Minnesota Prairie Roots

Writing and photography by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Montgomery keeps drawing me back to explore this small southern Minnesota town October 21, 2026

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Franke’s Bakery in the heart of Montgomery sells kolacky, a folded dough with a fruit or poppyseed filling. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2024)

EVERY TIME I VISIT Montgomery, I discover something new in this town of some 3,400 only 22 miles northwest of Faribault and the self-proclaimed Kolacky Capital of the World.

The 2026 Kolacky Days button displayed in the Arts & Heritage Center of Montgomery. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

But this community is about much more than the Czech pastry baked in many an area kitchen and at Franke’s Bakery and celebrated every July during Kolacky Days. Montgomery is also about historic architecture, locally-grown businesses, the arts, history, farming and a people proud of their Czech heritage.

Walking in Richter Woods County Park, rural Montgomery. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2025)

My recent brief stop in Montgomery came near the end of a fall color drive through four area counties. That included hiking at Richter Woods County Park just west of town. Colors weren’t there. But still, walking through the woods in a park situated like an island among farm fields always proves peaceful, calming.

Beer to go at Montgomery Brewing. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Then it was onward to Montgomery, where getting onto Minnesota State Highway 13 during school dismissal time meant waiting and more waiting as a steady stream of traffic flowed by. Eventually Randy was able to turn the van right, then turn left toward the downtown.

Mike’s Discount Foods, Minnesota’s largest grocery liquidator, located in Montgomery and several other Minnesota communities. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

We passed Montgomery Brewing, where we’ve previously enjoyed excellent craft beer. And then we passed the new grocery store in town, Mike’s Discount Foods, next to the grain elevator. I was happy to see a grocery store reopened some two years after a long-time grocer shuttered in September 2023. A small town without a grocery store creates a local food desert and a challenge for residents, especially those who are aging.

A farmer waits with his load of grain at the elevator. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo October 2026)

I snapped a few photos of Mike’s and then of a farmer waiting with his John Deere tractor and grain wagon outside the elevator during the height of the busy harvest season.

Historic Hilltop Hall, home to the Arts & Heritage Center and Posy Floral & Gifts. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Then it was on to the Arts & Heritage Center of Montgomery, one of my favorite places to pop into while in town. Volunteer run, this center in the historic Hilltop Hall always stages interesting exhibits in a narrow gallery decorated with formal portraits of Kolacky Days royalty lining the walls.

On display, 1980s era Cabbage Patch dolls. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
I found the Native American toys on the top shelf especially interesting. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Chinese checkers have been around for a long time. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Volunteer Kathy welcomed us to the “Toys from the Past” exhibit which features homemade and manufactured toys dating back nearly 100 years. I saw toys I played with, toys my kids played with and then some from my parents’ era. It was just plain fun to reminisce as I viewed all those toys loaned by locals for the exhibit which ends October 31.

New wings on the front of Edel’s Meat Market are appropriately themed to meat. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Kathy, upon my inquiry, directed me to the latest Wing Walk mural, part of the art center’s public art project collaboration with Tri-City United High School art students and the Montgomery Community Foundation. I found the newest mural—meat-themed wings—at Edel’s Meat Market, passing Czech Point along the way.

The patio at Czech Point decorated for Halloween. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Now that’s a new place I need to Czech/check out. The inviting patio was enough to make me pause. The restaurant and bar serve up not only food and drink, but entertainment in a community gathering spot. The online description of food prepared from locally-sourced ingredients whenever possible appeals to me as do specials like a Hot Beef Commercial, $8 burgers and a Crispy Chicken Mashed Potato Bowl. It sounds like a whole lot of good rural comfort food to me.

This new Wing Walk mural welcomes motorist entering Montgomery on its northwest side. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

In some ways, that’s how I feel about Montgomery. Comfortably at home every time I visit. I have no personal connections here. Yet I feel warmly welcomed in a place that celebrates its Czech heritage, values community and understands the importance of the arts and of bringing people into Montgomery to experience life in small town southern Minnesota.

Beautiful fall flowers outside Posy Floral & Gifts in downtown Montgomery. The shop is next to the Arts & Heritage Center. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

FYI: The Arts & Heritage Center is open from 2-5 p.m. Thursday and Friday and from 9 a.m.-noon Saturdays. If you’re looking to visit a specific local business, check hours ahead of time. Montgomery is a small town and everything isn’t open every day.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

CarnEVIL fun & frights in Faribault October 20, 2026

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A large sign marks a Halloween display along Seventh Street Northwest in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

A MILE FROM THE HALLOWEEN attraction Circus De Soulless in Faribault, a traveling carnival has set up temporary residence along a busy corridor in town. That would be CarnEVIL, intentionally misspelled and located at 406 Seventh Street Northwest.

