The hail that fell in Faribault and the surrounding area on April 13. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo April 2026)
IN THE FOUR-PLUS MONTHS since destructive hailstones pummeled Faribault and the surrounding area, my community has been the site of ongoing exterior construction. Drive nearly anywhere in town and you will see roofing and siding crews or newly-repaired houses.
Seven hail-damaged houses within sight of mine, including ours, have been repaired, or have yet to be fixed. That’s a lot in a single neighborhood.
Business is booming for local and out-of-town roofers and other construction companies. Local contractors can’t possibly meet the immediate demand for work.
Removing two layers of siding from our garage and back of our house. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo July 2026)
EMPATHETIC OBSERVATIONS
But blocks from my house, an underway construction project seems a community undertaking. I know because I talked with the owner. He bought the house with the intention of fixing and flipping it. Good for him if he can improve a dilapidated house and make money by selling it.
This particular renovation caught my eye because, when I passed by, I saw a house with rafters totally exposed, loose insulation inside and workers busy sheeting. Similar work was done on our house with new sheeting laid over the existing, mostly-solid roof boards. Rafters were not exposed. I appreciate that we now have a sturdier, straighter roof.
When I saw the condition of the flip house, my first thought was “that looks worse than ours (looked).” At least on the roof. I felt instant empathy for the homeowner. So, although I don’t usually stop at construction sites, I did at this one. I felt bad for the owner.
He just happens to be Hispanic. I learned from him that the Hispanic community is deeply connected. He tapped into the strength and skills of community for his house renovation. This did not totally surprise me. I’ve seen how Hispanic/Latino communities care for one another, how they work together, how they value family, culture and community.
If not for Hispanic roofing crews, hail-damaged houses in Faribault would go mostly unrepaired. These crews work hard and fast, putting in long days, often finishing roofs in a single day.
The north side of our house in the process of being re-sided with LP Smartside. The siding project is now completed. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo August 2026)
THE VALUE OF COMMUNITY
My conversation with the flip house owner got me thinking about other communities which come together to help one another on construction endeavors. In the past, and maybe even still today, the Amish raise barns in a day. Habitat for Humanity brings volunteers together to build homes alongside professionals. Decades ago, friends came over to help shingle our roof. During this past year, volunteers rehabbed a rental house owned by my church.
And in 1967, extended family arrived at my childhood family farm to help my dad and a local carpenter build our new home with a walk-out basement. If not for helpful family, I don’t think my parents could have built new. The cost would have been out of reach. We needed a new house to replace the cramped, drafty 1 1/2-story aged farmhouse with a partial dirt cellar, no bathroom, three small bedrooms, and an oil-burning stove centered in the living room.
A protest sign I crafted earlier this summer and have held at recent Saturday morning protests in Faribault. I’ve been peacefully protesting locally for nine months. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo June 2026)
WORSE THAN A HAILSTORM
All of this came to mind when talking with my new Hispanic acquaintance. I praised him for improving the neighborhood by buying and fixing up a run-down home. I also told him I’m sorry for the aggressive and often illegal detainment of Hispanics, Latinos and others by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during Operation Metro Surge (and beyond) in Minnesota. That includes right here in my city.
Suddenly that April hailstorm in Faribault doesn’t seem all that bad in comparison with what’s unfolding in this country. And I’m not talking only immigration. I’m also talking about government surveillance, an unnecessary war, tariffs, efforts to suppress voting rights (especially those of Black voters and of women), high gas and food prices, a failing economy and on and on. So much damage has been done to our country that will take years, if not decades, to recover, to repair the destruction hailed upon this nation.
This crockpot flag mural in downtown Willmar reflects the city’s cultural diversity. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo June 2026)
WHENEVER I DISCOVER a public mural that celebrates community, especially the cultural diversity of a place, I get excited. Such art builds community in a strong, vibrant, visible way.
Mexico’s flag on the mural in Willmar. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
Earlier this summer, while traveling through west central Minnesota, I found a pop art mural in the heart of downtown Willmar. Titled “Bring Some to Share,” the art by Minneapolis muralist Lili Lennox makes a bold statement on the exterior of Midtown Plaza Mall.
Hanging out in downtown Willmar near Midtown Plaza, this young man invited me to take his portrait. He represents the changing face of this west central Minnesota city. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo June 2026)
The public art speaks to the diversity of this city of some 21,000 which, when I grew up an hour to the south, was overwhelmingly White. Today Hispanics, Latinos and Blacks account for nearly 40 percent of Willmar’s population.
