WISCONSIN. PERFORMERS.
SCHOLARSHIP. YEAH.
ENJOY. UNIVERSITY.
>> THAT WAS 17-YEAR-OLD CORDELIA MUSICALLY.
OF REALLY COOL STUFF WITH PORTUGAL, SO I WAS FORTUNATE
IT WAS PROBABLY THE MOST AND I'M LIKE, "OH, I WANT TO DO
I THOUGHT SHE WAS GOING TO BE THAT'S WAY TOO HARD FOR YOU.
BUT IT REALLY HELPED IN MY RARELY GET OPPORTUNITIES WHERE
PLAYER AND ONE OF THE PRIMARY >> THAT WAS 17-YEAR-OLD ZACHARY
PRISM RHAPSODY FOR MARIMBA AND CONTEST FOR YOUNGER MUSICIANS AS
ORCHESTRA. I'M GOING TO BE PLAYING
IT REALLY ADDED THE LAYERS AND, ORCHESTRA AGAIN, WHICH IS ALWAYS
DOWN-TO-EARTH PEOPLE THAT I KIND OF REFLECT THE PINNACLE OF
OF A FUN THING FOR ME, BECAUSE STRUCTURES IN CLASSICAL, AND
HOW ABOUT ANOTHER ROUND OF GIFTED YOUNG PERFORMERS!
ANOTHER VIOLINIST, JULIAN RHEE, ORCHESTRAS ACROSS NORTH AMERICA,
ADVANTAGE. SENTRY INSURANCE FOUNDATION "
NOT CLEAR YET.WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAS HOMELAND
SECURITY EXPERIENCE IS. HE INDICATED HE WOULD ENFORCE
TRUMP'S POLICY. HE SAID HE IS OPEN TO SOME KIND
OF LEGAL STATUS FOR DACA RECIPIENTS OR FOLKS UNDOCUMENTED
OR WHO CAME HERE MORE THAN 10 YEARS AGO.
GEOFF: THE CABBIE IS IF CONFIRMED.
IS HE SOMEONE WHO CAN GET CONFIRMED?
LISA: THE ASSUMPTION IS YES. SENATORS ALWAYS HAVE A LEG UP.
YOU NEED JUST 50 VOTES FOR CONFIRMATION AS A CABINET
SECRETARY. THERE ARE 53 REPUBLICANS.
JOHN FETTERMAN ALREADY SAID HE IS A YES.
OTHER DEMOCRATS SAY THEY ARE HOPING THIS COULD HELP THEM IN
DHS NEGOTIATIONS ABOUT THE SHUTDOWN, BUT THEY DON'T THINK
HE WILL CHANGE POLICY. THE AC HAS IN HIS POCKET, HE CAN
VOTE FOR HIMSELF. SENATORS HAVE THAT ABILITY ON
THE SENATE FLOOR. IT IS UNUSUAL BUT IT IS ALLOWED.
GEOFF: LISA DESJARDINS, THANK YOU AS ALWAYS.
MNA: IN THE DAYS OTHER HEADLINES, GROUP OF MORE THAN 20
STATES IS SUING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER ITS PLANNED
15% GLOBAL TARIFF, SAYING THE PRESIDENT IS OVERSTEPPING HIS
POWER. THE LAWSUIT IS LED BY THE
DEMOCRATIC ATTORNEY GENERAL OF OREGON, NEW YORK, CALIFORNIA,
AND ARIZONA. ARGUING THE PRESIDENT CANNOT
SIDESTEP THE SUPREME COURT AFTER THE JUSTICES STRUCK DOWN THE
PRESIDENT'S ORIGINAL SLATE OF TARIFFS.
A FEDERAL JUDGE RULED COMPANIES THAT PAY TARIFFS SHOULD BE
REFUNDED. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS
LIKELY TO APPEAL THAT. DEFENSE SECRETARY PETE CARTEL --
HEGSETH SPOKE TO MILITARY OFFICIALS OF MORE THAN A DOZEN
GOVERNMENTS AT WHAT THE PENTAGON CALLED THE FIRST AMERICAS
COUNTER CARTEL CONFERENCE. HE SAID A FAILURE TO ACT COULD
THREATEN THEIR SHARED CHRISTIAN HERITAGE.
STEPHEN MILLER COMPARED THE FIGHT AGAINST CARTELS TO PAST
BATTLES AGAINST ISLAMIC EXTREMIST GROUPS.
>> THE CARTELS THAT OPERATE IN THIS HEMISPHERE ARE THE ISIS AND
AL QAEDA OF THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE AND SHOULD BE TREATED
JUST AS BRUTALLY AND RUTHLESSLY AS WE TREAT THOSE ORGANIZATIONS.
AMNA: TODAY'S MEETING COMES AFTER MONTHS OF U.S. MILITARY
STRIKES ON SUSPECTED DRUG BOATS IN THE REGION THAT HAVE KILLED
AT LEAST 150 PEOPLE. WIDESPREAD BLACKOUT LEFT
MILLIONS IN THE DARK. USICIANS PLAYED ON DARKENED
STREETS. JUST OVER HALF OF HAVANA IS
ONLINE. >> I DON'T HAVE WORDS TO
DESCRIBE WHAT I'M GOING THROUGH. HEAT, MOSQUITOES AND NO
ELECTRICITY. I KNOW ALL THE PROBLEMS THERE
ARE. IT HAS BEEN MORE THAN YEARS NOW.
AMNA: THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S BLOCKADE OF THE ISLAND AND IT
HAS ONLY MADE MATTERS WORSE FOR LOCALS.
URNING NOW TO THE WAR IN UKRAINE, 200 UKRAINIANS RETURNED
HOME TODAY US TO 200 RUSSIANS. IN UKRAINE, THERE WERE TEARFUL
REUNIONS. SOME WERE CAPTURED DURING THE
SIEGE OF MARIUPOL. PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY.
NEGOTIATIONS TO END THE WAR MADE THE EXCHANGE POSSIBLE.
OFFICIALS SAY ANOTHER ONE COULD COME TOMORROW.
HEALTH SECRETARY ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR. SAYS MORE THAN 50
MEDICAL SCHOOLS HAVE AGREED TO TEACH MORE ABOUT NUTRITION AFTER
PRESSURING UNIVERSITIES TO EMBRACE HIS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
MONTHS. E MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT
ALONGSIDE EDUCATION SECRETARY LINDA MCMAHON.
THEY WILL NOW REQUIRE 40 HOURS OF COMPREHENSIVE NUTRITION
EDUCATION. >> MORE THAN 30,000 PHYSICIANS
WELL GRADUATE WITH NUTRITION EDUCATION TO PREVENT AND TREAT
AND CURE CHRONIC DISEASE. AMNA: SOME UNIVERSITIES HAVE
EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT FEDERAL INTERFERENCE.
IT COMES AS KENNEDY HAS BEEN PIVOTING AWAY FROM TALKING ABOUT
HIS CONTROVERSIAL PUSH TO OVERHAUL VACCINE POLICY AND
FOCUSING MORE ON FOOD AND NUTRITION.
ON WALL STREET, STOCKS SANK AFTER THE PRICE OF OIL SPIKED TO
LEVELS NOT SEEN SINCE 2024. THE DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE
DROPPED NEARLY 800 POINTS, THE NASDAQ FELL AROUND 60 POINTS,
THE S&P ALSO ENDED THE SESSION LOWER.
>> THIS IS THE PBS NEWS HOUR FROM THE
DAVID M. RUBENSTEIN STUDIO AT WETA
IN WASHINGTON, HEADQUARTERS OF PBS NEWS.
AMNA: AND WE WILL BE BACK SHORTLY FOR A CONVERSATION WITH
THE FORMER CEO OF GOLDMAN SACHS ABOUT TODAY'S ECONOMIC CONCERNS
AND HIS NEW BOOK. GEOFF:
>> Hi, I'm James Steinbach, I'm a volunteer here at PBS
Wisconsin. We're just
taking a quick break from the NewsHour. You know, I
have to say, for me, the most important hour of the
week actually, is the news hour. I don't I don't know
about how you're processing the world, but I can tell
you that for me. It's confusing. And right now,
the clarity that I can get from the NewsHour. And I
don't mean just simple facts. I mean the
understanding that I get from the NewsHour is really
an essential part of keeping up with the world
and trying to make some sense about what's going on.
So this program, I think, is really fundamental to
PBS Wisconsin. I hope you agree. And you're watching.
So I think you do. So call us at 1-800-236-3636.
Because keeping this program going for you, for
all of us is one of the principal things we're
committed to. We are committed to making sure
that you get the best possible opportunity to
understand what the heck is going on. So call us at
1-800-236-3636. >> Thanks, James. That's
right. And when you do call right now and pledge your
support and let us know just how much you value the
high quality journalism that you find on PBS
NewsHour and other programs here on PBS Wisconsin all
year round. We've got a great number of thank you
gifts to send you to share our appreciation for your
pledge of support. And that starts at the $15 a month
level. We have this wonderful insulated PBS
Wisconsin mug that features a beautiful honeybee design
on it that celebrates native plants and flowers
from across Wisconsin. It's a really popular design and
would look wonderful on your kitchen table or with
you wherever you're going during the day. And at the
$25 a month level, we're we have the at the sorry about
that. At the also at the $15 level, you could also
choose this great crossbody bag that features PBS on
the on the front. And everybody knows that you
love a tote bag, right? When you're supporting
public television, this is a great, wonderfully sized
bag. And if you're willing to enable at the $25 level
and you can't decide between these two great
gifts, we'll send you both. So once you call right now,
pledge your support. We've got great volunteers
waiting here to take your call and hear how much you
appreciate. PBS Wisconsin 1-800-236-3636.
>> I'm Regina Belotti, and for generations you have
relied on the PBS NewsHour to bring you reliable and
balanced news, walking you through and helping you
understand what's going on in the world today. You can
help us continue to be able to provide this really
important source for people across Wisconsin and beyond.
So if you are not a sustainer already, now is a
really good time to do that. You can give us a call and
talk to one of our volunteers. They're happy
to help you get started. Maybe you're already a
sustainer and we thank you so much for your support.
Give us a call at 1-800-236-3636.
>> So the way I look at it is that life is better with
PBS Wisconsin and PBS Wisconsin couldn't even be
here without you. The stories that we tell from
around the world and also from around the community,
from around the state. And right now I want to
introduce you don't need an introduction, but of course
I'm going to do it. Chef Luc Zahm, hi, and thank you
for coming in. You've got a new show coming right up.
>> Yeah. Coming right up. You know, Wisconsin Foodie,
we are so committed to telling your stories. In
fact, it's this idea that in every single small town,
there's a piece of us that reminds us of. Of this
place and why we love it so darn much. So tonight we've
got a great episode coming to you from Stevens Point,
Wisconsin, and I'm so excited to showcase my
buddy Adam, the, the lead singer of Horseshoes and
Hand Grenades and a maple sirup maker on top, and get
to walk through that process.
>> So Maple sirup. I love maple sirup. You do? Yeah.
I've never done the thing with maple sirup, but but I
love it. So is it hard to do hard?
>> No, I think it's not. >> I mean, like that
tradition has actually been in the Wisconsin region for
over 20,000 years. So we just get to see a.
>> That's a snapshot. >> Yeah, we're just newbies
to it. So yeah. So call us at 1-800-236-3636.
>> That's right. And when you do call we've got
volunteers waiting to talking to some of you
right now and waiting for your call. So won't you
call 1-800-236-3636? And when you do, we've got
these great thank you gifts. I already showed off the
crossbody tote bag at the $15 monthly level. Also at
the $15 monthly level. If you don't want the tote bag,
you can choose this wonderful PBS Wisconsin mug
with the beautiful honeybee logo on the front. And if
you love both of these gifts and you can't decide
and you want to pledge $25 a month level, we'll send
you both of those gifts. So why don't you call right
now? 1-800-236-3636. >> You know, you probably
do know. Actually, I know that the News Hour and
particularly PBS generally is the most trusted news
organization in the country. There's a lot of confusion
about what is even news. Now, you know, what is what
is responsible journalism. Well, I think you know that
responsible journalism lives here at PBS Wisconsin,
certainly for the NewsHour, but also for here and now.
"Frontline" you think of all the programs that you
value, that you come and watch? They're all
important. They're all they're all reliable. They
all have integrity. I mean, the program you do to
cooking show. Yeah, but it's more than cooking.
>> It's a it's a love letter to the farmers, food
producers, chefs, restaurants that are
located all through this great state of ours. And,
you know, by dialing 1-800-236-3636, you have
the option of either a mug or a murse. And I got to
say, one of the hippest fashion trends coming up
this year in the state of Wisconsin is the small
crossbody tote bag. So bandwagon now and dial one (800)2 363.
>> This out because. >> I'm I'm going. I'm out
of here. I'm leaving. But in the meantime, call us at
1-800-236-3636. We're going back to the NewsHour. And
again, just to end on this one simple note, the
NewsHour is authentic. The NewsHour has integrity. The
NewsHour is something you can trust every day to be
sure that you're getting the best possible
understanding. So call us 1-800-236-3636.MNA: THE MARKETS AT THEIR WORST
DAY TODAY SINCE THE WAR IN IRAN BEGAN AND OIL PRICES SAW ANOTHER
BIG JUMP. I SPOKE ABOUT THE BROADER
CONCERNS AROUND THESE LATEST EVENTS WITH LLOYD BLANKFEIN
FORMER CEO GOLDMAN SACHS AND THE AUTHOR OF A NEW BOOK CALLED
STREETWISE, GETTING TO AND THROUGH GOLDMAN SACHS AND I
BEGAN BY ASKING HIM ABOUT THE POTENTIAL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE
WAR IN IRAN. LLOYD: GENERALLY THESE KIND OF
GEOPOLITICAL EVENTS, AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT LONG IN DURATION
AND NO BIG SURPRISES, THEY GENERALLY DON'T AFFECT MARKETS
OTHER THAN IN THE SHORT TERM. WHAT WOULD BE A PROBLEM THAT
WOULD AFFECT THE LONGER-TERM I WOULD SUPPOSE IF THEY CLOSED THE
STRAITS OF HORMUZ, OIL PRICES WENT UP AND THAT CREATED OTHER
KINDS OF DISLOCATION. I PERSONALLY DON'T EXPECT THAT.
T IS CERTAINLY POSSIBLE AND A CONCERN.
THERE ARE A LOT OF WORRIES. WE ARE NOT DEALING WITH A PART
OF THE WORLD, OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT IT SOURCES A LOT OF
ENERGY. AMNA: THERE ARE SO MANY GOOD
THINGS IN YOUR BOOK ABOUT NAVIGATING THE GOOD TIMES AND
THE TOUGH TIMES. HE MARKET IS DUE FOR KIND OF
RECKONING. ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT A
RECESSION? LLOYD: ONE HAS TO, BUT MY BASE
CASE THAT THINGS ARE GOING PRETTY WELL.
