2023 by Wisconsin Public Radio, a service of the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In the four years since the Zahms bought the Driftless Caf, its become a local institution. But man oh man, theres amazing food culture thats rooted here that is simple, that is based in tradition, people passing down stories from generations. Zahm, who serves on the board of Viroqua Chamber Main Street with Roughen-Schmidt, said he remains confident the region is on an upswing, and said hes waiting for more restaurants like his to open in town. How Restaurants Are Coping With Coronavirus Shutdown. KAK: Mortgage abatement and rent abatement have been floated to try to help these restaurants from not folding completely. (All photos in this article courtesy of Luke Zahm. Viroqua is a thriving town in southeastern Wisconsin, close to the Iowa and Minnesota borders. Today Viroquas Food Enterprise Center houses 20 food-manufacturing businesses, including Fizzeology Foods, which makes sauerkraut and kimchi from organic vegetables; Nami Chips, a line of veggie crisp snacks; and B&Es Trees, barrel-aged maple syrup producers. However, as I age into this job, Im constantly reassured by the work of Executive Producer and Foodie creator Arthur Ircink that he only wants to show the best that we all have to offer and to let the stories tell themselves in the best possible light. ), Viroqua sits in a rare pocket of the Midwest, Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, Rural Voters Shift Democratic in Wisconsin Supreme Court Election, Analysis: Social Capital Key to Recruiting Healthcare Professionals, Bringing Appalachia's Songs of Solidarity to Soldiers in Ukraine, A Rural Calling: 'Hes Served the Lord on Whatever Avenue', Budget Request for More Rural Housing Is Likely to Face Opposition, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. The oldest cultures in North America took refuge in these hills., Zahm points to the Sioux Chef, the Minneapolis-based restaurant and movement to restore Indigenous foodways headed by Chef Sean Sherman, as expanding his notion of regional cuisine. Luke Zahm, chef and owner of the Driftless Cafe in Viroqua, says his restaurant had to lay off 64 employees earlier this week and asked them to file for

Observer archives, March 29, 2007 Zahm senator Luke Derheimer, second from left, reacts as senators pass a resolution recognizing Zahm Hall as Zahm

How will your rural roots inform the future direction of Wisconsin Foodie?. Chef Luke Zahm has been called a sort of Prodigal Chef. He grew up in the Driftless Region of Southwest Wisconsin, moved around gaining important and A $2 million grant from the Economic Development Administration helped modernize and refit the 40-year-old building, including new doors and windows. Our competitors are mostly from urban areas and their overhead costs are much higher. I cant wait to continue to explore and create broader awareness of the culinary scene with viewers as permanent host of Wisconsin Foodie.. Its roots trace back to the 1980s, as global economic forces started to take a toll at home, battering three industries the region had long relied on: agriculture, tobacco, and manufacturing. Additionally, Luke is the host of Wisconsin Foodie. Wisconsin Foodie is an Emmy Award-winning television series dedicated to discovering the stories behind the food we eat. This video For me to walk through a door correctly might take 10 takes from 10 different angles. What's the big deal? 2020 The Counter. CROPP began as just a seven-farm collective, but today it provides 1,800 producer members with infrastructure, marketing clout, and ultimately access to customers around the world. I can only hope its as delicious on your screens as it was making it. by Chereks annual contract with Wisconsin Foodie expires this month. Zahm and his wife have operated Driftless Cafe since 2013. As Driftless' Zahm spoke with a reporter one Thursday in early June, Viroqua's most famous son, Garbage co-founder and music producer Butch Vig, walked into the artfully designed, two-room cafe with his brother. More than just a farm-to-table restaurant, the operation spans into the community and spends 85% of its food budget on ingredients that are sourced within a 100 mile radius of the Cafe. These lucrative arrangements are out of reach for many small farmers, since distributors require consistent product at high volume and insist on multi-million dollar liability insurance policiesReinharts alone is $10 million. Her organization was able to purchase the property from NCR at a price well below market rate. People here are really intent on supporting each other, and shopping locally is not something you have to drill into peoples heads, said Nora Roughen-Schmidt, executive director of Viroqua Chamber Main Street (the organization is a cross between a chamber of commerce and a revitalization association). Just throwing it out there! LZ: The suspension or even the partial reduction of payroll taxes by the state and federal government or the suspension of credit card processing fees, those are huge. The

Do you know of a rural restaurant or restaurateur doing interesting things with their food, for their community, or both? Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Dan Jacobs and his business partner ran three restaurants and a bakery and employed 97 people. The people that are immediately out of work, the restaurant food service, hospitality industry, we're going tobe the first wave of people really displaced. Whether or not thats true, one things for certain: Vernon County doesnt fit neatly into the narrative of a downtrodden heartland. The farmers market bustles on a Saturday morning. Small Viroqua, Wisconsin, pop. And he replied, 'no,' because that's not the first wave.