The Honduran flag on the Willmar mural. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
Thus the eight aluminum panels featuring flags of the USA, Somalia, Mexico, Honduras, India, Norway and the Karen National Union, plus the old Minnesota state flag, painted on slow cookers certainly represent Willmar today.
A Somali man walks past the “Bring Some to Share” mural on Midtown Plaza in Willmar. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
The location of the mural on Midtown Plaza seems especially fitting, The building serves as a business center and gathering space for East African immigrants. It once housed Erickson Furniture, a long-time regional business with connections to Faribault. The Erickson family also operated a furniture store in Faribault beginning in 1956 until its closure in 2025. The store has since reopened as Erickson Family Furniture, but is no longer in the Erickson family.
This mural in downtown Faribault reflects the city’s diversity. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
Faribault, slightly larger than Willmar at 25,000 residents, is also a diverse city with sizable Somali and Hispanic/Latino populations. And Faribault, too, celebrates its diversity via a public mural in the heart of downtown. “Love for All” features multi-hued hands signing the word “love” in American sign language.
This photo taken in June shows two Somali women in downtown Faribault, where many Somalis live, work and own businesses. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
I appreciate that Minneapolis artist Jordyn Brennan’s inclusive artwork depicts how this county seat town has evolved—no longer mostly all White, but rather of differing races. Today Whites comprise about 66 percent of Faribault’s population.
A mural on Lucky Cat Records in Minneapolis celebrates community and the diverse culture of the Whittier neighborhood.More and more, communities in greater Minnesota are growing culturally diverse, just like their big city counterparts. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo)
Statistics aside, Faribault and Willmar are examples of a changing rural Minnesota. Like long ago European immigrants, East Africans, Hispanics, Latinos and others come here for jobs, for opportunities, for a new life. They come to work, to start businesses, to raise their families, to pursue the American dream. Some have escaped war, poverty and other violence in their native countries.
The Somali flag on the Willmar mural. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that not everyone values the cultural diversity of cities like Faribault and Willmar. I’ve heard and read the derogatory comments, which I won’t repeat. Rather, it’s important to remember that all of us in Minnesota, except Native Americans and descendants of slaves, are either immigrants or the descendants of immigrants.
Carrying a crockpot from an event in Kerkhoven, just northwest of Willmar, in June. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
So let’s bring our crockpots brimming with assorted flavors to the table to share. Let’s celebrate each other by connecting in conversations, gathering in community and understanding that we are more alike than we are different.
This shows progress on re-siding before work was paused because of my family visiting and the discovery of dry rot on two other sides of the house. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 4, 2026)
TWO WEEKS HAVE PASSED since my first post about a re-siding project underway at our house due to damage from a mid-April hailstorm.
My grandson Everett kept wanting to climb on the dining room chairs. Finally, his mom placed them on the table and he was not happy. This photo shows the windows covered with exterior wrap to keep the house dry during the construction pause. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 7, 2026)
We halted the project for five days when my son and his girlfriend (whom we met for the first time and absolutely love) flew in from Boston. The second daughter and her 19-month-old son were also here from Madison, Wisconsin. And the other daughter and her family, who live a half hour away, were with us at her house and ours. I absolutely did not want any pounding, dust flying or other construction activity happening while my family was in town.
Those days with my family were glorious. It meant the world to me for all of us to be together. That usually happens only once annually, if that. For several days, I mostly forgot that the exterior north and west sides of our house looked stripped and exposed. No one cared. We were together.
And then reality set in once everyone left and work on the house resumed.
An overview of the west side of the house, which connects to a corner of the garage. This side had the most rot. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 10, 2026)
Our general contractor, Minnesota Precision Construction of Bloomington, called in Roselynn Builders of Blaine to ferret out and replace rotted wood. They found rotted studs, rotted sheeting, rotted window frames. So much rot. We had no idea this was hiding under two layers of siding. The condition was such that the west side of our house was somewhat structurally compromised.
This shows our kitchen window, the area where house meets garage. This was an especially problematic area requiring reconstruction of a cricket on the garage roof to direct rain and snow melt away from the walls of the house and corner of the garage. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 29, 2026)
I was upset. Stressed. Emotional. None of this rot had anything to do with how we’ve maintained our 100-year-old house for the past 42 years. Rather, it can be attributed to age, past poor workmanship under previous ownership (who installs siding over siding?) resulting in moisture infiltration and more. I cried. Vented. And, yes, even used a few bad words on days when I was particularly upset.
