Wisconsin

Wisconsin State Fair notes: Aloof cows, proud pigs and Original Cream Puffs

Published

2 hours ago

August 6, 2024

Wisconsin State Fair notes: Aloof cows, proud pigs and Original Cream Puffs

I approached a group of young women at the Wisconsin State Fair.

“What can you tell me about Wisconsin dairy?” I asked one, who drew back, startled. I hastily pointed out that her green shirt had, “Ask me about Wisconsin dairy” in big letters across the back. Maybe nobody ever takes them up on the offer.

“California has more cows…” she began — true, with 1.7 million dairy cows, it leads the nation in milk production. Wisconsin is second, and obviously, that shortcoming weighs on folks here. “But Wisconsin cows are happier,” she claimed, explaining that it’s because their sources of feed can be grown locally.

To be honest, the cows did not look happy. They were sprawled on the floor, facing away from the crowd. I would have gone with “aloof.”

We were standing at Dairy Lane on Saturday evening. Not my usual weekend entertainment choice. But my future second daughter-in-law (the older son got married in July) has people in Wisconsin, and wanted to go to the fair with her fiance. My wife and I were invited along so of course we went — how could you not?

The central fair activity is eating. My plan was to hold back, consider my options. But we almost immediately encountered the Milk House, offering $1 cups of milk. How could you not? It would be like going to Rome and skipping the pasta. I was disappointed that all the milk on the menu is flavored — salted caramel, strawberry cheesecake, root beer. “Don’t you have milk-flavored milk?” I asked. No, they did not. We opted for cookies and cream, which turned out to be frothy and delicious. “Damn good milk!” I reported back.

My strategy was to share — a couple bites of my wife’s corn dipped in butter, a quarter of my son’s Dirty Chai Cinnamon Roll Lumpia (a Filipino spring roll). A bite of shepherd’s pie on a bun. A deep-fried cheese curd. A deep fried shrimp. It adds up.

Aloof cows in Dairy Lane at the Wisconsin State Fair Saturday night.

My only selection, other than milk, was a charcoal grilled brat from the Sheboygan Brat Haus. How could you not?

I was keen to visit the animal barns, remembering the solemnity of the farm youth showing off their animals at the Illinois State Fair, how they tend to ignore the expensive fun goings-on around them. We watched a presentation of pigs strutting proudly. At the sheep pens, I recounted what I consider the best question I ever asked in my professional journalism career … here, I can quote from the 2015 column:

“I had never spoken with a sheep farmer before; as we talked, my attention was drawn to a solitary black sheep in a nearby pen.
“‘The black sheep . . .’ I asked, keeping my face arranged in an expression of serious inquiry. ‘Do they pose any particular behavior problems?’
“She smiled. ‘The black sheep do not behave worse,’ she said. ‘They’re actually pretty well-behaved.’”

Speaking of behavior, the fair was mobbed, and despite all the clamor about society ending, people waited patiently in line and generally conducted themselves in a civilized manner. One guy wore a “LIBERALS SUCK” t-shirt, and t-shirts at the vending stalls often expressed sentiments that boil down to, “I’m hot to shoot you.”

But not too many Trump hats. Which could be a sign — maybe his core is starting to feel shame, at long last. Then again, one woman carried several Trump lawn signs across her shoulders, so maybe not.

The Illinois State Fair opens Thursday and runs through Aug. 18. Wisconsin’s, which opened Aug. 1 and runs through Sunday, has several advantages — it’s an hour from Chicago instead of the three-hour drive down to Springfield. It’s also generally about 10 degrees cooler in Milwaukee than in Springfield.

Plus the Wisconsin State Fair has the Original Cream Puff — I’d read about them, but didn’t understand what the fuss was about. I’d only considered cream puffs metaphorically. Apparently there is no choice, my future daughter-in-law informed me, leading us to the vast puffetorium, jammed with dozens of people waiting in line. They were waiting for the day’s specialty flavor — a new feature to honor the puff’s centennial at the fair. We ducked outside to a much shorter line and bought a box of three regular puffs for $14.

My half a cream puff was very fresh and good and … invigorating. The pastry part wasn’t much — on the soggy side — but the big mound of whipped cream was a revelation. If one purpose of culture is to learn new things, I certainly learned a thing or two at the Wisconsin State Fair. California is the dairy capital of the country, and Original Cream Puffs are really, really good.

