ARGYLE - Sarah Kyrie and her family have settled in Wisconsin to be closer to their Midwestern roots, and they found a home, business and place to be together doing the things they love on their farm outside of Argyle.
Not only does Kyrie work to be a steward of the land, homeschooling her children and doing peace and activism work, she's also bringing new programs and opportunities for the community as the director of the Argyle Public Library.
Kyrie was born in Hazelhurst, which is also where her husband, Ash, is from. The couple has been together since high school. She grew up in a rural, wooded area on a lake, where she and her younger sister could almost always be found outside, enjoying the land and water.
Almost every day they could, the family would cross-country ski, led by parents who had a strong interest in the sport. Kyrie was on her high school cross-country ski team and became a state champion - it was her focus during that time and something she truly enjoyed.
After her graduation from Lakeland High School in 2002, Kyrie attended Madison Area Technical College, taking classes to earn her degree in liberal arts while writing for the student newspaper, The Clarion.
Ash was deployed to Iraq at that time, and the reality of the war was a pinnacle point in both of their lives, making them realize the importance of peace work. He was part of the National Guard out of Rhinelander and never imagined he would be deployed.
After her graduation, Kyrie looked at other non-traditional schools and found Fairhaven College in Washington. Ash returned from Iraq in 2003, and the couple sought out peace work, which Kyrie made part of her major, hoping to help others. The school allowed students to create their own majors and required students to self-critique. She studied "global solutions through local living."
Today, they still work toward peace, engaging in activism and helping veterans know their rights.
After three years at Fairhaven College, the family relocated and Ash earned his graduate degree in fine arts from Ohio State. The couple had two children at that time and hoped to eventually return to Wisconsin to be closer to family.
"We knew we wanted to farm," Kyrie said. The couple found a home with land in Argyle in 2011 that worked well for their plan and offered a unique home on the Pecatonica River. They were entranced by the driftless region, she said.
The couple now run a small farming business, Mushroom Huller LLC, where they grow mushrooms - mostly shiitake and oyster - and sell them wholesale to restaurants and other places. Their north-facing, wooded farm is perfect for mushroom harvest. They enjoy working the land together and are also part of a large community of veteran farmers.
"There are lots of people who are enthusiastic about mushrooms," Kyrie said. "Mushrooms grown locally have a wealth of flavor."
They plant about a half-acre of mushrooms and sell to restaurants in Mt. Horeb, Mineral Point, New Glarus and others. Harvest time is in the fall and spring.
Ash also has a ceramics studio at their home and does sculpture work. He has developed a glaze from the soil on their property. Kyrie works more on the business side of things, but almost everything is done together.
For the past four years, Kyrie has served as the Argyle Public Library director. She worked there previously when the position opened, and she said she feels grateful the board allowed her to earn her certification and continue to lead the facility.
She said she's always been a "bookworm" and has had an affinity for libraries since she was young. She feels her work now is still focused on the same concentration she hoped for in college and enjoys it greatly.
"It's providing the community whatever it needs," she said, noting that the library's goals focus on things she also believes in. She hopes to serve as a library director who thrives on the idea that libraries are a window into new cultures and ways of life, as well as a mirror to find out more about ourselves.
Kyrie has helped develop several new programs at the small-town library and also works with the deep historic roots it holds - it's been part of Argyle since 1881.
"It's really a cornerstone of Argyle," Kyrie said. "I'm excited to have brought in a lot of programs over the last few years."
She started a series called "Life in Lafayette" where speakers come in to teach about the county and days gone by. She also hosts a "Crafternoon" program that brings children in for craft time after school. She said she continues to add what she hears people want and hopes to provide more for the community.
"They're really the heart of a community," she said of libraries.
She has big dreams for the Argyle Public Library and hopes to one day have a bigger space since their programs are currently "bursting at the seams." She knows it's a far-fetched dream for now but says she's ready to start that conversation.
In their free time, Kyrie and Ash love being with their children, Finn, 12, Leaf, 7, and Mesa, 2. They are part of a homeschooling group and enjoy working the land as well as simply being at home together.
"It's a joy and a privilege, because we all work the land together and we can have our children at home with us," she said. "It follows our spirituality and our hope of how to engage peacefully in the world."
The family loves camping - which has become somewhat of a joke since they live in such a rural area - but they take time to see other parts of Wisconsin and get away when they can. They also have continued Kyrie's pastime of skiing; the children enjoy skiing in the corn fields and anywhere they're able.
They also love to spend time on the Pecatonica River, canoeing and skiing. They enjoy gathering for music, with Ash on guitar and the kids on piano, sharing with each other and focusing on their activism work.