Some still do. The interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. On Tuesday, responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Ive enjoyed my guest role with Foodie immensely. As a chef, I work hard to control as much of the dining experience as humanly possible in the restaurant. We realized we could open our restaurant back home, said Zahm. Western Wisconsin as a whole is well represented at the market, with a total of 23 vendors from a group made up of Vernon, Crawford, Richland, La Crosse and Monroe counties. When I'm not letting people know about all of the awesome work the station is doing around the state, you'll find me planning my family's next trip to somewhere fun, warm and likely connected to a Disney Park. Financing it was one of the more beautiful aspects of founding the cafe, said Zahm. Even if youve never heard of Vernon Countyor of the surrounding Driftless Area, a hilly region of southwest Wisconsin, northeast Iowa, and southeast Minnesota youve probably eaten food from there. Arthur Ircink January 17, 2020. The whole area has only three stoplights. Kyle was the first face of Wisconsin Foodie, and played an integral role in helping thousands of Wisconsinites fall in love with local food and culinary culture, Ircink said in a news release. Luke credited his mother for exposure to the music. This site was built using the UW Theme | Privacy Notice | 2023 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. This sacred corn is older than their creation story Skywoman fell to the earth with the seeds.. Previous. 4,362, hardly feels like the kind of place that foments revolution. In your transition from chef to TV host, what have been the biggest challenges? Situated in the rural southwest area of the state, it is the county seat and largest community in Vernon County. In a few months, the Amish stopped by and offered Zahm 100 pounds of salad greens about three times the amount he uses in a week. You have permission to edit this article.

Little Blue Ridge Farm | Venison Confit. I enjoy exploring Wisconsin's many lakes and spending the summer months camping around the state. WebHost Luke Zahm stops by to try some of their hottest of hot sauces. 4 talking about this. Fiorella, an acupuncturist, herbalist, and tai-chi instructor, set up a guitar-repair shop on Main Street; Megan works as a therapist nearby. Growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, the area was depresseddairy farming, which sustained much of the local economy, was in decline, and manufacturing jobs were leaving. ET. The most recent example: a large, low-slung industrial building on the north end of town. For questions or comments, contact WPRs Audience Services at 1-800-747-7444, email listener@wpr.org or use our Listener Feedback form. As a publicist for PBS Wisconsin, I love helping people learn about and engage with our wonderful programs.

I assumed it was TV magic, like I start a dish and we would have all the finished components and it would be a quick shoot. But as this progresses, the farmers are going to come into an era of hardship as well. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, SAMARA KALK DERBY

This small town about two hours northwest of Madison is helping put Wisconsin on the culinary map.

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Thats a tremendous amount of infrastructure that you dont find anywhere else, Noble said. Its this collision of cultures. People dont give Midwesterners credit for being very worldly, he said. Full Episode: In this episode of Wisconsin Foodie, we hit the road, crossing the border into neighboring Minnesota to meet up with Wisconsin native, Chef Yia Vang. Watching myself on television isnt easy. Whoops! Still, Noble says the troubling income statistics are somewhat misleading: Since the countys population is largely agricultural, Vernon County cant measure up to places with large numbers of office jobs. But we also felt for the community we serve, its the responsible thing to do., Our staff came in yesterday and we cut the paychecks and set out all the perishable food that we had in the cafe so they could take it home. Zahm We have cheap rents, lots of space, and a community thats really supportive.. Next. Share This Story Its too soon to say how worldly and often wealthier transplants from the coasts will impact the region, and how wide the economic gap is between long-time Viroquans and more recent ones. The landscape really lent itself to smaller farms, she said. Three decades of hard work and creative collaboration. "Paired with knowing that he could get really great ingredients here and always wanting to kind of come back home, was quite a big push.". Hours. MILWAUKEEWisconsin Foodie, the Emmy Award-winning production aired locally on Wisconsin Public Television, announced today that Chef Luke Zahm will formally join the show as the host for the 2020 season. The area has changed since Luke and Ruthie grew up here. They are the first restaurant between Minneapolis and Madison to receive a nomination. The Grammy Our standard of living might not be what it is in urban areas, but theres a different set of values here, she said. Get the latest stories from the Yonder directly in your email inbox. Eddy Nix, who owns Driftless Books and Music in Viroqua, likens his "slow media" business getting away from technology and smartphone addiction to the slow food movement. Feel free to email us directly, or share the pertinent details in the form below. Luke Zahm, and his wife Ruthie Zahm (University of Wisconsin So far, the centers tenants employ 65 people. The Driftless food movement didnt happen overnightor by accident. "There are so many transplants from all over the place," Craig Minowa said. This is not just a pasta dish; it is a cultural expression. Besides, there are other benefits that arent factored into the economic data. View their profile including current address, phone number 320-398-XXXX, background check reports, and property record We reserve the right to bar, restrict or suspend any users access to the Services, and/or to terminate this license at any time for any reason. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1597166322662-mid-article-1'); }); "Kyle [Cherek] was the first face of 'Wisconsin Foodie,' and played an integral role in helping thousands of Wisconsinites fall in love with local food and culinary culture," notes Arthur Ircink, founder and director of "Wisconsin Foodie. On Fridays, Rooted Spoon, a catering company, serves craft cocktails, and on Saturdays, vendors operate one of the states largest farmers markets. ", "We will continue to break bread as friends, and he will always be a part of the 'Foodie' family even as we continue to learn, grow and expand our culinary horizons.". In fact, the first couple of seasons, I couldnt bear to watch. I look forward to the next chapter in my role as a food storyteller and focusing on my extraordinary new role as father to my newborn daughter," says Cherek. Prepare for sticker shock.

