- Michael: The old story is that from 12 years old,
I always said I'm not gonna stay here,
and so I was always looking for a place
where I eventually would end up.
[machine clanging]
Everybody in Germany is dreaming about seeing the Grand Canyon
and Yosemite and whatever else.
So I just traveled, and I came actually through here.
I always make this story, and it's true, my car broke down
and I couldn't find anybody to fix it right away.
I said this is a really nice area.
Then when I finally decided to make it a move
to United States, this was my destination in the end.
- I'm the oldest of five children and I'm the only girl.
When I was born, my dad told my mother,
he says, "You know, we're gonna have to have some boys
"because if we're gonna farm, we're gonna need some farmers here."
And he loves to tell this story
because I'm the only one that's on the farm.
[gentle guitar music]
- I lived just down the road here and I knew Marsha's son.
And so I approached him one time.
I asked him whether his mom would teach
horseback riding lessons, Western style.
And he said, "Well, we can probably make something out."
And so he found himself a willing guy
for exchanging horseback riding lessons
for helping how to make hay.
- My first husband was diagnosed with cancer in '95
and this came about in '96.
And it was good because I had been his caregiver
and it was terminal, and we knew that.
So, it gave me a chance to get out
an do what I enjoyed doing and spend some time out there.
A reason to be out.
There were three times,
and I remember each of them very well,
when after we got done riding,
Mike would come in and visit with my husband,
and bring a book, bring some chocolates, whatever.
And each time after he left,
after that little visit,
my first husband would always say,
"My, that's a nice young man."
And to me, after he passed away and time went on
and our relationship from a friendship resolved
to be much more,
I thought it was really nice that my first husband
approved of my next husband.
[bright music]
We always had beef and we always had hogs.
I always had horses.
Then after that, I also got involved in gardening,
extensive gardening.
And I found an outlet with the restaurants in New Glarus.
I've been doing that for probably 15 years, if not longer.
And then other things have come up, too,
with the lavender and we sell Christmas trees.
- Michael: I'm a terrible shopper.
But when we got married, I said, "When it comes to birthdays,
"anniversaries, or Christmas, or anything,
"I am gonna make something different here.
"I'm gonna make you something for your garden,"
because with all the perennial gardens
that we had already at that time,
I could always make something
that would be fitting into the background.
On the other side, also if it's a bigger item,
then it's for a few years, it's not just for one.
And I think the thing too that
what he's created in all these structures,
I love perennial gardening
and I love designing pathways and little--
you know, he would make a structure,
and I'd say, "Okay, it's got to go somewhere."
I wanted a labyrinth path in the prairie,
but I didn't wanna make a formal labyrinth path,
'cause it would cut down too much of the prairie,
so I just made a meandering path that I mold
and it goes to the center, which is the way they work.
And then there's a stone to sit on and there's an oak tree,
because it's Single Oak Farm.
But I wanted something to show the entrance way to that,
'cause when people come for the Garden Stroll,
they could never find the labyrinth path.
- Michael: The Garden Stroll being our annual fundraiser.
- Marsha: Yeah, we've done that for--
This'll be our 11th year
and we've done it for many different causes over the years.
It's quite a day; we usually have 100, 200 people here,
depending on what we're raising money for.
And it's all given back to whoever we're putting it for.
- Michael: So you're looking everything from--
We did Haiti, we did--
- Marsha: We did Pine Ridge one time.
- Michael: Pine Ridge, and we partnered with food banks.
- Marsha: It started with the Habitat build
that we did in Mount Vernon.
(soft music)
- When it comes to designing something,
I really like the idea that it should be something
that has symbolic or has-- I usually tell my clients,
it should be personalized.
Otherwise, custom work? I mean, what's the use of it?
You wanna make it personalized,
because it will be your piece after it leaves this shop.
There's a monument for Sandy Hook.
Kinda said, you know, there's gotta be something
that I wanna do about it.
When you're doing what I'm doing,
you feel the need to express yourself because it's something
that not exactly makes you burst or anything,
but certainly it leads you to creativity
in order to get that out of your system.
- Marsha: I mean, I think we've complimented each other
on what you've done and what I've added.