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Mr. Gorbachev: Why Minnesota?

On June 3rd, 1990, Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev came to Minnesota. At the time, he had begun to reform the failing Communist system. He was one of the most significant figures of the Twentieth Century. His visit to Minnesota received international attention. It was an unseasonably cold, blustery day. I wrote this then. Earl Kruger has since passed away. Earl was a real person. The Kretschmers occasionally show up in my column. They are real to me. Paul and Julia have since grown. Bart quit farrowing and put up a finishing barn for Schwartz Farms. Katherine battled with her novel ...

‘Waiting for Guffman’ up next for NU Film Society

NEW ULM — Small town community theater gets lampooned in “Waiting for Guffman,” the next film in New Ulm Film Societies mockumentary film series. The screening starts at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 11 at the New Ulm Public Library and is free to the public. “Waiting for Guffman” is set in the fictional small town of Blaine, Missouri. As the town prepares to celebrate its 150th anniversary, a documentary film crew is following Blaine’s local community theater group as they audition, cast, rehearse and eventually perform the town’s founders day pageant. Early in rehearsals, the ...

Dairy Fest!

For a recovering dairy farmer such as myself, going to a dairy farm festival is like a cat attending a hairball convention. Ho-hum. Not much new to see here. Or so I thought. Our neighbors Frido and Sonja Verpaalen opened their dairy farm to a throng of visitors for Dairy Fest, an event that was held on the first day of June Dairy Month. Among the first things that I noticed was a pair of bouncy houses, one of which looked like a humongous green tractor. I was sorely tempted to try the tractor but had bigger fish to fry. Specifically, I was looking forward to sampling the ...

Democrats silence half of Minnesota

As the 2024 legislative session drew to a close on May 20, the lack of transparency and bipartisanship troubled me. In my 12 years as your state senator, I have never seen such a disappointing conclusion to a session. Quite frankly, it has got to be one of the most disgraceful endings to a session that I have witnessed. With complete control of the Minnesota Legislature, the majority party had two years to pass their “priority bills.” However, due to their poor time management, Democrats combined all their agenda items into a single omnibus bill in the final hours of session. ...

Minnesota’s nitrogen dilemma: How can farmers solve it?

Issues surrounding nitrogen fertilizer pose a significant challenge for Minnesota farmers and our natural resources, prompting increased attention toward nitrogen regulations. While these concerns rightly demand attention, Minnesota farmers are doing what they do best — taking proactive and innovative steps to solve agriculture’s big challenges. It’s time for the state to acknowledge those efforts and partner with growers to scale new solutions that reduce reliance on synthetic nitrogen and safeguard our environment. I’m a third-generation Minnesota farmer, working the same ...

The weed warrior

With two farmsteads to care for, I have developed a thing about weeds. Specifically, killing them. Liquidating those lambsquarters. Slaying those sunflowers. Murdering those cockleburs. There are various methods available for giving weeds a one-way ticket to the hereafter. A guy can mow them or spray them or till them until their root systems are reduced to underground confetti. I would like to use a flamethrower but alas, my wife won’t let me buy one. Of all the vexatious vegetation that irks me, none is more galling than those troublesome thistles. I am an equal opportunity ...