Idea House producing results

One of the presenters at last weekend's Winneshiek Idea House says she's already getting offers from people wanting to help her with her new business.

Hannah Breckbill is starting an organic vegetable farm, Humble Hands Harvest, with Emily Fagan north of Decorah.  She says she's had dozens of offers to fund new fruit trees and to help with labor on the farm. An artist piped up asking to paint the women a mural on their shed. Another woman said she'd lend an auger to plant the trees.

"The enthusiastic response was a huge help for me to know that my vision is shared, supported, and needed in this community," Breckbill said. "And I was glad to give people the opportunity to be involved in revitalizing and diversifying a little piece of the northeast Iowa landscape."

Other new entrepreneurs at the session included Caite Palmer, who raises beef with her family on Prairie's Edge Farm; Joey Clarine, who plans a cocktail lounge and piano bar called Shaking Tails;  Trent Orth, who hopes to open a distillery called Valhalla Spirits; and Cody Whittle, who plans to create a line of apparel, Big Driftless, and an accompanying website to promote and celebrate the Driftless Area.