Fall is here, and soon Old Man Winter will be knocking on your door. For much of the country it’s time to put away spring and summer outdoor power equipment, such as lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and trimmers, and get out snow throwers, generators and other small engine equipment. The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), an international trade association representing more … [Read more...]
Recycling 101: Changing times
By Drew Hatzenbihler Solid Waste Administrator Bob Dylan said it best when he wrote “times they are a-changin’.” As uncomfortable as it may be, change is inevitable. Here in Fillmore County we are forced to change more often than we may like. Due to changes in recycling markets, and changes to policies at the landfills Fillmore County uses, we are making several changes to … [Read more...]
Recycling 101: Household Hazardous Waste
By Drew Hatzenbihler Solid Waste Administrator The days are getting shorter, the weather is getting colder, and leaves are starting to change color. This can only mean one thing… It’s time for another Household Hazardous Waste event in Fillmore County! This fall, Household Hazardous Waste Day will be on Tuesday, October 2 from 12-5 p.m. This past spring, I offered some tips … [Read more...]
Is it a shed or a house?
“It’s called a shouse,” Betty Johnson said. “We call it home,” her husband Darin finished. Betty, RN Lead at Olmsted Medical Center in Chatfield and Darin, who does construction work, live in a large shed that is also a house, called a “shouse.” When they first started thinking about building a shouse, their adult kids, Josh, Jess, and John were appalled. “They said, ‘Mom, … [Read more...]
Rushford farm upgrades to solar
With the costs related to farming on the rise, Rushford resident and farmer Jon Peterson is always on the lookout for ways to increase efficiencies and maintain sustainability efforts. This May, Peterson and his family installed a 37.5 kilowatt-generating solar array at Hill Vue Farm, their 800-acre organic farm. “This was really the only option we considered,” says Peterson. … [Read more...]