For the past 8 years my husband Scott and I (Jenny) have been trying to put down roots in some of the most beautiful land we’ve ever seen; that dream now has a black cloud hovering over it. The storm arrived on the evening of September 19, 2007 with a knock on our front door. There stood our friend and neighbor, Craig Peterson, extremely distraught and barely able to speak. The enormity of the news quickly hit us: Dairyland Power Cooperative was planning a lime and coal ash dump site straight out our back door and our friends, the Peterson’s, were one of those chosen for “ground zero”. Word spread quickly throughout the neighborhood and we discovered the Peterson’s weren’t alone; in the days and weeks to come, our house and land would also have a ring drawn around it to be included for use in a buffer zone (what we like to call a “pacifier zone”).

The forty acres of land we own and live on was found after a long search in 2000 during plans to move back home from Iowa. Yes, Wisconsin is our home state with many relatives to be found in Holmen, La Crosse, Wausau, Wisconsin Rapids, Green Bay, and Coon Valley & Westby areas. Two of our three children were born here. The oldest kids now attend schools in Genoa and Viroqua; Elliot is in 3rd grade at Viroqua Elementary and Alexandria is in 1st in Genoa at St. Charles School.  We live conveniently halfway between the two schools. Our third child, Ryan, is two and still at home with Mom and Dad.

Our acreage is put to use in a rather unique way. First, even though we don’t personally farm, the land is still maintained organic and rented out as such. Second, a computer software business in a building with 9 employees hums with activity during the work week. It looks deceivingly like another pole barn but actually has a full finished office inside. The people who work there carpool in together, enjoy the peaceful scenery, ride their bikes at noon break, and are tickled to say they “work in the middle of a corn and hayfield!” This is a very efficient way to run a business, especially thanks to DSL which links the company to the outside world.  We don’t need a big fancy polished office in a downtown high rise to do good business. We like the minimum impact this company has on the environment.

We don’t want to lose our community. Many neighbors have become good friends. Even though moving would be extremely disruptive to us, we think of those around us that have so more much to lose in the way of livelihood and history and their own personal and deep roots. Our house came down the road on two semi trailers - another can be built. Chaotic as it might be, the office can be moved. We would have to leave our church and school in Genoa – but there are others somewhere else. The neighborhood and homes might be destroyed someday by bulldozers and scrapers – but we can make new friends and neighbors. BUT, in our hearts we know this DOES NOT HAVE TO BE! Dairyland, look at the alternatives and find a better way. I would like to see into the future a year from now and realize this is all just a bad dream and distant memory…