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)
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.
Signage on an ice cream shop in Kerkhoven in west-central Minnesota. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
SUMMER AND ICE CREAM pair like grilled cheese and tomato soup, pizza and beer, Minnesota and snow. There’s no denying the seasonal craving for ice cream when the heat and humidity crank up.
I find myself reaching more often than I should into the freezer for ice cream. Lately I’ve dished up a creamy blueberry cheesecake flavor. Yum. I almost hesitate to admit that I currently have four cartons of ice cream and one of fro-yo in my freezer after stocking up during a recent sale.
“The Betty,” a mint Oreo-flavored treat, my favorite menu item at The S’Cream in Owatonna. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
Home stash aside, I also enjoy ice cream when I’m out and about. Never mind that it costs far more than a serving at home. But ice cream served from some mom-and-pop shop tastes so much better, like a carefree summer day. Yum.
Signage directs ice cream lovers to The Blast in downtown Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
Nearby Owatonna is home to The S’Cream and The Blast (also in Northfield). I’ve been to both, which are always summertime busy. Apparently I’m not the only one who can’t bypass a homegrown ice cream shop.
Sweets Ice Cream in Kerkhoven. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
Recently while on the road to a family celebration in far western Minnesota, my husband, Randy, and I happened upon an ice cream shop in Kerkhoven, population around 800. Sweets Ice Cream sits along U.S. Highway 12 in this Swift County community. It’s an ideal spot for an ice cream shop, drawing passing motorists in.
Key lime pie ice cream from Sweets in Kerkhoven. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
When I saw Sweets Ice Cream, housed in a former gas station, I immediately wanted to photograph the business. I loved the old building and its repurposed use. So we pulled into town, parked on a side street and I headed toward the ice cream shop to photograph it.
Randy orders from Sweets Ice Cream in Kerkhoven. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
That was the plan, or at least my plan. Randy had other ideas. He figured it wouldn’t be too nice to simply snap photos and then leave without buying ice cream. He was right. So we each ordered a single scoop dish of ice cream. The portion size was so generous that we should have ordered one bowl to share. Oh, well. As some say, “Ice cream melts in your tummy.”
A generous serving of maple nut ice cream from Sweets in Kerkhoven. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
Randy got maple nut per the recommendation of another customer who was returning home to Benson after visiting a friend in a Willmar care center. He always treats himself to ice cream, always maple nut, after those visits. I ordered key lime pie ice cream. Yum to both and the engaging conversation we had with our new-found friend.
Dairy Delite in downtown Lakeville. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)
Some 130 miles east of Kerkhoven in Lakeville, a south metro suburb, another long-time local ice cream shop has drawn my photographic interest. That’s Dairy Delite in the downtown area.
Ice cream art at Dairy Delite, Lakeville. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)
This place has character with its unique building design, blue and pink color, and ice cream art. There’s no mistaking the structure for anything but an ice cream shop.
A portion of the menu at Dairy Delite in Lakeville. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)
I’ve not yet ordered ice cream here. But I should.
Sue’s Drive In, located in Pierz. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
Then there’s Sue’s Drive In, located in Pierz in central Minnesota. Two years ago Randy and I stopped for an ice cream treat before attending his 50th Healy High School class reunion. The drive in serves a full menu of fast food, not just ice cream.
A raspberry sundae from The Blast in Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
Once again the vintage look and the small town Americana appeal of this roadside business drew my photographic interest. And the ice cream, of course. On-the-road ice cream always tastes especially delicious, decidedly better than ice cream pulled from my freezer.
TELL ME: Do you have a favorite homegrown ice cream shop? Let’s hear.
An overview of a presentation given by Russ Swanson at the Rice County Historical Society on May 28. The coat lying on the podium is a replica of the inverness capes worn by the James-Younger Gang. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)
THEY WERE, HE SAID, masters of deception. And after listening to a well-researched and entertaining presentation about the James-Younger Gang at the Rice County Historical Society in Faribault recently, I agree.
This assessment of the outlaws who attempted to rob the First National Bank of Northfield on September 7, 1876, comes from Russ Swanson of Canton, South Dakota. The ag teacher, farmer, author and researcher shared a wealth of information on the gang, focusing on the outlaws’ efforts to escape capture after the failed robbery.
