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Founded 1901

Royal Purple

Founded 1901

Royal Purple

Founded 1901

Royal Purple

Back Home by Chris Hardie

Memories of back to school

Chris Hardie, Contributor September 8, 2024

School is back in session, a sure sign that another summer season has flown by. This year all four of my grandsons will be in school, with the oldest in eighth grade and the youngest starting kindergarten. Seems...

: Chris Hardie used to camp by Beaver Creek the night before the opening day of trout fishing.

Driftless Area hooks anglers

Chris Hardie, Journalist April 28, 2024

“Time to catch some fish,” Grandpa whispered.   I jumped out of bed in my grandparent’s home in downtown Franklin in Jackson County. Downtown meaning it was at the corner of Highway N...

he field is now green and growing with the winter rye.

Cover crop springs to life

Chris Hardie, Journalist April 21, 2024

The lifebl ood of any farmer is the soil that provides their livelihood, so taking care of it has to be a top priority.   That care involves more than simply adding fertilizer and chemicals...

Spring captured in a flower

Spring captured in a flower

Chris Hardie, Journalist April 7, 2024

One certainty that I have learned over my long years is that nature moves at her own pace. Yes, we’ve done our worst to mess with the climate and destroy ozone, but nature slowly responds to the changes....

Back Home by Chris Hardie

The world of shrinkflation

Chris Hardie, WNA October 29, 2023

Let’s set the record straight – I am not an economist – which the Bureau of Labor Statistics defines as “an expert who studies the relationship between a society’s resources and its production...

Back Home by Chris Hardie

Building his own bridge

Chris Hardie October 15, 2023

Back Home by Chris Hardie Download this column as a Word document Download the photos that accompany this story Chris Hardie’s headshot   Last week I wrote about the remaining...

This gray tree frog recently emerged from hibernation on Chris Hardie’s farm.

A surprise spring lesson

Chris Hardie, Contributor April 30, 2023

I’m putting the blame squarely on Mother Nature’s shoulders, but it’s happening again this year, despite my best efforts to prevent it. This gray tree frog recently emerged from hibernation on...

Little Creek during the last few hours of winter. The stream is fed by dozens of springs along the valley on Chris Hardie’s farm. (Chris Hardie photo)

More winter storm memories

Chris Hardie, Contributer April 24, 2023

Can anyone honestly say they are really surprised that Old Man Winter isn’t quite done? As of this writing on the morning of April 17, there are 14 inches of snow outside driven by a strong northwest...

Cecile Hardie, Chris Hardie’s grandmother, had a pot of coffee going on the stove.

Late season snow memories

Chris Hardie, Contributor April 9, 2023

Late season snow storms always take me back to March 24, 1979 in the tiny town of Franklin in Jackson County. My feet were wet, and I was beginning to shiver as the three of us stood at the dark back door...

Chris Hardie has moved plenty of snow this winter with his snowblower.

Officially sick of winter

Chris Hardie, Contributor March 19, 2023

Being Wisconsin born and raised on a farm, I can honestly say that I’ve dealt with much of the worst that winter can offer. I have cut wood in snow up to my waist, pounded on frozen manure spreader...

The road signs of spring

The road signs of spring

Chris Hardie, Journalist March 13, 2023

The classic harbingers of spring are the return of the robins, the maple sap run or the first blooms to sprout from the thawing earth. But sometimes the signs of spring are actual signs of spring –...

Icicles form on a bush.

A tale of ice

Chris Hardie, Contributor March 5, 2023

While politicians and others way above my station and pay grade continue to debate, expound upon and expunge homosapien influence on the stratosphere, one thing I know for sure. The winter weather has...

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Chris Hardie