Calendar

Rooted Readers at Four Winds Farm 

Planting Ideas. Growing Conversation. Building Community.  

**This session of Rooted Readers is currently sold out. You may sign up for our newly added second volume of Rooted Readers here!**

Rooted Readers is more than a traditional book club. It is a thoughtfully curated, nine-month experience designed for readers who want meaningful conversation, memorable gatherings, and the opportunity to build genuine connections within the welcoming setting of Four Winds Farm. 

From September through May, members will gather seven times to explore an intentionally selected collection of fiction and nonfiction. Each book opens the door to a different conversation – about food and agriculture, nature, community, history, resilience, personal growth, and our relationship with the world around us.

Inspired by Kaizen, the practice of continuous, incremental improvement, Rooted Readers embraces the idea that meaningful growth often begins with something small: a new perspective, an unexpected question, or a conversation that stays with us long after the evening ends. 

More Than a Book Discussion 

Each gathering is carefully designed around that month’s selection and includes: 

• A guided, engaging book discussion 
• A themed tasting, activity, reflection, or exchange 
• Curated snacks and beverages
• All materials needed for the featured experience 
• Time to connect with a consistent community of fellow readers 

Throughout the season, members might share an in-season charcuterie board, sample foods inspired by the Great Depression, participate in a reciprocity exchange, or enjoy an Ina Garten–inspired cocktail hour. Every detail is chosen to bring the book beyond the page and create an experience that feels welcoming, thoughtful, and worth looking forward to. 

You do not need to be a literary expert or an experienced book-club member. Simply read the selection before each gathering and arrive ready to share, listen, and explore the ideas it inspires.

Membership Options 

Full-Term Membership With Books 

Includes admission to all seven gatherings, all six required books, curated snacks and beverages, and all featured activities, tastings, and supplies throughout the nine-month season. Your books will be selected and provided for you, making it easy to enjoy the complete Rooted Readers experience from beginning to end. 

Full-Term Membership Without Books

Includes admission to all seven gatherings, curated snacks and beverages, and all featured activities, tastings, and supplies throughout the nine-month season. Members choosing this option are responsible for obtaining their own copies of the six required books.

A limited number of drop-in tickets may be available for individual meetings. Full-term membership offers the best overall value and is strongly encouraged for those who want to experience the complete reading journey, build deeper connections with fellow members, and see the season’s conversations develop from one gathering to the next. 

2026–2027 Reading Schedule

September 28, 2026 – Rooted Readers Kickoff 

Get to know the club and meet your fellow readers before we begin our first selection. Bring a favorite book – or one you have read recently – to share with the group. We’ll enjoy snacks, talk about what makes a great book-club experience, and introduce the upcoming reading list. 

No advance reading is required for this gathering. 

October 26, 2026 – Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver 

This nonfiction narrative follows one family’s effort to spend a year eating locally and seasonally, exploring where food comes from and how our choices connect us to the land. 

Featured activity: Enjoy an in-season charcuterie board inspired by the book while discussing local food, seasonality, and the choices that shape the way we eat.

December 7, 2026 – Why Fish Don’t Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller 

Part biography, part memoir, and part scientific exploration, this book examines order, chaos, nature, resilience, and how we create meaning in an unpredictable world. 

Featured activity: A “What’s Your Dandelion?” reflection and discussion. Participants may anonymously share something that brings meaning, joy, or stability to their lives.

January 18, 2027 – The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Through lessons drawn from the natural world, Kimmerer invites readers to imagine lives and communities rooted in gratitude, reciprocity, generosity, and connection. 

Featured activity: A “take one, leave one” exchange inspired by the book’s themes of sharing and reciprocity. Additional details about what to bring will be provided before the meeting. 

March 1, 2027 – One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way by Robert Maurer

This practical guide explores how small, manageable actions can help us overcome fear, build momentum, and create meaningful, lasting change. 

Featured activity: Revisit New Year’s resolutions through a Kaizen lens and turn one larger goal into a realistic series of small steps.

April 12, 2027 – The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

Set during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl, this historical novel follows a Texas woman who journeys west with her children in search of safety, opportunity, and a better life.

