A riverbank stabilization project designed to protect the Root River State Trail, approximately two to three miles west of Houston, is almost complete, with the final phase, repairing the asphalt trail, expected to be completed by the end of September. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Parks and Trails prioritized the project after sections of the … [Read more...]
Forest Field Day and Prairie Walk
For 15 years, the Fillmore County Soil and Water Conservation District has hosted its annual Forest Field Day and Prairie Walk. This year’s event was held on July 29, at Steve and Diane Snyder’s property, outside Lanesboro. The event displayed forest management techniques, including buckthorn removal, cedar hillside clearing, and native re-establishment efforts. This year’s … [Read more...]
McCabe Family Farms: Growing Food, Family and Building a Legacy
For Joe and Amanda McCabe, farming is more than a livelihood – it’s a lifestyle centered on family, stewardship, and sustainable raised products. At McCabe Family Farms near Pilot Mound, they are raising not only livestock but also the next generation of farmers. Today, the couple, along with their children – Trayton, Addison, Jaxon and Hazel – play active roles in the daily … [Read more...]
Jim and Ellen Gardner: The Next Generation of Farmers
For Jim and Ellen Gardner, farming isn’t just a career, it’s a shared passion that began in college. The couple, who grew up on opposite sides of Minnesota, met while studying plants in college. Jim, who also earned a minor in soil science, and Ellen discovered they shared a love for the land and a vision for farming that works with nature rather than against it. They married … [Read more...]
NASS 2025 Yield Estimates for Fillmore and Houston Counties
By Katie Drewitz University of Minnesota Extension National Ag Statistics Service (NASS) crop yield estimates for 2025 have been posted. Looking at this data is an opportunity to assess yield trends in the counties to better understand yield potential. Which in turn, assists in the long term financial management of our farms. Today’s article will focus on corn and soybeans, … [Read more...]
Apple Maggots
By Katie Drewitz University of Minnesota Extension PRESTON and CALEDONIA, MN, June 30, 2026 – As the apples on your trees continue to grow there are numerous factors that we need to consider. The apple maggot (Rhagoletis pomonella) is the most important insect pest to Minnesota grown apples and typically starts to become active in July. Heavily infested apples are … [Read more...]
Maximizing the Value of Local Agriculture; Beef Tallow Skin Care
From their home in Lanesboro, Brian and Sue Roelofs have turned a personal health mission for their daughter into a business. Brian grew up near Greenleafton, Minnesota, and went to high school in Preston. He went to college at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and moved several times throughout his career. Eventually, he ended up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he met Sue, … [Read more...]
Harmony Veterinary Clinic Receives Excellence Award from UMN
For the past 14 years, the Harmony Veterinary Clinic owned by Dr. John Rein and Dr. Jeff Collins has collaborated with the University of Minnesota to provide real life experience for future veterinarians. Recently UMN honored the clinic with its prestigious Clinical Training Sites of Excellence Award. Past recipients of the award have included Mayo Clinic, St. Luke’s Health … [Read more...]
Land Legacy
By Benya Kraus President and CEO, SMIF During the summer of my junior year of college, I had what I now call my “quarter-life existential crisis.” I was 21 years old and spending the summer in Waseca on the family farm, a stark departure from the life I was living in Boston during the school year. Instead of cocktail bar hopping in the city with my new 21-year-old status, I … [Read more...]
Welcome to Dairy Night on the Farm
The public is cordially invited to the Mulhern Dairy farm on Saturday, June 13, from 5-8 p.m. for a closer look at life on a working dairy farm in Fillmore County. Plan to attend this year’s Fillmore County Dairy Night on the Farm, which will bring local families to the Mulhern Dairy farm, located at 25901 County 7, Fountain, Minn., for an evening centered on food, family … [Read more...]