Minnesota Prairie Roots

Writing and photography by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Crocheting calms, connects community via “Friendship Trees” project September 24, 2026

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Colorful squares of crocheted art hug a tree near the Cannon River in Bridge Square, Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

AS SUMMER COZIES INTO AUTUMN and temps drop, I pull out the fleece, flannel and sweaters, wrapping myself in warmth. And in the evening, when I settle in to read a book, I snuggle under a throw or an afghan.

This happy face makes me smile. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

Those images came to me as I meandered recently around Bridge Square in Northfield where crocheted art wraps the rough bark of tree trunks.

A bear hug on a tree felt like a bear hug for me. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

This is the “Friendship Trees” project, an effort of the local Hispanic community to share beauty and friendship, according to Mar Valdecantos, director of Rice County Neighbors United, the lead on this artistic endeavor. Grants from the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation and the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council funded the project.

A project summary hangs on a tree of flags. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

But these crocheted pieces created by 39 individuals rooted in nine countries is about much more than beauty and friendship. This is also about healing, specifically recovering from the trauma of federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota last winter. Although dubbed Operation Metro Surge, the lengthy, targeted Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in my state impacted communities far beyond the metro area, including Northfield.

Merchandise for sale at Mercado Local, a shop where local immigrants sell their creative works and goods. An arts space is also housed in the nonprofit. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2024)

If you’ve ever crocheted, you understand that rhythmically working a crochet hook through yarn calms and soothes. Gathering to crochet in the arts space at Northfield’s Mercado Local helped ease the anxiety many in the Hispanic community were feeling, and continue to feel, over immigration enforcement, Valdecantos noted in an email.

The florals in this piece include sunflowers, a global symbol of solidarity and resistance. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)
Even the skinniest of trees, this one across the street from Bridge Square, got a crochet wrap. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)
This cute bunny reminds me of the blue bunny hat worn by 5-year-old Liam Ramos, detained by ICE in Minnesota along with his father. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

As I wandered among the many artsy trees, I thought of all those fingers manipulating yarn to create something beautiful and meaningful from emotional trauma. I expect every artist intentionally crocheted art with meaning.

Division Street backdrops a tree upon which crocheted flags hang. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

Some intent seems obvious to me. Flags hugging a highly-visible tree along Division Street show pride in country of origin and in America.

Monarchs are incorporated into this art piece in the heart of Bridge Square. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

Monarch butterflies on another tree are symbolic of migration, solidarity, hope and resilience. Monarchs became a national symbol of resistance against ICE.

The frog as a form of resistance began with a frog costume in Portland, Oregon. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

Likewise, I spotted a frog, that, too, a form of resistance with a humorous take.

I interpret the lion to stand for fierce strength. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

A lion, I expect, is meant to stand for bravery, fierceness, the power of standing strong.

The Cannon River at sunset as photographed from Bridge Square. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

All around Bridge Square, which centers Northfield’s downtown along the Cannon River, these crochet-wrapped trees represent the strength, courage and resilience of the local Hispanic community. I saw that in the designs, in the bold and bright colors, and felt it simply by seeing.

I expect there’s some symbolism in this mass of spiders. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

Art is powerful.

Bridge Square is centrally-located in the heart of downtown Northfield across from these Division Street businesses. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

These inter-generational crocheters continue to meet at Mercado Local, pulling crochet hooks through yarn, crafting not only for themselves, but also for the greater Northfield community. Connecting. Creating. Calming anxieties, building and strengthening community through art.

In the glow of early evening, sunflowers wrap a tree in solidarity. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

FYI: “Friendship Trees” is a temporary two-month art installation. I photographed the art in early September, shortly after it was installed.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Taking the top fiction prize with “Ingrid’s Dream” September 23, 2026

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Audrey Kletscher Helbling holds a copy of “Lyrics, Talking Stick #35” next to a Paul Bunyan cut-out at Jack Pines Resort. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo by Randy Helbling, September 2026)

I’M EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE that I am no longer simply a bridesmaid, but now a bride. “But, Audrey,” you’re likely thinking, “you’ve been married a long time.” Oh, yes, I have. However, I recently placed first in a writing competition, making me a “bride” after numerous past honorable mentions and second placings as a “bridesmaid.”