(Book cover sourced online)
But Swanson, author of A Chase to the Death: The Detailed Pursuit of the James-Younger Gang Following the Northfield Raid, also provided plenty of pre-robbery history that I found especially interesting. The eight-member gang arrived in St. Paul in late August 1876 after a 13-hour train ride from Sioux City, Iowa. I always thought they rode into Minnesota on their horses and headed for Northfield. Not so.
Instead of robbing the bank in Mankato, the gang attempted to rob the Northfield bank, pictured here. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
PLANS TO ROB MANKATO BANK
The gang split upon their arrival in St. Paul with some going to Red Wing, where they stayed at the St. James (National) Hotel. Others went to St. Peter, then to Madelia. By this time, they’d purchased horses. Eventually the eight met in Mankato, intending to rob the First National Bank of Mankato, their original Minnesota target. But they were recognized and ditched the plan.
Swanson threw out a lot of information as he led the audience on the gang’s journey through Minnesota, then back west to Dakota Territory and Iowa. En route to Northfield, they stayed in LeSueur Center (current-day Le Center), Janesville and then Millersburg, imbibing in whiskey purchased there. Swanson spun a detail-rich storyline.
He didn’t spend much time on the actual seven-minute Northfield bank robbery, a point Swanson acknowledged at the beginning of his presentation. The short crime left a bank cashier, a bystander and two of the outlaws dead and others wounded.
This slide created by Russ Swanson shows the eight outlaws with information in red about them and also their horses. To the left are the locals wounded and killed during the attempted robbery.
PURSUIT & ESCAPE
The gang’s efforts to escape capture prompted the largest manhunt in U.S. history with 1,000 men searching for the outlaws. Swanson used maps to show the routes taken by the gang, which eventually split. Frank and Jesse James traveled together while the three Younger brothers and Charlie Pitts stuck together.
The saga is one of stolen horses, the first taken near Dundas. Of gunfights, including south of Shieldsville. Of taking men captive to guide them through the Big Woods near Kilkenny and elsewhere. Of awakening to church bells by Marysburg. Of abandoning horses near German Lake. Of crossing the Cannon, the Blue Earth and other rivers. Of hiding in cornfields.
Russ Swanson points to information specific to Northfield in another slide. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)
MASTERS OF DECEPTION & HORSE THIEVES
To hear so many familiar place names took me along the escape route—riding into woods, crossing an unguarded railroad bridge, traversing rivers, stopping at farm sites. Desperate to evade capture, the savvy outlaws pretended to be members of the posse pursuing them. They stayed with farm families under those false pretenses.
That their true identities remained mostly hidden speaks to that “masters of deception” label Swanson tags to the gang. The outlaws stood out in their mannerisms, their talk and even their dress—draping, sleeveless inverness capes concealing their firearms—yet still fooled many.
They stole Percheron draft horses in Garden City. The James brothers stopped for breakfast in Luverne and then were pursued into Dakota Territory, stealing more horses. Blind and partially-blind horses. Eventually, the pair stole a horse at gunpoint north of Canton, South Dakota. Turns out that horse owner, Peter Wahl, homesteaded on land that Russ Swanson now owns. That prompted his 10 years of researching the James-Younger Gang, authoring a book and today presenting on the topic.
“This area is a hotbed of their territory,” Swanson told the audience in Faribault. He backs up that statement with extensive research, tapping into maps, newspaper articles, census records and more from Minnesota into South Dakota and Iowa. He noted the abundance of eyewitness accounts.
I found the entire presentation intensely fascinating, rich in details. A lost hat. Nights of impenetrable darkness. Stolen chickens. Too much whiskey. Eleven bullet holes in Cole Younger, whose toenails fell off when he removed his boots after days of riding. A bullet that wounded a pursuer’s horse still in possession of his family generations later.
As Swanson concluded his talk, he shared a quote from Cole Younger, captured in a September 21 shoot-out in Hanska Slough near Madelia that took the life of outlaw Charlie Pitts. “Be true to your friends if the Heavens fall,” Younger said, refusing to give up any information to authorities. The Younger brothers went to prison while the James brothers escaped to Missouri.
