Dale Herbert Matus, 87, Beaver Creek, died Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021, at the Sanford Sheldon Care Center.
A funeral service was at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, at Palisade Lutheran Church near Garretson, South Dakota. Burial followed at the Palisade Lutheran Church Cemetery.
Dale Matus was born May 24, 1934, to Frank and Amy (Aaker) Matus on a farm near Ruthton. When he was 7, his family moved to a farm near Beaver Creek, where he was raised and attended school. He graduated from Beaver Creek High School in 1952. After high school, Dale enlisted into the U.S. Marines and was active for nearly three years. After a short tour to Korea, he was stationed at the Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
Upon returning to the Midwest, he worked as a teller at a bank in Chicago before moving back to Minnesota to become a farm hand.  He earned extra money trapping. 
He married Darlene Emery on Feb. 15, 1958, at Luverne United Methodist Church.  Dale began farming with $600 in his pocket and worked hard to build a successful farm.  He and Darlene worked together, raising three boys. Dale farmed until his retirement at age 65.
He and Darlene purchased a cabin in 1983 on Eagle Lake in Ontario, Canada. They made regular trips for fishing, moose hunting, snowmobiling and card games with friends and neighbors.
He and his Canadian neighbor, Len Suomo, planned a snowmobile trip to Churchill to see polar bears crossing the ice on the Hudson Bay. Dale led guided fishing trips through the years, many with his sons.  On their 50th wedding anniversary, the couple went on a snowmobiling trip to Jackson Hole Wyoming with their entire family.
Darlene preceded Dale in death on Nov. 28, 2018.  He then moved to Sheldon, Iowa, where he resided at an assisted living center until his death.
Dale was a member of Palisade Lutheran Church in Garretson, South Dakota. He was a loving and caring father with high expectations of his children.  He was always glad to spend time with his grandchildren. He was known for working hard but also playing hard well into his older years.
Dale is survived by his three sons and their families, Todd Matus of Beaver Creek and his daughter, Heather Matus, of Carrollton, Georgia, and Todd’s special friend, Tammy Makram of Luverne and her son, Mason Makram, of Los Angeles, California; Dan and Shanelle Matus of Sheldon, Iowa, and their children, Todd Helmers, Trista Helmers, and Tamsyn Matus, all of Sheldon; Tim and Lori Matus of San Antonio, Texas, and their children Derek Matus of New York City, New York, Luke Matus of San Antonio, Kyra Matus of Boston, and Lorin Burton, Lexi Burton, and Landon Burton, all of San Antonio; and his brothers, Charles (Dottie) Matus of Garretson, and Donald Matus of West Des Moines, Iowa.
Dale was preceded in death by his wife, Darlene Matus, and his parents.
Arrangements were provided by Hartquist Funeral Home of Luverne, hartquistfuneral.com.
(1118 F)

