Community Voices

Small older main street with brightly colored tent set up as people gather, walk around, and visit with neighbors.

New Design for Downtown Spring Valley May Preview Future

David Phillips reports on efforts by the Spring Valley Business Alliance to revive the downtown area.

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; ">Each spring Maynard Underbakke, at right, would welcome students to tour his tree farm nursery. Each student was given a spruce seedling to plant at their home. (Photo submitted by Bonita Underbakke)</span>

Essay | Father Was Born Capable

Bonita Underbakke recounts the memory of Burger Night and a Minnesota snowstorm with her father.

Poetry | Reflections by Gavin

Southern Minnesota poet Larry Gavin is inspired by his Root River fishing experiences.

<span style="font-size: 14px; color: #6c6b6b; ">A Monarch butterfly stops for a rest and a snack. Monarchs' fall migration typically continues through October in southeast Minnesota. (Photo by Craig Johnson)</span>

Summer Fades into Fall

Area photographers capture the changing seasons.

<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.

RRC Root River Diary Goat in Pickup by Adrienne Sweeney (1)

Root River Diary | Four Dogs and a Surprise

Adrienne Sweeney discovers it’s not just dogs hanging out at the dog park.

A field of Queen Anne's Lace. (Photo by Delia Bell)

Poetry | Biennial Beauty, Black Holes & Insomnia

Artist Delia Bell channels her creative energy into words: check out her new poetry.

<span style="font-size: 14px; color: #6c6b6b; ">A bright green tree frog nestles in for a little rest. (Photo by Dick Nethercut)</span>

Dog Days of Summer

<span style="font-size: 14px; color: #6c6b6b; ">Founding teacher and abbot Rev. Shoken Winecoff explains the significance of the bell at Ryumonji, a Soto Zen Buddhist temple located in the rolling hills just across the Minnesota-Iowa border southeast of Spring Grove (Houston County). (Photo courtesy of the Ryumonji Center)</span>

Essay | A Story of Balance: A Zen Buddhist Retreat in the Heart of the Midwest

Anna Loney explores a traditional Buddhist monastery nestled in the hills of Dorchester, Iowa, just south of the Houston County line.

Root River Diary | Good Neighbors

Rural Peterson’s Bonnie Gibson on finding kindness on a morning walk.

<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

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Building Community Through Storytelling