Progress Industry & Agriculture February 24, 2018
Albert Lea Tribune
Taking the
REINS Sunset Saddle Club member Rachael Petersen brushes off Brix, an American quarter horse at Broadway Farm. Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune
Growing Albert Lea-based saddle club sees more members By Sarah Kocher
sarah.kocher@albertleatribune.com
ver 100 years ago, Sunset Saddle Club vice president Jolene Babcock’s great aunt founded O what was then a couple of girls who wanted to get together and have fun, Babcock said. Now, board member Jodie Distad equates it to “a book club for horse people.”
Last year, it was a 125-member book club for horse people, including Babcock’s daughter, Sierra. “It’s a great group of people,” Babcock said. Sunset Saddle Club president Rob Lamp said the club has been growing over the last few years as more young members join. “The kids are enjoying themselves, riding with the other kids and stuff,” Lamp said. “We try See CLUB, Page 2
What’s inside?
Education, conservation
Growing an ag program
Giving Minnesota roots
Investing in roadways
Farmer looks to maintain soil. Page 4
Woman gets Alden students involved. Page 5
Brothers specialize in seeds. Page 6
City leaders look to reduce flooding. Page 7
Page 2 | AlbertLeaTribune.com | Progress 2018 | industry & agriculture | Saturday, February 24, 2018
Jodie Distad finishes up a lesson in January at Broadway Sunset Saddle Club member Sage Rickert gets Pip, an American paint horse, ready for a lesson at Broadway Farm in Farm. January. Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune
Club Continued from Front Page
to keep a full schedule out there for everybody to get involved, too.” Babcock said that with more members, they have also added more shows. For the 2018 season beginning in April, the club has 10 scheduled shows, seven of which are for Sunset Saddle Club riders only and three of which are open for other saddle clubs to participate in. The closed shows are open for the public to watch for free. There are also several barrel races scheduled. The Sunset Saddle Club has riders who participate in either pleasure riding or games. Pleasure riding is stylized, asking horse and rider to travel around a ring calmly and
responsively. Games involve events like — among others — barrel races, jumping courses and rescue races, where one rider hauls a standing person onto the back of their horse. Sunset Saddle Club rider Rachael Petersen placed third last year in the barrels open division at the National Barrel Horse Association state finals. She said she got her start through the Sunset Saddle Club, where she has been a member for eight or nine years. “It’s really a great place to start,” Distad said of the saddle club. She said the focus now needs to be on bringing more people in. “The horse industry as a whole right now is at a stalemate, and what we need to do is focus on a grassroots level,”
Distad said. She wants to remove the perception that participating in horse events is inaccessible because of the costs associated with horse-related competitions. “Everybody can com-
horses,” she said. After her daughter joined, Sharlene Rickert became a board member. “I guess it’s made me more involved in the community,” she said of the saddle club. Petersen said the
“The horse industry as a whole right now is at a stalemate, and what we need to do is focus on a grassroots level.” — Jodie Distad pete at this level,” Distad said. For rider Sage Rickert, it’s also an opportunity to have a good time. She has been in the Sunset Saddle Club for three years. “I wanted to have some experience with more horses and have fun with
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saddle club also gives members a place to work things out. “It’s learning different things to make yourself a better rider and your horse a better athlete,” Babcock said. In the winter, Petersen is riding about once a
By the numbers
week in an indoor arena, where the smaller scale helps her focus on the basics. In season, she’s riding every day. Through that time, Petersen is getting tips from members who have a lot of horse exMembers in the Sunset perience and knowledge, Saddle Club for she said. Through the the 2017 season years, she said her riding level has progressed. “It all really comes Shows the Sunset Saddle back to the saddle club,” Petersen said. “That’s Club has scheduled for the 2018 season where I started. That’s where I learned it all.” And in addition to an opportunity to ride a The age vice president horse, it’s a chance to do something with family Jolene Babcock joined the Sunset Saddle Club and friends, Lamp said. Sharlene Rickert shared a similar sentiment. “It’s definitely me and “I love it,” she said. “It Sierra’s thing,” she said. gives her and I something Oh, and there’s one to do together.” more thing. Babcock chipped in to “We’re horse crazy,” agree. Babcock said.
