Fleur de Lis Spring 2019

SPRING 2019 • ISSUE 1

$2.00

flower power

Fleur-de-lis

Stepping up

Pat Rice’s volunteer efforts touch all corners of Faribault.

digging in

Dick Husotn’s influence and accomplishements spread far and wide.

Donahue’s Greenhouses is well-known for the beautful clematis

contents 6 Still serving

Pat Rice’s volunteer efforts touch all corners of Faribault.

10 Service above self

Dick Huston’s influence and accomplishments spread far and wide.

16 Peony Capital of the World

Looking back at when Faribault once

attracted thousands every June to see its flowers in bloom.

22 Preparing for the real world

FHS students explore teaching, business fields in the classroom.

28 Winter’s here, so we may as well embrace it

Capturing all the winter has to offer.

36 Living green

Donahue’s a Southern Minnesota Gardening Destination.

40 Flair for writing, eye for detail Helbling’s blog a hotdish of Americana through a Minnesota lens.

46 Experience Faribault

Upcoming events.

on the cover:

Donahue’s Greenhouse.

(Jacob Swanson/ Fleur-de-lis)

The sun sets Feb. 1 over Bruce Smith Field.

(Jacob Swanson/Fleur-de-lis)

Spring 2019

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Spring 2019

A pair of bald eagles sit high a top a leafless tree, watching and waiting. But for what? (Suzanne Rook/Fleur-de-lis)

This issue of Fleur de Lis is delivered to all subscribers of Faribault Daily News for the low cost of $1.00 per issue, deducted upon delivery from your account balance. If you decide it’s not for you, you can opt out of future issues by contacting customer service at 507-333-3111 or crolling@faribault.com. Non-subscribers can purchase copies of Fleur de Lis for $2.00 each.

publisher:

Chad Hjellming

managing editor: Suzanne Rook

magazine & events director: Ginny Bergerson

regional director of sales: Mark Nelson

media consultants: Nicole Brandon Pam DeMorett

designer:

Kate Townsend-Noet Send story ideas to:

Suzanne Rook at Fleur-de-lis srook@faribault.com

Volume 2, Issue 1

Fleur-de-lis 2019 Published Spring 2019 by: Faribault Daily News 514 Central Avenue Faribault, MN 55021 faribault.com Š

All advertising contained herein is the responsibility of the advertisers. This publication is copyrighted by the Faribault Daily News and no content can be reproduced without permission.

Spring 2019

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Still serving Pat Rice’s volunteer efforts touch all corners of Faribault

I

By Anne Kopas name called as “flabbergasted.”) f a single good deed is like the ripple in Rice got her start in Faribault in the 1960s as an a pond, Pat Rice’s life is more like a tidal audiologist with the state of Minnesota and the Acadwave. emy for the Deaf. At the time, she was the only audi A longtime Faribault resident, Rice ologist working with children in the entire state. She is over a decade into her retirement, also worked tirelessly to help implement a statewide and she isn’t slowing down. Her list of program to test every newborn for hearing problems. accomplishments as a volunteer only More recent work includes planting with GROWS continues to grow. Her resume would in(Gardeners Reaching Out With Service), a group that clude work with the Buckham Memorial Library, American Association of University Women, River Bend Nature Center, District One Hospital Auxiliary, Paradise Center for the Arts and more, to the point where it’s almost easier to list what she hasn’t done.

But showing off her accomplishments isn’t in Rice’s nature. For her, volunteering is simply a way of life, learned from a young age as she watched her parents help out within the North Minneapolis community where she grew up.

“I’ve never sat and listed the things I’ve done for volunteerism. I just do it,” said Rice. “I always feel that you get more back than what you give.”

That doesn’t mean her work has escaped notice and recognition. In 2015, she received the annual Outstanding GROWS members plant pollinator-friendly plants at Central Park in June 2017. Pictured, from Senior Citizen Award at the Rice County left, are Pat Rice, Joyce Buresh and Emily Nesvold. (Submitted photo) Fair, and Outstanding Female Senior Citizen later that summer at the State Fair. NEXT PAGE: Pat Rice stands in downtown Faribault, where her volunteer work has made an (She described her reaction to hearing her impact over the course of several decades. (Anne Kopas/Fleur-de-lis)

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‘I’ve never sat and listed the things I’ve done for volunteerism. I just do it. I always feel that you get more back than what you give.’

- Pat Rice

has planted milkweed and other pollinator-friendly plants on local golf courses and church land. It’s also put its green thumbs to use planting trees in Faribault city parks.

Though she never even expected to move to a small town, Rice spent 20 years on the City Council, where she was the second woman to be elected.

“We’d come up with an idea — and it would be a good idea — and nobody would pick it up. Within a month, a guy would come up with that idea, and they’d say, ‘Yeah, that’s a good

idea!’” she said. After that, she resolved to support the ideas of other women later elected to the council to ensure everyone had a voice.

Over the decades, Rice has seen changes in Faribault, in everything from girls’ participation in sports to a shifting business landscape to increasing population diversity. Big companies like Daikin and SageGlass have provided a multitude of jobs, but Faribault still feels like a small town to Rice, the kind where everyone knows everyone.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 8

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

t l u a b i r a F

Pat Rice, a longtime City Council member, speaks at a forum with Faribault’s 2016 mayoral candidates. (Daily News file photo)

“I just learned, you don’t talk bad about anybody in town — because they could be your friend’s sister,” she said.

It’s also the kind of town where the locals want to stick around and give back.

“I’m impressed with the number of Faribault High School graduates who stayed here, who have gone away to college and come back,” said Rice. “I think they’ve made a difference in our community, a positive kind of thing.”

When she’s not volunteering, Rice spends her time knitting, reading everything from biographies to mysteries, watching Hallmark movies and taking classes from the Cannon Valley Elder Collegium.

Dee Bjork, executive director of the Faribault Foundation, has known and worked with Rice for years. Bjork consid-

all year 'round

Making American Stories 8

Spring 2019

ers Rice an example of how volunteerism is a path to a rich, full life in retirement, what she called a “second career.”

“Wouldn’t it be swell if there were more people that had that attitude that Pat has, about how important it is to give back to your community?” said Bjork. “Her real commitment is to be wherever that she is needed in the community. If I show up somewhere, she’s usually there.”

For Rice, there’s still work to be done in Faribault, especially in ensuring a welcoming environment for the town’s immigrant population, as well as those with disabilities.

“We’re going through a time of accepting our new people,” she said. “I think the deaf people and the blind people add diversity here, and the new immigrants as well. I think we’ll take some time adjusting.”

Even as the town adjusts, Rice was quick to add that these people are exactly what she loves about Faribault: “I love that we have the diversity here … I think that diversity should enrich everybody’s life.”

Reach Reporter Anne Kopas at 507-645-1117. Follow her on Twitter @NFNanne.

Pat Rice holds her Outstanding Senior Volunteer Award, which she received at the Rice County Fair in 2015. (Daily News file photo)

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Spring 2019

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Service above self Dick Huston’s influence and accomplishments spread far and wide

By Mike Randleman

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Spring 2019

‘When I think about Dick, when he does something, he does it all the way. He’s always the first one willing to jump in and help on a project. He’s a great leader.’

