Northfield

Do what you know best; if you’re a runner, run, if you’re a bell, ring. - Ignas Bernstein, proverbicals.com

It’s almost here—CSA Day! This year it is Friday, February 23, the day designated to sign up for a membership at a community-supported-agriculture farm near you. Why then?

Happy New Year! A new year of possibilities! A new year of fun and community activities! And, a new year of—snow! That means more skating, hockey, fishing, festivals, and shoveling! Hope Santa brought you a sturdy shovel.

The temps are dropping, it’s almost Christmas, and you can’t wait to get outdoors before it gets really really cold, like 30 below zero. You’ve got your ice skates in hand and hockey stick nearby. Now, where to go? Oh, right! That year-round indoor/outdoor place, the Northfield Ice Arena is close and the Faribault Ice Arena is nearby too!

How would you announce the birth of your child—a fancy post on social media? Photos and interviews on a major news channel? How about an angelic choir of rappers and an astronomical phenomenon specially prepared just for the event? This is how the God and Father of all Creation let the world know his son was born and the birth of the Christ Child has been the most celebrated holiday in the world ever since.

Wind turbines came to Northfield in 2004 and with nary a boo. Both Carleton College and St. Olaf College installed their own wind turbines and, as Hanna Terwilliger noted in her post at Exit69history.wordpress.com, “Neither of the colleges faced any documented opposition from local citizens.

Life on the American frontier required a keen sense of adventure and vision. Travel was difficult, living was a challenge, adjusting to a town-in-the-making was, well, an adjustment, and being prepared for the unexpected was a luxury most could not afford. Even so, the appeal to many was strong and come they did. John Wesley North was one of those drawn to the open spaces and natural beauty of Minnesota.

Where do you buy your food—from a CSA farm or a local farmers market—and what’s the difference? Is there one? Both offer many of the same things—a variety of fresh and local foods, community interaction, and exposure to new ideas and ways of preparing food. They also offer organic foods and lesser known varieties, and many CSA farms sell their products at their own farm stores as well as at local farmers markets. So, do they differ?

Most schools today have a vision for educating their students, a statement coupled with their mission, beliefs, and strategies to accomplish their lofty goals. They spend much time with the help of community members to develop meaningful ideas that will impact their families and neighborhoods. They, as a school, want people to associate their vision with their school. In the mid-1900s, no educator talked about a mission or vision for their school.

Every year on the weekend after Labor Day since 1948, the people of Northfield have been honoring their brave predecessors for their efforts to thwart a bank robbery in 1876 by that notorious outlaw Jesse James. The James-Younger gang hailed from Missouri, a border state with divided loyalties over secession and slavery and rife with conflict.