There's poor, and then there's poor. According to the US Census Bureau, over 30 million Americans are living in poverty.

I've known poor, where families heated their home with a makeshift heater in the kitchen made from a stand-up tank of sorts. They had to cut a lid in the top so firewood could be added. The children slept on sleeping bags on the floor.

I have known people who are poor through no fault of their own. Some lacked the thinking ability to be anything but poor. Some just fell on hard times or were unemployed. Others simply chose to overspend.  The economy and recession have a great deal to do with all of these.

Poor is when there isn't a home, fuel, electricity and of course good food. During the Great Depression, there were poor and those who lived on very little. Others used unique recipes to feed their children. They patched the clothes with a purpose, not to be shabby chic. There were men who accepted any kind of work, for any length of time and for any kind of money. That shouldn't be.

I won't say it was easier in those days, but so many were in the same situation. They just did the best they could with whatever they had. It wasn't good, and it was different then because farming was different. Some people were able to have chickens, cows and pigs to raise, which could be later used for food to feed their families.

Coffee wasn't real coffee and tea wasn't strong. Most people made bread at home, baked in a wood burning stove, which also heated the house. Homemade soup, water or coffee could be kept warm on the stovetop, and the heat from the stove helped dry the clothes.

Times change, but some of the things from that time period would not be prudent now. To some, being poor today is a colossal joke. To some, making minimum wage may be a better living than someone making $60,000 a year, if they are able to take advantage of all the government programs. Working part-time at minimum pay may not cover all necessities because taxes, insurance and the like are going to cost so much whether you have money or not. One can eat a half a slice of bread, but can't pay a dollar at a time for necessary charges.

Then there are those who the government defined as poor. Typically they have a car, which they may need. Seventy eight percent have air conditioning, which they may or may not need. Sixty four percent have cable or satellite. Some have two TVs along with a DVD player and VCR. It may be their only entertainment. Some poor households have a gaming system such as Xbox or PlayStation. Thirty eight percent have a personal computer, again necessary or not.

Most poor houesholds have a refrigerator, stove, oven, microwave, clothes washers and dryers, ceiling fans, cordless phones, a coffee maker and a crock pot. Typically, living space may be considerably more than in European countries. Poor families can usually obtain help for medical care if needed. Air conditioning and cable TV may be a struggle, but food is usually available.

What made me think of being poor? I took my husband’s collection of water and soda bottles for recycling. It had been a long time and most of them were picked up, but it was the recycling center itself that got me thinking. The recycling center was so packed with cans and bottles that somebody had drank. Can anyone really afford the luxury of some habits that contribute nothing to their welfare like pop, candy, tobacco or alcohol? Yet many of the poor, and wealthy, indulge.

Also, I watched a bunch of kids going home from school. Some wore the shabby chic, probably bought that way. Some wore name brand jeans. Some wore ordinary. At any rate, they had to be the in thing, not just what was available. 

Go to garage sales; many do. Very often the best clothes are there because people save the best clothes. They outgrow them or they go out of style. Name brands sell at a fraction of new and, once worn, whether bought new or from a thrift store, the first time worn they are used clothing, so what difference does it make? I'm not that style conscious about jeans, but somehow youngsters know what is in and usually at exaggerated prices. My uncle always said he would think twice about having a prominent name on somebody’s rear end.

No child should have to go hungry, look out of place, wear something that doesn't fit, or feel poor or different.

What is your definition of poor?

Some of our Star Eagle readers have commented that they like to read about the local happenings and family events such as family and school reunions, birthday and anniversary celebrations, and birth and wedding announcements.

In order to read about these important things, we need our faithful readers to pass along the information to us, so we can then pass along the news to you. If you have news to share, please contact me.

Also, if our NRHEG Star Eagle readers would like to share birthdays and anniversaries of your family and friends, or you know of some that should be deleted, or names have changed, please contact me via e-mail, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; by postal mail, P.O. Box 192, Geneva, MN 56035 or telephone, 507-256-4405.

Birthdays and anniversaries:

• Thursday, October 6th: Evan Matthew Beckman, Mesa Jo Grace Krause, Jackson Wyatt Lageson, Mark Plunkett, Dick Wacholz, Marlin Beckman, Kaira Glienke, Melissa Horan, Aurie Brighton, Caden Reichl, Gail Turvold, Julie Born Beenken, Scott Holmes, Tat Misgen, Cindy Kasper Johnson, Jayme & Ryan Paulson.

