John Torgrimson

John Torgrimson

John Torgrimson is managing editor and co-publisher of Root River Current.

Author's Archive

Root River area towns have stories to tell. (Map courtesy of <a href="https://www.rootrivertrail.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Root River Trail Towns</a>)

Root River Diary

This recurring series features original short stories based on observations and experiences of what makes our rural communities uniquely special. Learn more and submit YOUR story!

<span style="font-size: 14px; color: #6c6b6b; ">Several harvested varieties of heirloom tomatoes await processing. Wild tomatoes originated in the mountains of South America, but were believed to be domesticated in Mexico. Cortés took them from the new world back to Spain. (Photo by John Torgrimson)</span>

Essay | Garden Harvest

John Torgrimson chronicles the evolution of his garden over the season.

Diane Knight is pictured in front of a wall of Doodles – intricate pen and ink designs that she creates. (Photo by Renee Bergstrom)

Profile | The University of Diane

John Torgrimson visits with Fillmore County artist and author Diane Knight.

<span style="font-size: 14px; color: #6c6b6b; ">The sun rises through the trees over old gravestones at the Arendahl Cemetery (located in Arendahl Township, Fillmore County). (Photo by Renee Bergstrom)</span>

Summer Photos from the Driftless Region

Renee Bergstrom’s photos capture summer in southeastern Minnesota

<span style="font-size: 14px; color: #6c6b6b; ">Staff with the Minnesota Department of Health welcomed well owners to a nitrate open house June 26th in Rushford. (Photo by John Torgrimson)</span>

Minnesota Officials Launch First Phase of Nitrate Mitigation Plan

The first phase of the Minnesota Department of Health’s nitrate mitigation plan for southeast Minnesota is underway. John Torgrimson has the latest.

<span style="font-size: 14px; color: #6c6b6b; ">A stave church in Renlie, Valdres, Norway, about 80 miles north of Oslo, where the author’s great grandfather attended church as a young man. (Photo by John Torgrimson)</span>

The Fabric that Binds: A Family’s History

Tracing family roots – from Ireland, Germany, and Norway to southeast Minnesota, John Torgrimson shares his personal story of how families are woven into our region’s past and present.

Help shape Root River Current’s future—the stories, essays, photography and more that add to the beauty of the Root River valley region! (Submitted photo; enjoy these flyover winter scenes in the video below.)

Root River Current…Come Join Our Team!

Root River Current is growing its team, seeking an editor and board members to guide us through a second year of success!

Sunrise, with its mottled pinks, blends in with the red farmstead. (Photo by Renee Bergstrom)

Winter Beauty

Renee Bergstrom and John Torgrimson capture the beauty of January.

Southeast Minnesota's karst topography–and its network of sinkholes, caves and streams–exacerbate well contamination issues. There are more than 10,000 sinkholes in Fillmore County alone. (Photo Julie Little)

State Officials’ January 2024 Plan Addresses Nitrate Contamination Issues

Minnesota updated its response to EPA on nitrate contamination in ground water.

Fillmore County became a member of the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities. Pictured Front Row: Bonnie Heidtke (Wykoff), Linda King (Mabel), Marge Fuller (Lanesboro); Back Row: Dan Conway (Southeast Area Agency on Aging), Sue Olinger (Harmony), Pam Nelson (Chatfield), and Bill Sullivan (Pilot Mound). (Photo by Brenda Pohlman)

Developing Age-Friendly Communities in Fillmore County

John Torgrimson looks at the Age-Friendly Communities project in Fillmore County.

Paul Wotzka, hydrologist and co-founder of the Minnesota Well Owners Organization, speaks about the challenges karst geology presents to water quality in Fillmore County during a Water Quality Forum at Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center, Lanesboro, on November 16. (Photo by John Torgrimson)

Local Forums, EPA Raise Questions About SE Minnesota Water Quality | State Agencies Respond

John Torgrimson reports on local, state, and federal action on water quality in karst country.

The Historic Forestville bridge, built in 1899, before it was hoisted off its abutments and placed on the south side of the Root River. (Photo by John Torgrimson)

Moving Day for a 19th Century Bridge at Historic Forestville

Dave Shaffer and John Torgrimson chronicle the first phase in the restoration of the Historic Forestville bridge.

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