Jane Burns
Courtesy of Kurt Dietrich
Jazz in the dairy state
Jazz isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you say Wisconsin. But Ripon College music professor Kurt Dietrich had no trouble finding stories to tell in his hefty volume, “Wisconsin Riffs: Jazz Profiles from the Heartland.” more
Mary Langenfeld
Speak, memory
The Spark! program is modeled after Meet Me at MoMA, a monthly program at the Museum of Modern Art in New York to engage individuals with dementia and their care partners through art. more
Jane Burns
The big cheese
A French sheep’s milk cheese gets top honors at the World Championship Cheese Contest at Monona Terrace. But Wisconsin makes a strong showing. more
Kral Photography
Sniff, sample and spit
What does it take to judge the world’s best cheeses at the World Championship Cheese Contest? Isthmus talks to some of the “Red Hats.” more
Cedar Grove
Not processed!
Cold pack cheese is as real as curds or aged cheddars. This Wisco hit just keeps on getting better with more cheesemakers coming up with special spreadables. more
Jane Burns
The Carpenters buy a coffeehouse
Cheese Underground founder Jeanne Carpenter and her husband are taking over Oregon’s Firefly Coffeehouse. Guess what they’re adding to the menu? more
David Stluka
Pack your bags!
Wisconsin Cheese Camp is the place to learn all about artisanal cheese. Jane Burns talks to organizer and cheese geek Jeanne Carpenter. more
Jane Burns
Silver linings
Paoli jeweler John/Christine Designs finds the good luck amid the bad. John Strobel runs a gallery with wife Christine, does the art fair circuit and custom-designs pieces. more
Shut out
The UW can’t fix the Field House fast enough for volleyball fans. Tickets for sold-out games are a hot commodity. more
Mary Langenfeld
Saturday morning pillows
While Friday nights are full of crowded bleachers and marching bands, more subdued scenes unfold on Saturday mornings when yawning teenagers board a bus to a volleyball tournament, cross-country invitational, soccer game or swim meet for the day. more
Keith Borden
Courtroom jazz
Johannes Wallmann, UW’s director of jazz studies, is soon to release a new album with rapper Rob Dz. It’s political and personal, inspired by the court fight to legalize gay marriage. more
Surviving and thriving
Isthmus talks to Mike Peters, frontman for ‘80s icons The Alarm, about surviving cancer and how the band’s early anthems provide a soundtrack for his life. The band is at the Barrymore on Aug. 30, for the first time ever. more
Jane Burns
One singular sensation
Diana Murphy’s cow, Nelle, is the sole producer of a cheese called Arthur. Murphy, an experienced goat cheese maker, likes the farmstead aspect of one cow, one cheese. more
Jane Burns
On the honor system
On country roads throughout Dane County and beyond, corn stands that work on the honor system dot the landscape. Piles of sweet corn sit alone, kept company by a lockbox and, every once in a while, a kid whose family runs the pop-up business for a li more
Jane Burns
Sit back, slice and sample
A selection of area cheese boards shows a diversity of approaches. From Belgian soft cheese made by Trappist monks to a Sartori sampler, it’s all good. more
Sartori Cheese
Cheeses for the people
Plenty of championship ribbons for @sartori_cheese, but buying a wedge doesn’t break the bank. Master cheesemaker Mike Matucheski discusses the company’s best-sellers. more
State in a box
The best of Wisconsin, themed, curated and shipped. A new Mount Horeb business, WiscoBoxes, is keeping a keen eye out for the best products. more
Folk-inspired fantasy
After a Google search for “Appalachian soul,” Mt. Horeb’s author Alex Bledsoe began writing a fantasy series based around song titles from a folk musician. He recently released his fifth book in the Tufa series, “Gather Her Round.” more
The next Chobani
Yodelay Swiss yogurt from Markus Candinas is the real deal. After years of searching, the chocolatier finally manufactured his own: thinner, fruitier and high protein. more
Zebradog
The long game
The Madison Community Foundation was born in 1942 to support veterans returning from World War II. That mission quickly evolved. Now it’s celebrating 75 years with a slate of grants for future projects, including one reimagining the Monona lakefront. more
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Jane Burns
Sylvain Diedrichs, a representative of Savencia Cheese USA, hoists the Best in Show ribbon during the finals of the World Championship Cheese Contest at Monona Terrace.
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Jane Burns
Firefly Coffeehouse founder Erika Weidler, left, with new owner Jeanne Carpenter.
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Jane Burns
John and Christine Strobel.
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Jane Burns
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Jane Burns
Amy and John Whitehead of Cross Plains buy corn at the Statz family self-serve stand.
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Jane Burns
The Grand Fromage Board at Field Table is seasonal, from its cheeses to accompaniments like strawberries.