This past Saturday I traveled to Jack Pines Resort near Park Rapids in far northern Minnesota to collect my cash prize and to read my winning short story, “Ingrid’s Dream.” It is the story of a writer who plans to build a writer’s shed with wood salvaged from the barn on the homestead of her great grandparents. Conflict arises when her husband objects.

The beginning of my short story, “Ingrid’s Dream” as published in “Lyrics, Talking Stick #35.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

I’m not giving away the ending to this 564-word short story. You’ll have to buy a copy of Lyrics, Talking Stick #35 published by the nonprofit Jack Pine Writers’ Bloc (no connection to the resort). But I will share that, even though I didn’t realize it while writing this piece back in February, real-life events subconsciously influenced my story. Operation Metro Surge, the federal immigration enforcement effort in Minnesota, was in full-on mode when I crafted “Ingrid’s Dream.” And Ingrid’s great grandparents were Norwegian immigrants with hopes and dreams.

This story is in no way a political statement. Those are not allowed in the Talking Stick competition. But it touches on immigration, reminding all of us that, unless we are Native or the descendants of slaves, we are, or are of, immigrants.

To read Ingrid’s story aloud to an appreciative audience of Minnesota writers and others on Saturday felt simultaneously humbling and empowering. I was honored to have my work initially selected by the Talking Stick editorial team for prize consideration and then chosen by Minnesota author Jeanne Cooney for the top fiction prize. Cooney writes the Hot Dish Heaven mysteries and the It’s Murder series.

(Book cover sourced online)

Lyrics, Talking Stick #35 features the work of 68 writers who are either Minnesotans or who have a strong connection to our state. That’s an entry requirement. In this year’s contest, 132 writers submitted 330 entries with 71 poems, 18 creative nonfiction stories, 15 fiction stories and 17 creative twist stories chosen for publication.

This shows past volumes of “Talking Stick” in which my work has published. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2024)

I enter in all four categories, a bit of an anomaly among writers. My writing has published for nearly 20 consecutive years in the Talking Stick anthology. In addition to the fictional “Ingrid’s Dream,” my creative nonfiction entries, “About That Hole in the Wall” and “Unlocking Silence,” made it into this year’s book. One is about an embarrassing cardboard wall covering a hole in my dining room and the other about an aged accordion gifted from an aunt to her nephew.

While listening to other writers read their works at Jack Pines Resort, I was once again reminded of the incredible creative talent rooted in Minnesota. This includes recognizable names like Nicole Borg, Charmaine Pappas Donovan, Laura L. Hansen, Margaret Hasse, Mike Lein, Niomi Rohn Phillips and more along with Brenda Charpentier, a newbie to the competition and first place winner in creative nonfiction. Like me, she comes to creative writing with a journalism background as does another writer, Bernadette Hondl Thomasy, originally from Owatonna and with a poem and creative nonfiction story published in Lyrics, Talking Stick #35.

My admiration of Minnesota writers was reinforced after the reading when some of us socialized and talked shop afterwards over dinner. Writing is such a solitary pursuit. But in gathering with others who love the craft, I felt a surge of energy, of validation, of gratitude that I can do what I love. Write.

FYI: Lyrics, Talking Stick #35 is available for purchase online.

 

Murals celebrate cultural diversity in rural Minnesota August 20, 2026

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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.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Celebrating immigrants in a children’s picture book by Faith Ringgold April 16, 2026

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(Book cover sourced online)

TEN YEARS AGO, award-winning African American author and artist Faith Ringgold (1930-2024) published We Came to America. I find this children’s picture book especially relatable to today as ongoing federal immigration enforcement continues in this country.

I wish everyone who rails against immigrants would read this book to remind themselves of their roots. Unless Native American, every single one of us can trace our ancestral roots to a place other than the United States of America.

Ringgold celebrates the diversity of this country in this colorful, celebratory book featuring a diversity of peoples. She honors the music, food, culture, stories, dance and more of those who resettled here. She recognizes the reasons—injustice, fear and pain—many came.

MADE AMERICA GREAT

This author even uses the words “made America great,” not in a political context, but to celebrate how diversity enriches America.

“We came to America/Every color, race and religion/From every country in the world,” she writes in a poetic refrain.