125 10 5
Saturday, February 24, 2018 | industry & agriculture | Progress 2018 | AlbertLeaTribune.com | Page 3
Organization looks to help Albert Lea grow By Sam Wilmes
sam.wilmes@albertleatribune.com
Last year could be considered a tough year economically for Albert Lea. Fountain Industries announced in May it would move its manufacturing and offices to Shakopee, and Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea announced it would transition most inpatient services to Austin the following month. Despite difficult economic news, Albert Lea Economic Development Agency worked on more than 40 projects to grow the community. “We’ve got to realize that economic development doesn’t always happen in a straight line,” said ALEDA Executive Director Ryan Nolander. In 2017, ALEDA sold the former Enderes Tools building to a local company looking to expand, and assisted Minnesota Energy Resources as it moved to a new property. Albert Lea Gymnastics Club moved into Albert Lea Business Development Center, and all of the approximately 260,000 square feet of space ALEDA owns is leased. “Which has never happened since I’ve been here,” Nolander said. In 2017, Zumbro River Brand announced that, in partnership with ALEDA, it was planning construction of a 74,000-squarefoot warehouse that was expected to create at least 20 jobs, adjacent to the Zumbro River Brand plant in Northaire Industrial Park. ALEDA is assisting Schipp’s Pro Power Wash in expanding its operation, which will bring
Why invest in Albert Lea? “It’s a personal thing,” ALEDA Executive Director Ryan Nolander said. “I grew up in this community.”
By the numbers
More than 40
Number of projects ALEDA worked on in 2017
260,000 Square footage of property ALEDA owns, which is all leased out
74,000 Square footage of Zumbro River Brand’s new warehouse that is expected to create at least 20 jobs approximately a half dozen jobs to the community. “That’s a nice project that’s going to add jobs,” Nolander said. In addition to business expansion, ALEDA staff worked on marketing projects to help grow the community. “There’s some programming things that also moved forward that weren’t necessarily building projects that you see move forward,” Nolander said. ALEDA is working on a downtown project that the organization could not provide much detail about in mid-January, and the organization helped lease the former Krueger Beverage building to a local manufacturer. Nolander said though ALEDA does have authority to levy a tax, it does not use it, instead relying on asset management and good practices. “Our investment, our value is we’re providing a service to help market the community nationwide, to be the people that coordinate development projects for the community, for the county, and it’s not costing the taxpayers anything right now,” he said. Instead of the city of Albert Lea purchasing the land for ALEDA Industrial Park, the organization paid about $3.5 million for
ALEDA Executive Director Ryan Nolander and ALEDA small business and marketing manager Noelle Hagen stand inside the new Zumbro River Brand warehouse, a project the organization helped make possible. Sam Wilmes/Albert Lea Tribune the property. “We’re able to be smart with our dollars and investments and our assets, grow them, then jump in and do projects like the ALEDA Industrial Park,” Nolander said. Though economic development is thought to be attracting large companies, Nolander said the most efficient use of ALEDA resources is working with existing companies to help them expand, noting he has been given direction to spend 60 to 80 percent of his time with such projects. “The best way to do it is little by little,” he said. Nolander and Noelle Hagen, ALEDA small business and marketing manager, said they both feel strongly about helping the community grow. “It’s a personal thing,”
Nolander said. “I grew up in this community.” He said he wants his two children to have opportunities in the community, calling it his “biggest motivation,” and would like to see his hometown grow. “That’s my passion about it,” he said. Nolander cited a low crime rate, good school system and the close proximity of services in the community. “It’s a great place to live,” he said. Hagen, a Glenville native, said though she initially had a narrow-minded view of the community, she realized Albert Lea had more to offer and learned about community initiatives. She hopes to one day start a business. Nolander said though ALEDA sometimes unfairly receives criticism,
A tunnel connects the old Zumbro River Brand facility with the new one. he enjoys his work. “Obviously in this operation or organization, we take a lot of heat,” he said. “We take a lot of criticism. And a lot of it is total misconceptions — people don’t understand,
they don’t know the truth, they don’t know all the stuff behind the history of things, but we like coming to work, because every day is different. “And every day there is a problem we’re working on.”
ALEDA helps businesses small & large grow and expand through assistance such as; micro-lending/gap-financing, relocation and expansion assistance, business development programs, and more. We lease space to local businesses, purchase and maintain shovel-ready land for development, and pitch these available sites to outside companies. We provide start-up space in the business incubator, Albert Lea Business Development Center (ALBDC). We coordinate programs & resources for entrepreneurs such as the Albert Lea Entrepreneurial Advancement Program (ALEAP). We do all of this and more without being a burden on the local taxpayers. ALEDA is a self-funded organization that operates on income generated through income on rentals, sales, investments, and memberships.
