Stories of the Wisconsin Idea

James Deline Followed an Unusual Path to Become a Wisconsin Country Doctor

Dr. James Deline, a central fixture in the La Farge community, has practiced medicine in Vernon County for nearly 40 years. Deline works at the intersection of rural and Amish healthcare, and sees many rare …

Stories of Resilience Shared at Kickapoo Valley Reserve

Residents, government officials, and storytellers recently gathered together at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve in La Farge to celebrate a story-telling project focused on the area flooding in late 2018. Caroline Gottschalk Druschke, a UW-Madison professor, …

Emboldening the Wisconsin Idea through Education

Lyn Macgregor, Associate Director of the Holtz Center for Science and Technology, is author of the book, Habits of the Heartland: Small-town Life in Modern America, an ethnography based on significant and in-depth fieldwork in Viroqua.

Lyn Macgregor, associate director of the Holtz Center for Science and Technology Studies, is a community sociologist. She participated in the 2017 River Tour and collaborated with the 2019 River Tour. Macgregor received her B.A. …

Algoma School District Collaborator Shares Expertise at Capitol Briefing

Teal VanLanen, Director of Improvement & Community Engagement for the Algoma School District, spoke on October 3rd at a panel presentation presented in collaboration with the Wisconsin Center for Education Research. “Communities do hold the solutions …

Seminar Collaborator James DeLine Plays Essential Role in Rural Healthcare

Dr. James DeLine, founder of the La Farge Medical Clinc, pauses for a picture next to the sign for the Center for Special Children, which he also began in rural Vernon County. Picture by David Tenenbaum.

Dr. James DeLine, a rural healthcare provider in Wisconsin’s southwestern Vernon County, shares his experiences of practicing family medicine since 1983. DeLine works closely with specialists at UW-Madison to provide unique genetic testing for Plain …

Celebrating Rural Wisconsin Life through Food

Chef, restaurant owner, and television host Luke Zahm poses behind his cafe with the Wisconsin Idea Seminar sign.

Luke Zahm, owner and chef of Driftless Cafe and television host of Wisconsin Foodie, welcomed 2019 Wisconsin Idea Seminar participants to his restaurant last May. A UW-Madison ‘03 grad and La Farge local, Luke was …