Menomonie Minute

Ohly Americas is proud to announce the launch of the Ohly Americas Fund, a donor-advised fund dedicated to supporting Boyceville schools and families.

The fund’s first initiative focuses on enhancing education through Teacher Mini Grants. This year, three impactful projects were funded:

Miranda Monica, Boyceville High School:

Workplace Basics & Marketing Growth/Development – $759 to provide students with hands-on experience running a school store, using a laser engraver to create customized products.

Taryn Score, Boyceville Middle School:

Fitness Improvement – $250 to purchase fitness testing equipment, helping students assess and improve their health.

Erin Reisimer, Tiffany Creek Elementary School:

Spanish Resources – $491 to add Spanish-language books to the library, fostering literacy and inclusivity for Spanish-speaking students and their families.

In addition to supporting classrooms, the Ohly Americas Fund is addressing student lunch debt in Boyceville Community Schools, helping families start the new year with a clean slate and relieving financial stress.

What sets this fund apart is the active involvement of Ohly Americas employees, who contribute to the fund and participate in selecting the grants. This unique approach exemplifies the company’s commitment to community-driven giving and creating a meaningful impact.

For more information about the Ohly Americas Fund and its impact, visit https://cfdunncounty.org/ohly-americas-fund/.

Media release from the Community Foundation of Dunn County.

Betty J. (Mrdutt) Wisemiller, age 86, of Boyceville, WI, peacefully passed into the arms of her Heavenly Father on Friday, December 27, at Our House Assisted Living in Menomonie, WI.

She was born January 31, 1938, in Chicago, IL, to Joseph and Irene (Halama) Mrdutt. As a young girl, Betty’s family moved to the Boyceville, WI area, where she graduated from Boyceville High School in 1956. After graduation, she worked in the office for Hedlund Manufacturing in Boyceville.

Betty married Arlen Wisemiller on August 15, 1959, at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Boyceville. They built a house south of Boyceville and eventually started farming. While Arlen continued hauling milk, Betty stayed home with their five children and occasionally drove the milk truck as well. Later, they purchased Boyceville Oil Company, where Betty kept the books. After they sold that business, she worked for many years as a waitress at the Downing Cafe. She enjoyed her customers and was a perfectionist when it came to food and service.

Betty was a lifelong member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. Faith and family were always her top priorities. She enjoyed attending her children’s, grandchildren’s, and great-grandchildren’s events. Not known for “holding back,” they always knew she was there! Betty was known for her awesome Slovak cooking and baking, a skill she passed to her granddaughters and grandsons! She was active as a 4-H general leader and was a member of the Dunn County Homemakers. She and Arlen spent time at their lakeside trailer in Cumberland. Most Sunday afternoons, they could be found on a drive with their dogs, which usually ended with a pizza supper by the lake.

Betty is survived by:

Daughter, Lori (John) Bekkum of Colfax, WI, and their children Casey (Samantha) Bekkum, son William; Blake (Katelyn) Erickson, children Keegan, Easton, and a granddaughter expected in February; Jacob Erickson (Leigha Prudlow) and their baby expected in June; Nikolus Bekkum.

Son, Randy (Brenda) Wisemiller of Billings, MO and their son Zachary (Wreatha) Wisemiller, son William.

Son, Christopher (Lynette) Wisemiller of Boyceville and their children Lindsay (Scott) Wroblewski, daughters Hattie and Cora; Heather Wisemiller, son Louis; Travis (Katie) Glaser, children Tennlee, Owen, and Navvy. Eric (Ashlee) Wisemiller, children Dane, Isla, and Lily; Ashley Glaser (Jason Wirth); Danielle Schindele (Andrew Stocker).

Son, Timothy (Penny) Wisemiller of Amboy, IL and their children Jessica (George) Story, sons, Riley and Jonas; son, D.J. Ward.

Daughter, Bethany Novotney (Dave Langer); children Shayleigh Novotney (Ty Stecklein), son, Rhyker; son, Noah Novotney.

Sisters-in-law, Mary Jo Mrdutt and Louise (Jim) Sneen; godchildren, Stacey Mrdutt and Jim Mrdutt, many nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.

Betty was preceded in death by her husband Arlen; her parents and brother Ronald Mrdutt; in-laws, Lloyd Wisemiller, Clarice and Harry Rubusch; brother-in-law Allen Peterson; grandsons, Joshua and Aaron Wisemiller; great-granddaughter Sophia Wroblewski and son-in-law Michael Erickson.

Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 5, at Olson Funeral Home in Menomonie, WI. Funeral services will be at 11:00 am on January 6, 2025, at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, N11550 County Road O, Boyceville, WI, with Pastor Michael Penikis officiating. Family and friends are welcome at the church one hour prior to the service on Monday. Burial will be at Tiffany Cemetery in Boyceville.

To share a memory, please visit obituaries at www.olsonfuneral.com.

