Renks support rural Wisconsin through Wisconsin Rural Opportunities Foundation (AgriView.com)

 

According to Richard Renk, his family's farming history dates back to 1846 when his ancestors came over and settled in the Sun Prairie area. “It’s very much a farming community,” he says, adding that his grandfather completed the UW-Madison Farm and Industry Short Course in 1898 and a number of those in the generations that followed graduated from UW-Madison.  The Renk Seed Corporation – or William F. Renk and Sons – was started in 1936 and is the oldest farm family corporation in the United States.

 

Click here to read more about the Renk family and their work with the Wisconsin Rural Opportunities Foundation: http://www.agriview.com/news/regional/renks-support-rural-wisconsin-through-wisconsin-rural-opportunities-foundation/article_104f7f94-a38c-11e2-ad01-001a4bcf887a.html

 

Blogger's Note: Sun Prairie was founded on strong farming families, and agriculture remains a key part of our local economy.  We're thankful to the Renk family for all they do for Sun Prairie, for Wisconsin and for agriculture.

Sun Prairie's Julie Wiedmeyer Taking The Vanilla Beanery to the Next Level (Various Sources)

(Photo credit: Jill Marzion & Megan Patterson Photography)

Check out all the great press Sun Prairie's Julie Wiedmeyer and The Vanilla Beanery are getting:

The Vanilla Beanery, a Sun Prairie business, creates a high-end extract (Isthmus.com)
http://www.isthmus.com/isthmus/article.php?article=39644

Vanilla adds flavor to her life (JSOnline.com)
http://www.jsonline.com/features/food/vanilla-adds-flavor-to-her-life-rb9adut-200886961.html

Community Cooking Feature (Madison Magazine)
http://www.madisonmagazine.com/Madison-Magazine/April-2013/Community-Cooking/index.php?cparticle=5&siarticle=4#artanc

A local success story: The Vanilla Beanery (OnMilwaukee.com)
http://onmilwaukee.com/dining/articles/vanillabeanery.html

Video: Julie Wiedmeyer shares recipes from The Vanilla Beanery (RealMilwaukeeNow.com)
http://realmilwaukeenow.com/2013/03/29/julie-wiedmeyer-shares-recipes-from-the-vanilla-beanery/

Blogger's Note:  A great entreprenurial story from right here in Sun Prairie.  (Just a reminder Julie...I'm available for taste testing.  Just saying,)

Downtown Sun Prairie Artful Wine Walk Set for May 16th (Sun Prairie Business Improvement District)

Blogger's Note:  I swear it will be warmer weather on May 16th, so plan on stopping Downtown and have some fun.

WPPI Energy Gets American Public Power Association Safety Award (Sun Prairie Star)

WPPI Energy in Sun Prairie earned the American Public Power Association’s Safety Award of Excellence for safe operating practices in 2012, earning first place in the category for utilities with 1110,000 to 249,999 worker-hours annually.

Read the full article at: http://www.hngnews.com/sun_prairie_star/news/business/article_85c1101e-a1e1-11e2-9dbb-0019bb30f31a.html

Blogger's Note: Just another reason we like our municipal utility and public power here in Sun Prairie.  Congratulations!

QBE Foundation Awards Grants to 14 Charities (JSOnline.com)

The QBE Foundation has awarded nearly $60,000 in grants to programs provided by 14 charitable organizations across the country.

Read the full article at: http://www.jsonline.com/business/pressrelease/national-press-releases/qbe-foundation-awards-grants-to-14-charities-202518591.html

Blogger's Note: Thanks to the QBE Foundation for their continuing support of our community.

Sun Prairie Team Competes in National Culinary Competition (Madison.com)

(Photo by Andy Manis - Wisconsin State Journal)

Sun Prairie High School's culinary team competes in the National ProStart Invitational this weekend.

Read the full article at: http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/local_schools/school-spotlight-sun-prairie-team-competes-in-culinary-competition/article_76977a48-6ece-518c-8b2b-667c39185c54.html

Blogger's Note: One of the best programs of career based learning that I've ever seen.  Here's to Sun Prairie roasting the competition this weekend!

St. Mary's Hospital parent firm plans to acquire Dean Health System (Madison.com)

Dean Clinic's board of directors recommended Monday that Madison-based Dean Health System be acquired by SSM Health Care, the St. Louis-based health system that owns St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison.  Dean’s shareholders will vote on the recommendation next month, Dean spokeswoman Kim Sveum said Tuesday. The Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and other regulators also must approve the deal. Dean, which is mostly doctor-owned, and St. Mary's have collaborated for decades. They started talking more than a year ago about a merger or acquisition, in part because of health care reform.  Their agreement to merge could be finalized as soon as this summer, Dean and SSM said in a news release. The terms will not be disclosed, they said.

Read the full article at:  http://host.madison.com/news/local/health_med_fit/st-mary-s-hospital-parent-firm-plans-to-acquire-dean/article_b7d15f76-a6a2-11e2-8002-0019bb2963f4.html

Blogger's Note: This may clear the way for additional improvements in Sun Prairie at St. Mary's Emergency Center campus.  Watch for more news on this in the coming months.