How Did This Happen? From Urban Nerd to Steward of the Land

How does a “picked last in gym” nerd become a sought-after exercise physiologist? 

What do endangered lizards from the Solomon Islands have to do with dairy goats on a farm in the Midwest? 

And why would a born-and-raised Chicago girl, with no farming experience whatsoever, pack up, leave her home and family, and move to rural Wisconsin at the age of 49?  

Everything’s connected.   

Being a better steward to the land and respecting the natural  environment leads to healthier livestock, greater yields in the garden,  and better health outcomes for the humans who tend that land.  

Come and  hear how Ellen Petrick is learning to do just that!

Hosted by the Argyle Public Library in partnership with Soil Sisters, Renewing the Countryside and the Women, Food & Agriculture Network/WFAN.

No RSVP is needed.  For more information, contact the Argyle Public Library.

More about Ellen:

Ellen grew up in Chicago with a keen interest in all things animal and wildlife. With as many pets as her mom would allow, she jumped at every opportunity to catch frogs or crayfish, tend to orphan birds, or volunteer with conservation groups.

After jobs with the Illinois DNR, the Field Museum and teaching high school biology, chemistry and physics, Ellen became more and more interested in human biology as well - specifically - what she could do to address her chronic health conditions.  She went back to school for her Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology and specialized in working with clients with chronic disease and joint injuries.  But the more Ellen learned, the more she saw how not just exercise, but diet and lifestyle were so crucial to health and happiness.

So after fifteen years of planning and searching for land, Ellen and her husband finally moved to their 7 acre homestead in the spring of 2023.  Here they are attempting to grow more of their own food, including meat and milk, a garden and several small orchards.  In addition, they are learning how to be good stewards of their woods and pastures, removing invasive plants and using animals to help restore native prairie.  

She is actively involved with Soil Sisters and serves as a  Stewardship Ambassador with the Women, Food & Agriculture Network, sharing her inspiring conservation story.  Soil Sisters and Stewardship Ambssadors are both projects of Renewing the Countryside.