- Faribault Rotary President Keith Kramer

T

o some, he’s a dedicated veterinarian. To some, a world traveler. To some, a proud Rotarian.

To all, he’s Richard “Dick” Huston. There’s no one way to define a man who’s traveled to all seven continents, who’s helped settle lawsuits dealing with cattle or who’s been on the Minnesota Timberwolves’ private plane.

Somehow the 1,000-piece puzzle comes together to create a mosaic of a man who won’t let life come to him.

Walking for water

Huston, 82, grew up in Benson, Minnesota. For as complex are his experiences, his upbringing was simpler.

“I went to a one-room school. One teacher, eight grades,” Huston said, noting his school was one of the last of its kind. “I grew up in a house that didn’t have running water. We carried water for washing clothes, taking baths, cooking, cleaning, everything for the first 11 years of my life.”

Huston had no qualms about his upbringing, saying he was “never bored” as “there was always something to do.”

Coinciding with a burgeoning work ethic was a thirst for higher education, which he continues to quench to this day. That’s without ever having a direct example to follow.

“My parents had an eighth-grade education, but they worked hard,” Huston said. “They bought a farm, we lived on the farm. I was the first of any of my cousins to get a four-year degree. Education is a huge, huge thing.”

Huston supported himself after graduating high school. He spent two years at St. Olaf College before making his way to the University of Minnesota to attend veterinary school.

“Most of the work that I do is in the dairy industry,” Huston said. “I’ve hung around cows all my life. Still like ‘em.”

Huston’s first post-graduation stop was in 1963 in Marshall, Minnesota.

“I graduated one day, my first son was born the next day and I started to move stuff to my job the next day,” Huston said.

Dick Huston seen with his late ex-wife, Glenda, in 2009 in Kenya. (Photo courtesy of Dick Huston)

Dick Huston is an avid photographer, particularly of nature and wildlife. He took this shot while on safari in Africa. (Photo courtesy of Dick Huston)

PREVIOUS PAGE: Dick Huston and his wife, Nancie, in March 2018 in Jerusalem. (Photo courtesy of Dick Huston)

CONTINUES ON PAGE 12 u u u

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Dick Huston at the Taiwan Rotary Friendship Exchange in Feb. 2012. Huston is an avid traveler who’s been to all seven continents.

(Photo courtesy of Dick Huston) CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

After six months in Marshall, Huston sought a new opportunity. He packed his bags to come to the Faribault Veterinary Clinic.

Huston helped grow the practice to six veterinarians before he left in 1984 to begin a consulting career that he still maintains.

His work is primarily litigation support.

Perhaps a feed purchaser has a pricing dispute with a supplier or a product is faulty. Huston offers consultation for the two disputing sides and will provide expert testimony in court if it escalates into a lawsuit.

Dick Huston, seen putting the finishing touches on a “little library” in 2016, is an active Faribault Rotary Club member and was named the club’s Rotarian of the Year in 2017. (Faribault Daily News file photo)

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Most of Huston’s courtroom experiences don’t particularly move the needle. But it’s hard to forget when an eccentric Kentucky judge blew smoke rings at him during testimony.

Especially when more was to come.

“So the judge says ‘Well, I’ve known Doc for about 30 years.

We play some poker on Friday, we golf on Wednesdays, but I don’t think that’s going to cloud my judgment. I’ll be back in a couple minutes,’ Huston began. “He comes back and says ‘That cow’s worth $15,000. “I’ve never seen anything like that.”

On a whim There was a time Huston hadn’t left the Western Hemisphere, but he made quick work of getting out to see the world as soon as he entered adulthood.

“I did something that was kind of, when I think back on it, it was kind of nuts,” Huston admitted. “I was studying for finals my freshman year in the spring. The guy I was studying with said ‘You know what, we should go to Europe.’ and I said ‘Well let’s do that.’”

And it was done.

The duo hitchhiked to Montreal where they set sail to England.

The two went separate ways and Huston made his way to a Volkswagen factory in Germany. He spent several days exploring the country before bringing the car to a boat in Amsterdam.

It took the help of a friendly secretary at the U.S. Embassy and the help of his parents to sell off one of Huston’s cows to wire money overseas, but Huston made it back home.

His willingness to jump into the deep end foreshadowed his temporary plunge into politics. A true Renaissance man, Huston threw his hat into the ring as a Republican candidate in the 1986 state Senate race.

Huston campaigned against a 16-year incumbent. He went on to lose the race, though his party won the spot in 1990.

“Republicans really wanted him out of there. So I thought I’d be an OK choice to challenge him,” Huston said. “I had a lot of help. Volunteers that came out and helped with that effort. But we lost.”

Huston is a man who takes matters into his own hands, but he learned there are things he can’t control.

He and his first wife of 34 years divorced, which in the wake of heartbreak freed him to further explore other pursuits.

“So during that time I went on a couple missions, Christian veterinary missions,” Huston said. “I’ve gone on seven or eight missions now to Bolivia, India, Vietnam, Romania, Africa. So I enjoyed doing those.”

In 2017, Huston was in Kenya. He worked with four veterinarians to treat and inject nearly 10,000 goats and sheep per person.

Huston’s palette has diversified as a result of his travels.

“I never felt unsafe. There was food that I wasn’t prepared for,” Huston said. “Mongolians, in the summertime, they don’t have

any meat because they don’t have storage. And they don’t have vegetables because it’s so dry. And these are semi-nomadic people so you end up eating yak milk, yak cheese, yak yogurt, yak vodka.”

Travel companion Huston remarried Glenda Taylor, the ex-wife of Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, in 1998.

Glenda Taylor had a minority share in the team, which granted Huston a behind-the-curtains look at an NBA franchise. Names like Hall of Famer Kevin McHale or NBA and television veteran, Jim Petersen, became friends.

‘So we went to all those games. It was fun, we could eat in the press room, meet the players,” Huston said. “We would go on at least two, once in a while three, road trips with the team.”

Just traveling from one NBA city to the other didn’t cut it for Huston.

“That was a really good period in my life. Glenda and I traveled a lot. We went to all seven continents,” Huston said.

That does include Antarctica, which Huston noted was no colder than many of Minnesota’s worst days.

“We went with National Geographic. It was a really good way to go,” Huston said. “They had naturalists on board and they would go on the land with you. We’d walk around with the penguins and they’d tell us what to notice. I actually saw a penguin hatch, which was pretty neat.”

The other end of their travel spectrum brought Huston and Glenda to Africa. Each had been to the continent several times, but this time in 2010 brought on tragedy.

Glenda fell ill while in Cairo, Egypt and died from heart failure.

“That was the most difficult time in my entire life,” Huston lamented. “She was clearly the best person I’ve ever known. We had such a good time. It was a tough week. And tough after I got back, too.”

A fire still burns within Huston did his best to keep the motor running. He continued to travel and is proud of the legacy of philanthropy that lives on in the Glenda Taylor Huston Scholarship of Courage at the University of Minnesota Medical Foundation.

Huston’s own philanthropy is evident in his co-sponsoring of the Class of 1963 Legacy Fund with the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

During a difficult time in his life, Huston found a way to the summit.

After a group safari trip to Kenya in 2014, Huston, at 77, went on his own to Tanzania to ascend Mount Kilimanjaro.