Devin of Roselynn Builders is framed by a bedroom window opening. Two Marvin windows were replaced with two casement builder grade windows. The framing around the windows was rotted.(Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 10, 2026)
We also needed five new windows due to rotted frames. We went with builder grade rather than wait six to eight weeks for the much better quality Marvin or Anderson windows we prefer. We replaced these same windows 30 years ago with Marvin brand.
The more they looked, the more rotted wood the builders found, including rotted eaves on the northwest corner of the house. These were replaced. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 4, 2026)
The rot specialists initially planned to be here 1 ½ days. That turned into 4 ½ days. By the time the crew left at 11 a.m. last Friday, I knew them well. Justin, Devin, Jeremiah and owner Jeremiah. I have only positive comments about these guys. They arrived, jumped right in and got to work, working at a fast pace. When I had questions, they explained. I appreciate their professionalism, skills, knowledge and craftsmanship. And bonus, they were kind, compassionate and caring. Just like our general contractor.
By noon Tuesday, half of the north side of the house had been re-sided. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 18, 2026)
And so here we are on Tuesday. The siding team has returned. Julio and Alejandro are hard at work as I write. When they showed up unexpectedly, I was so happy. I just want this project done. I recognize, though, that the rotted wood discoveries under two layers of old siding led to the delays. These problems needed to be fixed.
This is a close-up of rot on the west second story wall. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 29, 2026)
If not for the hail damage and the need to replace our roof and siding, we would have been totally unaware of the rotting wood until something worse happened. Like a partial wall collapse. I’m not construction savvy enough to understand all the possible outcomes. But I do know that it wouldn’t have been good.
More rotted wood was found on the north side of the house. This shows the second story bedroom windows, both of which had to be replaced. One was held in place by the trim, so rotted was the frame, a worker said. He showed me. We had no idea. We replaced these windows 30 years ago. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 30, 2026)
Once exterior work is completed, we will have work to do inside. Taping and mudding of sheetrock in the upstairs bedrooms is needed due to screws popping, seams cracking and other minor construction damage. This is an old house; things shift. Then it’s trimming the windows and painting.
I would love to have a kitchen like this, recently remodeled by volunteers in a rental house owned by my church, Trinity Lutheran. I jokingly asked some of the guys if they can do my kitchen next. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 2026)
It’s been a bit of a domino effect with one thing leading to another. We are now thinking of updating the kitchen before the new window above the sink is trimmed. Paint the cupboards. Replace the countertop, backsplash, sink and floor. Do something with the plaster ceiling and walls. My kitchen is outdated 1970s vintage—brown sink, leaky faucet, Formica countertop, yellowed cupboards.. I’ve disliked it for years.
I’d love to have an all-new kitchen, including new cupboards. But that is not in the budget. We need to come up with an affordable plan, roll up our sleeves and get to work, doing what we can, hiring out what we can’t.
I can dream. I need the distraction. But then, realistically, I wonder if I can handle the stress and expense of another house project…
Buckham Memorial Library, Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
AS AN AVID READER, I always have a stash of books stacked on the floor next to the recliner. Most come from Buckham Memorial Library, which I frequent often. Having grown up in a rural area of southwestern Minnesota without a library nearby, I feel incredibly grateful to live within blocks of the public library in Faribault.
Sprayed book pages with artsy designs are featured in a display at the library. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 2026)
On a recent stop at Buckham, I not only picked up more books, but also took note of a vibrant and unusual book display. Identifying signage suggests: “Don’t judge a book by its COVER. Judge it by its EDGES!”
Patterns and solids sprayed onto the edges of book pages. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 2026)
Below that sign, colorful books line three shelves. They look a bit like bolts of vivid plain and patterned fabric with page edges, not spines, exposed.
The backwards placement is intentional to showcase the sprayed, or painted, edges of the books. I love the artsy display, which appears fitting for an art gallery.
Signage explains why page edges are painted. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 2026)
Additional signage further explains that spraying the edges makes a book appear richer, of better quality, premium. While the practice of painting edges was once used to protect books from dust and moisture, the process is now primarily decorative, according to Buckham Public Services Librarian Allyn McColley.
Sprayed pages up close of artsy designs. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 2026)
That’s confirmed with signage listing sprayed edges as done in a solid color, gradient, stenciled or artwork style. The art, especially, from dripping blood, to a dagger, floral pattern, feathers, nature themes and more, focused my creative eye.
