- Details
- Hits: 1149
Minnesota Farm Bureau’s Sesquicentennial Farm program will honor Minnesota families who have owned their farms for at least 150 years. Since the Sesquicentennial Farm program began in 2008, over 225 farms have been recognized. The Sesquicentennial Farm program recognizes family farms according to the following qualifications:
• 1. The farm must be at least 150 years old this year (2019) according to the abstract of title, land patent, original deed, county land records, court file in registration proceedings or other authentic land records. Do not send originals or copies of records.
• 2. Your family must have owned the farm for 150 years or more. “Family” is defined as parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, first cousins and direct in-laws (father, mother, brother, sister, daughter, son-in-law).
• 3. Continuous residence on farm is not required, but ownership must be continuous.
• 4. The farm should consist of 50 or more acres and currently be involved in agricultural production.
- Details
- Hits: 1037
Vista Covenant Church is pleased to announce the installation services for Pastor Brian Schanil on Feb. 10, 2019. Pastor Brian and his wife Sheryl have three adult children living in Wheaton and Duluth, Minn. Pastor Brian has previously worked in sales and design of microscopes and image enhancement equipment for educational, medical and industrial applications. He has served in the ministry for 27 years in Roseville and Warren, Minn.
The community is invited to the installation services Feb. 10 at 10:15 a.m. Lunch and fellowship time will follow the service. Please welcome Brian and Sheryl into our community.
- Details
- Hits: 1696
By KATHY PAULSEN
Staff Writer
As Dwayne “Whitey” Hagen was about to begin the 35th Annual Geneva Cancer Auction Friday night at Geneva Bar & Grill, he said, "Everybody thinks that the cancer auction is about me. It isn't. This cancer auction is about each and every one of you who comes through the door and shares their care and concern for those who are battling cancer or in honor of someone they love."
Nonetheless, the Hagen family has become like an army fighting the battle against cancer. And surprisingly, all of this began because of a chicken that Whitey first put up for bid to help raise money for cancer so many years ago. The whole Hagen family shares Whitey’s thought that it isn't just one person, but many who have made it an important part of their lives to attend and support the Geneva Cancer Auction every year.
The first weekend of the 2019 auction continued Saturday afternoon. The auction wraps up this weekend, Jan. 18-19, at Geneva Bar & Grill.
It is almost impossible to name the wide array of things that are donated and put on the auction block each year. Typically, the auction includes a great number of items that you won't find anywhere else.
- Details
- Hits: 1533
New Richland City Council
By JESSICA LUTGENS
Staff Writer
Despite ongoing, highly vocalized concerns and objections from the citizens of New Richland, including a petition, a motion to form a committee to examine the people's concerns over the city's garbage collection plan was shot down at the second city council meeting of the month Monday, Jan. 28.
A petition opposing the garbage plan, created by Randy Fox, containing 153 signatures, was presented to the council by Gail Schmidt, who also read a prepared letter outlining the main concerns and requests. Before she spoke, Mayor Mike Shurson noted some changes in the way the council would accept public input during meetings.
“I just want to remind everybody that this is a council meeting intended to take care of the function of city business,” said Shurson. “However, we certainly want to listen to any information from any citizen. If it’s on the garbage, most of you have already had your say, but if you wanted to have additional say, please get with the city clerk and get on the agenda for the next meeting.”
Shurson also said that in the future any individual wishing to speak at a regular meeting, in addition to being placed on the agenda beforehand, will be allotted three minutes of speaking time.
- Details
- Hits: 2896
Hydroponics provide fresh vegetables, practical experience for students
NUTRITOWER - Dan Sorum has always been looking for ways to further educational opportunities in school. His newest venture, hydroponic towers, are courtesy of several grants. (Star Eagle photo by Jim Lutgens)
By MELANIE PILTINGSRUD
Contributing Writer
What would you do if you wanted to grow beautiful, fresh produce in your kitchen all year round? You’d get a hydroponic tower. Dan Sorum, ag educator at NRHEG, has done just that for his students this year.
Sorum already helps his students plant the school garden in the spring, but he also wanted to teach students how to grow plants hydroponically. He wrote grants to attain the money to purchase three $1,100 hydroponic towers for his classes from a company in Ontario, Canada called Nutritower
The company sent along seed packets, which Sorum planted in one of the towers during the first week of school as his “test tower.” Growing on that tower now are several plants each of kale, miniature tomatoes and cucumbers, basil and lettuce. “Basically, the idea was to raise this one with the intention of seeing how it works,” says Sorum. “The cucumbers do take over a little more than I thought they would, so next time I do cucumbers I’m going to have them in their own tower.”
Sorum soon involved the students in the project, and all three towers were up and running.
The full spectrum fluorescent lights toward the inside of the towers provides light for the plants, so lack of sunlight is no problem. Sorum said it was really bright in the room at first when all three towers were lit up, but leafy plants soon began to tone that down.