• Friday, October 7th: Candace Lageson Baker, Carolyn Weller, Jason Huber, Todd Wayne, Debbie David, Garrett Briggs, Jill Bergdale, Kris Strenge, John & Ellen Hanson, Denise & Jerry Abbott, Jamie & Brian Riley, Pat & Barb O'Conner.

• Saturday, October 8th: Kay Nelson, Mandy Moon, Lauren Olivia Sommers, her 7th; Haley Hanson, Barb Hagen, Barb Dobberstein, Barb Strenge, Mary Kay Spurr, Brad Anderson, Doug Anderson, Hazel Spiering, Daniel Paulson, Kay Nelson, Mandy Moon, Julie & Brian Dahl.

• Sunday, October 9th: Matt Kubiatowicz, Joshua Kasper, Cheryl Paulsen Wilson, Randy Mucha, Nancy Jo Anderson, Ashley Hove, Keith Neidermeier, Dennis Blouin.

• Monday, October 10th: Pat Goodnature, Trevin Stollard, Aarin Gray Pirsig, his 2nd; Eric Anderson, Nicole Anderson Loken, Luverne Hamor, Harold Reese, Haley Hanson, LeRoy Ingvaldson, Nicole Lonning, Betty DeRaad, Elena Grace Spande, Glenn Beckmann.

• Tuesday, October 11th: Alisha Moody, Reed Michael Kath, Mitchell Edwards, Ebonie Mullenmaster, Earl Klinger, Mayro Leak Kubista, Melissa Otto, Jenna Swearingen, Mike Trumble, Cory McGrath, Shawna Besco, John Cyr, Fred Bowman, Chris Wallace, Alisha Moody, Lee & Jody Loverink.

• Wednesday, October 12th: Katilyn Olivia Crabtree, Les Shawback Jr., Marge Rossing, Christopher Wallace, Beth Spande, Marilyn Dobberstein, Terrie Mullenmaster, Maurice Mullenmaster, Vikki Pence, Roxann Ditlevson, Lewis Kelly, Denise Jensen Bronner, Charlie & Becky Phagan, Larry & Terry Jensen.

May all of your favorite things be within reach. Have a wonderful day!

Time goes by and disappointments become less sharp. This is true for Minnesota Twins’ fans as well as everyone else. As days go by, one gains a little perspective and what seems improbable becomes a little more possible. A question then comes up that pretty much says it all for the Twins. Do they have a chance for a title next year or should we watch them build for the future?

Our Minnesota Vikings refused to concede this year, with bad results. The same thing could happen to the Twins and perhaps it would be better to just rebuild. In a recent interview, Bill Smith gave no indication of going in that direction. Ron Gardenhire seconded that approach, essentially saying that a healthy Minnesota Twins team has a shot at the title.

Now, I know that to concede a losing season this early is not wise; the players must not have a defeatist attitude and neither should the fans. Management has to encourage ticket sales, if nothing else. However, I’ve never known Gardenhire to outright lie and if he feels there is a chance, there probably is, no matter how slight.

O.K., if all this is true, what has to happen for the Twins to contend for the Central Division title? First, the team must escape injuries. That means that Denard Span and Joe Mauer are healthy all year. I’m not including Justin Morneau in this thinking. If he tries to DH after receiving a green light from his doctor, what an inspiration for the team. But, I hope he doesn’t. I would feel horrible for Morneau if I was watching a game and saw him get injured.

Let’s take the team position by position, assuming the Twins have an injury free year. If Span can play the whole year, center field is in good hands. Let’s give left field to Ben Revere and hope that his speed offsets his weak arm. He hit well this past month and gives the Twins a strong base stealing threat. Let’s assume Michael Cuddyer comes back in right field. That’s a good outfield; not great, but good.

Mauer is still the best catcher in baseball. If Danny Valencia improves his fielding during the off-season and hits just a little better, there is our third baseman. Alexi Casilla is our good-fielding, adequate-hitting middle infielder. If Justin does not play first base, the Twins may turn to Chris Parmelee. If Parmelee can hit anywhere near his rookie average, he provides the Twins with their first baseman.