GDP IS PRETTY GOOD. WE HAVE INFLATION GETTING UNDER
CONTROL. IT IS NOT WHERE THE FED WOULD
LIKE IT, BUT ALMOST WHERE WE WOULD LIKE IT.
INTO A WORLD WHERE EMPLOYMENT IS VERY GOOD.
ALWAYS CONCERNS. INFLATION IS A CONCERN.
INTO A PRETTY GOOD MARKET, A PRETTY GOOD ECONOMY.
WE ARE PROBABLY GOING TO LOWER RATES, FOR SURE GOING TO LOWER
RATES AND WE HAVE A LOT OF FISCAL STIMULUS COMING IN.
THE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL OR WHATEVER YOU LIKE TO CALL IT HAS
TO COME AND BIG EXPENDITURES BY THE HYPER SCALARS INVESTING IN
AI AND AI ITSELF IS KIND OF STIMULATIVE WITH MORE
PRODUCTIVITY. I THINK ALL THE SIGNS ARE GOOD
AND USUALLY WHEN ALL THE SIGNS ARE THIS GOOD I REALLY WORRY.
AMNA: YOU WRITE ABOUT GROWING UP IN BROOKLYN, ABOUT GROWING UP IN
THE PROJECTS, ABOUT YOUR VERY HUMBLE BEGINNINGS AND YOU TALK
ABOUT HOW THAT KID FROM BROOKLYN IS ALWAYS KIND OF VENUE
WHICHEVER ROOM YOU ARE IN. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT ANOTHER
TOUGH TIME YOU HELPED NAVIGATE AND THAT WAS THE 2007, 2008
FINANCIAL CRISIS. IT ENDED WITH FINANCIAL
INSTITUTIONS BEING BAILED OUT AND HOMEOWNERS WHO ENDED UP IN
FORECLOSURE NOT BEING HELPED. THERE WAS A SENSE OF UNFAIRNESS
AND PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL VERY MUCH RECKONING.
LLOYD: I THINK THAT IS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO THE POLARIZATION
WE FEEL TODAY. AMNA: IN TERMS OF THAT KID FROM
BROOKLYN WHEN YOU ARE IN THAT ROOM, DOES THAT SENSE OF
UNFAIRNESS SPEAK TO YOU, DO YOU GET WHY PEOPLE SAW THAT IS
UNFAIR? LLOYD: SURE AND I UNDERSTAND WHY
IT HAPPENED. NOT TO CHALLENGE THE PREDICATE
ABOUT BAILOUTS AND WHO GOT HELP AND ALL THESE INSTITUTIONS WERE
ALL DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER, BUT CERTAINLY WE HAD A FINANCIAL
BUBBLE. INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BUYING
HOUSES THEY COULDN'T AFFORD IN MULTIPLE HOUSES AND MAKING
INVESTMENTS, IT FELT LIKE TREES WERE GROWING TO THE SKIES.
IF BETWEEN CONSUMERS AND RETAIL AND THE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
THEMSELVES, THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD WANT TO HELP OUT THE
INDIVIDUALS AND THE PEOPLE. E WERE INTO A RECESSION AND THE
BANKING CRISIS. THE GOVERNMENT NEVER WANTED TO
BAILOUT OR HELP THE BANKS. THE PROBLEM WITH THE BANKING
CRISIS IS THAT THE BANKS WHEN THEY GET MONEY, THEY HAVE TO
RESTORE THEIR RESERVES AND UNLESS YOU PUT THE BANKING
SYSTEM IN BETTER SHAPE YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO
ANYTHING FOR THE REAL ECONOMY AND THAT IS WHAT HAPPENS.
ONE OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT WAS TO DISPROPORTIONATELY HELP
WHAT PEOPLE REGARDED AS LESS DESERVING FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
AT THE EXTENT -- EXPENSE OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
THAT IS THE SITUATION WE ARE STILL WRESTLING WITH HERE TODAY.
AMNA: AND THE PEOPLE ARE STILL GRAPPLING WITH IN TERMS OF
DIGGING OUT OF IT. LLOYD: THE TAILWIND IN THE
ECONOMY HAS BEEN VERY GOOD FOR PEOPLE WITH ASSETS BECAUSE
ASSETS HAVE BEEN GOING UP IN VALUE.
LL ASSETS HAVE BEEN GOING UP IN VALUE.
IF YOU ARE PART OF AN ECONOMY THAT DOESN'T HAVE ASSETS, YOU
HAVEN'T BEEN PARTICIPATING, SO THE GAP BETWEEN THE PEOPLE WITH
ASSETS AND WITHOUT ASSETS HAS WIDENED OUT.
AND AGAIN, THERE IS THE POLARIZATION.
ONE WILL SAY IT IS FANTASTIC AND ANOTHER ONE WILL SAY WHAT YOU'RE
TALKING ABOUT FANTASTIC? I'M BARELY SCRAPING BY.
BOTH ARE RIGHT BECAUSE WE HAVE A BIFURCATED ECONOMY.
AMNA: YOU DO TALK ABOUT THIS QUESTION THAT IF WE HAD NOT
LIVED TO THIS CRISIS AND ME WILL -- WE MAYBE WOULD NOT HAVE
ELECTED A DONALD TRUMP. THE REALLY BELIEVE THAT?
LLOYD: YOU TAKE ONE PATH, I DON'T KNOW.
I WOULD SAY IT IS A CONTRIBUTOR TO THE OVERALL MALAISE THAT WE
SEEM TO HAVE. AMNA: THERE IS THIS EXPECTATION
OF ADDITIONAL RATE CUTS COMING FROM THE FED AND WE HAVE SEEN
THIS PRESIDENT GO AFTER CHAIRMAN JAY POWELL IN A VERY PERSONAL
WAY. TO BE CLEAR HE WANTS TO EXERT
MORE POLITICAL PRESSURE ON THE INSTITUTION TO SEE THE POLICY HE
WANTS TO PUT IN PLACE. I BELIEVE YOU KNOW KEVIN WORSHAM
-- WARSH. HOW WOULD YOU GOT HIM IN THIS
MOMENT? LLOYD: HE'S VERY CAPABLE.
VERY CAPABLE. AMNA: ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT THE
POLITICAL PRESSURE HE WILL FACE? LLOYD: OH YES, THOSE ARE TWO
DIFFERENT THINGS. IT IS CRAZY TO BE ASSAULTING THE
FED. IT DOES NO GOOD.
WE ARE A DEBTOR COUNTRY. WE NEED CREDITORS TO FINANCE OUR
DEFICITS, TO BUY OUR TREASURY. IF PEOPLE THINK YOU ARE GOING TO
DEFAULT, THEY ARE GOING TO CHARGE A HIGHER INTEREST RATE.
HELP AT THE U.S. DEFAULT? WE BORROW IN DOLLARS AND WE
PRINT DOLLARS, HOW COULD WE DEFAULT?
BY INFLATING OUR CURRENCY, BY INFLATING THE DOLLAR.
THAT IS HOW THE UNITED STATES DEFAULTS.
WHO PROTECTS OUR CREDITORS AGAINST DEFAULTS?
AGAINST THE U.S. INFLATING TO THE POINT WHERE IT LOSES ITS
PURCHASING POWER? THAT IS THE FED.
BY ATTACKING THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE FED, YOU ARE TELEGRAPHING TO
YOUR CREDITORS THAT THEY MAY NOT BE PROTECTED, THAT THE DOLLARS
THAT THEY LEND TO YOU THAT THEY HOPE TO GET BACK IN 10 YEARS
WON'T BE WORTH IT THEY THOUGHT IT WAS WORTH SO MAYBE THEY WON'T
LEND TO US AT THE CURRENT RATE. I THINK IT IS VERY, VERY BAD
PRACTICE TO UNDERMINE THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE FED BECAUSE
IT IS NOT JUST THE FEDERAL RESERVE WHO HEARS THAT YOU ARE
DOING THAT, BUT THE PEOPLE WHO LEND TO US.
AMNA: LLOYD GLENN FINE, FORMER CEO GOLDMAN SACHS AND NOW AUTHOR
OF "STREETWISE: GETTING TO AND THROUGH GOLDMAN SACHS."
LLOYD: WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
♪ > JOIN US AGAIN TOMORROW NIGHT
FOR THE ANALYSIS OF THE WEEK'S HEADLINES AND THAT IS THE NEWS
HOUR FOR TONIGHT. I'M GEOFF BENNETT.
AMNA: I'M IN NONE OF OZ. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
>> MAJOR FUNDING FOR THE PBS NEWS HOUR HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY
-- >> Q NOT IS A PROUD SIEVE ORDER
A PUBLIC TELEVISION. THE WORLD AWAITS.
A WORLD OF FLAVOR, DIVERSE DESTINATIONS, AND IMMERSIVE
EXPERIENCES. A WORLD OF LEISURE.
AN BRITISH STYLE. PAUL WITH WHITE STAR SERVICE.
>> THE ONGOING SUPPORT OF THESE INDIVIDUALS AND INSTITUTIONS.
AND FRIENDS OF THE NEWS HOUR INCLUDING LEONARD AND NORMA
KLORFINE. AND THE JUDY AND PETER BLUM
KOVLER FOUNDATION. AND WITH THE ONGOING SUPPORT OF
THESE INSTITUTIONS. ND FRIENDS OF THE NEWS HOUR.
>> THIS PROGRAM WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE CONTRIBUTIONS TO
YOUR PBS STATION FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.
THANK YOU. ♪
>> YOU ARE WATCHING PBS.
[CAPTIONING PERFORMED BY THE
NATIONAL CAPTIONING G - John McGivern: This city in central Wisconsin
is always "on point."
[bright music]
- Announcer: Thanks to our underwriters.
- There's no place like Oconomowoc.
Explore, play, shop, stay!
Visit Oconomowoc!
- My father taught me that to make great bakery,
you have to do it the right way.
O&H Danish Bakery, where kringle traditions begin.
- Announcer: Together, doing good for 130 years.
Horicon Bank:
It's the natural choice for community banking.
- Support for this program provided by Plum Media.
Elevating conferences and meetings
with smooth, stress-free production.
- Announcer: Financial support has been provided by our friends
at Greenfire, a construction management company,
the Friends of PBS Wisconsin,
and the Friends of Main Streets.
- Announcer 2: Thankyoufor watching.
Do you know that it helps us if you engage with this show?
It does!
Go to our website.
You can watch all of our episodes,
listen to our podcast, shop on our store, or contact us.
We'd love to hear from you.
♪ 'Cause these are our Main Streets ♪
♪ Somethin' 'bout a hometown speaks to me ♪
♪ There's nowhere else I'd rather be ♪
♪ The heart and soul of community's right here ♪
♪ On these Main Streets ♪
- I am in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.
It's known for quite a few things.
It's known for its university,
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
It's known for a brewery
that has been operating continuously since 1857.
And it's certainly known for its ideal location.
Stevens Point has a population of 26,000.
It's in the heart of Wisconsin,
on the east bank of the Wisconsin River.
And it is 110 miles due north of our state capital, Madison.
- Emmy Fink: You know, even on a rainy day,
central Wisconsin is gorgeous. - Well, I happen to know
that this area historically
used to be home to the Menominee people.
And they called this place "Point of Land."
- You know, then the logging began.
So, in 1839 is when George Stevens,
he was traveling along the Wisconsin River,
and he's like, "Man,
how do I capitalize on this logging industry?"
Well, he finds a natural point in the river,
and he's like, "Yes, that's it.
I'm gonna put a storage facility up."
- Well, did you know, though, to name this city,
it was a combination of what the loggers used to call it,
which was Stevens Post,
and what the Menominee people called it,
which is Point of Land.
So, you know, Stevens Point.
- Emmy: I know, I think that's such an awesome combo.
But I did know that.
It's also called the "Gateway to the Pineries."
- Well, did you know that the market square is--
- Oh, yes!
1847 it was established.
This is the longest-running farmers market in the state.
- But did you know that after 1860,
50% of all of the immigrants came from Poland?
Did you know that? - I did.
- Do you know why they came here?
- Yes, but go ahead.
- Okay, affordable farming land and jobs.
And they really changed the cultural landscape of this city.
- Emmy: Yes, they did.
So, if you knew all of this, why am I here, sir?
- I'll tell you why you're here.
Because I love to have you here.
And we are going to SentryWorld,
and you golf and I don't.
That's really why I brought you here.
- Can we find more things
that you don't like to do that I can do?
[bright music]
- Jason Lewandowski: Gamber-Johnson
actually started out in 1954 right here in Stevens Point.
- John: Yeah. - Jason: We started out
as a wooden furniture manufacturer.
This was the old cabinets
that housed the turntables. - John: Wow.
- Jason: But we've always been mounting technology.
And in the 1970s,
the company went from the living room to the vehicle,
where we were making wooden speaker boxes for vehicles.
And then docking stations for CB radios at that time.
This is a typical application.
If you need to take your tablet
and do some work outside the vehicle,
you press one button, slide it out.
- Boom. - When that technology advanced
and we started seeing computers being mounted in vehicles,
the company just naturally transitioned
into providing mounting systems and docking stations
for those types of products.
- And what vehicles need your product?
- Any truck that's going down the road
that you see a computer in probably has
Gamber-Johnson equipment. - John: Yeah.
- We provide all of the technology, equipment,
the console boxes that you see in the vehicle.
We even provide the prisoner partitions and seats
for police vehicles. - Oh, you do?
- So, I don't know, John,
if you've ever sat in the back of a police car.
I hope not. - It's really
none of your business, Jason. - That's right.
- Oh, my God. - [laughs] But if you have,
you've probably seen through a Gamber-Johnson partition.
And this is our equipment that you would see through.
So, all of our products are tested
to a high level of vibration and shock
and making sure that the computer
is held securely in the docking station
so it doesn't become
a projectile in the vehicle. - Sure.
- Where you see the direct view, LED displays
that are huge throughout a baseball stadium--
- That's you guys. - That's us, we mount that also.
We work with the biggest technology companies
in the world: Samsung, Dell,
Panasonic, Getac. - Nice, sure.
- So, when they come out with new product,
we come out with the accessories.
John, rugged, reliable, responsive.
That's our motto. - John: Yeah.
- We have to be rugged the environments
that we provide product to: military, public safety.
Reliable, obviously, it has to work all the time.
And then responsiveness,
being the fastest we can in the market
to respond to our customer needs.
- John: How many people working here?
- Jason: About 150. - John: 150?