“It was hard. Five days up and two days down,” Huston said.

“You have to go with a licensed guide and he also has people he takes up.”

CONTINUES ON PAGE 14 u u u

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Dick Huston keeps art, photography and memorabilia around his home, including a wall of photos from his African safaris.

(Mike Randleman/Fleur-de-Lis Magazine)

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

Huston found love again with his current wife, Nancie. She fit the prerequisite of having a passport handy and a willingness to keep up with his active lifestyle.

“He goes skydiving every five years, I believe he’s going to go now. He’s done three or four tandem jumps so far,” said Huston’s son, Steven. “He plans on going every five years I think until he’s 120 he says. He’s got a good sense of humor.”

Huston’s children also include daughter Karen and sons Chris and Tim. Nancie and Dick returned from a stay in Cuba this winter with a summer trip to Germany already in the books. The trip is part of a cultural exchange with the Rotary Club, of which Huston has been a member for nearly a decade.

Huston was the Faribault Rotary Club president for 2015-16.

He was named the club’s Rotarian of the Year in 2017 and he’s currently the membership chair.

He is also active with the South Central College Foundation and board, as well as BBBS of Southern Minnesota and the River Bend Nature Center.

Murray Hanson, a friend of Huston’s and a Rotary Club member, estimates Huston brings in a new member about every six weeks at a breakneck pace in comparison to clubs nationally. It’s

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helped keep the Faribault club near level at 62 members.

Added Faribault Rotary club president, Keith Kramer: “When I think about Dick, when he does something, he does it all the way. He’s always asking me about different parts of the club and how we can improve it and what we can do. He’s always the first one willing to jump in and help on a project. He’s a great leader.”

Huston continues to work part-time along with his work in Rotary. He enjoys photography, spending time with his dog, Reagan, or working on his farm, which boasts trees he and students from Jefferson Elementary School planted in 2018.

“For a guy who’s 82 now, I don’t think anyone’s told him,” Hanson said. “He hasn’t really slowed down. He’s still been skiing in the mountains, doing things most people would’ve given up by now. He’s always on the go.”

Huston’s checked off more bucket list items than most could ever hope for. That’s not to say there aren’t things he’d do differently, or decisions he’d reconsider.

But he’s proud of who he’s become as a result of his winding path that’s taken him from Benson, Minnesota, to Africa’s highest point, and all stops in between.

“There are still things I would’ve done different,” Huston said. “One of my other philosophies is that mistakes you make don’t define you, it’s how you deal with those mistakes afterward.”

Huston’s impact as a person is clear-cut to Hanson.

“It’s one of those things that’s part of his personality, just always willing to joke with you but he has that committed, serious side,” Hanson said. “It’s like the service above self that we talk about in Rotary; that’s the definition of his life.”

Reach Sports Editor Mike Randleman at 507-333-3119 or on Twitter @fdnmike.

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When Faribault was the

ABOVE: Brand Peony Farms Peony Queens, circa 1929. In 1895, according to a 2012 story in the Daily News, Brand’s collection of peony varieties grew to more than 1,000 — making it one of the world’s largest collections of flowers. By 1920, peony shipments were made to all parts of the world. (Photo courtesy of the Rice County Historical Society)

By Grace Webb Brandt

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TOP RIGHT: Brand Peony Farms was located in the southeast part of Faribault near River Bend Nature Center. Its reputation helped make the city the Peony Capital of the World. Note Johnston Hall in the background. (Photo courtesy of the Rice County Historical Society)

F

aribault is known for many impressive things, from being the birthplace of the Tilt-a-Whirl to its one-of-a-kind Cheese Caves. But many people may not know that it also used to also have a very distinct title: the Peony Capital of the World. Thanks in a large part to Faribault’s former Brand Peony Farm, the city attracted thousands of people every June to come see its flowers in bloom. And, while Brand Peony Farm is no longer in operation, its legacy still affects Faribault to this day.

Cultivating something new Brand Peony Farm began as the Faribault Nursery, established in 1870 by Oliver F. Brand, according to Rice County Historical Society records.

Brand came to Minnesota from Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin in the summer of 1867 with the specific intention of starting a nursery, though at first, he focused on growing and selling trees to early settlers so they could start family orchards.

His nursery was on 50 acres of land and is one of the first CONTINUES ON PAGE 18 u u u

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Brand Peony Farm. (Photo courtesy of Rice County Historical Society) CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

nurseries established in Minnesota.

While the nursery cultivated a variety of plants and flowers (and, interestingly enough, Angora cats, bred at the nursery’s cattery), Brand’s favorite type of flower was the peony. In fact, he dedicated a whole acre to peonies when he first began, growing three types of the flower—one red, one pink and one white. But Brand began experimenting and trying to create more varieties.

By 1895, Brand’s collection of peony varieties had grown to more than 1,000, making it one of the world’s largest collections of flowers.

In 1899, Oliver’s son Archie joined the business, according to Rice County Historical Society records, and the two men worked together to breed more peonies. Oliver retired in 1911, and Archie hired Myrtle Gentry to “take charge” of the office in 1918. Within two years, she had become a partner in the firm. The business continued to grow and relied heavily on mail orders, shipping its peonies and other plants across the world by the 1920s. By then, Faribault was known as the “Peony Capital of the World.”

A catalogue from February 1915 describes different “collections”

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offered by Brand Peony Farm, ranging from the “One dollar and a quarter” collection, which included three types of peonies, to the “Twenty-five dollar” collection (strangely, costing $32), which included 36 types. The least expensive peony varieties cost 50 cents, while the two most expensive varieties — the pink Martha Bullock and crimson Mary Brand varieties — cost a whopping $15 each (about $180 in today’s money).

A Faribault fixture By the early 1900s, Brand Peony Farm had established a reputation for itself across Minnesota — and beyond.

Part of its success came from its presence at local peony shows.

According to an article written by Pauline Schreiber for the Rice County Historical Society’s newsletter, Archie Brand entered his first peony show in 1913, bringing six entries, at the University Farm in St. Paul. In 1923, he exhibited 23 new varieties at the American Peony Society’s national show, which was held in St. Paul. His flowers won both the gold and silver medals.

“The Brand Peony Farm’s reputation grew because of that show,

ABOVE: St. Paul Association float in the Peony Festival Parade, a beautiful outof-town entry. (Photo courtesy of the Rice County Historical Society) RIGHT: Harriet Stoos, the 1927 Peony Queen. Photo courtesy of the Rice County Historical Society)

which is why Faribault was selected for the site of the Northwest Peony Show in 1927,” Schreiber wrote.

By this time, thousands of people visited Faribault in June to see the peonies in bloom. The flower had become so meaningful to the region that the city of Faribault hosted a Peony Festival between 1927 and 1929.

The first Peony Festival took place during June 1927. During the festival, downtown store windows and streets were decorated with fresh peonies, and there was a coronation of royalty, a costume dance with a 17-piece orchestra and other festivities. There was a parade of floats, cars and horse-drawn vehicles, decorated with 80,000 peony blooms donated by Brand Peony Farm. The parade route traveled along Central Avenue and ended in Central Park, with prizes given for the best floats.