LOVING THIS BOOK

I love this book. It’s simple. Easy to read. Joyful. Accurate. Timeless. Appropriate for all ages, including adults, especially adults.

I love that the author, born and raised in Harlem, was part of the Black Arts Movement and an activist who worked tirelessly for civil rights and social justice. Ringgold is best known for her story quilts.

PEACE, FREEDOM, JUSTICE

She dedicates her picture book about immigrants to all the children who come to America: “May we welcome them and inspire them to sustain a love and dedication to peace, freedom, and justice for all.” Reread those words: Peace. Freedom. Justice for all. Ringgold was 86 when she wrote those words, created the art for We Came to America.

I wonder how Ringgold would feel about the threats to democracy and personal freedom and about the injustices occurring in this country today? I expect she would use her creative voice to rise up, resist and remind all of us that we are valued, that together we are America. All of us, no matter our color, our race, our religion. And no matter our roots.

TELL ME: Have you read We Came to America or any of Faith Ringgold’s books? Or have you seen her art exhibited? I’d like to hear your thoughts on her work and/or that of other creatives like her.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

This week in Faribault: The incarceration of Japanese Americans, immigrant portraits & a historical novel March 16, 2026

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IF YOU WERE TO COLLECTIVELY consider two upcoming events this week and one current art exhibit in Faribault, you would find a common theme. That would be humanity and how we treat one another.

Let’s start with “Enmity and Empathy: Japanese Americans During World War II,” a talk by Dr. Ka Wong, set for 6 p.m. Thursday, March 19, at the Rice County Historical Society in Faribault. Wong, a professor of Asian Studies at St. Olaf College in Northfield wrote a book by that name. I’m 25 pages into the book, which was published in May 2025 by the Minnesota Historical Society Press and is a finalist for the “Emilie Buchwald Award for Minnesota Nonfiction” Minnesota Book Award.

Award nominee or not, this book is assuredly a winner for the depth and volume of information Wong shares about imprisoned Japanese Americans, something unknown to many Americans. My knowledge is limited, so I’m looking forward to this presentation.

In promoting Wong’s talk this Thursday evening, the county historical society shared this in a media release:

Drawing on personal interviews, archival sources, and historical literature, Professor Ka Wong explores the courageous struggles of trailblazers who left the incarceration camps and rebuilt their lives in the North Star State. He will share stories of college students pursuing higher education, including the two colleges in Rice County, young men and women training at the Military Intelligence Service Language School at Camp Savage and then Fort Snelling, the US Cadet Nurse Corps serving in Rochester hospitals, and entrepreneurial families and individuals in the Twin Cities and beyond.

All of this, of course, makes me think of the recent massive federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota. In that operation, many were illegally detained by federal agents, flown out of the state and held without due process in detention camps, where they remain. Others were released, some deported. I expect Wong may address this during his presentation. He can definitely provide historic perspective.

NOTE: Reserve a spot at this talk by calling (507) 332-2121. Space is limited. Admittance is free for RCHS members and $5 for non-members.

Immigrant portraits line the hall connecting the library, left, to the community center. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

ART EXHIBIT FEATURES IMMIGRANT PORTRAITS

Immigrants are the focus of an exhibit currently showing in the hallway between the Faribault Community Center and Buckham Memorial Library. Faribault artist Kate Langlais shows 13 of her portraits from her “I Am Minnesota” project. These are first and second-generation immigrants.

Four months ago, Langlais’ immigrant portraits filled a spacious gallery at the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault. These are selected drawings from that show. She’s also previously shown her artwork in the same space where the 13 portraits now hang.

In my opinion, these portraits should be shared as often as possible in Faribault, which has not always been particularly welcoming to immigrants. I’m certainly not talking everyone, but too many people would rather our newest neighbors from Somalia, Mexico and other countries leave our city. I’ve heard that shouted while protesting ICE operations.

(Promo from the Books on Central Facebook page)

AN AUTHOR TALKS ABOUT THE GOSPEL OF SALOME

Finally, St. Olaf College professor and author Kaethe Schwehn will talk about her newest book, The Gospel of Salome, at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 18, at Books on Central in Faribault. The historical novel set in Biblical times follows a mother who is navigating a complex world of gender and power imbalances during the First Century. Schwehn will read from her book and talk about some of its themes, examining ideology, motherhood and a poignant argument for love and equality in today’s world, according to pre-event information.

