The mission of the St. Croix Valley Foundation is simple: to enhance the quality of life in the St. Croix Valley. The foundation does that by offering numerous grants and scholarships to residents in six counties and two states in the St. Croix Valley — and it's based right here in Hudson at the new Alliance Center, a hub for local nonprofits (including former podcast guests Operation HELP and the Hudson Area Backpack and Food Program).

On this week's episode, Angie Pilgrim and Heidi Herron from the St. Croix Valley Foundation join the podcast to share more about the foundation's work. They give more detail on the types of scholarships and grants that are offered, talk about why they enjoy working for a nonprofit, and even read a few testimonials of previous scholarship winners whose lives were changed by the St. Croix Valley Foundation.

To learn more about the St. Croix Valley Foundation, head to scvfoundation.org.

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Nestled into the woods in a quiet part of Hudson is the beautiful new building of the Carpenter Nature Center, which also has a location in Hastings, Minn. The center's two campuses are home to animals, hiking trails, and education materials for kids and adults alike. Each of the two locations boasts hundreds of acres of land that provide a great escape right in our own backyard.

On this week's episode of St. Croix Stories, we're joined by Jen Vieth, Carpenter Nature Center's executive director, and Abbey Holden, the center's outreach coordinator and animal care coordinator. The two share more about the history of the Carpenter Nature Center, talk about how each of them fell in love with animals at young ages, discuss many of the free activities and opportunities available through the CNC, and much more.

The Carpenter Nature Center's Hudson campus can be found at 279 South Cove Road. The Hastings campus is located at 12805 St. Croix Trail South.

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The Hudson School District has faced challenges in recent years. From the debate over a new high school to the COVID-19 pandemic that forced schools to go remote, tough decisions had to be made in order to do what was best for the Hudson students. Making those tough decisions isn't always easy, but it's something Jamie Johnson has learned to do as the president of the Hudson School Board.

On this week's episode of St. Croix Stories, Jamie joins to talk about his time on the board, how his longtime career as an attorney helped prepare him to be school board president, and shares about what the next five years might look like for the Hudson School District. He also talks about the additional volunteering he does in the local community, and offers some words of advice for parents as the 2024-25 school year approaches.

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Seven years ago, Melissa Abdouch had to pivot her career after losing her job in the corporate world. She decided to open Mei Mei's Cookies and Creamery in downtown River Falls, and the store has been a hit in the community ever since.

On this week's episode of St. Croix Stories, Mei Mei joins to share more about the origins of her store, the lessons she's learned along the way, and her vision for the future of Mei Mei's Cookies and Creamery. Mei Mei also gives an update on her recent battle with cancer — she was diagnosed with breast cancer in May — and explains why she said her cancer diagnosis was "annoying." All of that and more on St. Croix Stories.

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The North Hudson Pepper Fest has grown into a weekend-long celebration filled with food, music, a parade, and much more. But it started with humble roots: residents of North Hudson wanted to find a way to raise money to build a new school. That was 70 years ago in 1954, and the philanthropic mindset of Pepper Fest still exists today, with the nonprofit giving back money to the local community. Other parts of the festival has changed as the organizers continue to add new ideas to the event.

On this week's episode of St. Croix Stories, we're joined by Tim Zais, the longtime president of Pepper Fest, to talk all about the event's history, its evolution, and its future. Tim shares his earliest memories of attending Pepper Fest, discusses the exciting recent developments with the festival's location, and shares what people can expect to see at this year's event, which runs August 16-18.

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Before he even graduated high school, Art Doyle had made a business out of repairing bikes. A modest bike repair business outside of Stillwater High School eventually led Art to opening his own bike shop downtown Hudson. Forty years later, Art Doyle's Spokes and Pedals remains an integral part of the Hudson community — and cycling remains a big part of Art's life.

On this week's episode of St. Croix Stories, Art shares more about his earliest memories of riding and repairing bikes, discusses some of his favorite places to bike in the St. Croix Valley area, and talks about the transformation of both the cycling world and of Hudson since he first opened his shop in town in 1984.

Art Doyle's Spokes and Pedals is located at 607 2nd Street in downtown Hudson, Wis.

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There's something special about being able to pick and eat your own farm-grown fruit. That's exactly the experience you'll get if you head east of Hudson just a bit to visit White Pine Berry Farm, where Greg and Andrew Zwald (known to regulars as Farmer Greg and Farmer Andrew) have continued to grow their U-pick operation since opening in 2012.

On this week's episode of St. Croix Stories, we're heading to the farm to sample some fruits and learn all about the history of White Pine Berry Farm — which was started by Greg after he wrapped up a 40-year run as a dairy farmer. These days, Greg and Andrew work together as a father-son duo to run White Pine Berry Farm, offering plenty for families to enjoy when they come visit.

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At the height of the pandemic, Amy Thurston started going a bit stir crazy and decided to do something with the Hudson history books she had at home. Amy launched the Historic Hudson, WI Facebook page to share about the town's history — the people, places, and events that shaped the town over the past 150-plus years. Four years later, the page continues to be a big hit as the daily posts get hundreds of interactions and dozens of comments from both Hudson natives and those who more recently moved to the city.

On this week's episode of St. Croix Stories, we hear more from Amy about what she enjoys most about Hudson's history, the time it takes to maintain daily posts on the Historic Hudson page, and what she thinks were the most impactful moments of the town's history.

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