My mouth is burning from the hot pepper soup I just consumed, and my coffee is now almost gone as I finally get a chance to post on the web. We are here in the lovely town of Decorah, IA at Magpie's coffeeshop and yet again decided to stay another day longer then expected to get caught up on our media aspirations.

Just in case we didn't post it, we have had to compromise a lot of things along the way, and recently we decided that our first priority with this trip is to inspire and motivate ourselves and others through our website and the video we edit. So though we are much slower on bike then expected, the stories and friendships we are getting along the way, will be posted...hopefully sooner then later.

Here are the latest pics from the last couple of days. Unfortunately, they are a little out of order, however, you'll get the feel that we've been working hard picking strawberries, learning about alternative energies, visiting county fairs, and biking the rolling hills of Northeast Iowa.

http://www.changinggearsmovie.com/resources/photos/062308m/index.html

Also, as an update, we have interviewed a handful of people since Jim of Timber Green, Spring Green.
Marty Larson, owner of Prairie Peddler, and past city, planner talked to us about sustainability and Prairie du Chien and his transition from city planner to owner of a bike shop that is educating and inspiring others, especially families, to ride bikes. In addition after spending with them, he and his wife, Lisa, are creating a sustainable environment for their family, by shopping and eating locally(and researching and finding out what is in the local community if they can't find it), consciously deciding to work and live within a couple of blocks from their employment, riding their bikes, providing community space and local jam sessions at the bike shop, working with the city, and promoting family, bikes, art, and environment.

http://theprairiepeddler.blogspot.com/

At the jam session we also talked with Kathleen Hein, City Council Member, and mother, we has initiated a Farm to School Project by randomly going to a meeting where they talked about farming. From there she let the farmers know that there was a market to sell to, as most of the farmers were sending most of their produce to Chicago or farther places. Within months, a group has been formed to try to provide a system for farmers to get their food into the schools. They are first starting with the school snack program. With just an idea, local farmers are now getting matched with the school system. Kathleen, along with Marty, also had a large part in the revitalization of downtown. Though the streets are currently under construction, the major facelift will be beneficial to the historic town.

After having a wonderful time with those in Prairie du Chien, Andy and I just barely made it out of the Mississippi River Valley, as we rode up the largest hill yet, and landed in Postville, IA. As we first rode through the town, I came to expect it look like many of the smalltowns in middle America. Generalizing, but a little rundown, maybe quaint, mostly Caucasian, instead, as we huffed up the rolling hill past the Postville welcome sign "Hometown to the World", my curiosity was peaked.

Indeed, immediately as we passed the turn of the century Germanic looking church, we see Hasidic Jews walking the streets toward the south, and as we continued north, hometown generalized America, looks more like little Mexico, with what appears to be a major HIspanic presence with it's restaurants and bakeries. Even further north as we see the campground sign, we stumble on an all white baseball game going on next to the fair that begun earlier that morning. In the course of 10 minutes, we did go around part of the world anyway. At first glance, i'll admit, it seemed a bit surreal, and out of place, which normally I actually like, but this particular evening just felt weird and disconnected.

I don't know how the obvious different cultures mesh, or if they do, and we didn't stay long enough to find out, however, we did realize that Postville, a town of over 2200, recently has gained national attention as having the biggest immigration raid in the US, as over 500 were detained from AgriProcessors last month. As I am concurrently writing this and going to the internet to find out more, I'm learning the tens of violations that AgriProcessors have committed over the years, the economic depression that Postville faced during the 80s, the plant that processes over 60,000chickens a day that provides Kosher meats around the nation, the many woman and children that are now left behind, and the immigration dilemmas that have yet to be solved her and across the nation.

Granted, I need to read and research more, but what hits me now more emotionally then intellectullay is the many issues we have yet to address as a nation, when 500 people, mostly Hispanic heritage, have been detained, from a kosher and non kosher plant that processes over 60,000chickens a day... I mean, really, we need to be raising questions and having open dialogues on human rights, economic development, racism, community/culture, food, etc. All of issues have been in some way been made visible in middle America for a short while, and we rode right through it. These conflicts are at everyone's backdoor. knocking, very loudly. So my question to the individual, to the community, to the nation, is when will we start looking at the system as a whole, rather then as disconnected pieces and communicating? http://jcarrot.org/interview-with-an-agriprocessors-mashgiach/

Okay, enough of that, as I am finally hungry again.

More on the Decorah stop, as the town seems to be addressing many of the issues or at least having some sort of dialogue.

Melissa:)