The entrance to the CarnEVIL set up by Robb Morris. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

On a recent weekend, I noticed signage and eye-catching pops of red while passing by the home, did a swing around the block, stopped for a closer look and met ringmaster—my title, not his—Robb Morris.

CarnEVIL games are played by clown skeletons. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
It’s not difficult to imagine that’s blood on the canopy wall. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
The top of the high striker game. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Here Robb posed skeletons playing carnival games in a carnival/carnevil type setting complete with a red-and-white striped canopy entrance leading to his front door. Walk under that canopy and, if you look closely, you’ll notice blood-splattered walls. Well, not really, but red paint looks a lot like blood at Halloween.

This rat is appropriately eating popcorn at the CarnEVIL. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

I didn’t miss the popcorn-eating rat either, tipped on its side until righted by Robb. I really don’t like rodents or any animal that unexpectedly causes terror or fright. That includes an injured raccoon recently trapped in our garage and requiring a call to animal control.

Caged skeletons hang around the front entry. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

All of that aside, getting to the Morris front door to collect a Halloween treat requires a bit of bravery. Even once there, the frights continue with caged skeletons suspended above the entry on the stately brick house once owned by the Ochs family.

Throwing knives game, on display only as are all of the games. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

I commented to Robb that his is the “Ochs house,” something I bet he hears all the time. The Ochs family operated a well-known southern Minnesota department store based in Faribault. Eventually Verna Ochs, upon the death of her husband, Al, in 1969, headed the business. She was among only a handful of women in the country running a department store at the time. Locally, Verna’s signature hats distinguished her. Several of those came with the house, Robb noted, and will stay with the house.

Robb Morris built some of the sets from discarded wood. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

From Halloween to hats, I got sidetracked for a moment while chatting with Robb. We got back on subject when he mentioned that for the first time this year, he built some of his scenes with old pallets and scrap wood. He shops dollar stores for props. And he also trades Halloween goods with his daughter in Woodbury, who gets into Halloween decorating just like her dad.

Following the carnival theme, a clown throws a ball. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Just a little bit creepy, a hooded skull. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
A clown skeleton spins a macabre wheel in the yard. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

It’s good fun, this CarnEVIL created by a man who clearly loves Halloween enough to design a set that delights with detailed fun and frights.

FYI: Be sure to also visit Circus De Soulless, 234 First Street Southwest, for an even larger and interactive Halloween display.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Here come the clowns & other frights at Faribault Halloween circus October 18, 2026

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The entrance to the Scare Grounds and Circus De Soulless. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

ANYONE LOOKING FOR HALLOWEEN fright and fun in Faribault need look no farther than the Cauldron County Scare Grounds, home to Coy and Kathy Lane.

A challenge on a tombstone upon which clowns rest. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Located at 234 First Avenue Southwest, the Lanes’ hilltop front and side yards and porch are transformed each autumn into a space for the community to celebrate Halloween. This marks the fifth year the couple has created a display locally.

Clowns push a hearse across the yard. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

And each year the theme changes with 2026 bringing a yard full of clowns to the Circus De Soulless. A wedding, class reunion and clown daycare were among past themes.

The largest of the clowns, made by the Lanes, blocks the driveway and serves as a photo backdrop. The clown’s eyes glow red in the dark. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

If clowns creep you or your kids or grandkids out, then be prepared. A whole lot of creepy clowns have crept into the Halloween yard, which is open from noon to 9 p.m. daily in October. That includes clowns drawn by Coy and painted by Kathy, one a menacing clown that serves as a photo op backdrop reaching to the second story.

One of the creepiest clowns. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

At seemingly every turn, clowns lurk, wait, threaten, their bright clothes no cover for the darkness within. But it’s all in good fun. The Lanes clearly love Halloween and sharing that love with others. It’s their “thing,” says Coy, who this year was sidelined a bit by knee surgery necessitating tapping into friends to help set up the display.

Next to a chained hand, a step on pad activates a display. These pads are located throughout the yard. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Macabre versions of familiar tales are showcased in the Scary Tales Tent. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
A towering, ghoulish character by the crypt. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

I’ve been to the circus, just up a steep hill from my house, thrice. Once for a quick check and chat. Then with my elementary-aged grandkids, who claimed not to be frightened although their body language showed otherwise. And finally, during the golden hour before sundown to take photos.

Probably the scariest part of the display. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Come here after sunset and the fear factor notches up because everything seems scarier in the dark. I’ve stuck with daylight. The back side yard, where towering animatronic characters surround a crypt, seems the most frightening.