Probably the biggest part of the festival, though, was the Northwest Peony Show, held in Faribault’s Amory. Schreiber reported that before 1927, the Northwest Peony Show had never been held

outside the Twin Cities area, and at the time, it “was considered the biggest peony show in the nation.”

“So it was an honor, not just to officials of the Brand Peony Farm who lobbied for the show to be held in Faribault, but the larger community as well, to be selected to host such a well-known flower show,” Schreiber wrote.

The festival grew every year, until the 1929 event featured a 3-mile long parade, bands from Minneapolis and St. Paul, local bands and the Shattuck Military School. However, after the stock market crashed in October 1929, the local economy was severely CONTINUES ON PAGE 20 u u u

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THE PEONY Peonies have long been a favorite of gardeners across the region, even though they only bloom for a few weeks.

According to “Northern Gardener,” there are three types of peonies: herbaceous peonies, tree peonies and intersectional peonies (a combination of the other two). They come in a range of colors, from deep red to white, and a range of flower types, from single peonies to big puffy “bomb doubles.”

According to a Faribault Daily News interview with Robert Tischler, it takes 15 to 20 years to take a seedling peony plant and develop it into something that can be marketed and sold. But, while peonies take some time to develop, they can last for decades if they’re properly cultivated. They require full sun, regular fertilizer or compost applications and well-drained soil.

The flower was recorded as being used for flavoring food in ancient Chinese texts, and it was also cultivated for medicine in China since at least the sixth century. It is still one of the traditional floral symbols of China, where it is known as the “king of the flowers.”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

affected — and the festival was no more.

“The cost associated with organizing the peony parade and festival could not be sustained by the Brand Peony Farm and Faribault community, once the Great Depression began to descend on Rice County and the nation,” Schreiber wrote.

While festival didn’t to continue, the Faribault community still wanted to celebrate peonies in some way. Brand Peony Farm continued to stage a local June peony show until the State Bank of Faribault agreed to take over, holding the show in the lobby of its newly opened building. Hundreds of people attended, and the show continued for many more years.

Brand continued to find success with his peonies as well. In 1933, he won the Gold Medal Award at the National Peony Show in Chicago for his peony seedling, the Hansine Brand (named after his wife), according to Rice County Historical Society records.

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New gardeners Brand Peony Farm went through great changes in the 1950s.

Minnesota Historical Society records show that Archie Brand died in 1953, and in 1956, the farm was bought by brothers Bob and Archie Tischler. According to an article published in the Faribault Daily News on June 12, 1998, Bob Tischler had helped decorate floats with peonies for the Peony Festival parade when he was younger, which was where his love for peonies began. Records show that he purchased full ownership from his brother in 1967, and he retained that ownership until 1976, when he sold it to Farmer Seed and Nursery so he could retire. (He later opened Tischler Peony Garden in another part of Faribault, continuing the business until 2002.)

The city of Faribault acquired the Brand Peony Farm property in the early 1990s, and it was divided into about 56 lots for development. By the early 2010s, all of the Brand buildings had been torn

down.

Yet Brand Peony Farm’s legacy continues to affect Faribault and the surrounding area to this day. Stan Mader, owner of Faribault Garden Center, said peonies have fallen in popularity, but there are still some people who ask for them because of nostalgia.

“Most people don’t even remember them,” he said. “But there’s a few people who come in because their folks and grandparents had peonies.”

Mader was a friend of the late Robert Tischer, and he said he sold many peonies back when Tischer was still running his farm.

He added that Brand Peony Farm is responsible for many of the

nurseries and greenhouses that sprang up in the area, carrying Brand’s peony varieties.

Sue Garwood, executive director of the Rice County Historical Society, agrees that Brand Peony Farm played an important role in Faribault’s history — and its present.

“Historically speaking, the Brand Peony Farm started Faribault’s nursery and plant industry,” Garwood said. “It’s fun to drive around town today and see all the peonies that are around.

Although they might not all be of that old stock, it is likely that most of them are. That’s really cool to still be able to see a beautiful piece of the past.”

ABOVE LEFT: Pioneers brought peony plants with them when they made their homestead in Minnesota, according to the Minnesota Peony Society. There were also several early internationally known peony hybridizers who made there home here in Minnesota. They included the Brands of Faribault. (Flickr) ABOVE RIGHT: In this May 2010 photo near Maple Plain, Minn., Keith Swenson, who runs a family gardening business, tills the ground between rows at a peony acreage. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) Spring 2019

21

Preparing for the real world

FHS students explore teaching, business fields in the classroom

L

et’s face it, college is expensive. Many a student, past or present wishes they had a chance in high school to explore a particular field before committing to a particular college program.

At Faribault High School, students interested in teaching or business have those opportunities when they enroll in one of

By Misty Schwab the school’s two academies: the Teacher Cadet Academy or the Business Academy.

Learning to teach; teaching to learn FHS senior Sarah Pierce considered becoming a teacher until she enrolled in the Cadet Academy. But just because Pierce decided to take a different route doesn’t mean the Teacher Cadet Academy failed, it means the class serves its purpose of helping students know themselves better.

“This has definitely opened my eyes to what teaching is,” said Pierce of the academy.

The first semester, Teacher Cadet students spent most of their time in the classroom. Pierce said her class observed a couple of classrooms at both Faribault Middle School and Jefferson Elementary.

Now that the second semester is in session, students spend about four days a week in a partner class. The Teacher Cadet Academy also involves plenty of hands-on work, projects and a weekly log.

Business Academy students typically participate in the FHS DECA program. The students pictured attended the DECA Fall Leadership Conference to learn more about business. (Photo courtesy of Jared Kegler)

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Spring 2019

Teacher Cadet Academy teacher Kaylee Weins, right, helps a student prepare for a project.

(Misty Schwab/Faribault Daily News) RIGHT: Teacher Cadet Academy teacher Kaylee Wiens exposes her students to real-world teaching experiences and sparks discussions about education. (Misty Schwab/Faribault Daily News)

“We focus a lot on development, which ties into our other relationships and classes,” said Pierce.

While Pierce now realizes she doesn’t want to teach, taking the class helped her realize she likes working with people. But instead of children, she said she’d much rather work with adults.

Sarah David, a junior, said she’s reached an “in between” point in her career decision. She appreciates that the Teacher Cadet Academy gives her an opportunity to observe different classrooms and “get a little taste of each” grade level. After a positive experience in a preschool classroom, David began leaning toward teaching. The children gave her a warm feeling with their eagerness to play and learn, but despite this interaction, David said it’s the high school students who appeal to her most.

“I feel sometimes it’s easier to deal with [high school students],” said David. “I can connect with them because I’ve been a teen and know what it’s like.”

During Teacher Cadet classroom time, David said the class dives deep into discussions. These conversations connect the students as they talk about different learn-

ing techniques, ways to help out struggling students and what to do when a plan backfires.

Senior Arianna Smith always wanted to work with children, but wasn’t sure if that meant teaching. Now that she’s enrolled in the Teacher Cadet Academy, she knows she’d rather work with children outside of a classroom setting. She especially enjoyed working with preschool-aged children.

Earlier this year, a project requiring students to make a video or write a short book about one of the learning barriers discussed in class. That list included absent parents, bullying and mental illness.

