Two decades ago, Shawn Hutchens opened Green Fields, a smoke shop and bohemian boutique with imported items from around the world, at 1800 N. Farwell Ave. In 2011, he opened a second shop at 1239 N. Brady St.
The original Green Fields closed a few years later, and sadly, the Brady Street location closed this weekend. According to a Facebook post, Hutchens moved to Western North Carolina five years ago and decided to sell the buildings in Milwaukee. Recently, he invested in a new company, JustOne Organics.
Green Fields was one of Milwaukee's last "New Age / hippie shops" featuring crystals, batiks, Buddha statues, incense, instruments, sweaters, hats, bags, carved masks, posters, semi-precious stones / silver jewelry, picture frames, organic journals, soaps, bath salts, mobiles and more.
The majority of the items in the shop came from Indonesia, Katmandu, Thailand, Bali and India, but there were a few locally-made products, too.
"We deal with more than 150 small businesses and shop owners. We work closely with the people. In most of the places we buy, we see the people making the handicrafts," said Hutchens in a 2011 OnMilwaukee article.
Hutchens started out as a parking lot vendor at Grateful Dead shows in the '80s and '90s and later opened two Green Fields boutiques in Indiana and two in Milwaukee, as well as Riverwest Pizza.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
