What we saw, heard and learned in Madison and other AMAZING FACTS.

It was a beautiful, sunny February day and the people of our state protested in a peaceful and friendly way that only Wisconsinites could do!

We think that many people are not getting the point that those who voted for the Gov. are now protesting against his proposal to abolish collective bargaining rights. The protests are not about money or contributing more to the pension fund or for health care but rather workers rights, which are human rights. Yes, the Gov. campaigned on getting rid of workers collective rights and so we voted against him but others didn't vote at all so now here we are, Walker is doing what he said and we have to take to the streets. This is the consequence of not listening and not taking action and not voting.

Our side was protesting against the Gov.(and only the Gov.) and his effort to end collective bargaining and bust unions. The other side was literally protesting against teachers, unions, union workers, and taxes. This is proof of the conservatives' way of trying to divide the people and take away our rights. We protested against the Gov. and they protested and try to defame....well..... all of US!

It is not inappropriate for the President to clearly point out that Walker is trying to bust unions because the Gov. IS trying to bust unions. His Budget Repair Bill will abolish workers' rights to negotiate on benefts and work rules, end unions collecting dues, require annual elections by members to keep union representation.

The Gov. has fabricated this budget crisis. The facts are that Wisconsin's 7.5 percent unemployment rate is below the national average. The pension fund is considered one of the healthiest in the nation, and our state is not suffering from the huge shortfalls that other states are facing. Republicans in the WI. legislature in January passed $117 million in tax breaks for businesses and others, a move Mr. Walker made that catapulted the state’s budget gap to a deficit, then claimed an emergency that requires sacrifices from unions.

Teachers are some of the most dedicated citizens in our society. Who would work as hard as teachers, produce real results and care for our children everyday for $550 a week? Teachers hate missing school and only do so as a last resort. Teachers go to work when they are sick, when their own kids are sick, when they have family problems at home. Teachers only miss school because it is unavoidable like when their rights as workers are threatened by a government take over

There is so much irony in that there are three allegorical statues of "forward" at the capital but for now she has been blind folded.

When all is said and done after the hunting super bowl these coming days, let's remember that the outdoor sportsmen and women are our front line of defense on the environment and natural habitats. Yes, hunters and fishermen/women have a invested interest in keeping the surrounding natural habitats healthy and clean. Polluted waters and over developed land use is not conducive to outdoor sporting and in the end, this concern benefits us all. We learned this early on when we seeded some of our acerage to comply with the land conservation program we were involved with here on the farm. Most of the native seed for forbes and grasses came from an organization called Wings Over Wisconsin. This organization's main focus is to get large land owners to plant some of their tillable acres to native prairie plant species to encourage the growth of the wild fowl population for hunting. In addition, native plant species are reestablished (most of them lost to agriculture), soil heath is restored and the ground water table can be purified.

Maybe a different view can be had this year about the super-hype of the hunting season, the blur of blaze orange, and the ubiquitous " welcome hunters" signs seen at every country tavern.

Rhubarb Raspberry Cobbler With Cornmeal Biscuits

Time: 1 hour

FOR THE FILLING:

2 pounds rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 6 cups)

2 1/2 cups fresh raspberries or 1 (10-ounce) package frozen raspberries, defrosted

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

For the biscuits:

1 cup all-purpose flour, more as necessary

2/3 cup fine cornmeal

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2/3 cup heavy cream, more for brushing.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For filling, in a large bowl, toss together rhubarb, raspberries, sugar and cornstarch. Allow mixture to stand while preparing biscuit dough.

2. To prepare biscuits, place flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine (or whisk everything together in a bowl).

3. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal (or use 2 knives to cut butter into flour mixture). Pour in cream and continue pulsing (or stir) until dough starts to come together, scraping down sides of bowl if necessary.

4. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat it together. Divide it equally into 8 balls, then flatten them slightly into thick rounds. Biscuit dough can be made up to a day in advance and refrigerated, covered, until needed.

5. Scrape filling and accumulated juices into a 2 1/2-quart gratin or baking dish (9 by 12 inches). Arrange biscuits on top of filling and brush with cream. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until filling is bubbling and biscuits are golden.

Yield: 8 servings.

Prospera from the air!

View of Prospera Farm from the air. Now we know how we look to the cranes!

Cucumber Bread Recipe!

2 eggs
½ cup cooking oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup peeled and grated cucumber
1 ½ cup wheat flour1/2 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup chopped nuts

Beat eggs and sugar until creamy. Add oil and cucumber, then press FIRMLY on grated cucumber (be sure to get out all the excess juice of the cucumber). Measure out one cup of cucumber and mix dry ingredients, and stir into creamy mixture. Mix well and then add nuts. Bake in a 9x5 greased glass loaf pan at 325 degrees for about one hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

Honey Lemon Refrigerator Pickles

6 cups thinly sliced cucumbers
2 cups thinly sliced onions
3/4 cup honey
1 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp. mustard seed
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cloves

Place cucumbers and onions in a large glass bowl. Combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook and stir until honey is dissolved. Pour hot liquid over cucumber and onions,toss well, and let cool. The cucumbers will give off some of their juices; keep them submerged in the liquid while they cool. Transfer pickles to 3 pint jars, cover tightly, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving. They will keep for a week or so. makes 3 pints.

Zucchini recipe continued...

Gently rinse and dry zucchini blossoms. Melt butter in large skillet over med heat. Add onion, sprinkle with salt, and sautee until deep golden, about 20 minutes; set aside.

Cook penne until al dente. Drain pasta and reserve 1/4 cup water from pot. Return pasta to pot.
Heat 1 1/2 tbl. of oil to nonstick skillet over mer-high heat. Add zucchini blossoms and saute until wilted,turning,about 1 minute. Transfer to paper towels and gently blot. Heat remaining cooking oil in same skillet over med. heat. Add zucchini cubes; sprinkle with salt and saute until crisp-tender,about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, caramelized onion, and crushed red pepper to zucchini mixture; saute 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add vegetable mixture and the reserved 1/4 cup of water from the pasta pot to pasta and toss to coat. Transfer pasta to large serving bowl; top with blossoms and sprinkle with parsley.