Featured activity: Sample Depression-era foods and join a “What Would You Pack?” discussion exploring difficult choices, resilience, and what we value most. 

May 24, 2027 – Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir by Ina Garten 

In this memoir, the Barefoot Contessa reflects on food, business, creativity, relationships, risk-taking, and the choices that shaped her life and career. 

Featured activity: An Ina Garten–inspired cocktail hour and signature recipe exchange. Additional instructions for the recipe exchange will be shared before the meeting. 

Come for the books, stay for the conversation, and leave with new ideas, new connections, and something worth carrying forward.

New session added by popular demand! Rooted
Readers: Volume Two is an additional session of our existing book club. It
follows the same format and gives more readers a chance to join us. If you’re
already registered for the original session, you’re all set, there’s no need to
sign up for both.

Rooted Readers at
Four Winds Farm – Volume Two 

Planting Ideas. Growing
Conversation. Building Community.  

Rooted Readers is more than a traditional book club.
It is a thoughtfully curated, nine-month experience designed for readers who
want meaningful conversation, memorable gatherings, and the opportunity to
build genuine connections within the welcoming setting of Four Winds
Farm. 

From September through May, members will gather seven
times to explore an intentionally selected collection of fiction and
nonfiction. Each book opens the door to a different conversation – about food
and agriculture, nature, community, history, resilience, personal growth, and
our relationship with the world around us.

Inspired by Kaizen, the practice of
continuous, incremental improvement, Rooted Readers embraces the idea that
meaningful growth often begins with something small: a new perspective, an
unexpected question, or a conversation that stays with us long after the
evening ends. 

More Than a Book Discussion 

Each gathering is carefully designed around that
month’s selection and includes: 

• A
  guided, engaging book discussion 
• A
  themed tasting, activity, reflection, or exchange 
• Curated
  snacks and beverages
• All
  materials needed for the featured experience 
• Time
  to connect with a consistent community of fellow readers 

Throughout the season, members might share an
in-season charcuterie board, sample foods inspired by the Great Depression,
participate in a reciprocity exchange, or enjoy an Ina Garten–inspired cocktail
hour. Every detail is chosen to bring the book beyond the page and create an
experience that feels welcoming, thoughtful, and worth looking forward
to. 

You do not need to be a literary expert or an
experienced book-club member. Simply read the selection before each gathering
and arrive ready to share, listen, and explore the ideas it inspires.

Membership Options 

Full-Term Membership With Books 

Includes admission to all seven gatherings, all six
required books, curated snacks and beverages, and all featured activities,
tastings, and supplies throughout the nine-month season. Your books will be
selected and provided for you, making it easy to enjoy the complete Rooted
Readers experience from beginning to end. 

Full-Term Membership Without Books

Includes admission to all seven gatherings, curated
snacks and beverages, and all featured activities, tastings, and supplies
throughout the nine-month season. Members choosing this option are responsible
for obtaining their own copies of the six required books.

A limited number of drop-in tickets may be available
for individual meetings. Full-term membership offers the best overall value and
is strongly encouraged for those who want to experience the complete reading
journey, build deeper connections with fellow members, and see the season’s
conversations develop from one gathering to the next. 

2026–2027 Reading Schedule

October 5, 2026 – Rooted Readers
Kickoff 

Get to know the club and meet your fellow readers
before we begin our first selection. Bring a favorite book – or one you have
read recently – to share with the group. We’ll enjoy snacks, talk about what
makes a great book-club experience, and introduce the upcoming reading
list. 

No advance reading is required for
this gathering. 

November 2, 2026 – Animal, Vegetable,
Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver 

This nonfiction narrative follows one family’s effort
to spend a year eating locally and seasonally, exploring where food comes from
and how our choices connect us to the land. 

Featured activity: Enjoy an in-season charcuterie board inspired by the
book while discussing local food, seasonality, and the choices that shape the
way we eat.