Swanson shared more, much more, in his lengthy talk and Q & A. In the all of it, I was surprised to learn of so many locations in this region connected to the failed Northfield bank raid. Had the eight gang members remained incognito while in Mankato, this story would have followed a different plot line, a different path into history.
Poets D.E. Green, left to right, Becky Boling, Rob Hardy, Audrey Kletscher Helbling and Dougie Padilla with publications including their poetry. Missing, Larry Gavin. (Photo credit: Content Bookstore)
UNITED WE READ at Content Bookstore in Northfield. Earlier this evening six Rice County poets, including me, shared our poetry. Not just any poetry, but poems we’ve penned mostly themed to what’s unfolded in America with immigration enforcement, the war in Iran, threats to our democracy…
Anger. Frustration. Hope. Truth. Passion. Those topics threaded through poems by Northfield poets Becky Boling. D.E. (Doug) Green, Rob Hardy and Dougie Padilla and Faribault poets Larry Gavin and me. I read two poems on-topic and two off.
I am grateful to this independent bookstore for supporting writers not only through the sale of books, but also through readings. Listening to a poet read adds a depth to a poem that you don’t get simply by reading it in print. Emotion, word emphasis, volume and more factor into that.
To the attentive and appreciative audience, thank you for coming out on a Thursday evening to listen, to encourage the six of us in our poetry and to support your local independent bookstore.
United we write. United we read. United we raise our voices.
A protester stands at the intersection of Minnesota State highways 3 and 19 in Northfield last Friday afternoon. The inflatable frog costume traces to protests in Portland, Oregon, and signifies a humorous, nonviolent form of creative resistance. The dog’s sign reads, “Love & Kindness for a better world.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)
SIX POETS, me included, will read our poetry beginning at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 14, at Content Bookstore in Northfield.
I am honored to be in the company of prolific and talented poets Becky Boling, D.E. (Doug) Green, Rob Hardy and Dougie Padilla all of Northfield and Larry Gavin of Faribault. I’ve previously read with everyone except Padilla and consider them friends.
Poets will read from this publication on Thursday evening in Northfield. (Cover sourced online)
I will read two poems from this collection published by Content Bookstore. (Cover sourced online)
Two of the poems I plan to read—“Death of a Poet” and “Fiery Resistance”—are also anti-ICE. They published in Content Bookstore’s chapbook, Words to Meet the Moment: Poetry Against Fascism.
The years 2025 and 2026 have, indeed, been a time for us to use our words to resist, to rise up, to make a difference. Minnesotans did during Operation Metro Surge and continue to do so. I continue to write. I continue to protest. I continue to speak up, refusing to remain silent.
The table of contents for Words to Meet the Moment. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2026)
Words hold power. When we stand united on issues, like preserving our democracy, supporting our immigrant neighbors, protecting voting rights, opposing an unnecessary war, calling out wrongs and much more, we can collectively make a difference. At some point those who hear, but disagree, may finally begin to understand what’s at stake.
Poetry matters. To step up to the mic in an independent bookstore in a small Minnesota college town to read the passionate anti-ICE poems I crafted may not seem like much. But when I am joined by five other poets who also fired poems that could melt ICE, we become part of a movement, a force. We care about our neighbors, about Minnesota, about our country, about the world enough to pen powerful poetry.
Join us from 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday to hear our poetry. United we write. United we read. United we rise.
Garbage I recently picked up from my yard. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2026)
DECADES AGO, when I worked a summer job with the Redwood County Highway Department through a government program for low income families, our crew of several teens was tasked one day with walking the ditches along a county road. That proved an eye-opening experience as we gathered litter. Most memorable among our finds were a dirty disposal diaper and a torn love letter. We spent our lunch break piecing together that heartbreaking love note.
Today I’m still picking up litter, now in my Faribault yard. Living on a corner lot along a high traffic street, my lawn gets plenty of garbage tossed by passing motorists. Every time I grab another beverage container, a fast food bag or box, a whatever that should have gone in the garbage or recycling, I wonder why people are too lazy to properly dispose of waste.
Photographed several years ago on a public recycling dumpster in Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
EARTH DAY BEGINS IN 1970
With those personal backstories, I’m grateful for ongoing efforts to educate all of us about taking care of our planet during annual Earth Day events. This marks 56 years since that celebration began on April 22, 1970.
