‘Over the Barrel: A Prohibition Musical’ theatrical production to be performed in Granite Falls

PlaceBase Productions, in partnership with Other Tiger Productions and the Granite Falls Historical Society, will present “Over the Barrel: A Prohibition Musical,” an original, community-based musical theatrical production that will take place in Granite Falls throughout the summer. The first performances will take place on Saturday, June 29, as a part of the Volstead Day Block Party, presented by the Granite Falls Historical Society and Bluenose Gopher Public House.

Performance will begin and end at Bluenose Public House, 681 Prentice St, Granite Falls. Audience will travel to two additional scene locations (the YES! House and the Volstead House) as a part of the performance. Those who require mobility assistance to walk from scene to scene should call 952-486-0533.

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Prohibition, PlaceBase Productions is teaming up with the Granite Falls Historical Society, Bluenose Gopher Public House and Other Tiger Productions for the space and time-traveling event. The production will take place downtown Granite Falls throughout the summer months as a musical theater adventure exploring three generations of liberation, libation, inhibition (or lack thereof), history, the future, and Prohibition. The audience will move from scene to scene. The first performance will take place on Saturday, June 29, as a part of Volstead Days. A free public performance, including excerpts from the production, will be at 4 p.m. at the Volstead Day Block Party (Prentice Street and 7th Avenue); and the full performance will take place at 7 p.m., starting at Bluenose Gopher Public House. Limited tickets for the 7 p.m. performance are available at https://overthebarrel.bpt.me.

“Over the Barrel: A Prohibition Musical” will run one weekend a month from June-October. The final performance will happen on Friday, Oct. 4, as a part of the Meander Weekend opening night celebration.

The script and songs for the production were informed by research, interviews, and story swaps that took place in Granite Falls over the past four months. This large-scale, site-specific, musical theater production will be performed by members of the community to highlight the 100th anniversary of the Prohibition Act — celebrating the rich history, culture, and local talent of the area by turning Granite Falls into a stage. The Prohibition Act was authored by former Granite Falls Mayor Andrew Volstead, which will be commemorated from 3-7 p.m. Volstead Day — Saturday, June 29. Additional activities for Volstead Day includes a block party, beer garden, live music and poetry, art market and local vendors, barbecue, and “Prohibited Acts” art stations by local artists Jessica Gorman and Tamara Isfeld.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and from a Heritage Partnership Grant from the Minnesota Historical Society.

Walz open to special session to address insulin costs

ST. PAUL (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz says he’s open to calling a special session to help diabetics who can’t afford the cost of insulin, but lawmakers must first work out a deal.

Walz made his comments Wednesday after a discussion with diabetics, advocates and medical professionals.

A measure that would have established an emergency insulin program had broad support during the legislative session, but was left out of budget bills.

The program would have provided insulin to people who can’t afford it, paid for by a fee on drug makers. The pharmaceutical industry opposed it.

Those attending Wednesday’s roundtable discussion told the governor the bill would save lives. Quinn Nystrom said she paid $20 for a vial of insulin 20 years ago. Now, the cost is about $400.

Walz says drug manufacturers need to be part of the solution.

Cargill to spend $30M for ideas to end Brazil deforestation

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Cargill Inc. said Thursday the Minnesota-based agribusiness giant will spend $30 million to fund new ideas for ending deforestation in Brazil, and called on its peers, governments and organizations to work together to come up with real solutions.

Minnetonka-based Cargill is a major player in Brazilian soy production, which has impacted ecosystems in Brazil. Cargill said the industry is poised to fall short of its goal to eliminate deforestation in key supply chains, including soy, by 2020.

Ruth Kimmelshue, Cargill’s head of supply chain and chief sustainability officer, told the Star Tribune that the climate is changing and there’s an urgent need to take action.

But Kimmelshue said Cargill, its peers and international organizations will fall short of reaching their goals.

“I’m not going to admit defeat, but we can all be reasonable people and see that we have significantly more work to do,” Kimmelshue said Thursday.

In Brazil, soybean farming continues to encroach on ecosystems in the South American country, leading to destruction of forests and native vegetations. Soy often is a base ingredient in livestock feed, and a growing appetite for meat around the world is pushing demand for the crop and prompting many South American farmers to expand their cropland.

Brazil is the second-largest producer of soybeans in the world, with 59 million to 62 million acres dedicated to the crop, according to the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies Global Forest Atlas.

Cargill and its industry peers agreed more than a decade ago to a purchase moratorium on soybeans grown on newly deforested land in the Amazon. In 2014, Cargill signed the United Nations’ New York Declaration on Forests, a global pledge to end and reverse the loss of forests.

Cargill has taken steps to end deforestation, but says the issue is complex. Environmental groups say businesses like Cargill are unwilling to take true leadership on the issue and must do more.

Glenn Hurowitz, chief executive of Mighty Earth, said Cargill’s plan “purposefully lacks a commitment to stop buying from producers who contribute to deforestation.”