- Jason: Yep. - John: How many pieces
come out of here a day? - Jason: Boy, it's thousands.
- John: That's a lot of product. - Jason: Yeah. [both laugh]
- Emmy: It's a good day when I can visit a brewery.
We are at Stevens Point Brewery,
the third-oldest privately owned brewery in the United States.
They brewed their first beer back in 1857.
This is the taproom behind us, that's open year-round.
And the summer beer garden, that's beautiful too.
But just not on a rainy day like today.
Here's a couple things you might not know.
The iconic pointy-head guy,
he was a real guy who used to work here.
So, real guy.
But his head, not really that pointy.
Back during Prohibition,
when all the other breweries were closing up shop,
Point brewery decided to start making soda--
or pop, if that's what you call it.
And they continue to thrive.
Some say their soda is just as tasty as their beer.
One for me, one for you.
You get the soda. - Alex: All right.
Cheers, Alex. - Cheers.
- Emmy: Cheers to you, cheers to Point Brewery.
- Alex: Cheers. - Emmy: Drink up!
- John: Okay, Main Grain Bakery & Eatery.
Mmm.
Sarah Jo, what cookie are you standing in front of?
- Sarah Jo More: Oh, our sugar sprinkle cookie.
- John: Could you bring me one?
- This is $2.50. - John: [laughs] I love...
- Of course, of course.
- Put it on my bill, okay! [Sarah Jo laughs]
Can we talk about
how this all started? - Sarah Jo: Yes.
This used to be, like, an old music venue,
and our landlord graciously allowed us
to kind of revamp it into a bakery.
So, me and then two other guys started this,
kind of put our heads together.
- Michael More: Here's the real story.
In college, she would hold these parties
where she would make, like, 20 pies...
[Sarah Jo laughs] - John: Really?
- ...and then have a ton of people over,
and it was a pie party.
- Sarah Jo: So, I would spend all day baking and cooking,
and I would set up these really long tables just in college.
And I would invite everybody over,
and I would make them pay, like, 20 bucks a ticket
to have dinner at my house. - John: So great.
- Sarah Jo: It was just, you know, three of us to begin,
and now we have a staff of, like, 25.
Pie is where it all started, but we don't really make pies
anymore. - John: No?
- This is kind of like our bread area.
So, at 8:30 every morning, we divide our dough.
We pre-shape and we shape our bread.
So, this all hangs out.
They sleep here overnight.
And then, first thing in the morning,
we throw 'em in the oven, so--
- 'Cause they need time to do that, don't they?
- Sarah Jo: Asiago thyme? - John: No.
Or do they need time from-- - Asiago thyme?
That's an herb. [laughs]
- Oh, I get it. - Yeah, okay, anyway...
- What better be here every day
or people are gonna be mad at you?
- Sarah Jo: Our oatmeal cream pies.
We've had that since day one. - John: Oatmeal cream pie?
- Sarah Jo: I know, it's like, "What is that?"
- Sorry, it was just for the TV. [laughter]
You don't have to air that, but you can.
After COVID, we moved into what is now the eatery,
which was kind of available at the time.
- John: What's this?
- Sarah Jo: Rustic white sourdough bread.
We do have a bread slicer.
It's one of our most popular.
Asiago thyme and the rustic white
are probably our most popular.
One of our main breads that we use for sandwiches as well.
All right, here's my favorite part.
The lemon table, 'cause it's lemon week.
- Well, how does that work? [both laugh]
- We have our, like, a special every week.
So, our lemon poppy seed muffin is our special.
And then we have a lemon poppy seed dressing on our sandwich.
And then we have lemony items here.
So, every week, we kind of rotate it.
We find all the cute stuff and put it together.
Do you want this to go? - John: Please.
- Sarah Jo: Okay, great.
Thank you for coming. - Thank you.
This was really fun. [Sarah Jo laughs]
It really was fun. - It really was.
Yeah, I had a hoot.
- The light, sandy soil in this area
makes it perfect for growing what?
[playful music]
- If you think these only grow in Idaho, you are so wrong.
Because potatoes are the number one cash crop
in this region.
In fact, Wisconsin is the third-largest producer
of potatoes in the entire country.
Look at this.
Stevens Point totally putting the S-P in "spud."
- Dick Pavelski: We started doing tours at the farm.
The first year was four or five tours.
And then it was 15, and then it was 30,
and we knew what we wanted to do.
We were having an impact,
'cause more and more people wanted to hear the story.
But we had to move someplace where it wasn't on the farm
and actually affected farm operations,
so we kind of decided to build a mini farm.
- Alexandria Behrend: This beautiful facility
started as a very small idea.
It was gonna be a shed with a couple of exhibits.
- John: A shed? - Alexandria: A shed.
- John: Hello. [Alexandria laughs]
- Alexandria: And as they were talking to the community
and their colleagues in the agriculture world,
they said, "We wanna get behind that.
Yes, we need that."
It grew and grew and grew until this $40 million-plus facility.
- John: Because of collaboration.
- Alexandria: Because of collaboration.
- John: Partnerships.
- Alexandria: That's right, yeah.
- John: How long ago did the doors open?
- Alexandria: December 2023. - John: Why is this important?
- We keep hearing, "I don't know why we need farmers anymore.
We just go to the grocery store for our food."
And for me personally, you know,
if you don't understand something
and you don't appreciate it, you don't protect it.
- Our education team focus are the field trips.
So, we will have 250 field trips just this year.
- I'd like to do the sweet corn, is that okay?
- Alexandria: Okay, yeah.
We have 60 interactive exhibits...
So, this is corn coming right from the field off the truck.
...that people from ages 2 to 92 can be immersed in.
You can ride in a combine and feel what it's like
to harvest peas or potatoes or corn.
We have a grocery store area
where little ones and big kids alike
can work on their math skills.
We have irrigation system,
because a lot of people have never been up and close,
and so you get to see actually how big it is and how it works.
And then, my favorite part of the entire facility,
we actually have four acres of demonstration fields
where we get to dig our hands in the dirt
and pull up the potatoes, peas, and corn
and everything that we plant.
Look at that! - Dick: You know,
we'll have a chef doing a teaching class here,
and right in the middle of the class in the summertime,
now he can go out and say, "Okay.
Go out and pick your tomatoes and your peas,"
so they can see how food is produced.
- John: Yeah.
Look at that. - Look at that.
- John: Thank you.
- Alexandria: Yeah, you're welcome.
Dinner on me tonight.
- John: You're the best. - Alexandria: I know.
- Dick: You have to make that personal connection.
It's critical to make that personal connection.
- We picked some potatoes in the field,
and I wanted to bring them to you
in my favorite, final form.
- Guess where these were grown?
Out back. [Alexandria laughs]
>> Hi, I'm James Steinbach. I'm a volunteer here at PBS
Wisconsin. We're just taking a quick break from
this terrific trip to this terrific city. I mean, all
the places that John goes are wonderful, of course,
because they're mostly in Wisconsin. But Stevens
Point is something that, in fact, our station manager
is from Stevens Point. So we have a special
connection with Stevens Point. This show, like all
of the McGivern shows, are things that really, I think
highlight what's what's what's remarkable about
Wisconsin. And in such a low key, natural way. You
know, if you watch these shows, at least the way I
feel is I feel like I know these folks, I feel like I
know the town, but I feel like I know the people in
the town and why they're there. It's a it's not
tourism and it's not sales. It's a community. It really
is community. It's an invitation to join this
community. And here's an invitation to join us at
1-800-236-3636. >> Thank you James. And
that's right. And what public television does best
is not only bring the world and in this case, Wisconsin
and our great communities into your home. We want to
inspire you to go explore those spaces as well. And
so we've got a number of great thank you gifts to
help fuel that exploration of our state, starting at
is, if you're willing to give at the $12 a month
level. Tonight, we'll send you this great book,
Wisconsin Daytrips by theme, so you don't have to know
where you're going. Just what do you love to do?
There's Harley trips in here. There's exploration
of Dairyland, there's geological wonders. There's
even extreme adventures all within this book. So you
can be just like John McGivern and find your way
around the state and explore a new corner that
you've not been to. That's at the $12 level. At the
$15 level. We will send you this great PBS Wisconsin
mug that features our ever popular logo on the front
that be design that celebrates native plants
from across Wisconsin, within this within this
beautiful design. And if you can't decide or you
can't go on a road trip without staying hydrated at
the $20 a month level, we'll send you both the
Wisconsin Day Trips book and the Insulated Mug. So
won't you call right now? Let us know how much you
appreciate public television in Wisconsin.
Let us know where your favorite destination is.
1-800-236-3636. >> Hi, I'm Regina Belotti,
a volunteer with PBS Wisconsin, and we are so
grateful for all of your support. And that's why we
continue to invest in local Wisconsin programing,
because we hear from you and you tell us through
your comments, through your gifts that local programing
matters to you. And you can help continue to invest in
that by becoming a sustainer. We have some
really wonderful ways to thank you tonight that
further show how much we know that you love local
Wisconsin programing, and with your gift, we are able
to continue to make those investments. So if you're
not a sustainer, become one. Tonight. Give us a call.
Whether you want to make a gift with a credit card or
through your checking account. Both of those are
great options. So call a volunteer. We have some
really wonderful ones here tonight that would love to
talk to you. Give us a call at (800) 236-3636 or visit
us online at pbswisconsin.org.
>> So PBS Wisconsin, we're not strangers to Stevens
Point for sure. In fact, in our series Wisconsin
Hometown Stories, we have a complete our dedicated to
Stevens Point so you can get all the Stevens Point
you want here at PBS. Well, a lot of Stevens Point. You
want PBS Wisconsin and then you can go and visit, which
is, of course, the point for all these things. Being
in a place is I love TV, but being in a place is the
best possible thing if you can do it. And, you know,
we just we heard from a viewer, a member who was at
the at the recent debut of the Stevens Point McGivern
show, and she said she went with people who had lived
there for 35 years, and they were discovering
things they had never seen before. And she wanted to
thank us for bringing this program to her so that she
could see it and share it. And she made an extra
donation. So there you go. So call us at
1-800-236-3636. >> Thanks, James. That's
right. And when you call 1-800-236-3636, we've got a
great array of wonderful volunteers who are looking
forward to hearing from you and talking to you and
hearing about why you support PBS Wisconsin and
why it's important in your life. And when you do call
and pledge your support, we've got great gifts to
share with you. Starting at $12 a month, we will send
you the Great Wisconsin Day Trips by theme book. I was
paging through it before here, and some of the
locations that John visited early in this episode today
are here in this book. So he found real highlights
and you can explore the area as well at the $12 a
month level. At the $15 month level, we've got this
wonderful insulated mug PBS Wisconsin on one side and
the wonderful bee design with the native plants on
the other side. And if you just can't decide and you
want to bring the mug with you on those road trips,
won't you pledge up to $20 a month level and we will
send you both. There is no choice being involved, and
your gift goes a little bit further to helping to
ensure that we can continue to bring these great
Wisconsin programs to you each and every night on PBS
Wisconsin. And as James mentioned, the great
archive of local programs that we have that you can
watch online anytime or on the PBS app. So why don't
you call right now? >> 1-800-236-3636 and every
gift makes such an impact. So whether you're a donor
at $5 a month or $25 a month, every gift matters.
And we want to say thank you. And so we do that in a
few ways. You can get some of those great thank you
gifts we're talking about. But you also have access to
"Airwaves", which is our wonderful monthly program
guide. So you'll get that. And you can also check out
our streaming app. So if you haven't done that, we
can take a look right now and see what that looks
like. >> You're watching PBS
Wisconsin because you love what you find here. From
dramas and documentaries to travel and journalism, what
could be better? How about even more shows you love
when you want to watch them? Wherever you stream TV,
look for PBS. You'll find us anywhere. You select
your streaming services, and we have free on demand
shows for you to enjoy anytime.
[MUSIC] Plus, when you support PBS
Wisconsin, your member benefits can open up even
more to explore with PBS Passport. It includes more
than 1200 titles with new favorites from PBS and
beyond, even dramas from around the world.
>> You ain't seen nothing yet.
>> Your investment makes PBS Wisconsin possible for
you, your family, and your community, so join with a
gift at any of the levels we're suggesting, and then
join an even more adventures with PBS
Passport. >> So I have to do a little
bit of business here. I need to call. I volunteer
at habitat for humanity. I need to call out my my
colleagues and friends where I work, and Karen and
Tom and Aaron and Grant and Frederick and and and and
Terry, because they all promised they were going to
watch tonight. And I know you're pledging right now
at 1-800-236-3636. Bring it on. Come on, I know okay.
So thank you. And the other thing I want to say is that
all these pledges really go as an investment in the
future. If you think about the programs you love that
are on PBS Wisconsin, the ones we're watching right
now, think of all the programs that are going yet
to be made traveling around the state, Wisconsin, PBS,
PBS Wisconsin is really the largest stage in the state
and the best place to see the world in the state.
This is this is a resource you can count on every day,
every week, every year. And we can count on it with
your support at 1-800-236-3636.
>> Thanks, James. And that's right. When you call
and pledge that support, we want to thank you in turn
with a number of great thank you gifts and these
thank you gifts, especially the first one, help to
inspire you to explore the state. Just like we watch
John and John McGivern do each each week on John
McGivern's main streets. So won't you pledge at the $12
level and we will send you this wonderful
day trips. You can make your own episode of John
McGivern's Main Street Place new that you have
never visited in Wisconsin. At the $15 a month level,
we'll send you the great Insulated Travel mug to
bring with you on that trip. PBS Wisconsin logo on one
side, and the wonderful B design on the other side
that celebrates Wisconsin's native plants. And at the
$20 a month level, we'll send you both so you can
hit the road with the with the guidebook, who knows
where where the road will take you, but you'll always
have your coffee along with you. So won't you pledge
right now? >> 1-800-236-3636 and as we
look towards the future of public media, your
investment matters. So I hope that if you're not a
sustainer already, now you'll consider becoming
one. So maybe while you're on the road checking out
all these new places, you'll be able to recognize
them when you're back and tuning in to all of our
wonderful local programing. Maybe your sustainer at the
$10 a month level, and you'd like to increase your
support to $15 a month. Or maybe it's 25. Maybe you
have your eye on one of these amazing thank you
gifts. We would love to thank you for your support.
So give us a call and talk to one of our volunteers
who are here dedicating their time because they
believe in public media. And you're sitting with us
here tonight and we know you do too. So if you
haven't given us a call yet, please do so now you can
give us a call at (800) 236-3636, or you can
always give us a visit on the internet at
pbswisconsin.org. >> So we're TV, which is a
really good thing to be, but we're so much more than
TV. And, you know, if you're a teacher, you know,
if you have kids in school, we supply educational
materials to schools everywhere in the state.