I remember the early 1970s, when America was in the thick of an energy crisis. Prices rose at the pump. Fuel was in short supply. In some ways, all of this fueled an awareness that we need to conserve our natural resources, choose alternative energy sources, and respect and care for our planet.
(Black Beach book cover sourced online)
BLACK BEACH
Because I like to learn, I popped into the Faribault library recently with the intention of checking out children’s picture books about Earth Day. Others apparently had the same idea. I found only one book, Black Beach—A Community, an Oil Spill, and the Origin of Earth Day, written by Shaunna and John Stith and illustrated by Maribel Lechuga. But it was the only book I needed to root out the origin of Earth Day.
A large oil spill from drilling off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, on January 28, 1969, prompted outrage, action and the eventual establishment of Earth Day the following year. I high-recommend this book as an invaluable resource with an interesting, factual-based story, a timeline of events, additional information on Earth Day and actions we can take to advocate for and protect our environment.
A banner flies at a past Earth Day Celebration at Bridge Square in Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
NORTHFIELD EARTH DAY EVENTS
Libraries are always an excellent resource. At the Northfield Public Library, Earth Day Game Day will be held from 10-11 a.m. Saturday, April 25. Led by Science in World and Word class students from St. Olaf College, the event celebrates planet Earth with educational games and activities geared for 6-11-year-olds. Game Day is part of Northfield’s larger Earth Day Celebration.
I’ve previously attended the Northfield celebration, now in its 17th year. Activities are centered at Armory Square from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, April 25, with workshops, eco exhibitors, crafts, a climate information session, farmers’ market, and more. Visit northfieldearthday.com for a full schedule of activities.
Other Earth Day Celebration weekend events in Northfield include clean-up of Riverside Park, a tour of regenerative Salvatierra Farms (from 1-3 p.m. Sunday), an Earth Day Contra Dance (from 7-10 p.m. Friday) and tree planting at the Carleton College arboretum.
Sky and trees in spring at Falls Creek County Park, rural Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
TREE PLANTINGS & MORE
Tree plantings are happening in other area communities during Earth Day week and on Arbor Day, April 24. At River Bend Nature Center in Faribault, staff will lead volunteers in planting trees to replace diseased ash. That’s set for 1-3 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, and from 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, April 25. The City of Faribault, a designated Tree City USA, hosts an Arbor Day tree planting ceremony at 9 a.m. at Batchelder Park. The same day, the Rice County Master Gardeners will give away tree seedlings from 3-5 p.m. at the Rice County Fairgrounds.
Additionally in Owatonna, the holistic wellness boutique Daisy Blue Naturals, 121 West Main Street, is hosting an Earth Day Storytime from 3:30-5 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, with Miss Midwest 2026, May Diddy. This includes a puppet show, book reading, activities and snacks.
This banner flew at the 2022 Northfield Earth Day Celebration. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
CARING FOR PLANET EARTH
Fifty-six years ago, Earth Day began in this country. To see how it’s grown and evolved is heartening. It takes each of us, individually and collectively, to do our part for this planet we call home. Whether that’s recycling, repurposing, composting, hanging laundry on the line, thrifting, planting trees and rain gardens, conserving water, and much more, we are responsible for taking care of Earth. That includes disposing of litter properly—not in a road ditch. And not in my yard.
Panels created by Rocky Casillas Aguirre are written in both Spanish and English, on display recently at the Northfield Public Library. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
I APPRECIATE WHEN LEADERS think outside the box, using creative ways to gather and share information.
Take a project in the southern Minnesota riverside college town of Northfield, home to more than 2,000 Latinos, representing some 10 percent of the city’s population. A 2023 city-inspired effort led by a collective of local Latino artists and activists was tasked with developing a connective public art project focused on Latino voices.
Getting the conversation going…(Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
Among the results was a poster campaign, “Dear Northfield,” by Latino artist Rocky Casillas Aguirre. He interviewed 100 Latino residents, asking this question: “If you could write a letter to the people who govern our city, what would you tell them?”