Ryan Nolander
Executive Director ryannolander@growalbertlea.com
Noelle Hagen
Small Business & Marketing Manager noellehagen@growalbertlea.com
2610 Y.H. Hanson Ave, Albert Lea, MN 56007
(507) 373-3930
Page 4 | AlbertLeaTribune.com | Progress 2018 | industry & agriculture | Saturday, February 24, 2018
College ag club offers opportunity By Deb Nicklay
news@albertleatribune.com
The establishment of Riverland Community College’s Ag and Food Science Technology Club has opened a field of opportunities to not only collegiate fans of agriculture, but high school FFA members as well. There are 37 members of the club that includes high school FFAers from Austin High School. It is not a requirement at the high school level; of that club’s 20 or so members, about eight are part of the Riverland group. It is a rare collaboration. While there are some colleges in the state that offer a collegiate level ag club, it is the only one that offers that kind of collaboration between the two education levels, adviser Nick Schiltz said. The idea was generated by now-president Kayline Schechinger, but she is quick to say she won’t take all the credit. A fellow student “kind of spontaneously mentioned the idea” of establishing some type of ag-based club that took the FFA model past high school. It took on a life of its own, and soon, it began to come together, she said. The club officially began to organize in September. “I think, coming from high school, you have that bond you had in high school (in FFA),” she said. “You want to keep up with leadership skills, and everything you learned in high school, you can use here.” Hayley Wedin, who serves as club secretary, added that involvement at the collegiate level opens more career opportunities. “And I think it helps to bring more focus on a career path,” said Codie Wolfe, the club treasurer. Wolfe is a good example of the collaborative nature of the new club. A high school junior, he is vice president of the Austin High School FFA and treasurer for the Riverland club. In addition to being involved in judging teams, the club has an intentional
Riverland Community College FFA adviser Nick Schiltz briefs the members of the FFA on an upcoming project during a meeting at Riverland Community College’s east campus. Eric Johnson/Albert Lea Tribune focus of working in the community on projects that benefit the agricultural population — its Feed a Farmer during the harvest season is a good example of that — but also the community as a whole. “We work to support the food pantry, collect for Christmas,” said Bailey Schwarz, the club’s vice president. The club worked with the high school FFA to ring bells for the Austin Salvation Army and was involved in the annual corn drive. The group also solicited funds for United Way. “They are always doing a project,” Schiltz said. “They are busy, involved students.” The officer group represents a good cross section of interest. Schechinger, Wolfe and club historian William Okweari are from Austin, and Schwarz is from Vernon Center. Wedin is from Alden; Alex Hagen, the club reporter, is from Albert Lea. Not all members in the group are geared toward an ag career. Some are headed to nursing careers; others, law enforcement or business, in addition to agriculture. “I did the fair since I was little, with 4-H and stuff” said Schechinger, who always enjoyed the opportunities provided in that organization and FFA. Schwarz agreed, adding that growing up on a farm is a special environment. “It just goes to show you
that our kids enjoy being involved in ag — we’re not exclusive,” Schiltz said. “We all play a role in ag in some fashion; the food we eat, products we make. These members will be leaders in their community at some point.” Schechinger said the club will also provide support when Riverland hosts its Ag Summit this month. Schiltz added these kinds of opportunities help Riverland “offer the best in our class food science curriculum to high school and college kids; and, by providing opportunities to learn outside of the classroom with projects, we provide that extra experience we cannot replicate in the classroom. “We want to make sure the students we have (have) those experiences — and they are among the brightest students we have here, the most involved.” Schechinger said club formation continues, and the first year is a learning year. “What we’re doing this year may be done differently next year,” she said. “We’re working out kinks as we go along,” Wolfe said. One thing is abiding, however: this group is committed to service. They have been discussing packaging meals for Kids Against Hunger, too. “We have put a lot of work into this,” Schwarz said. “And we are getting a lot out of it, too.”