Any kind of school, public school, private school,
charter school, all get these materials and they
are free. They're not free to make, but they're free
to the schools. We're able to do that because of your
support. We have program materials that go along
with the shows that we do. We take this. We take this
business of education really seriously because it
isn't just education in the sense of classroom,
although that's important. It's really, you know, the
cliche is lifelong learning, but it is absolutely true.
When you watch PBS Wisconsin, you will get
something that you can really value. Also,
sometimes something just to laugh at, but something
that that has meaning to you, something that's worth
watching, that's worth your time. So call us at
1-800-236-3636. >> Thanks, James. When you
call that number 1-800-236-3636 or log on
line to pledge your gift of support. We've got a number
of great thank you gifts to send you. We're going to
get back to the program in just a moment. But first we
wanted to review those thank you gifts so you know
what to ask for when you speak with our great
volunteers that you just saw on screen a few minutes
ago at the $12 a month level, we will send you the
Wisconsin Day Trips Guidebook so that you can
make your own exploration of the state at the $15 a
month level. We'll send you this wonderful insulated
travel mug. It's got the PBS Wisconsin logo on one
side and a gorgeous honeybee design on the
other side that is made up when you get real close to
it, made up of all sorts of wonderful, beautiful native
plants and flowers from Wisconsin. And if you can't
decide between these two great gifts, and why not
make your pledge at the $20 a month level and receive
both those gifts so that you can hit the road with
the guidebook and have your coffee or your tea in the
other hand, and you're set to go. So why don't you
call right now? 1-800-236-3636.
>> So you probably know this, or maybe not, that
Wisconsin is really a leader in public
broadcasting. In fact, public broadcasting was
invented in Wisconsin, right on campus. By doing
public radio. Doing radio wasn't called public radio
then. It was all called educational radio. And
educational television broadened out from there.
But it started here, and it thrives here. And I know
that over the last period of time, you know, there's
been there's been some bad news with cuts and so forth.
And that's I don't want to minimize that. But what I
want to do is talk to you about the future, because
the future is you. The future is us. Working
together. Together makes PBS Wisconsin strong. And
as in all things, nobody does it alone. No show is
made by somebody alone. No place does it alone. It's
all done by working together. Seeing the
strengths in each other, seeing what's valuable in
each other and bringing those values, those
attributes to the screen. So call us 1-800-236-3636.
Make your pledge or even increase your pledge, but
give us a call. Thank you. Look at this incredible lobby
of a building that was built in 1922.
This was the headquarters to Sentry Insurance
for 55 years: 1922 to 1977.
It's still part of the Sentry Insurance family,
because this is now home
to the customer service and operations teams.
From the outside,
it looks like they're doing a complete remodel,
but what they're doing
is they are modernizing some amenities for the employees,
and they're maintaining
the historic character of this building.
So, this important downtown
Stevens Point landmark building--
it's here to stay.
[bright music]
- Danny Rainbow: Ready to head out there?
- You're driving? - I'm driving.
I'll show you around.
- John: Go ahead. - Danny: Trust me.
[both laugh]
This is a very unique property when it comes to golf courses.
It's a parkland-style course.
- John: Which means what?
- Danny: Very green, beautifully maintained, lush grass,
white sand bunkers, big trees
kind of framing the holes. - John: Yeah.
- Danny: We have a lot of water on the golf course.
Just meant to feel like a walk or a golf experience
in a well-manicured park. - Emmy: Nice.
- John: Yeah. - Danny: Just kind of
the beauty of it, the maintained nature of it
is different than what you see in a lot of golf.
It's still a challenging golf course.
- Emmy: Oh, hi! [John laughs]
I've wanted to play this course for so many years.
- John: Oh, good. - Can I just say,
I'm so glad you don't golf? - Right.
It's not a club. - Danny: It's not a club.
- John: This is open to all of us.
- Danny: It's a daily fee.
Yeah, it's always been a daily fee, resort-style course.
1982 is when the golf course opened,
and John Jonas was the CEO of Sentry Insurance.
And he decided that he wanted to build a golf course,
which was a little bit unheard of
for an insurance company to build a golf course,
own a golf course.
He specifically wanted the golf course
to be a destination course
that drew golfers from around the state,
around the region, even around the country
to come visit little Stevens Point, Wisconsin.
- John: Sure. - Danny: It's always been ranked
as one of the top public golf courses in the state
and even in the country.
It's currently the 49-ranked
public golf course in the country.
There's no memberships here,
so people can come, reserve a tee time, book and play,
and stay at our beautiful inn
and enjoy the dining at the restaurant.
- John: I was talking with my sister,
and she was like, "They have a 20-minute tee time."
I had no idea what she was talking about.
- Danny: So, to have a 20-minute tee time interval
when people come here, they really can't believe that.
- There is nothing worse than, "Ah,
should we let these guys play through?"
That doesn't happen here. - Katie Kreuser: Never.
And truly, every day,
somebody comes into the pro shop after their round
and says, "This was the best round of golf,
"because I never saw the group ahead of me,
"and I never felt like anyone was waiting for me behind me.
"I just played, and I felt like
I had this entire course to myself," which is amazing.
- Danny: When it comes to our hospitality
and our golf experience,
we put a priority on the experience.
- I love when you don't wanna do--
- We're going to the Snack Shack.
- Danny, can you make sure he gets me a brat?
- Yes.
- I would like onions, mustard, and kraut.
- John: Have fun. - Nice par.
- Danny: [claps] All right.
- Emmy: I don't think he's gonna bring me that brat.
I don't.
This urban oasis is a collaboration
between Nordic Night Sauna and Fields & Flora,
which is a working floral garden.
Now, both businesses arrived here
on Union Street at this location
when it was in need of a lot of work.
And, boy, have they transformed this space.
Here at Nordic Night,
it's all about heating and healing
through different rounds of heat and cooling.
I've never met a sauna that I didn't like.
Nicole, the owner, says I'm gonna sleep better
and my mood's going to improve.
Yay for me!
- John: Let's talk about the connection
between the Schmeeckle Reserve
and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
- Jim Buchholz: The Schmeeckle Reserve
is a 280-acre natural area
that's actually part of the campus
of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
- John: So, we're on campus right now?
- Jim: We're on campus, right.
It makes up over 70% of the main campus area.
Very few other universities that dedicate
that much of their main campus area to undeveloped green space.
It's just myself and one other person who are full-time staff.
Everybody else are students.
They're at the front desk,
providing information to visitors.
We have a visitor center that's open seven days a week.
We have students that are maintaining
about five miles of trails and boardwalks
for the public to use.
- John: Are these two buckthorn right here?
- Jim: Yes, they are, yep.
This is glossy buckthorn.
And we have students
that are doing ecological restoration projects
as well, helping to control invasive species
and then plant new native species as well.
It's something we've been battling
for at least the past 15 to 20 years.
Hey, look at that, nicely done!
If we didn't do anything,
essentially, Schmeeckle would be one species of buckthorn.
So, this is one of our prescribed burn areas.
- And what exactly is that?
- Zach Hoffmann: A prescribed burn
is an area where you actually set on fire the area.
And what that does is it releases nutrients
back in the ground.
It gets rid of dead vegetation.
And it's all a part of resetting succession,
which is how you get
more diverse, new plants to kind of come up.
- And this area has been done? - Zach: Yeah, this side has.
And then, if you look over here to this side--
- John: It's so evident. - Zach: And it's amazing to see
just how much of an impact the fire can actually have.
- Jim: It's kind of neat.
Schmeeckle really represents what the university is about,
that idea that learning and engagement
shouldn't just happen on campus,
but it should happen outside the boundaries of campus too.
And Schmeeckle Reserve is one of those places
where people come together.
Faculty and staff and students are learning
as part of their university experience,
but the public is coming in as well.
We're able to provide programming and special events
that help them to learn more
about the natural environment around them.
That includes a large amphitheater area.
We have a Shakespeare program that happens
with a community theater.
We also have large community events
called Candlelight Hike Festivals
in fall and in spring. - John: Yeah.
- So, we estimate we have about 125,000 people
that come through the reserve.
And a lot of people are coming here to enjoy the trail system,
to enjoy the diversity of habitats and all the wildlife.
Oh, and there's a fawn back here.
- John: Oh, my God.
There's two! - Zach: There's two of 'em.
- Jim: A lot of people actually come to Schmeeckle
just to see the deer.
- You're the star of this episode.
[all laugh]
For the last 50 years,
April is when the student-run radio station,
WWSP 90 FM,
plays 54 hours of continuous what?
- Mike Wiza: John, John, I've got this one.
- Okay. - 54 continuous hours
of the world's largest trivia contest.
- John: Trivia!
How does it work? - 300, 400 teams play.
They gather around the radio.
And there's probably 15,000 players.
- So, you're on a team? - I am on a team.
I've been playing on the same team for 48 years.
- What's that team called? - The Franklin Street Burnouts.
- [chuckles] Okay.
- Before I was mayor. - Before you were mayor.
Have you ever won? - We have not.
But we've got fourth place is our best finish.
- Is that right?
- We've got a number of top 10 places.
- So, a bridesmaid once? - Always, yeah.
- Okay, hey, good to see you, Mayor.
Thank you. - Thanks.
- John: We're at the Hostel Shoppe.
You're thinking, "Hostel?
Is it a youth hostel?"
Why would they call a bike shop a hostel shop?
- Scott Cole: Well, back in 1974,
the owners were involved with cross-country skiing,
canoeing, cycling,
any sports or activities that you did under your own power.
When you get on a recumbent, you always come from the front.
And when I traveled across the country years ago,
we stayed at youth hostels,
and we traveled by bike across the country.
And the Hostel Shoppe was all about doing activities
that you powered. - John: Okay.
Sure is comfortable.
- Scott: Feels even better once we start moving more.
- John: This is a sizable operation you have here.
- Scott: Yes, we have 22 employees.
- John: Because it's not only selling, it's repairing and--
- Scott: It's selling, repairing.
We are known around the country.
We're a destination shop,
and we're huge with adaptive cycling.
- John: Adaptive cycling?
- Scott: Well, when you have physical limitations,
you've had a stroke,
we can set up our recumbent trikes to work with them
so that they can actually go out and ride,
whether it's one-handed controls.
Come on, John.
- John: Look at how pretty this is.
- Scott: We get people back doing activities,
from stroke survivors to people with MS.
That's the whole reason that we sell bikes,
is we want people to be active.
And I want people to have something
they can do through their whole lifespan.
And that's what cycling is about.
- John: Do bikes change much over the years?
- Scott: I wouldn't say every year,
but disc brakes, electronic shifting, e-assist,
there's a lot of changes that have happened.
- John: You have a great trail here that's called the...
- Scott: Green Circle Trail. - John: ...Green Circle Trail.
- Scott: You know, it's grown from 23 miles
when it first opened in 1996 to 27 miles.
We've got some new additions coming up here in the future.
I'm on the Green Circle daily.
One thing about the Green Circle Trail,
I'm from southern Michigan, near Ann Arbor.
And when I go back to bike,
I have to drive someplace to road bike,
I have to drive someplace to mountain bike.
Here, I can leave the garage, and I can bike.
It's a blessing to have.
It's a treasure here.
- I just bought one.
This is...
- Lois: Is it life-changing? - This is the best.
- Lois: Is it? - This was really cool.
- Fun. - Really fun.
It's a great shop.
Keep up, come on!
- Emmy: Check it out: the WIAA.
All those years of playing high school sports
back at Union Grove High School,
I had no idea all the work that these guys did
to make sure that rules stayed fair
and the competition
at every school across the state was fair.
So, thank you, WIAA.
- John: We're at Father Fats.
I'm thrilled to be back here.
Let's talk about your history. - Christian Czerwonka: Yeah.
- Let's talk about where you guys came from before this.
- For sure.
I basically started out at a culinary school,
and I ended up working with Chef Emeril Lagasse.
- John: Yeah, you did.
- Worked with him, yeah, it was great.
So, I spent 15 years
kind of honing my chef skills under him.
During that time, I met my wonderful wife, Leah.
She was working out in Las Vegas at the same time.
She's actually from Stevens Point.
We met in Las Vegas, working together for Emeril.
Got married, had two kids.
Always dreamed of having a restaurant,
and I decided to move back to Stevens Point.
- Leah Czerwonka: For our family,
it was really the best thing.
This is such a great community.
And I can't say enough about how grateful I am
that we made that decision.
- Christian: As a chef, it's great here.
You know, there's such a huge farming community.
This is some fresh mint right here
that we just got from our garden from across the street.
Basically, I can get anything I want
on a daily basis that's fresh.
I can walk to the farmers market.
Every day, we take a walk and see what they have.
You know, as the season grows,
so does our menu, with the food items that we can get.
As a chef, it's awesome.
You know, I really have everything
that I need and that I want.
We opened up Father Fats with a emphasis on small plates.
- Chef's blank Kitchen.
- Then, from there, we decided to do Chef's Kitchen.
So, the whole idea with Chef's blank Kitchen
is that we get to put what the concept is in that blank spot.
You know, it's gonna be Asian fusion.
It's gonna be Polynesian, it's gonna be Italian.
- What's the concept today?
Take a look at this.
- Leah: We have a free concert series in town.
So, today is our parkside menu.
- John: And Chef just said,
"Why don't you go have a taste, John?"
I think that's what he was thinking, right?
Okay, get out of my way.
- We're doing a little mac and cheese.
We're kind of taking it to another level.
- Oh, my God, this is so good.
- Yeah, change it up, you know, each week
and just have a ton of fun.
It's challenging as a chef.
It pushes us, you know,
as far as what we're trying to do and what we're all about.
The thing with these concepts,
it's different execution processes
you know, from the kitchen and from the front of the house.
So, we try to push the limits
as far as, you know, kitchen-wise,
what we can do and what we're capable of doing
without stressing ourselves out too much.
Put that in our bowl here.
- Leah: But it's been fun, it's been really fun.
And we learn, every time we do it, we learn.
- It really is like opening a new restaurant
every time we do it, which is, you know,
the fun part about it, you know?
- This community adores you.
- Leah: We're so grateful for them.
We're so lucky.
- Christian: Yeah, it's beyond amazing.
So, couldn't ask for any more better support.
- A great art project is happening in Stevens Point.
It's a collaboration between a local artist,
Mackenzie Biadasz, and a fabricator, Andy Vollert.
And what they do is they transform light poles.
This one is called "Fish On,"
"Strumming Along,"
"For the Birds," "Tooting our Horn."
This is the first, installed in 2021.
It's called "Singin' in the Rain."
I think it's because Gene Kelly used to...
Okay, I am making stuff up now.
Gene Kelly never lived here.
What am I talking...