If Kubel is signed, that fills the DH role. The Twins would then not look half bad if they can find a major league shortstop

That’s a lot of blue sky, but it could happen. But, there is still a problem: pitching. Under contract and back to pitch in 2012 is Carl Pavano. He, Scott Baker and one of the remaining quartet of Slowey, Liriano, Swarzak and Blackburn could make up three of the five starters. That puts Duensing in a relief role, which is better for him and the Twins. Assuming Nathan, Perkins and Duensing are with the team next year, that leaves three relief spots to fill from Jose Mijarus, Alex Burnet, Phil Dumatrait and others. At least two may have to come from the outside.

So on the wish list are a shortstop, two relievers and two starters. One of the two starters should be an ace for the Twins to seriously contend. The Twins’ additions are not an easy task for Bill Smith, and given his track record, not very attainable. Is there hope for the Twins? Yes, but all the tumblers have to fall right.

Here we are officially into the fall season. Things have been pretty enjoyable so far. The smell of fall is everywhere. Although, the smell is hard to describe. It definitely has an odor all its own. Spring and summer can have their own distinct telltale smells, but to me, there is never any mistaking fall.

As the season progresses, falling leaves will become even more prominent along with the drying foliage. There is just no mistaking the feeling that I get when enjoying the outdoors on a cool, crisp fall day.

If I close my eyes and think back to my days as a youth, there are some mighty good memories. I spent many an afternoon playing neighborhood football after school. There were of course the bigger games that we would plan our Saturdays around. It would involve getting as many of our friends as we could to commit to a Saturday of football. Sometimes, we’d play at Hammer School back in the days when there was only a schoolyard where the football field is now. That turf was usually reserved for times when we could get kids from farther away to come and play.

If it was just us neighborhood kids, then we’d either play in the Boyer’s back yard or my back yard. We usually had enough kids from south of Hammer Road for our team. North of that, they also had a good number of kids. I guess it was about logistics and in a way, bragging rights. But most of all, it was about a bunch of kids having fun playing the game they loved. In the end, it really didn’t matter who won or lost. It was about playing the game and having fun.

These were days when kids made their own fun, and had to call on their imagination to make that happen. I can remember many games we’d play like tag, Annie I over and kick the can, which were probably our favorite games when we’d get to come outside after supper. This was harmless fun and didn’t involve breaking car windows, stealing car radios or trashing houses in a neighborhood. I have to admit that there was a time or two when a window got soaped on Halloween, or a brown bag full of dog stuff was set on fire on someone’s steps. Even so, those incidents were few and far between and reserved for someone we thought deserved it.

There was one particular time that we thought it would be fun to pull a prank on a neighbor girl whose parents were gone and her boyfriend was visiting. Unfortunately for us, the guy must have been waiting for us and he took off after us as soon as we initiated the prank.  I don’t think I had ever seen anyone that could run like that. He must have been part gazelle. It didn’t really didn’t end very well. Luckily, I just got shoved down, but another one of us got caught by him and took the brunt of the punishment. Two of our other cohorts cut through a back yard and literally got clothes lined.

This was the extent of our wild side stuff. I do believe that after that, we didn’t venture too far from home. We pretty much stuck to the usual games. It was all pretty harmless fun and nothing that destroyed anyone’s property.

I have to wonder how many folks remember playing the inside game of “hide the thimble,” or better yet, how many even know what a thimble is? This was a game that we played at my Grandmas a lot when our family was together for a gathering. We didn’t have television to entertain us, so you either listened to the radio, a phonograph or found another way to entertain. Hide and seek was another game that could be played either inside or out. However, unless you had a large house, it was better played outside.  It was pretty amazing the fun you could have without buying batteries or plugging anything in.

— — —

On another note; the fall colors are starting to take shape in our area. Around the state, some areas are at 50% or more of peak. This is a great time of year to take a drive to the river or venture north for beautiful scenery. If you are more inclined to stick around the area, try taking a little drive down south of Twin Lakes. Try cruising South Shore drive, a drive I enjoyed just the other day. It’s a great time to slow things down and just enjoy what we have. Once the lakes turn over, which is usually after the first hard frost, the fishing should pick up so don’t put that tackle away just yet.

From the reports that I have heard, duck and goose hunting has been pretty good so far, at least for my grandsons Trevor and Taylor. They had really good luck hunting with their Uncle Jeremy on the opener. Grant, my youngest grandson, shot his first duck, a wood duck, on the Youth waterfowl hunting day.