This sign directs visitors to a tent filled with frightening characters, including a Flying Monkey seen here to the left. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
A Flying Monkey lurks at the Scary Tales Tent. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
In the “Beauty & the Beast” display. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

By far, my favorite section of the Halloween yard this October is the Twisted Big Top Scary Tales Tent. A chained “Wizard of Oz” Flying Monkey guards the tent entrance. Inside, ghoulish versions of well-known tales bring visual and auditory fright to the likes of “The Three Little Pigs,” “Beauty & the Beast,” “Alice in Wonderland” and more. And, yes, more than one creepy doll moves, blood dripping, eyes glowing.

The fortune teller talks, greeting visitors as they enter. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

This circus-themed Halloween display features lots of glowing eyes, including those of the ticket booth fortune teller. The ticket booth is just a themed prop. The Lanes don’t charge an entry fee, even though they’ve spent $1,100 on candy alone this October and endless more on other expenses.

This photo shows two of the games: the high striker and the skull toss, right. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Some of their spending goes toward small prizes for games. The couple makes their Halloween display interactive, adding an element of fun for kids with basketball, bean bag and skull tosses and a high striker. They’re always thinking of the kids.

Approaching the Lanes’ Halloween display at 234 First Avenue Southwest. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

And Coy tells me he’s already thinking ahead to Halloween 2027 with a theme chosen, and which I won’t divulge. Soon he’ll start building, creating, preparing for the next opening of the Cauldron County Scare Grounds just blocks from downtown Faribault high atop a hill.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Faribault residents honored for life-saving actions October 16, 2026

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The Faribault Police Department presented Community Certificate of Merit Awards to Paloma Sanchez and Randy Helbling, center, for their life-saving actions in rendering aid to Scott “Scooter” Hoffbeck, center. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

EMOTIONS RAN HIGH as some 40 of us gathered Thursday evening at the Faribault police station to honor two individuals who helped save the life of a motorcyclist severely-injured in an August 26 car-motorcycle crash by our house.

One of those honored was my husband, Randy. Also recognized was Paloma Sanchez, a passing motorist who stopped and joined Randy at the side of Scott “Scooter” Hoffbeck.

The award presented to Randy. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo by Randy Helbling, October 2026)

In part, the award presented to Randy reads: “In recognition of your commendable courage, compassion, and a willingness to assist a seriously injured individual during a life-threatening emergency.”

Those words reflect the seriousness of the crash, which left Scooter with severe head trauma, a broken pelvis and more requiring several weeks in the ICU. To see him Thursday evening doing so well nearly two months after he was airlifted to St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester proved emotional. He’s currently recovering in a local care center, working hard to rebuild his strength so he can walk again.

Scooter’s Harley Davidson motorcycle lies in the street after the August 26 crash. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo by Randy Helbling)

Several times on Thursday I glanced back to see Scooter and others in tears. I was on the verge myself. To see him upright in a wheelchair, talking, showing emotion, contrasted sharply with my memory of Scooter lying on the pavement moaning, his breathing ragged, the back of his head a graphic, bloody mess. He has no memory of the crash and for that I am grateful.

I am also grateful for the calm manner in which Randy and Paloma rendered aid, Randy kneeling beside Scooter in Willow Street, holding his hand while blood pooled. And Paloma using her new jacket to cradle Scooter’s head.

The responding officer, Todd Bristol, shared how thankful he was for their quick response, their choice to help, something that he noted is becoming a rare occurrence in a time when people would rather pull out their cellphones and record.

Randy poses for pictures with his award. The responding officer, Todd Bristol, is to the left. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

That word “compassion” in the award presented to Randy says it all. Love thy neighbor.

I was on scene, too, but not next to Scooter because I couldn’t handle seeing his injuries. Instead, I stood barefoot in the middle of busy Willow Street waving my arms wildly above my head so oncoming motorists would see me in the dark, slow down and avoid hitting the two men in the middle of the street. Paloma had not yet arrived on scene.

I also, immediately upon running out of our house, prayed aloud for the injured motorcyclist lying in the street. I shared that with the crowd at the recognition ceremony, emphasizing the power of prayer and the presence of God. Paloma did the same.

That August evening as the ambulance took Scooter directly from the scene to a waiting air ambulance at the local airport, none of us knew if he would survive. But he did and looks remarkable considering the extent of his injuries.

Paloma Sanchez accepts her award from Captain Brandon Gliem. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Credit for his survival goes in part to those two everyday, average citizens, Randy and Paloma, who chose to step in and help an injured man in need. Their “immediate intervention may have been instrumental in sustaining the (motorcycle) operator’s life until EMS personnel could take over his care” reads the award. I agree.

I am incredibly proud of Randy. He spoke briefly after receiving his award, sharing that he was injured in a motorcycle crash nearly 30 years ago. His injuries, though, were minor and he encouraged Scooter to keep working hard in his recovery. He also noted his experience reacting to medical trauma. In 1967, at age 11, Randy raced across cow pasture and fields to a neighbor’s farm for help after his dad’s hand was caught in a corn chopper. That was after he turned off the power take-off. His dad survived, losing his left fingers and forearm, but not his life.

