Day Tripper

Today was my first 'day off' in a couple weeks, however, I'm not really sure I count it as a day off. Sure I didn't clock in, nor did I even touch my knives, but I did spend it with coworkers and around food. Today, some of us lucky and overly ambitious folks from L'Etoile and Graze toured a few really great facilities in the area.

Our sweet ride. kickin' it old school.

We started at Just Coffee, a coffee roaster here in Madison...just a few blocks from our restaurant! I have toured a coffee roasting company before but it was great to see someone doing it on a smaller scale and with much better product, and dare I say a little more passion for what they are doing! Just Coffee sees beyond the cup of coffee you hold in your sleepy hands in the morning. They work with coffee farmers directly in several countries, paying fair prices and enabling the farmers to advance their business. They roast lighter than most conventional roasters in order to bring out the nuances in each bean variety. They also develop special blends for area businesses (including L'Etoile!) that are only available through that specific business. They are committed to sustainability and just to prove how much so, they get a lot of their products to Madcity shops via bike delivery!!

Delivery bike

After being loaded with coffee and doughnuts, we piled back into our yellow limousine and headed north to Milwaukee. There we visited Sweet Water Organics and Lakefront Brewery.


Sweet Water is a sustainable aquaponics system that combines the ideas of hydroponic plant growing and aquaculture, which is fish farming. The co-founder, and our, self proclaimed obsessive compulsive, tour guide described it as a 'fish farm, plant farm, science lab, research lab and a community scale industrial production' firm. Basically, think beta fish and plant system. Byproduct from the fish (amonia) feeds the plants (they convert it to nitrate) and by doing so, the plants purify the water for the fish. They farm perch and talapia and grow lettuces, herbs, chard and other leafy greens. They have seven 10-12,000 gallon tanks that hold 5-7,000 fish! We were told more specifically about the workings of the farm by a kid, probably 18 or 19, who got involved somehow and has really discovered it to be a passion! He has only been on the team for less than a year, but you would think he started the whole company! He knew about how everything worked and told us about sustainable honey farming, efficient aquaponic greenhousing and has already restructured the composting system that was in place there.

Checking out the root system on the Swiss chard.
The white pipes bring the water from fish tanks to the plants.

It was a truly amazing facility, located in an old warehouse home to other warehouse farmers who raise bees, mushrooms, restore old bikes and soon to be, rooftop chickens!

Sustainable beekeeping.

After a quick pizza party picnic we loaded the bus and headed to our last stop.

Lakefront Brewery was also located in an old (coal) warehouse right on the river. There we got a crash course on the brewery founders history (two brothers, who were constantly trying to out brew each other at home) and the brew process. Our tour guide was a full time math teacher and works part time at the brewery saying, "I teach therefore I drink!". She was energetic and engaging, just the kind of tour guide you always hope to get! I have never had brewing explained so colorfuly and in a way I could actually remember! After our glasses had been filled three times and we all joined in signing the theme song to Lavern and Shirley and one member of our group was made to hula hoop as punishment for spilling his beer, we were sent back on the bus for a very long trip back home.

Patio behind the brewery. Complete with beer pulls and a dock for boats!

We had to stop three times, (2 bathroom breaks and once to shut the emergency exit on the roof after someone failed to close it properly and thus setting off the fire alarm), got caught it post Brewer's game traffic and construction. Needless to say, it was a very long, noisy ride home, putting us back at our rendez-vous three hours after our projected time. I was a little annoyed that my plans for the evening were more or less ruined, but I was grateful for the opportunity to visit the amazing companies we got to see and also to spend sometime with my new coworkers off the clock.

Afterward, it was time to come back to the valley...

So there I was, quite literally driving off into the sunset after a long day of school bus riding, touring and tasting. I found it a little difficult to be ornery about the 3 hour setback while I was driving into one of the most beautiful skies I have ever seen. Ahead of me, the sun was low and bright casting golds and oranges into the horizon. Above me, the clouds were large, puffy and every tone of blue. Behind me, the sky was dark and threatening, flashing with lightening every few minutes. Looking between my review mirror and the road ahead, I was reminded, of course, of the scene in Beauty and the Beast when Philippe (Belle's horse) looks down one path that is bright and green and birds are chirping and then down a second path that is dark, foggy and looming. It seems odd that two opposite conditions can exist so close together. Unlike poor Philippe, who reluctantly had to travel the dark and dangerous path, I got to go forth into the color and beauty. As I drove back to the valley, the skies turned from blue to pink and violet highlighted with lavender clouds, and from orange and gold to slate clouds silhouetted against salmon and mauve. As I descended into a valley, thick fog hid the hill tops and masked the turns and curves of the road ahead. When I came back up to the top of the ridge, the sun had set completely and the stars were already out, shining bright. Officially out of cell phone reception, the last few miles were taken slowly and cautiously. Just when I thought the drive couldn't get any better, the local radio station played 'She's a Super Freak". Driving/dancing along, I managed to avoid a fox, 2 deer and a baby fawn still sporting his spots all running across and along the road. I arrived safely back at 3442 Wire Hollow and to my wooden condo once again.

...all in a days 'day off' out here in the valley.

**I have included hyperlinks to all three of the companies we visited today so that, if your little hearts desire, you can look them up and get more info! I would recommend it! They are worth a look!**