Growing Together: Non-Profit Collaboration at the Barnyard Estates

Great meet up this morning with Selena Darrow, the executive director of a non-profit, Rooted In Inc, an organization whose mission is focused around helping those in the community who don’t have regular access to healthy food, and at the same time building partnerships and strengthening the community.

Additionally, talking with Selena, I learned about her passion for not just bringing local food products to the table for, but understanding the food gap that actually exists in developing ways to use the fresh products, like through the Chef’s Table at the Market program was fascinating and inspiring to say the least. The shared kitchen at the Barnyard Estates and the in-door farmer’s market, was definitely a point of interest for Rooted In.

Selena Darrow was recently on the news for her work with gathering left-over food from community gardens and then donates the produce to food pantries, a term she calls “gleaning” which is basically saving the leftover produce from these gardens to be used for food or composts. 

We are excited about this new partnership, and are committed to learning more about each other, strengthening this relationship, sharing resources and connecting people to both of these entities to build a more sustainable world. 

Forming Partnerships is Key to the Success of the Barnyard Estates in Pulaski, WI.

Today, I had the opportunity to meet with author and Shawano Leader editor Lee Pulaski on the latest updates for the Barnyard Estates. The last time we met was in April of this year, so our conversation was extensive, and we covered a lot of ground. We are truly grateful for the strategic alliances we are forming with this community project and know that they are key to the success of the Barnyard Estates.

Since April, we have dedicated a significant amount of time and energy into the Keller discovery meetings, architectural planning, business and organization meetings to help build awareness and support the project, and planning and follow-up from the “Unveiling of the Barnyard Estates” event which was held at Keller in Kaukauna on September 26th. Now the fun part begins, right?

Our next steps will be building awareness and support. We have been meeting key individuals, businesses and organizations to continue to build momentum. If you would like to learn more about the project itself, please contact myself, Tammy Brzeczkowski at tammy@dynamicdesignspulaski.com, or 920-822-4450, or any Steering Committee members listed on the website. I would be happy to schedule a time to talk to you about the project, and create some potential ideas for partnership opportunities.

A second step in this process is researching fundraising opportunities, naming right criteria, grant opportunities, and corporate funding. We will continue to meet with corporations to garner support. If you have an institution or know of an individual who has a passion for Pulaski, or a mission that aligns with the Barnyard Estates we would love the opportunity to talk with you.

Finally, our steering committee is working towards the logistics of how business and community will work together in this barnlike structure. Everything must align in order to sustain the Barnyard Estates. Questions that we must answer: 1) How much space will need to be leased to cover the common space or public area of the building and at what cost per square foot? 2) Who do we hire once the project is up and running - What type of position or role do we need to help execute events, tenant leasing or memberships for the co-shared work space and at what salary will we need? 3) How will the building be maintained, and who will maintain it? These are just a few of many questions we are working on.

While there are numerous questions surrounding Barnyard Estates, what truly excites me is the profound impact it will have on our community. Not only will it bring families closer together, but it will also provide a platform for small business dreams to flourish. This project will offer opportunities for individuals of all ages to gather, socialize, eat, drink, and have fun. Additionally, it will showcase the talents of local artists, authors, and entrepreneurs. Major corporations will also benefit from the facility, utilizing it for off-site meetings and professional development. Furthermore, the project will create additional learning opportunities and foster cultural growth, all thanks to the collective belief in the dream we call Barnyard Estates.

Who Showed up To the Party? The Unveiling of the Barnyard Estates

Whenever you plan a party, you always hope for the best. You hope you have enough food. If it’s an outdoor party, you hope it doesn’t rain. You hope your guests are able to make it. It’s nerve wracking, not gonna lie. However as a team, we set the date, sent letters, emailed people and followed up with a few phone calls too. As always, not everyone that said they were coming were able to make it. I believe the businesses and individuals we had there at the launch of the Barnyard Estates, and on the zoom call that evening were meant to be.

Walking into the event room at Keller prior to the presentation on September 26th, set me at ease right away. Our Keller friends had everything set up just perfectly, a cheese and sausage tray, snacks, and all the trimmings, in addition displaying every rendering concept of the Barnyard structure on an easel, and my presentation already on the screen. They made it easy for us to add the souvenir “Barnyard Coffee Mugs” and brochures to the ambiance of the evening.

After an explanation of the non-profit, Promote Pulaski we discussed our mission of the Barnyard Estates “to create a space for community, businesses, and families to co-exist together under one roof, based on the idea of the concept of the “family farm”. Board and steering committee members were introduced then I handed the podium to Jeremy Knoll to say a few words about Keller and the project at hand. Side note: words can’t express how appreciative we are of Jeremy and Greg, and the entire team at Keller. Without them believing in our dream, we would not have been there.

