By Hayden St. Mary With technology continuing to develop, Artificial Intelligence, commonly known as AI, is becoming more frequently used and updated. AI consists of computers and programs that can replicate human thinking. It is used in thousands of ways ranging from generating art to driving cars. With how major AI is becoming, the question being asked is, “Is all this … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – Thankful
By Pastor Marke Geselle Valley Christian Center We just had a Workers Appreciation Banquet last Saturday evening for all those in our church who volunteer themselves, giving of their time and energy for the ministry of the church and community. There are those who greet, usher, teach classes, make coffee, work in the kitchen. Some take care of babies in the nursery and … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – Trains No Longer Stop at Formerly-Flourishing Newhouse
First of a two-part series Some thriving villages in southeast Minnesota, established in the 1850s and 1860s, especially those served by stagecoaches on territorial roads, met their demise when bypassed by the first railroad tracks in the late 1870s. Contrarily, the village of Newhouse was founded by the Caledonia, Mississippi & Western Railroad Company, which built a … [Read more...]
A Goodly Heritage – Discovering “Cat-ness”
Heritage Farm is home to (as my husband says) too many cats. With the birth of two new litters this summer, the population has grown. We like to have them around to keep the number of rodents down… provided they hunt. The younger cats and kittens are a delight to the young children who visit us at the farm. They like to hold them close and pet the kittens. So you can … [Read more...]
Make Yourself Useful and Put On a Coat of Arms
My great-grandfather bellowed, “Buckle up.” At least he might have said it had he been the kind of guy who bellowed, “Buckle up.” He might have said it or not right before bringing his family from Sweden to this country to escape the tyranny of potato pancakes. Grandma left her Swedish village when she was 14 years old. She traveled with her family and a phrase book … [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...]
Adeline Jean Agrimson
Adeline Jean Agrimson, age 88, of Peterson, Minn., passed away surrounded by her family on Wednesday, November 20, 2024. She was born February 10, 1936, the daughter of Adolph and Judith (Woxland) Bremmer in Rushford, Minn. Adeline grew up on her family’s farm near Arendahl, Minn., where her future husband Arne lived just across the valley. Adeline graduated from … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – God Calls Us to Care Deeply for Our Neighbors
By Pastor Kris Hertsgaard Kincaid Christ Lutheran Church, Preston On Wednesday morning, November 6, leaves covered our lawn, and as I was walking out to the car my foot squished into the ground. I realized I had stepped onto a “stinky dog nugget.” “Well,” I thought, “about half of our nation woke up today thinking things are a stinky mess.” Later, as I was walking … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – Glassies, Willow Whistles and Pop Guns
Part three of a series “Commies” were not communists, but there were those who “lost their marbles.” The idiom “lose your marbles,” thought to have originated in the United States in the late 1800s, referred to someone behaving in such a silly or strange manner that they might have become insane. But some boys of that era literally lost some or all their marbles in … [Read more...]
Fresh Off the Farm – The Joy Dare
I stopped in my tracks as I read the sobering words; “It’s habits that can imprison you and it’s habits that can free you,” declared author Ann Voskamp. Which is it for me, I wondered. Both options are pretty extreme in my opinion. Imprisonment or freedom? And the choice lies within my habits? Could it be true? During my 12-year-old family Christmas, my 19-year-old cousin … [Read more...]