Tonya Schmitt made it very clear that Grow to Share has made very good use of the grant from Rotary.  They have used the funds from our club to purchase the items on the list that they provided in their application, and the result has been expanded capacity and enhanced capability.  With new solar-powered equipment they can better maintain their gardens, and with more garden tools and hoses, then can host larger group of youth and other visitors and put them to work on various tasks.  Tonya did great job of conveying both the enthusiasm and gratitude of Grow to Share.  You can see a pdf of Tonya's presentation slides by clicking Read More.

 

About the Speaker:   Tonya Schmitt is president of Grow to Share. She has been on the board for 4-1/2 years and has served in multiple officer roles during that time. She also serves on the Earth Fest Planning Team. As a yoga therapist and health and wellness coach, Tonya incorporates wellness in all of her work, paid or volunteer, in an effort to create healthier and happier humans and a healthier planet. 

Service Opportunities Coming Up This Fall:  Now that school is back and summer is over, our club looks forward to times when we can be people of action, putting service above self (how's that for stringing together Rotary principles?).  What's coming, you ask:  Rotary Readers, Highway Cleanup, Veteran's Park Cleanup, and then in October we will be collecting contributions for the annual holiday backpack program support.  Details to come at meetings and in future Tidings.

 

Looking for Host Families for 2024-25:   Elaine is seeking one more host family for our club's incoming exchange student, a 15-year-old girl from Spain.  Requirements are pretty basic, rewards are extensive.  Please click Read More below for the full announcement and details.  

 

 

Grow to Share Upcoming Programs:  As part of the presentation, Tonya Schmitt invited us to these upcoming events:

-- Powered by Electricity (at UWRF North Hall) -- Saturday Sept. 28th, 10 AM - 12 Noon

-- Fall Fest (including equipment):  Saturday October 19th 10 AM - 12 Noon

About the Presentation: Mark Turbak told our club about the recovery hub in Hudson that represents Hazelden Betty Ford's expansion across the river from Minnesota into western Wisconsin.  During his presentation, Mark provided a lot of useful and thought-provoking information on addiction and its effects on individuals and their families.  His talk was very interactive, resulting in interesting comments from our members.  Click Read More to learn more about Mark Turbak.

Olivia Girdeen, Retail Store Manager for the Ellsworth Creamery, gave our club an overview of the history, current status, products, and economic impact of the Creamery to the Ellsworth area.  Rather than trying to abbreviate such a comprehensive presentation, a pdf of the Powerpoint is available below as a Download.

 

In terms of economic impact, here is a summary of one slide:  the Ellsworth location employs 182 people, comprising 8% of total Village of Ellsworth employment.  The business impacts 1233 jobs within Pierce County indirectly or influenced (about 10% of total jobs).  Each added creamery job affects 3.75 other jobs.  About 45% of employees live in Ellsworth, and wages paid to those employees total just over $4 million.  The retail store gets 254,000 visits per year with over 120,000 retail transactions and an estimated economic retail impact in Pierce County of almost $12 million.  The business remains a cooperative, owned collectively by hundreds of farm families.  The raw material for the cheeses and, of course, cheese curds made in Ellsworth come from around 200 farms.

 

About the Speaker:  Olivia Girdeen was born and raised in Ellsworth.  She started working at the Ellsworth Creamery at 16, and she has worked her way up to her current position of Retail Store Manager.  In December 2023 Olivia graduated from the University of Wisconsin River Falls with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

This Week's Joke of the week (This one's for Elaine, as a nod to her past):   

Q: How do you make a bandstand?

A:  Take away their chairs!