And today Scooter is alive, partly thanks to the actions of Randy and of Paloma.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Fall colors the local landscape October 15, 2026

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This view from hilltop City View Park in Faribault shows the beauty of the autumn landscape. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

AUTUMN RATES, undeniably, as my favorite season. I love the crisp mornings and evenings, the often sunshine-drenched afternoons. I love wrapping myself in the warmth of flannel or fleece. I love the cinnamon scent of apple crisp baking in the oven, the smell wafting through the house. I love roadside stands packed with plump pumpkins. I love hiking in woods, fallen leaves crunching underfoot.

My husband, Randy, photographs the vibrant trees across Kelly Lake, rural Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

But, above all, I love the fall colors. In shades of red, orange, yellow and brown, singular trees, pockets of trees and entire hillsides are ablaze. Now is the time to get out and view the colorful landscape before wind, rain and time strip those trees bare.

South Cordova Farms, Waterville, set up this roadside pumpkin stand in a rural area near Cordova. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

In the four-plus decades I’ve lived in Faribault, I’ve found this community and the surrounding area to be especially colorful. So there’s no need to leave town or travel far to enjoy the hues of autumn.

City View Park offers a bird’s eye view of Faribault and beyond. Here buildings at the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf poke through the treetops. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Several local spots draw me back year after year. In town, City View Park by the water tower and just above Roosevelt School on Faribault’s east side, offers a spectacular vista view of the valley below. I picnicked there the other day at high noon, taking in the tree-scaped land for as far as my eyes could see. Even in the haze of the dusty air, colors popped in the mass of dense trees. It’s a spectacular setting any time of year.

A maple in City View Park. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Among all those trees, I picked out local landmark steeples, struggling to identify some, sure of others. I also paused to appreciate the colorful maples in the park.

From the public boat landing, I zoomed my camera lens to photograph the distant color-splashed shoreline of Kelly Lake. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

To the west of Faribault, Kelly Lake, as viewed from the public boat landing, rates as another favorite local color spot. Each October I walk out on the short dock and take in the scene across the lake, the orange treeline slicing color between blue water and blue sky.

Whether in town or out, autumn shows her rugged beauty, here along a gravel road buffeted by cornfields. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Within the Faribault city limits, the Straight River bluff packs a colorful punch as do trees along many streets, like Second Avenue and Seventh Street. The campus of the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf, a place where I sometimes walk, presents more color.

Driving into woods along a back gravel road west of Faribault, exact location unknown. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

As with anything, we often bypass beauty that lies directly before us, blending into the background of daily life. In my own backyard and next door at my neighbor’s, maples fire orange and yellow.

On a fall color drive in the Montgomery area. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Consistently each autumn, fall color drives take me along roads around area lakes like Roberds, Union and French. I have yet to do the complete lake tour this year. I’ve found fall colors aplenty in the Montgomery and Lonsdale areas, too.

A rural fall scene of harvested corn along a hilly gravel road, Falk Avenue, near Cannon City and Nerstrand. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

I have not yet headed over to the Nerstrand area for a stop at the historic hilltop Valley Grove churches where color splashes a treeline across the prairie. Nearby Nerstrand Big Woods State Park rates as a popular fall color destination, parking lots crowded to overflowing on October weekends. I prefer the quiet of Valley Grove.

A farmer picks corn along Falk Avenue near Cannon City against a colorful backdrop of trees. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Mostly, I simply want to immerse myself in autumn. Visually by viewing distant treelines and rolling farm fields along Falk Avenue northeast of Cannon City. Or up close along Farmer Trail, a twisting gravel road snugged by woods.

Across fields, I photographed this picturesque farm site near Richter Woods County Park west of Montgomery. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

I love autumn. The woodsy, earthy scent. The feel of soft flannel and cozy fleece. The crunch of biting into a locally-grown apple. The taste of cream cheese frosted pumpkin bars. And, above all, the oranges, reds and yellows of this season blazing color across the southern Minnesota landscape.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Fall harvest observations in southern Minnesota October 14, 2026

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A recent fall drive took us deep into the southern Minnesota countryside, where harvest is underway. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

A PLANNED FALL COLOR DRIVE evolved into more like a harvest drive as Randy and I traveled recently through parts of Rice, Steele, Waseca and LeSueur counties. While we saw some color in the trees, fall field work centered our observations.

Combining beans, a dusty, dirty job in dry conditions. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Area farmers were busy harvesting soybeans on the day we meandered through the countryside to the west of Faribault with no set destination.

A beautiful barn, fronted by a cornfield, somewhere west of Owatonna. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Given our farm backgrounds—Randy rooted in Morrison County in central Minnesota and me in Redwood County in southwestern Minnesota—we remain interested in farming, particularly in spring planting and fall harvest.

