St. Croix Stories

After years in the restaurant industry, Paul Rode eventually took a shot at opening his own place when he established Agave Kitchen in downtown Hudson, Wis. From the get, the restaurant was a success, as it brought something new to the downtown food scene. Agave his since been a staple of downtown Hudson, and Paul has continued to be a big supporter of the Hudson community through his entrepreneurial ventures and his philanthropy.
On this episode of St. Croix Stories, hear from Paul about the lessons he learned at a young age that led him to eventually open Agave Kitchen — and the lessons he learned in those early years of Agave that he says any business owner can learn from. Paul also talks about his love of rally cars, discusses the pressure that comes with having a very visible marquee on his restaurant, and shares why 4 a.m. in an empty downtown is his favorite thing about Hudson.

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As a high schooler, Mike Miller spent his summers helping do maintenance at Willow River Cemetery. It was a job he could walk to from his house and kept him active during the summer. But at the time, he had no visions of making a career out of it.
Fast forward to today, and Mike has now been the caretaker at Willow River Cemetery for over 30 years. Mike joined this week's episode of the St. Croix Stories podcast to share about what it's like being the caretaker at Hudson's only public cemetery, which also happens to be a non-profit. He also reminisces about growing up in Hudson, talks about the history of Willow River Cemetery, and much more during his conversation with host Tyler Mason.

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After working for years as a chemist for 3M and then as an instructor at a technical college, Joyce Hall was approached about running for city council in Hudson — an idea she had never before considered. But she decided to run, and was eventually voted onto the council. She's now served on the Hudson City Council since 2015, making her the second-longest-tenured alderperson in the city.
Most people in Hudson know Joyce from that role, but she wears even more hats: a home business owner of more than 20 years, a volunteer with the Hudson Daybreak Rotary, a math lab tutor, and a grandma who takes her granddaughter all over Hudson. Joyce added one more role her already full plate: podcast guest. She joined this week's St. Croix Stories episode to talk about the role of the Hudson City Council, some recent items of business the council has helped advance, what she enjoys most about being so active in her local community, and more.

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While working full-time as an attorney, Justin Terbeest became an avid home brewer — and he was good at it, too. Justin entered numerous home brewing competitions in Wisconsin and elsewhere in the United States and found success at it. That sparked the idea to eventually open up a brewery, and he chose Hudson, Wisconsin for the location of Hop and Barrel Brewing.
Hop and Barrel is one of two breweries currently in operation in Hudson, along with Pitchfork Brewing. Hop and Barrel helped bring beer back to downtown Hudson, where there were once multiple breweries more than 150 years ago. Hop and Barrel recently celebrated its six-year anniversary and has expanded its footprint to cover nearly every county in Wisconsin.
On this week's episode, Justin joins St. Croix Stories over a few beers at the Hop and Barrel taproom to talk about his journey in home brewing, what it was like to quit his job as a lawyer to focus on the brewery, and discusses his favorite (and least favorite) styles of beer.

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Is The Garage Bikes and Brews a bike shop first, or a brewery first? If you ask co-owner Stephanie Johnson, the answer is: both. Stephanie is a River Falls native who married a fellow River Falls native, Matt. The duo co-own The Garage, which opened in 2020 and is set to celebrate its fifth anniversary. The space offers a unique vibe where visitors can enjoy a beer — brewed by Stephanie and Matt's son Ellis — while also watching bikes get fixed behind the bar.

On this episode of St. Croix Stories, Stephanie shares more about how a wrist injury eventually fueled her passion for cycling as an adult, which ultimately became a family business. She also talks about the challenges of opening The Garage during the pandemic, discusses the music scene hosted at The Garage, and shares her favorite places to ride her bike in the St. Croix Valley.

The Garage is also participating in the Bluegrass, Bourbon & Brews Festival in River Falls as a host venue, and will be hosting many other musical acts throughout the summer. You can find a full list of events here.

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Follow St. Croix Stories on Facebook and Instagram, and hear all episodes at stcroixstories.com.