The diverse crowd of manufacturing, financial institutions, small business owners, board members, school representatives, community leaders, even a local organic producer of vegetables, pastured eggs, beef and pork, were on hand, which ignited us even further. As I said in my presentation, One of my favorite authors, Dolores Cannon says “you can manifest anything,” she also says it has to be with the best intentions in order for it to happen. If you think about it, she’s right. Just look around you; every building, every car, every invention, every piece of clothing, technology - everything was once a thought, and then manifested through people. The Barnyard Estates is not just a dream. It’s passion. It’s people. Through this community project we are bringing people together. When you do things for the good of the people, it will manifest itself. It will happen, but not just with a thought. It will happen with hard work, time, energy and people. We are prepared to work hard.

During the meeting, we went around the room and asked everyone for their thoughts, questions, and comments. In addition, we had attendees fill out an interest form to give us an idea of what they thought about the project, and how they might be interested in helping. To see the architectural renderings visit the website at www.thebarnyardestates.com.

Overall, the Unveiling of the Barnyard Estates event was a huge success. We’re excited to continue to spread the word, talk with individuals, businesses and organizations that are interested in this community effort of Building the Barn in Pulaski, Wisconsin. If you have an interest in hearing about the project and would like a presentation, please feel free to contact us at promotepulaski@gmail.com or call Tammy (920-655-4587) or Bruce (920-621-6899) or our work phone 920-822-4450. We’ll continue to update and inform you on the status of the project.

A New Beginning on 9/11: How the Barnyard Estates is Uniting a Community

On this day, 9/11, we reflect on the tragedy that brought our nation together in unity and resilience. It is a day that will forever be remembered in history. And now, on this same date, we are embarking on a new beginning for our community with the Barnyard Estates project. This project is not just about building structures, but about bringing diverse people together under one roof for the betterment of all. We believe that by working together, we can create a community that is stronger, more vibrant, and more connected than ever before. With the Barnyard Estates Presentation just around the corner, we are excited to share our vision and take the first step towards a brighter future for Pulaski and the surrounding areas. Here’s our latest update on the project.

Making adjustments this week. Just like a musician makes small adjustments to an instrument to achieve the perfect sound, Promote Pulaski and Keller have been doing the same for the Barnyard Estates Design Plan. Details of the Barnyard Estates building design, generating a guest invitation list, designing and printing brochures, working on an agenda and putting together an inspiration powerpoint. All in an effort to share the vision we have for the Barnyard Estates and what it will mean to Pulaski and surrounding areas. A community project, built by the community, and for the community. Getting ready for our presentation on Tuesday, September 26, 2023 at Keller in Kaukauna. 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

In essence we are creating that bird’s eye view of a project that has a lot of moving parts. By sharing our story, our vision, I know that everything will fall into place.

In the last few weeks, I had the opportunity to sit down with John Reinders (Associate Dean for Business of College) from Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, who is forwarding our information over to Meridith Jaeger who is the Vice President of College Advancement. It will be exciting to see where this may take us and how we might be able to partner together. Potential opportunities in my mind on how this partner might exist; a potential satellite office, classrooms, business training, financial support, leadership, ideas and so much more. We need to continue to build awareness and bring different perspectives to the table as we launch the Barnyard Estates project. When we bring a diverse group of people together, with unique skill sets and experiences we are able to ensure that the needs of all the members in the community are taken into consideration. This is what we want for the Barnyard Estates Project.

Another time, I was able to sit down with Mike, one of the owners of Karvana, a successful coffee house in Green Bay that I thought might be willing to expand to Pulaski. I was so appreciative of Mike’s time, transparency and resourceful information that he was able to provide me, it really put things into perspective for me. Restaurants right now, and I’m sure you’ve witnessed it firsthand, the food/restaurant industry is struggling in so many ways. In Pulaski, we have a need for a coffee/breakfast shop, however as Mike mentioned, expanding in the area of food might not be an option for their coffee house. (Not out of the question, but not a strong possibility.) So what would a coffee/house/breakfast shop look like? A coffee shop typically slows down significantly after 2:00 p.m., so could we potentially have two tenants in the same location? Could we find a tenant that would serve coffee/breakfast and another that would serve soup and sandwiches all day long? How could a coffee/breakfast shop be able to sustain itself? Offering delivery, or catering? Or do we look at the ADRC in Green Bay, and what they did with the Grounded Cafe? Making the coffee shop/breakfast a non-profit? Training people with disabilities? Enhancing the lives of people over 60 looking to share skills and build community? Check out this amazing organization’s food truck, “Grounded on the Go”, one of the first handi-cap accessible food trucks in our community that was brought to life by ADRC of Brown County and Grounded Cafe. The truck features an electronic life for employees and volunteers who use a wheelchair or mobility aid, accessible kitchen items, and long-term plans for motorized window access. On Wednesday, September 13th, the “Grounded on the Go” food truck will be in Pulaski, Wisconsin at the Pulaski Public Library, 4 to 6:30 p.m. This is really a cool concept, but again would require a lot more work, time and energy than having a business lease the space. 