[upbeat music]
- I really love it here.
I could live here.
- You know what they call people who live here?
- No. - Pointers.
You be a Pointer Sister. - We could sing like...
♪ I'm so excited ♪ - About Stevens Point!
- ♪ And I just can't hide it ♪ - About Stevens Point!
- Emmy: Yeah, ♪ Come on, come on ♪
I'm a volunteer here at PBS Wisconsin. Just taking a
quick break from this
really terrific show. You know, I think I mentioned
that we did a screening there recently and and got
terrific feedback. There's nothing like showing home
movies to a community because when when people
they know they love the place they live there. But
every time that a program is done, whether whether
it's John McGivern or the documentaries we do, people
see things and they also appreciate the fact that
it's there and other people are going to see it. This
is exactly what community building is like. It's
sharing, and it's knowing that other people are going
to care about it. Oh, I forgot to say, this is a
challenge break. This is very important. Your pledge
is going to be doubled if you pledge. Now say you
want to pledge $100. Well, that would be $200 of
benefit to PBS Wisconsin. And every one of those
dollars goes to make the programs you love and the
programs you want to keep watching, and the programs
we will keep making for you. So call us at
1-800-236-3636. >> Thanks, James. That's
right. And not only is it a challenge break right now,
this is really the best time to call because your
dollars are doubled and you still have access to those
great thank you gifts. So when you pledge at the $12
a month level, you will have a $24 impact each
month on supporting PBS Wisconsin. And we'll send
you this great Wisconsin Day Trips Book guide book
so that you can create your own version of John
McGivern's Main Street to explore the state with one
tank of gas, just like John does with every episode of
his show. And at the $15 a month level, we'll send you
the great PBS Wisconsin Be Native Flowers insulated
mug. Be the most stylish person while you're out on
those road trips enjoying your drink. Whether it'll
keep your cold, drink cold or your hot drink hot. And
with all sorts of stylish decoration. And if you
can't decide between the two, or you really want to
make an impact pledge at the $20 a month level right
now during this challenge break, of course is doubled.
We're hoping to hear from 35 of you, and if you do at
that $20 a month level, we'll send you both the
guidebook and the insulated mug. So once you call right
now, help double the impact of your gift, help us reach
that challenge. Be the person that puts us over 35
and pledge your support. 1-800-236-3636.
>> Hi, I'm Regina Belotti, a volunteer here at PBS
Wisconsin, and I want to touch on something that
James really highlighted, which is community. And we
all know here in Wisconsin, we have such an incredible
community. And we see that here at PBS Wisconsin. And
the incredible gifts that we get from you every day.
And so if you're not a sustainer, I hope you'll
consider becoming one tonight. And if you've made
a gift before but haven't taken the jump to become a
monthly donor, now is a really wonderful time to do
that. We have some great thank you gifts tonight as
you sit here watching one of our favorite local
programs that we would love to thank you with. So if
you're not a sustainer, now is the time. Give us a call.
We have really great volunteers here tonight at
(800) 236-3636. Or you can visit us online at
pbswisconsin.org. >> Okay, so I have a
special guest. We have a special guest here today,
Brooke Day. I love this name Brooke Day. It's so
great. So Brooke, yes, you're one of the volunteer
coordinators. >> I am I.
>> Volunteers make the world go round, as you know.
>> That's right. Technically, my title is
Coordinator of volunteers here, here at PBS Wisconsin.
I'm excited to be here today. Just to talk a
little bit about our volunteer opportunities
with PBS Wisconsin. >> And our volunteer
opportunities are. >> Our volunteer
opportunities. Well, one of them is what we're doing
here tonight. The membership drive 3 to 4
times a year. Our volunteers join us in the
studio and help answer phone calls, assist viewers
with their donations, and picking out thank you gifts.
In addition to our membership drives, we have
two expos that we hold each year, of course the Garden
and Green Living Expo in February, and then the
Great Wisconsin Quilt Show that happens in September
in partnership with Nancy Zieman Productions. It was
our big expos. They each bring in over 17,000 people,
hundreds of educational classes. So we need a lot
of volunteers for those. >> Keep them going. And
those two expos started literally the Garden Expo
started in our studio. I mean, just it did not have
70 or 17,000 people come, I can tell you that. But it
was a great thing. And it grew to this and it grew
because of volunteers. So call us during this. During
this challenge break. 1-800-236-3636.
>> Thank you. That's right. And when you do call
1-800-236-3636. We've got those great thank you gifts.
Our challenge break. Right now we're at 17 calls. We
want to reach 35 during this break. So won't you be
the person who calls and helps us get past that that
first pass that challenge. And when you do call, your
pledge is doubled. The amount and impact of your
pledge is doubled. And at the $12 a month level, we
will send you this wonderful Wisconsin Day
Trips Guide book at the $15 a month level. We've got
that great insulated mug that's got the PBS
Wisconsin logo and the wonderful bee design with
the native plants and flowers on the other side.
That's at the $15 a month level. And if you really
want to take advantage of this challenge, break right
now at the $20 level, $20 a month, that's a $40 a month
impact to PBS Wisconsin. Through the challenge,
we'll send you both the guidebook and the insulated
mug. So once you call right now, pledge your support.
>> 1-800-236-3636 and in addition to some of those
great thank you gifts that Eric is talking about, we
also have some wonderful member benefits that we can
offer you when you become a sustainer with us. So one
is "Airwaves". We haven't really talked a lot about
this, and this is our fantastic monthly program
guide that takes you through everything that PBS
Wisconsin is offering for the month. I know when I
received my guide this month, I was so excited to
see Welcome Poets, another fantastic local production
that we worked on, and I didn't realize that we were
going to be airing it. And so I know that I look at
this every month, excited to see what programs will
be featured, whether it's a drama or a local program.
There are so many things that you can tune in to
watch. Maybe you use our Passport app. Any way you
watch and join PBS Wisconsin is important. If
you're not a donor, become one. Now give us a call at
1-800-236-3636. Every gift makes a difference
1-800-236-3636. >> Okay, so I got some good
news and some bad news. The good news is a lot of
people are calling. The bad news is that some of these
are being queued up. So just hang on. Absolutely.
Your phone call will be answered soon. And thank
you so much for calling for this challenge breaking.
And now, Brooke, we're back. >> We are back.
>> So I'm in Madison, but say I'm not. Can I
volunteer? >> You still can volunteer.
We do have the PBS Wisconsin online auction
come up. A lot of our work is done here at our auction
office in Madison, but we do have remote
opportunities available for that. So we do have people
throughout the state call, call local businesses on
behalf of PBS Wisconsin asking for businesses to
donate. Donate our gifts for the donation.
>> So is there a particular I don't know kind of person
who volunteers, or is it pretty much anybody I mean
anyone? >> If you're looking to get
involved, if you want to make an impact on your
community, your Wisconsin community, and if you want
to just get out and meet great people. Yeah, we'd
love to have you join us. >> This is the thing that I
love. I used to work here at PBS Wisconsin and what I
loved about it, and still do, although I'm not here
anymore, is getting out and talking to people. We would
travel all across the state, as you see with with John
McGivern's show all across the state, meeting people,
talking to people. It is such a rewarding thing. And
everywhere you go, everywhere you go, people
have a story. They have something to talk about.
Whether or not you ask them, they'll have something to
tell you. So give us a call. We're 26 calls on our way
to 35. Call us at 1-800-236-3636.
>> Thanks, James. And that's right, great
programs like John McGivern's Main Street. Is
there anyone who draws a story out of the people
that he meets better than John McGivern does? Why
don't you take the opportunity to support
great programing like that, sharing Wisconsin stories
through great documentaries, wonderful exploratory
programs like this, or any of the news and journalism
programs that you value here on PBS Wisconsin. And
if you want to make that impact right now is the
time to call. Because during this challenge break,
your gift is doubled. So once you call
1-800-236-3636 when you do, we've got those great thank
you gifts starting at the $12 monthly level. We'll
send you the Wisconsin Daytrips guidebook with
wonderful trips by theme. So no matter what you want
to look at, whether it's or whatever you want to
explore, whether it's geological things or.
Exciting adventures, it's here in this book at the 12,
at the $15 a month level. We'll send you the
insulated mug PBS Wisconsin logo and the wonderful B
logo on the back with all of Wisconsin's native
plants and flowers, and at the $20 a month level,
doubled. Right now, during this challenge break,
you'll get both the guidebook and the insulated
mug. So once you call right now, we're almost to our
our challenge goal of 35. Call and help us reach that
goal. 1-800-236-3636. >> It's so exciting to see
that we've almost hit that goal, and our community is
so important, and we're here to meet you where you
are. So have you streamed and used the PBS app before?
If you haven't, let's take a minute to check out what
the PBS app has to offer. >> You're watching PBS
Wisconsin because you love what you find here. From
dramas and documentaries to travel and journalism, what
could be better? How about even more shows you love
when you want to watch them? Wherever you stream TV,
look for PBS. You'll find us anywhere. You select
your streaming services, and we have free on demand
shows for you to enjoy anytime. Plus, when you
support PBS Wisconsin, your member benefits can open up
even more to explore with PBS Passport. It includes
more than 1200 titles with new favorites from PBS and
beyond, even dramas from around the world.
>> You ain't seen nothing yet.
>> Your investment makes PBS Wisconsin possible for
you, your family, and your community, so join with a
gift at any of the levels we're suggesting, and then
join an even more adventures with PBS
Passport. >> So, Brooke, we've been
talking about volunteering for TV, but we're in a
partnership between TV and radio, so there are
opportunities all around. >> That's right. Our
partners at Wisconsin Public Radio, they recruit
community ambassadors that serve all over our great
state. We have I know they have opportunities in
Rothschild and Wausau, La Crosse, Superior Milwaukee,
Appleton so if you're interested in being a
community ambassador for Wpwr, please do reach out
our on our website, npr.org. Volunteer.
>> You know, it just strikes me that PBS
Wisconsin has been serving the state for 70 years.
Public radio in Wisconsin has been serving it for 110,
I think 110 years, something like that. I
think I've mentioned this before. Public media was
invented in Wisconsin. This is where it started. This
is its home. And this is why we're here for you,
because that's the whole point. So we're at 34 one
call away from 35. Give us a call at 1-800-236-3636.
>> Thank you. And when you do call and you help us
reach that goal, we've got those great thank you gifts
starting at the $12 a month level with your impact
doubled. Right now, we'll send you that Wisconsin Day
Trips Guide book by theme, so you can explore the
places that you've watched John McGivern explore in
Wisconsin or your own exploration. And we've
reached 35. We're well past 35. We're at 39 now. How
far can we go? We can only get there. See how far with
your pledge of support. 1-800-236-3636 at the $15 a
month level, your gift is still doubled. Under this
challenge break, we'll send you the great Insulated
Travel mug with the PBS Wisconsin logo and the bee
and Native plants design on the back and at the $20 a
month level, which we really urge you to call if
you're able to right now, because that pledge is
doubled, that the $20 a month level, we'll send you
both, you'll get the guidebooks so you can hit
the road. You'll have the insulated mug for your
beverage of choice as you do hit the road, and you
can celebrate and share your joy and enjoyment of
PBS Wisconsin everywhere you go. So why don't you
call right now? Our great volunteers are waiting to
hear from you. >> 1-800-236-3636 and you
know, we know that there are so many wonderful
reasons to support PBS Wisconsin. And we can see
that you feel that way too. You have been calling us
all evening, and we're so excited that we hit that
challenge break goal. So if you are sitting there
thinking, I do support PBS Wisconsin, whether you're a
parent or an educator or just a viewer who loves
seeing the incredible, high quality content that only
we can put out, I hope you'll consider giving us a
call and becoming a sustainer tonight. You can
reach out by phone and talk to one of our fantastic
volunteers at (800) 236-3636. Or if you'd
like, you can always visit our website at
pbswisconsin.org. Every gift makes a difference.
You are helping us lead the way in public media moving
forward. We know we have a fantastic community here in
Wisconsin and if you haven't joined us before,
we hope you'll consider joining us now. Give us a
call at (800) 236-3636. >> So this is great. 47
people have called. This is this is really wonderful.
Thank you for this. And I'm especially happy about this
show with John McGivern because I you know, I've
been out every now and again on shoots with them.
They are so good. And they produce this show so
beautifully. They do little touches like just kind of
amp up the color a little bit just to make it a
little bit, a little bit brighter. And John, of
course, is a crazy man who is really great to hang
around with. And Emmy is also a little crazy, but
the craziest person is their producer, Lois, who
you never see. So I'm not going to talk about her
because she's not here. But Lois is a wonderful person.
It is the people who make the shows that count. I
mean, anybody can pick up a camera. We all pick up
cameras. But the talent that goes into that, the
talent that goes into the talent that goes into all
the shows we have the talent for, for Luke's show
coming up. These are really extraordinary talents to
make these programs. And we're at 50 calls one
(800) 236-3636. Thank you so much for these pledges.
>> There's still time for you to get in on this
challenge break. There's still time for your gift to
be doubled. So why don't you call right now?
1-800-236-3636. If you're on the line, wait and to
talk to one of our great volunteers. Still got those
great thank you gifts at the $12 a month level.
We've got the Wisconsin Day Trips Guide book at the $15
a month level. We've got the beautiful yellow
insulated mug with the B design that celebrates all
of Wisconsin's wonderful native plants and flowers,
and at the $20 a month level, which, as we said
right now, your last chance within this challenge to
call and have your that $20 a month gift doubled, we'll
send you both the guidebook and the PBS Wisconsin mug.
So why don't you call right now? Let us know how much
you support PBS Wisconsin and great programs like
John McGivern's Main Streets. Have your gift
doubled. Last chance 1-800-236-3636.
♪ The heart and soul of community's right here ♪
- Rockin'?
Not you! [laughs]
- Well, look at that!
It's the WIAA.
- Lois: You look at it!
[laughter]
- Lean to the left, lean to the right!
Stand up, sit down, fight, fight!
And then I go like this.
[laughter]
- This side?
Or I can go this side.
- Lois: Yeah! [laughs]
- These are so hard!
- He was a real guy who actually ute...
Ute!
I need a beer.
I'm getting thirsty.
- That was a good one.
- Producer: Yeah, that was great.
This is good television! [laughter]
- Announcer: Thanks to our underwriters.
- There's no place like Oconomowoc.
Explore, play, shop, stay.
Visit Oconomowoc!
- My father taught me that to make a great bakery,
you have to do it the right way.
O&H Danish Bakery, where Kringle traditions begin.
- Announcer: Together doing good for 130 years.
Horicon Bank:
It's the natural choice for community banking.
- Support for this program provided by Plum Media.
Elevating conferences and meetings
with smooth, stress-free production.