Until next time, hunt safe, try a little fall fishing and enjoy the changing colors of our great Minnesota outdoors.

Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers during the coming year.

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting

“What are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing?”

“It looks like you don’t know what you are doing.”

“Then why ask?”

Driving by the Bruces

I have two wonderful neighbors — both named Bruce — who live across the road from each other. Whenever I pass their driveways, thoughts occur to me, such as: I hate limping—especially when no one notices.

I’ve learned

1. “Listen” and “silent” have the same letters.

2. If you pick enough flowers, you will encounter poison ivy.

3. Sequels are never equals.

My neighbor

My neighbor Old Man McGinty, the youngest Old Man McGinty ever, has nothing to do and he has to get up early not to do it. He may have a geranium in his cranium, but we depend upon Old Man McGinty to tell us what business used to be in every old building in town and who once lived in every house. He doesn’t watch parades because he doesn’t like to see anything pass him by. Old Man McGinty says that churches have lutefisk feeds even though they provoke extreme reactions because they promote religion. He says that each time he eats lutefisk, it causes him to pray twice. He says grace before the meal and then prays that he won’t have to eat lutefisk again.

Flying

I was in an aisle seat of the airplane. The flights were too far apart and the passengers were too close together. I was as comfortable as possible in such surroundings. A flight attendant began the safety demonstration, “Just do what I tell you and nobody will get hurt. In case of a water evacuation, do the best you can. If that doesn’t work, thank you for flying Southwest Airlines. There is a $2200 fine for anyone caught smoking in the airplane’s bathroom. Let’s face it, if you had $2200 to spare, you’d be flying Delta. So sit back and relax or sit up and be tense. It doesn’t matter to me.”

Another flight attendant spilled the tomato juice she was handing to the man seated next to me. My life passed before my eyes. The tomato juice missed me by an inch as it splashed on the tray. 

“I hope this is the worst thing that happens to you today,” she said, as she spilled a glass of water on my lap.

Something to tell the grandkids

A friend, Kevin Cook of Colorado, told me that he had met his future wife in a zoology lab. They became acquainted when she asked him, “Could you help me find my rat’s spleen?”

That gives me misty eyes.

The body as a battlefield

My feet are vengeful things. Whenever I stub a toe, it gets its revenge by walking me to a place where I could bump my head. A sharp blow to the melon is supposed to remind me that toes have feelings, too. Why don’t I duck? My feet tell me not to.

Sometimes it’s important to lose

A friend struck out during a ball game. It was the third time in a row that he had gone down swinging. He was not having a good day and that would fuel his temper. He walked to the dugout and teammates moved away from him. He sat next to me. I had nowhere to go. I didn’t look at him, but I could feel the heat from his anger. I heard him say, “I’m selling my glove and buying a boat.”

I played organized sports for many years. I was fortunate to have played on good teams with excellent teammates. We won far more games than we lost. I admit that I enjoyed winning. That said, I’ve never had more fun in a game than when I intentionally lost tic-tac-toe games to a grandson.

Nature notes

“What are those tiny black insects that bite me?” Often called no-see-ums, minute pirate bugs are predators of spider mites, caterpillars, whiteflies, aphids, thrips, and insect eggs. They are beneficial insects that bite us in the fall. They taste us to see if we are edible.

To me, Indian summer is a period of warm, dry, hazy weather that follows autumn’s first frost and comes before the first snow.

In gratitude

I encountered wonderful readers when I spoke at Freeborn County League of Cities, Thrivent of Albert Lea, Hidden Creek, and the Pelican Breeze. Thanks to Ken and Neom Johansen of New Richland for the wonderful bird cards and to Craig and Penny Bell of Hartland for the cool books. Thanks to Eric Edon of Geneva, Bob Loken of St. Charles, and Harvey Benson of Harmony for their uplifting messages. Thanks to Harp Bartness of Hartland for the binoculars to use on nature walks.

Talking to the Holstein

I was talking to the Holstein the other day. The Holstein is a retired milk cow, so she has time to talk. I told the Holstein that gravy is a bad cook’s best friend.

The Holstein chewed her cud thoughtfully and said, “Humans are lucky. Gravy doesn’t help bad hay.”

Meeting adjourned

You are never too poor to pay another a compliment.

This is the time of the year when more water goes up then comes down. Since the first part of July, Beaver Lake has gone down about 10 inches.

