Moments in Time
Moments in Time is a weekly series featuring recollections of area residents. To suggest someone to feature in Moments in Time, please contact Mary Jane Grenzow, editor, at editor@themonroetimes.com.
MONROE - When Lisa Kivirist crossed the border from her suburban Chicago lifestyle into Green County 20 years ago, she felt like she was home.
Despite her urban upbringing, the land has seemingly always called to the entrepreneur, writer and farmer. It wasn't how she was raised as much as being busy and curious, initiating projects, helping others and enjoying meals together that would become the most tell-tale signs of how her future would unfold.
"I think as kids growing up, we know more about ourselves than we give credit for," Kivirist said.
She has now lived on her century farm for 20 years with her husband, John Ivanko. The couple spends their days doing what they love - learning and sharing their gifts with others through their writings, programs, food, home and new developments that keep on coming.
Kivirist is an only child and was raised in a first-generation immigrant household where she developed strong cultural roots. As a young woman, she enjoyed writing, art and ice skating in her neighborhood. She said she has always been the type of person who dabbles in almost anything.
In high school, Kivirist was very involved. She was a self-proclaimed "book nerd" and served as both the student council and class president. She graduated as the Glenbrook South High School valedictorian in 1985.
Kivirist attended Northwestern University where she majored in Communications. After college, she landed a job at an advertising agency and worked in account management. It was where she met her husband.
"It's what I thought I should be doing," Kivirist said of working in the corporate world.
But she and John, then in their early 20s, decided the cookie-cutter lifestyle wasn't for them. John had started an outing club to escape the city life, and the informal group would often travel to hike and camp together to enjoy the outdoors. The Monroe area was part of one of their trips.
"We fell in love with Green County," Kivirist said. "The rural community, the land, the stars. It prompted a detour in an unexpected journey out of the suburban scene."
The couple decided to start an entrepreneurial farm business and in November of 1996, Ivanko finished graduate school and they were married. It wasn't long after they closed on their 5-and-a-half-acre farm in Browntown.
Part of choosing their home was logistics. The couple felt close enough to their families - hers still near Chicago and Ivanko with family in Michigan. But what felt more like home to them was the welcoming, beautiful sense of community, she said.
It wasn't long before Inn Serendipity was born, a bed-and-breakfast on their farm. She said it's now considered among the top 10 eco-destinations in North America and features vegetarian cuisine with ingredients from their garden. The diversified farm has organic vegetables, is powered by wind and solar energy, and is fossil-fuel free.
Kivirist still loves having bed-and-breakfast guests. Over the past two decades, the couple has kept notes and feels they learn from those they encounter at their farm.
"I love what I do, and it's all connected and multi-layered," Kivirist said. "More often than not it can be collaborative. I like to help connect the dots. I find it personally rewarding seeing the fruitful harvest."
Kivirist is still very much a writer and has published eight books, most with Ivanko. Her writing has evolved through the years and she currently has a strong interest in the lives of women farmers and entrepreneurs. When the couple first moved to Browntown, she often received help, advice and direction from neighbors and friends. One of her most recent books, "Soil Sisters: A Toolkit for Women Farmers," celebrates that. The book came out last year and has contributions from more than 100 women, many of whom are local.
"It's been the community of farmers and women who were supportive to me," she said. "I've always felt strongly we need to champion that further, and I wanted to get a story out for people to read.
"(The book) really celebrates the spirit of collaboration with women farmers," Kivirist said.
Kivirist also founded and leads the Midwest Organic Sustainable Education Service (MOSES), a rural women's project to support women farmers and food-based ecopreneurs. It provides resources and networking opportunities to champion new business start-ups that support food system change.
Kivirist has a passion for fighting for the Cottage Food Law, which enables people to offer sales from home kitchens. Wisconsin is one of few states without the law for baked goods, and she is working to have it updated.
"It's great to see new farms come to the area," she said. "It's great to eat food and know the farmer who grew it, and to see people be able to sell their food to their neighbors."
Another part of Kivirist's life after her book release has been Soil Sisters Wisconsin, a three-day event during the first week in August that celebrates female farmers. The event includes an immersive farming and culinary experience and offers workshops.
For the past eight years, Kivirist has been part of the Green County Area Women in Sustainable Ag Group that now involves about 180 women. Although she works with many organizations and people nationally, she uses the Green County area to develop women farming networks.
"Much of this is nothing new for Monroe. They're already rooted to support each other," Kivirist said. "But it's great and inspiring for other people to reprioritize."
Kivirist said she's never considered going back to the corporate world and is exactly where she wants to be. She's still celebrating success and positive change toward the future.
"If you asked me 20 years ago when I moved here if we'd be able to showcase 20 women-owned organic farms in the Green County area, I wouldn't have believed you," she said.
In her free time, Kivirist enjoys spending time with Ivanko and their 15-year-old son, Liam Kivirist. They often bring home recipes from their travels and are always looking for new programs and ideas.
And as the spring comes near, Kivirist prepares for busy days in the garden, planting and harvesting, which she finds most rewarding and therapeutic. In the winter, however, she's often hunkered down with the dormant land, cozy in the house, where she's writing, planning and developing more to share with others.