About five years ago, spraying book edges became a “thing” again. McColley has noticed that trend in the genres of fantasy, science fiction, horror, romance and regular fiction. One look at the exposed pages in the display created by library technician Caitlin Boran confirms that.
I pulled out the book to see the title of this fantasy. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 2026)
Examples of the 49 books I counted with painted edges are “His Face Is the Sun” by Michelle Jabes Corpora, “The Dragon Wakes with Thunder” by K.X. Song and “Wild Reverence” by Rebecca Ross, all fantasy; “Strange Ink” by Gary Kemble, horror; and “Overdue” by Stephanie Perkins, fiction.
Another fantasy book pulled to reveal the title. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 2026)
The fact that I hadn’t noticed the revived trend of painting page edges perhaps comes from my personal reading choices. I don’t read fantasy, science fiction, horror or romance.
But I read lots of fiction (especially murder mysteries and books by Minnesota authors) and some nonfiction. I’m at the library often, perusing the shelves, pausing sometimes to look at the displays created by library staff.
An overview of the display. Additional info can be found on printed sheets on the right exterior side of the shelving unit. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 2026)
The current artsy “Don’t judge a book by its COVER. Judge it by its EDGES!” creation remains up until the end of August. Once a month library staff changes out the book nook display located between the front check out and information desks.
Other times you might find books there featuring topics like winter, gardening, Halloween, sports, poetry and much more, whatever staff decides to showcase each month. And right now it’s the colorful sprayed edges of book pages, displayed like a mini art exhibit on three coved library shelves.
Construction materials piled in our side yard before a re-siding project began. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
THIS PROGRAMMING MESSAGE is targeted at you, my readers, and also at bloggers I follow.
You’ll see minimal posts and comments from me over the next week. I have family arriving today from Boston and from eastern Wisconsin tomorrow. I intend to spend my time with them, not writing.
This shows the back of our garage and a portion of our house with the two layers of siding removed. We are replacing the hail-damaged aluminum siding with LP Smartside. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
Secondly, we are in the midst of a major house re-siding project which I’ve termed “The Nightmare on Willow Street.” What started as seemingly routine work to replace hail-damaged siding turned nightmarish upon the discovery of rotted wood on the driveway side of the house.
This necessitates bringing in specialized professionals to replace rotted wood, including rotted studs. Yes, it’s that bad.
I’m thankful this was found so the structural integrity of that side of our nearly 100-year-old house can be reinstated. But, as you may guess, this will cost mega money. Thankfully homeowner’s insurance has covered the re-siding and re-shingling of our house due to hail damage. We’re uncertain whether the additional work will be covered.
I’ve cried. I’ve lost sleep. I’ve raged. And I’ve tried really hard to feel thankful for this unexpected discovery before the situation got worse. It’s not easy to stay positive. There’s a lot of work ahead. I don’t even want to consider the final cost if more issues are found.
Randy and I are thankful for the team at Bloomington-based Minnesota Precision Construction, our general contractor for our siding and roofing projects. They have been responsive, caring and compassionate through everything. I ask a question, raise a concern and get immediate answers from people I trust. Yes, they are an out-of-town company. But, with all the hail damage caused by a mid-April storm, local contractors can’t possibly handle all the jobs in and around Faribault. We vetted the company before we went with them and have been pleased thus far with their professionalism, workmanship and compassionate response.
So, that, my readers, is what’s happening in my life right now. As I type this Tuesday morning, the construction workers are working to re-side the front of our house. They will have to wait until the framers finish to continue on the north and west sides. Framers arrive Monday. The parts of the house and garage with new siding look stunning.
This shows the nearly completed back side of our house. You can see a corner of the garage on the left. The door leads into our kitchen. And the other side includes our bathroom and bedroom. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 2026)
My adult kids protested initially that we would no longer live in “the green house.” The new siding is gray and will have a black batten board gable accent on the front. They were joking, of course. But when I’ve referred to our house location, I’ve always described it as “the green house on the corner with black shutters” or as “the Swanson house,” referencing the previous owners.
I think now, after 42 years of ownership and a color change from green to gray, we can officially term our home “the Helbling house.”
Signs direct peach purchasers to the parking lot. A street by the church is under construction, necessitating the signage. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
Boxes of stacked peaches awaited pick-up in the basement during the annual peach sale benefiting the congregation’s youth. They’d sold 560 boxes delivered from family-owned Noland Orchards in Colorado.