I expect good discussion will follow, as it always does at these free literary events at Books on Central.

There’s a lot to be learned in Faribault this week. I hope locals and others will embrace these three opportunities to grow their knowledge and broaden their perspectives.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Authors for Minnesota Day raises $50K for nonprofits helping immigrants March 5, 2026

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The pre-event promo. (Graphic sourced online)

MINNESOTANS ARE KNOWN for their generosity. And once again they showed up big time to support those affected by federal immigration enforcement in our state.

During a February 28 Authors for Minnesota Day event held at 26 independent bookstores throughout our state, $50,249 was raised (with 22 stores reporting) for the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota and for the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota Immigration Rapid Response Fund, according to co-organizer, writer Jess Lourey. That happened in just four hours.

Amazing.

I photographed this sandwich board outside Content Bookstore in mid-February. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

At Content Bookstore in nearby Northfield, around $3,000 was donated to the two organizations. I was among the donors and among the many Content shoppers who visited with Allen Eskens, a writer of thrillers and mysteries from St. Peter, and Mary Bleckwehl, a Northfield children’s book author.

I got a free copy of this book for donating to one of the selected nonprofits. (Book cover sourced online)

Nearly 60 writers participated statewide in Authors for Minnesota Day, giving of their time and also giving away selected books to those who gave to the two recipient nonprofits. I snagged a soft-cover copy of Bleckwehl’s Arrrgh! Me Hate to Wait! Eskens had already given away his supply of free books by the time I arrived in mid-afternoon.

This event was about more than helping two deserving nonprofits focused on helping immigrants in Minnesota. This was also about supporting independent bookstores and Minnesota writers. Content Bookstore buzzed with shoppers browsing shelves, buying books and even standing in line to chat with Eskens and Bleckwehl.

To see this level of interest and support was encouraging, but not surprising. Minnesota has repeatedly proven, in the past few months especially, that it cares about and looks out for its neighbors.

Lourey, co-organizer with author Kristi Belcamino, posted on Facebook: “I was in tears several times throughout the day seeing how many people in our community want to support small businesses and immigrant rights. Thank you to all the bookstores and authors who participated, and to everyone who showed up—we got to see the best of Minnesota today.”

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

How you can help my southern Minnesota community of Faribault following Operation Metro Surge February 26, 2026

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A painting on burlap by Mexican artist Jose Maria de Servin from my art collection. It seems to fit the moment. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

AS I GATHERED INFORMATION for this blog post, I wondered how to start. I’ll begin with one simple statement: The need is great here in Minnesota following the largest mass federal immigration enforcement in the country.

That’s a broad, undefined statement which I want to narrow down to specifics in my community of 25,000 in southeastern Minnesota, an hour south of Minneapolis. Faribault is a blue collar city, home to many people of color, including Somalis, Hispanics and Latinos, the demographic hit hardest by the months’ long Operation Metro Surge.

I can’t tell you how many people have been taken from my Greater Minnesota community by ICE. I can’t tell you how many people have been racially profiled, stopped and questioned. But residents of Faribault have been taken. And stopped, because of their skin color. I know this simply by being out and about, talking with people. This federal activity, which initially saw 3,000 immigration agents in the state, is not done, despite statements otherwise.

This shows a portion of a promo I received in the mail this week from the Community Action Center with locations in Faribault and in Northfield.

FACING FINANCIAL CHALLENGES

That brings me to the topic of today’s post. Need. And how you can help the many people in my community who now find themselves facing financial challenges due to ICE activity. Many have been sheltering in their homes, afraid to go to work or the grocery store or church. Afraid to take their kids to school…

The fear they’ve felt of being detained, even if they’ve done nothing wrong, even if they are here legally, even if they are American citizens, has been great. As a white woman, as a human being, I feel a moral obligation to do what I can for my neighbors who are suffering. Many people in Faribault have stepped up—taking kids to school, delivering groceries, driving people to work, donating food and money…

Some of you have asked me how you can help, and some of you have already helped. Please accept my heartfelt gratitude for your kindness, your care, your compassion, your support, your encouragement and your financial gifts.

