Dear Friends,
Over the past couple of weeks, I have been making a number of visits around the area and around our state. Here is a sampling of the places and people I’ve seen.
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION’S ANNUAL FIELD DAY
In addition talking with a number of area farmers recently, I also attended the Freeborn County Farm Bureau’s annual dinner meeting. I enjoyed chatting with a number of farmers as well as listening to an update from the area 4H director.
Then I traveled to the Keith Kuiters Farm in Clark’s Grove to attend the University of Minnesota Extension’s annual Field Day. There were a lot of good presentations there for farmers who attended from around the region. Thank you to Ryan from U of M Extension for taking the time to teach me how to tell the difference between the Palmer Amaranth weed (an emerging threat for our area) and the Water Hemp weed, which has been around our area for a long time.
I find learning about agriculture and farming so interesting, and I enjoyed my time there greatly. Thank you to Keith for hosting this very informative event for our area!
MINNESOTA ZOO TOUR
Many of us still remember calling it the “new zoo.” Though the Minnesota Zoo has now been open for a few decades, it still remains one of our state’s treasures.
Recently, I had the opportunity to tour the Minnesota Zoo and was very impressed with what I saw, including the care and attention they give to all of the animals there - many of them rescued endangered species. Did you know that our Minnesota Zoo is among the top five zoos in the nation?
Though this tour was to help me gain legislative background and knowledge, I was able to take my mom and sister-in-law along with me too. We had a behind-the-scenes look at the Siberian tiger enclosure and the Alaskan brown bear display, along with many other areas of the zoo. It was so interesting to talk to the animal handlers to learn how they feed and care for these animals, and the attention they give to make sure the habitat is appropriate for each species.
I would like to thank Zoo Director Frawley for helping set this tour up, and also a big thank you to Director of Animal Collection Tony Fisher, and Sr. Director of Campus Planning and Management Derik Otten, for giving us such a wonderful tour. What a special gem we have in the Minnesota Zoo!
RECENT AWARDS
Kids have always been near and dear to my heart and, as a longtime former elementary school teacher, the education of our children is too. Last night, it touched my heart to be recognized by the Albert Lea Area Schools for my work as a legislator in advocating for our local students and schools.
Two weeks ago, the Albert Lea Education Foundation honored me as one of the Distinguished Educators for 2109. This too, meant a lot to me - to be recognized for making a difference for something that means so much to me.
My heart is full! Thank you for the recognition!
Talk to you soon,
Peggy