2022 Cloy Kuhse Positive Impact Award Winner
Updated: November 8, 2023 | Posted: January 9, 2023
Allamakee County Economic Development & Tourism (ACED) is happy to announce Welsh’s Village Farm & Home – Lansing as the 2022 Cloy Kuhse Positive Impact Award Winner! This announcement was made at Allamakee’s Annual Meeting, which was held at Village Creek Bible Camp on Thursday, October 20, 2022. ACED Board President Christina Drahos shared the nomination with the attendees.
“Welsh’s Farm & Home has been a Main Street business since 1965, making it one of the longest operating businesses on Main Street. The third generation of Welshes is now serving Lansing and the surrounding area with the same and cheerful “can do” spirit that began with Lloyd Welsh 57 years ago.
Welsh’s Village Farm & Home lives up to its name, stocking just about anything a homeowner or farmer (or hunter or fisher) could want or need. To truly understand Welsh’s, watch this.
This may sound like any other store that services the needs of a rural area small town, and to a degree it is. What makes this business unique is the family that puts the Welsh at the head of the title.
Lloyd Welsh set the tone with his generosity and outgoing nature, and his son Rick and daughter Deb are true to that tone, as are Rick’s sons, Holden (great sales skills!) and Nolan always changing tires. In fact, the entire staff, family or not, continue to display the helpfulness that is the hallmark of Welsh’s Farm & Home.
In addition to being a flourishing business, the Welsh family is known for service – to Lansing and to everyone who comes in contact with them. Rick and his wife Julie are members of the volunteer Emergency Media Services. Deb is a member of the Lions Club and is part of the committee that makes the annual Lansing Fish Days a popular celebration every summer – in fact, Welsh’s is where you sign up to volunteer and one of the places where you buy your button and/ or t-shirt. Welsh’s is also where you drop off donations for LIFT (Lansing Iowa Food Trust – the local food bank). As a family they are involved with their church school – Deb is very involved in the Kee High Post Prom Party. They, the business and the family, have been supporters of the Main Street Lansing program from the beginning in 2010 (Rick served on the Board). And if there is something happening on Main Street that will support the town, Welsh’s Farm & Home and the Welsh family are there to help make it happen.”
The award was accepted by Betty Welsh, Deb Welsh, Rikc & Julie Welsh and children Nolan, Casey and Holden.
This annual award was created to highlight and recognize a business that is making a positive impact in Allamakee County, as well as, to honor the memory of Cloy Kuhse and his vision. Welsh’s Village Farm & Home now joins the list of annual award recipients including Veterans Memorial Hospital & Clinic, Shep’s Riverside Bar & Grill of Lansing, WW Homestead Dairy, Growing Bear Daycare & PreSchool of Waukon, New Albin Savings Bank, Waukon Dental, Mike Ferring Construction of Waukon, TASC of Waukon, Wuennecke’s Meat Market of New Albin, and Norplex-Micarta of Postville.
