Phoenix Rising: How a Small Town Fire Led to a Community Sanctuary

Episode Summary

In this episode of Contagious Joy, hosts Kim and Jenny interview Lois Pajari, the owner and operator of Cook’s Country Connection. Lois shares the devastating story of the June 2013 fire that destroyed her business, the Cook Dollar Barn, and left eight families homeless. Out of that tragedy, Lois returned to her great-grandparents' 1900 homestead to build a new sanctuary. Now celebrating its 10th season, the farm has become a vibrant community hub featuring a mobile zoo, farm yoga, summer camps, and a sanctuary for "misfit" animals.

Show Notes

• The Catalyst for Rebirth: Kim introduces Lois Pajari and the history of the catastrophic 2013 fire in Cook, Minnesota.
• Life Before the Fire: Lois discusses her transition from the airline industry to opening the "Dollar Barn," which became a community hub for local tenants.
• The First Field Trip: The emotional moment a school bus arrived at the farm, sparking the idea for a permanent farm-based business.
• The Day of the Fire: Lois recounts receiving the phone call that changed everything and the loss of her business and family heirlooms.
• Building a New Dream: Using graph paper and inspiration from other agritourism farms to sketch the layout of Cook’s Country Connection.
• Building the "Ark": Learning to raise Nigerian dwarf goats, llamas, and sheep through trial, error, and "Stories Guides".
• Lessons Learned: The importance of "test families" and why you should never put concrete pavers at the bottom of a slide.
• Searching for a Matt Damon connection. Cousin Matt come to Cook!

You can find Lois at Cook’s Country Connection at www.cookscountryconnection.com

Instagram: cookscountryconnection

Facebook: Cook's Country Connection

Check out Cook’s Country Connection on HipCamp.com/Cooks Country Connection