- Announcer: Financial support has been provided by our friends
at Greenfire, a construction management company,
the Friends of PBS Wisconsin,
and the Friends of Main Streets.
- Announcer 2: Thankyou for watching.
Do you know that it helps us if you engage with this show?
It does!
Go to our website.
You can watch all of our episodes,
listen to our podcast, shop on our store,
or contact us.
We'd love to hear from you.
- Now, I have to be creative walking across the street?
Forget it.
- Luke Zahm: This week Wisconsin Foodie:
- Tony Schultz: My motto for this year of pizza on the farm
is we're saving the family farm one pizza party at a time.
We're taking the most common food in America,
and we're putting our own local spin on it
with ingredients grown right on the farm.
We're having a special ticketed event
featuring Horseshoes and Hand Grenades,
the best band ever produced by north central Wisconsin.
- Adam Greuel: Our show coincides
with an all-you-can-eat pizza night,
which, you know, the theory, I think,
is you consume mass quantities of pizza
and then you dance it off by the end of the night.
So, it's-- Calorically,
it hovers right around zero, I think.
- Luke: We're in Stevens Point, Wisconsin,
and we're taking part in a time-honored tradition
with the Greuel family, sugar bushing.
That's delicious.
- Adam: That's gonna get you to zinging.
You're gonna be zooted in no time.
[Luke laughs]
- That is so good, it's so good.
I mean, you get the little-- - All right, I'll take a little.
- Duane Greuel: There goes the profit.
- Luke: [laughs] Yeah, exactly.
Wisconsin Foodie would like to thank
the following underwriters.
[upbeat music]
- Did you know Organic Valley protects
over 400,000 acres of organic farmland?
So, are we an organic food cooperative that protects land,
or land conservationists who make delicious food?
Yes; yes, we are.
Organic Valley.
- Wisconsin is known
for some pretty great things, like football, food, and family.
At Jones Dairy Farm,
we're proud to be a Wisconsin company,
one that's been family owned and operated in Fort Atkinson.
Jones: Making mealtime better since 1889.
- The Wisconsin potato and vegetable growers
are proud underwriters ofWisconsin Foodie.
It takes love of the land
and generations of farming know-how
to nurture a quality potato crop.
Ask any potato farmer and they'll tell you,
there's a lot of satisfaction in healthy-grown crops.
- Employee-owned New Glarus Brewing Company
has been brewing and bottling beer for their friends,
only in Wisconsin, since 1993.
Just a short drive from Madison,
come visit Swissconsin and see where your beer's made.
- With additional support coming from The Conscious Carnivore.
From local animal sourcing
to on-site, high quality butchering and packaging,
The Conscious Carnivore can ensure organically raised,
grass-fed, and healthy meats
through its small group of local farmers.
The Conscious Carnivore:
Know your farmer, love your butcher.
Also with the support of the Friends of PBS Wisconsin.
[upbeat music]
- Luke: We are a collection of the finest farmers,
food producers, and chefs on the planet.
We are a merging of cultures and ideas, shaped by this land.
[brats sizzle]
We are a gathering of the waters,
and together, we shape a new identity
to carry us into the future.
[glasses clink]
We are storytellers.
We areWisconsin Foodie.
[gentle harmonica music]
[audience cheers]
[upbeat bluegrass music]
- Tony: This is a third-generation family farm.
My grandpa founded this farm.
My dad bought it in 1976.
I bought it in 2006,
and I have just been trying to find a creative way
to sustain the beautiful institution of the family farm.
This is my darling daughter.
- Maple Schultz: No, no, no.
[Maple exclaims] - Hang on tight, girl!
She's wearing her Horseshoes sweatshirt.
My motto for this year of pizza on the farm
is we're saving the family farm one pizza party at a time.
This is what we figured out up here.
We're taking the most common food in America,
and we're putting our own local spin on it at Stoney Acres Farm,
with ingredients grown right on the farm.
And I am so happy for the reception.
We're having a special ticketed event
featuring Horseshoes and Hand Grenades,
the best band ever produced by north central Wisconsin.
- Collin Mettelka: I forgot how this goes.
[fiddle playing] Okay, I got it.
- Adam: Something like that.
One, two, three, four. [upbeat bluegrass music]
Hey, my name is Adam Greuel.
We're from Horseshoes and Hand Grenades,
a five-piece string band from the great state of Wisconsin.
You know, we're here today.
We've been doing a show for, like--
This might be the fifth one.
We do this show out at Stoney Acres Farm,
out in the country, Athens, Wisconsin,
kind of the beginning of the Northwoods of Wisconsin.
And they've got a really cool thing going
where, you know, it's-- We call it the Pizza Farm,
because they use all their homemade
or homegrown, rather, ingredients.
And they do this pizza thing.
And then our show coincides with an all-you-can-eat pizza night,
which, you know, the theory I think,
is you consume mass quantities of pizza
and then you dance it off by the end of the night.
So it's-- Calorically, it hovers right around zero.
- Luke: Oh, yeah.
Stoney Acres, you really can't go wrong.
This place is like a-- It's a dream, honestly.
Good food, good people, good farmers, good music.
That's some seriously good pie.
I really, really enjoy
that thin, almost crackery crust on the base.
And knowing that it's wheat that's been milled here,
that's used as a cover crop for the wintertime,
that's the kind of ingenuity that keeps
Wisconsin's agricultural part moving forward.
All these ingredients came from this farm,
which kind of blows my mind.
If you think about it,
that's a really, really hard thing to do.
But honestly, it's a thing
that makes the entire ecosystem here better,
because all these creameries, the butchers,
the folks who are working hard
to make sure that every single thing on this pizza pops,
this is the most local, regional pizza I've ever had.
In Athens, they do it right.
[upbeat bluegrass music]
♪ Let down your hair now, honey, you don't need no money ♪
♪ Put on your dancing shoes and turn up tonight ♪
- Tony: Luke! - Luke: How's it going?
- Tony: Awesome. - And what's the magic?
What's the magic ingredient here?
- It's farm to table on the farm.
- Yeah. - What is the most
important thing to the history of this state, right?
It's the family farm.
What do we have on our license plate?
That little red barn, right? - Yep.
- That is our icon.
This is that,
and we've combined it with a pizza party, right?
It's a pizza party!
- Luke: I mean, not even saying I can see that it works.
It tastes like it works.
I've been snacking on pie slices all night.
But, like, this is truly a testament
to your love of community, man.
And that, I think, is so beautiful in this day and age.
Seeing people who do the hard work,
who grow the food for their community, host their community,
who throw cultural events
that people can come in and connect over,
that's the missing link.
What do people bond over, right?
We have to sit down at a meal together.
- Tony: Yes. - Luke: You are my hero.
- Tony: Right on.
- I love what you're doing out here.
This is so beautiful.
And for anyone that hasn't had the opportunity
to drive to Athens, Wisconsin,
poke just outside the north side of town a little bit
and see what community looks and tastes like.
This is truly an amazing, amazing place you got here, man.
[upbeat bluegrass music]
- Band member: Come on, let's go!
- Luke: Stoney Acres is a dream.
To be here and to be able to eat pizza
where all the ingredients are coming not only from the farm,
but from the neighboring creameries
and friends and neighbors.
It's truly a community effort.
And then when you see folks out here
who have traveled all over the Midwest to enjoy this night,
quite frankly, I'm in love with this perspective
of small family farms.
There's not just one size fits all when it comes to our farmers
in the Dairy State.
We are super nuanced,
and people like this give me hope for the future.
Come taste what might be.
[cheers and applause] - Adam: Thank you.
Good night, friends.
Travel home safely.
We'll see you guys again real soon, I hope.
- Luke: We're in Stevens Point, Wisconsin,
and we're taking part in a time-honored tradition
with the Greuel family: sugar bushing.
Most of us eat maple syrup on our pancakes,
or maybe we pour it in our coffee.
It's one of those staples of everyday life
here in the Upper Midwest.
But today, we're going behind the scenes
with a really good friend of mine
who's known for his musical prowess,
but also his family's
multi-generational maple prowess as well.
[upbeat bluegrass music]
♪ Now she comes on like a wisp of smoke ♪
- Time to go sugar bushing.
[buckets rattle]
So, basically, we got a couple taps in the trees,
and, you know, it's collecting in there over time.
The colder nights are obviously really good,
cold nights, warm days.
And then, you've got the sap
in each of these individual buckets.
As you can see, this whole, the whole forest,
the whole maple forest is tapped basically.
So, we're running around with our little buckets here
and going to each other bucket and dumping it in
until they're full.
Oh, we got a gusher!
That's good, clean sap right there.
For me, there's the family tradition is part of it.
So, it's like, sometimes it can be hard to find things
to do with your dad or your family,
your parents, you know?
And this is one of those cool traditions
that gets you outside, gets you B.S.'ing.
It kind of becomes, you know, almost monotonous work
where the B.S. can flow.
You can start talking about life.
Sugaring, maple syrup making, whatever you want to call it,
it gets us out during sprinter, the weird in-between season.
I just start feeling better.
Just, you know, you got the cabin fever.
You kind of find yourself being cranky.
You wake up in the morning with kind of a [growls] vibe,
but then you drag yourself out to the sugar bush.
You start working, you get your blood flowing.
The sun starts hitting you
just like it hits the crowns of the maple trees.
And, you know, youstart flowing.
Your energy starts flowing just like, you know,
what you got going on with the old maples.
Very satisfying.
But you go, and you collect,
and you get it over here, and this is the tank that moves.
So, you're dumping the sap that you've collected.
Getting it up here.
That's where you get your workout.
And then, you're sending it through a filter here.
Yeah, that kind of iridescence.
That's beautiful, in a way.
Back when we first started, we weren't, you know,
we were just doing it for friends and stuff.
Our filter that we use,
we actually just used a woman's pantyhose for it.
And, man, that worked just as good.
But we graduated to the cheesecloth.
[ATV rumbles] [groovy music]
And then, that eventually goes to the sugar shack
and gets pumped in to, like, basically a bulk tank,
like a milk, you know, milk-looking tank,
except for sap.
And then, we pump it from there into another tank
that feeds the evaporator.
So, basically, when you're a sugar maker,
all you're really doing is moving sap from one thing
to another to another to another
so you can put some syrup on a flapjack.
So, here, we've got Persephone. [Luke chuckles]
Persephone is, you know, the goddess of springtime.
You know, it's kind of one of those symbols for us.
It's made it into songs, things like that.
And for whatever reason, it produces really awesome sap.
And it's a good lesson for the singles out there.
Sometimes, the best sap is right in front of you.
[all laugh]
We haven't tapped it yet this year,
and it's kind of like a ceremonious thing we do,
'cause it's fun, and it's the family maple.
- Luke: Of all the maples that you tap,
this one has the most emotional significance?
- Adam: Well, we come,
we talk to it. - Luke: Yeah.
- Adam: Not just during maple syrup season,
but it's kind of a-- It's a place of meditation.
- Luke: Sure, what do you say?
Like, what-- - Just, damn, honey,
you're beautiful, you know? [Luke laughs]
[drill buzzes]
- Duane Greuel: There you go.
And you can see a little-- Look at it here.
- Luke: Oh, yeah.
- Adam: We got a gusher! - Duane: We got a gusher.
That peg is really gushing.
And this is why I call it Persephone.
- Luke: Aww, the goddess. - Adam: The goddess of spring.
- Duane: Wow, she is really running too.
- Adam: There it is.
And now, we done got Persephone tapped.
She's a beaut.
- Luke: She looks happy. - Adam: She does look happy.
Knowing that the sap is running from that tap.
- Luke: Yeah. - Adam: This one has been here,
so I'd be curious to see where we're at today.
I collected this two days ago.
We're sitting at-- This is two gallons of sap.
- Luke: Some people revere
the medicinal qualities of maple sap.
- Adam: It's nature's Gatorade, man, is what it is, yeah.
- That's delicious.
- Adam: That's gonna get you just zinging.
You're gonna be zooted in no time.
[Luke laughs]
- You know, and that's probably not
more than a couple hours old.
- That is so good, it's so good.
I mean, you get the little-- - All right, I'll take a little.
- Duane: There goes the profit.
- Luke: [laughs] Yeah, exactly.
- Adam: Some people think the syrup just shoots
right out of the tree.
They don't know the whole, you know,
collecting oodles and oodles of it and cooking it down.
Speaking of,
I feel like nobody's manning the sugar shack.
- Duane: Oh, I--
- Let's, yeah, let's go put some eyes on that.
- Adam: Let's just bring some lawn chairs out
and just sit here and drink.
I'm a volunteer here at PBS Wisconsin, and we're just
taking a just a little
break from this terrific show. There is a problem
with this show, though, and that is, how are you going
to watch this show? All that pizza. And here I am,
and here you are. See? We got em. We got the guy.
Right. >> Here we are. Yes, here
we are. Here we are. Okay. Go. Luke. Okay, so you're
saying that this, this particular episode thus far
has made you hungry? Is that correct?
>> I would say every episode makes.
>> Every episode makes you hungry, you know? And
that's exactly what we're leaning in on, is that
ability to bring stories from our communities, our
farmers, all this wonderful food that we are so
fortunate to have around us all the time, straight to
you at home, wherever you're watching this
program. We are just over the moon, you know, to be
here with you and the opportunity, James, to be
up here with the television legend, you, and talking
about the wonderful nature of PBS and the programing
that really brings communities closer together.
>> Well, you know, I've never been a legend, so
thank you very much. Call us at 1-800-236-3636.
>> Thanks, James. That's right. And when you call
right now, pledge your support. Let us know how
much you love Wisconsin Foodie and all of the great
Wisconsin based programs here on PBS Wisconsin. And
as James mentioned, Wisconsin Foodie makes you
hungry. And so you're probably sitting at home
right now. And there's two things you need to do. One,
you need to call in pledge two, you need to figure out
what you're going to eat. And we've actually got a
thank you gift that will help you with that starting
at the $10 level. If you have an iPad at home or a
smartphone or a computer, we will provide a full year
of subscription to the New York Times cooking app.
Exclusive. Access all of these great recipes for you
to make at home. When you've been inspired by
what you've seen Luke make on Wisconsin Foodie, that's
at the $10 a month level. You could also choose from
other great thank you gifts at the $10 a month level,
including this great PBS Wisconsin apron so you
won't get yourself your clothes all dirty while
you're cooking up all of that great food that you
got on the app. Or we have this wonderful salted
butter. It's got to be butter. We're in Wisconsin.
This is not a margarine tote. This is a salted
butter tote that's also at the $10 level. Now, if you
can't decide between the three, make a gift at the
$20 a month level and we'll send you all three. We'll
send you the butter tote, we'll send you the apron.
We'll get you access to the New York Times cooking app.