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Wisconsin

From free corn to corn royalty, check out these six Wisconsin corn festivals

Published

9 hours ago

August 6, 2024

Press Room

From free corn to corn royalty, check out these six Wisconsin corn festivals

From cobs to kernels and sweet to spicy, you’ll likely find a corn stand at most summer festivals across Wisconsin.

But if you’re looking for a more full-fledged celebration of one of Wisconsin’s top crops, several corn festivals are coming up across the state in the next few weeks.

Jerry Smith Farm’s Sweet Corn Fest

Kick off your tour of Wisconsin corn festivals this weekend at Jerry Smith Farm’s Sweet Corn Fest. The family-owned farm in Kenosha will host its annual festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 10 and 11.

Along with plenty of home-grown sweet corn, the festival will feature live music, food, drink and local vendors. Find a full line-up of vendors and performances here.

Admission is free, and Jerry Smith Farm is at 7150 18th St., Kenosha, WI 53144.

Cobb Corn Roast

For a weeklong celebration topped off with free ears of sweet corn, visit the Cobb Corn Roast Celebration from Aug. 6-11. The 66th annual festival will feature a ball park concessions, a Texas Hold ‘Em tournament, water fights, inflatable rides and multiple nights of live music — and corn, of course.

If you’ve got only one day to spare, make sure to check out the last day of the festival on Sunday, Aug. 11. Free face painting for kids will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., along with a chicken BBQ at 11 a.m., all followed by a 2 p.m. parade and live music through the afternoon. The festival will also give away free sweet corn by the ear.

Check out the festival website for a full schedule. The celebration will take place all week long at Scheper Park, 109 Gard Way, Cobb, WI 53526.

Sun Prairie Sweet Corn Festival

Wisconsin’s largest corn festival is just over a week away. The Sun Prairie Sweet Corn Festival runs from Aug. 14-18 with more than 80 tons of Wisconsin-grown sweet corn, according to its website.

Though the festival runs for five days, steamed corn will only be served on Saturday, Aug. 17 and Sunday, Aug. 18. On those days, you can purchase cooked sweet corn from 12 to 7 p.m. (until supplies last) or uncooked corn for $10 per grocery bag.

But don’t count out the other festival days: non-corn festivities include a parade, carnival night, food vendors, a beer shelter and live music. Check out the full schedule here. All festivities will be at Angell Park, at 200 Park St., Sun Prairie, WI 53590 with paid parking onsite.

Corn and Tater Festival

For corn with a side of potatoes, check out the Corn and Tater Festival in Grand Marsh. The annual event — which boasts the status of the largest, one-day festival in Adams County — will run from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 17.

The food line-up includes brats, hot dogs, and a roast beef sandwich with unlimited corn and potato on the side. You can also enjoy live music from the afternoon to the evening, a basket raffle, pan poker and a bouncy house and obstacle course. Check out the full schedule here.

Admission is free. The festival is at Grand Marsh Lions Park, at 620 County Road East, Grand Marsh, WI 53936.

Loyal Corn

For perhaps the best all-you-can-eat corn deal in the state, check out Loyal Corn Fest in from Aug. 22-25 in Loyal. For $3, the festival offers all-you-can-eat sweet corn and an official Corn Fest button on Saturday, Aug. 24 and Sunday, Aug. 25. Corn will be served starting at 12 p.m. until supplies last.

The festival is a citywide affair, with garage sales throughout the weekend, a coronation and parade of local children as “Corn Fest Royalty” and free live music. Find the full schedule here.

Some events are free and others require an admission fee. Corn Fest is at various locations throughout the city, but the main festival will be at American Legion, at 302 N. Union St., Loyal, WI 54446.

Darien CornFest

For more helpings of free corn, check out Darien CornFest from Sept. 6-8 in Darien. You can grab free sweet corn from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7 and Sunday, Sept. 8.

The three-day festival will also be bookended by fireworks at 9 p.m. Friday and a downtown parade at 12 p.m. Sunday. Carnival rides will be up throughout the festival, with a $25 wristband available to access rides on all three days. Check out the full schedule here.

The festival is at Darien West Park, at 335 W. Madison St., Darien, WI 53114.

