hometownsource. com / heartland / Stories of the Heartland • Sunday, April 19, 2026 Page 3
Welcome to
Welcome to the second edition of Stories of the Heartland.
Adams MultiMedia of East Central Minnesota, along with the teams at the Morrison County Record, Dairyland Peach and Town & Country, is proud to bring you another issue of Stories of the Heartland— a publication dedicated to the people, practices and progress shaping agriculture across our region.
Our goal with Stories of the Heartland remains the same: to share inspiring stories from across our agricultural community. Inside these pages, you will find original stories featuring farmers, agricultural professionals and others whose work helps sustain and strengthen our rural way of life. Each story offers a closer look at the men and women behind the fields, barns, businesses and innovations that help feed our world.
We are excited to continue bringing you fresh editions of Stories of the Heartland throughout 2026, each one filled with more stories rooted in the land and the people who call it home. If you have a story idea to share, contact Jeff Hage, managing editor, at 320-616-1917 or jeff. hage @ apgecm. com. If you are interested in becoming an advertising partner in an upcoming issue of Stories of the Heartland, contact Tena Wensman at 320-616-1932 or tena. wensman @ apgecm. com.
From all of us at Stories of the Heartland, thank you for spending time with this second edition. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed putting it together.
Jeff Hage, managing editor Stories of the Heartland, Morrison County Record
Page 4.......................... From farm kid to teacher and back again Page 6..................................... Nate Ackerman: The Cow Whisper Page 8.............................................................. A day at the auction Page 12................... Alan Guebert: Spring is a brave, yellow wave Page 14....................................... Benton County 4-H gets‘ frosted’ Page 16.......... Jumping in as part of the team on the family farm Page 19......................................... Uniting through organic farming Page 22..................................... Kevin Behrens: The Drone Farmer Page 26............................. Family grows farm from the ground up Page 28.................................................... 4-H celebrates volunteers Page 30...... Beavers may be solution to Little Rock Creek issues Page 32............................................... Horses that help hearts heal Page 36.................................................... A new vintage of farming Page 41................................. Agate farm invites digs for treasures Page 42.................................................. Ambassadors get patriotic Page 44................... Mud, feed, and family at Scandia Valley farm
Published by Adams MultiMedia of East Central Minnesota, 4095 Coon Rapids Blvd., Coon Rapids, MN 55443