December 14, 2026 –
Why Fish Don’t Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by
Lulu Miller 

Part biography, part memoir, and part scientific
exploration, this book examines order, chaos, nature, resilience, and how we
create meaning in an unpredictable world. 

Featured activity: A “What’s Your Dandelion?” reflection and discussion.
Participants may anonymously share something that brings meaning, joy, or
stability to their lives.

January 25, 2027 –
The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall
Kimmerer Through lessons
drawn from the natural world, Kimmerer invites readers to imagine lives and
communities rooted in gratitude, reciprocity, generosity, and connection. 

Featured activity: A “take one, leave one” exchange inspired by the
book’s themes of sharing and reciprocity. Additional details about what to
bring will be provided before the meeting. 

March 8, 2027 – One Small Step Can
Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way by Robert Maurer

This practical guide explores how small, manageable
actions can help us overcome fear, build momentum, and create meaningful,
lasting change. 

Featured activity: Revisit New Year’s resolutions through a Kaizen lens
and turn one larger goal into a realistic series of small steps.

April 19, 2027 – The Four Winds by
Kristin Hannah

Set during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl, this
historical novel follows a Texas woman who journeys west with her children in
search of safety, opportunity, and a better life.

Featured activity: Sample Depression-era foods and join a “What Would
You Pack?” discussion exploring difficult choices, resilience, and what we
value most. 

May 24, 2027 – Be Ready When the Luck
Happens: A Memoir by Ina Garten 

In this memoir, the Barefoot Contessa reflects on
food, business, creativity, relationships, risk-taking, and the choices that
shaped her life and career. 

Featured activity: An Ina Garten–inspired cocktail hour and signature
recipe exchange. Additional instructions for the recipe exchange will be shared
before the meeting. 

A note about our final meeting: Our last
gathering will be five weeks after the previous
meeting, instead of the usual six. Volume One and Volume Two will come
together for this final event, giving everyone a chance to meet the other
readers and celebrate the end of the book club session!

Come for the books, stay for the conversation, and
leave with new ideas, new connections, and something worth carrying forward.

Next in Four Winds Farm’s series of regional explorations, October’s dinner will feature an exploration of France’s iconic Rhône Valley, guided by Tom Loup of Vino Veritas. We’ll taste wines from the iconic Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Northern Rhône Syrah, and several more.

Recently named Chef in Residence of Four Winds Farm, Jon Rosnow will return to Four Winds for this dinner. His menus always feature locally grown or foraged produce and proteins, which he handpicks and preserves himself. Each wine will be thoughtfully paired with a dish to highlight its unique flavors and characteristics. James Juedes, beverage director for Four Winds Farm, will oversee wine service.

Wines to be poured: 

2025, Grenache Blanc, Domaine La Manarine, Côte-du-Rhône 

2025, Rosé Grenache Blend, Château de Manissy, "Cuvée de Lys" Tavel

2024, Syrah, Etienne Bécheras, Crozes-Hermitage 

2023, Grenache/Mourvèdre, Domaine Saint-Damien, "Les Souteyrades" Gigondas

2023, Grenache Blend, Domaine Bois de Boursan, "Tradition" Châteuneuf-du-Pape

Menu to be announced soon. 

This experience has a set menu. Please email info@fourwindsfarmfitchburg to inquire about accommodations for allergies and dietary restrictions.

Dust off your boots for an evening of line dancing and country western dancing in the barn! Our instructor will lead you through a handful of selected line dance teaches with open dancing in between. Two-step and partner dancing is encouraged on the outer track of the dance floor. Enjoy drinks from our bar and keep the dance moves flowing! No dance experience needed!

Upcoming Dates:

October 16th, 2026

November 20th, 2026

January 15th, 2027

February 19th, 2027

March 19th. 2027

Please Note: No line dancing in December for a holiday break

Join Four Winds Farm's sommelier James Juedes for a Rioja, Spain Deep Dive. In this seminar-style tasting, we'll be traveling to Spain's most recognized and important wine region – Rioja. We'll explore the geography, producers, and styles of the region as we taste through four hand-selected wines. Guests are asked to arrive promptly at 6 pm.

How does it work?

