can include it into the details of the business plan. The key focus of the steering committee will be to help brainstorm a clear plan of how business and community will help not only propel the project forward, but sustain everyone in the Barnyard Estates.
On Thursday, Village Trustee, Stephanie Rodgers also agreed to assist us on the steering committee. She believes that the project will be a great asset to the community. Stephanie has a strong background in accounting and has resources available for helping non-profits that might come in handy as we move forward.
On Thursday, I met an individual from another non-profit (Strike Up A Chord) at a coffee shop in Green Bay, Karvarna, which is located on Broadway. My first impression of the Karvarna Coffee House was “community”. The Barnyard Estates “commons area” to me would definitely be an atmosphere like the Karvarna I experienced. If you get a chance to stop out and experience it, it was definitely an inspiration. One thing I thought was really interesting is that sourcing local food is very important to Kavarna. They source foods from the local agriculture as much as possible, and they work with local producers such as Full Circle Community Farms (Seymour), Lamers Dairy (Appleton), and SLO Farmers Co-op (Wisconsin) and many more throughout the Farmer’s Markets in Green Bay. In fact, I reached out to SLO Farmers Co-Op and received a response from Heather Toman, the general manager wanting to learn more about the organization. What’s really exciting is that SLO is headquartered in Hofa Park, Wisconsin. I will be reaching out to Heather this week to set up a time to meet.
Interestingly enough, that same day, I attended the Summer Market on Military Avenue in Green Bay. Here is the website to learn more. One of the thoughts of the Barnyard Estates would be to have in-door and out-door markets. As I walked around, I had the opportunity to talk with a few vendors. Two vendors in particular were from Suring and Green Bay and may be potential targets for the shared kitchen in the Barnyard Estates. Currently, they create from scratch home baked goods in their own home. By the way, I walked away with some delicious treats and business cards that I will add to our potential vendors list in google docs.
Finally, at our last meeting, we were brainstorming, and discussion about having a large “cow” or some kind of attraction in front or near the Barnyard Estates Building. In my research this week, I came across a Wisconsin company (Sparta) called FAST Fiberglass, a manufacturer that creates larger than life animals for businesses and roadside attractions. I reached out to them for a tour and Ryan Lakowske is more than excited to accommodate us. We are working on a date to visit the company the last week in July or first week of August.
The next steps? On Thursday, July 31, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. we will meet in Kaukauna with the Keller Team to go over the Discovery Meeting, which will include plans and comps. On August 16th, an early morning zoom meeting will be scheduled to introduce the three new individuals to the Promote Pulaski Board of Directors. We’ll probably have some discussion about the presentation meeting - which is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, August 24, 2023. The plan is to hold an evening presentation “by invitation only” on-site at Keller to present the Barnyard Estates project. Our goal is to obtain as much support, and yes, financial backing before we begin the fundraising to “build the barn.” This week we will work on creating content for the invitation along with the list of potential community individuals and businesses we believe we can partner with to bring this exciting project to fruition by March 2025. If you know of anyone that should be included on the list, please forward their contact information to tammy@dynamicdesignspulaski.com. As I mentioned at the beginning of this update, it’s been utterly fun researching, meeting with like-minded people and building the momentum of the project.