Month: May 2024

<span style="font-size: 14px; color: #6c6b6b; ">A wicker, biodegradable casket awaiting burial at the Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery in Gainesville FL. (Photo courtesy of the Conservation Burial Alliance)</span>

The Final Decision: Choosing Natural Green Burial

Mary Bell discusses her decision to choose green burial and what the process entails.

This equipment top-dresses nitrogen on the Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council plots; its technology adjusts application rates on the go, to make these trials possible. Improving yields and using nutrients efficiently is the goal for landowner Jon East working closely with <a href="https://nutrienagsolutions.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nutrien Ag Solutions</a> agronomist Scott Barnes, Harmony, Minn. Barnes has been a catalyst for bringing southeast Minnesota growers into on-farm plot research funded by the <a href="https://www.mda.state.mn.us/business-dev-loans-grants/agricultural-fertilizer-research-education-council-afrec/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council</a> (AFREC). A 40 cent per ton fee paid by Minnesota farmers on all fertilizer sold in the state funds AFREC. The lion's share of the $1.2 million disbursed each year goes to the University of Minnesota, however a small portion is dedicated to on-farm plot research. "We use data from all these plots with growers," says Barnes. "They like these trials because the data is local."

Nitrate and Water Issue Proposals Addressed by 2024 Minnesota Legislature

Root River Current updates 2024 legislative issues regarding southeast Minnesota water issues, including a story by Minnesota Reformer reporter Madison McVan on a proposal that would levy a tax on fertilizer to offset farm pollution.

Connection with a neighbor and quick action by a local ambulance crew brought aid to Don Bell.

Root River Diary | Counting on Your Neighbors

Lanesboro’s Don Bell can count on his neighbors. This is an entry in our Root River Diary.

<span style="font-size: 14px; color: #6c6b6b;"><em>High School baseball is in full force during May. In this picture, the batter makes contact with the baseball while the catcher is still poised to receive the pitch. (Photo by Craig Johnson)</em> </span>

Prelude to Summer

Craig Johnson and Renee Bergstrom capture the full essence of May.

<span style="font-size: 14px; color: #6c6b6b; ">The author’s favorite ephemeral is the Showy Orchis. This exquisite member of the orchid family has won acclaim from some Morel mushroom hunters as a reliable signal for when the Morels will appear. Unfortunately, it is also well known for being extremely hard to find anywhere. So if you find it, celebrate your good luck. (Photos by Loni Kemp) </span>

Ephemeral Wildflowers Blanket The Woods — Quick, Look Now!

Loni Kemp, an avid gardener and nature lover, explores the diversity and beauty of our short-lived spring ephemeral wildflowers.

<span style="font-size: 14px; color: #6c6b6b; ">Gordie Tindall of Lanesboro, Minnesota, in front of his pool hall. (Photo by Steve Harris)</span>

Gordie’s “Lost Ballparks” Find a Home in Lanesboro

Steve Harris talks baseball history with Gordie Tindall of Lanesboro.

<span style="font-size: 14px; color: #6c6b6b; ">Roger Steinberg drives down a Fillmore County road, one he drove many times when he worked for the University of Minnesota Extension. (Photo by John Weiss)</span>

Roger Steinberg Proves One Man Can Make a Difference

John Weiss shares the story of Roger Steinberg and his lifetime of service to community organizations in Southeastern Minnesota.

<span style="font-size: 14px; color: #6c6b6b; ">Production fields of Cardinal Flower and Meadow Blazing Star located outside of Spring Grove, Minnesota. (Photo by Shooting Star Native Seeds)</span>

Bold Vision, Deep Roots | Two Southeast Minnesota Nurseries Source Seed for Restoring Native Landscapes

Nancy North visits two bluff country nurseries both working to help restore native prairieland.

<span style="font-size: 14px; color: #6c6b6b; ">Marty Walsh, Lead Organizer of the Minnesota Driftless Hiking Trail, hikes along the beginning of Lost Creek Hiking Trail near Chatfield. (Photo by Julie Fryer)</span>

The Minnesota Driftless Hiking Trail Gets Two Steps Closer to Reality

Julie Fryer visits with Marty Walsh, the lead organizer of the Minnesota Driftless Hiking Trail.

<span style="font-size: 14px; color: #6c6b6b; ">Hundreds of pelicans congregate in the backwaters of the Mississippi River and its tributaries. The Mississippi Flyway is a migration route followed by tens of thousands of North America’s water and shore birds. (Photo near Alma, Wisconsin by Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinal)</span>

Spring Migration | Things to Know About Our Region’s Mississippi Flyway

Madeline Heim chronicles the importance of the Mississippi Flyway for spring and fall bird migration.

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