We are still chasing roosters when time allows, but I got committed to a large seeding project that has taken up most of my free time for the past few weeks, and it looks to last a few weeks more, doing it after my day job is finished.
Seeding conservation lands this time of year is challenging, but doing so after the ground temperatures are cold enough that none of the seed will germinate until next spring is the most successful way to do it.
Seeding native grass and flower species requires very specialized equipment. You can substitute some conventional farm equipment, but the outcomes are not usually anywhere as successful if you do.
There are two primary ways to seed native grass and flowers. The first is one most folks have at least heard of, and that is with a seed drill. They look much like a crop planter but the seed boxes are different in order to get the fluffy seeds to fall where they need to. Most seed drills are 8 to 12 feet wide and are pulled with a tractor at about 4 miles per hour.
These work great and can be used in both fall dormant seedings as well as spring seedings done on or after May 1, depending in which state the seeding is being done. Most states also mandate that the seeding effort be complete by about the middle of June. This is a pretty narrow window.
The second method, and the one that I use, is called a pendulum seeder. These look like the units that commercial businesses use to spread salt in a parking lot. A pendulum seeder has a spout that swings back and forth at pretty high speeds and is usually mounted on a three-point hitch on the back of a tractor.  
They have very large agitators inside to ensure the seed does not bridge up and fail to disperse.  I have converted mine to use a 5-horse power Honda engine, and the unit rides in the back of my Polaris Ranger.  I can go into tighter places than a tractor can and into wetter conditions where a tractor would most likely get stuck.
Properly set up, you can seed about seven or eight acres per hour. A drill has a narrower seeding width and runs at 4 mph.
Seeding in the fall allows the seed to be packed down by winter snow and improves the seed-to-soil contact. No packing is required in this situtition.
If you seed in the spring, many operators will run a packer over the site when the seeding is complete. Using a broadcast seeder helps eliminate skips and there is no chance of getting the seed planted too deep. 
This is an issue using a drill if the operator in not well versed in their operation. Native seed should be planted as deep as the thickness of the seed. This is as little as a few thousandths of an inch. Plant it a half-inch deep and little to none of that seed will ever become wildlife cover.
Native seed is expensive and, depending on the Federal Farm Program practice, can run as little as $65 for riparian buffers all the way to $500 per acre if you want to supplement your pollinator areas.
I did a demonstration pollinator spot a few years back, with 95 different flower species. The seed was $1,500 per acre for 18 acres.
There are not very many businesses involved in this effort. The equipment costs are quite high and the window for work is very short. Mobilization costs are also substantial.
You cannot haul a tractor 80 miles to plant a 10-acre spot very affordably. Many of these areas are not very big. You need to be close to the action to make it affordable to the farmer or other organization.
The job I landed was the biggest one I have ever done, and after five 10-hour days I am just a little over half done. I do have until June 15 of 2022 to finish, so there is no reason to fret.
You can do this work on top of snow if it is early enough in the winter season or late enough, say in mid-to-late March. In early winter and early spring, the sun angle is strong enough to warm up the seed and it will melt down into the snow.  Seeding on a bitterly cold day in January will result in most of the seed just blowing away.
It really doesn’t look like much when the seeding is complete, but just wait two to three years and you might just have some of the best wildlife habitat within a few hundred miles.
 
Scott Rall, Worthington, is a habitat conservationist, avid hunting and fishing enthusiast and is president of Nobles County Pheasants Forever. He can be reached at scottarall@gmail.com. or on Twitter @habitat champion.

Psalm 19:14 speaks about our words being acceptable or pleasing to God.
Let’s think about our words. Not only do we speak words, we also type them and we read them. We use words all the time.
When we are using words, what are we saying with them? What impact do our words have on those who hear or read them each day? Do our words bless or do they curse? Do our words build up or do they tear down? Do we hold back our words when we should speak? Do we speak too quickly when we should listen?
There is a lot to think about when it comes to words. Words are powerful and can make a positive or negative difference in another person’s life.
What we also need to understand is that our words reveal to the world what we value and what we don’t value. That means we all need to think about what we are communicating. Are the words that we say pleasing in the sight of the Lord?
Let’s face it. There are a lot of painful and wasted words used in our culture. It is hard to hear words that don’t glorify God and hurt others. Whether it is on social media or in personal conversations, we can all point out where someone else’s words have stung and been hurtful to our feelings.
If we are honest, we have to admit that each of us has spoken or written words that hurt other people, who have been created in the image of God.
How can we use our words productively? What kind of words do you think would be pleasing in God’s sight?
We use our words productively when we speak praises to God and declare His glory. We use our words productively when we respect one another and use our words to build up instead of tear down. Our words can be used productively when we share the hope we have in Jesus, explaining to our neighbors the difference that He has made in our life.

St. Catherine Catholic Church
203 E. Brown St., Luverne
St. Catherine Ph. 283-8502; www.stscl.org
Monsignor Gerald Kosse, Pastor
Sundays 8:30 a.m. Mass. Public Mass will be celebrated at FULL capacity in the church. Masses: 9 a.m. Wednesdays, 10 a.m. Friday at the nursing homes – check the bulletin. All Sunday masses will be live streamed on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pg/stccluverne/videos/. Visit www.stscl.org for more information.
 
Luverne Christian Reformed Church
605 N. Estey St., Luverne
Office Ph. 283-8482; Prayer Line Ph. 449-5982
www.luvernecrc.com — office@luvernecrc.com
Sundays 9:30 a.m. Worship service. 6:30 p.m. Evening worship service. We are streaming Sunday services live on YouTube at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Send him a friend request if you’re not connected. You may also visit our website for delayed broadcasts. Also our services are on local cable TV at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and at 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays. In all circumstances, may we joyfully declare: “Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 124:8.
 
