Living in the hills and valleys of Bluff Country, we sometimes hear stories of bear being sighted in the area. It most cases, it appears that the bear is just moving through the area while looking for a mate. Randy Hoekstra of rural Lewiston, Minn., in western Winona County, was wishing that was the case when he first start seeing pictures of a black bear from the trail … [Read more...]
Obsessively grateful
“Begin each day with a grateful heart.” This has been my theme for the past several months. You don’t need me to outline the challenges our world faces – in 2020 and every other year. As a world, we may all be in the same storm, but everyone is in a different boat. It’s certainly not my place to say how easy or difficult these challenges are to overcome. However, no matter … [Read more...]
Happy Hart 4-H Club meets in person for the first time in seven months
Mere words cannot express the joy of finally having an in-person 4-H meeting in seven months. Happy Hart had their first club meeting since the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we are able to do just about anything. We have many guidelines to follow in order to have a meeting, but that didn’t stop us from taking advantage of an outdoor meeting. We are unable to interact … [Read more...]
The Father of the Green Revolution
You’ve maybe heard his name, and certainly been impacted by his work. Norman Borlaug was 19 and in Minneapolis when a man asked him for pocket change to buy food, while people were dumping milk in the streets to protest low food prices. As a college student at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Norman himself knew what it was like to be hungry. Some of us may know what … [Read more...]
Living to serve
How do you find a few ducks that weigh a single pound full grown? Well, I didn’t know the answer to that until I asked a friendly neighbor for help. I had been raising poultry for a few years, and I wanted to raise call ducks – a breed of ducks that weighs 16 ounces full-grown. Darrell Ray, our neighbor, gave me the contact information for a man named Chuck Rector, who raised … [Read more...]
Fillmore County teen selected as State Ambassador
By Pailey Gordon Eleven years of hard work has led Eve Grabau to become a 4-H State Ambassador. Starting at six years old, Eve has found her love for 4-H and the people involved in 4-H. Eve participates in many categories, but her favorites are crafts, static and livestock demonstrations, fine arts, and the rabbit project. Eve also loves county and state fair, working with … [Read more...]
2020 Fillmore County State Fair results
Beef Breeding Heifer - Red Angus, Registered Summer Yearling: Jens Lind - 1st, Showmanship - Award of Excellence - Beef Breeding Heifer - Red Angus, Registered Junior Yearling: Hans Lind - 2nd, Reserve Champion Red Angus Breeding Heifer Breeding Heifer - Hereford, Registered Junior Yearling: Tar Tut, 2nd, Reserve Champion Hereford Breeding Heifer, Showmanship - Award of … [Read more...]
2020 Houston County State Fair results
Beef Cow and Calf - Commercial: Cory Scanlan, 1st, Champion Commercial Cow/Calf, Brownsville Wildcats Dairy Steer, Crossbred Division: Cory Scanlan, 1st, Reserve Champion Crossbred Dairy Steer, Brownsville Wildcats; Jenna Scanlan, 2nd, Brownsville Wildcats Market Beef: Steer - Hereford, Registered: Leo Privet, 2nd, Reserve Champion Hereford Steer, Showmanship - Award of … [Read more...]
Happy 100th Anniversary, Houston County 4-H Clubs
Houston County’s 4-H clubs are celebrating the county’s 4-H program’s 100th anniversary this year. Houston County claims 100 4-H clubs in 100 years. Further, at one time, there were approximately 30 clubs in Houston County with 800 members. Each year 4-H clubs submit their Treasurer book, Secretary book, and Historian book, which are evaluated by Extension’s award committee. … [Read more...]
The power of an internship
It’s a common story: schools close down, office employees work from home, and internships are canceled. Last spring, most plans went out the window. As a college student, I was preparing to intern either at an orphanage in Mexico or with a policy group in Washington D.C. The last thing that I expected to spend my summer doing was live in a trailer and work on a potato farm in … [Read more...]