Zahm has been previously featured on Wisconsin Foodie, such as season 11, episode 13, "Love Letter to Summer," and is most known for his ever-changing menu of All delicious food and fun atmospheres. We may modify, suspend or discontinue any aspect of the Services at any time, including the availability of any Services feature, database, or content, or for any reason whatsoever, whether to all users or to you specifically. You can cancel at any time. I'm the promotion manager at PBS Wisconsin. The dinner will feature Pleasant Ridge Reserve by Uplands Cheese cheesemaker Andy Hatch, among several exceptional offerings for Foodie fans in attendance. More than 30 percent of the co-op's sales are local products, defined as coming from within 100 miles. "As host of 'Wisconsin Foodie' for the past 11 years, it has been a deep and abiding honor to represent my state's food ways through the stories of its farmers, artisans, makers and chefs. Luke Zahm grew up in La Farge, Wisconsin- a rural community in the heart of Vernon County with a population of 775 residents. In the end, it would require more than $4 million in upgrades to turn the 100,000-square-foot space into a viable home for food businesses, a build-out Noble financed one grant at a time. Zahm has been previously featured on Wisconsin Foodie and is known for his ever-changing menu of local foods at Driftless Cafe, which showcases the region with 85% of its food budget using ingredients sourced within 100 miles of the restaurant. ", "In a way, he's right because it's a little left-wing counterculture that's come in here. I understood that she was absolutely unique in her position theres only one female master cheesemaker in the United States (her name is Pam Hodgson, and she is also from Wisconsin), and she had this intensity that burned inside her when she talked about cheese. People travel a long way because they want something that is real and tangible, authentic. For each burger sold, the cafe donates $2 to local nonprofits. Locals braced for another blow. He loves the challenge of unique ingredients that grow well for the farmer, and invite the opportunity for him to play as a chef. We have the best network of farmers that we pull these sources from.. Morry Gash/AP Photo, The restaurant industry has been hit hard by the growing spread of COVID-19 in Wisconsin following Tuesdays directive from Gov. For years, the property housed nothing but an abandoned cheese factory. We can have meaningful conversations with each other that help us realize were not so far apart. WebLuke Alexander Zahm, age 30s, lives in Saint Cloud, MN. She said scenic beauty, clean air and water, and the ability to raise a family on a farm or in a small town are perks that dont appear in government statistics. Support PBS Wisconsin and gain extended access to many of your favorite PBS shows and films. The execs didnt go for it not enough advertising, Zahm recalled. He grew up listening to Jazz and R&B in particular from the record collection of his mother. We went to his backyard and to his butcher in Campbellsport, this quintessential old school butcher shop. by Kim Kobersmith, The Daily Yonder March 11, 2022, This and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.. The Vig brothers were in Viroqua that day to visit their father, who is 94. Yias goal is to make Hmong food more approachable for American diners while also paying homage to his family and their history. Currently, Vernon County has the second highest concentration of organic farmers in the United States. His hometown was on the food label, listed as the place where it had originated. Chef Luke Zahm. They said, "Were swinging through the area tomorrow and wonder if youd like to be profiled?" Joe Rogan-Nordstorm said food tourists will drive from Illinois or from Madison on a Saturday to get two dozen of their cookies or their famous cashew, ginger carrot cakes, shop at the town's farmers' market and then eat at Driftless Cafe. Madison, WI 53706 I am the education communications manager for PBS Wisconsin Education. And if it wasn't for (Driftless Cafe), it would be a completely different town.". Lark Market, as well as Lark I'm being pretty staunch and firm about not having to go to the store to get accessory ingredients to make something. Wisconsin voters went to the polls Tuesday to cast ballots for statewide, regional and local races.

