Culture & Community

Two people dressed in biking gear stand behind their e-bikes on an outdoor trail.

“On Your Left!” | E-Bikes on Regional Trails

Steve Harris reports on the surge in e-bikes on Southeast Minnesota’s 60+ miles of state trails.

Groups of people walk through a field with emerging rows looking at the soil for artifacts.

Shooting Star Trail Was Once an Indigenous Crossroads

David Phillips explores Indigenous history found in Mower County along the Shooting Star Trail.

Man in tshirt and sunglasses stands behind a table.

La Crescent Farmers Market Builds Community

Greg Lovell finds fresh produce, artisan goods and community at the La Crescent Farmers Market.

An older white man stands facing a crowd of seated people.

Braver Angels Encourages Constructive Disagreement

Anna Loney reports on a community gathering recently held in Lanesboro to help people learn communication techniques.

A large two-story tan brick home with a porch extending across the entire front.

Discovered: The Underground Railroad in Southeast Minnesota and the Abolitionists Who Helped

Amy Jo Hahn uncovers the hidden history of the Underground Railroad in Southeast Minnesota.

An older woman in a pink shirt holds up a white hood with eye holes. The right side of the graphic includes a reprint of an historical newspaper article titled: Ku Klux Klan invades Lanesboro.

Minnesota’s Hooded History

Surprising or not, the Ku Klux Klan was active in Southeast Minnesota in the 1920s. John Torgrimson reports on a recent presentation on the history of the Klan’s presence in the region.

In the News: Opportunities to Create!

Several recently announced spring and summer activities will spur participants’ creativity in music, performing arts — and gardening!

Giants of the Earth Center street level photo

Commemorating Norwegian Crossings with Music and More

Giants of the Earth Heritage Center has lots to celebrate! Steve Harris guides our way.

Groups of people of all ages sit around tables in a library with sun streaming in the windows.. They are leaning over tables sorting garden seeds.

Cultivating Community | How the Chatfield Public Library is Sowing Seeds

Move over books and periodicals: Laurie Byrne explains how seeds are making their way into area libraries.

A black and white photo of women wearing long skirts marching in a parade under various Scandinavian flags.

Women Who Shaped Southeastern Minnesota History

On the occasion of Women’s History Month, Jane Skinner Peck reminds us of the rich history of the women’s civil rights movement in southern Minnesota.

Women in a canoe holds a large brown trout with both hands.

Artist Creating New Life in Southeastern Minnesota

David Phillips visits with Michelle de la Vega, nationally known artist and transplant to a small farm in southeast Minnesota.

Visitors to Peterson, Minn., will appreciate gnome murals added to the Peterson post office building for years to come! The project was coordinated by Friends of Peterson and supported by a 2022 Paint the Town Grant from the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF). (Photo courtesy of SMIF)

Time Again to ‘Paint The Town’

Learn how your community can benefit — and beautify — from a 2025 Paint the Town Grant from the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (applications accepted through March 31), and tour some of the recent projects in southeast Minnesota.

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Building Community Through Storytelling