hometownsource. com / heartland / Stories of the Heartland • Sunday, September 20, 2026 Page 3
Welcome to the third 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 the third edition of Stories of the Heartland.
With each edition, our goal remains the same: to tell the stories of the people who make agriculture more than an industry. It is a way of life that connects families, communities and generations. Inside these pages, you will meet farmers, agricultural professionals, business owners and others whose work helps sustain our rural communities and put food on tables far beyond central Minnesota.
Agriculture is always changing. New technology, new ideas and new challenges continue to reshape how food is grown, livestock is raised and agricultural businesses operate. But behind that progress are people— men and women with stories worth telling. Stories of the Heartland gives us an opportunity to introduce you to some of them and take you beyond the fields, barns and businesses that are such a familiar part of our landscape.
As we bring you this third edition, we are already looking ahead to the stories still waiting to be told. 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 some time with this third edition. We hope the stories inside give you a greater appreciation for the people, hard work and ingenuity that keep agriculture— and our rural communities— moving forward.
Jeff Hage, managing editor Stories of the Heartland, Morrison County Record
Page 4...................................... Sun Haven Farm: A second bloom Page 12............................................ Bringing fire back to the farm Page 15..................................................... Fall harvest farm safety Page 16................... Camphill Village: Where purpose takes root Page 22.................................................. A return to native prairies Page 24............................. Black Oak Feeders: Driven by passion Page 26......................................... Farming a little piece of Heaven Page 29............................................. Setting sail for Camp Benton Page 30..................... Biogas gas keeps dairy farm“ in the game” Page 33...................................................... From cows to fruit pops Page 34....................... Beezie’ s Blooms: Farm Family of the Year Page 36........................................... Horses, heart and community Page 38.......................... High oleic soybeans: A new opportunity
Published by Adams MultiMedia of East Central Minnesota, 4095 Coon Rapids Blvd., Coon Rapids, MN 55443