Our Featured Stories

The blossoming acre

Tim Williams takes a break Sept. 30 at Williams Orchard in Blomkest. Williams operates the orchard with the help of his family and the good old-fashioned honor system.

BLOMKEST — Whether it’s a bite of a refreshing Honeycrisp apple or the tried-and-true Haralson baking apple, the Williams Orchard’s storefront on County Road 5 keeps apple enthusiasts satisfied …

Picking memories

Taylor Volker (front, from left), Tracy Perry, Rhett Volker, Dan and Jordyn Perry; and Tony Volker (back, from left), Taryn, Maverick and Jonah Hennen take a break Sept. 27 at their family farm near Herman. Eight years ago, the Perrys and their sons-in-law, Tony Volker and Jonah Hennen, launched Perry’s Pumpkin Patch Day, a fall celebration on the farm.

HERMAN — Orange, pink, green, yellow, white. Colors of all sorts can be seen emerging among the vines as summer turns to fall in the gardens of Perry’s Pumpkin Patch. Surrounded by the rural grid …

Perfect puppies

Brian Sjaaheim holds one of his Bernedoodle puppies Dec. 17, 2025, at Golden Hill Doodles in St. Joseph. Sjaaheim began breeding dogs in 2016 and made it his full-time business four years later.

ST. JOSEPH — Brian Sjaaheim’s journey toward becoming a dog breeder was not entirely his plan. Having established Golden Hill Doodles, though, it has been his favorite career so far, raising …

Meating customer needs

Deb Anderson waves from the beef bin as the sun begins to set Jan. 7 at Colfax Farms south of Belgrade. The beef bin is self-serve and stocked by the Anderson family.

BELGRADE — For years, the Anderson family — Dale and Deb Anderson and their son and daughter-in-law, Justin and Mandy Anderson — have been ready to try new things with Colfax Farms. One of …

Accessible organic for all

Larry Schultz holds a carton of eggs Dec. 17, 2025, in his retail store in Owatonna. Schultz is a chicken farmer who raises and distributes eggs from his farm and collaborating farms.

OWATONNA — Larry Schultz has been part of growing and distributing organic or naturally-raised eggs his entire life. “I never believed that you had to be rich to afford organic,” Schultz …

Good stories over love songs

Cori Kennedy stands on the stage of “The Voice” July 7, 2025, during the “The Blind Auditions Part 3” Episode 2803 in Universal City, California. Kennedy, a country singer, taught herself both piano and guitar.

When a New York talent scout reached out to rural West Concord native Cori Kennedy about singing on “The Voice” after watching one of her TikToks that had 200 views, she thought it was a prank. …

Country Acres

Paper airplanes

Fall harvest on the farm means long days and all hands on deck. I take the kids outside as much as I can, but with tractors constantly driving through the yard, it is sometimes safer to stay in the …

FFA Spotlight: Ellionna Litzau

Tell us about your involvement with FFA. I have been a member of the Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City FFA Chapter since eighth grade. I have been a sentinel and am now the 2025-2026 reporter. I compete in …

Horses roam the pasture Oct. 20 at Guardians 4 Heroes in Sauk Centre. Sara Ellenson-Risdal has seven horses who call the barnyard and 34-acre pasture their home.

Compassion calls

SAUK CENTRE — Along Highway 71 North, less than a mile off Main Street, a 1917 farm’s history is being kept alive as seven horses call the barnyard and 34-acre pasture their home at Guardians 4 …

Generations of growing

KENYON — For Max Mattson, time spent in the fields, the barn or his office at Ag Partners is time well-spent. Mattson is a multi-generation farmer. His family celebrated being honored as a …

A bronze commemorative figure of a kneeling soldier with a battlefield cross is on display Oct. 26 at the Owatonna Veterans Memorial in Owatonna. The statue was in place in time for a small dedication ceremony on Veterans Day in 2025.

Remembered in stone, bronze

OWATONNA — By the side of Austin Road in Owatonna, flags fly over statues and stone, and a myriad of etched names ensure the memories of America’s military members remain a part of the …

Tables and chairs at Two Fathoms Brewing await guests Sept. 24 in Winona. Brook Merkwan said that they wanted to be the town’s brewery, with success coming from the heart of the taproom.

Two Fathoms Brewing passionate about community

WINONA — When the opportunity arose for Graham Kaczmarek and Brook Merkwan to open their own brewery, the couple jumped at it. After years of working at other breweries and being in the craft beer …