Blog

A question of epidemics

August 3, 2017

What’s the solution to the opioid epidemic? Can we really just rely on treatment for the addicted or do we have to address the over-prescription of painkillers, and target the … Read more

This spring really sprung ahead

July 11, 2017

Phenology is the observance of cyclic and seasonal natural phenomena, especially in relation to climate (ice out!), plants, and animals. We include a ton of such information in each year’s … Read more

Future of Midwest Agriculture Think Tank and Scenario-Planning Workshop

July 5, 2017

I recently participated in a two-day workshop, led by future iQ and funded by the University of Minnesota, to explore a 20-year hypothetical future for agriculture. Participants from Minnesota, Iowa, … Read more

Soak it up, Minnesota

June 1, 2017

I met a woman who worked on restoring rivers in the U.K. Much like our goals here, she was directed by E.U. policy to restore the condition of the stream … Read more

The Great Lakes States

May 1, 2017

Does “Midwest” do it for you? I’ve always struggled with it as a good geographic descriptor. The Census Bureau didn’t even settle on its definition until 1984. Whatever the terminology, … Read more

The mystery of the rainbow darter

April 10, 2017

I felt a bit like Sherlock Holmes when Konrad Schmidt, retired DNR Fisheries biologist, contacted me about when the last known contact took place between two fish populations — the … Read more

Twenty-twenty hindsight

March 17, 2017

I inadvertently started humming a song from 1905 as I was reading Dan Egan’s new book, The Death and Life of the Great Lakes. (Check out a recent interview with … Read more

From entryway to waterway?

February 23, 2017

I learned of a farm family in west central Minnesota that spends about $70,000 each year to buy fertilizer for their farm. Corn fertilizer costs have ranged from $120-200 per … Read more

French fries and water quality

January 27, 2017

  My son was hungry and in a hurry.  He ordered the double cheeseburger meal with fries in the drive thru; what’s the harm? It had been a couple decades … Read more

The art and science of snirt

January 12, 2017

You may have seen the photo exhibit by a friend of mine, John White. It was touring the region during the last year (and prints are available for sale here). … Read more