You might think that a town with a name like Orange City would have vast orchards of citrus trees, but you would be mistaken. So much for truth in advertising. This isn’t terribly surprising given that Orange City is in northwestern Iowa, far from the citrus-growing region. But Orange City ...

Since moving to the bluff area, I've not had too many opportunities to plant flowers. Coming from an agrarian background, planting season was a welcome time of the year. It made no difference if I planted various grains in the farm fields or if I got to plant the vegetable garden or the ...

This spring has afforded us blissful moments of calm weather, sunny skies, and ideal conditions. Unfortunately, it’s usually been only for about four hours on perhaps one or two days out of the week, and usually not on the weekend. With that brief and beautiful window magically opening on ...

If our worth is to be measured by our lawns, I am in trouble. You’ve seen those perfectly manicured lawns in the nice parts of town. Then there are farmyards that look like the cover of Country Living magazine. Our lawn is there because something needs to grow between the buildings and the ...

For too long, a common-sense solution to lower gas prices and support American energy independence has been tied up in red tape. Families and farmers in Western Minnesota and across the country have been subjected to frustrating, outdated, and unnecessary regulations. The House of ...

Thirty years ago some of the most important topics I covered for the Independent involved renewable energy and rural development. The 1990s were an exciting time for it in the Marshall area and throughout the Upper Midwest. One reason was Minnesota Corn Processors, which became the world’s ...