Recently in Becoming Native to This Place Category

Here's what a few hundred acres of dead corn looks like in August 2012.

The soil is turning to dust and on our farm the clay soil cracks are so deep, you can't see the bottoms. I turned the camera flash on this crack- hoping to see how deep it went. The soils are losing all their structure and becoming fine dust. I suspect this is what they felt like going into the dust bowl years

And not just farming is impacted by this long, dry spell we are having in our township. I say our township, because the weather has been spotty and erratic. Some farms 7-8 miles away had a crucial July rain that saved their crops. Hell- some of them are getting bumper crops just 15 miles away.

The wetlands are drying up. There is 50 feet of dry pond bottom at the place the kids and I used to put in the canoe. The picture below is the slough at the corner of our section. That pond is completely dried up- the duck nesting house standing in cracked mud.

And we pretty much got skunked with the garden in 2012. Mike fell on April 13 and by the time he was on his feet it was too late to plant. And yet.... and yet. We are experiencing great abundance of produce thanks to good, caring and kind neighbors. I'm spending all day today putting up a cornucopia of tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, squash, onions, green and yellow bean, peppers, this 12# head of cabbage. Deb, Bruce, Dorothy, Dianne, Simon and Jo and all of you who have dropped off veggies for us this year-- thank you for sharing your summer's labor with us. We hope to return the favor for years to come.

And so in parting, this summer has seen a scarcity of rain and abundance of neighborliness and produce.

There ain't nothing, people, like going into a dark ballroom filled with kids, loud music spanning 60 years from last week to 1952, and strapping on a pair of skates for a few hours. The whole world narrow down to this one great place and time. I make the boys hold my hand for the couple skate.

But last night I was in need of a little time to myself. So I walked the few feet over to the Lakewood Lodge. This is a great and beautiful place right on the lake- with a great patio and a dock to moor the pontoons that come down the lake for a good meal and nice drink. I found myself with a nice, pink drink in my hand. Blissfully looking at the pelican rookery and sun reflecting on the water. Complete peace and calm as the sun set to the west over the lake. Ahhhhhh.

And then it was time to herd the boys to the car (the girl is at Farmer's Union camp) and head the 18 miles back home. A lovely night with a half moon in the sky, thunderheads lit up by lightening in the dark sky. We begged the clouds to rain on our farm, but they were too far east.

Note to self: don't polka while recording video

The people here invest in the children- as a whole more than any one individual. Maybe that's the way it is all over. But it is so very clear how much all of these kids mean to the community. They close the streets for a kiddie parade.

The firemen set up the hoses and on a hot summer day and the kids get to play in the middle of the street for an afternoon of summertime fun.

Followed by a root beer float chaser and a carnival put on by the Civic Club.

And then it is Fair time. With 4-H stands and animal barns. And a tractor pull for the younger kids. For some seriously wonderful pictures of kids at the fair, click here to see Becky Red Barn's professional photos of the Big Stone County Fair. A must see.

Corn is growing achingly, head spinning fast. Three weeks ago you could see the soil between the rows and today it's a dense bursting 6 feet high of green leaves. Rain at just the right time and a heat index approaching 105 degrees (with a forecast of 115 degrees this week) has unleashed all the evolutionary power of this C4 photosynthesizing plant. Corn oh corn! Your C4 photosynthetic abilities putting other plants to shame on these lush, hot wet days. Biomass? You want biomass? I'll give you biomass. Take a walk into that field- cutting through the dripping wet, hot air as you part the stalks of corn. You don't see corn like this every day or even every year. But 2012 has been good for those corn fields in Big Stone County that missed the hail storm two weeks ago. Farming is a tricky business. But every once in a while the storms, stars, heat index, soil temp and moisture align so that the crops grow with a vigor that you might dream about, but would be afraid to hope for.

