I’m always restless during the muddy awakening of fresh spring. I’ve become an avid gardener in recent years, and I love this seasonal transition between rest and renewal. Now is the time for planting the seeds of what’s to come, and similarly, this issue of Wisconsin People & Ideas celebrates change makers in Wisconsin who are quite literally planting fresh ideas and opportunities across the state.
You’ll find a thoroughly researched piece by Jessica Becker about the rise of Wisconsin’s newest niche crop: flax. You’ll also learn about the leaders of the Climate Champions program in Northern Wisconsin, who are working to mitigate infrastructure challenges related to climate change. And you’ll meet the inspiring Hsu family, who have been growing American ginseng in Wausau for fifty years.
I’m also thrilled to announce Wisconsin’s newest poet laureate, Brenda Cárdenas, who creates emotional depth and richness on the page by blending ideas, memories, and languages together, rather than holding them apart. You’ll also read another prize-winning story from our most recent fiction contest, by physician-turned-writer C.E. Perry, about the confusing, liminal third-place between past and present that’s otherwise known as grief. Additionally, I especially want to thank writers Kelly Tyrrell and James Lattis, along with the Wisconsin Historical Society Press, for granting us permission to excerpt their remarkable history of Wisconsin’s Washburn Observatory, Chasing the Stars.
In short, you’ll find a subtle yet intentional balance between science and creative expression in this issue that I hope informs and inspires you in equal measure.