Our Savior’s Lutheran Church has been a collection site for food and non-food items during the current crisis. (Graphic sourced from the Our Savior’s Facebook page)

FACING EVICTION

Monies for rental assistance seem to be the main need right now. Last week the Faribault City Council did not move forward with a request from the Faribault Community Action Center for $50,000 in emergency rental assistance. I won’t get into reasons behind that denial. It’s done.

The demand for funds to assist renters facing eviction is high. These are people who have not gone to work because they fear ICE. No work equals no income equals no money to pay the rent or other expenses.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Faribault is among the organizations helping people in my community. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

HELPING PEOPLE IN FARIBAULT

I’ve compiled a short list of selected places to which you can donate monies that will help those impacted by federal immigration enforcement, and others, in Faribault. Please click on the boldfaced organization names to reach websites, where you will find donation tabs and more information. Thank you for considering my request to help people in my community. I am grateful.

Faribault Community Action Center. Donate to the CAC Community Response Fund which meets urgent and evolving needs such as for food and rent. Please designate your gift for the FARIBAULT CAC as one exists in neighboring Northfield. That town’s council approved a $50,000 request for emergency rental assistance.

Spreading Warmth: Supporting Immigrant Families in Faribault. This is a GoFundMe campaign aiming to raise $30,000 (a new goal) to help struggling immigrant families. Thus far, the effort has raised nearly $21,000. The organizer provides detailed info on needs and how families have already been helped.

Faribault Supporting Families. This group manages a small community-supported fund to help families facing urgent immigration-related challenges.

Three Rivers Community Action. This organization offers multi-faceted services, including in the area of housing, such as rental assistance.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul. This faith-based nonprofit offers food, clothing, household and limited financial aid to qualifying individuals and families.

©Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Dispatches from the protest line in Faribault February 22, 2026

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Protesters line up along Minnesota State Highway 60 in Faribault two weeks ago. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo February 2026)

WE PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT shortly before 11 a.m. Saturday, grabbed our signs from the back of the van and headed to the sidewalk. There Randy and I joined others filtering in to protest by the Rice County government services building along busy Minnesota State Highway 60/Fourth Street in Faribault.

For six Saturday mornings now, people have gathered here to raise their voices against aggressive federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota and against many other policies and directives of the Trump administration negatively affecting our lives (and that of our neighbors) and/or threatening our country. Whatever concerns someone—democracy, Constitutional rights, due process, tariffs, the economy, voting rights, authoritarianism, immigration—those topics are covered in signage and/or in conversations.

Saturday morning we stood some 40 strong in 15-degree temps with a biting wind. That’s about half our usual number. Some of the regulars were missing, but I also saw many new faces.

Protesting against ICE two weeks ago. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo February 2026)

ICE IS STILL HERE

Top on all of our minds remains Operation Metro Surge, the largest mass immigration enforcement effort in the country which saw 3,000 federal agents descend on Minnesota. That includes here in our community, home to many Latinos, Hispanics and Somalis.

Despite the announced drawdown of those agents, ICE activity in Faribault has not decreased since they started working here in early December, according to one protester I questioned on Saturday. He laughed when I inquired, a telling response. He’s a trustworthy source, a boots-on-the-ground individual who is active and informed.

Groceries and personal care items collected by a church in the south metro for those in need. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo February 2026)

THE PERSONAL & FINANCIAL FALL-OUT

To hear stories of retired teachers giving kids rides to school is simultaneously heartening and heartbreaking. Parents should be driving their children to school or walking them to the bus stop. But, because of ICE, others are doing that while they are sheltered at home, afraid to leave, not working, not going to the grocery store.

Food shelves have sprung up in schools and in churches, supplementing already existing nonprofit food shelves. The need is great. I recently started volunteering at a local food shelf.

Families unable to pay rent now face eviction. The Faribault City Council last week denied a request from the Faribault Community Action Center for $50,000 in emergency rental assistance. In neighboring Northfield, the city council unanimously approved an identical request from the Northfield Community Action Center.

Faribault is a blue collar community that runs red. Northfield is white collar blue.