It is so dry that our neighbor’s little doggie is all scratched up. Every time the little doggie is let out to do his thing, a big rose bush grabs him. The doggie looks terrible with all the scratches. The roses look real good. (I think maybe the rose bush is getting not only liquid but also solids.)

I know all of you have heard the Biblical story of David and Goliath. Now for the Beaver Lake version of David and Goliath. This big walleye (Goliath) was constantly chasing and sometimes eating little fish in Beaver Lake. One day, Goliath snuck up from behind and proceeded to swallow David. (a little sunny.) On his way down the throat of Goliath, David arched his back fin and got stuck in the throat of Goliath. This is the Beaver Lake story of how David slew Goliath. This story is most certainly true of Laurie Johnson who found a 29-inch walleye with a small sunny wedged in its mouth floating in Beaver Lake — both deceased!

Miss Hawaii, at the end of the dock in front of cabin 74 on Beaver Lake, is going back to Hawaii the first part of October. I stopped to talk to her and she informed me that her long blond hair, sunglasses, grass skirt and not much else just wasn’t enough to stay warm. (She promised to come back next summer for your viewing.)

My phone rang, a male voice said, “I’m in front of your place now. For $85 cash, you can have a hot new vacuum cleaner. If you don’t have the $85 now, you can try it out and I’ll stop by tomorrow and you can keep it for $75 cash.” This I did. Two days later, a police detective picked up the “hot” new vacuum cleaner.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 - “There is a time for everything.” Verse 2 “a time to be born,” (August 24, 1936,) “a time to die” (September 20, 2011.) Semper Fidelis New Richland High School classmate Russ Anderson.

Mary Anne Atchison was our commander. Sharon Johnson and Genie Hanson were our lieutenant commanders. The troops under them either volunteered or were told what to do, in order to accomplish our mission of a successful soup and pie supper Monday, September 26 at Central Freeborn Lutheran Church.

There were bankers, preachers, former Twins’ fans, nurses, doctors, lawyers, politicians, city government officials, she boss of the family, he who obeys she boss, farmers, students, an in-uniform Hum-Vee driver, teachers, ready to be former Vikings fans. You name the area town and a VIP from that town was in attendance.

Ole Olson, a member of Central Freeborn Lutheran Church, was given the award for traveling the furthest to attend. (Ole was home on leave from Afghanistan.)

All 616 who attended left with one thing in common — they were full!

Our great commander, Mary Anne, gave each of us troops a handshake and a personal thank you, as she informed us we had just volunteered to serve under her command next year! 

— — —

Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent. His wife, Genie, is a retired RN, currently working on her doctor’s degree in volunteering. They have two children, Deb in North Carolina, and Dan in Vermont. This is the Hanson’s 36th summer at Beaver Lake. They leave the lake in mid-October to go south — to Albert Lea — and return in April. Bob says if you enjoy his article, let him know. If you don’t enjoy it, keep on reading, it can get worse. Words of Wisdom: There is always room for God. 

The scurs didn’t see the above-normal temperatures coming but, as usual, no complaints. Will our charmed life continue? Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with highs of 80 - 85 and lows near 55. Clear on Thursday with highs remaining well above normal for this time of year at 75 – 80 and lows of 55 – 60. Partly cloudy on Friday and Saturday with highs near 75 and lows of 55. There may be a slight possibility of a shower on Saturday but don’t hold your breath. Sunday, partly cloudy with another slight chance of showers. Highs 70 – 75 and lows around 50. Partly cloudy for Columbus Day with yet another slight chance of showers. Highs around 70 and lows near 50. Tuesday, partly cloudy and continued warm. Highs 70 – 75 and lows around 50. The normal high for October 10th is 64 and the normal low is 39. The scurs will be decorating for Columbus Day and awaiting the Full Moon on the 11th. 

The Full Moon on the 11th is known as the Hunters Moon. This was the moon when the tribes of the northeast were busy hunting and putting away food in sufficient amounts to survive the long winter ahead. A feast was often scheduled on the date of the Full Moon in observance of the season. The Ojibwe called this the Falling Leaves Moon and the Sioux called it the Moon of Falling Leaves or the Moon of Changing Season. The leaves should be pretty this week but it won’t be long and they’ll be off the trees making us wonder where the growing season went.