Her favorite quote comes from a Mary Oliver poem, "The Summer Day":
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
With your one wild and precious life?
Not only does Kyrie work to be a steward of the land, homeschooling her children and doing peace and activism work, she's also bringing new programs and opportunities for the community as the director of the Argyle Public Library.
Kyrie was born in Hazelhurst, which is also where her husband, Ash, is from. The couple has been together since high school. She grew up in a rural, wooded area on a lake, where she and her younger sister could almost always be found outside, enjoying the land and water.
Almost every day they could, the family would cross-country ski, led by parents who had a strong interest in the sport. Kyrie was on her high school cross-country ski team and became a state champion - it was her focus during that time and something she truly enjoyed.
After her graduation from Lakeland High School in 2002, Kyrie attended Madison Area Technical College, taking classes to earn her degree in liberal arts while writing for the student newspaper, The Clarion.
Ash was deployed to Iraq at that time, and the reality of the war was a pinnacle point in both of their lives, making them realize the importance of peace work. He was part of the National Guard out of Rhinelander and never imagined he would be deployed.
After her graduation, Kyrie looked at other non-traditional schools and found Fairhaven College in Washington. Ash returned from Iraq in 2003, and the couple sought out peace work, which Kyrie made part of her major, hoping to help others. The school allowed students to create their own majors and required students to self-critique. She studied "global solutions through local living."
Today, they still work toward peace, engaging in activism and helping veterans know their rights.
After three years at Fairhaven College, the family relocated and Ash earned his graduate degree in fine arts from Ohio State. The couple had two children at that time and hoped to eventually return to Wisconsin to be closer to family.
"We knew we wanted to farm," Kyrie said. The couple found a home with land in Argyle in 2011 that worked well for their plan and offered a unique home on the Pecatonica River. They were entranced by the driftless region, she said.
The couple now run a small farming business, Mushroom Huller LLC, where they grow mushrooms - mostly shiitake and oyster - and sell them wholesale to restaurants and other places. Their north-facing, wooded farm is perfect for mushroom harvest. They enjoy working the land together and are also part of a large community of veteran farmers.
"There are lots of people who are enthusiastic about mushrooms," Kyrie said. "Mushrooms grown locally have a wealth of flavor."
They plant about a half-acre of mushrooms and sell to restaurants in Mt. Horeb, Mineral Point, New Glarus and others. Harvest time is in the fall and spring.
Ash also has a ceramics studio at their home and does sculpture work. He has developed a glaze from the soil on their property. Kyrie works more on the business side of things, but almost everything is done together.
For the past four years, Kyrie has served as the Argyle Public Library director. She worked there previously when the position opened, and she said she feels grateful the board allowed her to earn her certification and continue to lead the facility.
She said she's always been a "bookworm" and has had an affinity for libraries since she was young. She feels her work now is still focused on the same concentration she hoped for in college and enjoys it greatly.
"It's providing the community whatever it needs," she said, noting that the library's goals focus on things she also believes in. She hopes to serve as a library director who thrives on the idea that libraries are a window into new cultures and ways of life, as well as a mirror to find out more about ourselves.
Kyrie has helped develop several new programs at the small-town library and also works with the deep historic roots it holds - it's been part of Argyle since 1881.
"It's really a cornerstone of Argyle," Kyrie said. "I'm excited to have brought in a lot of programs over the last few years."
She started a series called "Life in Lafayette" where speakers come in to teach about the county and days gone by. She also hosts a "Crafternoon" program that brings children in for craft time after school. She said she continues to add what she hears people want and hopes to provide more for the community.
"They're really the heart of a community," she said of libraries.
She has big dreams for the Argyle Public Library and hopes to one day have a bigger space since their programs are currently "bursting at the seams." She knows it's a far-fetched dream for now but says she's ready to start that conversation.
In their free time, Kyrie and Ash love being with their children, Finn, 12, Leaf, 7, and Mesa, 2. They are part of a homeschooling group and enjoy working the land as well as simply being at home together.
"It's a joy and a privilege, because we all work the land together and we can have our children at home with us," she said. "It follows our spirituality and our hope of how to engage peacefully in the world."
The family loves camping - which has become somewhat of a joke since they live in such a rural area - but they take time to see other parts of Wisconsin and get away when they can. They also have continued Kyrie's pastime of skiing; the children enjoy skiing in the corn fields and anywhere they're able.
They also love to spend time on the Pecatonica River, canoeing and skiing. They enjoy gathering for music, with Ash on guitar and the kids on piano, sharing with each other and focusing on their activism work.
Her favorite quote comes from a Mary Oliver poem, "The Summer Day":
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
With your one wild and precious life?