The peaches come from Noland Orchards in Colorado. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
“People love Colorado peaches,” said Ane Mentz, church administrator. And they must given the sale of seven pallets, or 11,200 pounds, of the stone fruit, if you’re counting. That’s the max First English could order and they sold out of the 20-pound pre-ordered boxes.
My husband, Randy, arrives to pick up the 10 pounds of peaches he ordered. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
Buyers included the piemakers at Trinity Lutheran Church, blocks away from First English. The volunteers will make homemade pies from 10 boxes of peaches purchased during the sale.
Another buyer, a home brewer, bought 20 boxes of peaches to craft beer. He’s been buying for years, upping the quantity each season, said Mentz.
And, in the past, a local restaurant ordered peaches to create menu items.
First English handed out information about peaches to customers. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
First English sells the 20-pound boxes for $38 or half a box for $19, a substantial reduction from the going fruit truck rate of $60, according to Mentz. The church keeps the price lower, she said, because they want to offer fresh fruit and healthy food to people “without breaking the bank.”
For some 20 summers, this congregation has been selling Colorado peaches, which usually arrive in early August. This year the peaches came early, Mentz said, due to a short winter and early blooms.
Buyers arrive to pick up peaches in the lower level of First English. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
Buyers arrived Tuesday to pay for and pick up their peaches from youth and other volunteers. Youth ages three to seniors in high school bank their money for upcoming church-sanctioned activities like mission and camping trips.
Phoebe Sanchez helped with peach pick-up on Tuesday. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
Phoebe Sanchez, who helps with Sunday School and who was assisting at the peach pick-up, recently returned from a church trip to Montana. That’s just a skip of a state away from Colorado and Noland Orchards, source of all those fresh peaches in the basement of First English.
I’ve had physical and occupational therapy at Courage Kenny in Faribault multiple times, most recently in 2023. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2026)
FOR SIX MONTHS in 2023, once a week, my husband, Randy, drove me across the bridge to therapy at Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute in Faribault for vestibular rehab therapy. Without that intense weekly therapy, I doubt I would have reclaimed my ability to function in daily life.
Early in that year, I developed debilitating neurological symptoms following a virus, likely COVID, although I never tested positive for it. There was no other explanation for my sensory overload issues which kept me unable to handle light, motion, sound, anything really entering my brain.
I stayed inside the house, curtains drawn, shutting out sensory input. I couldn’t tolerate watching TV. I couldn’t read. I could hardly handle a phone call or conversation. I felt anxious, overstimulated by even the smallest external stimuli. I barely ate because of hyper-sensitive taste buds. I lost weight. I couldn’t tolerate toothpaste. I couldn’t sleep. I struggled to maintain. Managing daily living seemed nearly impossible. Basically, I was confined to my house, unable to function outside of it.
And then my family doctor, Dr. Todd Sykora of Allina Health in Faribault, referred me to Allina’s Courage Kenny. Sykora had seen me multiple times, determined to find a way to help me. I’d gone through a battery of tests to rule out causes like a brain tumor. I’ll always feel grateful for my doctor’s genuine care and compassion, for not giving up and for admitting that he didn’t have the answers. He eventually suggested vestibular rehab therapy to treat my long COVID.
That therapy would put me on the road back to good health. I was ready to try anything at that point.
Some of the exercises I did in vestibular rehab therapy. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
Enter Courage Kenny therapist Ryan Iverson, who’s trained in vestibular rehab therapy. From the get-go, Iverson assured me he could help. He validated my traumatic brain injury type symptoms. And then we set to work at those weekly sessions with homework exercises assigned each week. I worked hard, experienced some setbacks, but, eventually graduated after six months. I’d reclaimed my life.
Today I am doing well, although minor sensory issues linger. But now I know how to cope, how to manage. I am living my life, doing the things I love, being with people, out and about. And I owe that to my Allina Health primary care doctor and my vestibular rehab therapist. If not for this great local care, I would still be struggling.
This sign on the Allina Health Faribault campus directs patients and visitors to the hospital, pharmacy and clinic. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
I share all of this again three years later because the Allina Health system, which serves Minnesota and western Wisconsin with 12 hospitals, 60 primary care clinics, 20 urgent care centers and more than 100 specialty care clinics, has signed an agreement with California-based Sutter Health to buy Allina. And that affects me given I get my care through Allina.
From 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, July 29, the Minnesota State Attorney General’s office will host a listening session in Faribault on that proposed acquisition. I’ll be there. You can attend also, but only if you pre-register. And, if you wish to speak, you must complete a form in advance. Only then will you be notified of the community forum location.