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Ben Pederson is the proprietor of Vital Grains in Lake Mills. Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune
Farmer looks to educate on soil health By the numbers By Colleen Harrison
colleen.harrison@albertleatribune.com
LAKE MILLS — New name, new direction. That’s what Ben Pederson is doing with Vital Grains, his company that sprouted out of his family’s farm in Lake Mills. Pederson grew up helping his father, Gary, farm the land his grandfather, Ray, originally purchased. “My place when I was growing up was in the tractor with my dad,” Ben Pederson said. “It’s more than just a profession, it’s part of who I am.” A lot of what Ben Pederson is doing through Vital Grains is the same, he said, by harvesting soybeans and corn. What has mainly changed is the process and the technology Vital Grains is using. Vital Grains focuses on soil health and preservation, and exploring ways to farm more sustainably with less of a negative impact on the environment. Pederson calls it “trying to bring life back to the soil.” While his dad is very active with his part of the farming, whenever he decides to take a step back, his farmland will become a part of Vital Grains. A big part of Pederson’s efforts through Vital Grains is the process of strip tilling. Becoming an active farmer in 2001, Pederson said he started looking into strip tilling around 2012, and that Vital Grains was formed in 2016. Originally used by Pederson for increased efficiency, he started to realizing that strip tilling was reducing the impact of farming on the environment. “We were onto a much bigger part of the puzzle,” he said. Pederson said the process of strip tilling only disturbs 33 percent of the soil, as opposed to the complete 100 percent that would be disturbed by other methods. When he broached the subject of applying strip tilling to his business model with his father, Pederson said his dad originally offered to buy him out of the idea, as he was concerned Pederson would hurt financially from the venture, which he considered risky in terms of crop yields at the time. While the process of strip
12
Dump trucks of soil saved per year through strip tilling
25 percent Less fertilizer applied through Vital Grains’ process
94 Fewer cars on the road making an impact on the environment, due to the extra CO2 provided by cover crops that Vital Grains plants tilling involves machinery that is a significant expense, the process itself is actually more cost-effective. Pederson said the average acre of land in his area is worth anywhere from $6,000 to $12,000. With the average farm being about 150 acres of land, that’s $1.2 million in assets, he said. He likened the investment in conserving farmland through strip tilling to maintaining a house — keeping the roof and siding up to date and the founda-
“My place when I was growing up was in the tractor with my dad. It’s more than just a profession, it’s part of who I am.” — Ben Pederson, proprietor of Vital Grains tion strong is an investment in the property; it increases its value. Strip tilling, focusing on soil health and longevity, increases land value in farming, Pederson said. His newer approach to farming is not an attack on how his colleagues in the farming industry go about their business, Pederson said. He admits he has had mixed reactions from his friends and confidants in the farming industry when he has asked for advice about strip tilling
in the past. While none of them outright said he shouldn’t do it, Pederson said a lot of them had questions and were concerned some in the farming community might have negative reactions. Pederson said Vital Grains’ message is more for the public — those who would consume the company’s products or lease out their land for Vital Grains to farm on. “It’s more about how we do it,” Pederson said. He said the criteria for his approach to Vital Grains and farming in general is whether it’s good for the soil, good for farming economically, is it safe for the crops and the environment, and is it going to maintain food safety and water quality standards. Vital Grains is looking to educate others it might work with through talking and pamphlets walking possible consumers through the benefits of maintaining soil health and promoting soil conservation. While one of the goals for his business will always be growth, Pederson said he also wants to provide leadership in the farming industry as far as soil stewardship goes. He emphasized that he plans to do that in ways that respects his farming neighbors and peers, but still educates others. A misconception he noted about strip tilling and soil conservation in general is that it’s not easily monetized or applicable to the farming industry, which Pederson said just isn’t the case. A thin layer of soil comes off all too often due to inclement weather or farming, Pederson said, and the process of strip tilling will slow that down. There are other benefits, as well. Strip tilling saves 12 dump trucks full of soil each year, and makes for 25 percent less fertilizer applied. It also accounts for 12 percent higher yields than other area farms. Vital Grains also plants cover crops it does not harvest or sell. Why? Because it provides enough CO2 to take away the environmental impact of 94 cars on the road. It all falls in line with the company’s motto: “Reverence for our heritage, devotion to our present and a new vision for our future.”