An overview of soybean harvesting with multiple combines and trucks in the field and on the road. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

On this unseasonably warm autumn day, farmers hustled to get the beans out, their mammoth combines enveloped in dust as the machines raked across the acres. A stretch of hot, dry days made for ideal harvest weather.

A farmer waits outside the grain elevator in Montgomery. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Grain trucks idled, awaiting loads of beans. Others brimmed with golden orbs. Gravity flow wagons pulled by tractors or pickup trucks also held the bounty of crops.

A red and white cooler sits inside the cab of this combine. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

I noticed the details, too, like a small cooler inside a combine cab, probably packed with lunch. My friend Virginia shared recently that she delivered lunch to her son harvesting in the Millersburg area. It’s likely not all that uncommon for family members to take meals to farmers in the field. Going up to the farmhouse for lunch takes too much time.

A grain truck barrels down a gravel road in a cloud of dust near Cannon City. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Time is the farmer’s constant companion during this season of harvest. As the days tick closer to winter, pressure mounts to get first the soybeans, then the corn, out.

Grain bins dominate a farm site near Blooming Grove United Methodist Church, rural Morristown. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

And then there’s the weather, always the weather. Unwanted rain can delay harvest, adding to an already stressful situation.

Farmers, whether in the field or on the road, are in a time crunch to finish the harvest. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

It takes a lot of mental fortitude to crop farm—to handle the stressors of time, weather, fluctuating prices and increasing operational expenses. But help is available 24/7 through a free and confidential state-funded Minnesota Farm & Rural Helpline at 833-600-2670. Trained counselors will listen, help and connect as needed. Other resources such as NAMI Minnesota and the Suicide Lifeline (call, text or chat to 988) are also available to assist.

A fire extinguisher hangs on the combine exterior as a farmer harvests soybeans. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Along with mental health are physical safety concerns. I was reminded of that when I noticed a fire extinguisher attached to the side of laddered steps leading into a combine. Occasionally fire erupts when crop debris meets hot machinery or parts get overheated or for other reasons.

Machinery parked in a farmyard, at the ready for harvest. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

I expect most farmers take safety seriously. Yet it’s easy, when you’re working long, exhausting days and late into the night on minimal sleep, for accidents to happen. Every harvest season across Minnesota there are stories of grain bin rescues, sometimes successful, sometimes not.

An Allis Chalmers corn chopper, like this one exhibited at the 2010 Rice County Steam & Gas Engines Show, claimed my father-in-law’s left hand and part of his forearm. Randy is standing next to the machine. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Thankfully safety shields on modern day machinery mostly protect from serious injuries, unlike when my father-in-law’s left hand was pulled into a corn chopper in 1967. The accident happened as he hand-fed corn into the chopper. The blades chopped off his fingers with a surgeon later amputating part of his forearm. Eleven-year-old Randy, in the field with his dad when the accident happened, turned off the power take-off and then ran to a neighbor’s farm for help.

With much of the soybean harvest now done, corn harvest is underway, here near Cannon City. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

As we drove through the southern Minnesota countryside, deep into harvest, I thought of that long ago farm accident involving the man who would become my father-in-law. And I considered all the farmers today who love the land and farming, but who work in one of the top 10 most dangerous occupations in the U.S.

A tractor pulling a gravity flow wagon, turns off old U.S. Highway 14 in Owatonna. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Farm life may, on the surface, appear a bucolic, simple life. But in reality, it isn’t. It’s hard work. I’m reminded of that as I travel through the countryside, documenting field work. This chosen life comes with rewards and risks, from planting to harvest.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Recent memorable life moments October 13, 2026

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Loving words once posted in downtown Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

IN LIFE, SOME MOMENTS stand out. Not for their WOW factor, but rather in the power of simplicity. A smile. A loving word. An unexpected act of kindness. In recent days, I’ve experienced such feel-good moments.

IN MY KITCHEN

The most personal came in a family group hug as our eldest daughter and her family were about to leave after a Saturday afternoon with us. Randy and the two grandkids were hugging each other goodbye when 10-year-old Izzy called for a group hug. So the six of us circled by the kitchen door, wrapped our arms around each other and held each other tight. It was the best moment of the entire day.

I made this sign last winter during the height of Operation Metro Surge. I pulled it from my basement stash, refreshed the letters and carried it on the protest line again last Saturday. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo by Randy Helbling)

ON THE PROTEST LINE

A week later, while standing on the protest line in Faribault holding a resurrected sign with the message to “love each other,” I locked eyes with a passenger in a passing car. She happened to be a Somali woman. Upon seeing my sign, her face spread into a wide smile. This is one of the reasons I protest—to stand up for those who’ve been targeted, hated on, including by our own president.