This is an important meeting. Important because this is about healthcare. Local healthcare. I’m thankful I could get my vestibular rehab therapy in Faribault. I can’t imagine traveling out of town once a week for six months to access care. It would have been difficult and draining for me, taxing for my brain. Plus, the time and travel expense would have added to an already challenging situation.
I don’t know what will happen if Sutter assumes ownership of Allina Health in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. I expect this acquisition will happen. But I hope safeguards are put in place to continue services, to keep clinics and hospitals open, to protect the jobs of 27,000 employees.
There’s a lot at stake here for any community served by Allina Health.
Buckham Memorial Library, Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
The trio would be impressed by our local library, which actively promotes gardening via programming, a seed library, an organic learning garden, bee lawn, pollinator habitat and native prairie plantings. Plus, the current children’s summer reading program, “Plant a Seed, Read/Planta una semilla, lee,” themes to seeds.
Three informational panels comprise the Seedswomen exhibit. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
Credit info is featured at the bottom of the panels. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
Lippincott, White and Prior focus the three-panel exhibit crafted from information in the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum’s Andersen Horticultural Library.
Jessie Prior marketed herself as a “flower seed specialist.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
My love of libraries, reading, learning, flowers and vegetables drew me to the exhibit. I’d never heard of the three enterprising women who became successful in their field on a national scale. Prior, who started Prior Seed Company in 1895 at age eighteen, called herself a “flower seed specialist.”
Among the many flowers growing on library grounds. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
Lippincott labeled herself as “The Pioneer Seedwoman of America,” operating Lippincott Flower Seeds in partnership with family. She made a point of hiring women.
Colorful artwork promotes Emma White’s company, Choice Flower Seeds. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
Likewise, White’s Choice Flower Seeds tapped into women, specifically female artists, to create catalog covers. She marketed to women with Sunbonnet Babies and Brownies (elf-like creatures) artwork. The previous owner of the seed company enthusiastically endorsed his successor, telling customers White deserved their business and trust.
Each of the three panels is packed with information and illustrations. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
Each woman, in her own way, made her mark in the seed-selling business. Yet, together they shared the commonality of women entering business during a time when most businesses were run by men. I expect these businesswomen had to work hard to prove themselves, to distinguish themselves, to compete and succeed.
Seeds in Buckham’s seed library come from Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
And succeed they did. Prior won a bronze medal in the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair for the pansies she grew. White, especially active in the Minnesota State Horticultural Society, became the first to guarantee packet size rather than seed numbers. Lippincott set herself apart by arranging catalog seed offerings alphabetically. In many other ways these women promoted and grew their Minneapolis-based seed companies.
“Why Local Seed Matters” posted on a library wall. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
In the competitive world of seed-selling, the three most assuredly understood the importance of standing out. Whether through colorful, eye-catching catalogs (Lippincott), creative writing and pansy growing competitions (White) or becoming an accomplished grower of sweet peas (Prior), the three seedswomen showed business savvy.
Creativity in encouraging reading, a woodcarving, “Story Time,” by world-renowned carver Ivan Whillock of Faribault hangs in Buckham Library. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
All were decidedly creative in marketing through their colorful catalogs, growing guides, leaflets and books. They shared their gardening knowledge, which likely helped grow a loyal customer base. These women were business smart. And they were strong. Those are among my take-aways from the traveling exhibit.
Posters hang throughout the library promoting the seed-themed summer reading program for kids. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
The log for the summer reading program at Buckham. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
Seed-themed, gardening and other related books on display at the library. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
After I read the information on the panels, I entered Buckham library, thinking about Lippincott, White and Prior. I pictured them opening the drawers of an old library card catalog, now holding seed packets. I envisioned them paging through the seed and gardening books on display. And I imagined them enthusiastically encouraging kids to participate in the “Plant a Seed, Read” summer reading program.
Community members can harvest vegetables from the library’s organic learning garden. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
Stepping outdoors, I saw them admiring the many flowers flourishing around the library. And they may have, like me, pulled ruby red rhubarb from the organic learning garden.
The rhubarb crisp I made with exceptionally red rhubarb from the library garden. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
Afterwards, I would have welcomed my new friends, Carrie, Emma and Jessie, to my home blocks from the library. Over plates of tangy rhubarb crisp, I would thank these seedswomen for their pioneering efforts as strong, innovative and creative businesswomen. And, if they were willing, I would put them to work in my tangled mess of flower gardens.