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Saturday, February 24, 2018 | industry & agriculture | Progress 2018 | AlbertLeaTribune.com | Page 5
Growing an ag program for Alden students By Tyler Julson
tyler.julson@albertleatribune.com
ALDEN — When Pam Koenen started with the Alden-Conger school district in 1991, she taught just two classes a semester in the agriculture program. By fall 1995, the enrollment had grown exponentially and the interest was high enough to start teaching the program full time. Koenen is the FFA adviser and agricultural education instructor for the district, and in her 27 years with the school she has seen the program change dramatically since she arrived. “I’ve gone from teaching classes like Ag 7, Ag 8 and Ag 9, to much more detailed classes,” Koenen said. “Although we still do a little bit of that, now I teach classes like electricity, fish and wildlife and natural resources. I also do a lot of the career education, and we offer concurrent classes through Riverland Community College in soil and agronomy.” She said the classes have changed because they want to reflect the interest of the students and the needs they see within the community. Koenen said the goal of having these types of classes in the curriculum is to not only get children interested in the industry, but also help them to understand where their food and clothing comes from. Some of the students who come into the classroom might not ever have an interest in pursuing a career in farming or agriculture, but they still can learn a lot from taking some of the agriculture classes. Koenen said it’s very important, especially living in a smaller rural community, for the students to learn what the farmers around them are doing. She also has the goal of providing her students with opportunities. “If this is something they are really passionate about,” she said. “Whether
By the numbers 1991
Year Koenen started working for the AldenConger school district
1955 Year the agriculture program started at Alden
71 Students who are enrolled in the Alden-Conger FFA chapter it is the leadership part of it in the FFA or there really is a career that they see themselves a part of in the agriculture industry, I want them to have every opportunity as a student to learn every skill that they can and get as many experiences as they can.” Alden-Conger FFA adviser and ag instructor Pam Koenen wears many hats for the school’s ag program. Koenen started Koenen said the FFA and with the district in 1991 and has seen the program grow ever since. Tyler Julson/Albert Lea Tribune agriculture classes provide opportunities for students to job shadow, participate in contests and let them take a leadership role early in their life. She said all of these things can help the children develop skills they will be able to use for the rest of their lives. A lot of people think of farms and livestock when they think of the agriculture industry, but Koenen said it’s much more than that. “We do a lot of other things,” she said. “We do things to learn about parliamentary procedure, public speaking, putting together a resume and filling out a job application. All of those are real world skills that I don’t care what field you’re going into, you are going to need them at some point in your life.”
Why? Pam Koenen likes to teach agriculture classes because she likes to provide her students with all of the opportunities she can to The Alden-Conger FFA chapter and ag program has its own section in the school trophy case, where it displays many help them succeed in life. of the trophies and awards it has won since its beginning in 1955.
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The Alden-Conger FFA chapter has 71 members this year, which has been the average over the past five years.
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Page 6 | AlbertLeaTribune.com | Progress 2018 | industry & agriculture | Saturday, February 24, 2018
Brothers give Minn. roots to seed company By Sarah Kocher
sarah.kocher@albertleatribune.com
HARTLAND — The year has almost reached the small period of hibernation for the seeds as they wait out the short interim between deliveries. Between February and March, the brothers receive corn and soybean seeds, and what will translate into fields of waxy green stalks and veined leaves sit in sturdy paper bags, waiting. The seeds will be delivered to area farmers in April and May by a set of four brothers: John Knutson, 30; Jared Knutson, 28; Jake Knutson, 25; and Jed Knutson, 22. Together with their father, the brothers operate Knutson Farms near Hartland and, since September 2016, have also operated as the first Beck’s Hybrids dealer in Minnesota. “We saw how great the company was and we really believed in the company’s products and just the whole,
yeah, just the whole philosophy of the company,” John Knutson said. John Knutson was introduced to Beck’s by a commodity trader in Indiana. The company sells corn, soybeans, wheat, alfalfa and cover crops with their own genetic varieties as well as some of those offered by other companies. “‘They’re right up you guys’ alley,’” John Knutson said the commodity trader told him. “‘You guys should check them out.’” After the corn market hit a high in 2012, the Knutsons watched prices fall and seed costs remain high. “A lot of farmers, especially us in particular, were looking for ways to find value in other companies,” John Knutson said. On their first attempt in 2014, Beck’s Hybrids was just expanding into Iowa at the time and felt it couldn’t service the Knutsons up in Minnesota, John Knutson said. So that fall, he called
By the numbers 4
Knutson brothers involved in selling Beck’s Hybrids seeds
2016 Year the brothers began selling for Beck’s Hybrids
1 Beck’s rank as the largest family-owned retail seed company in the United States again. The brothers got ahold of a dealer out of Iowa who came up to sell them seeds, and they “tried everything” from early season to late season corn. The Knutsons have also grown soybeans. “We just kept on buying more and more, and then we got the opportunity to become our own dealer up