So you will be all set, and you'll be supporting great
programing like Wisconsin Foodie on PBS Wisconsin
1-800-236-3636. >> I'm Regina Belotti and I
am so excited to be here and sharing all of this in
this wonderful programing with you here tonight. PBS
Wisconsin has always been a leader in public media, and
you can help us continue that legacy by becoming a
sustainer. So if you're not a sustainer, now is a
really wonderful time to do that. We are sitting here
together, enjoying these Wisconsin made programs. We
know that we can highlight these and all of the
incredible things across Wisconsin, and you can help
support us, continue to bring you these high
quality programs. So if you aren't a member with us,
become a member tonight. We have some really incredible
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butter tote? It's incredible. Any true
wisconsinite would for sure. So give us a call. We have
some really wonderful volunteers here this
evening with us. (800) 236-3636.
>> So I'm going to get back to you in a minute, okay.
Don't go anywhere. But I want to talk about pizza
some more okay. And I want this guy. This guy Tony.
Yeah I don't know if you all noticed this. The
amount of energy this guy has. And what my thought
was, was what a scary thing it would be to have Luke
and Tony in a room. It would be. It would. It
would be explosive. >> Yeah. You know, it was
really good that we were outside on his farm, you
know, with plenty of recreational activities. If
it's dancing, eating pizza, getting to know your
neighbors, you know, that's the safe space for Tony and
I to be contained in. But yeah, if we really got, you
know, going in a small enclosed room. Boy, oh, boy,
I don't know what would happen.
>> Switching gears, >> Sure.
>> It's a great show, great food, but it's also got a
broader purpose. Yeah. >> You know, over the past
year, I've had so many folks who are concerned and
interested in what's going on with PBS. Does the
funding affect us? And to be fair, the funding of
Wisconsin Foodie and the making of that show has
always been about three things. Number one, we
don't care how you vote. We know that living in a small
rural area, it means that we have to respect the
diversity. Number two, we don't care how you pray.
That's between you and your deity. Number three, we
don't care who and how you love. At the end of the day,
every single one of us eats. And when we start looking
at each other from that lens, that's how we make a
stronger community. >> That's a that's a
wonderful wrap. You like that? Yeah, I think it's
good. >> Okay. Thanks.
>> We'll be back. Call us at 1-800-236-3636.
>> That's right. And when you do call, we've got
those great thank you gifts. So you can pledge your
support to great programs, great Wisconsin programs
like Wisconsin Foodie at 1-800-236-3636. And when
you do, we've got that access to the New York
Times cooking app that's that has wonderful recipes
that you can explore. And this is more than just a
recipe book. This is this is you can search by
ingredients. So when you open the fridge what do you
have in there. It'll help you figure out what you can
make if you're planning ahead. So not like me at
all, and you want to think through what you're
interested in. It will create grocery lists for
you so you don't forget that recipe or that
ingredient and have to run to the grocery store four
times. It's a wonderful thing that's at the $10
level at the $10 monthly level. Also, we've got the
PBS Wisconsin apron to wear while you're cooking those
great recipes, and we've got the wonderful salted
butter tote that is this big, but shrinks down to
this big in your own, in your in your own purse or
pocket or whatever. You need to carry those
groceries home. Now, if you can't decide, because all
three of these are so awesome and they are,
donate at the $20 a month level and we'll send you
all three of them. So won't you call right now? Talk to
our great volunteers who are waiting to hear from
you. 1-800-236-3636. >> We have an incredible
community here in Wisconsin, and we get to see all of
these wonderful communities highlighted in all of our
local programing. So whether you watch us live
and you use airwaves to help choose what you're
going to watch or you streaming online, either
way, we're so happy to have you. Let's see what it
looks like to stream with PBS Passport.
>> You're watching PBS Wisconsin because you love
what you find here. From dramas and documentaries to
travel and journalism, what could be better? How about
even more shows you love when you want to watch them?
[MUSIC] Wherever you stream TV,
look for PBS. You'll find us anywhere. You select
your streaming services, and we have free on demand
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support PBS Wisconsin, your member benefits can open up
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>> You ain't seen nothing yet.
>> Your investment makes PBS Wisconsin possible for
you, your family, and your community, so join with a
gift at any of the levels we're suggesting, and then
join an even more adventures with PBS
Passport. >> So look, I have an
impossible question, okay? No possible question. An
impossible question to answer, which is all this
stuff, all these places you've been to, things
stand out in particular ones or two or tens or.
>> Absolutely, absolutely. >> You know, I go back in
the memory banks and after every single season, it's
really a recollection of memories of people, of
experiences. Some that really stick with me are
like the connective tissue. Right? We saw a little
earlier this season, kinship in Milwaukee,
really working together to bridge that, you know, food
insecurity in the Milwaukee area. I think about filming
at the Sikh temple in Oak Creek, documenting the food
tradition of the Sikh community and how they used
that food to transcend hate and turn a terrible,
terrible day in their history into something that
unites us all. In fact, they have a motto that I
tell myself all the time we are one. And frankly, when
we are traveling around Wisconsin and we can find
those stories that act as bridges into our future
using the vehicle of food and farming and agriculture
and frankly, just really good people. It's no
surprise that you find the home for that. What
separates me from 5 million YouTubers is PBS. So you
can dial 1-800-236-3636, call and be a part of the
solution of bringing our communities closer together.
>> Like he says, okay. >> And when you do call,
we've got those great thank you gifts starting at the
$10 level. We'll send you the the PBS Wisconsin Apron,
which is the beautiful PBS Wisconsin Blue. It's got
the logo on there, and it will help keep your clothes
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the Great Butter Tote, the classic Wisconsin Salted
Butter tote here that folds up really nicely into a
small package to carry with you to bring your groceries
home. And we've got that. The The New York Times
cooking app access a full year of exclusive access to
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Wisconsin Foodie, the one of the best parts about
eating in Wisconsin is our great seasonal ingredients
and the great things that you can make with that.
This app helps to empower those seasonal ingredients.
So when when, no matter what time of year, when
you're at the farmer's market, you can look on the
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between those three gifts at the $10 a month level,
donate it to $20 a month level and we'll send you
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community, the people. And you are part of that
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Tonight, we have some amazing ways to thank you
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pbswisconsin.org. >> You know it's true. When
you support PBS Wisconsin, you're not just filling a
financial hole, you're building a future. We're
building it together. You're making it possible
to bring these programs to you. Not just today, not
just tomorrow, but year after year. That kind of
investment is something which, well, we wouldn't be
here without you and we won't be here without you.
So please consider when you're thinking about
what's important to you, consider PBS Wisconsin. I
mean, the program you do, it's one program out of the
programs in a week. But what if what a spectacular
program to have. No one is going to have this program
on the air other than PBS Wisconsin. No one's going
to make it other than Luke and his team, but it just
isn't going to be here without PBS Wisconsin, and
it isn't going to be here without you. So keep
building that future. Keep investing in that future.
Keep investing in the communities. That's what
it's all about, right? You talked about the farmers
before and that is well, we don't have much time, but
you've got 15 seconds to tell me about the.
>> 15 seconds to talk about Wisconsin's dairy farming
industry and the farming industry in general. It's
beautiful. We live in Paradise. And if you are
committed to stories about our version of Paradise,
call the number now one (800)2 three six.
>> 363 six 1-800-236-3636. Express your support for
this program and for PBS Wisconsin. Thank you.shack.
- Luke: Purely for scientific purposes,
would it be possible to taste a little bit
of what's going on right now?
- Dang right, you betcha we could.
Happen to have a ladle right here.
- Hey, awesome!
- Adam: Get yourself a scoop.
I'd go for that one right there.
- Luke: This one? - Duane: Yeah, that would be it.
- Luke: The crowd favorite, consensus pick.
- Adam: Oh, my gosh.
- Oh, that's so good.
It's so good.
- Duane: 216 degrees?
- Holy moly.
- Isn't that crazy?
- Adam: Mmm.
Three guys in a sugar shack
just passing around... - A ladle!
...a syrup spoon. - That's hot.
Actually--
- That is just what the doctor ordered.
- It's very, very deep in flavor.
- Adam: It's like a sweater on the inside.
- Mmm.
It is like a sweater on the inside
right here in Stevens Point.
[gentle groovy music]
I just have such a reverence for the amount of work
that goes into this, for the amount of preparation,
even to get to this point where we're steaming it down,
and we're hanging out in your sugar shack.
It's truly a labor of love.
- It's cool, isn't it? - Yeah.
- And, yeah, I mean, it ties in a lot of things.
It ties in, you know, your love of nature,
your need for getting outside
during the cabin fever time of the year.
And of course, your love for, you know,
sharing sweetness with your friends
and those who you love, and. - Luke: Yeah.
- Adam: It's a pretty special thing.
Brats.
Well, we're just grilling some bratwurst is all here.
- What kind of wurst we talking here?
- Adam: Well, they're from Ski's, actually,
Ski's Meat Market in Point here.
- Ski's? - Ski's.
And I think I did, like,
what, the Wisconsin classic one, which I just think is,
I assume it's just, like, stuffed with cheese.
- Luke: Mama Greuel boiled these for a minute.
- Adam: She did, I know it's against--
The Sheboygan people are gonna be having a conniption.
- Luke: Well, yeah, let 'em.
- Here on Casimir Road, we like a boiled brat.
- Oh. - They look very good to me.
- Luke: I love this.
This is the quintessential
Midwestern Wisconsin working thing.
Like, we got neighbors and family and friends
in the sugar bush.
We got brats on the grill.
High five, baby. - Adam: Hey!
- Man, this is great.
- Adam: Happy-- Oh, it's the spring equinox, gosh dang it.
- Luke: Yeah, look at us!
- Adam: Perfect. - Luke: Look at us, equinox--
- Adam: Smoking out the sugar shack with bratwursts.
All right, here you go, Luke.
- Stevens Point, the maple brat.
Mmm.
Oh, yeah.
Hot.
[speaks with mouth full] So good, though.
- Adam: I can eat so many
that I'll have to work four consecutive days
in the sugar bush to work them off.
- Luke: Mm-hmm.
Brats outside with your friends,
making maple syrup.
The only thing left is, I'm hoping that maybe you can
show me around downtown Point tomorrow.
I got a restaurant I want to check out.
- Heck, yeah, I love it down there, man.
Let's go on a gallivant. - Let's do it.
This is great.
[upbeat bluegrass music]
♪ This old town's driving me to drink ♪
♪ I'm so gone, I'm a stranger to sleep ♪
♪ I held on, I held on a little long ♪
♪ I held on ♪ ♪ I held on ♪
♪ I've held on ♪ ♪ I've held on ♪
♪ A little long ♪
- Luke: We are at BroKogi.
And one of the things
that I really found captivating about this restaurant,
actually, the way that it ended up on my radar,
was this restaurant madeUSA Today'slist of 50 restaurants
that you must try in America. - Did it, seriously?
Wow. - So when I saw this on there...
- Amazing. - ...I was blown away.
- Adam: And I've kind of missed it, to be honest, you know?
And, you know, growing up, we were a very, you know,
traditional Polish, German-eating family.
You know, lots of... - So, what you're--
- ...meatloaf, potatoes, corn, you know?
- What you're saying is this is gonna be an adventure.
- Adam: Absolutely, man.
And I'm into it, I'm here for it, for sure.
- Great, awesome.
Is there anything
that you're looking at now that's jumping out at you?
- Adam: Bibimbap is-- For starters, what a word.
Also, I guess the hot tip is the...
Was it the soy garlic or the sweet spicy chicken wings?
- Luke: Sweet spicy.
- That's the hot tip. - Luke: Yeah, That is.
And I see the signal for "hot" on the side,
so I'm really excited.
I like spicy food.
I know it's gonna hurt your Midwestern sensibility.
- Adam: Oh, my goodness. [Luke laughs]
- You're gonna be on stage tonight just sweating.
- Adam: Gonna the spice the Polish right out of me.
- I don't think that's possible, actually.
- Adam: Can I order one of everything?
[Luke laughs]
[upbeat bluegrass music]
I'm so glad to be doing this today, because,
you know, I've probably driven by this place a hundred times.
And many of those times, I've thought,
"I gotta go there." - Luke: Right?
- Adam: And, you know,
sometimes you just need a little nudge from a buddy
to make it happen.
- Luke: You're a touring musician.
What does eating for you look like
when you're out on the road?
- There's been a lot of different elements
that when we first started,
we were ambivalent about it, you know?
And what we came to find was eating poorly was, you know,
affecting our morale and our mental health.
So, then once that became a topic of discussion,
you know, I for instance,
became the guy who finds the good breakfast joints.
I'm a big breakfast supporter. - Luke: Everybody needs--
- You can never trust a guy who doesn't eat breakfast.
[Luke laughs] And we would relish so much
in finding some local-- - Was that a food pun?
- We would "relish"...so much in finding what was local.
And that would become partially our tie.
You know, one of the weird things about being on the road
on these tours was, you're going to these places,
but you're not really forming a connection with the area
before you play it.
And that's where you get this whole,
you know, the joke of you're playing in Detroit
and you say, "Thanks, Cleveland," you know,
because you don't-- It's just all the same.
But if you take interest in the unique local cultures,
and, you know, like when we were off,
we would try, you know-- We were out on the East Coast once,
and we got all this seafood.
Had this incredible seafood boil,
which, you know, for me, again,
I don't eat a lot of seafood, you know?
Like, it's uncommon for me.
But then, of course,
you find yourself yammering about it on stage,
and the crowd howls
like, "Ah, these guys do seafood, too," you know?
- "These guys do seafood!" [both laugh]
Yeah, thank you.
- That looks amazing!
I'm traditionally more of a fork guy,
but I think I can-- - Luke: You can fork it up.
[laughs] Stop it.
- Arthur Ircink: No, I'd rather see that.
- Would you?
I figured you might.
Oh, my God. - Luke: Oh, yes.
- Adam: Things are getting wild. - Server: Rice.
And the bulgogi? - Luke: Yes, please!
- Server: Where can I put that? - Luke: How about right here?
Thank you.
- Adam: Oh, man. - Luke: Thank you.
- I mean, I'm just absolutely in love
with the look of everything.
I mean, it looks fantastic.
♪ Buy me a barrel of whiskey, make it sweet as honey ♪
♪ My old darling loves me coming down the line ♪
[upbeat bluegrass music]
- That is so good.
That beef?
My God. - Luke: It's delicious.
[upbeat bluegrass music]
Stevens Point, BroKogi, this place is truly phenomenal.
No pretension, no ego,
just straightforward, delicious Korean food
in a town of 25,000 in the middle of the state.
- The thing that I have taken most from this
is I love to see the similarities
between music and food. - Luke: Mm-hmm.