Today, on 9-11-23, we mark an important date not just in history, with the terrorist attacks on the United States, but also because our invitations for the Barnyard Estates Presentation on September 26, 2023, have been sent out. By the way, if you didn’t get an invitation to join us, and feel in your heart you should be there, reach out to Tammy or Bruce at 920-822-4450 (during the day), or text Tammy at 920-655-4587, or email promotepulaski@gmail.com. There will also be zoom options available.  

We are excited to bring together a diverse group of individuals, including leaders, corporations, small businesses, and nonprofits, to share our vision of the Barnyard Estates. Our goal is to create a community where business, family, and life can come together in a meaningful way, based on the concept of the family farm where it all began. This is just the beginning of our journey, and we are excited to work hard and enjoy life together.

Discover Pulaski: How the Barnyard Estates will Help Preserve Local Cheese History

They say time flies, and this is true. The summer for us has been like the wind, really breezing by, so much that it’s time for another update on the Barnyard Estates Journey.

First, on July 28, 2023, we had a fun road trip to the Cheese Capital of the World, Plymouth, Wisconsin. With four major cheese factories in this location, it is estimated that 10-15% of the nation’s cheese production is processed and sold from Plymouth. If a person wants to learn about cheese, enjoys local history, and a good sandwich, The Cheese Counter; a dairy heritage center in Plymouth, Wisconsin is the place to stop. 

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How does this visit to Plymouth relate to our community project? We’re glad you asked. Inside the Barnyard Estates, we will have something similar to the Cheese Counter. Right now, we’re calling our heritage center: Discover Pulaski. We’ve been reaching out to local cheese factories like Belgioioso, with the hopes of helping them tell their story of how they settled in Wisconsin and started producing cheese. We believe getting these factories on board with the Barnyard Estates early will be essential to the success of the project.  Being on the local board for the Pulaski Area Historical Society has given me a little insight into the small cheese factories that were located on every corner in small rural communities, so in addition to the larger factories, I know that we are also working on the history of our local farmers and how these cheese factories started. Interestingly enough, I recently learned, through a local resident of her grandfather, who was considered to be one of the first milk haulers in the area. (This is another story I am working on.) Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 16, 2023, for a Milk & Cookies Historical Event on the Milk Strikes that are a part of our history. The event is free to the public, and we encourage anyone that has an interest in local agricultural history to be part of this educational event. Cookies, milk and coffee will be provided.

The Cheese Counter gave us some great ideas that we hope to incorporate into the Barnyard Estates plan. As examples: a historical timeline on the wall, old photographs, interactive displays, souvenirs and local products sold within the store (not just cheese). It was an old building that was restored, which included an elevator. If you ever have the opportunity to swing visit the Cheese Counter, I highly recommend it. Meanwhile, if you have connections to any of the local cheese factories and would like to make sure they tell their story, send the right contacts to me or any other Promote Pulaski board member or steering committee member. One thing to keep in mind with this community project is that “local” will take precedence over everything else. Here are photos from our trip.

Bringing awareness of this project is especially crucial, so each week, meetings are held with key individuals that we believe may lead us to “greener pastures”. Within the last couple of weeks, we’ve talked to SLO, which is a farmer co-operative in northeastern Wisconsin founded in 2014, and committed to providing quality farm products that sustain both our family farms and our environment. Our contact, Heather Toman, was excited about the project, and we are looking forward to a tour of the farm in the near future. In business, it is my strategy to make sure that we have the right people on the bus, in the right seats to ensure we get to the final destination. This project is no different. We need to find the right people.

It’s all about building awareness around the project. Last week I also met up and provided details on the project with Joe Wojkiewicz, an owner of two manufacturer facilities in Northeast Wisconsin, Highview Custom Fabricating and NEW Industrial Coatings. Sharing ideas, brainstorming, collaborating and connecting is essential with the Barnyard Estates. If you are a business owner, or know someone who might be interested in this community project, please connect with me. I’d be happy to share the Barnyard Estates mission and ideas with you.