Signage directs patients, visitors and others to various sites on the Allina Health Faribault Medical Center campus. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
ACCESS TO LOCAL HEALTHCARE ranks high on my list of necessities. I expect it does for almost everyone, especially seniors like me.
This building on the Faribault campus houses the clinic and urgent care. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
I appreciate that I can go across town to see my family doctor, specialists and other medical professionals in our local clinics and hospital.
As someone who grew up in rural southwestern Minnesota with only a few doctors to serve the entire county decades ago, I deeply value living in a city with multiple clinics, a hospital, numerous therapists and more. I value local.
This sign directs patients to some of the services provided on the Allina Health Faribault Medical Center campus. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
The Minnesota State Attorney General’s office is hosting the meeting to lay out details about the proposal and to get public input. It’s a process required by state law.
I care enough about local healthcare to attend. I need to learn more, to begin to understand what this could mean for me, my family and others in my community and area. Locally, Allina owns the hospital, a general clinic, specialty clinics and a sports rehab/therapy center. I’ve been a patient at these clinics, gone to therapy, used the emergency room and been hospitalized many times locally. Likewise family members have accessed Allina health services.
This shows the entrance to the hospital, left, and the space linking the clinic to the hospital. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
I don’t know much about the proposed acquisition, only that I grow concerned when ownership is assumed by an out-of-state nonprofit that is massive in size. My local hospital was once community-owned, until it became part of the Allina system in 2015.
Much-needed improvements were made to the surgical and emergency departments by Allina Health. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
Allina invested in the former District One Hospital with improvements to the emergency and surgical departments and more. But recently we lost our birthing center and hospital pediatric care. That’s a loss to parents and families who must now travel out of town to have their babies and get hospital care for their kids.
Talk of change always sparks questions. And it should. I encourage anyone who cares about the future of healthcare in Faribault to attend Wednesday’s public forum. This offers an opportunity to listen and to be heard.
More specialty care on the Allina Health Faribault Medical Center campus. This is located across the street from the main clinic and hospital. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)
However, there are some guidelines. To even attend, and that includes media, you must register in advance online. It’s not difficult to do. But requiring online registration could easily discourage people, especially those without computer access or skills, from attending. Then, the location of the hearing in Faribault will not be disclosed until 48 hours before the meeting.
If you wish to speak at the forum, you must also register in advance. That requirement seems more reasonable. Still, it’s another obstacle.
No matter, please, if you live in the Faribault area, make attending the community forum on the proposed acquisition of Allina Health by Sutter Health a priority on Wednesday evening. Come. Listen. Learn. Become informed. Be seen. And let your voice be heard if you choose to speak.
UPDATE, Sunday, July 26: Please click here to complete a survey by Sam Temple, a Faribault resident, documentary filmmaker, local historian, candidate for Rice County commissioner and more. Temple plans to share concerns and stories at the July 29 forum. You can complete his survey, “Share Your Allina Story,” anonymously if you wish.
Chocolate chip cookies (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
THE OTHER MORNING, after I finished baking a batch of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, I stepped outside into an ideal summer day. The temp hovered around 70 degrees with a sky that transitioned from sunny to cloudy and back. Freshly-laundered sheets and towels hung on my backyard clothesline. All was good in my world.
But it was about to become better. Not because anything extraordinary happened. Rather a decision I made to pick a bouquet of flowers flipped my day into a feel-good, generous day.
I grabbed a clippers from the garage, headed to my messy front yard flowerbeds and started cutting phlox. The purple, pink and white flowers run rampant among equally untamed ferns anchored by hydrangea.
As I clipped and gathered, I breathed in the strong perfume scent of these flowers that some may consider weeds—only if they are unwanted—but which I love. They are, simply put, lovely.
Once I had a sizable clutch of phlox, I started back to the house. And then I saw her, the young woman walking down the sidewalk towards me. In that moment, I decided my fresh floral bouquet would be hers. I asked if she was heading home soon. She was.
I extended the flowers to the 20-something, told her I wanted her to have the bouquet. I advised her that the phlox were delicate, might last a few days. She thanked me, smiled the most beautiful smile and said she would put the flowers in water as soon as she got home.
A kindness rock found in Montgomery, MN. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
Our interaction, our conversation, was brief. Yet, it was deeply meaningful. To be able to give something to a stranger, to extend kindness, uplifted me. I hope the young woman felt likewise.
