Ground Level Blog

USDA’s ‘Amber Waves’ looks at local food
The US Department of Agriculture focuses on local food in its quarterly magazine on food and farming.
In September Jeff Holm stepped down as board chair, but by December he will be chair again. Still, Holm seeks to help new leaders emerge in the township.
A local-food Thanksgiving is mostly possible in Minnesota, starting with the turkey. But you won’t find local nutmeg for your pumpkin pie.
Voters OKed Todd County courthouse renovation, but what’s next?
Todd County voters approved a plan allowing the county to renovate its old courthouse in Long Prairie. Now the question is whether the board will proceed.
Monticello’s public fiber optic network offers faster Internet speeds than what most people in the Twin Cities get from Qwest and Comcast, says a report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.
A proposal recently released by President Obama’s deficit commission would limit the availability of mortgage interest deductions. How will this effect exurbs such as Baldwin?
Sibley County is considering an ambitious project that would lay fiber optic lines to every home and farm in the county. A big question is whether residents will want to pay for and share the burden equally.
Ground Level’s local food page generated lots of response regarding farm-to-school, costs, ethnic group farmers and more.
Local food, local economies
Ground Level’s new topic page on local food is up. Give us your feedback.
The Knight Foundation’s Soul of the Community report shows that physical beauty, opportunities to get together with others and a sense of openness are the most important factors in determining whether residents feel strong attachment to the place they live.