Welcome, Madeline DeCourcey! We are very excited to have you on our podcast today. Madeline is a true renaissance woman - a production coordinator for Barnstormers Theatre, an active member of the Josephine County Cultural Coalition, a customer support for Hardwood Games, a mobile game company and a social media marketer for C21 JC Jones American Dream. Madeline also holds a BFA in Theatre Arts and has 7 years experience in Los Angeles. Madeline is passionate about theatre, video games, her four cats, and she is expecting her first baby! Madeline is a local to Grant Pass and loves food, comedy, open mics, hiking and traveling. We can’t wait to hear more about your passions and life experiences.

Barnstormers Theatre

Josephine County Cultural Coalition

Porchfest - Grants Pass

Hardwood Games

Abu's Oasis Deli

Fat Tony's New York Style Paninis

FYI:

I enjoy getting to share and apply my expertise at our local community theatre, there has been a lot of growth and set back due to the pandemic. I’ve run their summer camp for kids for the last 6 years. Modern day actors wear many caps. I get as much enjoyment out of producing, directing, and coaching theatre as I do from being on the stage. In my time off I love playing video games. The artwork and storytelling in modern games is incredible. They are like interactive movies that last the length of a mini series or more. I have four cats that I love to snuggle up with while I play.  And have my first baby on the way. I love food, comedy, open mics and the many theater options in the area. I also love hiking and traveling. I haven’t done much traveling lately but I do love it and have been out of the US many times. 

Outdoor educator has been Kyle’s profession through various paths (climbing guide, hiking instructor, ski patroller, ski/snowboard instructor, etc.) In recent years, he worked as a commercial and residential carpenter. Arrowhead operates on the Rogue River, the John Day River, and they hope to start doing a few trips on the Deschutes. They are booking trips for the upcoming 2023 river season. Kyle is most excited about the Decolonizing the Rogue, a 4-day place-based workshop focusing on Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. He has run this trip once for the Southern Oregon Land Conservancy and is excited to do it again, and hopefully into the future.

FYI

Being new to the area, we are hoping to meet people, and we have met some folks mostly through preschool, other friends, and the guide community.

I look forward to getting settled and doing some building and woodworking projects again.

This business consumes my thoughts, and I work hard to create space for being with my family and trying to settle into a new place. That sounds negative, but I love what I am doing. It is incredibly hard, but I find it really mentally stimulating.

Arrowhead River Adventures - Grants Pass

Decolonizing the Rogue Rafting Trip

A Taste of India - Grants Pass

Cathedral Hills Hiking Trails - GP

Recreation section of the Rogue River 

Forged & Found Antique store- GP

Oregon Books & Games - GP

YMCA of Grants Pass

Danielle is a native of The Bronx and now lives in Talent with their amazing partner, Erika, and their hilarious dog, Sawyer. Danielle enjoys storytelling, art, visiting new cities, roadside attractions, podcasts, Lin Manuel Miranda, theater, card playing, healthy banter, and talking to strangers. They are in love with how stories inspire connections, heal our hurt, soothe our longing, and how sharing our stories can make a vast room full of strangers feel like a familiar front porch with friends.

Danielle is interested in counseling, people, places in Southern Oregon (wineries, venues, what places have been and what they are now, how the valley has changed, organizations such as The Hearth, volunteering at the Jackson County Animal Shelter, queer community, etc. Guilty pleasures: scrolling tik tok, scrolling zillow, and listening to showtunes while they clean. Their interests include Wine, Whiskey, Coffee, Food, Sushi, Animals, Mentoring. Music, Camping and Hiking.

Danielle is outgoing, authentic, curious, straightforward, maybe a tendency to overshare, warm, fun (on a good day). They love telling stories, talking about people, what connects us and inspires us.

The Lantern Storytelling

*The next Lantern event is March 19, 7:30pm at the Black sheep in Ashland.*

The Black Sheep - Ashland

La Clinica Health

Bestow - Ashland

Irvine and Roberts Vineyard

Brick Room

Abby McKee is the new-ish (7 months in) President & CEO at Britt Music & Arts Festival. and has a career as a nonprofit arts administrator who specializes in building community spaces through engaging and interesting arts projects. Abby grew up in rural Virginia and traveled across the country studying orchestral flute. She landed on the West Coast in her early 20s. Since then, she has become firmly ensconced in the West Coast lifestyle and loves it here. Abby was living in Portland and Salem for the last 5.5 years and moved to Southern Oregon in April of 2022.

August 24th – Best of Britt Fundraiser, Restaurants & Wineries, Pink Martini

Evergreen Ballroom Central Point

Ashland Lindy Swing Society

Irvine and Roberts Vineyard

Paschal Winery

Jacqui is a community builder, Ashland Ambassador and she adores this town. She tells people that this is a place where you can start a project and it will be supported. She has started two bands in this town as well as the Ashland Folk Collective. Jacqui and her family love that there are so many things within walking distance and love going to the Coop as well as La Baguette, enjoying their outdoor cafe & music scene as well as going for walks to the little libraries to find a new favorite book!  Jacqui also enjoys the open Mic at Elder Apothecary and strolling through town bumping into friends. Spontaneous interactions with the community is one of her favorite parts of Ashland.

Ashland Folk Collective

Fry Family Farm

Ashland Food Co-op

La Baguette Music Cafe

Hilltop Music Shop

Get N Gear - Ashland

Rogue Valley Growers Market

Solarrolla.com

Ash loves going to shows at OSF and other theaters, trying to find great cheeseburgers, looking for comics and vintage toys and pre-pandemic Britt in the summer. Some of his passions are reading, writing, illustration, movies and collecting weird bits of information/random skills. He also enjoys stories and storytelling. Ash is also passionate about encouraging people to be lifelong learners, he is excited about the cool things happening at ScienceWorks and some of the new(ish) fun technology that can help spark creativity.

