Voices of Rural Wisconsin Part One: The Call of the Land
Harold Kruse - Sauk City
A farmer, naturalist, and author, Harold Kruse played a key role in the effort to preserve natural areas in the Baraboo Hills of south central Wisconsin. Working with groups like the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology, the Nature Conservancy, and others, Kruse has devoted his life to the protection and restoration of natural beauty. His family helped to found the Dane County Farmers' Market in Madison, and they were among the earliest adopters of organic agriculture in Wisconsin. Hickory Hills, the Kruse family farm, was established in 1892 in Loganville and today is operated by Victor Kruse, Harold's son. Kruse looks back on his life and experiences in the chapel of a Sauk City nursing home. In the background, someone calls out bingo. He brings to our meeting the three books he wrote, and, when asked about his contributions to promoting sustainable use of our natural heritage, he points to them and says, "It's all in there." One in particular, Natural Areas in the Baraboo Hills, is a folksy but informative account of the successful preservation of dozens of areas in this ancient quartzite mountain range. Kruse played a key role in those efforts, but would rather give credit to others.
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