First Baptist Church
103 N. Jackson St., P.O. Box 975, Luverne
Ph. 283-4091; email: fbcluv@iw.net — www.fbcluverne.org
Walt Moser, Pastor
Sundays, 10:30 a.m. In-person worship service. Service is also on Facebook Live at 10:30 a.m.
 
Grace Lutheran Church
500 N. Kniss Ave., Luverne
Ph. 507-283-4431; www.graceluverne.org — graceluverne@iw.net
Ann Zastrow, Pastor
Dave Christenson, Interim Pastor
Thursday, Nov. 18: 8:30 a.m. Missions in Action. Sunday, Nov. 21: 9 a.m. Worship service with Holy Communion. 10 a.m. Semi-Annual meeting. Fellowship Coffee. 10 a.m. Sunday School. 10-10:30 a.m. Older instrumentalists meet with Janine. 10:30-11 a.m. Christmas program practice. 5 p.m. Worship service. 5:30 p.m. 9th-12th Friendsgiving supper. 6:30 p.m. Worship practice. Monday, Nov. 22: Grace Notes deadline. Tuesday, Nov. 23: 9 a.m. Staff meeting. Wednesday, Nov. 24: 7 a.m. Men’s Bible study. Thanksgiving Break—No Faithweavers and no Confirmation. 3-8 p.m. Pizza Ranch Tip Night. Online, TV and Radio Worship options are available. Online: Sundays 9 a.m. on the church website www.graceluverne.org, click Worship tab or go directly to our Facebook page at Grace Lutheran ELCA, Luverne. TV: Vast Channel 3 will air our worship service Mondays at 4:30 p.m. and Fridays at 10 a.m. Radio: KQAD-AM Radio will air our worship service on Sundays at 8:15 a.m.
 
Bethany Lutheran Church
720 N. Kniss Ave., Luverne
Ph. 507-283-4571 or 605-215-9834
pastorapalmquist67@yahoo.com
Andrew Palmquist, Pastor
Sundays, 10:15 a.m. Worship service; worship online as well (at els.org). Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m. Zoom Bible study. See our Facebook page, Bethany Lutheran Church (Luverne) for other classes and events.
 
American Reformed Church
304 N. Fairview Dr., Luverne
Ph. 283-8600; email: office@arcluverne.org
Thursday, Nov. 18: 9 a.m. Cookie Crew. Friday, Nov. 19: 6:30 a.m. Community men’s Bible study. Sunday, Nov. 21: 9:30 a.m. Worship service. NO Sunday School. 1:30 and 2:15 p.m. Mary Jane Brown and Poplar Creek worship services. 3 p.m. Youth room reserved. Monday, Nov. 22: 8:15 p.m. Cantata rehearsal. Tuesday, Nov. 23: 12 p.m. Staff meeting. 7 p.m. Consistory meeting. Wednesday, Nov. 24: 7 p.m. Thanksgiving Eve worship service. Thursday, Nov. 25: Commons reserved; youth room reserved. Services are also broadcast on Vast Channel 3 on Mondays at 6 p.m. and Wednesdays at 4 p.m. DVD’s available upon request. To stay up to date on announcements, follow us on Facebook and Instagram @arcluverne.
 
Rock River Community Church (formerly First Assembly of God)
1075 110th Ave., 2 miles west of Luverne on County Rd. 4
Ph. 612-800-1255; email info@rockrivercommunity.church
Bob Junak, Pastor; Annette Junak, Assistant Pastor
Sundays, 9 a.m. Sunday school; 10 a.m. Worship service. Children’s church for ages 3-6th grade and nursery for ages 0-3 provided during our services. Wednesdays, 7 p.m. Worship service. All services are in-person and all are welcome.
 
United Methodist Church
109 N. Freeman Ave., Luverne
Ph. 283-4529
Dorrie Hall, Pastor
Wednesday, Nov. 17: 6:15 p.m. FUEL. 6:30 p.m. Confirmation. 8 p.m. AA Meeting. Saturday, Nov. 20: 8 p.m. AA meeting. Sunday, Nov. 21: 9:30 a.m. Adult Sunday school. 9:45 a.m. Coffee hour. 10:30 a.m. Worship Service. 4:30 p.m. Genesis/Revelation Bible study. 6:30 p.m. Alive youth group. Live streamed on Facebook and radio. Monday, Nov. 21: Messenger deadline. Wednesday, Nov. 24: 5:30 p.m. Community meal. 8 p.m. AA Meeting.
 
First Presbyterian Church
302 Central Lane, Luverne
Ph. 283-4787; email: Firstpc@iw.net— www.fpcluverne.com
Jason Cunningham, Pastor
Sunday, Nov. 21: 9:30 a.m. Worship service. 10:30 a.m. Sunday school. 10:45 a.m. Music staff. Wednesday, Nov. 24: No bells or choir. Deacons meeting. In-person Worship service and live on Facebook. Our Facebook page can be found under First Presbyterian Church of Luverne. We are also on the local Luverne cable station at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and 10 a.m. on Thursdays.
 
St. John Lutheran Church
803 N. Cedar St., Luverne
Ph. 283-2316; email: stjohn@iw.net
www.stjohnlutheranluverne.org
Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, Pastor
Saturday, Nov. 20: 5:30 p.m. Worship. Sunday, Nov. 21: 9 a.m. Worship service. 10:15 a.m. Adult Bible study. Services will be available on the Vast Channel 3 Sunday and online at the city website, cityofluverne.org.
 
Living Rock Church
500 E. Main St., Luverne
Ph. 449-0057; www.livingrockswmn.org
Billy Skaggs, Pastor
 
New Life Celebration Church
101 W. Maple, Luverne
Ph. (605) 368-1924; email: newlifecelebration@gmail.com
Food mission every third Thursday.
 
Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
305 E. 2nd St., P.O. Box 36, Hardwick
Ph. (507) 669-2855; zionoffice@alliancecom.net
Jesse Baker, Pastor
Wednesday, Nov. 17: 6 p.m. Confirmation. Sunday, Nov. 21: 9 a.m. Worship service with communion. 10:15 a.m. Sunday school. 10:30 a.m. Bible study. Worship service on Luverne cable at 3:30 p.m. every Thursday and Friday.
 
Ben Clare United Methodist Church
26762 Ben Clare Ave., Valley Springs, S.D.
igtwlb@WOW.net
Bill Bates, Pastor
 
First Lutheran Church
300 Maple St., Valley Springs, S.D.
Ph. (605) 757-6662
Mark Eliason, Pastor
Sunday, Nov. 21: 9 a.m. Worship service. 10 a.m. Sunday school. Masks are strongly recommended, but not required, even if fully vaccinated. Worship will be streamed live on Facebook Video worship via YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHdQwVxFcU4
 
Palisade Lutheran Church
211 121st St., Garretson, S.D.
Ph. (507) 597-6257 — firstpalisade@alliancecom.net
Mark Eliason, Pastor
Sunday, Nov. 21: 9:30 a.m. Sunday school. 10:30 a.m. Worship service. Wednesday, Nov. 24: 9 a.m. Quilting—Every Wednesday. Masks are strongly recommended, but not required, even if fully vaccinated. Worship will be streamed live on Facebook. Video worship via YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHdQwVxFcU4
 
First Presbyterian Church
201 S. 3rd St., P.O Box 73, Beaver Creek
Ph. 507-935-5025
email: lori.firstpres@gmail.com
Sundays, 9:30 a.m. Worship Service. Second Tuesday of each month, 7 p.m. Session meeting.
 
Magnolia United Methodist Church
501 E. Luverne St., Magnolia
Ph. 605-215-3429
email: magnoliamnumc@gmail.com
Nancy Manning, Pastor
Sunday, 9 a.m., in-person with livestream available on the church’s Facebook site.
 
Steen Reformed Church
112 W. Church Ave., Steen
Ph. 855-2336
Jeremy Wiersema, Pastor
Sunday, 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Worship service in-person with livestream available on Facebook and YouTube. Radio worship on KQAD Sundays at 9:30 a.m.
Bethlehem Lutheran Church
112 N. Main St., Hills
Ph. 962-3270
Nita Parker, Pastor
Sunday, Nov. 21: 9 a.m. Worship at Tuff Home. 9:30 a.m. Sunday school. 10 a.m. Worship service with Holy Communion. 7-8:30 p.m. Youth group meets. Worship will be streamed live to Facebook at Bethlehem of Hills. You can find more info on our website blchills.org. Tuesday, Nov. 23: 2 p.m. Tuff Home Bible study. 3 p.m. Tuff Village Bible study. Wednesday, Nov. 24: 7:15 p.m. Wednesday night worship.
 
