{"id":2905,"date":"2024-02-07T15:20:12","date_gmt":"2024-02-07T21:20:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sustainabledriftlessmag.com\/sdmunicdn\/?p=2905"},"modified":"2026-06-02T09:51:50","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T14:51:50","slug":"interview-chris-hardie-7-rivers-alliance-brambleberry-winery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainabledriftlessmag.com\/sdmunicdn\/interview-chris-hardie-7-rivers-alliance-brambleberry-winery\/","title":{"rendered":"Small Communities &#038; Big Plans With 7 Rivers Alliance"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis: 33.33%;\"><div class=\"g g-2\"><div class=\"g-single a-3\"><a class=\"gofollow\" data-track=\"MywyLDEsMjA=\" href=\"https:\/\/workmansrelief.com\/product\/workmans-relief-daily-grind-coffee\/\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sustainabledriftlessmag.com\/sdmunicdn\/wp-content\/banners\/driftext_curiss_0721.jpg\" width=\"350\" height=\"525\" \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis: 66.66%;\">\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Welcome Chris Hardie, and please introduce yourself as a representative of 7 Rivers Alliance and give a quick review of the geography and goals of 7RA.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-size: 14pt;\">I am the chief executive officer of the 7 Rivers Alliance, a 501 (c ) 6 nonprofit economic development organization founded in the early 2000s. Its mission of fostering collaborative economic development on a regional basis is still our main goal today. It was created by a group of regional business, government, and economic development leaders who believed some of the challenges and opportunities in our region were best addressed through collaboration. The Alliance is one of nine regional economic development organizations in Wisconsin working with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. What makes us different from the others is that we cross state lines. Our service territory includes Pepin, Buffalo, Trempealeau, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Vernon and Juneau counties in Wisconsin along with Allamakee and Winneshiek counties in Iowa and Houston, Fillmore and Winona Counties in Minnesota.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><\/span><\/div>\r\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><\/span><\/div>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">\r\n\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-2963 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/sustainabledriftlessmag.com\/sdmunicdn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Wine-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sustainabledriftlessmag.com\/sdmunicdn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Wine-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sustainabledriftlessmag.com\/sdmunicdn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Wine-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sustainabledriftlessmag.com\/sdmunicdn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Wine-465x349.jpg 465w, https:\/\/sustainabledriftlessmag.com\/sdmunicdn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Wine-667x500.jpg 667w, https:\/\/sustainabledriftlessmag.com\/sdmunicdn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Wine.jpg 980w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>As a small business entrepreneur, you used your creativity to craft exceptional wines.\u00a0 How did you get started?\u00a0 Tell us about your operation in West Salem.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-size: 14pt;\">In 2006, my wife Sherry and I moved back to the family farm where I grew up in rural Jackson County. We remodeled and expanded what was once my great-grandparents\u2019 house for our new business venture: <strong>Brambleberry Bed and Breakfast<\/strong>. Brambleberry is the Scottish name for blackberries, which were plentiful in our woods. We made it a top priority to serve food raised on the farm to our guests. We included some homemade wines from blackberries and other fruits we grew or harvested.\u00a0 After lots of positive comments about our wines, we decided a bed and breakfast and a winery would be complimentary businesses. Amid the required regulatory paperwork was a significant barrier: our address in Franklin, a dry town without authority to issue a liquor license. We had to initiate and complete a referendum, which passed.\u00a0 After the winery opened in 2013, it was so successful we needed to move the operation to downtown West Salem in 2023.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-size: 14pt;\">Even though we started as a locally grown farm operation, our vision was to bring the world of wines to our customers. To make that possible, we work with wholesalers to purchase bulk juice from grapes grown all over the world. We ferment, process, and bottle juices our cold climate cannot support to produce more than 50 varieties including dry reds, whites, and sweeter wines. As the winemaker, I process and bottle each one. We love to talk about wines and give our customers a chance to sample these premium wines. It is a rare day when we are not working the wine counter.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><b><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2960 size-full alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/sustainabledriftlessmag.com\/sdmunicdn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/7Rivers400x400.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sustainabledriftlessmag.com\/sdmunicdn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/7Rivers400x400.jpeg 400w, https:\/\/sustainabledriftlessmag.com\/sdmunicdn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/7Rivers400x400-300x300.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/sustainabledriftlessmag.com\/sdmunicdn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/7Rivers400x400-150x150.jpeg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\">Within the Driftless Region, larger \u201cmagnet\u201d communities are scattered throughout a network of smaller ones. How does the Alliance promote these differences to help all of them connect and work together.\u00a0 <\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b><i>Do<\/i><\/b><\/span><b><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"> they work together?<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This perfectly describes the wonderful place where we live. We offer folks and families the best of both worlds \u2013 larger communities with more shopping, health care, arts, culture and other amenities <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">smaller communities with few streets and a tighter-knit style of life. Large vs.