In June, I went to certify my acres at the Farm Service Agency. It’s an annual task after planting. As I drove to town, a foreboding line of dark clouds hung over Sleepy Eye, like a wall cloud on steroids. As I stepped into the office, you could see the blackening sky out the north windows. ...
I have never been accused of being a neatnik — my desk resembles the aftermath of a tornado — but I have lately found great pleasure in tidying things up. A good example would be my newly rebuilt old farm shop. It has taken more than a year, but I’ve finally gotten the shop to the point ...
Talk of early bedtimes and back-to-school clothes — no kid wants to hear that in July. But now’s the time to begin looking toward this busy season when it comes to your family’s health care. Back-to-school checkups Now’s the time to schedule back-to-school preventive checkups, ...
Anyone who watches sports has recognized the influx of flashy, funny and big-budget advertising promoting online sports gambling sites and apps. It could be argued that the “sport” of betting on sports seems to be just as popular as watching the game itself. A few months back, the sports ...
It often surprises people that in our region water is a limited resource, something that needs to be conserved. We’re part of Minnesota. It’s known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes and the Land of Sky Blue Waters. It creates a perception that water is abundant all throughout the state. Our ...
Editor’s Note: Independent columnist Ted Rowe died on Sunday. Rowe wrote a weekly column for the Independent starting in 2011. In his memory here is his column that was published on Feb. 21, 2018. Have you ever wanted to “Stop the World – I want to Get Off”? Whenever I get to this ...