I watched my new acquaintance walk away with her flowers, then went back to clipping phlox. I gathered a bouquet for myself, all the while thinking about the importance of kindness, even small, spur-of-the-moment acts of kindness that can flip a day for the giver as much as the recipient.
TELL ME: Please share your kindness stories. I’d like to hear how you’ve either given or received kindness recently.
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Destructive ice, the help of community & more August 27, 2026
Tags: commentary, community, construction, Faribault, hail, hail damage, hailstorm, Hispanics, immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Minnesota, Operation Metro Surge, opinion, storm, United States of America
IN THE FOUR-PLUS MONTHS since destructive hailstones pummeled Faribault and the surrounding area, my community has been the site of ongoing exterior construction. Drive nearly anywhere in town and you will see roofing and siding crews or newly-repaired houses.
Seven hail-damaged houses within sight of mine, including ours, have been repaired, or have yet to be fixed. That’s a lot in a single neighborhood.
Business is booming for local and out-of-town roofers and other construction companies. Local contractors can’t possibly meet the immediate demand for work.
EMPATHETIC OBSERVATIONS
But blocks from my house, an underway construction project seems a community undertaking. I know because I talked with the owner. He bought the house with the intention of fixing and flipping it. Good for him if he can improve a dilapidated house and make money by selling it.
This particular renovation caught my eye because, when I passed by, I saw a house with rafters totally exposed, loose insulation inside and workers busy sheeting. Similar work was done on our house with new sheeting laid over the existing, mostly-solid roof boards. Rafters were not exposed. I appreciate that we now have a sturdier, straighter roof.
When I saw the condition of the flip house, my first thought was “that looks worse than ours (looked).” At least on the roof. I felt instant empathy for the homeowner. So, although I don’t usually stop at construction sites, I did at this one. I felt bad for the owner.
He just happens to be Hispanic. I learned from him that the Hispanic community is deeply connected. He tapped into the strength and skills of community for his house renovation. This did not totally surprise me. I’ve seen how Hispanic/Latino communities care for one another, how they work together, how they value family, culture and community.
If not for Hispanic roofing crews, hail-damaged houses in Faribault would go mostly unrepaired. These crews work hard and fast, putting in long days, often finishing roofs in a single day.
THE VALUE OF COMMUNITY
My conversation with the flip house owner got me thinking about other communities which come together to help one another on construction endeavors. In the past, and maybe even still today, the Amish raise barns in a day. Habitat for Humanity brings volunteers together to build homes alongside professionals. Decades ago, friends came over to help shingle our roof. During this past year, volunteers rehabbed a rental house owned by my church.
And in 1967, extended family arrived at my childhood family farm to help my dad and a local carpenter build our new home with a walk-out basement. If not for helpful family, I don’t think my parents could have built new. The cost would have been out of reach. We needed a new house to replace the cramped, drafty 1 1/2-story aged farmhouse with a partial dirt cellar, no bathroom, three small bedrooms, and an oil-burning stove centered in the living room.
WORSE THAN A HAILSTORM
All of this came to mind when talking with my new Hispanic acquaintance. I praised him for improving the neighborhood by buying and fixing up a run-down home. I also told him I’m sorry for the aggressive and often illegal detainment of Hispanics, Latinos and others by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during Operation Metro Surge (and beyond) in Minnesota. That includes right here in my city.
A recent media report states that the 5,000th immigrant detainee (since November 2025) was recently flown out of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. That’s documented by a Minnesotan with boots on the ground at the airport video-taping departures of shackled detainees.
ICE has targeted Hispanic roofers. In December 2025, ICE arrived at a construction site in Chanhassen, southwest of Minneapolis, stranding two workers on a roof for hours during sub-zero temperatures resulting in hypothermia. In Bemidji in far northern Minnesota, roofing companies lost nearly all of their crews during ICE raids this summer. Many other such detainments have happened across the state and country and are ongoing.
Soon a new ICE detention center will open in a former abandoned private prison in Appleton in far western Minnesota. CoreCivic, a name familiar to anyone who has followed ICE actions, sold the prison to the federal government and is now contracted to run the detention center.
Suddenly that April hailstorm in Faribault doesn’t seem all that bad in comparison with what’s unfolding in this country. And I’m not talking only immigration. I’m also talking about government surveillance, an unnecessary war, tariffs, efforts to suppress voting rights (especially those of Black voters and of women), high gas and food prices, a failing economy and on and on. So much damage has been done to our country that will take years, if not decades, to recover, to repair the destruction hailed upon this nation.
© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling