Chris Hardie

A spring rainstorm provided much-needed moisture to the Hardie farm and brought back memories of planting corn with his fathefor Chris Hardie

“Little Creek” is a spring-fed stream that runs through our valley, originating from the family farm. But it is more than just a stream. It’s part of our home.

One of the insults of aging is that I still think I can do all the activities exactly the same as I did when I was younger. But I can’t.

The Driftless Area region of Wisconsin is blessed with abundant rivers and streams that flow through valleys. Early European settlers in our region took advantage of those water resources to build mills powered by the flowing streams.

The arrival of spring on the farm means plenty of fieldwork. But it also means goats and other livestock breaking through fences to arrive at the greenness on the other side.

Ever since my first newspaper column was published in 1983, I’ve always strived to craft something that readers could really sink their teeth into. But this week’s story is pure gold.

Harbinger. I can’t think of a better word to describe the sights of robins, geese flying north, trees budding, and spring returning.

A decade ago, Chris Hardie held the future in his arms. It felt good. It still feels good today as his grandson turns 10 years old.

We wear masks. We sanitize. We keep our distance. We avoid crowds. We voluntarily limited capacity in our business. Despite all those precautions we still caught COVID-19 in mid-November.

Ice harvesting was once a major business in Wisconsin, and the invention of the refrigerated railcar meant Wisconsin ice was a valuable export commodity.