"It's been a journey," Kivirist said. "Each season is different and we're constantly learning."
Despite her urban upbringing, the land has seemingly always called to the entrepreneur, writer and farmer. It wasn't how she was raised as much as being busy and curious, initiating projects, helping others and enjoying meals together that would become the most tell-tale signs of how her future would unfold.
"I think as kids growing up, we know more about ourselves than we give credit for," Kivirist said.
She has now lived on her century farm for 20 years with her husband, John Ivanko. The couple spends their days doing what they love - learning and sharing their gifts with others through their writings, programs, food, home and new developments that keep on coming.
Kivirist is an only child and was raised in a first-generation immigrant household where she developed strong cultural roots. As a young woman, she enjoyed writing, art and ice skating in her neighborhood. She said she has always been the type of person who dabbles in almost anything.
In high school, Kivirist was very involved. She was a self-proclaimed "book nerd" and served as both the student council and class president. She graduated as the Glenbrook South High School valedictorian in 1985.
Kivirist attended Northwestern University where she majored in Communications. After college, she landed a job at an advertising agency and worked in account management. It was where she met her husband.
"It's what I thought I should be doing," Kivirist said of working in the corporate world.
But she and John, then in their early 20s, decided the cookie-cutter lifestyle wasn't for them. John had started an outing club to escape the city life, and the informal group would often travel to hike and camp together to enjoy the outdoors. The Monroe area was part of one of their trips.
"We fell in love with Green County," Kivirist said. "The rural community, the land, the stars. It prompted a detour in an unexpected journey out of the suburban scene."
The couple decided to start an entrepreneurial farm business and in November of 1996, Ivanko finished graduate school and they were married. It wasn't long after they closed on their 5-and-a-half-acre farm in Browntown.
Part of choosing their home was logistics. The couple felt close enough to their families - hers still near Chicago and Ivanko with family in Michigan. But what felt more like home to them was the welcoming, beautiful sense of community, she said.
It wasn't long before Inn Serendipity was born, a bed-and-breakfast on their farm. She said it's now considered among the top 10 eco-destinations in North America and features vegetarian cuisine with ingredients from their garden. The diversified farm has organic vegetables, is powered by wind and solar energy, and is fossil-fuel free.
Kivirist still loves having bed-and-breakfast guests. Over the past two decades, the couple has kept notes and feels they learn from those they encounter at their farm.
"I love what I do, and it's all connected and multi-layered," Kivirist said. "More often than not it can be collaborative. I like to help connect the dots. I find it personally rewarding seeing the fruitful harvest."
Kivirist is still very much a writer and has published eight books, most with Ivanko. Her writing has evolved through the years and she currently has a strong interest in the lives of women farmers and entrepreneurs. When the couple first moved to Browntown, she often received help, advice and direction from neighbors and friends. One of her most recent books, "Soil Sisters: A Toolkit for Women Farmers," celebrates that. The book came out last year and has contributions from more than 100 women, many of whom are local.
"It's been the community of farmers and women who were supportive to me," she said. "I've always felt strongly we need to champion that further, and I wanted to get a story out for people to read.
"(The book) really celebrates the spirit of collaboration with women farmers," Kivirist said.
Kivirist also founded and leads the Midwest Organic Sustainable Education Service (MOSES), a rural women's project to support women farmers and food-based ecopreneurs. It provides resources and networking opportunities to champion new business start-ups that support food system change.
Kivirist has a passion for fighting for the Cottage Food Law, which enables people to offer sales from home kitchens. Wisconsin is one of few states without the law for baked goods, and she is working to have it updated.
"It's great to see new farms come to the area," she said. "It's great to eat food and know the farmer who grew it, and to see people be able to sell their food to their neighbors."
Another part of Kivirist's life after her book release has been Soil Sisters Wisconsin, a three-day event during the first week in August that celebrates female farmers. The event includes an immersive farming and culinary experience and offers workshops.
For the past eight years, Kivirist has been part of the Green County Area Women in Sustainable Ag Group that now involves about 180 women. Although she works with many organizations and people nationally, she uses the Green County area to develop women farming networks.
"Much of this is nothing new for Monroe. They're already rooted to support each other," Kivirist said. "But it's great and inspiring for other people to reprioritize."
Kivirist said she's never considered going back to the corporate world and is exactly where she wants to be. She's still celebrating success and positive change toward the future.
"If you asked me 20 years ago when I moved here if we'd be able to showcase 20 women-owned organic farms in the Green County area, I wouldn't have believed you," she said.
In her free time, Kivirist enjoys spending time with Ivanko and their 15-year-old son, Liam Kivirist. They often bring home recipes from their travels and are always looking for new programs and ideas.
And as the spring comes near, Kivirist prepares for busy days in the garden, planting and harvesting, which she finds most rewarding and therapeutic. In the winter, however, she's often hunkered down with the dormant land, cozy in the house, where she's writing, planning and developing more to share with others.
"It's been a journey," Kivirist said. "Each season is different and we're constantly learning."