More: These are the 2024 Wisconsin State Fair Sporkies and Drinkies winners

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Wisconsin

GOP candidates address dark money group ‘Stronger Wisconsin Fund’

Published

17 hours ago

August 6, 2024

Press Room

GOP candidates address dark money group ‘Stronger Wisconsin Fund’

WAUPACA, Wis. (WBAY) -Repu

Wisconsin GOP(WBAY)

blican County Chairpersons say candidates are being unfairly targeted and discredited, clai

GOP candidates address dark money group ‘Stronger Wisconsin Fund’

ming there is a dark money scandal involving the “Stronger Wisconsin Fund”.

The fund is a new dark money group that registered as an independent expenditure with the state’s elections commission back in July.

Some county-level Republicans say they confirmed the group does not have an account or mailbox at the address they provided, alleging address fraud is being committed.

They also say the fund has made allegations about candidates that are untrue, stating them as fact.

Both the candidates and Conservative County Chairs gathered Monday accusing outside interests of having too much sway on Republican Representatives in Madison.

“This isn’t Evers’ fault,” said Ken Sikora, Chair of the Oconto County Republican Party. “This is the fault of the Senate and Legislature that refuses to finish the job, and people are starting to realize it. I think what’s happened is, it’s turning the average voter away. They feel like they’ve vote time and time and time again, nothing changes. And a lot of them have just given up.”

Wisconsin Representative David Steffen released a statement on the supposed scandal Monday saying, “This is the very reason I, along with ten other state representatives, introduced Assembly Joint Resolution 141, aimed at regulating outside political spending by these groups. I stand by my efforts to oppose dark money in our campaigns and demand greater transparency and accountability for these organizations and those who fund them.”

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Wisconsin

Mosquitos carrying West Nile virus confirmed in Wisconsin after blood donor tests positive

Published

1 day ago

August 5, 2024

Press Room

Mosquitos carrying West Nile virus confirmed in Wisconsin after blood donor tests positive

The first report of West Nile virus activity has been confirmed in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services announced Monday that a healthy blood donor from Washington County had a blood screening that tested positive for the virus. Also, a dead bird in Chippewa County tested positive for the virus.

The DHS said the recent activity confirms there are mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus in Wisconsin. It’s not labeling the activity as a case.

“The positive blood donor is not considered a human case because they never developed any symptoms of West Nile Virus, which is required to be a probable or confirmed case,” the DHS said in a press release.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 80 percent of people infected with the virus don’t show symptoms.

Is more West Nile Virus activity expected in Wisconsin?

Elizabeth Goodsitt, DHS communications specialist, said West Nile virus is at its peak activity in Wisconsin, with August and September consistently having the highest reported activity.

“Most likely, we will see the first human West Nile virus disease case in the next few weeks and additional infections in animals or mosquitoes,” Goodsitt said in an email statement.

How severe is West Nile virus?

It’s rare in the United States for West Nile virus to become severe.

Only one in 150 reported cases have led to severe illness affecting the central nervous system, according to Goodsitt. Severe illness can lead to brain damage or even death.

Where in the United States has West Nile virus been confirmed?

The CDC states as of July 30, West Nile virus has been confirmed in 21 states, not including Wisconsin. Most of the states are in the South and Midwest. The map can be found on the CDC website.

What are the symptoms of West Nile virus?

Goodsitt said most people who test positive for the virus are asymptomatic.

One in five cases report having mild symptoms such as fever, rash, muscle aches, joint pain and nausea.

In very rare cases, severe illness can occur. Symptoms of severe illness include high fever, confusion and disorientation.

Goodsitt said people over age 60 are at greater risk for severe illness (2%) if they’re infected. People with other medical conditions such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, and people who have received organ transplants are also at greater risk.

How does West Nile virus spread?

West Nile virus spreads through mosquito bites. The DHS urges Wisconsinites to be cautious of mosquitos. Goodsitt said mosquito bites can be prevented a number of ways:

Avoid mosquito breeding sites. A map of the sites can be found on the DHS website.
Apply an insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535 to exposed skin and clothing.
Treat clothing with permethrin before heading outdoors but don’t apply permethrin directly to the skin.
Wear long sleeves, long pants and long socks to prevent exposed skin.
Consider rescheduling outdoor activities.

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