At that same protest, several middle school-aged boys, walking past on the opposite side of the street and who happened to be Hispanic, waved and smiled in support of our messages. I can only imagine how good it felt for those youth and the Somali woman to see that others care enough to publicly stand up for them. That “love each other” sign is now displayed in my front living room for all to see who drive along my busy residential street.

AT THE GROCERY STORE

While grocery shopping hours after the protest, I spotted a woman wearing a “Kindness Matters” floral tee. I paused to tell her how much I appreciated the message on her shirt. Kindness does matter. And expressing kindness in words ranks high with me.

This is the photo that includes my friend Sharon and her family. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo October 2026)

IN A TEXT

My friend Sharon expressed such kindness to me via text after I shared a recent photo I took of her and her family at the Faribault Fall Festival. In part, Sharon wrote, “You do a lot for Faribault with your articles and photos. So uplifting.” I try. I try to follow the lessons learned from my kind, compassionate and caring mom. A strong woman of faith, she gave back to community through her extensive volunteerism all the while raising and teaching six children the importance of always speaking kindly of others.

A sign posted at the Bell Church last Friday afternoon. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

AT BELL CHURCH

Kindness comes in actions, too. While on a fall color drive several days ago, Randy and I stopped at St. Peter Bell Lutheran Church, rural Waterville. We’ve always wanted to see inside the church. So when we noticed several vehicles parked outside, we stopped. Inside the fellowship hall, three women were prepping for a Smoked Pork Chop Dinner. Trudy paused in her work and took us into the sanctuary. Not only was that kind of her, but, as we were about to leave, she gave us a bag holding two servings of pumpkin ice cream made by the pastor for the fundraising dinner. Trudy didn’t expect anything in return, but Randy gave her a small donation anyway. Later, we enjoyed the flavor of fall in that delicious pumpkin ice cream at Richter Woods County Park in rural Montgomery.

ON FACEBOOK

Yesterday brought another sweet moment when Randy showed me a Facebook photo of our two eldest grandchildren, ages seven and 10, walking down the sidewalk, arms wrapped around each other. Unbeknownst to them, their mom, following behind, snapped the image. “Best buds,” she labeled the sibling photo.

Scott Hoffbeck’s motorcycle lies in the street by our house following an August 26 crash. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo August 2026)

AT THE POLICE STATION

Finally, at 5 p.m. this Thursday, October 15, the Faribault Police Department is recognizing Randy and also Paloma Sanchez for their actions following a late August car-motorcycle crash by our house that severely-injured the motorcyclist. The two likely helped save the life of Scott “Scooter” Hoffbeck, according to the responding police officer. They tended to and stayed with Scott until he was taken via ambulance directly to the local airport and airlifted to St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester. He remained in ICU for several weeks, but is now back in Faribault recovering at a local care center. Scott hopes to attend the public event in the second floor meeting room of the police station. (You are welcome to attend.) More memorable moments are yet to come in that anticipated emotional reunion and in the recognition of two individuals who truly showed what it means to “love your neighbor” by helping a stranger lying severely-injured in the street.

Moments matter. Love each other. In words. And actions.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Library highlights “freedom to read” during Banned Books Week October 7, 2026

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A button in a banned books display at Buckham Memorial Library, Faribault, encourages patrons to find and read a book that has been banned somewhere, not locally. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

“LET BOOKS BE. Protect the freedom to read.” Those statements theme this year’s nationwide October 4-10 Banned Books Week. That event focuses on informing all of us about book censorship attempts in libraries, schools and bookstores.

This is the main banned book display showcased on shelves between the check-out and information desks at Buckham. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Locally, Buckham Memorial Library is spotlighting Banned Books Week in two displays. There I read a list of 10 far-fetched reasons for banning books, according to the American Library Association. For example: Shel Silverstein’s A Light in the Attic “encourages children to break dishes so they don’t have to dry them.” Or “the basket carried by Little Red Riding Hood contained a bottle of wine, which condones the use of alcohol” from the story by Jacob and Wilhelm K. Grimm. Or “if there is a possibility that something might be controversial, then why not eliminate it?,” referencing Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown.

On the book ban list because “kids might break dishes.” (Book cover sourced online)

As I read down the list of ridiculous reasons for banning books, my jaw dropped. I laughed at the absurdity of it all. Really?

This display shows books that have been banned elsewhere. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Because I’m a writer, an avid reader, a journalism school graduate who has worked as a newspaper reporter, and a strong supporter of First Amendment rights, I hold zero tolerance for banning books. If someone objects to the content of a book, then don’t read it. But don’t tell me I can’t read it. And certainly don’t pull it from a public space.

