Simple Ways to Stimulate Sauk County
A fresh look at what we already have in Sauk County could quickly promote a number of economic benefits to all businesses and residents. A media campaign to encourage the “state of the art” uses of local food, wood, and bio-energy would immediately build existing and new business, creating jobs and boosting all enterprise across the county.
As a local small business owner for 34 years, I KNOW that SALES is the key to build a company of any size. Nearly all businesses would benefit from greater local and regional sales. Keeping our money in the local economy multiplies the benefits.
Local Food is a huge trend across the country. With over 200,000 acres of crop land, this can be quickly expanded for everyone’s benefit. We all need to eat every day. The Wisconsin Innovation Kitchen in Mineral Point is a resource we need here in Sauk.
Local Wood is our biggest opportunity for economic development. Our over 220,000 acres of forest is under-valued, under-utilized and full of income potential. While the Timber Industry has lost about 75% of its workers here and timber prices paid to landowners are half what it was a decade ago, promoting the use of locally grown and manufactured forest products could generate ten times the local economic gain of the fading industrial system. Spring Green Timber Growers has shown for years how one good job can be supported for every 40 acres of forest. (www.TimberGrowers.com)
Bio energy is another major renewable resource that could be quickly developed. Living green plants are the most efficient solar collectors – they even store the sun’s power on a cloudy day. Wood and Agricultural waste could be used to produce energy equivalent to hundreds of millions of gallons of diesel fuel every year in Sauk County.
The “Ultimate Local Business”:
These three resources could be merged into a local community business facility that would produce locally grown food and wood products. Local logs would be sawmilled, then dried - with solar heated lumber kilns. The woodworking shop makes high value products. Waste is burned to produce all of the heat and electricity needed. Greenhouses produce fresh vegetables and fish every day using aquaponics. A community commercial kitchen is available to all area residents to cook/package their own crops. A local product retail store sells a huge variety of locally grown and manufactured goods. A next door restaurant sells the fish and vegetables as nice dinners, along with locally grown beef, pork, poultry, etc. A brewery/winery would fit into the facility quite well. Everything is recycled. Wet waste and manure from area farms can be digested and the gas burned to help generate the heat and light needed for this to flourish year around. Many new jobs would be created and a new knowledge of community would exist. It would be 100% independent of the power corporations, needing no electric or gas connections.
Creating this business would generate a great deal of media attention that would promote the ideas. The first community to build this fully integrated local business will instantly become a destination for eco-tourism from all over the world! The Plain Green TTEC would be perfect partner to develop these ideas using local resources.
Common Sense, Practical, Profitable, Simple – For Global Good Use Local Wood!