When we first moved here 4.5 years ago, we had a shocking and ultimately laughable demonstration of prairie wind power. Three-year-old Jens opened the screen door on our front porch, which was caught by the south wind, and he was violently flung across the porch, down the five stairs, and rolled across the gravel until he nearly rolled under one of the parked cars. After the initial shock of seeing your child fly through the air and land many feet away, unharmed, we've had many good laughs at the image. In the convening years we've had the hinges blown off the door multiple times, tried any number of door catching devices- even some hill billy tree stumps strategically positioned on the porch.

The wind, I found, is relentless- blowing shingles off the roof; making the whole farm clatter and the empty silos sound like frightening pan pipes. The tender garden produce gets sand blasted and my exposed skin gets a cheap micro-dermabrasion.

The wind always wins, ultimately. And if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. So we've invested in a wind turbine and some thrilling parafoil kites.

I've been a bit reluctant to talk about our wind turbine as early in the venture one of my neighbors sauntered up to me and said, "say- I hear we have a wealthy farmer in the neighborhood." "Really- who?" "Well, the electrician was over and says he's putting up a wind turbine." wink-wink-nod-nod. A bit ironic since his tractor costs the same as about 4 of our modest wind turbines.

Nonetheless, there's a perception that a wind turbine is a nice luxury. And to be sure, we're grateful to be able to pull together the capital to put this baby up. But that said- 2011 was a good, sensible year to invest in a wind turbine. 1) There was a 30% federal tax credit for farm renewable energy projects as part of the economic stimulus, and 2) there was an allowance to depreciate up to 85% of the cost in year 1. So if you had income to offset, this was a good way to do it. After the stimulus tax credit and the depreciation over the coming years, I am hoping that this turbine pays for itself within 8 years. (knocking on wood). That will depend on our income and, of course, that wind keeps howling like it is tonight.

With 6 months of wind energy production data under our belt, our Bergey 10kw turbine is producing 2.5 times the amount of power that we use on our farm. The excess power is put onto the grid and used by our fellow Agralite Rural Electric Cooperative members. Though I get mixed messages from Agralite as to whether they like having wind power in their mix (reading the monthly newsletter), they have been professional, responsible and easy to work with in getting us grid tied. So - thank you Agralite.

I know that there are simpler ways for Agralite to get power- namely buying it from Great River Energy. And they seem to be very fond of coal- offering trips to coal-country every year for members. But I hope they also appreciate that just as our nation will be better off with domestic energy, that having some home-grown power produced right here in the Agralite service area is good for all our members and creates economic development for our region. So - let's mix it up a little.

At first we tried to site the turbine on the side of the farm where we couldn't see it. In the end- it sits right out our front door, down next to the barn. And frankly, it is a beauty to behold- I'm glad I can see it out the front door and perfectly in line with my office window. I love the way the turbine looks on this farm. Now in the morning I check the thermometer and then look out at the turbine to see the wind speed and direction.

And so, we made this maddening wind part of our long term farm plan. And even more than that- I discovered parafoil kites. Oh joy of joys! Forget those plastic $2.99 kites-- they are a bane to kiting. These parafoil kites were made to love the wind and the sky and can't be kept down. Over the past few months with a few bucks invested in some of these nylon parafoils I have fallen in love, again, with this prairie.

The kids and I sit on top of the giant hay bales and our kites voluntarily lift into the air. Then we just lean back in the hay and meditate on four or five brilliant colored kites in a sky so blue that your heart just aches. Sometimes we go out into the prairie preserve and fly our kites out there as well. One day Alma and I just laid in the tall grass- one of the nice January days when we didn't even need our coats (the first of such days in my lifetime).

One day last fall I was out alone with a couple kites on the edge of the prairie- but still in our field. An unknown hunter walked to the edge of the prairie and watched me flying those kites and I was jumping with excitement when a kite might dive into the tall slough grass and with a pull (from 200 ft away!!) of the kite string the kite would BOUND back up into the air. Truly amazing for me. The hunter looked at me and held his gun over his head with two hands-- I took it as some kind of salute to giddy use of this good day and good wind.

And so I've found not only peace with the windy prairie, but some profit, and even more importantly a new soul filling joy.

