BENTON AG Plus
Serving rural Benton, Morrison, Mille Lacs and Kanabec counties
Sauk Rapids Herald | Saturday, March 20, 2021
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Field guides
Extension educators create podcast to share producer experience
Michael Cruse
Nathan Drewitz
Rubes Sponsored by Fluegge’s Ag
SAUK RAPIDS – Field guides have been kept for centuries. When the Minnesota Legislature created an Extension division at the University of Minnesota in the early 1900s, it is likely those educators kept notes and research as they came upon new findings in their work. No different than the farmers who put pen to paper and recorded data about their livestock or crops. Over the years, technology has updated these practices, and now, the Extension will expand its online education with a new tool: The Field Guide Podcast. Extension educators Nathan Drewitz and Michael Cruse kicked off their idea in early March and have recorded three episodes to date. “Our goal is that by the time we get going, this podcast will have a wide-range of covered topics where if a grower or the general public want to learn more about a topic, they’ll be able to find some information here,” said Drewitz, who specializes in agriculture production systems for Benton, Stearns and Morrison counties. Extension page 3B
Purple Carrot Market
sets pace for retail store Food co-op gains 125 new owners in one year
The same concept can be applied to an idea, and that is exactly what a group of Morrison County residents have been doing over the past seven years. The Purple Carrot BY NATASHA BARBER Market sprouted from STAFF WRITER seeds planted at a community meeting in 2014. Now, after L I T T L E FALLS – The basics of purchasing a location in gardening are rather simple: Plant a seed, watch it sprout, nurture it and reap its benefits.
2017, participating in market studies and obtaining more than 500 owners, the future food cooperative is gearing up for growth. “We’ve had tremendous growth just in the last few months; it’s really been fantastic,”
Cathy Hartle said. “In fact, we’ve had significant movement since last summer.” Food co-op page 2B
PHOTO BY NATASHA BARBER
Cathy Hartle (left) and Darlene Brand are owners and board members of the Purple Carrot Market, a future food cooperative that will be located at 53 E. Broadway, Little Falls. The number of people taking interest and ownership in the market has surged in the past year.
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