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Country Acres
Clouds fill the sky behind the pig barn Sep. 3 at Feathered Acres Learning Farm & Inn near Belgrade. The Zachmans raise some hogs for Niman Ranch.

Recognized excellence at Feathered Acres

BELGRADE — Friendly geese, chickens, ducks, kittens and a Bernese mountain dog named Stout happily greet guests at Feathered Acres Learning Farm & Inn. The welcome crew enjoys following …
Kate and Ben Kalthoff

Across the Acres

Jacob Bryce Glenwood | Pope County Tell us about your farm Bryce Farms is a family farm located around five miles southeast of Glenwood. The farm was established by our grandparents, Ed and …

Faces & Places: Casey & Kim Englund

Tell us about your farm. My husband, Casey, and I bought 15 acres north of Evansville 13 years ago. We have most of it in pasture for horses. We used to raise a lot of orphan calves and piglets from …
Country Acres South
Kendal (left) and Ellery Groth feed cattle Aug. 21 at their family’s farm near Ridgeway. The Groths raise replacement heifers, provide custom hay services, and operate a Mustang Seeds dealership.

Community involvement, global reach

RIDGEWAY — Instead of merely being drawn back into agriculture, the family of Glen and Melinda Groth has been dedicated to giving back to their community, which is one of the reasons they were …
Betsy and Alan Jostock hold piglets Aug. 24 at Rolling J Farm near Hammond. The Jostocks are contracted farmers with Niman Ranch raising 25 farrow-to-finish hogs with a focus on Berkshire and Duroc hogs.

Dedicated to agriculture

HAMMOND — Community involvement, sustainable farming practices and animals raised with care have earned the Jostock family the 2026 Farm Family of the Year award for Wabasha County. Rolling J …
Cows eat a total mixed ration Aug. 28, at Schmity Holsteins farm near Owatonna. Schmity Holsteins has been recognized by the Holstein Association USA for outstanding dairy genetics for 20 consecutive years.

Building on tradition

OWATONNA — For the Schmidt family, dairy farming has been a way of life for more than a century. Today, Jon Schmidt owns and operates Schmity Holsteins near Owatonna with his wife, Kim, who …
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Our Columnists

Riding the bus

It is back-to-school season — a very exciting time of the year for most students and all parents. This school year marked a first in our house: our oldest, Allison, started kindergarten. …

More than ink on paper

As some of you may not know, I also do sales for our publications in addition to reporting. When I’m out on my sales route, I often hear individuals say, “People don’t read newspapers …

Me and God

I generally consider myself an active person and enjoy doing things outside such as biking, rollerblading and just going for walks. Now, however, I seldom get to enjoy the outdoor activities I used …

Sweet corn season

Is anyone else knee-deep in sweet corn about now? You are eating sweet corn once a day, and sometimes, it is even served as the main course. I love sweet corn, don’t get me wrong; it is …
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