A sign held at a previous protest. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

REACTIONS TO OUR PROTESTS

Whenever we protest, we are subjected to profanity, vulgarity and negative behavior from passing motorists among the overwhelmingly positive support. Based on my observations the four past Saturday mornings, the loudest and angriest are white women probably in their forties. I don’t understand the intensity of their angry outbursts. We just smile and wave, figuring we got to them with our messages.

Near the center of this frame, a protester carries a Rebel Loon sign. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo February 2026)

THE STORIES

I like to mingle when I protest. It’s a great opportunity to meet new people, to hear stories. Like that of an elementary school student who returned to classes last week after a two-month absence. Or the first-time protester whose husband, an immigrant, has worked mostly remotely rather than drive to his job in Minneapolis. Or the man who crafted a Rebel Loon (the Minnesota state bird) sign and was protesting for someone who could not be there for fear of ICE.

These are real stories of real people in my community. I may not know the little girl who returned to school or the protester’s husband or the friend of the Rebel Loon guy. But I do know that I care about the people in my community who have lived in, and continue to live in, fear of federal immigration agents regardless of legal status. Residents of my community have been racially profiled, stopped, questioned because they are black or brown, have an accent, dress differently. I have talked to a Hispanic woman, an American citizen, who was stopped by ICE.

This is why I protest in the deep cold of a Minnesota winter, standing beside others with signs, Minnesota state flags and peace flags in a town of 25,000 where protesting exposes you to criticism. It matters to my profiled and targeted neighbors that I am publicly standing up for them. They’ve told me so. I cannot remain silent. We are stronger together. Minnesota Strong.

The winter boots I wear while protesting. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

BREAD BAGS

We protesters brave the cold for those who cannot safely stand here. We wrap scarves around our necks, put on parkas, pull on long johns and ear flapper caps and wool socks and winter boots, sometimes adding foot and hand warmers. Several of us joked about returning next week with bread bags inside our boots for another layer of warmth, a throwback to our childhood days.

By then I’d been outside for an hour, my cheeks slapped red by the wind, my fingers and toes growing numb. But I was laughing, deep belly laughing, at the bread bag stories. It felt good to laugh with these protesters, to find comedic relief in the darkest of times.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

In communion at Valley Grove doughnut hole roasting February 16, 2026

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People gather on February 15 for a Doughnut Hole Roasting Party at Valley Grove. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

UNDER A SUNNY February sky, they gathered in communion around fire pits outside two historic Norwegian immigrant churches high atop a hill in eastern Rice County. Food, fellowship and a fondness for this place drew people here, to the fourth annual Doughnut Hole Roasting Party.

Walking up the muddy gravel driveway to the hilltop Valley Grove churches. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

For the first time, I attended this event, although I’ve been to the Valley Grove churches and the adjacent cemetery many times. I love this secluded spot near Nerstrand, where historic wood-frame and limestone churches rise above the surrounding countryside in an especially picturesque setting. There are prairie trails to hike here and an oak savanna. It’s peaceful here.

A group of bikers wheel up the hill to Valley Grove for the Doughnut Hole Roasting Party. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

On this balmy Sunday afternoon of unseasonably warm temps in the mid-fifties, sweatshirt or light jacket weather, conversations broke the quiet. The mood felt engaging, connective, of communion in community.

At the doughnut station, people could spear doughnuts, dip them in chocolate or cinnamon and sugar and/or drop a donation inside a replica church. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

Hosted by the Valley Grove Preservation Society Board, the roasting of doughnut holes was also an event to raise monies for ongoing preservation and restoration projects at the 1862 stone and 1894 wooden churches. Both churches are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Inside the stone church, once used for worship and today for gathering. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
Looking through a window of the stone church, I photographed people gathering on the lawn for the Doughnut Hole Roasting Party. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

Even with no personal connection to these churches or the Norwegian heritage, I understand the historical importance of these immigrant churches. Step inside either church and you can almost feel the strength of those early Norwegians who crossed the ocean, started a new life in Minnesota, built first the now 164-year-old stone church and then the 132-year-old wood-frame church.

