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Solar Meats displays a banner to welcome attendees to a "sneak peek" of its meat-processing facility. The building is being remodeled to include a meat-cutting and packaging area, sausage-making equipment, smokehouse, slaughterhouse and coolers. Also planned is a retail store and commercial kitchen, which will be owned separately. The company's name refers to Soldiers Grove, which installed passive solar systems in most of its commercial buildings in the early 1980s. Due to years of frequent flooding from the Kickapoo River, Soldiers Grove was moved to a higher elevation. That move plus America's energy crisis in the 1970s precipitated the decision to "go solar." Soldiers Grove became known as America's first "solar village."
Rich Sitarski, an elk farmer from Gays Mills, Wisconsin, will provide his business- and financial-management expertise to Solar Meats. He worked with the Small Business Administration to do economic analyses for the new meat-processing business.
Duane Johannes has more than 30 years of experience as a butcher. He gives a tour of the new home for Solar Meats, which is currently undergoing remodeling. Prior to being purchased by Solar Meats the facility was a milk-transfer station for Swiss Valley Farms.
Sue Mueller, who produces pasture-raised pork near Viola, Wisconsin, and serves as clerk-treasurer of the village of Readstown, Wisconsin, discusses future plans for managing a retail store and commercial kitchen that will be connected to Solar Meats.
Mike Mueller says livestock farmers in the area have needed meat-processing capabilities in Wisconsin's Driftless Area region. He helped to launch Driftless Back to the Land Cooperative in 2017 to develop protocols for pasture-pork production and labeling.
Displaying just a few of Driftless Brewing Company's craft beers are Cynthia Olmtead, business-development manager, and Chris Balistreri, co-owner and brewer. They plan to open the brewing company in 2019.
The owners of Driftless Brewing Company are remodeling a building that had previously been a supermarket. When construction is finished the building will house a 15-barrel brewery, bottling facilities and taproom with seating for about 50 people. Driftless Brewing plans to feature musical acts to attract local residents and tourists alike. "The Driftless Area has a vibe about it," Olmstead says.
Driftless Brewing Company is owned by business partners, from left, Scott Noe, Cynthia Olmstead, Chris Balistreri and Michael Varnes-Epstein.
SOLDIERS GROVE, Wis. – With a population approaching just 600, Soldiers Grove is a small town. But big things are beginning to happen. Two new businesses are about to call Soldiers Grove home – Solar Meats and Driftless Brewery.
Lynn Grooms writes about the diversity of agriculture, including the industry’s newest ideas, research and technologies as a staff reporter for Agri-View based in Wisconsin. Email lgrooms@madison.com to contact her.
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The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection’s Division of Food and Recreational Safety was the focus for the most r…
Solar Meats displays a banner to welcome attendees to a "sneak peek" of its meat-processing facility. The building is being remodeled to include a meat-cutting and packaging area, sausage-making equipment, smokehouse, slaughterhouse and coolers. Also planned is a retail store and commercial kitchen, which will be owned separately. The company's name refers to Soldiers Grove, which installed passive solar systems in most of its commercial buildings in the early 1980s. Due to years of frequent flooding from the Kickapoo River, Soldiers Grove was moved to a higher elevation. That move plus America's energy crisis in the 1970s precipitated the decision to "go solar." Soldiers Grove became known as America's first "solar village."
Rich Sitarski, an elk farmer from Gays Mills, Wisconsin, will provide his business- and financial-management expertise to Solar Meats. He worked with the Small Business Administration to do economic analyses for the new meat-processing business.
Duane Johannes has more than 30 years of experience as a butcher. He gives a tour of the new home for Solar Meats, which is currently undergoing remodeling. Prior to being purchased by Solar Meats the facility was a milk-transfer station for Swiss Valley Farms.
Sue Mueller, who produces pasture-raised pork near Viola, Wisconsin, and serves as clerk-treasurer of the village of Readstown, Wisconsin, discusses future plans for managing a retail store and commercial kitchen that will be connected to Solar Meats.
Mike Mueller says livestock farmers in the area have needed meat-processing capabilities in Wisconsin's Driftless Area region. He helped to launch Driftless Back to the Land Cooperative in 2017 to develop protocols for pasture-pork production and labeling.
The owners of Driftless Brewing Company are remodeling a building that had previously been a supermarket. When construction is finished the building will house a 15-barrel brewery, bottling facilities and taproom with seating for about 50 people. Driftless Brewing plans to feature musical acts to attract local residents and tourists alike. "The Driftless Area has a vibe about it," Olmstead says.
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