A quiet revolution is underway on Rock County’s agricultural landscape that is changing how we grow crops, feed livestock, manage weeds and fertilize the soil.
Progress is occurring at a pace non-ag people wouldn’t notice, but the Star Herald has enjoyed a front row seat to remarkable farming ingenuities over the past several years.
And, thanks to articulate, driven ag leaders in Rock County, we’ve been honored to share the message of sustainable farming practices with our readers.
Oxford defines “sustainable” as “able to be maintained at a certain rate or level” or “able to be upheld or defended.”
Merriam Webster goes further by defining the adjective as “… of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.”
We at the Star Herald are happy to use the word to describe our local ag professionals, and because so much is happening beneath the surface of our fields and pastures, the message has become a constant beating drum.
One headline after another.
This week, as our July 15 edition went to press Tuesday, Rock County livestock producers were hosting the Minnesota State Beef Tour.
As 15 buses and roughly 1,200 people toured our local feedlots, they learned about sustainable ways those cattle are fed and how smart practices in fields and pastures produce more with a smaller carbon footprint.
On the topic of carbon, our headlines this week turn to Rock County’s Cover Crop Field Day.
For those who haven’t been paying attention, we’re seeing less of the rich black dirt we’re known for in this part of the state.
Turns out, tilling up the soil releases carbon and valuable nutrients that are better left undisturbed.
And, it turns out, not tilling up the soil translates directly to extra cash by way of government incentives, carbon credits, and in the long term, healthier cattle and soil and better yields.
Read the cover crop story on Page 1.
It’s just one more headline in our steady drum beat for sustainability … for feeding the world and for continuing a way of life we’ve grown to love in Rock County.

For decades this weekly space has featured personal reflections from our editorial staff.
The authors have shared various topics and experiences, and some have talked about cancer — either their own personal battles or those of family members.
I’ve read their words, sometimes through tears of joy for the author’s triumph, and sometimes with deepest empathy at the loss of life.
My logical self tells me daily that we will die sometime.
In the meantime, we should live our lives each day to the fullest because we don’t know when our time on Earth will run out.
My other self just can’t get past that someone’s seemingly healthy life suddenly turns and faces death sooner than expected.
What would I do if faced with the same experience?
Would I be happy and carefree right up to the last minute?
Or would I wallow in self-pity, cry hysterical tears because my time was coming near.
My niece received news late last month that the brain tumor removed 10 years ago is back.
And it’s back with a vengeance after not being there six months ago.
She suffered a seizure — an event she hates more than the word cancer — sending her to the hospital and an immediate MRI.
She’s weighing her options for treatment — looking forward in life, while my own mind floats unfocused, thinking about the “what ifs” and the “what could happen.”
Ten years ago that first cancer diagnosis at age 20 didn’t stop Heather from moving forward. She went through radiation, chemotherapy and ultimately surgery with her mom and dad at her side.
She beat the cancer the first time.
Can she do it again?
This time the decision-making includes Heather’s husband and two small children.
As they wait for doctors to suggest a treatment, my niece is planning improvements around the acreage they recently purchased.
Eventually Heather’s horses will move to their new home. Among the animals is Stormy, the horse my sister had at the time of her death 10 years ago.
I recall praying for a favorable outcome for my sister – Heather’s  mother, but my faith in God was tested when those prayers ended with a funeral.
I commend those who face medical emergencies while reassuring those not facing an end to life that somehow things will be OK.
As I turn the subject of living with cancer over and over in my head, I am hoping the same calm my niece has found for moving forward is also found in me.

Mary keeps telling me that I need to stop getting so upset about things I can’t control and take some pleasure in the small things in life.
So, with that in mind and as I was making my morning toast, I was lucky enough to be at the end of a loaf a bread, and there was the crust.
The little things in life don’t get much smaller, so I stop to enjoy the crust.
When I was growing up, the crust was the most sought-after slice of bread. Not so much with the store-bought bread, but the crust of Grandma Schultz’s homemade bread was the holy grail of bread.
She would get upset when she would discover both ends of a freshly baked loaf of bread had been sliced off, leaving the rest of the loaf.
So that made me think of other little food treasures that I enjoy, and maybe this will spur some food memories for you as well.
Here are a few of my favorites:
•the skin off a baked potato with lots of butter.
•the chocolate tip of a waffle cone.
•the crunchy top of the Thanksgiving stuffing —not to mention the crispy skin on the turkey just out of the oven.
•the graham cracker crust remnants of a cheese cake.
•the charred piece of fat at the end of a rib-eye steak.
•the middle roll of a freshly baked pan of caramel rolls.
•the first tomato of the season — as well as the first strawberry and the first asparagus.
I also take pleasure in the smell of opening a new container of coffee.
I have a gas grill and an electric smoker, but nothing comes close to the smell of lighter fluid on Kingsford charcoal when you throw a match on it. That, my friends, is the smell of the summer barbecue season.
You know, Mary is right; I need to enjoy the little things in life a bit more. So, pardon me while I eat my toasted crust of bread smothered with chunky peanut butter.

Dispatch report
July 2
•Complainant on E. South Street, Magnolia, reported a scam call.
•Complainant on 211th Street, Hardwick, reported a warrant.
•Complainant on 91st Street, Beaver Creek, reported a fire.
•Complainant eastbound on Interstate 90, mile marker 13, Luverne, reported a walker on the interstate.
July 3
•Complainant on 201st Street and 160th Avenue, Hardwick, reported a grass fire.
•Assistance from another department with a warrant for an arrest was conducted.
•Complainant on W. Mead Court reported harassment.
•Complainant on E. Warren Street reported suspicious activity.
•Complainant on S. Kniss Avenue reported suspicious activity.
•Complainant on W. Interstate Drive reported suspicious activity.
•Complainant on N. Spring Street reported an abandoned bicycle.
•Complainant on Uithoven Avenue reported a suspicious vehicle.
July 4
•Complainant on Kniss Avenue reported a suspicious vehicle.
•Complainant on County Highway 4, Beaver Creek, reported trespassing and stalking at location.
•Complainant on N. Estey requested LEC standby for custody exchange.
•Complainant on S. East Park Street and W. Warren Street reported a vehicle disturbing the peace.
•Complainant at The Lake reported three individuals disturbing the peace.
•Fire Department was present for fireworks display on Edgehill Street.
•Complainant on E. Dodge Street and Blue Mound Avenue reported a noise complaint.
•Complainant on Edgehill Street and S. Walnut Avenue reported a possible intoxicated driver.
•Complainant on W. Dodge Street reported hazardous fireworks on the block.
•Complainant on S. East Park Street reported a fight at location.
July 5
•Complainant on E. Luverne Street reported property damage at location.
•Complainant on Edgehill Street reported a missing phone.
•A weather bulletin was issued in Rock County.
July 6
•Subject with Rock County warrant was arrested in Stearns County, St. Cloud.
•Complainant on S. Church Avenue, Hills, reported harassing communications.
•Complainant on 211th Street, Hardwick, reported a warrant.
•Complainant reported an address change.
•Complainant on E. Luverne Street requested utility shut-off assistance.
•Complainant on Highway 35, Magnolia, reported funnel cloud at location.
•Complainant on W. Luverne Street, reported a missing child at location.
•Complainant on S. Hatting and Freeman reported a reckless driver.
•Complainant on E. Luverne Street reported an assault.
•Complainant on S. Kniss Avenue reported a possible drunk driver.
July 7
•Complainant on W. Luverne Street, Magnolia, reported theft.
•Complainant on W. Luverne Street reported an accident.
•Complainant on Highway 75 and Highway 270, Hills, reported speeding.
July 8
•Complainant on Blue Ridge Circle reported a suspicious vehicle.
•Complainant on Mag Road reported damage to property.
•Complainant on Oak Drive requested assistance.
•Complainant on U.S. Highway 75 requested assistance with a case.
•Complainant on 20th Avenue and 31st Street, Hills, reported a reckless driver.
In addition, officers responded to 2 motor vehicle accidents, 1 deer accident, 9 escorts, 10 ambulance runs, 1 paper service, 6 animal complaints, 5 burn permits, 1 gas drive-off, 1 alarm, 2 purchase and carry permits, 2 stalled vehicles, 8 traffic stops, 13 abandoned 911 calls, 2 tests, 6 reports of cattle out, and 2 follow-ups.

The following appeared in The Rock County Herald on March 31, 1949.
 
Monday Was Pay Day For National Guardsmen
They’re Not Phoney So Don’t Pass Up $2 Bills
Some over 1,000 two-dollar bills will be in circulation here during the next few days and weeks. And there’s nothing phoney about them either.
The bills represent the quarterly payroll to members of the Luverne National Guard unit, who received their “paychecks” in two-dollar bills Monday night.
Big Annual Payroll
Two-dollar bills are rather unusual in this part of the country and their appearance at this time will serve to stress the role that the national guard plays in the local business picture, says Capt. Lester U. Tollefson, commander.
During the year March 1, 1948 to March 1, 1949 $27,075.11 was paid to members of the unit. Full-time employees at the armory received $15,780; $8,564.86 was paid to the 67 men and officers for regular drills, and $2,730.25 was paid to the local men who attended national guard camp at Camp Ripley last summer.
Camp Dates Announced
National guard camp at Camp and field maneuvers will begin June 12 and continue through June 26 at Camp Ripley. The 135th Regiment of which Headquarters Company of Luverne is a part, will be the only Minnesota regiment in camp at that time. The other units will come from South Dakota this year for this period of training, Capt. Tollefson said.
 
         Donations to the Rock County Historical Society can be sent to the Rock County Historical Society, 312 E. Main Street, Luverne, MN 56156.
Mann welcomes correspondence sent to mannmade@iw.net.

10 years ago (2011)
•The Rock County Star Herald is once again challenging fairgoers to a friendly competition for the 2011 version of the Rock County Fair.
Star Herald General Manager Rick Peterson announced this week the creation of a Star Herald paper medallion that will be hidden on the fairgrounds to be turned in for a prize. “I’m hiding it myself and I’m not telling anyone where it is,” Peterson said Tuesday as he started putting together rhyming clues.
“I’m the only one who will know where it’s hidden.”
 
25 years ago (1996)
•An abandoned rural school building burns Thursday afternoon while firefighters from Hills prevent its spread to nearby trees. The fire call came shortly after 5 p.m. but by the time firefighters arrived, the former school District #39 or Sunnyside School building was a total loss. The cause of the fire wasn’t stated, but onlookers speculated it had been deliberately set. There was no electricity in the building, and weather conditions seemed an unlikely cause. The school was consolidated with Hills in 1941. The building was located in Martin Township, three miles north of Hills, just east of the Burlington Northern tracks on property owned by Lyndon Severtson. The first school building on the site was constructed in 1881. The building that burned Thursday had been built in 1918. It featured a basement and a furnace and cost $5,835. The last teacher at the school was Emma Engebretson.
 
50 years ago (1971)
•Last month, 12-year-old Brad Remme, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gale Remme, Luverne, came into the Star-Herald with his largest discovery added to his collection of old bottles and jars.
Brad proudly displayed an old soft drink bottle labeled “Bottling Works of Luverne.” He and a companion had uncovered the bottle near his home at the southwest edge of Luverne. …
Mrs. Smith, who still resides in Luverne, recalls the company made several flavors, but distributed them only locally. …
A check with a few of the city’s longtime residents revealed the following information: John Engebretson recalls that the most popular flavor was the “red one” (strawberry). Mrs. Smith remembers that they also made orange, root beer and a lemon drink. Charles Soutar says he remembers drinking “Luverne Pop” as early as 1906.
In regards to Brad’s bottle, Mrs. Smith was very definite that there weren’t any manufactured while she and her husband had the operation. This would date the bottle back to the Goettsch era or pre-1930.
 
75 years ago (1946)
•Unless you want to be arrested for violation of the law — don’t handle young birds and animals found in woods and fields!
This warning is issued by Frank Blair, game supervisor for the Minnesota Division of Game and Fish, as a result of numerous complaints that have reached his office relative to persons “adopting” strayed fawns.
Apparently abandoned young wildlife is rarely deserted and, if left alone, will be adequately cared for by its parents, Blair said. Efforts of persons inexperienced in the rearing of wildlife species to care for game picked up along paths, trails and highways usually end in wasteful failure and are likely to lead to trouble with federal or state law enforcement agents.
If you see a fawn along the road — leave it alone! The doe will be around somewhere.
 
100 years ago (1921)
•The seventy-foot steel crane at Hanlon & Okes loading plant on Blue Mound avenue crashed across the Rock Island tracks in a broken and bent mass Friday noon, when the extreme weight of the derrick uprooted one of the anchor supports of the crane.
The accident happened ten minutes to twelve, and fortunately none of the numerous workmen usually engaged around the crane were in the path of the falling tower. The men at work directing the course of material being unloaded happened to be in the corner of a car out of harm’s way.

Summer-blooming spireas have pretty much finished their early bloom cycle. A light shear now will remove those dead flower heads, and within a couple of weeks they will put on a new crop of foliage that will look as bright and fresh as they did in the spring. … Wish a hair cut would do that for me!
Rain over the weekend was another huge blessing, especially the fact that it was more widespread. I almost feel guilty addressing the fact that we got a wonderful rain and people just a few blocks away got almost nothing … not so this time! With that rain comes a whole new crop of weeds and that’s OK. It is easier for me to eliminate the weeds than to have to try to keep up watering.
Speaking of watering, if you have been faithful keeping your container gardens watered, I want to stress the importance of using plant food in your water to maintain the energy of those plants.
Water-soluble fertilizer is nutrients that are available immediately for the plants. With the maximum amount of daylight and the time those plants have been growing, they are at their peak performance and need energy to maintain the color you dreamed all winter about seeing.
All fertilizers have a formula analysis on the container. I am not as much concerned about the value of the number as I am about the sequence of that value. There will be three numbers:  the first is nitrogen which promotes vegetative growth. It gives the leaves their healthy green color. Lack of nitrogen can be indicated by yellowish leaf color, and with frequent watering, the nitrogen can leech out of the soil quickly.
The second number in the analysis is phosphorus. This nutrient is what promotes blossoming and consequent seed or fruit production. For blooming plants, this middle number should be the highest of the three.
The third nutrient in the sequence is potash, and that is a root promoter.
You can see why all three nutrients are vital for plant health. Many fertilizers will have equal value for all three ingredients and that’s OK. With a formulation of 10-30-20, Bloom Booster is one of my recommendations for the obvious reason of maximum phosphorus for maximum amount of flower potential.
Most of the potting material called “potting soil” today has no soil in it as far as we understand soil. These products are comprised of shredded wood, compost and peat moss. They work because they have to work due to the quantity of growing medium needed to meet the market’s demand.
Nothing bad about that as long as you understand how fast the potting soil dries out and its inability to retain nutrients. Frequent watering is a necessity in hot weather when there is a lot of plant to support. Often a thorough watering results in water running through the soil mass and out the bottom of the pot. That water coming out of the pot is also carrying some of the nutrients the plants need, and the process is called leeching.
White and yellow butterflies dancing in the air around your garden are pretty and fun to watch as long as you are not trying to grow cabbage, broccoli, and similar crops in the brassica family. Those little butterflies lay the eggs that hatch into green worms with voracious appetites, and it’s not fun finding them in the food you are about to eat!
To eliminate those worms, I spray with an organic spray called DiPel. The active ingredient is Bacillus thuringiensis or BT for short. I am spraying now, before the leaves are riddled with holes and the worms develop any size.
I’m telling you that they are there right now so it’s your choice of if and when you want to go to battle.
 

Pizza Ranch Inc. awarded its annual Community Impact Award to Randy and Lila Bauer of the Luverne Pizza Ranch at the company’s Awards Banquet in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, June 15.
The Community Impact Award recognizes a franchisee or Ranch that has made a positive impact in their community and lives out the Pizza Ranch vision, “To glorify God by positively impacting the world,” according to Pizza Ranch Chief Vision Officer Perry Krosschell.
“This year the award is going to go to quintessential ‘Community’ owners,” Krosschell said. “These owners have shown a personal and passionate desire to constantly impact their community, one person at a time, with a legendary experience.”
Pizza Ranch’s President and Founder, Adrie Groeneweg, added, “Lila has earned this award before and is a great example to the whole Pizza Ranch chain on what it means to put others first. If every town had a ‘Lila’ we would all be better off.”
Randy and Lila Bauer were awarded $1,000 for receiving the Community Impact Award to donate to a local charity of their choosing. 
The donation will go to “Rock the Edge,” a group of youth leaders and teens from Rock County that bring Christian youth together for service projects in the community.

Card showers
Chris and Becky Hein will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary on Tuesday, July 20. Greetings may be sent to them at 1154 51st Street; Luverne, MN 56             156.
 
Open houses
A bridal shower for Katie Klosterbuer, bride-to-be of Travis Pedersen, will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 17, at Grace Lutheran Church in Luverne.
 
A bridal shower for Brandi Platz, bride-to-be of Jacob Van Santen, will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 21, at Take 16 Brewery in Luverne. RSVP is requested to Donni at donni.vansanten@gmail.com or 605-651-3013.
 
Dean and Peggy Goettsch will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with an open house from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, July 24, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Hills.