Don W, active community member, and Holly K, employee at Bonnie's Hometown Grocery in Clinton, MN

A person could argue with being labeled a "food desert" since there are three grocery stores that serve this particular area-- Bonnie's Home Town Grocery in Clinton, Beardsley Country Market, and Graceville Country Market. I began my quest to find out how food comes to a rural food desert by asking Bonnie, owner of Bonnie's Hometown Grocery, where her groceries come from--the answer: Mason Brothers Wholesale Grocers of Wadena, Minnesota.

Mason Brothers delivery to Bonnie's Hometown Grocery, Clinton, MN February 24

That led to a recent trip to Wadena, MN (population 4,000) where Mason Brothers Wholesale Grocery is headquartered to get a first hand view of the business behind our rural food distribution system. This family owned business has been supplying food to rural communities since 1920. I met with Muryln Kreklau, Mason Brothers Sales Manager, who gave me a tour and an education about bringing food to rural communities. Muryln has been with Mason Bros. for 39 years. He started working there as a teenager instead of going into his families dairy operation. Murlyn moved up the ranks to his current position and along the way developed a great deal of knowledge about the economics and viability of small town stores.

Bonnie's Hometown Grocery, Clinton, MN

Mason Brothers: Serving Small Place
Mason Brothers is a full service grocery wholesaler that delivers to approximately 260 grocery stores throughout rural Minnesota, eastern North and South Dakota, Wisconsin and Michigan. Mason Bros. is very unique in that the majority of stores they service have populations of less than 1,000. Anecdotally, they have observed that it is economically feasible for nearly any wholesale grocer to supply towns with population of 3,200 and above. SuperValu, a national chain with a strong regional presence, commonly provides wholesale groceries to towns with populations of 1,800 and greater and occasionally to communities with populations as low as 1,200.

Because of their routes to the smallest of small towns, Murlyn and the drivers have a front row seat and an important back door function in keeping food on the shelves of rural towns. After a couple hours touring the Mason Bros. facilities, I realized what an asset they are to our rural food system--getting meat, fresh bakery products, dairy, and fresh produce to some of the smallest and more isolated stores out here in our so-called "food desert."

Dave Bernstetter, new driver for Mason Brothers, unloading food for Bonnie's Hometown Grocery of Clinton, MN

Actually delivering the groceries to Bonnie's Hometown Grocery is no small feat. Bonnie's has no loading dock and it took a great deal of skill to maneuver that large semi-truck through the alley to the back door of the store. Bob Warner and Dave Bernstetter, 14 years and 1 week with the company, respectively, are the Mason Brothers drivers who delivered to Bonnie's Hometown Grocery this week. They start their day around 4:30am at Mason Brother headquarters in Wadena, Minnesota. By 6pm tonight they will have delivered groceries to 8 towns in Minnesota and South Dakota, unloading by hand a semi full of pallets of food. There's a great deal of physical labor involved in delivering and stocking the shelves with food. The people of Clinton, Graceville, Ashby, Evansville and Wilmot South Dakota- to name a few- will have fresh produce, meat, frozen and canned fruits and veggies, and baked goods thanks to these gentlemen.

Dave Warner, Bonnie, and Holly K in the back of Bonnie's Homegrown Grocery.

In addition to Dave and Bob, there are around 260 people employed by Mason Brothers, making them the largest employer in Wadena, Minnesota. In walking through the front offices and touring the warehouse, the staff seemed relaxed and happy. The "campus" includes a gym and a pool that is available to all of the employees and their families. The warehouse facilities are state of the art, organized, and clean. They provide a USDA inspected meat cutting facility for those small town groceries that don't have their own meat cutting equipment. Their bakery, Abby's, prepares custom ordered breads, cakes, cookies, buns and rolls that are baked overnight and on the shelf in grocery stores the same day.

Abby's Bakery products same day delivery to Clinton, Minnesota

Community Matters! Challenges for Small Town Grocery Stores
"Unless something is done, small town groceries are going away" say the Mason Brothers Sales Manager after a tour of their facilities. "It's a problem there's not an answer to-yet." "Somehow, community is a part of the solution. Like investing in a community center and gathering place."