“I love it,” said Smith of the academy. “I would encourage anyone to join it.”

Israel Rivera, a 12th-grader, was sure he wanted to pursue education. Since becoming enrolled in the Teacher Cadet Academy, he’s gained a better feel of the way teachers impact students and vice versa. While he’s now open to exploring work outside the teaching field, he also feels drawn to teaching middle-school students.

“It’s the age where kids suffer from family experiences,” said Rivera. “I want to help them cope, let them know they’re not

the only ones going through those sorts of things.”

Not everyone enrolled in the Teacher Cadet Academy wants to pursue a career in education. Senior Lindsay Vogelsberg, who looking at pre-med, signed up for the class as a college elective opportunity. In the process of obtaining three college credits, she’s gained a new perspective of teachers.

In particular, she appreciates the efforts of Teacher Cadet Academy teacher Kaylee Wiens.

“I think she’s an excellent teacher because she shares her experiences,” said Vogelsberg of Wiens.

Planning ahead Four years ago, Wiens talked to FHS Principal Jamie Bente about her plan for the Teacher Cadet Academy. She took the necessary training courses and talked to CONTINUES ON PAGE 24

Spring 2019

uuu

23

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23

instructors involved in similar academies to gain insight. Now, she implements the Teacher Cadet curriculum offered across the country.

Fourteen students enrolled in the class this 2018-19 academic year, the first time FHS offered the Teacher Cadet Academy. Wiens is pleased with this number as a starting point, especially since the small class size allows for more personal interactions.

“I was really excited about this class, and now that I’m teaching it, it’s even better than I imagined,” said Wiens.

Wiens noted the lack of diverse teachers in the education profession. According to Minnesota Education Equity Partnership, 28 percent of Minnesota’s students are students of color or American Indian while about 4 percent of its teachers are.

But at the Academy, students are incredibly diverse in their ethnic backgrounds, something Wiens believes is necessary. When the teacher population better matches the student population, she said learning becomes easier for students.

Superintendent Todd Sesker also noted a lack of diversity among teachers in the Faribault school district. In a presentation he developed last year

entitled “Teacher Shortage? It is for Real,” he highlighted reasons for the general decline in teachers, one of the factors being student debt.

The Teacher Cadet Academy offers college credit through Minnesota State University, Mankato, which helps students save both time and money. Like Sesker, Wiens believes students ought to spend money pursuing a degree they’re truly passionate about. And there’s nothing quite like a first-hand experience to

DECA held its first mentor night in the Faribault High School gym last December, giving students a change to receive constructive criticism on their projects from local professionals.

(Photos courtesy of Jared Kegler)

As part of the Teacher Cadet Academy, high school students visit a preschool classroom as well as those at other grade levels. (Photo courtesy of Kaylee Wiens)

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Spring 2019

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Teacher Cadet Academy student Arianna Smith supervises preschool students as they complete an art project.

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The hearT of The home sway a student one way or the other.

“PSEO (Postsecondary Enrollment Options) is awesome, but [students] don’t have to leave school now,” said Wiens.

Not all schools that implement the Teacher Cadet Academy run for two semesters, but this is the model Wiens chose for her class.

Students spend the first semester learning about teaching as well as the different types of learners. As the year continues, students participate in a six- to eight-week field experience in which each student is assigned a mentor teacher. A once a week debriefing gives students a chance to reflect on their experience.

During Teacher Cadet Academy lessons, Wiens initiates conversations about tough topics like school threats, behavior issues and cultural inclusivity. She watches students’ “lightbulbs” turn on as they consider the difficulty of learning for a student attending class on an empty stomach. Cadet students consider labels, health concerns, disabilities and language barriers students deal with outside of school.

In the near future, Wiens and her students plan to acknowledge a deserving teacher bi-weekly based on the criteria they determined in class. For students who were accepted into an education program at a college or university, Wiens also

plans to conduct a signing day much like the ones held for athletes.

All the while, Wiens wants to be real with her students and let them know that teaching can be difficult.

“We have a rule that [the classroom] is Vegas — what happens in there stays in there,” said Wiens. “They’ve really taken that to heart. I’ve heard feedback that it feels like family.”

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Getting down to business Advisor Jared Kegler described the Business Academy as “a sequence of courses to prepare students who want to go into the business area.”

The Business Academy at FHS equips students with skills to prepare them for the workplace and engages them in real-world experiences. Students in the Business Academy earn economics and fine arts credits, which makes for notable points on college resumes and job applications. The Business Academy also presents opportunities to compete with DECA students across Minnesota. New this year, the academy allows students in their senior year to intern under a local professional.

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Teacher Cadet students apply their creativity to project when they’re not observing other classrooms. Pictured, from left, McKenzie Guerro, Julia Moriarity, Israel Rivera, Sarah Pierce, Zoe Fronk and Arianna Smith brainstorm ideas for a bulletin board. (Misty Schwab/Faribault Daily News) CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

to business and marketing, accounting, Advanced Placement (AP) microeconomics,

plication is required of students wishing to

and a career internship. Kevin Dunnigan,

join the Business Academy. Students must

who began offering the internship course

also complete a personal finance or intro-

this year, said the Business Academy will

duction to business and marketing class as

require seniors in their second semester to

a prerequisite before admission.

take the class as a capstone in the future.

The actual Business Academy classes,

While these courses make up the sug-

which students typically take their junior

gested pathway for students in the Busi-

and/or senior year, include college intro

ness Academy, Kegler said the six-period

A PEEK INSIDE Kevin Dunnigan, co-advisor of the Business Academy, offers a sports and educational marketing class within the program.

At the beginning of last semester, Mike Swanson, head of the Two Rivers Health Conference, visited Dunningan’s class and challenged the students to develop a promotional plan for his business. The students divided into equal groups of five and used the promotional materials Swanson distributed — items like sweatshirts, hats and gift certificates — to create a plan.

The groups presented their ideas to Swanson before going home for their winter break, and he selected the one he liked most. After school resumed, the entire class presented the idea — a shooting contest — during FHS hockey games and basketball games in the month of January.

“We’re trying to do more and more of that, to align real hands-on things for students to work on,” said Dunnigan.

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Spring 2019

schedule implemented at FHS presents a challenge. While students may take every course necessary for the Business Academy, the schedule often prevents them from taking classes in the ideal order. Depending on their academic year schedules, Business Academy students sometimes take summer courses to fit in all their business classes.

“We’re constantly retooling to see what’s going to work best,” said Kegler of the Business Academy schedule. “We’d really like to see [students] start with intro to business or sales/marketing and move up with business management and accounting.”

Many of the FHS DECA students enroll in the Business Academy. This program grants students opportunities to compete with other DECA students across the state as they develop plans and campaigns for fictional companies, learn how to dress professionally and develop their presentation skills before judges. Sesker believes the success of the DECA students is the biggest indication of the Business Academy’s success right now. Last year, eight FHS student qualified to attend the DECA International Career Development Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. New this past December, Faribault DECA students met with area business mentors to acquire professional feedback on their presentations before

“That’s kind of an overarching goal with the business program. We want to get more interactions so [students] can apply what we’re talking about in the business world.”

While the promotional project was new to the sports and entertainment marketing class this year, Dunnigan said the class itself was offered before he started teaching at FHS. “We go through a typical marketing course work but a nice part of the project is they can apply it to a real-life, handson experience,” said Dunnigan. “It gets to be a pretty big aspect of the class in itself.”

As advantages of the class, students gain the experience of collaborating with group members, scheduling events, completing budgets by a deadline and communicating with vendors.

“The ideas are one thing, but it’s fun to see them down the stretch, manage the group with four or five people,” said Dunnigan. “It’s cool to see them in that environment, [as they] see what the real world can be like.”

Always Fresh Always Affordable, Always Fareway!

Faribault High School students participate in the DECA District 1 competition in Owatonna this year. (Photo courtesy of Faribault Public Schools)

advancing to the district DECA competition.

Erica Johnsrud, a junior at FHS, became a DECA student before enrolling in the Business Academy. While many Business Academy students began taking business classes as freshmen or sophomores, Johnsrud signed up for first business class this year.

“It makes the college search a lot easier,” said Johnsrud of the Business Students Linsday Vogelsberg and Israel Rivera listen and participate during Teacher Cadet Academy class discussions. (Misty Schwab/ Academy. “We know Faribault Daily News) what to look for.” ees,” said Kegler. “We want to keep good, Junior Kelsie DeMars talented young people around to do good took intro to business and enrolled in the things in the area.”

Business Academy from there, driven by an Nort Johnson, president of the Faribault interest in marketing and a desire to earn college credit. Madelyn Wehe, also a junior, became involved in the Business Academy after she took a personal finance class.

“I know I found [my passion],” said DeMars. “I don’t know if I would have found marketing if not for the Business Academy.”

Johnsrud like the experience she obtained from job interviews and presenting in front of a crowd while DeMars likes networking with businesses she wouldn’t connect with otherwise.

“Faribault is screaming for good employ-

Chamber of Commerce, commended the Faribault district for carving out pathways to student success that often lead back to their home community. He called the Business Academy “a great piece of that effort.”

“The success of Faribault school students is always front of mind,” said Johnson. “The school district has been enthusiastically engaged with the Chamber and the business community on potential opportunities to

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27

Winter’s here, so w 28

Spring 2019

ABOVE: Ice forms on Roberds Lake, which had an early November freeze this year. (Jacob Swanson/Fleur-de-lis) TOP RIGHT: A pair of white-tailed deer are on alert in the River Bend Nature Center. (Jacob Swanson/Fleur-de-lis) LOWER RIGHT: Ice forms on a pine tree in Faribault’s Central Park. (Jacob Swanson/Fleur-de-lis)

CONTINUES ON PAGE 30 u u u

o we may as well embrace it

By AUDREY HELBLING - Minnesota Prairie Roots Spring 2019

29

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29

W

inter in Minnesota brings challenges. Ice. Snow. Cold.

Sometimes I feel like simply curling up under a fleece throw with a good book and staying indoors until spring.

But that’s neither realistic nor good for me.

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Spring 2019

So I determine that, despite the less than ideal weather, I need to get outside and get moving. Embrace winter the best I can.

Recently Randy and I decided to hike at River Bend Nature Center, one of our favorite outdoor spots in Faribault. Although I mentioned the possibility of icy trails, we still opted to go there. Well, one shuffling walk down a paved trail across patches of ice and snow and I’d had enough slipperiness.

Yes, I’m a tad paranoid about falling given I’ve endured two broken bones in the past 1 ½ years, neither from falling CONTINUES ON PAGE 32 u u u

ABOVE: The sun setting Feb. 1 gives a gorgeous orange glow to the sky and on the north side of the Faribault Woolen Mill and Cannon River. (Jonathan Wood photo) TOP RIGHT: Ice formations on the waterfall off of the main road through River Bend Nature Center. (Rich Rein photo) LOWER RIGHT: Winter 2018-19 has been filled with glorious sunrises, sunsets and sun dogs. Known meteorologically as parhelions, NOAA describes them as “two colored luminous spots that appear at roughly 22 degrees on both sides of the sun at the same elevation. They are caused by the refraction of sunlight passing through ice crystals.� This photo was taken the morning of Feb. 8 between Nerstrand and Faribault. (Katie Foshay photo)

Spring 2019

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31

on snow or ice-covered anything. I’m not risking broken bones simply to walk outside in the winter for recreational pleasure.

I suggested instead that we head to a city trail which hugs the Cannon River in Faribault’s North Alexander Park. I was pretty certain the city would have cleared the paved path. I was right.

So, despite a bitter wind whipping across the water, we walked and I searched for photo ops. Winter offers far less of those. But I managed to grab some images before my fingers got too cold to further expose them to the elements.

It wasn’t a particularly long walk. But, still, I stretched my legs, observed nature and appreciated the glint of sunshine across patches of open water. And I wondered, why are those geese still hanging around? I’d be outta here if I had their wings.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 34 u u u

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Spring 2019

ABOVE: Hoarfrost forms on plants as steam rises from a nearby Cannon River dam during the December polar vortex. (Jacob Swanson/Fleur-de-lis) TOP RIGHT: The heavy snow kept most cars — but not this man, walking north on Third Street NW — off the streets. (Suzanne Rook/Fleur-de-lis) LOWER RIGHT: After a January week of incredibly frigid temperatures, highs in the mid to high 30s got the water moving again — leading to the stunning blues and whites of these ice formations on the waterfall right off of the main road through River Bend Nature Center. (Rich Rein photo) Spring 2019

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Spring 2019

PREVIOUS PAGE: Winter may make it difficult to get around, but it always paints a beautiful picture. Here, ducks play in the frozen Cannon River as it runs through the White Sands Dog Park. (Suzanne Rook/Fleur-de-lis) TOP: Faribault’s Olivia Williamson was one of the state’s top goal-scorers as a junior in 2018-19. (Jacob Swanson/Fleur-de-lis) LOWER LEFT: The setting sun shines down on Central Park, casting a glow the snow-covered tree bark. (Jacob Swanson/Fleur-de-lis) LOWER RIGHT: A buildup of ice and some snow covers these frozen pods in Faribault’s Central Park. (Suzanne Rook/Fleur-de-lis)

Spring 2019

35

Living gre Donahue’s a southern Minnesota gardening destination

By Jacob Swanson

The Donahue’s Greenhouse family, front, from left, are Kathy Nass, Lois Cleary, Mary Donahue and Julie Zweber. Back, Phil Zweber, Jim Donahue, Tim Donahue, Mick Donahue, Mark Donahue and Dan Zweber.

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Spring 2019

reen E

very year the Depot Bar and Grill in Faribault prepares its staff for certain big events in town, with busy days at Donahue’s Greenhouse at the top of the list.

The Greenhouse, which has been in the Donahue family for 47 years, has positioned itself as a destination greenhouse in southern Minnesota.

Customers come from Rochester, the Twin Cities, Mankato and the rest of the area to visit Donahue’s every year.

“When they [hold events], it brings loads of people to the town and people want to come to the Depot,” said restaurant owner, Chef Jeff LeBeau.

“They bring tons of people to the community. They’re great for the economy of Faribault.”

First-generation owner Lois Donahue, seven of her children, a son-inlaw, a grandson and granddaughter run the greenhouse, which came into the family in 1972.

