From City to Soil
This transplanted family is blooming.
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| A fresh outlook on life has come to Lisa K. and husband John I. (left) since moving to the country and opening a two-room bed-and-breakfast. |
How are you going to keep a young, urban couple down on the farm after they’ve seen downtown Chicago? For the answer, visit the bed-and-breakfast Lisa K. runs with her husband, John I., in rural southern Wisconsin!
“There was a time John and I gauged success by dollars in the bank,” Lisa recalls of working in the corporate world with wistful dreams of life in the country. “Since moving here 10 years ago, we mea-sure it by the stars we see in the sky and peas our son, Liam, eats straight from the garden.”
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Solar-savvy system on the farmhouse roof (above) uses the sun’s energy to heat water throughout Inn Serendipity. Photos: © John Ivanko/ruralrenaissance.org |
Rather than a city skyline outside apartment windows, Lisa and John watch the sunset from the top floor of their barn. Fast food has been replaced by organic fruits and vegetables they grow on their acreage near Browntown. And instead of pursuing high-powered jobs, they’re working to harness nature’s energy to power their farmhouse.
“A wind turbine on a tower and a photovoltaic system on our machine shed convert wind and sunlight into electricity,” Lisa explains. “A solar-thermal system on our roof heats water for the farmhouse. Our guests take hot showers, compliments of the sun.
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| Son, Liam, is in the swing of simple pleasures also. |
“The two-room bed-and-breakfast we call Inn Serendipity is part of our 80-year-old farmhouse. We also own and rent an A-frame cabin next to a private pond about 2 hours from the farm. It sleeps up to six and offers a wilderness experience to small groups and families.”
“Green” Acres
Like many country inns, Lisa and John’s bed-and-breakfast features antique furniture and handcrafted quilts throughout. More uniquely, their motif is all “green.”
Recognized for environmental friendliness, Inn Serendipity has floors made of wood from sustainable woodlots and tiles fashioned from recycled glass.
“Guests won’t find TV or the sound of traffic or cell phones,” Lisa says. “But our inn does come with free-range chickens, acres of farmland and peace and quiet. For entertainment, Liam leads s’mores making around the campfire. Plus, all rooms are air-conditioned by the cool evening breeze streaming through open windows.”
Many doors were opened wide to these former city dwellers when they transplanted themselves to County Road P. “We were blessed to find neighbors who grew up doing the things we were eager to learn—like raising chickens and preserving food,” Lisa shares.
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| Serene scene shot from atop wind turbine shows Lisa and John’s dreams are well-grounded. |
“We also received help from nonprofit organizations in funding our energy projects. Major installations, like our wind generator, were turned into hands-on workshops for businesses, schools and environmentally concerned people who wanted to learn about renewable energy. It was almost like an old-fashioned barn raising.”
Living in Harmony
“Recently, we finished turning an old granary into a solar and biodiesel-heated greenhouse insulated with straw bales. Our plan is to serve guests homegrown papayas and bananas in the middle of winter,” Lisa laughs, adding that 70 percent of what they eat is raised in their own organic gardens.
“Mother Nature is in charge of menu planning, based on the flavors of the season. Our avalanche of zucchini suggests many summer dishes,” she notes. (See the Feta Zucchini Pancakes recipe below).
Beyond hospitality, this self-reliant family is intent on sharing their know-how. For starters, they’ve written Rural Renaissance: Renewing the Quest for the Good Life, a book about their own urban to rural journey. They also have a Web site with resources for others who want to give country living a try.
Besides accommodating guests from as far away as Japan, Inn Serendipity is featured in a national solar home tour. Public workshops are held there, too, on everything from rural entrepreneurship to raising a family on the farm.
“In searching for the good life, we’ve found it’s more than a rural zip code and a homegrown supper savored by fireflies’ light,” Lisa concludes. “It’s a way to live more simply and meaningfully…unearthing a new passion with every potato we plant.”
Editor’s Note: To learn more about Inn Serendipity and Lisa and John’s workshops and books, connect to their Web site at www.countrywomanmagazine.com/links. Or you can send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Inn Serendipity, P.O. Box 811, Monroe WI 53566. E-mail info@ruralrenaissance.org.
Feta Zucchini Pancakes
4 eggs, separated
4 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or
1 teaspoon dried mint
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
- In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, zucchini, feta cheese, onions, flour, mint, salt and pepper; fold in egg whites.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of oil over medium heat; drop four 1/3 cupfuls of batter into skillet.
- Fry for 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Repeat, making two more batches with remaining oil and batter. Yield: 1 dozen.