If you'd like to participate in the tasting, please reserve tickets in advance on this page. This wine tasting is $50 per guest and will highlight top-tier bottles from the chosen region. You are welcome to stay after the seminar to enjoy additional wines by the glass or bottle. Wines will also be available for retail purchase. Email us at info@fourwindsfarmfitchburg.com with any questions.

What is Vingård?

Four Winds Farm will not be selling tickets for this event. Please purchase directly at: https://www.coppiaconcerts.com/

Works by Patrick Harlin, Rodrigo Ruiz, Sergei Rachmaninov

Songs Between Worlds” traces a journey through folk memory, new creation, exile, and longing. Beginning with the earthy directness of Komitas’s Armenian songs, the program moves into two world premieres by Rodrigo Ruiz and Patrick Harlin, placing Armenian musical memory in dialogue with contemporary voices. Rachmaninoff’s Op. 38 romances bring the evening into a more private, dreamlike world of Russian lyricism, while zarzuela songs add color, theater, and Spanish-language flair.

Rooted Readers at Four Winds Farm 

Planting Ideas. Growing Conversation. Building Community.  

**This session of Rooted Readers is currently sold out. You may sign up for our newly added second volume of Rooted Readers here!**

Rooted Readers is more than a traditional book club. It is a thoughtfully curated, nine-month experience designed for readers who want meaningful conversation, memorable gatherings, and the opportunity to build genuine connections within the welcoming setting of Four Winds Farm. 

From September through May, members will gather seven times to explore an intentionally selected collection of fiction and nonfiction. Each book opens the door to a different conversation – about food and agriculture, nature, community, history, resilience, personal growth, and our relationship with the world around us.

Inspired by Kaizen, the practice of continuous, incremental improvement, Rooted Readers embraces the idea that meaningful growth often begins with something small: a new perspective, an unexpected question, or a conversation that stays with us long after the evening ends. 

More Than a Book Discussion 

Each gathering is carefully designed around that month’s selection and includes: 

• A guided, engaging book discussion 
• A themed tasting, activity, reflection, or exchange 
• Curated snacks and beverages
• All materials needed for the featured experience 
• Time to connect with a consistent community of fellow readers 

Throughout the season, members might share an in-season charcuterie board, sample foods inspired by the Great Depression, participate in a reciprocity exchange, or enjoy an Ina Garten–inspired cocktail hour. Every detail is chosen to bring the book beyond the page and create an experience that feels welcoming, thoughtful, and worth looking forward to. 

You do not need to be a literary expert or an experienced book-club member. Simply read the selection before each gathering and arrive ready to share, listen, and explore the ideas it inspires.

Membership Options 

Full-Term Membership With Books 

Includes admission to all seven gatherings, all six required books, curated snacks and beverages, and all featured activities, tastings, and supplies throughout the nine-month season. Your books will be selected and provided for you, making it easy to enjoy the complete Rooted Readers experience from beginning to end. 

Full-Term Membership Without Books

Includes admission to all seven gatherings, curated snacks and beverages, and all featured activities, tastings, and supplies throughout the nine-month season. Members choosing this option are responsible for obtaining their own copies of the six required books.

A limited number of drop-in tickets may be available for individual meetings. Full-term membership offers the best overall value and is strongly encouraged for those who want to experience the complete reading journey, build deeper connections with fellow members, and see the season’s conversations develop from one gathering to the next. 

2026–2027 Reading Schedule

September 28, 2026 – Rooted Readers Kickoff 

Get to know the club and meet your fellow readers before we begin our first selection. Bring a favorite book – or one you have read recently – to share with the group. We’ll enjoy snacks, talk about what makes a great book-club experience, and introduce the upcoming reading list. 

No advance reading is required for this gathering. 

October 26, 2026 – Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver 

This nonfiction narrative follows one family’s effort to spend a year eating locally and seasonally, exploring where food comes from and how our choices connect us to the land. 

Featured activity: Enjoy an in-season charcuterie board inspired by the book while discussing local food, seasonality, and the choices that shape the way we eat.