The beautiful wooden church, where the steeple was recently-restored and the bell was rung at the Doughnut Hole Roasting Party. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

The stone church serves today primarily as a social gathering spot. The wooden church still hosts the occasional service—a wedding, a funeral and the annual Christmas Eve worship. Other celebrations like Syttende Mai, a wedding anniversary reunion and a country social are also held annually at Valley Grove.

Roasting doughnut holes. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
A group roasts doughnut holes. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
People stuck the metal roasting sticks in a bucket of snow when they were done roasting their doughnut holes. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

But on this day, we focused on doughnut holes forked onto metal roasting sticks and held over an open flame. Some roasted their treats to coal black, to caramelize the doughnuts I was told. Not fond of charred anything, I preferred mine heated then dipped in chocolate. They were sweet and tasty and messy. I found a shadowed patch of remnant snow to “wash” my sticky fingers.

Mary and her dog in the Valley Grove Cemetery. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

Although I knew only one person here, I made a new friend, Mary, who sat with her dog on a stone memorial bench in the cemetery, sunshine beaming warmth upon them. Others meandered through the graveyard where early Norwegian immigrants, their descendants and others lie buried beneath the cold earth.

With the historic limestone church as a backdrop, people visit and roast doughnut holes. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)

On the dormant lawn between the two churches, people clustered—standing, sitting in lawn chairs, bending, reaching over flames to roast doughnut holes on a Sunday afternoon in mid-February in southern Minnesota.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

“Evening Prayer for Our Nation” planned at Bishop Whipple’s church in Faribault February 2, 2026

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 4:07 PM
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(Promo courtesy of the Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour)

FIFTY MILES FROM THE NON-DESCRIPT Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building currently housing ICE detainees in Minneapolis, a beautiful, aged cathedral rises high in the heart of Faribault. Wednesday evening, February 4, that magnificent, massive cathedral—Bishop Whipple’s church—will center a community gathering.

The historic Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour, 515 Second Avenue Northwest, across from Central Park in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2025)

Beginning at 7 p.m. the historic Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour will open its doors for “Evening Prayer for Our Nation” in support of Faribault’s refugees and immigrants. The Cathedral’s pastor, the Rev. James Zotalis, and the Rev. Henry Doyle will lead the event, which includes prayers, readings, music and teachings from Bishop Whipple.

Organizers also promise networking opportunities and information about ways to help others.

A mural on the back side of the Central Park bandshell in Faribault features a portrait and information about Bishop Henry Whipple. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Bishop Whipple, who shepherded this congregation while serving as the first Episcopal bishop of Minnesota beginning in 1859, would surely be pleased with the upcoming gathering just as he would surely be displeased with the imprisonment of detainees at the federal building bearing his name. He would likely be standing alongside protesters protesting immigration enforcement and asking to visit detainees inside.

This clergyman focused his ministry on “justice and mercy for all.” And that is evidenced in his ministry to the Dakota both in Faribault and parts west in Minnesota and then at Fort Snelling. Whipple went to the fort and ministered to the Dakota held captive there following the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862.

When 303 Dakota were sentenced to hanging after the war, Whipple traveled to Washington DC to ask President Abraham Lincoln to spare their lives. Lincoln pardoned most, but 38 were still hung in the nation’s largest mass execution.

Encouraging words posted near a garden in the heart of downtown Faribault many years ago. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

If Bishop Whipple was alive today, I expect he would be doing everything in his power to help anyone threatened and/or taken by ICE and CBC. But because he is not here, it is up to us to help. I know many people in my community are helping quietly behind the scenes. Walking kids to bus stops. Giving co-workers rides. Delivering groceries. Donating money and food. Volunteering.

Wednesday evening’s “Evening Prayer for Our Nation” is needed, too. It’s needed to bring people together in community, to unite, to uplift, to pray, to share, to recharge, to publicly support our neighbors, to find tangible ways to help. Bishop Whipple would feel grateful. He cared. And so should we.

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FYI: Whether you live near or far, Faribault nonprofits are in need of donations to help families sheltering in place during ICE operations in Minnesota. This is not just a Twin Cities metro enforcement. Many communities in greater Minnesota, including mine, are suffering.

Please consider helping immigrants and refugees in my community via a monetary donation to the Community Action Center in Faribault (Community Response Fund) or to St. Vincent de Paul. The need for rental assistance, especially, is growing.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling