Rows of booths and displays offer visitors information on everything from home remodeling, lawn and garden care to health foods, health care and a variety of community services and agencies.

The City of New Ulm Public Utilities (NUPU) booth didn’t disappoint, offering flashlights with a mechanical recharging system, plastic piggy banks and information about Energy Star Residential Lighting Rebates.

Customers can receive a maximum rebate of $100 a year for light emitting diode (LED) bulbs. The rebate does not cover holiday LED strings. There is a separate rebate program for them.

Energy Star LED bulbs help protect the environment, prevent climate change, last 15 times longer than standard bulbs and offer the same brightness with 70 to 90 percent less energy.

Staff photo by Fritz Busch Alex Marti of Courtland spins the prize wheel at the American Family Insurance booth at the 39th Annual New Ulm Home & Health Show at the New Ulm Civic Center Friday. Mark Grossmann of American Family Insurance is pictured at right. The show continues 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

In addition, rebates are available for all NUPU business customers for qualifying lighting retrofits. All products must be installed in existing facilities in NUPU’s service territory and be in operation during daylight hours. Retrofits must provide a net reduction in kWh usage from that of the existing lighting system.

The New Ulm Park & Recreation Department is sponsoring a contest to find the largest Northern Catalpa tree in the New Ulm city limits. The winner receives up to $200 towards a tree from a local nursery to plant anywhere in the city limits, including your own yard.

The trees have large, tube, bell-shaped two-inch white flowers born in four to eight-inch long panicles in late spring. The trees grow 40 to 60 feet high with a 20 to 40 foot spread.

Their bark is thick, reddish brown, with scaly, longitudinal ridges that can develop a unique twist in branches and the trunk.

Distinctively large leaves are up to a foot long and four to eight inches wide with a somewhat heart or pear shape.

Bean-like seed pods are eight to 20 inches long, starting out green and turning brownish as they ripen. They are filled with numerous, one-inch long seeds fringed at the ends.

Community tree benefits, according to Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Forester Greg E. Johnson, include:

• A total of 300 trees can counter balance the amount of pollution one person produces in a lifetime.

• Trees provide protection from cancer-causing, ultra-violet rays, especially on campuses and playgrounds, where children spend hours outdoors.

• Researchers found that nearly 200,000 public trees in Minneapolis provide a $24.9 million total gross annual benefit in energy savings, carbon dioxide emission reductions, air pollution reduction, storm-water management, aesthetics, and enhanced property values. After costs associated with trees are subtracted, the net benefit averages to $79 per tree per year.

Information on New Ulm’s buckthorn eradication program read that the invasive plants brought from Europe lead to bare soil where nothing lives or grows. In addition, it is the only winter host for the soybean aphid, the number one insect pest for soybeans.

“Many rural residents have cleaned buckthorn out of their shelter belts,” said Ellen Vancura.

She urged people to remove it from their property and volunteer to remove it from public places.

The Brown County Planning & Zoning booth displayed Systern rain barrels and Earth Machine backyard compost bins.

The 55-gallon rain barrels have built-in debris and mosquito screens, overflow outlets to connect to more barrels and a bottom spigot for releasing water.

The 80-gallon recycled plastic compost bins convert grass, leaves and food scraps into a rich material that provides garden nutrients.

The New Ulm Community Market and Cooperative booth displayed a number of food products plus recipe cards for healthy, home-made dishes.

Saturday seminars include 3D drafting at 10:30 a.m., protein diets at 11:30 a.m., diabetes prevention and management at 12:30 p.m., keepsakes vs. clutter at 1:30 p.m., the biggest health secrets you’ve probably never heard at 2:30 p.m. and wellness: Jeopardy Edition at 3:30 p.m.

Sunday seminars are buying and living in a townhome at 12:30 p.m. an radon gas: hidden danger in your home at 1:30 p.m.

fbusch@nujournal.com