December 7, 2026 – Why Fish Don’t Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller 

Part biography, part memoir, and part scientific exploration, this book examines order, chaos, nature, resilience, and how we create meaning in an unpredictable world. 

Featured activity: A “What’s Your Dandelion?” reflection and discussion. Participants may anonymously share something that brings meaning, joy, or stability to their lives.

January 18, 2027 – The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Through lessons drawn from the natural world, Kimmerer invites readers to imagine lives and communities rooted in gratitude, reciprocity, generosity, and connection. 

Featured activity: A “take one, leave one” exchange inspired by the book’s themes of sharing and reciprocity. Additional details about what to bring will be provided before the meeting. 

March 1, 2027 – One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way by Robert Maurer

This practical guide explores how small, manageable actions can help us overcome fear, build momentum, and create meaningful, lasting change. 

Featured activity: Revisit New Year’s resolutions through a Kaizen lens and turn one larger goal into a realistic series of small steps.

April 12, 2027 – The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

Set during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl, this historical novel follows a Texas woman who journeys west with her children in search of safety, opportunity, and a better life.

Featured activity: Sample Depression-era foods and join a “What Would You Pack?” discussion exploring difficult choices, resilience, and what we value most. 

May 24, 2027 – Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir by Ina Garten 

In this memoir, the Barefoot Contessa reflects on food, business, creativity, relationships, risk-taking, and the choices that shaped her life and career. 

Featured activity: An Ina Garten–inspired cocktail hour and signature recipe exchange. Additional instructions for the recipe exchange will be shared before the meeting. 

Come for the books, stay for the conversation, and leave with new ideas, new connections, and something worth carrying forward.

New session added by popular demand! Rooted
Readers: Volume Two is an additional session of our existing book club. It
follows the same format and gives more readers a chance to join us. If you’re
already registered for the original session, you’re all set, there’s no need to
sign up for both.

Rooted Readers at
Four Winds Farm – Volume Two 

Planting Ideas. Growing
Conversation. Building Community.  

Rooted Readers is more than a traditional book club.
It is a thoughtfully curated, nine-month experience designed for readers who
want meaningful conversation, memorable gatherings, and the opportunity to
build genuine connections within the welcoming setting of Four Winds
Farm. 

From September through May, members will gather seven
times to explore an intentionally selected collection of fiction and
nonfiction. Each book opens the door to a different conversation – about food
and agriculture, nature, community, history, resilience, personal growth, and
our relationship with the world around us.

Inspired by Kaizen, the practice of
continuous, incremental improvement, Rooted Readers embraces the idea that
meaningful growth often begins with something small: a new perspective, an
unexpected question, or a conversation that stays with us long after the
evening ends. 

More Than a Book Discussion 

Each gathering is carefully designed around that
month’s selection and includes: 

• A
  guided, engaging book discussion 
• A
  themed tasting, activity, reflection, or exchange 
• Curated
  snacks and beverages
• All
  materials needed for the featured experience 
• Time
  to connect with a consistent community of fellow readers 

Throughout the season, members might share an
in-season charcuterie board, sample foods inspired by the Great Depression,
participate in a reciprocity exchange, or enjoy an Ina Garten–inspired cocktail
hour. Every detail is chosen to bring the book beyond the page and create an
experience that feels welcoming, thoughtful, and worth looking forward
to. 

You do not need to be a literary expert or an
experienced book-club member. Simply read the selection before each gathering
and arrive ready to share, listen, and explore the ideas it inspires.

Membership Options 

Full-Term Membership With Books 

Includes admission to all seven gatherings, all six
required books, curated snacks and beverages, and all featured activities,
tastings, and supplies throughout the nine-month season. Your books will be
selected and provided for you, making it easy to enjoy the complete Rooted
Readers experience from beginning to end. 

Full-Term Membership Without Books

Includes admission to all seven gatherings, curated
snacks and beverages, and all featured activities, tastings, and supplies
throughout the nine-month season. Members choosing this option are responsible
for obtaining their own copies of the six required books.

