Janesville Blackhawk Golden Kiwanis

Blackhawk Golden ‘K’ General Meeting
Minutes
November 12^th, 2025

President Elect Tom Neumann presided, and called the meeting to order with a ring of the bell at 9:30AM.
29 members were in attendance today.

The meeting was led with the singing of America, the National Anthem, and the Pledge of Allegiance.

Invocation: Ron Shuler, mentioning good weather for raking, and the children.

Raffle: John Janes oversaw the ticket sales and drawing this week.
The weekly pot was $14 and the big (Joker) pot was $76.
Steve Skelly drew a ticket from the bucket, ticket number 677.  Congratulations to the winner, Mel Lemirande.
The deck of cards has 47/53 cards remaining.  Mel Lemirande drew the J♠.

President Elect Tom Neumann thanks greeters Dave Peterson and Bob Knudson, invocator Ron Shuler, rafflemaster John Janes, and server Glenn Disrude.

Happy Box: Nikki Bennett announced she is happy because the Bennetts teach mobile art classes.  Many interesting art pieces were demonstrated.

Jim Farrell announced he is happy because we have no snow.  Jim’s niece is in an area that had 14 inches.
John Janes announced he is happy because his niece has a new job, and she is a big earner!

President Elect Tom Neumann announced that Ryan Lewis brought a guest today, Nancy Cremin.

Jokes: Joker Steve Skelly had a good joke about a cop at a bar, who pulled over the designated decoy.

Member Health: Tom Neumann had a status update on Bruce Jorenby, who is at home, receiving physical therapy.
Tom Neumann had a status update on Gregg Dickinson, who had a balloon in his intestines, which was removed.  Gregg will be home tomorrow.
Ryan Lewis had a status update on Dave Thill, who is having trouble with mobility.

Other Announcements: Glenn Disrude spoke upon the Milton, Craig and Parker scholarships, which will be awarded based on new metrics, including family dynamic and means.
Tom Neumann announced we are seeking ideas for Christmas Party games and events.  He hopes to have a successful ‘White Elephant.’

Committee Reports: John Janes announced the Truck on Ice banners deadline is today.  To date, we have over $8,000!  New sponsors include Centerway Auto, the Dave Tilton Memorial Fund, and Kiwanis member Glenn Disrude!

April Wright introduced the day’s speaker, Scott Skelly.  Over 35 years selling produce with wife Laura and children, Scott’s family has a history in agriculture spanning well over a century.  He has an agricultural business major, and spent part of his life moving around the country assisting other farmers in developing corn mazes viewable with aerial photographs.
Some facts about Scott Skelly and Skelly’s Farm Market include:
Scott’s great great grandfather settled in the area after surveying it in 1848.
Until a few decades ago, the family were dairy farmers.
Scott and his family decided on four rows of sweet corn around their house for the family of five.  They quickly realized, ‘too much!’  The children helped operate a farm stand to sell the excess, for which they were rewarded with a water park trip.
The practice quickly evolved, and by 2005, Skelly’s sold their cows.  Greenhouses were purchased.  The idea of hydroponics was entertained, and grafting to advanced root stock was decided upon.
Kiwanian John Janes questioned, “Is Skelly’s organic?”  Scott, “No.”
Skelly’s has an eight year crop rotation, because for example pumpkins can continue underground for five years after harvest.
Kiwanis member Bob Wilcox asks, “Where is the grafting and etc. technology taught?”  Scott responded, “Many trade shows.”
Scott explained their corn has a focus on taste.  “The corn we grow is different.  It has a high sugar content.  It must be refrigerated within a day, or it loses half its sugars!”

Kiwanian Tom Neumann asks, “Are crops picked by hand?”  Scott replies, “Yes.  There are 8-10 pickers per row.”  Some short videos later demonstrated their practices.
Skelly’s offerings include muskmelon, watermelon, and pumpkins.  They have corn mazes, for which they receive national renown.  The bakery has been rebuilt or moved to its now third iteration.
Skelly’s has at least eight farm stands in our locale.  Two are in Janesville, two in Beloit, one in Evansville, Edgerton, Roscoe and another city.
Videos demonstrated multiple farming practices and events.
Kiwanis member Mel Lemirande asks, “The harvest truck appears to do damage?”  Scott, “Yes, corn is ‘one and done.’”
Kiwanian Jim Farrell, “Some grocery store corn is de-husked.  Is that good.”  Scott, “They lose some freshness.  Bugs are a reality everywhere, and the practice combats them.”
Scott spoke upon the melons Skelly’s grows, and their need for honeybees.  Skelly’s has an agreement with commercial beekeepers to keep hives on the grounds.
Kiwanis member Tom Neumann, “Tell us about your labor.”  Scott responds, “They are local.  Some are 15+ years on, and are aging out.”
Kiwanian Bob Wilcox asks, “Bees?”  Scott explained there are 10-15 colonies, and additionally they have bumblebee boxes strategically placed within the grounds.
Scott explained Skelly’s Farm Market grows strawberries, sourced from a nursery that supplies half the nation.  The plants are not harvested the first year, and their flowers are clipped.  After that year, they provide four years of harvest.