ScienceWorks is kind of a waystation for people from all kinds of communities -  from parents with small children and school aged kids to high school and college students all the way up to retirees. They also see pre-service teachers and education Masters students through their professional development workshops and collaborations with SOU.

ScienceWorks - Ashland

Celebrating the Explorer anniversary

“May the 4th be with you” events!

Treehouse Books Ashland

Barneys Better Burgers Medford

SOU Student Theatre

Rogue Theater Company

Cabaret Theatre - Ashland

Ashland High School Theater

Chris is a family and work focused person, looking to make the most of my days, all of them. He is excited about the potential of Woodland Charter and the direction it is headed.  It is a positive educational organization with many motivated families and supporters who are helping the school continue to grow and thrive and a vision for beauty, purpose and excellence.  The students at Woodland are so joyful, and excited about the learning and community it provides.  And it is the students that surround us all with such hope and such purpose everyday.  Chris enjoys biking, running, hiking and healthy cooking with local agriculture. He also loves to explore all the county parks for disc golf, playgrounds, hikes, river access and berry picking.  Chris recently connected with Barnstormers Theater to act in The Christmas Story with his middle son Kai.

We play lots of games as a family, love to play, and be together.  Josephine County is a great backdrop for this!  Another great thing about being in Southern Oregon is the fact that I get to spend my work day with my children.  I take them to work each day, and I get to see them being school children, then take them home.  We really love the 3 day weekends, and it does create an amazing work life balance, and allows us to enjoy exploring this lovely region, playing outside and inside.  We do work hard everyday at Woodland Charter School,  I am committed to being a hard working school leader and my children are committed to being hard working students.  Recently I connected Woodland Charter School with Mt. Ashland and we have a Youth Ski Program that takes place on Fridays in January and February. 

Cathedral Hills Trail - Grants Pass

Rogue Community College

Limpy Creek - Redwood Hwy

Dollar Mountain Trail - Grants Pass

Grants Pass Grower’s Market

Iguana Comics - Grants Pass

Oregon Books - Grants Pass

Old Town Antique Mall - Grants Pass

Second Chance Thrift Store - Grants Pass

Josephine County Library

True Juice - Grants Pass

Ma Mosa’s Restaurant - Grants Pass

Tamales Con Alma Cocina - Grants Pass

Conrad will be telling us about earthen construction, appropriate technology and design. He has been working on this since 2001, through workshops and consulting. He doesn’t believe that there is only one way to build; however, earthen construction, in particular in the form of cob and adobe brick, seem to provide such a universal and beautiful way to shelter ourselves, that in his eyes, has become the "mother of all construction". This motivates Conrad to teach people how to create their own living environment, using clay-soil as the primary ingredient.

In 2014 Conrad compiled most of the things being taught during the workshop into a book called "House of Earth". This is now used as a textbook for most workshops.

When he is not building or teaching he likes to camp, Kayak, and, most of all, make music and sing songs with my guitar and harmonica.

House Alive

House of Earth - Book

Plaisance Ranch - Winery

Rebel Heart Books was always intended to be more than a bookstore. It’s a place to connect through story: ours, yours and the books we choose to share space with. The archeress image is the guiding force for our mantra: be brave, be true, leave your mark. Our collection of books is eclectic, intentional and lovingly curated. Since we usually get only one copy of any one book, we like to think that if a book finds you at Rebel Heart, it was meant for you.

Rebel Heart Books

Marion Denard - Writers Room Workshop

Whitman Parker - Jacksonville Review

Todd Lovett Studio & Artisan Gardener

Treehouse Books - Ashland

Cerberus Coffee - Jacksonville

Garett is passionate about his work with Troon Vineyard. Since January of 2018, Troon has been reimagined and transformed as a diversified Biodynamic and Regenerative Organic Certified farm, adding chickens, sheep, vegetables, cider apples, and a permaculture-style food forest to an historic vineyard and winery. Garett is also passionate about real, good food, preaching the value of soil, and the interconnectedness of all life. He has lectured on soil health, composting and regenerative farming for individuals, community interest groups, and brands. He has been a participant in A Greater Applegate's Food and Farming planning sessions with the goal of creating tool- and knowledge-sharing networks between producers in Josephine and Jackson Counties. Garett loves the walkability of Jacksonville. He also loves to walk to open mic night - and play drums occasionally!

Garett loves working at the intersection of food, farming, and community development. He has never lived in a place that so seamlessly supports the collaboration between farmers, chefs, winemakers, herbalists, artists, and consumers. He’s especially enjoyed partnering with Chef Carl Krause of Earnest Baking Co. You'll find Troon produce - and next year, lamb! - on the menu of his food truck.

This year, Troon celebrated their 50th anniversary. As of next spring, all 50 acres of vines will have been replanted with grapes borne in the Rhone Valley (France) and Cotes-du-Rhone, where the climate is very similar to that of the Kubli Bench. The Applegate Valley is the PERFECT context to grow wine grapes. A few months ago, Troon was honored as a "Top American Winery of the Year" by Wine Enthusiast Magazine, and the Rogue Valley was nominated as "Emerging Wine Region of the Year". This has brought a lot of buzz to our community of winegrowers and makers that are not as well-known as the Willamette, but doing really interesting things.

The Biggest Little Farm - on Hulu

Kimballs Artisan Wines

Earnest Baking Company

Crater Lake

Mt. Ashland