Donahue’s specializes in clematis, a perennial flowering vine. In the 1980s, few nurseries were growing clematises and those that were only shipped dormant plants. Donahue’s bucked the trend and started shipping live, growing plants. Since then, the Faribault business has become one of the country’s top clematis shippers.

According to Donahue’s website, it ships 700,000 plants throughout contiguous United States, Alaska and Canada every year.

That’s sometimes tough in a state like Minnesota. Clematis plants can’t be shipped in temperatures of less than 20 degrees Fahrenheit, or if the temperature will drop below that threshold at any point on the plants’ path across North America.

Shipments go out on Mondays. This year, January was warm enough where they got some shipments out early, but February through May is the heaviest shipping time, though a polar vortex or two slowed things down early in this year’s shipping season.

Being positioned in Minnesota isn’t all-bad.

Retail Manager Julie Donahue Zweber said the plants need a dormant period. In Minnesota, they can rest from November through January.

“If you were to grow in the southern states, you would need refrigeration to get that,” she said. “As much as we pay out in heat, if we were in the south, we’d be paying that in cooling.”

Office Manager Kathy Donahue Nass said shipping is expensive no matter where you are, as is keeping the plants at the right temperature. She said she was expecting a $30,000 energy bill for the month of January alone.

The retail (fun) side She estimated that about two-thirds of the company’s revenue comes from the wholesale clematis shipping, with a third coming via the retail aspect, though that’s the source of most of the enjoyment.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 36 u u u

Donahue’s Greenhouse sells over 130 varieties of clematis, including this Abeline clematis. (Photo courtesy of Donahue’s Greenhouse)

Spring 2019

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37

Donahue’s sells more than just clematis in its retail store.

Those that visit from April 11 through most of June can find hanging baskets and much more.

Last year, at its April Potting Days, a yearly anniversary celebration, Donahue’s staff potted Donahue’s Greenhouse over 1,800 pots for cus420 SW 10th St., Faribault tomers alone.

Phone: 507-334-8404 “We charge people Website: donahuesclematis.com only for the plants—the Facebook: Donahue’s Greenhouse advice, potting soil and planting is free,” Donahue Nass said.

This year’s event is on April 26, 27 and 28.

“We really enjoy it because you’re making people so happy,” Donahue Nass said of the retail side of the business. “As soon as they walk in here, to see green and growing and flowers … we

really try to make it an experience.”

That experience brings people from across southern Minnesota to Faribault. Donahue Nass says that of the 6,000 people on its mailing list, only about a quarter are from Faribault, with quite a few from the Twin Cities, Rochester, Owatonna and Mankato.

ON THE VINE

A FAMILY OPERATION Running the retail store in addition to the clematis wholesale operation means long days of more than 12 hours when the retail store is open.

Once the store closes down for the season, it isn’t time for a month-long getaway to the Caribbean.

“Work never really stops. It’s year-round,” Mick Donahue said. “It’s always busy for the family anyway. There’s always something to do.”

A total of 16 people work year-round at Donahue’s, with roughly another 25 that help out seasonally. Like any business, especially a family business, there are moments where not every-

At last year’s anniversary Potting Days celebration, Donahue’s potted about 1,800 plants for customers.

(Photo courtesy of Donahue’s Greenhouse)

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Spring 2019

one gets along, but generally everyone seems to work pretty well together, the family says.

“We’re doing pretty good so far … We seem to get along,” Mick Donahue said. “Mom comes down to check on us every once in a while to make sure we’re not messing around and stuff.”

Each family member has his or her own role, and plenty of space to work where they aren’t working right on top of one another.

Between the Faribault location and a growing space in Morristown where shipments go out from, Donahue’s has about 4½ acres of greenhouse.

THE STATE OF GARDENING According to the National Garden Survey, the $36.9 billion do-it-yourself yard and garden industry is growing at a steady rate due to an increase in millennial interest and food gardening.

“I think it’s changing,” Donahue Nass said. “It always cycles, but it’s definitely on an upbeat as far as younger people are getting more into the vegetable gardening and kind of the growing of healthy plants themselves. As people become homeowners, then they take more pride in it, then you see an increase in that.”

Donahue’s saw some downtick during the Great Recession of last decade, but even then, people were staying at home more, which built some people’s motivations to increase their garden-

ing to keep their home looking nice.

“There’s just the health benefit of gardening,” Donahue Nass said. “It allows you to be active and moving, and being outside is good for everybody.”

Something has to go right for a business to last nearly half a century in one location and continue growing. For this Faribault nursery, that’s quality.

“We’re really known for our quality,” Donahue Zweber said.

“Our plants are top-notch — really healthy, so the success they’re going to have in their home gardens is great because the plants are healthy when they leave here.”

With the business Donahue’s brings to town, you could say that the greenhouse has been good for Faribault. For 47 years, Faribault has been good to them.

“We love Faribault,” Donahue Zweber said. “We love where we are.

Our community is changing, but we love it.”

Reach Sports Reporter Jacob Swanson at 507-333-3129 or on Twitter @FDNjacob.

Spring 2019

39

Flair for writing,

eye FOR detail

Th

Helbling’s blog a hotdish of Americana through a Minnesota lens

A

By Nick Gerhardt

s a former journalist, Audrey Kletscher Helbling has got an eye for the details that matter.

That’s easy to see on here blog, Minnesota Prairie Roots, a platform she’s used for nearly the past decade to document events in Faribault, capture the essence of communities she’s visited, discuss current events and vividly capture details with her photography.

Aptly titled, Minnesota Prairie Roots as a whole is little like a

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Spring 2019

hotdish of Americana through a Minnesota lens.

Winding from Wabasso to the hamlet of Heidelberg and vacation cabin spots like Detroit Lakes, Kletscher Helbling chronicles the details of what makes each locale special on her blog along with additional subjects that range from events in Faribault, events she attends, community issues, mental health, domestic abuse, poetry, faith and of course her Sunday road trips.

“I have people that read my blog and they say, ‘Oh my gosh, how do you find these things? How do you know about these things?’” Kletscher Helbling said. “A lot of what I write about is CONTINUES ON PAGE 42 u u u

Ch Kle

PRE uni

This image of the July 2016 car cruise night in Faribault, was featured on the cover of a tourism magazine. (Audrey Kletscher Helbling photo)

Children at the 2012 International Fest Faribault, break a pinata. (Audrey Kletscher Helbling photo)

Eating a burger in 2016 at North Morristown’s annual July Fourth Festival.

PREVIOUS PAGE: Audrey Kletscher Helbling, a former journalist, writes a blog, Minnesota Prairie Roots, that includes personal stories, commentary and a unique view on life in rural Minnesota. (Nick Gerhardt/Fleur-de-lis)

Spring 2019

41

A Night at the Museum Rice County Historical Society in 2015. (Audrey Kletscher Helbling photo)

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41

right here in their backyard. I look at them and said It’s just right here in your backyard. All you have to do is see it, you just have to take the time to see it. There’s so much right in this area.”

Setting the roots Kletscher Helbling grew up in the western Minnesota town of Vesta outside of Wabasso. She was raised on a dairy and crop farm where the setting provided an important early lesson in noticing the details of things. With background appearing so similar year after year she gained an ability to notice the things that had changed. Later on she put those changes, the scents, the sights, the feeling and everything else to words through her poetry and blog to create an immersive feeling in her work.

