Paid for in pie from Our Wisconsin Magazine

How sweet would this old world be if we were all paid in pie?

I’ve been mulling that notion ever since I first subscribed to Our Wisconsin Magazine several years ago. Contributors to the magazine get paid in fresh pecan pies that are baked by a semi-retired Amish farmer.

In addition to baking the pies, Owen Yoder also writes a regular column in the magazine and I look forward to it every issue.

He describes his family’s day-to-day life on a farm we drive by every time we go to our cabin.

We all mourned with him when he lost his beloved wife Treva, and we celebrate the births of each grandchild. He has 45!

I find the whole thing — the magazine, the pie and the widower baking them — very charming.

And I wanted one of those pecan pies.

I idly planned to submit a story or photo, but my life got busy and time marched on.

Until, one day a couple months ago, I took a little time to look through my photos and select a few to submit.

Fully committed now, I planned to bombard the editorial staff with pictures until they relented and sent me a pie. To my great delight, they picked a picture from that first batch.

I won a pie!

Of course, I alerted the family text chain immediately.

When the September/October issue came out, I heard from a few people who saw the photo I took, including fellow pie-recipients Carl and Ilene Anderson. Carl wrote a sweet story about the ring he gave Ilene when they got engaged 65 years ago. The Anderson’s story appeared in the July/August issue.

They assured me the pie was delicious and we chatted a bit about our admiration for the magazine.

Yesterday, my pie arrived, much to my household’s delight.

Baked and packed with tender care, the pie arrived in perfect condition, along with a note thanking me for my contribution.

I was extra tickled to see that editor Mike Beno had written “Thank you for sharing a slice of your life.”

We must be kindred spirits.

And the pie really is delicious.