Murlyn gets many calls from people with questions about starting small town grocery stores. As a result, he's developed his own set of spreadsheets to do projections that help people determine the feasibility (profit and loss) of these small town stores. In the past few years high energy costs hurt small, rural groceries and as a result a number of small town grocery stores were shuttered and closed down. In fact, Mason Brothers has seen the turnover of around 60 of their 260 stores since 2007 alone. Murlyn is eager to discuss factors that contribute to the health and sustainability of rural groceries.

One of the key factors in having a small town grocery is to have a building that the grocery can afford. Very low building/rent costs are important to making the balance sheets balance. It's really difficult to buy an existing old store, make the payments for that business, and generate profits. The grocery business runs on thin margins of between 1-3%, as does Mason Brothers. Murlyn has seen some very inspiring examples of how small towns overcome the barriers associated with housing their rural grocery. For example, in Hope, North Dakota (population 258) the roof of Mick's Grocery was caving in. Mick had decided that it didn't pay to repair it and so was planning to close his store. The community realized they needed to rally around their town's grocery and so the city built a community center that includes a restaurant and space for the family owned grocery store. This is a great example of a public-private partnership that works to the benefit of a rural community and perhaps a needed model to overcoming rural food deserts.

In response to my questions about cooperative and community own grocery stores, Murlyn was quick to point out that in his 30 year experience the "mom and pop" owned stores fare better and stay open longer than other ownership forms. Mason Brothers supplies groceries to any store, regardless of ownership structure and have seen some community owned stores that work, but sadly more do not. It's hard to run a grocery store by committee and the amount of time and energy (to quote the "long, hard hours") that a family owned stores invests goes beyond that of most volunteers and employees.

Larry Anderson, president of the Big Stone County Farmers' Union, in front of the food order for the Big Stone County Emergency Food Shelf.

TWO

What I don't miss is the constant vigilance of raising a kid in an urban area where you can't just put them on their bikes-- even on sidewalks in front of the house- because of the driveways and constant traffic.

THREE

This week marks four years since we purchased the farm. Four years of dreaming, planning, working, worrying, planting, harvesting. Four years of awe, frustration, simple successes, a few failures. Four years of family, playing, joy, longing, and missing.

For me, it's been four years of discovering a new world. The prairie and all its subtle beauty and humble and not so humble majesty. Four years of balancing my long distance work life and my little, little children growing bigger every day. Of the contrast between frontier and urban core.

I've learned the remarkable journey of the sun from solstice to solstice. Just how crazy far towards the north the sun rises in the summer and to the south in the winter. Really people- at the 45th parallel, the range of the movement of the sun as it touches the horizon is dramatic. I've gained some intuitive sense of the cycles of the moon. I can tell from glancing at the moon whether it's waxing or waning.

It still feels new to me. And maybe that is one of the secrets (or practices) of being mindful-- keeping that feeling of everyday awe. There is a freshness in exploring the large and the small-- the movements of the sun and the seeds on the prairie grass. Meeting people who are both new to me and a stable part of a community that I will meet again and again. Thinking of new ideas on the small scale of my community life vs the larger scale of my work-a-day world. And opportunities to put my shoulder to the wheel in a way that feels like I'm making a difference on the piece of soil I've been blessed to steward.

It passes fast though, doesn't it? Here's the soundtrack for this entry-- 100 Years by Five for Fighting.

I lost a friend and a colleague this week. She lived big and was taken too soon. Linda moved through the world with an easy humor, spunk, and a perspective that I hope and intend to learn from. She had a joie de vivre like few people I've known. She was elegance and grace, with a wickedly wry and impertinent humor.

At the funeral, the pastor said that the light was extinguished only because the dawn had arrived. We will meet again one day, Linda.

In the meantime, none of us know how many sunrises and sunsets we each have. I do know that my children are getting bigger everyday and that those giddy moments of blissful child's play are numbered. I know that these are the days and moments that nostalgia are made from.