She fine-tuned her ability to craft those images at Minnesota State University, Mankato through a journalism degree after graduating from Wabasso High School. She practiced developing how to

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Spring 2019

capture what she wrote about with photographs as she embarked upon her career. She worked with the Mankato Free Press, along with the papers in St. James, Gaylord and Sleepy Eye before moving to the Faribault area in 1982 with her husband Randy.

The writing stayed with her as she took time out to raise their three children, Amber, Miranda and Caleb. As they grew up and moved out, Kletscher Helbling had more time to write, and digital photography gave her the chance to expand her skills.

It’s through the photography that she’s gained a deeper appreciation.

“Photography is a lot of fun,” Kletscher Helbling said. “You can be so creative and so artsy and tell a story. I love photography probably as much as I love writing.”

She’s captured a number of incredible images, which in turn has gotten her attention from people all over the country. Kletscher Helbling’s firmly entrenched prairie roots have branched out to across the country with her photography and Google search.

One of her photos of a hardware store in Wabasha appears in the Children’s Hospital in St. Paul. Another she took of a stained

ABOVE: Randy Helbling holds his newborn granddaughter in April 2016. (Audrey Kletscher Helbling photo) RIGHT: Randy and Audrey Helbling take a selfie at the walleye statue in Garrison, Minnesota on the western side of Lake Mille Lacs. (Audrey Kletscher Helbling photo)

glass window at Trinity Lutheran in Faribault made its way to the cover of Catholic Charities’ annual report while still another — of a waterfall in Decorah, Iowa — appeared on a brochure for a Decorah business.

Celebrating the small town Whether it’s a town festival or a pageant for local teenage girls, CONTINUES ON PAGE 44 u u u

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‘I want people to see all these places, see the value in these places. The value in small-town events, the value in Main Street’ - Audrey Kletscher Helbling

An abandoned farmhouse in Kletscher Helbling’s native Redwood County. (Audrey Kletscher Helbling photo)

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 43

A veteran salutes during the 2018 Memorial Day program, in Faribault. (Audrey Kletscher Helbling photo)

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Kletscher Helbling brings those events to life on her blog.

“I do respect small towns and the people,” Kletscher Helbling said. “I want people to see all these places, see the value in these places.

The value in small-town events, the value in Main Street. This is a community for people.

I would like to think I carry with my in my writing and photography that small townness that is part of who I am.”

In Minnesota and elsewhere in the country there is often a disconnect between urban and rural. And when a writer visits a rural area there’s the temptation to point out the charms of a small and but that’s usually followed by an explainer and a call for people to cherish those things. Kletscher Helbling’s journalistic objectivity and small-town roots

allow her to take in all the sights, give them their proper reverence and allows the reader to appreciate the place on their own.

“I do think where I grew up had a tremendous influence on who I am and also, who I am as a writer and a photographer,” she said. “I say that because, living on the prairie, which is an incredibly stark setting, you notice the details. I could sit here now and think back to the wind howling around the corner of the house. I can think of the frost etching the windows of the old farmhouse where we lived. I can smell the corn ripening in the fields at harvest time. I think living in a place like that really enhances your ability to notice the details.

That’s carried over with me to both my writing and my photography.”

Capturing churches Kletscher Helbling points to her Lutheran faith as a tenet of her blog but her appreciation of country churches extends across denominations.

“I love country churches,” Kletscher Helbling said. “There’s something appealing about a country church. I think there’s something about the natural setting, the stillness that exists in a rural setting and the history of a country church.”

From the Old Stone Church in Kenyon to the Valley Grove Church in Nerstrand, her photographs and writing capture the spirit of both places.

Both churches have long been closed for regular service, but community members have maintained the churches and open them a few times a year.

Her blog posts capture the history of the immigrant churches and why people continue to preserve them. Descendants of those immigrants remain in the area to this day, making them a perfect topic for a blog with the title Minnesota Prairie Roots.

Developing digital community One of the unintended benefits of the blog has been the development of a digital community.

Kletscher Helbling has more than 4,000 subscribers, and more than a few have become close friends.

“I’ve really grown a community of friends from blogging,” she said. “Some of these people are reallife friends as in going to their homes for dinner.

Staying at their cabin, staying at their house, getting together for lunch. Friends I can email about more personal things.”

TOP: Clouds appear to go on forever along this gravel road north of Lamberton in Kletscher Helbling’s home county Redwood. (Audrey Kletscher Helbling photo) ABOVE: The Rice County Steam & Gas Engine Show in Dundas is always a great place to take photos. (Audrey Kletscher Helbling photo)

It’s also led to more writing opportunities. Kletscher Helbling has written greeting card verses for a Christian publishing company, Warner Press, for a decade on a freelance basis. She blogged about the experience and mentioned the post to her editor at Warner Press, which led to the publishing company putting the post on its website. Not only that, she’s now the editor of Warner Press’ blog.

It’s no small wonder how roots established in the prairie can spread with technology fertilizing them. ©Copyright 2019 APG Media of Southern Minnesota. All rights reserved.

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Experience Faribault

Farm Business Breakfast 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday, March 19 at the Faribault American Legion.

Find apples, fall vegetables, homemade breads and cookies, gluten-free baked goods, cheese, eggs, grass-fed beef, raw honey, homemade jams, honey, Alaskan salmon, goat-milk soaps, alpaca fiber products, locally roasted coffee, maple syrup, canned vegetables, salsa and more.

Tickets: $15 | Contact kymn@ faribaultmn.org or the Chamber at 507-334-4381.

Community Easter Egg Hunt 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 19 Shattuck-St. Mary’s Upper School campus, 1000 Shumway Ave. The 16th annual hunt is free and open to children 1 to 11 and their families. It generally draws 600-800 people, rain or shine with more than 13,000 candy-stuffed eggs provided.

Treats and beverages in the Johnson Gymnasium after the hunt, along with face painting, photos with the Easter Bunny and musical entertainment.

Attendees are asked to bring food donations for the Faribault Area Food Shelf.

Faribault Marketplace 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 29 at the Faribault Ice Arena Big changes will update this year’s expo: a new vibe! a new name! a new day! Community organizations and businesses will showcase their offerings at this revamped event.

Sponsored by the Faribault Area Chamber of Commerce, Faribault Foundation and Xcel Energy.

Maple Syrup Fun Run and Pancake Breakfast Saturday, May 4, River Bend Nature Center Enjoy beautiful scenery while running the trails of River Bend Nature Center. Pre-registered runners guaranteed a T-shirt and all runners receive entrance to the pancake brunch. Entry fees for trail races include bib, race T-shirt guaranteed only for those who register before 4 p.m. Friday, April 19. Online registration closes May 1. Race day registration begins at 6 a.m.

Cost: $30 to $70 depending on race length | $7 brunch only Visit: rbnc.org/fun-run

7:30 p.m. Friday, March 15 at Paradise Center for the Arts Give the gift of life. Visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-733-2767 to make an appointment, or to learn more about donation requirements.

Tickets: paradisecenterforthearts.org/ purchase-tickets Members $15 | Non Members $20 | Students $10

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