By Maddie Smith National FFA Officer Candidate When we talk about education, we usually think about the students and teachers, but what about the community? How do we make classroom content applicable to the “real world”? What does it take to promote a town’s economy and culture? Can certain classes make a difference? Yes — certain classes can make a difference! … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past; Horse races, marching bands, “Lolita in the tank” entertained at the Houston County Fair
The last of a two-part series “The fair was earthy in the old days. It smelled of manure and cigars,” recalled Perk Steffen at the age of 86, in 1982, when talking to writer Ken Pritchard about the Houston County Fair. It may have began as a statehood celebration. After the first two identified fairs in 1858 and 1869, the county fair became an annual autumn harvest … [Read more...]
Making a to-do list is easy when you’re doing nothing
Back in the days when everything was nearly copacetic, we made hay and ground feed. Not all of the hay went into the barn nor did all the feed go into a granary. A lot of it went down my neck, where it became an incessant itch. I have an itch to travel, to go places and make a triumphant return to fanfare at my humble abode. Yet, I welcome being homebound. I accept the … [Read more...]
Historic Memories of Fillmore County: The mighty Root River is a much loved river
Today we are once again reminded of how much our poet friend Aaron L. Sleyster loved the Root River. He wrote so many poems about it as well as about the iron bridges that spanned it. There are four pictures included for you, each one taken in a different town in beautiful Fillmore County! Before you read the poem, here are some “fun facts,” about that body of water, … [Read more...]
My little chickadee
My favorite bird is the chickadee. There are things that turn frowns upside down. A chickadee does that for me. It’s not a state law that we all must have a favorite bird, but it’s a good Idea. You never know when it’ll come in handy or be included in a pop quiz. It goes without saying that it’d look good on a resume. I first noticed chickadees when I was a dear boy. I … [Read more...]
Real Bites
B & B Bowl and Restaurant This past week, I was out restocking copies of the Visit Bluff Country Magazine at various locations. The B & B Bowl and Restaurant in Preston, Minn., is one of our busiest locations. They get a lot of traffic and therefore go through a lot of magazines. During my travels, hunger hit me right around the time I arrived at “The B & … [Read more...]
A little of this, A little of that.
Preston was not racially diverse in the 1960s when I was growing up. My sisters and I stood out because we had red hair! The entire community applauded when the Norwegian Lutheran Church and the German Lutheran Church joined together and built a new church. Anything different was suspect, like the way Elvis moved his pelvis and the Beatles’ long hair. I didn’t know that … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past: Epidemic of 2020 not the first to halt Houston County Fair
First of a two-part series. This summer of 2020 is not the first time for the Houston County Fair to be canceled. Health concerns have now caused three cancelations and a move to another city. The 1925 fair was not held due to a nationwide epidemic of infantile paralysis (polio), the same disease that caused cancelation in 1946. However, there were junior fairs held later … [Read more...]
The food supply chain: getting food from farm to fork
By Maddie Smith National FFA Officer Candidate Milk is expensive yet farmers are dumping it... How does this happen!? When we think about essential workers during the pandemic, we most often think about healthcare workers and grocery store workers. Looking at our grocery stores, however, there are plenty more heroes to add to that list. When we grab food off of the … [Read more...]
A swagger isn’t far from a limp
His ancient pickup had undergone more oil changes than any vehicle in Iowa. That’s what legends are made of. I knew him because his son and I had gone to different schools in adjacent states together. He was a leaning man due to a limp and wore bib overalls as his garb of contentment. “How’s your good self?” I asked. He took it from there. He was typically a man of few … [Read more...]