The results are colorful, eye-catching panels that reveal invaluable insights from Northfield’s Latino population. I recently saw six of Aguirre’s art posters displayed in the atrium of the Northfield Public Library, a community gathering spot.
At first glance, the artwork reminds me of illustrations in a children’s picture book or drawings in a cartoon. That’s a signature style of Aguirre, born in Mexico, raised in Northfield and a resident for more than 20 years. His art grabs attention in vivid cultural colors.
But it is the comments on those posters which especially deserve a close look as they address topics like housing, transportation, food, culture, communication and connection.
On the topic of local businesses… (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
In their own words, Latino residents of Northfield share their thoughts, their concerns, their hopes, their dreams. They wish for Latino businesses downtown, shops where they can buy Mexican-made products, foods familiar and comforting to them.
On the topic of housing… (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
They want affordable housing, options other than living in trailer houses and apartments.
On the topic of culture and entertainment… (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
They want local Latino-based cultural choices in music, entertainment and art, specifically naming murals. That seems doable in Northfield, which has always embraced public art and has multiple murals.
They want more options for youth, like a Latino youth center.
On the topic of representation in local government… (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
They want more representation in city government and increased connections and engagement between white people and Latinos.
None of these seem like particularly big asks, although some certainly take time and money to implement. It’s good to get the conversation going.
The panels as viewed from outside the Northfield Public Library. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2026)
I hope other communities follow Northfield’s example and use art as a way to share information that will help build a stronger, better and more culturally-aware and diverse city. A place where everyone can thrive, no matter their color, no matter their language, no matter their culture.
(Promo sourced from the Northfield Arts Guild Facebook page.)
Update: Due to the forecast winter storm/blizzard in Minnesota beginning Saturday, March 14, through Monday, March 16, this event could be subject to cancellation on Sunday. However, hours have already been added from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, March 21.
THE COMMUNITY OF NORTHFIELD is stepping up once again, as it has multiple times in recent months, to help immigrants in need following Operation Metro Surge.
So what exactly is an art swap? It’s a group of artists gathering, creating and passing around artwork, all contributing at the same time. Basically, an artist builds on or adds to an original work of art that’s circulating around the room.
Local artists met for four two-hour sessions in February to create watercolor and acrylic art themed to Banksy’s “Flower Thrower” painting. That piece by the graffiti artist shows a masked man throwing flowers in a form of nonviolent resistance. This seems an appropriate choice given federal immigration enforcement agents wore masks and threw tear gas and other chemical irritants at protesters and resisters in Minnesota. Art has always been a tool of expression.
Now, as nearly all 3,000 federal agents have left the state (about 100 remain), recovery begins. The need is great for monies to fund legal aid, rental assistance, food and other basics among those impacted by ICE. This sale of collaborative art on Sunday is just one more way to help individuals and families who are struggling.
Northfield continues to show, via multiple fundraisers, that it cares deeply about those who call this southern Minnesota community home. They take the directive, “Love thy neighbor as thyself,” and put those words into action, this time with paint and paintbrushes.
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.
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.”
(Promo sourced from The Grand Event Center Facebook page)
THE GOOD FOLKS of Northfield, Minnesota, are organizing again to help their neighbors. This time it’s via a 12-hour Mutual Aid Marathon from 10 am-10 pm Saturday, March 7, at The Grand Event Center in this college town south of the Twin Cities.
Proceeds from the fundraiser will go to organizations—such as Sharing Our Roots and Northfield Community Action Center—providing mutual aid to those in the community impacted by federal immigration enforcement.
Doors open at 10 am at the event center, 316 Washington Street, just a block off Division Street in the heart of this historic downtown. Suggested donation at the door is $10.
From 10 until noon, attendees can enjoy a breakfast with 30 percent of entree sales going to organizations doing vital work in the community. Likewise, profits from a “pay what you can” appetizer buffet, which starts at 4 pm, will also be donated.
Event planners promise a full day and evening of live music, performances, poetry, political education, and powerful speakers. See the event poster promo above for a complete schedule.
Organizers are calling upon the public to: Bring friends. Bring family. Bring your appetite and your solidarity. Come for a while or stay for the entire marathon.
As I see it, the Mutual Aid Marathon is all about neighbors helping neighbors, which is the very definition of a loving and caring community.
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