- Noon Registration

- $10/entry

- Bring a crockpot full of your favorite recipe

- 3pm - Winner takes all, plus bragging rights!

- Customers will judge their favorite

From the Facebook event page.

Join us Wednesday, January 15th, for a fun evening of sea shanty singing from 7:00pm to 8:30pm at Brewery Nonic. The event is free to attend, everyone is welcome, and no preparation is required.

From the Facebook event page.

Calling all Specialty Crop Growers!

Do you grow vegetables, flowers, mushrooms, seeds, Christmas trees, nursery stock, honey, hops, maple sap, or any other specialty or niche crop for market? Have you heard about the MASC program? This is a rare opportunity being offered through the USDA to get some financial support for these efforts in 2025, but the application period ends January 8. Get help filling out the forms and learn more about what you’ll need to complete an application.

More information and registration is here:

https://www.gofarmconnect.org/.../masc-work-session-in...

The event is being hosted by farmer Erik Heimark, from Maple Ridge Produce, who is Go Farm Connect's Farm Business Management Specialist. He will be joined by Alondra Cano, Go Farm Connect Spanish Language Specialist, and other experienced farmers, USDA staff, and the Farm Service Agency's (FSA) Heather Kirkpatrick, County Executive Director for Dunn County. Growers from Dunn County and elsewhere are welcome to attend - you do not need to own land or already be signed up for federal farm programs to attend or participate in the MASC program.

“This is a rare day for Specialty Crop farmers– Let's make the most of it! Come learn how to complete the forms and (hopefully) leave with a completed application!" says Heimark, who has years of experience working with fellow farmers on USDA applications.

For more information contact Erik: 218-232-1303 [email protected]

More information and registration is here:

https://www.gofarmconnect.org/.../masc-work-session-in...

WHAT IS MASC?

The Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) program provides financial assistance to specialty crop producers to help them expand domestic markets or develop new markets for their crops.

“Specialty crop growers have typically faced higher marketing and handling costs relative to non-specialty crop producers due to the perishability of fruits, vegetables, floriculture, nursery crops and herbs,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “Through this marketing assistance program, we can expand U.S. specialty crop consumption and markets by providing specialty crop producers the financial support needed to help them engage in activities that broaden and enhance strategies and opportunities for marketing their commodities.”

WHAT TO BRING TO THE WORK SESSION

If you are already working with the USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) or Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the process will be very easy. Just make sure you have production/sales records for either 2023 or 2024 with you, in any form. If you haven't yet participated in federal farm programs, you will need to get signed up and you can do it at the work session. You will need these things:

-Name of your farm business, and the business address (this can just be you, if you have not organized into a business entity)

-You will need to provide your name, address, phone, email, and Social Security number (or From I-551/Green Card) to USDA.

-If you have a farm business, you will need to have the TIN or EIN number.

-You will need production records from 2023 and/or 2024, in any form such as a spreadsheet, notebook, laptop computer, or even a shoe box of invoices/receipts. If you don't have this, we may be able to create one with you on the spot from a narrative you tell us.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE

MASC covers the following commercially marketed specialty crops grown in the US:

Fruits (fresh, dried)

Vegetables (including dry edible beans and peas, mushrooms, and vegetable seed)

Tree nuts

Nursery crops, Christmas trees, and floriculture

Culinary and medicinal herbs and spices

Honey, hops, maple sap, tea, turfgrass, and grass seed

About Go Farm Connect:

Are you lost in an alphabet soup of federal acronyms? Need help finding the right resources?

Navigating USDA programs can be overwhelming, confusing and intimidating. We get that! We've pulled together an experienced team of farmers to help you connect to the right programs. We offer FREE services that focus on different aspects of building a successful farm business. We can provide a Connector to be a personal guide, coach, and ally who shares your goal of running a successful farm operation.

Go Farm Connect is a farmer-led initiative to build relationships between historically underserved specialty crop farmers (beginning, women, veterans, BIPOC and new Americans) and federal farm agencies. Our Connectors are trained to help farms of all sizes and specialties in Minnesota and Wisconsin access agricultural assistance programs. The three-year project is led by Renewing The Countryside in partnership with the US Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency, and Natural Resources Conservation Service. Registration through this link is helpful so that USDA staff can be aware of what questions you might want answered. Go Farm Connect staff may take photos and videos at this event to promote programs and future events.

Register HERE.

From the Facebook event page.

From the Dunn County Facebook page.

From the Jake's Supper Club Facebook page.

With New Year's Eve falling on our typical closing day, we will be hosting a New Year's Day celebration instead!

Hangover specials start at 9am Wednesday, January 1st, with $2 mimosas (wear your holiday onesie or PJs & get a free mimosa) half price appetizers until noon, then ring in the New Year at 12pm with champagne & party favors!

Stick around until 3pm for Happy hour pricing!

(Sorry, no breakfast menu will be available)

From the Elk Point Facebook page.