A limited number of drop-in tickets may be available
for individual meetings. Full-term membership offers the best overall value and
is strongly encouraged for those who want to experience the complete reading
journey, build deeper connections with fellow members, and see the season’s
conversations develop from one gathering to the next. 

2026–2027 Reading Schedule

October 5, 2026 – Rooted Readers
Kickoff 

Get to know the club and meet your fellow readers
before we begin our first selection. Bring a favorite book – or one you have
read recently – to share with the group. We’ll enjoy snacks, talk about what
makes a great book-club experience, and introduce the upcoming reading
list. 

No advance reading is required for
this gathering. 

November 2, 2026 – Animal, Vegetable,
Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver 

This nonfiction narrative follows one family’s effort
to spend a year eating locally and seasonally, exploring where food comes from
and how our choices connect us to the land. 

Featured activity: Enjoy an in-season charcuterie board inspired by the
book while discussing local food, seasonality, and the choices that shape the
way we eat.

December 14, 2026 –
Why Fish Don’t Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by
Lulu Miller 

Part biography, part memoir, and part scientific
exploration, this book examines order, chaos, nature, resilience, and how we
create meaning in an unpredictable world. 

Featured activity: A “What’s Your Dandelion?” reflection and discussion.
Participants may anonymously share something that brings meaning, joy, or
stability to their lives.

January 25, 2027 –
The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall
Kimmerer Through lessons
drawn from the natural world, Kimmerer invites readers to imagine lives and
communities rooted in gratitude, reciprocity, generosity, and connection. 

Featured activity: A “take one, leave one” exchange inspired by the
book’s themes of sharing and reciprocity. Additional details about what to
bring will be provided before the meeting. 

March 8, 2027 – One Small Step Can
Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way by Robert Maurer

This practical guide explores how small, manageable
actions can help us overcome fear, build momentum, and create meaningful,
lasting change. 

Featured activity: Revisit New Year’s resolutions through a Kaizen lens
and turn one larger goal into a realistic series of small steps.

April 19, 2027 – The Four Winds by
Kristin Hannah

Set during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl, this
historical novel follows a Texas woman who journeys west with her children in
search of safety, opportunity, and a better life.

Featured activity: Sample Depression-era foods and join a “What Would
You Pack?” discussion exploring difficult choices, resilience, and what we
value most. 

May 24, 2027 – Be Ready When the Luck
Happens: A Memoir by Ina Garten 

In this memoir, the Barefoot Contessa reflects on
food, business, creativity, relationships, risk-taking, and the choices that
shaped her life and career. 

Featured activity: An Ina Garten–inspired cocktail hour and signature
recipe exchange. Additional instructions for the recipe exchange will be shared
before the meeting. 

A note about our final meeting: Our last
gathering will be five weeks after the previous
meeting, instead of the usual six. Volume One and Volume Two will come
together for this final event, giving everyone a chance to meet the other
readers and celebrate the end of the book club session!

Come for the books, stay for the conversation, and
leave with new ideas, new connections, and something worth carrying forward.

Join Four Winds Farm's sommelier James Juedes for a Napa Valley Deep Dive. This seminar-style tasting will explore one of Italy’s most celebrated wine regions through a curated selection of wines and expert guidance. Guests are asked to arrive promptly at 6 pm.

How does it work?

If you'd like to participate in the tasting, please reserve tickets in advance on this page. This wine tasting is $65 per guest and will highlight top-tier bottles from the chosen region. You are welcome to stay after the seminar to enjoy additional wines by the glass or bottle. Wines will also be available for retail purchase. Email us at info@fourwindsfarmfitchburg.com with any questions.

What is Vingård?

This event is presented in partnership with UW–Madison Badger Talks.

About the Presenter

Dr. Reba Luiken is the Executive Director of Allen Centennial Garden, where she creates meaningful opportunities for people to engage with plants, experiential learning, and one another. She holds a Ph.D. in the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine, a B.S. in Plant Biology, and a B.A. in Religious Studies. Her background also includes developing public programs, visitor experiences, and exhibits for museums and public gardens.

Registration closes November 12. Be sure to sign up before the deadline to secure your spot!