By Courtney Thorman FFA Week is a week-long celebration that local chapters put on each year. The goal of FFA week is to throw fun activities for younger kids to get them engaged in the club. By hosting FFA Week, chapters increase enrollment and expose children to the joys of a high school club. The Rushford-Peterson chapter celebrates FFA Week by hosting a middle school … [Read more...]
Lanesboro’s FFA Week Summary
By Kristi Ruen The Lanesboro FFA Chapter has been busy with career development events, award applications and many fun activities for members. The chapter now boasts over 115 members who all enjoy the fun, friends and awards that FFA has to offer. The year started with six members exhibiting at the Minnesota State Fair FFA Livestock Show. Soon members were busy … [Read more...]
LeRoy-Ostrander FFA To Celebrate FFA Week
By Tiffany Timm The LeRoy-Ostrander FFA will celebrate 2025 FFA Week with a variety of items throughout the week!! Due to Presidents’ Day being on Monday there is no school, but many FFA members and L-O students/staff will be finding their dress up clothes for the upcoming days that week!! Dress up days for the week have yet to be determined due to officer meetings. However, … [Read more...]
National FFA Week – Caledonia Area
By Rich Larson The Caledonia Agriscience Education and FFA activities continue to be more hands-on and engaging for our Caledonia area students. Those areas of focus are within the Agribusiness Systems, Animal Sciences, Environmental Services, Food Products and Processing, Natural Resources Systems, Plant Systems and Power, Structural and Technical Systems. Our middle school … [Read more...]
Mabel-Canton Celebrate Agriculuture and FFA
By Carlena Gallagher The Mabel-Canton FFA chapter has been busy helping around the community and is now preparing for the activities we are doing during FFA week. Every year officers choose fun dress up days for kids to do every day and this year they are; Tuesday: battle of the brands (Carhartt vs. Wrangler), Wednesday: Country music singer day, Thursday: Fleet Farm dads … [Read more...]
Busy and Fun Year for Grand Meadow FFA
By Wyatt Garten The GM FFA has been pretty busy so far this year. We built a chick pen for the Mower County Fair barnyard, had a float in our homecoming parade, and had our annual fruit sales where we sold over $10,000 in fruit, meat and cheese, and other items. So far this year we have had three teams compete in Career Development Events (Livestock Judging, Fish and … [Read more...]
Spring Valley-Wykoff Chapter – Leading in Fields, Leading in Life!
By Kristal Brogan The Spring Valley-Wykoff FFA Chapter is successfully completing various activities with its numerous members in the 2024-2025 school year. With members actively participating in these activities it makes it easy to be successful in everything the chapter has accomplished. This chapter has hard working members who are willing to take on any task handed to … [Read more...]
Chatfield FFA Continues Level of Excellence
By Stacy Fritz Chatfield FFA continues its level of excellence through leadership, academics and community service. This past year, we had 11 FFA members who received their MN State FFA Degree. This brings us to a total of 100 members who have received this degree in Chatfield FFA history. As a chapter we were awarded the 3 Star Chapter Award for the eighth year in a … [Read more...]
Fillmore Central FFA Gearing Up for FFA Week
By Kayla Koch Fillmore Central FFA has had a busy year and is ready for more to come! Many Career and Leadership Development Events teams like General Livestock, Horse, Dairy, Poultry, Milk Quality, Floriculture, Fish and Wildlife, Companion Animal, Crops, Ag Mechanics, and Best Informed Greenhand have competed throughout the year. Eight students attended the … [Read more...]
2025 Century and Sesquicentennial Farm Applications
By Katie Drewitz The 2025 Minnesota Century Farm recognition program and 2025 Minnesota Sesquicentennial Farm recognition program applications are now open! The annual application deadline is the first Monday in March (March 3, 2025), and must be received by the sponsoring organization by that date (this is not a postmark deadline). Qualified applications received after … [Read more...]
Remembering the 4Rs When Applying Manure
By Katie Drewitz For much of the area, harvest is wrapped up. For many, fall is also the time for manure application to fields. Manure is a valuable, natural fertilizer. In order to get the most value for next year’s crop, and avoid runoff and leaching we need to remember the 4Rs. The 4Rs are Right Source, Right Rate, Right Time and Right Place. There are many sources … [Read more...]
Need a Trailer? Bluff Country Ag and Equipment’s Got it!
Just a year and a half ago, Creighton and Charles Horihan moved into their new building located along Highway 43 on the outskirts of Rushford. At that time, when asked if they had plans of adding any more businesses, Creighton had hinted at another one coming soon. Fast forward to today and that additional business has become a successful reality. Very visible from the … [Read more...]
Rotational Grazing: Pipeline to Water Quality, Soil Health
RUSHFORD - The rotational grazing system Carter Lee installed on 70 acres of Fillmore County blufftops is revitalizing pastureland, improving soil health and protecting the Root River, a designated trout stream. “That piece originally was in the CRP program (Conservation Reserve Program) and when it came out, we decided we would really like to put (the land) back into … [Read more...]
Anhydrous Safety Key Goal for Farmers This Fall
Many farmers and custom applicators will soon apply anhydrous ammonia (NH3) after harvest. Even with a rush against time and the weather, safety should never be compromised. Accidents involving NH3 have proven how dangerous and deadly the fertilizer can be when not handled properly. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) offers the following tips to farmers, … [Read more...]
What Consumers Can Do to Support Local Farmers
Farming has never been a vocation for individuals looking for easy work. Farmers typically work long hours, braving the elements regardless of how unpleasant the weather may be. All that hard work ensures individuals who live in rural, urban and suburban communities have constant, readily available access to healthy foods. Such devotion merits support, and thankfully there … [Read more...]