But those qualities didnt just help preserve the regions agricultural heritage. (I had pork tacos, and Zahm, unprompted, told me the provenance of each ingredient on my plate, down to the cilantro.) Zahm recently spoke with WPR's "The Morning Show" host Kate Archer Kent. When Walmart opened in 1987, locals worried it would be a final blow to the already-struggling downtown. Wells Fargo is part of the Banking industry, and located in California, United States. He and his wife Megan had been wanting to move somewhere with a slower pace, and during a visit a few years ago to Minnesota, they took a detour to Viroqua. Watch Crossroads Collective & Zocalo Food Park tonight on Wisconsin Foodie, OnMedia: This week's return of "Wisconsin Foodie", OnMedia: "Wisconsin Foodie" heads to the farm, Wisconsin Foodie debuts Saturday on Channel 12. All Rights Reserved. At the time, VEDA wasnt looking for a building. So, as the 2022 Wisconsin Foodie season approaches its Jan. 20 airdate, I humbly surrender myself to you. "It wouldn't have worked in most other towns. Watch Preview. I'd love to hear your ideas! Thats a steep learning curve. Wisconsin Foodie host Luke Zahm cooks with Inga Witscher, of Around the Farm Table February 22, 2022 Luke Zahm Leave a Comment Wisconsin Foodie airs 7 p.m. Thursdays on PBS Wisconsin and is available to watch on-demand on the free PBS Video App. Chef Vang runs Union Hmong Kitchen located in Graze Provisions + Libations food hall. But more than anything, if you have an interest in local food, check out the Fairshare CSA Coalition because this is a time where you can put that money into a small farm and buy a vegetable share, a meat share, whatever it may be, and really, really impact that bottom line of the farmer and keepthem on their land, and keepthem farming, and keepthis country moving. Accordingly, the community turned the waste from their shared sawmill into energy, using sawdust to fuel heaters for ridge top greenhouses. We discuss the news with Luke Zahm, the host of Wisconsin Foodie. We also get tips on cooking at home as authorities urge social distancing. People came that may have never heard of Viroqua or the Driftless Caf. Photo by Pat McDonnell/Wisconsin Foodie. As a kid growing up in a small, rural town in Wisconsin, I found my identity in food, Zahm said.

Website feedback, questions or accessibility issues: web@umark.wisc.edu. Their two children attend a local Waldorf school. Food became the vehicle for his aspirations to build strong community between farmers and diners in the Driftless Region. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), The Driftless Cafe supports local farmers and producers, while showcasing the culture of the Driftless Region, with a delicious and inventive menu. Budweiser promises to bring beer to the red planet, The liquor industry is harshing on legal pots buzz. They switched up their inventory to carry items Walmart didnt.

Another was Culver Farms roasted duck cassoulet, Nueskes bacon, navy white beans, Wholesome Harvest sweet potato and kale, Hansons Bakery garlic breadcrumb, and David Miles micro greens. The season of rest is upon me and I loathe it. As a kid growing up in rural pockets, you look for ways to justify why you should feel good about where youre from, said Zahm, owner of Driftless Caf in Viroqua and a native of tiny La Farge. His passion for food, him being a chefthis guy is just incredible. That sealed the deal. What other measures might help? Zahm was featured on "Wisconsin Foodie," season 11, episode 13, "Love Letter to Summer." Silas Zahm and Ilija Ircink Imagine this: Youre navigating Milwaukee traffic late in the day with two nine-year-old boys who have eaten their weight in gelato and custard. And Luke and Ruthie fell in love. New "Wisconsin Foodie" host Luke Zahm owns Driftless Cafe in Viroqua, which he runs with his wife, Ruthie. Kickapoo Coffee Roasters, of the eponymous Main Street caf, houses its production facility here, with an 80-panel solar array that powers most of its operations and a prized 1930s vintage roaster; one Saturday a month they host tastings and tours of the roastery. Sign up now! He is an avid sports fan and is a member of the Muskego Athletic Association board of directors. Contact. Like the farmland that surrounds it, Viroqua also faced hard times during the 1980s. The 2020 season of Wisconsin Foodie, with Zahm as the new host, will begin airing during the first week of January, Ircink said. Viroqua sits in a rare pocket of the Midwestcalled the Driftless areathat remained unglaciated in the last ice ages. Growing up as a rural kid plays so much into the work I do now, said Zahm. The number of destination diners drops off and locals fill the tables. Utilizing selective breeding, rotational grazing, and fine-tuned techniques, they craft Upland Pleasant Ridge Reserve, the most-awarded cheese in American history. Become a Cap Times member today and enjoy great benefits.

The community needed a vibrant place that reeked of soul, said Zahm. But the co-op levels the playing field. A self-described "foodie" who loves dining out, Vig said he's been lucky to travel with his band Garbage and eat in some of the world's best restaurants. Named for the Midwests Driftless Region, the Driftless Cafe headed by chef and Wisconsin TV personality Luke Zahm carries on the areas rich tradition of local food.

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