\u00a0 small is a matter of perspective. The La Crosse metro area at roughly 100,000 is the largest in our area when compared with smaller dots in the road like Franklin with a few houses. The Alliance doesn\u2019t view one as better than the other because we want all communities to be successful. Having a diverse choice of living options nestled among the bluffs, streams and beauty is a strong selling point for the Driftless. If a family we attract settles in Trempealeau so one spouse can work in La Crosse and the other works in Winona, that\u2019s a win for the region. Each community may have very specific needs \u2013 like the need to replace an aging wastewater plant \u2013 but we all have common challenges and opportunities. Housing, childcare and transportation are always the big three. Our goal is to help communities find solutions that will fit their needs. We won\u2019t settle for a one-size fits all approach.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>What is 7 Rivers Alliance doing to help smaller communities become places where families want to live and work?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-size: 14pt;\">I have a particular passion for these communities because I grew up in one and our family shopped in many of them nearby. Fifty years ago these communities had thriving commercial districts with businesses that served what was once a network of smaller family farms. Agriculture is still an important industry in our region but most of those smaller farms are gone, along with many of the businesses in those smaller towns. These days, the world of economic development \u2013 particularly in smaller towns \u2013 is joined at the hip with community development. <strong>Our organization has started to offer strategic planning for communities to help them identify priorities.<\/strong> Whether it\u2019s designing or building a public gathering space, putting together a downtown revitalization plan or facade improvement, all improvement options should be considered. We need to help our communities attract entrepreneurs and families who shop and live there. Every community should be able to answer the question: \u201cWhy do I want to live there and raise a family?\u201d and be proud to shout it out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>What do you see as the biggest threats to 7 Rivers achieving its goals?\u00a0 How do you measure success?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-size: 14pt;\">Access to funding is always a threat, but I would say the biggest threat is complacency. We need our region to embrace change, not fight it. We need to find champions who will take the lead in ensuring their communities are strong and vital. Sometimes those champions come from local government leaders; sometimes those champions come from local civic organizations, or both. Growth is essential for survival. I\u2019m a big fan of history and where we came from, but healthy communities result when a need to plan for growth is instituted and is appropriate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-size: 14pt;\">The ultimate measure of success is when we can reverse declining population growth in our region and bring more families to live here to create a future population of workers so businesses can grow and prosper. But success also comes in very small steps. Success can be measured when there is investment in our existing housing stock or the revitalization of our downtown commercial districts \u2013 even one building at a time.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><b><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2961 size-full alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/sustainabledriftlessmag.com\/sdmunicdn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Chris-Hardie7Rivers400x400.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sustainabledriftlessmag.com\/sdmunicdn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Chris-Hardie7Rivers400x400.jpeg 400w, https:\/\/sustainabledriftlessmag.com\/sdmunicdn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Chris-Hardie7Rivers400x400-300x300.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/sustainabledriftlessmag.com\/sdmunicdn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Chris-Hardie7Rivers400x400-150x150.jpeg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\">You have had a long run in the media, and now you are an advocate for housing, health of communities, and workforce development.\u00a0 What motivates you?<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-size: 14pt;\">I spent 32-plus years in the newspaper business \u2013 all in this region \u2013 because I grew up here, wanted to raise my family here and felt that journalism was my contribution to improving the region. I felt I could make a difference by writing about the challenges and opportunities our communities had. I ended up in the world of economic development because I believe I have the same opportunity to make a difference. It\u2019s a strange use of a mass communications degree, but in the end, it is about communication and making connections. My children live in this region, as do my grandchildren. I want to do my part to make connections, help businesses and communities solve challenges, and create communities and a region that offer a future for everyone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>How can the next generation of motivated advocates get plugged into the work?\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-size: 14pt;\">It starts with raising your hand. We need the next generation to step forward to say, \u201cI want to help.\u201d The health of a community is built through many layers of government to help fund essential services, but the communities that stand out are those with strong local government and civic leaders who work together. They identify projects or goals and get them done. We can\u2019t allow the polarization of national politics to discourage local engagement. I\u2019ve covered hundreds of local government meetings in my career. I\u2019ve seen committed, dedicated local folks from all political stripes who believe building and strengthening their local community or school board is worth their investment of time. Find your passion \u2013 whether it\u2019s education, local government, recreation, youth, seniors, etc. \u2013 and see how you can become involved. Believe me, there are lots of folks who will be glad to get you connected.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>By <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chris Hardie<\/span><\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome Chris Hardie, and please introduce yourself as a representative of 7 Rivers Alliance and give a quick review of the geography and goals of 7RA. I am the chief executive officer of the 7 Rivers Alliance, a 501 (c ) 6 nonprofit economic development organization founded in the early<span class=\"more-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sustainabledriftlessmag.com\/sdmunicdn\/interview-chris-hardie-7-rivers-alliance-brambleberry-winery\/\">Continue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":2962,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"class_list":["entry","author-steadm2","post-2905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-current-issue"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Small Communities &amp; Big Plans With 7 Rivers Alliance - Sustainable Driftless Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Decisions to build healthy communities&#039; matter and we all benefit when that is the focus. 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