209 Parkway Avenue N. • Lanesboro, MN 55949 • (507) 467-2577
Happy 4th of July! It is a rainy start to this holiday, but let's reflect on the blessing of rain and what it does to help agriculture, a major economy in our humble Fillmore County. There is a saying that if the corn is knee high for the Fourth of July, everything will be OK and the corn will mature in time for harvest.
As you drive through the heart of bluff country, you will notice our many acres of conventional and organic corn, soybean, and alfalfa. Driving along the rural roads, there may be some glimpses of some newborn calves following close to their mothers or goat kids jumping on anything they can find. You may even get in a rural “traffic jam” stuck behind a tractor, but the traffic jam shouldn’t last long. The silver milk trucks work hard to make it up and down our hills, delivering fresh milk to the creameries from our extremely hard-working and family-owned dairy farms. Then there are fertilizer trucks from local ag co-ops making deliveries to farms to help those crops grow. And don’t forget Wednesday-Friday you can have breakfast with the farmers at Brenda’s Stockyard Café at the Lanesboro Sales Commission (sales barn) on Coffee Street. Farmers come from miles around to sell and buy livestock in Lanesboro, and you get to enjoy the sounds and smells of the animals as you leave Lanesboro on the bike trail headed towards Whalan.
The Fillmore County Fair happens again this year in the county seat of Preston from July 18-24, 2022. A historic and grand World War I Memorial welcomes you into the fairgrounds. Our county’s fair really focuses on agriculture and features livestock shows; judging of sewing, art, vegetables, 4-H projects, canning and more; a tractor pull; live music; a rodeo; a demolition derby; and a Sunday morning church service. A volunteer board organizes and executes the fair each year, an amazing showcase of volunteerism and community collaboration. You don’t want to miss great food vendors, bouncy houses, and a up-close look at bunnies, chickens, turkeys, pigs, goats, sheep, cows, horses and more!
If you want to find and enjoy some locally-grown food, look no further than our block on Parkway Avenue to visit Parkway Market and Coffeehouse. They feature local produce, eggs, meats, cheese, and roasted coffee beans. There are numerous local farms in the area, like Blossom Hill Orchard in Preston, with seasonal farm stands selling apples, produce, flowers and more. Many of our Lanesboro Restaurants, like Pedal Pushers Café, try to source as many local ingredients as possible. Our Lanesboro Farmers’ Market happens every Saturday morning from May-October in Sylvan Park where you will find meat, honey, plants, baked goods, produce, herbs, and more for sale. We are lucky to be able to find produce and meats grown locally!
Agriculture is not a perfect system, but it is a perfect part of our rural economy. Most of that corn is looking knee-high. Happy 4th of July!