- And, you know, I love exploring that culture
and the way different things interact.
And I love celebrating the kind of nuance
in communities as well. - Luke: Yeah.
- There's a lot to celebrate
in our central Wisconsin communities,
Wisconsin communities as a whole.
And sometimes, you gotta walk in the door
that you haven't taken the time to walk through, you know?
- Just once, Once or twice, you know?
- Adam: I'll be here tomorrow.
- Yeah. [laughs] [hands slap]
- Adam: What a hoot, brother. - What a hoot.
- A true blue humdinger. - True blue! [laughs]
[Duane speaking indistinctly]
I'm a volunteer here at PBS Wisconsin. I'm. And I'm
with this guy. Yeah. So.
>> Hey, how you doing? My name is Luke Zahm. I'm the
host of Wisconsin Foodie. And my goodness, we are so
excited to have you back here in the studio.
>> And we're having a challenge break. This is a
break where every dollar that you donate, if you're
a new member, want to emphasize that although we
like all the money, but every dollar you donate is
doubled by some really generous donors who have
made it possible to have this. So call us now at one
800 236. I got to stop doing this. This is not a
friendly thing to do. Call us at 1-800-236-3636 and
make your pledge of support because Luke is here.
>> Yeah, I'm here and James is here. Not even pointing
at the camera because he's afraid that he might upset
the apple cart. But the beautiful thing is, you
know, James, this is the Midwest. We love you
exactly how you are. And that's the PBS ethic. You
are perfect just the way you are. Mr. Rogers.
>> That's right. Channeling Mr. Rogers, call us at
1-800-236-3636. >> Thanks, James. That's
right. And when you do call, talk to one of our
wonderful volunteers who are waiting for your call.
We've got a great number of thank you gifts, and this
is the best time to pledge. Because of that challenge,
your gift is doubled and you receive the thank you
gift. So at the $10 level, we've got the bright PBS
blue PBS Wisconsin apron to wear in your kitchen while
you're cooking. Cooking all the wonderful recipes that
you've learned on Wisconsin Foodie. We've got this
beautiful. Only in Wisconsin would we be
carrying a salted butter tote, because this is
definitely not a margarine tote. This is a butter tote.
Fill it with butter and all of your other groceries.
And we've got access one year access to the New York
Times cooking app so that you can when you've gotten
done watching Wisconsin Foodie and you are hungry
and you want to know what you can cook with those
three ingredients that are in your refrigerator, you
turn to the New York Times cooking app. You enter
those ingredients, and it will give you a dozens of
great choices. That's at the $10 a month level. You
get to choose from them. But what's better than not
choosing? How about getting them all at the $20 a month
level? We will send all three of those gifts your
way, and right now that gift is doubled during this
challenge break. So once you call right now
1-800-236-3636. >> Hi, I'm Regina Belotti,
a volunteer here at PBS Wisconsin, and I want to
take a minute to say thank you. Thank you to you for
sitting with us this evening and watching one of
our favorite local programs. Thank you to all of our
sustaining members, all of our monthly donors. It's so
important for us, as we continue to look towards
the future, to be able to count on all of these
monthly gifts. They matter, and they help us continue
to bring this high quality programing to you. So if
you're already a sustainer, thank you. Thank you for
showing up for PBS Wisconsin and showing up
for your community. So we have parents and educators
and kids all over Wisconsin who depend on you and these
monthly sustainers to help us continue to bring this
amazing program to you. So if you haven't given us a
call, do so now at (800) 236-3636.
>> So just in this show, we've seen a pizza party at
a farm. We've seen maple sirup. Yes, we've seen
bulgogi. >> Bulgogi.
>> Yes. It struck me as I was thinking about this,
that making a show bear with me. Kind of like
making a plate because you want to have it balanced.
How? How do you how do you do that?
>> What's the secret sauce to making an episode of
Wisconsin Foodie? It really is, quite frankly, the
support of viewers like you. We get the license to go to
a place. If we are so struck by the idea. Maybe
it's Stevens Point, maybe it's Cumberland, maybe it's
Racine, maybe it's Kenosha, wherever it is, and we get
to dig into a story and then see where that story
takes us. Let it have an organic flow. And to make
television in that capacity, as you well know, as a
producer, is so freeing. It's liberating. You get to
tell stories and show the community connection that
really glues us all together.
>> And, you know, it strikes me that in in a
good bit of the world, and sometimes I feel less in
this country in a good bit of the world, people enjoy
their food, you know, and I think that's something
which maybe I'm wrong, but I think it's actually
becoming more visible here. And this program absolutely
shows that. Yeah, that's, that's that's really a
great it's a gift actually to be able to see this
terrific food, but also the community, we keep on
saying the word community. It's because it is
essential. It's essential. Hey, we only have one call.
It's a pledge break. I mean, it's a it's a it's a
challenge break. Call us at 1-800-236-3636.
>> Thank you. That's right. We've got a great bank of
volunteers that are waiting to take the call to take
your call when you call 1-800-236-3636. And when
you do, not only is your gift doubled during this
challenge break, but we have a great array of
wonderful thank you gifts that we would love to send
to you, starting with the beautiful blue PBS
Wisconsin apron. We also have the Salted Butter tote
bag. It wouldn't be a PBS Wisconsin pledge drive
without a tote bag, and it wouldn't be a Wisconsin
pledge drive without a butter tote. And we also
have access exclusive one year access to the New York
Times cooking app that's available on your iPad or
tablet, on your mobile phone or your personal
computer. It's got thousands of wonderful,
inspiring recipes, great features like ingredient
lists so that you can enter your ingredients that you
have on hand, and find out what you can make or pick
that recipe that you've been dying to make, and
it'll give you a grocery list. Fill that butter tote
bag with those groceries. If you can't decide between
the three, why don't you give it the $20 a month
level and we'll send you all three of them. And
right now, during this challenge break, your
pledge is doubled. So call right now. 1-800-236-3636.
>> Like Eric said, give us a call and become a
sustainer. We have some really wonderful ways to
say thank you. Your gift matters and we are so happy
to have you here. If you don't get "Airwaves" yet,
this is an amazing member benefit that you get as a
sustainer. I know as a monthly donor, I am always
so excited when my "Airwaves" arrives because
then I know what's happening at PBS Wisconsin
at the start of every month you can see where I have
starred all the shows that I'm looking forward to
watching. So if you haven't become a sustainer, now is
a really wonderful time to do it. Give us a call, talk
to one of the amazing volunteers we have here
tonight. We keep talking about community and it's so
important. This community helps us continue to bring
these programs to you. Maybe there's parts of
Wisconsin that you don't even know about that you're
learning about. As you're sitting here with us
tonight, all of these wonderful, unique places
that we get to bring you. So become a sustainer. We
have some great ways to thank you. Give us a call
now at (800) 236-3636. Okay. >> So, you know, I think
since the last fall that that PBS public TV and
public radio have lost their federal funding. And
but what I want to emphasize is that this is
not about making up that gap. We're asking for your
support because that's what's essential for the
future. Your support of PBS Wisconsin is something that
moves us forward. In fact, it's the only reason we're
here. It's the only reason we can be here. And those
the programs that you make, they're not free. These
things cost money. Your funding is what helps
support the programs that we make, and makes it
possible for us to keep bringing them to you every
day, every week, every year. That's what we're going to
keep doing. This is this is the point.
>> This is the point. And, you know, I will say, if
you ever find yourself tired of someone telling
you to, you know, hit that like button or smash that,
subscribe. Blow it up. PBS is the antithesis to that.
One of the reasons that we're here tonight is
because this is not commercial television.
These are stories from your homes and your communities
and places in your own backyard that we are so
passionate about advocating for, that it really doesn't
make sense to not step in. Give us a call
1-800-236-3636. Find a way, if you can, to help make up
for what's going on in the world. Because you know
what? No one's coming to save us. But this is how we
save ourselves. >> So thanks, Luke. When
you call right now during this challenge break and
you help support public television in Wisconsin at
1-800-236-3636. During this challenge break, your gift
is doubled. So it's the best time to call. And
we've got those great thank you gifts. We've got the
blue PBS Wisconsin Apron so you can show your support
while you're cooking and making all of those
wonderful recipes that Luke teaches us how to do. On
every episode of Wisconsin Foodie, we've got the
Salted Butter Tote to fill with butter or groceries or
I mean, it's Wisconsin. Most of the groceries are
butter, right? And also, at the $10 level, you can
choose the New York Times cooking app access. But who
wants to choose among three great gifts like that,
especially during a challenge break when your
gift is doubled? So why don't you give it to $20 a
month level and we will give you all three of those
thank you gifts the apron, the butter tote bag, and
the New York Times cooking app access. And your pledge
is doubled. 1-800-236-3636. >> It's so great hearing
the phones ring. And we are feeling that momentum
building here. So if you haven't given us a call yet
now is a great time. We have so many wonderful
member benefits. We have all of these great thank
you gifts as a way to let you know how much we
appreciate your support, so that we can keep bringing
you all of these fantastic programs. Maybe you are
someone who watches us live every evening, which we are
so grateful for, but maybe you're someone who streams
your shows regularly. Have you downloaded the PBS app
to your TV? If you haven't, now's a great time to do it.
We have so many wonderful programs for you to check
out that maybe you haven't seen yet. So download that
PBS app and and let us say thank you. Become a
sustainer at the $10 a month level or the $25 a
month level. Maybe it's that $20 a month level.
Whatever feels right for you. Every gift makes an
impact. So don't forget download that app, meet us
on the PBS Passport app. Give us a call now!
(800) 236-3636. >> You know, Luke, it
strikes me that you could do you could take your show
anywhere, but you're here, so thank you. Yeah. And
what brought you to public television?
>> Oh, well, you know, it's a beautiful story. First
and foremost. I grew up a child of PBS. As a matter
of fact, I have a tattoo of Fred Rogers face right on
my ribs. And if any of you at home who have ever
considered getting a tattoo, let me give you a
suggestion. Don't start at the rib cage. But in
reality, it was that that idea that I could sit down
in the afternoon and I could see Fred Rogers, and
he was teaching me. He understood the mechanics of
televisions coming into people's homes and really
generating the highest level of human interactions
compassion, care, empathy, generosity. It was his
presence that years later, when I was being approached
about a television show for a different network, and I
went out to Los Angeles to do a couple readings and
tapings with them, they said, you know, Luke,
there's no question that you're a good cook. You
definitely have got the juice for making television.
But there's just one thing nobody cares about the
Midwest. You tell a kid from rural Wisconsin that
nobody cares about their home state, and this is
what you get. You get both barrels of passionate,
informed, intelligent culture amplified. And you
know what? I couldn't be happier. PBS is my home.
And it's your home to dial 1-800-236-3636.
>> That's right. Thank you Luke. And when you call and
support great Midwestern programs, great Wisconsin
programs like Wisconsin Foodie right now at
1-800-236-3636, your gift is doubled thanks to the
challenge from existing PBS Wisconsin members. And
we've got those great thank you gifts. We've got the
PBS Wisconsin Apron, we've got the wonderful butter
tote that anyone from Wisconsin would be proud to
carry into the grocery store. And we've got the
one year of New York Times cooking app access, where
you can gain access to all those wonderful recipes.
And I know no one calling wants to choose, so call
give it the $20 a month level. Your gift is doubled
during this challenge break, and we will send all three
of these thank you gifts, because we're so grateful
for your support of the services of PBS Wisconsin.
1-800-236-3636. >> And look, I just want to
say thank you for sharing that story of how you grew
up as a PBS kid. We know your story is like so many
others. We can see the incredible impact that PBS
Wisconsin has on people all over the state of Wisconsin
and beyond. So we know that that our donors are what
get us there. So we're 80,000 members strong here
in Wisconsin, and that is something special. So thank
you to the incredible donors that make this
possible. And if you're not a donor, become a donor.
Tonight we're sitting here watching these incredible
shows and I hope you'll give us a call. We have
great volunteers here with us. (800)2 363636.
>> So, you know, we've talked about some tough
times for for PBS Wisconsin. But, you know, there's a
really bright light and the bright light is you is us.
It's all of us together. Together making PBS
Wisconsin strong. That is for everything worth doing,
something that matters. We want to thank you, the
people who have called her up to 17. Now keep on
calling. We want to thank the people who have called
to pledge their support. We also want to thank the
people who have done this over the years. And I want
to especially thank people who maybe couldn't have
done this in the past, maybe didn't have the
resources. Your pledge now makes it possible for
someone who isn't able to do that. Maybe they've got
kids at home too young. They just don't have the
means to do it. You're you're paying it forward,
really, for for these folks, that means a lot to all of
us. It's a it's a question, really, of faith in a way
that things are worth doing, worth saving, worth having,
worth supporting. 1-800-236-3636 and thank
you. - Luke: Yeah, and you'd like to keep it as cold as possible?
- Duane: Absolutely, you know, I've seen people as much as--
well, even my dad, take snow banks, push 'em out.
[bright music]
That's hot.
Actually--
- That is just what the doctor ordered.
It's like a sweater on the inside.
[bright music]
Sweet mother of-- - Maple.
- Sweet mother of maple, that's good.
[Luke laughs] Mmm.
We are gonna be-- have the craziest sugar high of all time.
- Luke: Oh, it's gonna be so great.
- How many cups in are we here?
- I don't know, but--
- You keep dipping dip after dip.
- Luke:Wisconsin Foodie would like to thank
the following underwriters.
[upbeat music]
- Did you know Organic Valley protects
over 400,000 acres of organic farmland?
So, are we an organic food cooperative that protects land,
or land conservationists who make delicious food?
Yes; yes, we are.
Organic Valley.
- Wisconsin is known
for some pretty great things, like football, food, and family.
At Jones Dairy Farm,
we're proud to be a Wisconsin company,
one that's been family owned and operated in Fort Atkinson.
Jones: Making mealtime better since 1889.
- The Wisconsin potato and vegetable growers
are proud underwriters ofWisconsin Foodie.
It takes love of the land
and generations of farming know-how
to nurture a quality potato crop.
Ask any potato farmer and they'll tell you,
there's a lot of satisfaction in healthy-grown crops.
- Employee-owned New Glarus Brewing Company
has been brewing and bottling beer for their friends,
only in Wisconsin, since 1993.
Just a short drive from Madison,
come visit Swissconsin and see where your beer's made.
- With additional support coming from The Conscious Carnivore.
From local animal sourcing
to on-site, high-quality butchering and packaging,
The Conscious Carnivore can ensure organically raised,
grass-fed, and healthy meats
through its small group of local farmers.
The Conscious Carnivore:
Know your farmer, love your butcher.
Also with the support of the Friends of PBS Wisconsin.
en a hard day's night