There are several small family businesses in the little town of Potosi, WI. Holiday Gardens and Morel Masters are two of the businesses that my family and I use the most. Holiday Gardens is also a big supporter of the Potosi School District and the community.
Morel Masters is a morel hunting and selling business run by my father and uncle, Jesse Edge and Jason Edge, respectively. Morel Masters has been running for twenty-two years. In the spring, Jesse buys morels from a seller, cleans them, and then resells them to people in the community. Jesse sells the morels via FedEx. Not only does he have to clean them, but he also has to use special packaging to make sure the morels are protected from the heat because they are perishable. When I asked Jesse how his small business helps the community, he stated, “Morels are very popular in Potosi and some people are not able to go hunt for them. Selling the morels gives people the opportunity to have them without the added work. Prices depend on market conditions and shipping costs. Jesse added; “I am hoping the business will continue to grow in the next five years. I also think it is good to have small businesses in small communities because they support your business more and the community is like one big family.”
A more traditional family-owned small-town business is Holiday Gardens, which is owned and operated by Sharon Bierman. Holiday Gardens is located across the street from The Potosi Brewery and is an event center that holds weddings as well as special events within the community. The event center has been open since June 2007. They have maintained a solid business for fourteen years. They try to hold one event per week with the main events being weddings during the fall and summer. They have 38 employees that only work part-time, and the majority are high schoolers. They have been really happy how the high school kids have helped them get through so many years of trying to grow the business. High school students that need a flexible schedule can come to Holiday Gardens and work part-time to gain work experience. Most of the high school students cook, clean, do dishes, and bust tables.
Sharon Bierman stated, “the business has been doing well because COVID has not affected us like others. We have had several bookings for events, and have maintained bookings to make sure our business is successful.” To make a business successful in a small community like Potosi, Sharon hires high school students, and forms relationships with them to become reliable workers. Sharon has spent the majority of her life in Potosi and is happy to be able to contribute to her business and help community members along the way.
It takes a village to help businesses become successful and stay that way. Potosi is happy to have these two small family-owned businesses a part of the community.