Scott had a question about mazes, to which he offered, “Skelly’s has been doing farm mazes for around twenty years.  The equipment have software to follow while driving, a dot shows them when to turn.”

Kiwanis member Jim Farrell asks, “Is the equipment leased?”  Scott, “No.  That said, the equipment such as the strawberry harvester can be $500-750,000 each!”
Skelly’s Farm Market is open Memorial Day to Halloween, with multiple special events during the year.

April Wright thanked Scott Skelly for speaking and presented him with a Kiwanis Parker pen.

Tom Neumann adjourned the meeting with a ring of the bell at 10:55AM.

On this day:
1439 Plymouth, England, becomes the first town incorporated by the English Parliament
1775 General Washington forbids recruiting officers from enlisting black troops
1799 Andrew Ellicott makes the first known record of a meteor shower observation in the U.S, from a ship off the coast of Florida Keys
1833 The great Leonid Meteor shower recorded
1859 Jules Leotard performs the first flying trapeze circus act in Paris; he also designs the garment that bears his name
1894 Lawrence Hargrave, Australian aeronautical pioneer and inventor of the box kite, linked four huge box kites together and flew – but remained attached to the ground by piano wire
1900 Exposition Universelle (World’s Fair) in Paris closes after 50 million visitors – Art Nouveau style dominates
1910 First possible movie stunt: A man jumps into the Hudson River from a burning balloon
1931 Abbey Road Studios opened in London and was later made famous by the Beatles, who recorded most of their albums there.
1933 Hugh Gray takes the first known photo of the so-called Loch Ness monster
1936 First-ever TV gardening show “In Your Garden” airs on the BBC
1945 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to American politician Cordell Hull (for establishing the UN)
1946 A branch of the Exchange National Bank in Chicago, Illinois opens the first ten drive-up teller windows
1954 Ellis Island, immigration station in NY Harbor is closed
1955 Doc and Marty McFly are sent “Back to the Future” when lightning strikes the Hill Valley clock tower at exactly 10:04 pm, generating the power to send the DeLorean and Marty back to 1985 [fictional]
1956 The largest observed iceberg, 208 by 60 miles, is first sighted
1964 Paula Murphy sets a female land speed record of 226.37 mph (364.31 km/h)
1966 Buzz Aldrin takes the first “space selfie,” a photo of himself performing extravehicular activity in space during the Gemini 12 mission

1968 US Supreme Court: Epperson v. Arkansas declares unconstitutional the Arkansas law banning the teaching of evolution in public schools
1970 Scientists perform 1st artificial synthesis of a live cell
1971 Arches National Park—a desert area of sandstone formations in eastern Utah—was established; the region had been designated a national monument in 1929.
1972 Charity concert for United Crusade (now United Way) in San Diego, California attracts nearly 52,000; performers include: J. Geils Band, Jesse Colin Young, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Foghat, and Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show
1973 British sitcom series “Last of the Summer Wine” debuts on BBC; it goes on to become the longest running sitcom ever, airing for 31 seasons
1974 A salmon is discovered in the River Thames, England, for the first time since 1833
1975 American Supreme Court Justice William O Douglas (77) retires after 36 years
1980 US space probe Voyager I approaches 77,000-mi (124,000 km) of Saturn
1981 2nd shuttle mission-1st time spacecraft launched twice (Columbia 2)
1984 Paul McCartney releases single “We All Stand Together”
1984 Space shuttle astronauts snared a satellite 1st space salvage
1990 The World Wide Web is first proposed by CERN computer scientists Tim Berners-Lee and Robert Cailliau
2018 American comic book writer Stan Lee—who helped create such iconic characters and teams as the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, the Avengers, and the X-Men for Marvel Comics—died at age 95.
Taking its name from the inspirational book series Chicken Soup for the Soul, this holiday is about reflecting on and celebrating where you’ve been and where you are headed. According to multiple online sources, the publisher of the book series, Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing, has said the day is “…a celebration of who you are, where you’ve been, where you’re going, and who you will be thankful to when you get there!”
Fancy Rat & Mouse Day celebrates fancy rats and mice, as well as their fanciers: those who breed and care for them. Fancy rats and mice may be both show animals and pets, and their coats come in a variety of colors and patterns. On account of breeding, domesticated rats are more colorful than their wild counterparts—being cinnamon, white, and blue in hue—and are tamer, have a different temperament, and live longer. Fancy rats and mice are affordable and generally easy to care for.

Minutes by Ryan Lewis.
Credit: Dave Figi, and Ryan Lewis, photographs.

Note: Kiwanis and its members are not responsible for errors or omissions.  We are open to discussion if you would like to request an alteration.