The Faribault library’s displays on banned books will be up through October. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

With kids, adults should consider age, maturity and the consequences of withholding a book from a child in their life. If I was a tween or adolescent and my parents or school banned a book, I’d probably try really hard to find a copy. Banning books from public libraries and schools is not a decision I can support. Ever.

I believe that knowledge is power. I’d rather a child be informed than uninformed. I’d rather a child learn from a reliable information source, such as a book, than “learn” from peers, social media or the internet. Or be kept in the dark. Kids are way smarter, know way more, than we adults realize.

Popular books that have been banned in some places. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

All of those thoughts flitted through my mind as I viewed the two Banned Books Week displays at the Faribault library. Those displays featured books like Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.

Freebies at Buckham Memorial Library promote the freedom to read. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

I fingered the free LET BOOKS BE swag—bookmarks, buttons, wristbands, stickers—grabbing a few to show that I’m not OK with banning books.

We need only look at history, to Nazi Germany, to understand the devastating consequences of banning books. Consider May 1933, when 40,000 people gathered in the Berlin town square and burned some 20,000 books deemed as “un-German.” That is perhaps the most extreme example of book banning ever.

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” wrote George Santayana in The Life of Reason in 1905, years before the book burnings in Nazi Germany. Now more than ever with attacks on the free press and on First Amendment rights, it’s important and necessary that we, and I don’t mean just librarians and teachers, stand strong against censorship, against book bannings.

A book that some have wanted banned. (Book cover sourced online)

To suggest that The Diary of Anne Frank should be censored because “it is a real ‘downer’” is among the far-fetched reasons given for banning a book on the ALA list I read at my local library. Imagine suppressing the voice of that remarkable teenager by pulling her diary from library shelves. I cannot fathom the thought of such absurdity, of Anne’s story left unread because someone objected. “LET BOOKS BE. Protect the freedom to read.”

FYI: To learn more about Banned Books Week and banned books, visit the American Library Association website by clicking here.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Connecting & celebrating community at Faribault Fall Festival October 4, 2026

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Kids create at activity stations along Faribault’s Central Avenue during the Fall Festival. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

KIDS COSTUMED as Big Bird, Buzz Lightyear, a firefighter, cowboy, dinosaur, pig, even a cupcake, and many other characters descended on Central Avenue Saturday for the Faribault Fall Festival. What a delight to see the street crowded with costumed kids and with adults enjoying a beautiful, sunshine-drenched autumn day in our historic downtown.

Creating art for buttons at an activity offered by Friends of Buckham Memorial Library. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Kid-painted pumpkins line the curb to dry. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
One of the many art stations set up for kids to create. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

The event featured not only kids’ activities and trick-or-treating, but also the Studio ARTour, fire department open house, vendor market and chili sampling.

Serving up chili for Faribault Transportation. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
A homemade sign marks the Faribault Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism chili table. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Next to his wife serving chili for Faribault Transportation, this volunteer serves Christ Lutheran Church chili. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Randy and I arrived at noon specifically to sample chili made by non-profits, businesses, candidates for public office, a church and other cooks. For $5 each, we enjoyed a tasty lunch of chili samples. But it wasn’t all about the food. Moving among chili serving stations set up on sidewalks along several blocks, I met new people, talked with friends, dodged costumed kids, all the while feeling a strong sense of community connection.

Faribault City Council candidate Natalie Halverson serves turkey pumpkin chili (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Fest-goers answered a question posed by candidate Halverson. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

City council candidate Natalie Halverson scooped out pumpkin chili made with foods sourced in Faribault, including turkey and beans. But she also served up an opportunity for locals to jot down their answers to this question: “What are the most important qualities of an effective Faribault City Council?” That engagement impressed me.

Fest-goers sample chili and other food made by Nancy Greer. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Around the block, Nancy Greer served her beefy chili, cornbread, cheese and crackers with a pepper spread, and mini cupcakes on a festive table outside Our Place on 3rd. Like Halverson, she offered more. Greer shared mental health and suicide prevention information, handing me a flier about World Mental Health Day on October 10 and Recovery Road MN. The Recovery Road team is walking 1,776 miles to raise awareness about youth mental health and reduce the stigma.

A beautiful autumn-themed centerpiece crafted by Nancy Greer for her chili serving table. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Greer’s care, compassion, generosity and optimism—she wore a butterfly tee emblazoned with “BELIEVE in who you are”—left me feeling really good. I walked away with a business-sized card telling me “SOMETIMES YOU FORGET you’re AWESOME. SO THIS IS YOUR REMINDER.” The flip side of the card included validating words such as strength, bravery, smartness and love.

Launching stuffed animals. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

All around me I witnessed and felt the love. Families walking together. Grandparents, parents and volunteers leading, assisting or simply standing by as kids painted small pumpkins, colored cloth trick-or-treat bags, jumped in a bouncy house, launched stuffed animals toward a dinosaur, created sand and button art, and more.

