The CEDC is sprinkling a little extra purple magic across the Chippewa Valley with its Business Expansion and Retention (BEAR) program—think of it as a fragrant breeze supporting local businesses, like the blossoming Pond View Lavender Farm nestled in Wheaton, Wisconsin
Introduced by CEDC in 2007 the BEAR Program’s aim is to be the garden trowel helping businesses take root and bloom with all the resources and know-how they need. This bouquet of strategic initiatives includes BEAR Visits, Lunch & Learns, Listening Sessions, and even Podcasts—all designed to help the Chippewa Valley thrive.
Like a “pollinator-CEDC conducts over 40 BEAR visits annually to connect with local businesses, engaging directly with leaders to develop relevant programs, advocating on key issues, and staying informed on trends shape our region’s economy. The BEAR Visit approach emphasizes face-to-face contact and dialogue, nurturing and creating collaborative relationships rather than transactional interactions. During these personalized visits, businesses host leaders. give tour and updates on their operations. Both sweet and thorny discussions are held with CEDC-helping weave a tapestry of local growth.
Pondview Lavender Farm represents exactly the type of entrepreneurial success story that BEAR visits are designed to support, amplify, and celebrate local dreams that grow from seed to full bloom. Bob and Stephanie Sworski were recognized as Entrepreneurs of the Year at CEDC’s 30th Annual Meeting in 2025, acknowledging their achievement in growing a blooming business from the ground up. The farm, which opened in June 2024, features 4 acres of organically grown lavender on an 11-acre property and has quickly become a beloved community destination.
The Sworskis hand-planted approximately 9,800 to 10,000 lavender plants beginning in 2020, transforming their family hobby into a thriving agritourism business. The farm offers u-pick lavender experiences during the bloom season, hosts special events like yoga in the lavender fields, and operates a gift shop featuring locally handcrafted lavender products. Their commitment to partnership with other local businesses, including Chippewa Distillery and Riverbend Winery—demonstrates the collaborative spirit that drives Chippewa’s economic growth.
When CEDC representatives visit businesses like Pondview Lavender Farm, they gather critical intelligence about the local business climate. The visits reduce business isolation, cultivate resilient business environments, and ensure that the local economy benefits from shared innovation and collective action. For a relatively new agritourism venture like Pondview, these connections can be invaluable.
The BEAR visit to Pondview also explores several key areas. First, operational updates about the farm’s expansion plans, seasonal workforce needs, and production capacity helped the attendees understand how to support similar agricultural enterprises. Second, discussions about facility and infrastructure needs—space constraints, marketing, workforce development, and supplier/cost increases—allowed CEDC to identify barriers and connect the business with appropriate resources. Third, sharing the farm’s successes, such as their overwhelming community response and local business partnerships, provides CEDC with best practices to share with other entrepreneurs.
BEAR visits create measurable economic value that extends far beyond individual companies. They foster job creation, enable efficient use of resources, support strategic planning, and enhance the competitive advantage of Chippewa County as a whole.
For Pondview Lavender Farm, which operates seasonally and employs family members along with seasonal workers, connections to addition tourism, film and travel writers would be particularly valuable. The farm also exemplifies how agritourism can diversify the local economy. As the only lavender farm in the immediate Chippewa Falls area, Pondview attracts visitors from throughout the region, generating economic activity that ripples through restaurants, shops, and other attractions. Understanding and supporting this multiplier effect is precisely what BEAR visits are designed to accomplish.
Perhaps most importantly, BEAR visits build trust and ongoing relationships between economic development professionals and business owners. For entrepreneurs like Bob and Stephanie Sworski, knowing they have a direct line to economic development resources, advocacy support, and business expertise provides confidence to take calculated risks and pursue growth opportunities. These relationships ensure that when challenges arise—whether it’s navigating expansion financing, addressing regulatory hurdles, or connecting with skilled workers, businesses know where to turn.
As Pondview Lavender Farm enters its third season in 2026, the ongoing relationship with CEDC through programs like BEAR visits will continue to provide mutual benefits. The farm can access expertise and connections that would be difficult for a small family business to develop independently, while CEDC gains deeper understanding of the agritourism sector and the unique needs of sustainable agriculture businesses in Chippewa County. [
By nurturing established businesses and championing fresh ideas, CEDC’s BEAR program makes sure Chippewa County will always be a vibrant, fragrant, and flourishing place to live, work, and grow