As a committee, and also in discussions with Keller, we realize that it is important the project is done right. We want to make sure that it will work, for the community and for tenants within. This week, Bruce and I met up with Howard Zernicke, who is on the zoning committee for the Village of Pulaski. Howie provided us with his thoughts moving forward. The property that the structure will be located does have limitations, specifically in the area of parking. This we did talk about initially. Some suggestions that Howie had was the possibility of underground parking, and possibly taking the recreational space to a lower level. On Monday, we are meeting virtually with Keller to discuss these challenges once again. Greg and Jeremy, our contacts at Keller believe that spending more time in the planning process will help us save time later on. Which brings me to the committee’s decision to reschedule the Big Barnyard Estates Presentation which is now tentatively set for Tuesday, September 26, 2023. We will confirm this after our meeting tomorrow. 

Finally, on Friday, August 11th, we visited Fast Fiberglass, a fiberglass manufacturer located in Sparta, Wisconsin that produces larger-than-life animals and roadside attractions to individuals, businesses and organizations all over the United States. Our intent of this trip was to get ideas for a tourist attraction that could be located on-site at the Barnyard Estates. One of the goals of Promote Pulaski, is to build tourism in Pulaski - bring people to Pulaski on a consistent basis. Ryan Lakowske, the owner of Fast Fiberglass, has a niche business. Our gears really started to turn after Scott provided us with a tour of the facility. Cows are one of their specialities and definitely something that could be an accessory to the project. Whatever route we decide to take, we know Fast Fiberglass has the passion and experience to help us put the finishing touches on our project.

Interested in helping bring the Barnyard Estates project to Pulaski, Wisconsin? Reach out to Tammy or Bruce at 920-822-4450 during the day, or send an email to promotepulaski@gmail.com and we’ll be happy to share the Barnyard Estates project with you or your organization.

Polka'ing Right Along; The Latest Barnyard Updates

Meet Promote Pulaski Board Member, Zach Brzeczkowski who performed at Pulaski Polka Days 2023.

Pulaski Polka Days, the largest polka fest in the United States, is held in Pulaski, Wisconsin. Shown here in the photo is Promote Pulaski Board Member, Zachary Brzeczkowski. Zach is the drummer for "Live Wire" and "The Mix" who performed during Pulaski Polka Days. The event brings together thousands of people from all over the world. We are super excited to be a part of this celebration. However, the downside of this event, along with Casimir Pulaski Days is, these two events are the only really large events that attract people from all over the world to Pulaski, Wisconsin. What is unique about the Barnyard Estates Project is that we are focusing on bringing people to Pulaski all year round by the development of businesses, community events, a cultural/heritage center, a Polish restaurant and a unique recreational area. The project when completed will be operating synchronically with these events.

Here’s just a quick Barnyard Project Update to keep you in the loop. We have a few upcoming meetings on the calendar. August 1st, we’ll be meeting with Steve Schneider (owner of the 1001 Club) who is currently working on a huge renovation project at the VIC Theater to discuss his project and pick his brain for questions about the Barnyard Estates project. This will be a great discussion.

On August 11th a scheduled tour with Fast Fiberglass in Sparta, Wisconsin is in store for us. They are excited to show us some of their larger than life-like projects. We hope to get some ideas and learn more about what they do, and how they might be able to help create a large attraction for the Barnyard Estates.

On August 15, 2023 at 8:00 a.m. we are meeting with owners Kayla and Mike from Karvana, a coffee house in Green Bay to show them the project to see if it is in alignment with their vision for a possible expansion project into Pulaski. This is the second coffee house that we will be meeting with. In the afternoon, a visit with John Reinders, Associate Dean of Business at NWTC has been added to the calendar, and we’ll discuss and brainstorm about how the Barnyard Estates could work together with Northeast Wisconsin Technical College.

The new steering committee members will be introduced at a zoom meeting at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, August 16th. The Discovery research from Keller will be presented to everyone, and a brief plan of how we will proceed moving forward with the steering committee.

There will be a special presentation on The Barnyard Estates project, August 24, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. at Keller in Kaukauna. Light snacks and refreshments will be served for those in attendance. The presentation will provide special guests information about the Barnyard Estates mission and an overview of the tentative design plans. The purpose of the presentation is to bring awareness to a select group of individuals and businesses, with the hopes of obtaining support to propel the project forward. In addition, Board members and steering committee members will be on hand for the presentation. There will be limited space at this meeting so if you have any suggestions about who we should invite to this meeting please send an email with the contact information to Tammy@dynamicdesignspulaski.com at your earliest convenience.

Finally, we are working on a brochure for the project that we can hand out at the meeting, and also a form that we can provide business at the meeting that will give us a general idea of their interest and how we can follow up with them after the presentation.

Slowly but surely we will keep the needle in motion on the Barnyard Estates. Our intentions are to bring you updates every week on how the project is progressing. Feel free to reach out to Tammy or Bruce during the day at 920-822-4450 for any questions or ideas you may have for the project. Let's keep things rolling without skipping a beat.

Join the Utterly Exciting Movement: Barnyard Estates Project Update

 

Chatty Belle, World’s Largest Talking Cow located in Wisconsin, an inspiration for the Barnyard Estates project.

This week has been utterly fun, and yes the pun is intended - you’ll see later on. On Monday, July 10, 2023,  we presented our project to Terry Handstedt, Partner of MCL Industries,  and Tonya Dittman, Director of Engagement at the Village Companies. Tonya Dittman was raised in Advance, Wisconsin. Her background with Miron Construction Co, Inc. a design-build, industrial, and general construction service in the US will be a benefit to the group as she intends on joining the steering committee. Both individuals were excited about the project and asked what the next steps would be moving forward. 

The Pulaski Area Chamber of Commerce held their monthly meeting on Wednesday morning of this week, so an update on the Barnyard Estates journey was provided. There was excitement, along with a lot of questions on how everything will work together, the logistics of it. However, it was explained to them that the project is huge and the goal is to have an estimate on the project costs by July 31, 2023, so we can move forward with our fundraising efforts. We need to have a clear understanding of the cost of the project so that we can include it into the details of the business plan. The key focus of the steering committee will be to help brainstorm a clear plan of how business and community will help not only propel the project forward, but sustain everyone in the Barnyard Estates.

On Thursday, Village Trustee, Stephanie Rodgers also agreed to assist us on the steering committee. She believes that the project will be a great asset to the community. Stephanie has a strong background in accounting and has resources available for helping non-profits that might come in handy as we move forward.

On Thursday, I met an individual from another non-profit (Strike Up A Chord) at a coffee shop in Green Bay, Karvarna, which is located on Broadway. My first impression of the Karvarna Coffee House was  “community”. The Barnyard Estates “commons area” to me would definitely be an atmosphere like the Karvarna I experienced. If you get a chance to stop out and experience it, it was definitely an inspiration. One thing I thought was really interesting is that sourcing local food is very important to Kavarna. They source foods from the local agriculture as much as possible, and they work with local producers such as Full Circle Community Farms (Seymour), Lamers Dairy (Appleton), and SLO Farmers Co-op (Wisconsin) and many more throughout the Farmer’s Markets in Green Bay. In fact, I reached out to SLO Farmers Co-Op and received a response from Heather Toman, the general manager wanting to learn more about the organization. What’s really exciting is that SLO is headquartered in Hofa Park, Wisconsin. I will be reaching out to Heather this week to set up a time to meet.

Interestingly enough, that same day, I attended the Summer Market on Military Avenue in Green Bay. Here is the website to learn more. One of the thoughts of the Barnyard Estates would be to have in-door and out-door markets. As I walked around, I had the opportunity to talk with a few vendors. Two vendors in particular were from Suring and Green Bay and may be potential targets for the shared kitchen in the Barnyard Estates. Currently, they create from scratch home baked goods in their own home. By the way, I walked away with some delicious treats and business cards that I will add to our potential vendors list in google docs.

Finally, at our last meeting, we were brainstorming, and discussion about having a large “cow” or some kind of attraction in front or near the Barnyard Estates Building. In my research this week, I came across a Wisconsin company (Sparta) called FAST Fiberglass, a manufacturer that creates larger than life animals for businesses and roadside attractions. I reached out to them for a tour and Ryan Lakowske is more than excited to accommodate us. We are working on a date to visit the company the last week in July or first week of August.

The next steps? On Thursday, July 31, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. we will meet in Kaukauna with the Keller Team to go over the Discovery Meeting, which will include plans and comps. On August 16th, an early morning zoom meeting will be scheduled to introduce the three new individuals to the Promote Pulaski Board of Directors. We’ll probably have some discussion about the presentation meeting - which is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, August 24, 2023. The plan is to hold an evening presentation “by invitation only” on-site at Keller to present the Barnyard Estates project. Our goal is to obtain as much support, and yes, financial backing before we begin the fundraising to “build the barn.” This week we will work on creating content for the invitation along with the list of potential community individuals and businesses we believe we can partner with to bring this exciting project to fruition by March 2025. If you know of anyone that should be included on the list, please forward their contact information to tammy@dynamicdesignspulaski.com. As I mentioned at the beginning of this update, it’s been utterly fun researching, meeting with like-minded people and building the momentum of the project.