Some may questions whether church is still important. Some will say yes. Some will say no. Hopefully, by asking the question, it will prompt you to think about the answer. Recently, our small country church celebrated a welcome back to Sunday School and New Member recognition. After a summer break, it is time our young head back to Sunday School…
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What is the best way to house sows? Is it gestation crates? Is it group housing? Is it outdoor living? I hope to answer why pig farmers use gestation crates. For most people, sow housing raises a lot of questions. Let me start with saying, “There is NO perfect sow housing. None. Nada.” When housing pregnant sows indoors, there are…
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I have been pondering this subject for quite some time. I remember not long ago when no one talked about mental health (and especially rural mental health). But, the great news is we are hearing and learning more about it. Thankfully, there are more resources reaching mental health efforts. Is Mental health an issue for rural America? Based on an…
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It’s so important that children know where their food comes from. And more important, it’s the truthful story. I love this list of the top 40 children’s book about where their food comes from. I loved putting this list together. As a farmer, I selected books that share the truthful agricultural story with children. We all need to know where…
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Yes, our pigs live in barns, and I will tell you why. If we lived in a utopian world, I would have no problem with our pigs living outdoors. In fact, I probably would live outdoors right alongside them. A Utopian world means a perfect life with no discomfort, sickness, or injuries. But a world of utopia is just an ideological vision that is…
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I recently traveled to St. Paul talking to my legislators as a representative of Minnesota Farm Bureau. I am a strong proponent that we need to stay in contact with our representatives. Is there a problem with that? Most would say not, but . . . Are We Talking to the Choir? We are talking to the choir. Because they…
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Right in the middle of Minnesota’s agriculture community is Martin County. Located in south-central Minnesota, Martin County is rich in agriculture resources. In fact, the county is the largest pork-producing county in Minnesota. We celebrate our strong agriculture community through an event called From the Ground Up. What is From the Ground Up? From the Ground Up is a yearly…
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Yes, and I am going to tell you why. There is so much buzz about GMO’s recently, especially with General Mills announcement of labeling their original Cheerios with a “not made with genetically modified ingredients” label. (By the way, oats are the ingredient of Cheerios and there are no GMO oats.) Let us start this conversation by discussing what is a…
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It was August, 1991 and I was attending the local county fair with my three daughters. The two oldest were competing in the local kid’s tractor pull. They had a bit of a knack for tractor pulls where they typically would place at the competitions. As a mom, I am cheering them on. And, perhaps, maybe a little too much….
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OpEd By Cara Harbstreet How many fruits and vegetables do you eat each day? If you just sheepishly looked away, you’re not alone. According to the CDC, only one in ten Americans consumes the recommended daily serving of fruits and vegetables. This hasn’t changed much in recent years, with the number of eating occasions for vegetables remaining flat for at least…
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I am going to be very upfront. I have been pushed to the edge with the force our government is taking in controlling our lives. The unapologetic push for electric vehicle mandates is at the top of the list of unnecessary government controls. Let’s look at what’s going on. California and Minnesota’s Electric Vehicle Mandates In 2021, the state of…
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