Ken's Karetaking is a property caretaking/management service specializing in eco-conscious building and grounds maintenance, sustainable,veganic gardening, and wildlife habitat enhancement.
In 1980, I moved to Northern Wisconsin from where I grew up in East Central Wisconsin. I loved the North Woods, but there was little to do for income. Northern Wisconsin has an abundance of lakes, which attracts many people to come and build vacation waterfront homes. It didn't take me long to realize that if I wanted to earn a living up there, I was going to have to learn how to do something in the services industry. I began by being a part time caretaker for a couple lake homes - turning on the water in spring and shutting it off in the fall. That expanded to odd jobs - painting, doc work, etc. I then ran a successful cleaning and janitorial business - servicing not only lake home people, but businesses around town. All this time I was also learning and honing my horticultural skills. I had planted and nurtured a small apple orchard and was heavily into gardening, rewilding with plantings, and shoreline restoration. It became glaringly apparent that planting the proper plants in the proper places could change the world. Eventually I relocated to a different Northern Wisconsin region, and decided to open a window cleaning service. All those waterfront homes had lots of glass and the last thing those people wanted to do while up on vacation was wash windows. Later I managed, and was caretaker for an eco-resort and then a remote eco-farm in Belize Central America. During this time I learned more and more about the property care-taking industry and living in harmony with wildlife. I came to relocate in Southwestern Wisconsin (The Driftless Region) because my interests in green living and horticulture were becoming more and more important to me. Here in Southwestern Wisconsin, I can grow a great garden, and lots of fruits and nuts with a high degree of success - whereas up north it was quite a challenge. Growing more of my own food meant that I was more sustainable. Yes, the soil and growing climate here in the "Driftless" is fantastic, allowing me to exercise my abilities to grow a sustainable, closed looped horticulture system. Now, well into my 50's it is time to blend the two most relevant interests in my life, property management and green/eco living. I have been an avid birder most of my life and have been active in many scientific studies regarding birds. I have done bird work for the United States Forest Service, the State of Wisconsin, the University of Montana and an array of other private and public entities. My birding skills come in handy when doing most any kind of eco-property management, whether it be woodland restorations or designing an outbuilding or a pond. I am hoping to attract one or two new accounts in the Viroqua, Wisconsin area or perhaps elsewhere (I'm open to all possibilities). My ideal client(s) would be;
I'm not into raising domestic animals so if you have a farm with domestic animals for food, show, entertainment or work, I'm not your guy. I am also sensitive to free roaming cats, (and high energy dogs) due to their impact on native species, it doesn't pay to go through the work of restoring habitat if Fighto chases them all away. For more information and to talk, please "click" below. Thank you for visiting and reading my site. |