Hills United Reformed Church
410 S. Central Ave., Hills
Office Ph. 962-3254
hillsurc@alliancecom.net
Alan Camarigg, Pastor

The Hills-Beaver Creek Patriots and the Mountain Lake Area Wolverines have met the last four years in the Section 3 Nine-Man Section Championship.
This year the Patriots claimed the section championship with a score of 36-9 in Marshall Friday, Nov. 5.
The Patriot defensive line play of senior Max Scholten and junior Cody Moser along with senior linebacker Casey Kueter kept the MLA Wolverine offense stymied almost the entire game.
The No. 1-seeded Wolverines received the opening kickoff, but the Patriot defense soon set the tone for the rest of the contest, allowing MLA very little success running between their offensive ends.
An early punt by MLA gave the ball to the Patriots at their own 40-yard line. The windy and cold conditions led to two H-BC mishandled center snaps during that first Patriot possession.
Then a fake punt run by the Patriots ended up one yard short of a midfield first down.
On MLA’s next possession, they turned the ball over on downs to the Patriots at their own 46-yard line. After a key third-down and long pass from Oliver Deelstra to Drew Leenderts resulting in a 21-yard gain, Cole Baker scored from the eight-yard line with 4:17 left in the first quarter. Baker ran in the two-point conversion and the Patriots were up 8-0.
After forcing a Wolverine punt, the Patriots offensive march was stopped on a fourth and 15 short of the goal line. That defensive stop by the Wolverines kick-started their offense as they scored on a 23-yard pass play with 4:16 left in the half. The score stood at 8-6 in favor of the No. 2-seeded Patriots.
After receiving the kick-off, H-BC was forced into another fourth down which saw punter Ty Bundesen try to run for the first down, but was short by one yard.
The Wolverines took over the ball with just 1:44 left in the half. Three plays later and just 10 seconds left on the clock, Mountain Lake boomed a 39-yard field goal to take a 9-8 halftime lead.
The second half was all Hills-Beaver Creek. On the second play from scrimmage, Oliver Deelstra faked a hand-off to Baker, and Deelstra then went over the left side on a keeper for a 51-yard touchdown run. Bundesen ran in the two-point conversion and the Patriots extended their lead to 16-9 with 11:05 left in the third quarter.
The next MLA possession saw them facing a fourth and six at midfield. Before the snap, the Patriot coaches were yelling to the H-BC punt return team to watch the fullback for a fake.
As expected, the MLA snap went directly to the fullback who gained three of the needed six yards. First down Patriots.
After the fourth down stop, H-BC gained 52 yards in eight plays and scored on a one-yard run by Baker, who tacked on the two-point conversion with a successful run and widened the lead to 24-9.
During the scoring drive, on a critical fourth and four from the 16, Kueter, the intended receiver, was pushed before he had a chance to catch the ball. The pass interference penalty resulted in a crucial first down for the Patriots.
The MLA offense had trouble with the H-BC defensive line the entire game. The next MLA drive saw a combined sack by Baker and Kueter, who each went on to knock down passes on the next two plays, forcing a fourth down.
After a Wolverine 77-yard punt, the Patriots started out at their own three-yard line. The Wolverine defense held and forced a Patriot punt that was returned to the 17-yard line.
However, two plays later, with 53 seconds left in the third quarter, the Patriots fell on a Wolverine fumble and stopped the last real scoring threat for MLA.
The fourth quarter saw two more H-BC touchdowns. After an 85-yard Bundesen punt, the Wolverines started out at their own 20-yard line, and the Patriot defense stepped up again.
A Wolverine long snap sailed over their head and gave the Patriots the ball at the 11-yard line.
Baker ran it in on the next play and pushed the score to 30-9. H-BC would tack on another score with a four-yard run by Deelstra with 3:38 left to play. The extra point kick was blocked and the score was final at 36-9.
H-BC head coach Rex Metzger said he was proud of how physical his Patriots played.
“We were able to get after them and put them in a position they weren’t used to being in,” Metzger said.
“I thought we made some big plays when we needed to in the third quarter. Mountain Lake is a real solid team, and for us to get the lead early coming out of halftime was big.”
The 2021 football season is the second time in two years the Patriots are Section 3 Nine-Man Champions.
This year the Patriots will play in the state quarter-finals. Last season’s football state tournament was not played because of Covid concerns.
The 9-2 Patriots will look to avenge an early season loss as they take on the 8-3 Renville County West Jaguars from Section 2.
The quarter final game will be Friday, Nov. 12, at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall with a 7 p.m. kickoff.
 
Individual statistics
 Rushing: O. Deelstra 11-107, C. Baker 26-102, T. Bundesen 3-8
Passing: O. Deelstra 6-7 for 57 yrads.
Receiving: Drew Leenderts 1-20 yards, C. Baker 3-18 yards, T. Bundesen 1-14 yards, C. Kueter 1-5 yards.
Defense: C. Kueter 7 tackles, Max Scholten 5 tackles, Austin Allen 4.5 tackles, C. Baker 4 tackles, Drew Leenderts 4 tackles, Donavon Leenderts 3.5 tackles.

Saturday’s state cross country meet in Northfield was a momentous one for the Luverne High School boys’ cross country team.
They were the first boys’ team from Luverne to compete at the state event since 2012, and they became only the fifth team in the school’s history to qualify for the event.
This year’s LHS boys’ team placed ninth out of 16 teams competing in Class A. It was a second-best finish for an LHS team; the best team finish was eighth place in 2004.
This year, two LHS runners — brothers Camden Janiszeski and Owen Janiszeski earned all-state honors. It was the first time two runners from Luverne earned the high distinction in the same year.
LHS had only two all-state cross country runners in the past 20 years.
Camden Janiszeski, a junior, placed 15th out of the 159 runners competing in Class A with a time of 16:59.04 over the 5,000-meter course.
Owen Janiszeski, a freshman, placed 17th with a time of 17:02.54.
Winning the Class A race was Perham High School senior Jacob McCleary with a time of 16:09.54.
Luverne tallied 222 points for its ninth-place finish. Nova Classical Academy team placed first with 122 points.
Three other runners contributed to the LHS team score: senior Griffen Jarchow, 18:00.58, 94th place; freshman Sage Viessman, 18:25.28, 117th; and freshman Leif Ingebretson, 18:39.23, 124th.
Sophomore Ryan Fick ran the course in a time of 18:41.49 to finish 136th, and junior Camden Hoven, 19:53.28, for 149th place.
Junior Carsen Tofteland and freshman Kaleb Hemme were alternate runners for the LHS team.
After the race, coach Peter Janiszeski commended the team.
“I couldn’t be more proud of you guys,” he said. “You met every single goal except the last one.”
The last goal was to place better than eighth-place as a team at the state tournament.
Camden Janiszeski said his dad, as a coach, promotes that team aspect to all his runners.
“We always get the analogy at the beginning of the year that we’re one link in a big chain, and that we’re as strong as our weakest link,” Camden said. “Work hard every day and push hard — that’s what we do.”
The Luverne team placed second at the section 3A championships to earn a berth to the state tournament.
During the state contest, Luverne was in 11th and 10th place at the 1,600 meter and 3,200 meter points, passing West Central Area, the section 6A runner-up winner, and Section 3A champions Lac Qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd, who finished 11th.
The 2021 tournament was the first time the Minnesota State High School League implemented the three-class system of A, AA and AAA. Luverne continued to compete in Class A.

The Luverne High School girls’ cross country team returned to the awards podium Saturday after finishing third at the state cross country tournament in Northfield.
The LHS girls amassed 117 points in the Class A event behind winning team Staples-Motley (103 points) and second-place Perham,109 points.
Two LHS runners earned Top 10 medals (a first for the LHS program) for their finishes in the 5000-meter race on the campus of St. Olaf College.
Senior Tenley Nelson bested her previous state tournament finish with a second-place run in a time of 18:47:00 followed by teammate Jenna DeBates,  sophomore who was third with 19:06.82.
Murray County Central junior Amanda Overgaauw won the race with a time of 18:09.13.
At the 2019 event, Nelson placed third individually and DeBates was 18th. Both LHS athletes worked to best their previous finishes.
The state event was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, and regional competitions were conducted instead.
“When you shoot for the moon sometimes you hit the stars and today you were the stars,” coach Peter Janiszeski said to the team. “This has been one of the best days in Luverne cross country ever.”
Contributing to the team’s third-place finish were eighth-grader Ella Schmuck, 20:47.18 (60th place); sophomore Kayla Bloemendaal, 20:52.12 (63rd); and junior Grace Ingebretson, 21:45.94 (92nd).
Seventh-grader Khloe Visker finished the course in 21:45.94 (92nd) and junior Tiana Lais, 22:09.90 (105th).
The LHS girls’ best team finish was second place in 2019. This year’s team goal was to return to the state meet and improve on that finish.
This year’s road to the state tournament included the boys’ team joining the girls’ team for the first time since 2011.
“It makes it more special because not only are we close as a girls’ team, we are close as an entire team,” Nelson said.
“We all cheer each other on and we want each team member to succeed as much as ourselves to success.”
Saturday’s race was the 14th time a Cardinals girls’ cross country team competed at the state tournament, and it marked the seventh consecutive year an LHS girls’ team competed at the final event of the cross country season.
At the state meet, the Luverne team consistently ran in third place behind the eventual team winners.
This year was the first year the Minnesota State High School League implemented the three class system of A, AA and AAA. Luverne continued to compete in Class A.

