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Something new for the Nelsons
Multi-generational farm sees changes
FAIRFAX – For five generations, the Nelson family has farmed in rural Fairfax. Today, the farm is home to many species and utilizes regenerative practices.
Eric and Whitney Nelson moved to the family farm in 2015. The Nelsons have prioritized regenerative farming on their land. From rotational grazing to cover crops, they have experimented with many different methods.
“We learn as we go,” Eric said. “Different things worked then that don’t work now and vice versa.”
Eric grew up on the farm, where they raised sheep and grew corn and soybeans. Eric said they continued to raise sheep until five years ago, when he transitioned into cattle, pigs and chickens.
Heavenly harps
Stoney End makes, sells musical instruments internationally
There is good reason why the harp has been considered the standard instrument of heaven. Stoney End, tucked in the countryside near Red Wing, is eager to give people the means to make divine music here on earth with their range of handmade harps that have been sought after around the globe.
“I don’t have a musical background; I have a woodworking background,” said Gary Stone, founder and co-owner of Stoney End. “I don’t make the music. I make the tools.”
Gary grew up in southeastern Minnesota, where the family’s roots in the land go back to the 1890s. His grandfather, Walter Stone, had a turning lathe which captured his interest, and Gary would go on to do woodworking himself. After college, he worked for Here Inc. in the West Bank neighborhood in Minneapolis in the late 1960s. The shop mainly made dulcimers and dulcimer kits, which were in high demand at the time.