Signage marks one of two Studio ARTour sites in downtown Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Inside Runamuck Workshop, throngs of kids and adults crammed the toy store. Across the street, Books on Central was also busy. And a block to the north, the Paradise Center for the Arts teemed with art-lovers there for the Studio ARTour, gallery shows and live music.

Creatives brought their homemade and handcrafted goods to sell in downtown Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

Vendors selling everything from sweet treats to handcrafted items lined the center of Central Avenue.

Family activities set up in a block of Central Avenue. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

I didn’t hit every aspect of the Faribault Fall Festival. But I experienced enough to feel the strong sense of community created by this event. It’s good for the heart and soul of a community to come together, to have fun, to appreciate one another, and to recognize that this city we call home is worth celebrating.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

“Up North” observations from a southern Minnesotan October 1, 2026

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Breezy Point is a popular resort destination in the Brainerd Lakes area. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

TRAVELING NORTH OF THE TWIN CITIES from Faribault toward cabin and lake country, I’ve noticed a distinct difference in roadside billboards and businesses along the way. And that’s a reflection of how the southern part of Minnesota, where I live, differs from areas around Mille Lacs Lake, Brainerd and farther north.

Deer hunting requires processors like this one promoted on a billboard along U.S. Highway 169 in the Milaca area. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

While I come from a region rich in farmland and mostly wide open spaces with some lakes, that changes to the dense woods and pristine water of “Up North,” a decidedly Minnesotan term for a region of cabins, vacation rentals, lakeside homes and all things woodsy outdoors.

Woods hug State Highway 371 north of Jenkins. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

For nearly 10 years now, Randy and I have headed north along U.S. Highway 169 once or twice annually to a family member’s cabin south of Crosslake in Crow Wing County. And it is along that route, outside Zimmerman, that the land begins to shift from urban to a more rugged, rural, outdoorsy feel.

A float plane flies over Horseshoe Lake during a poker run. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

Here I begin to see signs for boats, beer and guns. Some of that reflects the hunting culture, others the recreational opportunities offered by the area’s many lakes. Fishing. Boating. Tubing. Even float planes flying in for a beer and brats poker run.

Mille Lacs Lake just south of Garrison. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

Mille Lacs Lake, which hugs a section of highway 169, is especially impressive for someone like me who grew up on the prairie, mostly absent of lakes. I feel somewhat unsettled looking across the vast expanse of water with no distant shoreline visible. Mille Lacs, at 132,516 acres, is Minnesota’s second largest inland lake.

In Nisswa, an ice cream parlor taps into the Paul Bunyan and Babe legend. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

There’s a lot of water, a lot of woods Up North, where Paul Bunyan is comfortably at home among the pines. Businesses play off the fictional legendary lumberjack and his side kick, Babe the Blue Ox.

The appropriately-named A Pine Restaurant near Jenkins. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

Log cabin and A-frame style buildings, which would seem mostly out of place in southern Minnesota, blend seamlessly into the landscape here. The look is signature northwoods. Cozy. Comfortable. Often set against a backdrop of trees.

Logged lumber stacked along Minnesota State Highway 371 south of Hackensack. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

Stacks of logged trees and campfire wood for sale frequent roadsides.

A welcome sign on my brother-in-law and sister-in-law’s lake home south of Crosslake. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

Life feels more laid back Up North. Or maybe that’s because I arrive with the perspective of a visitor, someone who comes here to relax, to get away from everyday life. Whatever, this part of the North Star state feels different than southern Minnesota.

A lakeside cabin west of Hackensack. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

Here, rather than acres of corn and soybeans, acres of thick woods prevail with narrow roads cutting pathways to lakeside cabins, resorts, homes.

The start of an evening campfire along the shore of Horseshoe Lake. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

Here, Up North at the cabin, if I get up early enough, I can drink my morning coffee lakeside as the sun rises over Horseshoe Lake. Or listen to the haunting echo of loons. Or relax lakeside in the evening around a campfire.

A loon rises and flaps its wings on Horseshoe Lake. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

Last trip north in mid-September, I didn’t want to leave. I dreaded heading south into heavy metro traffic, the speed, the chaos erasing the peace I carried within me. I knew work, in the form of an unfinished house project, awaited us.

The Hairy Mosquito Trading Company along U.S. Highway 169 near Milaca. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

As we drove home, past the leaping deer statue in Deerwood, the deer processing billboards along the highway, the signs and art of The Hairy Mosquito Trading Company, the landscape began to change. Farms and fields. Abundant roadside businesses. More housing.

Traffic volume increased as we neared the Twin Cities. Busy, busy, busy. Oh, so busy. All the way to Faribault, even south of the metro along Interstate 35, vehicles zoomed.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling