Saturday, June 3, 2023

Farm Living

Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric dedicated its 250-panel community solar garden Wednesday, May 13, at the co-op’s headquarters in Owatonna.
The agriculture community will see a savings of 5 cents per kilowatt-hour by going solar, according to Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric General Manager Syd Briggs. The co-op has constructed a 250-panel community solar garden. Steele-Waseca member-owners may subscribe to a portion of the solar...
Blooming Prairie junior Kalyn  Naatz recently earned a second-place finish at the FFA State Convention handling dairy cattle.
Her love of handling dairy cattle has earned Blooming Prairie High School junior Kalyn Naatz a second place finish in the state for her Dairy Handling CDE at the FFA State Convention. “This meant a lot,” Naatz said. “The whole day I was nervous.” She found out she had placed in the top five and...
A tractor is driven last week just north of Geneva.
Now that spring planting is here, many farmers and producers will be moving big equipment from fields to fields and down roads across southern Minnesota. With spring planting underway, it is also important to keep safety as a priority. “One thing, and it is not just farmers, is for everyone to be...
A cow at Schmity Holsteins mugs for the camera last year.
Changes in demand from countries such as China are causing milk prices to dip in Minnesota and across the United States. “In southern Minnesota, as well as the rest of Minnesota and the upper Midwest, producers are facing lower prices,” said University of Minnesota Extension Educator Betty Berning...
A crowd listens during a meeting last week about whether Westfield Township should establish its own zoning ordinance.
Westfield Township residents met last week to discuss whether the township should establish its own zoning ordinance. But the meeting generated more questions than answers as the two sides now debate whether the meeting that was held was the one that was advertised. Controversy surfaced almost...
The dangers of nitrates from fertilizers leaching into groundwater was one of the topics of a workshop dealing with current issues facing feedlot operators in Blooming Prairie last week. The session was sponsored by the feedlot officers of Dodge, Freeborn, Goodhue, Mower, Rice and Steele counties...
One of Michelle Krell’s trademarks as principal at Kasson-Mantorville Elementary is visiting every classroom and saying “Good morning” to all students and staff members each morning. Krell is pictured with two of the 810 students at K-M, Tayler Lamphere, left, and Laney Bungum, right.
As one of the most distinguished educators in the country, Michelle Krell is busy running an elementary school, but she doesn’t forget where her roots started. Krell was involved in Future Farmers of America (FFA) all throughout her high school years while growing up in Blooming Prairie.  And even...
Dodge County Zoning Administrator Melissa DeVetter explained to those attending last week’s public hearing why the county felt the wording change was necessary. The changes were recommended by the county attorney, she said, following a District Court ruling last fall.
Feedlots again took center stage in Dodge County last week as the county Planning Commission approved changes to the county zoning ordinance. The changes now go to the Dodge County Board for final approval. The changes deal primarily with the section of the ordinance specifying items needed in the...
Area farmers attended a Private Pesticide Applicators recertification class recently in Blooming Prairie. Attendance at the class recertified them to apply pesticides to their crops.
A group of area farmers found themselves back in the classroom recently as they attended a University of Minnesota Extension workshop to recertify themselves to apply pesticides on their crops. While pesticide application to crops is a normal part of agriculture, many non-farmers probably don’t...

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Dodge County Independent

Dodge County Independent
Dodge County ADvantage
301 S. Mantorville Ave.
Plaza 57 • Suite 200
Kasson, MN 55944

Dodge County Printing
301 S. Mantorville Ave.
Plaza 57 • Suite 200
Kasson, MN 55944

507-634-7503