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Lisa Kivirist embodies the growing “ecopreneuring” movement: innovative entrepreneurs who successfully blend business with making the world a better place. Lisa is co-author, with her husband, John Ivanko, of Rural Renaissance: Renewing the Quest for the Good Life, capturing the American dream of farm living for contemporary times. Her latest release, ECOpreneuring: Putting Purpose and the Planet Before Profits is a compact, dynamic tool kit for a fresh approach to entrepreneurial thinking, blending passion for protecting and preserving the planet with small business pragmatics. As a W.K. Kellogg Food & Society Policy Fellow and Director of the Rural Women's Project, Lisa champions a voice for women farmers and rural ecopreneurs through media, speaking and advocacy work.
Lisa runs the award-winning Inn Serendipity Bed and Breakfast in southwest Wisconsin, completely powered by renewable energy and considered amongst the “Top Ten Eco-Destinations in North America.” Her culinary focus on local and seasonal cuisine – with most ingredients traveling less than 100 feet from her organic gardens to B&B plates – earned recognition in publications from Vegetarian Times to Country Woman and inspired her cookbook, Edible Earth: Savoring the Good Life with Vegetarian Recipes from Inn Serendipity. In addition to feature writing for publications such as Hobby Farm Home, Mother Earth News and Wisconsin Trails, Lisa is the lead writer for Renewing the Countryside, a non-profit organization showcasing rural entrepreneurial and agricultural success stories. Lisa also penned Kiss Off Corporate America: A Young Professional’s Guide to Independence.
Lisa shares her farm with her husband, their young son, a 10kw wind turbine and a colony of honeybees.Do you know what you’re having for dinner today — or “supper” as we say here in Wisconsin? Don’t panic if you don’t know. You’re not alone. Up to one third of Americans don’t know what they will be eating for supper on any given day, an underlying cause of relying on prepared food fast [...]
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Talk about the trifecta of travel. Make farmers’ markets a priority on your travel agenda and you save money (no admission fees), go green (most markets showcase seasonal, sustainable agriculture) and local (slap that cash directly in the farmer’s hand).
As my husband, John, and I and our eight-year old, Liam, trade Wisconsin winter on our [...]
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Lesson number one about trading urban living for rural Green Acres: You give up that perpetual buffet of authentic ethnic food options. While just about half the U.S. population lives in rural areas, most restaurant options reflect a bland line of fast food restaurants and heat-and-serve diners.
But when we moved to our Wisconsin farm over [...]
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As mid-January rolls in, those traditional New Year’s health resolutions fade away: Loose ten pounds, get fit, etc. Why? Deprivation sucks. Our food loving community here at Eat Drink Better continues to rise like yeast dough on a hot day for one common reason: we embrace food with passion and realize that our eating choices [...]
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After the rocky economy and related bumps along the way in 2009, everyone is looking for a smoother New Year. Indulge your guests this evening with a toast with Homemade Irish Cream, a creamy indulgence that makes any worries melt away. At least, shall we say, for the moment.
I confess, for a celebratory toast I’m [...]
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First Lady Michelle Obama cultivated a fresh vision heard around the world when she initiated a kitchen garden on the White House ground last spring. But don’t think that as the snow flies this growing venture will dive into hibernation. Thanks to the vision of Sam Kass, Food Initiative Coordinator at the White House and [...]
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My roots and love for Wisconsin run deep, ever since we traded the Chicago urban corporate scene for organic farming and sustainable living on our rural farm and bed and breakfast, Inn Serendipity. And at heart, I’m a four-season loving gal. But man, that fourth season of winter can run a bit long here. Fortunately, [...]
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Don’t call me Scrooge, but it took me till my thirties to confront the fact that I don’t honestly like most traditional holiday foods. Gingerbread? I’d prefer chocolate any day. Eggnog? Pour me a daiquiri. And don’t get me started on fruitcake.
During my childhood and for years after, guilt motivated my holiday food choices. I [...]
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As we head into the Thanksgiving season, all eyes (and mouths) fixate on that key holiday ingredient: food. From turkeys to pumpkin pie, Thanksgiving gifts us with a list of seasonal traditions that celebrate our love for good food. While these all rank important holiday elements, let’s not miss the key ingredient rooted in the [...]
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