A farm field west of Hills is one of four sites in Minnesota that will demonstrate soil health management over the next three years.
Terry Aukes is partnering with Rock County to establish an on-farm, field-scale plot to compare conservation practices from site to site.
“I thought it would be a great opportunity to showcase utilizing no till and cover crops in a real field scenario,” Aukes said.
The Rock Soil and Water Conservation District received grant funds to set up the Aukes field as a research and demonstration site in southwest Minnesota.
Doug Bos of the Rock County Land Management said the location will offer unique opportunities for comparison.
“The importance of this demonstration plot is it will be comparing recommended soil health practices to conventional tillage with no cover crops on a field scale with full width tillage and planting (versus small university test plots),” Bos said.
“Unique to this demo site versus the other three sites in the State will be utilizing a ‘Learning Blocks’ concept that measures soil health, yields and profits per 1.5-acre grids.” 
Aukes said he’s utilized cover crops and no-till methods for many years and has seen notable benefits, but he’s never done a side-by-side plot. 
“These realized benefits do not necessarily show up in the first year, so the other intriguing thing to me this is a multi-year approach,” he said.
“We are going to measure soil health differences, soil characteristics and yield, which many growers worry about.”
He said the intent is to no-till and use cover crops on the farm for a three-year period with a three-acre block in the middle of the farm that represents traditional tillage for the area without cover crops. 
Soil health tests, water filtration tests, compaction tests and yield will be taken every year, with the goal being to compare the three-acre learning block of tillage and no cover crop to the remaining part of the farm. 
Bos said there will be many practical benefits to the study.
“This data can be used to not only measure improvements in soil biology but prescribe herbicide and insecticide programs to combat resistance problems plaguing our farmers,” he said.
Kittson, Wilkin and Waseca counties are the other three locations in the state to receive funding for on-farm, field-scale plots that will be in place for at least three years.
During that time, they’ll contribute data to a statewide soil health database and serve as sites for outreach and education in local communities.
Practices being demonstrated vary by site, and each site has its own unique soil characteristics, depending on its location in the state.
Most include reduced tillage and cover crops in a common row crop rotation, compared to full-width, no cover crop fields alongside.
The idea is for producers to see how practices work on the demo farm near them and to talk to other farmers and ag advisers who have experience, according to Anna Cates, State Soil Health Specialist with the University of Minnesota’s Office for Soil Health.
“Around the state, farmers trust farmers who are working on similar soil types, in similar climates, even with the same agricultural service providers,” she said.
“There’s something about seeing it work for your neighbor that’s more convincing than all the data in the world.”
Aukes and the other farmers involved in field demonstrations hope to guide their peers through the somewhat complex process of improving soil health.
“On this three-year plot I hope we can demonstrate that a grower can confidently adapt these practices and realize benefits of reduced erosion and better soil health characteristics without giving up profitability in the near term with fewer trips across the field,” Aukes said.
“Land is our highest-priced asset by a long shot, and my goal is to do whatever I can to protect that investment while maximizing profitability.”
Adding cover crops and reducing tillage are only part of the approach, and many producers are wondering if and how to get started.
Timing of field work, equipment adjustments, crop varieties, livestock considerations, financing and impact on weeds and fertility are also important factors to be considered.
 Grant funding comes from the University of Minnesota’s Office for Soil Health, the Minnesota Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources.