Vernon County, Wisconsin

scenery and the trail opportunities across the county. It is also home to the Kickapoo, Pine, Baraboo, and Bad Ax Rivers, among others, and fishing is a huge pastime. With over 250 miles of classified trout water, 63 spring creeks, and several lakes, Vernon County is as good as it gets. In fact, the natural reproduction of trout is so good that fish are transplanted from its streams to other places in Wisconsin. In addition, the Mississippi River, which forms the County’s western boundary, has walleye, bass, pike, pan fish, and more. Taking care of the area’s many rivers and watersheds is as important to the County’s farmers and residents as it is to its tourism industry. It is also the central mission of the Valley Stewardship Network (VSN), a locally- based, non-profit organization made up of friends and neighbors in the Kickapoo Valley. VSN works cooperatively with other area groups in water quality, sustainable forestry, resource conservation, alternative agriculture, and the development of low-impact tourism and other forms of environmentally sustainable economic development. Regarding sustainability, Vernon County is a rural leader in renewable technology, with, among other things, the first community solar installation in the state at the Vernon Electric Co-op in Westby. “We also have Ethos Green Power,” says Dollhausen. “They have helped a lot of businesses in the County to become solar and more energy-efficient. That, in turn, helps the smaller communities that these businesses land in.” For example, with the help of Ethos Green Power, GoMacro, in the small town of Viola, has become a 100-percent, carbon-neutral company with 844 solar panels on its facility. It also sells the excess power it generates to Viola at a wholesale price, thus supplying clean energy to its local community. And Wonderstate Coffee is one of the first coffee roasters in the world to generate its power from solar energy. With the exception of its vintage Probat gas-powered roasters and winter heating, the entire roastery, 608-783-KISH WWW.KISHELECTRIC.COM HOME AUTOMATION LED LIGHTING EMERGENCY GENERATORS HOME SECURITY AUTOMATED SHADING EMERGENCY GENERATORS HOME AUTOMATION SERVING ALL YOUR ELECTRICAL NEEDS AND MORE!