1st Place: Farmers markets
2nd Place: Natural beauty
3rd Place: Homegrown talent

For a list that is as long as the Paul Bunyan’s axe handle, it’s quite a feat that the local farmers markets gave a spanking (albeit appropriate) to the remaining Chip-Valley-is-good-at listers this year. It’s hard to disagree about these results, especially when the sun is shining as you hit the markets in your shades and sandals to peruse the fruits of local labor. Natural beauty came in second place. Please focus your applause toward the feng shui of the Chippewa River and the ancient rock carving glaciers for shaping this corner of the north woods into the lake, river, and bluff assemblage that we put to use under skis, boats, bikes, and boots. And in third place is homegrown talent. No one person deserves top billing here as all Valley residents are crowding the top of the list. Thanks for being you. – Mark Koenig