The Octagon Barn

We've been hibernating but thought it was worth sharing that we have a prime date available for 2026. September 19th 2026 is still available. Reach out if you're interested, the barn is absolutely gorgeous in September. 🌟

Looking forward to the next lecture on August 25th.

Wisconsin’s Dugout Canoe Conundrum – What Lays Below The Surface

Bill Quackenbush
Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, Ho-Chunk Nation

August 25, 2025
6:30 p.m.
The Octagon Barn, E4350 Horseshoe Road, Spring Green

In 2019 a native american dugout canoe was discovered by divers in Lake Mendota that when later recovered in 2020, brought to the surface with it questions that many found difficult to answer or even comprehend in relation to Wisconsin’s history. Questions such as how “ancient” it was scientifically dated to be, who actually made such a vessel, and how did it survive the many years submerged under water only to be discovered now. These and many other questions are now being asked as additional dugouts continue to be discovered along the shoreline of what is known to the Ho-Chunk People as Tee Waksik Hominakaja - Lake Where He Lays.”

Join us know as Bill “Naawacekgize” Quackenbush, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Ho-Chunk Nation, shares his perspectives on the collaboration and partnership work that is currently taking place between the Wisconsin State Historical Society and regional tribes in their pursuit to answer the lingering questions the discovery of the Lake Mendota dugouts have created over the past three years.


For more information visit: https://morrilllectures.org/events/billquackenbush

Come tour the Spring Green area this weekend and visit us along the way! We'll be hosting and their plant sale as well as for pulled pork sandwiches and southern sides. Our annual vintage/antique/pottery/fair trade goods sale will be happening at the same time as well as a native plant sale by . Hope to see you there!

We are so looking forward to this year's sale! Mark your calendars and visit the rest of the amazing farmers and producers on the Farm and Food tour on Saturday April 26th. Stay tuned for sneak peeks in our stories the week of the sale!

Looking forward to another lecture at the barn! Pre-orders for food are open until 10pm on 8/14!

Pre-order dinner by tomorrow night

We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Sarah Smarsh at 6:30pm, on August 20th, at the Octagon Barn in Spring Green….it’s just one week away!

Chef’s Hideout will be offering dinner at the Octagon Barn beginning at 5:30.

If you’d like to pre-order dinner, you can do so until 10 p.m. on 8/14.

They will have:
* Brisket sandwich, served with slaw and baked beans: $16
* Pulled pork sandwich, served with slaw and baked beans: $16
* Gumbo, served with rice, beans, and cornbread: $20
* Salad with cajun tofu and beans: $16
* Cheesecake: $7.00

Go here to pre-order: https://www.flipcause.com/secure/event_step2/MTg4NTY2/225967

And here’s more about the event and Sarah…

Beyond The Divide

Sarah has long written about the dangers of simplistic political and cultural narratives, especially about rural America and the people who live there. This election season, she invites us to transcend fear-based postures and polarizing frameworks even as we insist on a more just society.

Sarah Smarsh is a journalist who has reported for the New York Times, Harper’s, the Guardian, and many other publications. A former English professor and grant-writer for social service agencies, Sarah aims for all her work to have a backbone of civic responsibility.

Her first book, Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth, was an instant New York Times bestseller, a finalist for the National Book Award and the Kirkus Prize, the winner of the Chicago Tribune Literary Prize, and a best-books-of-the-year selection by President Barack Obama. Her 2020 book She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and was named a must-read book by TIME Magazine. Sarah’s next book, Bone of the Bone: Essays on America from a Daughter of the Working Class, 2012-2024, will be published by Scribner in September 2024.

Chef’s Hideout food cart serving before the event.

Dessert and conversation will follow.

We're getting real excited for the barn sale on May 18th. Don't blink, it's one day only and RC Tacos will be there with their food truck from 11am-2pm. 💰CASH ONLY sale, so make a stop at the ATM before you swing by ❤️❤️❤️

Looking forward to the first Morrill Lecture of the year in a week! Check our details for this free and public event below.

Morrill Lectures — The Morrill Lecture Series Dan’s newest book, THE DEVIL’S ELEMENT: PHOSPHORUS AND A WORLD OUT OF BALANCE, is an insightful exploration of one of earth’s most significant and dangerous natural resources. Since it was first refined from human urine in a seventeenth-century alchemist’s laboratory, phosphorus has been use...

Happy Winter Solstice! We love this gorgeous winter so far but are thrilled for the return of the sun and longer days to come. May you all have a cozy day filled with reflection of the past seasons and set intentions for the next to come.☀️

We LOVE seeing our couples final photos! 🥰 K+ I, you are so sweet together ❤️