Garnishing only .99” of precipitation at the ranch and .8” in Bugtussle proper, area harvest progress continues to move along at a rapid pace. Once again, Mother Nature has turned up the thermostat making LP suppliers moonlight as the Maytag repairman. Yields are continuing to be a pleasant surprise as is the moisture content of the corn. Funny what last week’s 47 mph wind gusts and this week’s 80 degree heat can do. About the only way to describe field conditions is dry and dusty. Combining beans without a breeze or auto steer can lead to a combine enveloped in dust, making it difficult to see. Hard to recall a year where soybean plants been pulverized into an almost powder-like state. The dry conditions have also resulted in numerous fires as well, so extra precautions need to be taken to clean out areas where dust and crop residues tend to collect. Monday afternoon saw two fires on the horizon and resulted in one fire call locally. 

The warm temps have also made insects come out in force for one last hurrah. Last Wednesday’s warm temperatures led to an explosion of those little native pink ladybugs at the ranch and along with them lots of northern corn rootworm beetles adults. Luckily for us, neither of the species was interested in coming in the house. As quickly as they had appeared, the next day they were gone with the wind and cooler temperatures. Syrphid flies have been annoying and while some mistakenly call these hovering flies “sweat bees” they are harmless. The larvae consume loads of aphids so we can be thankful for that. Another nuisance has been the small, wedge-shaped minute pirate bug. While pirate bugs will taste test your arm and make you itch, they don’t leave a long lasting calling card. They also consume aphids and as the growing season has wound down, so have aphid populations. Saturday afternoon led to the first of the spider “ballooning” events. By evening as the sun was getting low, the gossamer strands from thousands of tiny spiders could be seen blowing in the breeze from tree trunks, grasses and fences just about anywhere you looked.

The aforementioned northern corn rootworm adults along with their little chrysomelid buddies, the striped and spotted cucumber beetles continued to attack the remaining squash and pumpkins left in the garden at the ranch. It was time to spring into action on Sunday night and rescue them from their plight and place them up closer to the house. The pumpkins and squash that the beetles had ruined soon were tossed over the fence to the sheep who were only to happy to devour them, bugs and all. The blue jays have been fingered as the culprits in taking some nasty hunks out of the apples. Again the sheep have been the beneficiaries of their criminal activity. Robins continue to move through in small groups. While there are few earthworms near the soil surface, our travelling guests enjoy dining on the nannyberries and remaining chokeberries. Think they’d be my choice too even if there were worms available. 

See you next week…real good then.

LET THE SALES BEGIN — NRHEG PTO member Penni Mueller addressed the Elementary students in Ellendale as the annual cookie dough sales program kicked off Monday, September 26. (Star Eagle photo by Jody Wynnemer)

By JODY WYNNEMER

Staff Writer

It has to be the favorite time of year for all of the area cookie monsters. Monday, September 26, the NRHEG PTO kicked off their annual cookie dough fundraising event.

“Last year, we raised $16,262,” said Penni Mueller, PTO member, to the assembled elementary students Monday afternoon. “The money was spent for Smart Boards, the Prairie Fire Theater and other activities.”

Rick Garlock of Great American Opportunities gave a short presentation to the students and challenged them to exceed last year’s sales numbers.

“You had a record sale last year,” said Garlock. “Can you beat last year?”

The students responded with a resounding “yes.”

The Quad Cities Baseball Association bean drive will occur Saturday, Oct. 1. In case of rain, an alternate date will be Oct. 8.

The QCBA is trying to raise money for a new outfield fence at Legion Field. The old fence was never placed properly in the ground and has become a danger to players. A new, higher fence is in the plans, but the cost is $25-30,000. The old fence can still be used if placed properly, and the QCBA plans to donate it to the school district for use on the junior high field in Ellendale.

QCBA players will drive around in pickup trucks with QCBA signs on the side, beginning at 11 a.m. on Oct. 1. If you would like a QCBA member to stop by for sure, contact Mark Querna, Jeff Reese or Mark Domeier. Farmers can also make donations when bringing beans to either WFS in New Richland or Sun Opta in Ellendale. You can do this at any time, not just on Oct. 1. Just tell them how many bushels you would like to donate to the QCBA, and they will figure that dollar figure for you. The QCBA is a non-profit organization, so any donations can be used as a write-off on your taxes.

The QCBA would like to thank everyone for considering youth baseball during harvest season and for working to keep our communities viable through youth activities!