“For us, we didn’t start out thinking, ‘Oh, well, since we’re going to try this product, we’re going to sell it,” John Knutson said. “It was only after seeing it work on our farm … and once we believed in the company and saw that they were just genuinely great people and a great company that made us want to sell the seeds to, you know, our neighbors and our friends.” Sarah Kocher/Albert Lea Tribune
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From left, Jake Knutson, Jed Knutson, Jared Knutson and John Knutson have been selling Beck’s Hybrids corn and soybeans to area farmers since September 2016. here — be the first Beck’s dealer in Minnesota,” John Knutson said. The seed prices at Beck’s were competitive, but more importantly, the yield was good for the Knutsons. “For us, we didn’t start out thinking, ‘Oh, well, since we’re going to try this product, we’re going to sell it,” John Knutson said. “It was only after seeing it work on our farm … and once we believed in the company and saw that they were just genuinely great people and a great company that made us want to sell the seeds to, you know, our neighbors and our friends.” The Knutson brothers said they like the way they see Beck’s Hybrids treating the farmers that grow for them, incentivizing purchases, offering free
replants and putting in work to educate their growers about the company. “It’s a very friendly environment,” Jed Knutson said of the company. Jake Knutson said they’ve had a very good response from customers, and their second year of sales has been a good one. “I think what we see is a lot of people are kinda like in the same boat we were,” Jared Knutson said. “You know, they’re looking for different options.” As they look ahead, Jake Knutson said their goal is to take it year by year, servicing current customers and expanding the customer base. The biggest challenge has been getting people to understand what Beck’s is and what it does. “When you’re breaking
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into a new market and you have established players that people know and people trust, it’s hard to get them to try something new,” John Knutson said. But after selling Beck’s Hybrids, Jared Knutson said he has enjoyed watching more than his corn grow; he has also seen growth in his relationships with the family’s customers and with other farmers in the area. It has been an opportunity to trade ideas and network. And, for the Knutsons, it all comes back to believing in the family-owned company whose seeds are, within a month, headed to their farm to start the process all over again. “You’re just not buying a bag of seed,” Jake Knutson said. “You’re buying an experience.”
Saturday, February 24, 2018 | industry & agriculture | Progress 2018 | AlbertLeaTribune.com | Page 7
Albert Lea City Engineer Steven Jahnke is among the leaders looking to address flooding on the East Main Street corridor. Here, he is pictured standing near East Main Street in front of Southern Lock & Glass. Sam Wilmes/Albert Lea Tribune
Investing in A.L.’s major roadways City leaders hope work on East Main will in turn help reduce flooding
LOCAL AND INDEPENDENT Providers of farm seed and garden supplies to farm families for nearly 100 years.
By Sam Wilmes
sam.wilmes@albertleatribune.com
In September 2016, historic flooding rocked Albert Lea, resulting in the closing of a portion of East Main Street for about two weeks. The city of Albert Lea and Minnesota Department of Transportation want to prevent that from happening again. The Minnesota Department of Transportation plans to reconstruct the portion of East Main Street near Godfather’s Pizza and McDonald’s in 2021 to help prevent future flooding along the stretch. The project could also include adding sidewalks or shared user paths and intersection improvements in the area. The city would be a partner in the project. The Albert Lea City Council in January authorized staff to apply for federal service transportation funds for fiscal 2022 via the Minnesota Department of Transportation for the second phase of East Main Street work. The proposed resurfacing project would include a shared user trail and possible intersection revisions for East Main Street, past Blake Avenue and Walmart, further east beyond Trail’s Travel Center to Freeborn County Road 38, near Myre-Big Island State Park. State and local funding is also expected for the project. The sidewalk or shareduser path is being discussed from Newton Avenue to the Walmart shopping center area, which could be extended to County Road 38 if funding for 2022 work is approved, Jahnke said. “The east part of town is becoming one of the shopping areas, commercial areas of town,” he said. “If you don’t have a car, it’s very difficult to get to any of those areas.”
Godfather’s Pizza was temporarily closed after September 2016 flooding in Albert Lea. Leaders hope they can prevent that from happening again by addressing flooding on East Main Street.
By the numbers
Jahnke said the stretch of East Main Street is nearing the end of its life and pavement is deteriorating quickly. “2021 is really even pushing the life of the first phase, and 2022 is pushing the life Years East Main Street of that second phase,” he work is expected said. Jahnke said the community has requested the work be done for a “long time.” Estimated cost of replacAs of mid-January, cost esing the portion of Bridge timates for the work had not Avenue, from Marshall been formed. Jahnke hopes there will be public meetings Street to Hammer Road in 2021 over the summer where renderings will be shared. “This has been a long time coming,” he said. “This is Days in September 2016 something the community historic flooding rocked really wants to see happen.” Albert Lea The area around Godfather’s Pizza was heavily the flooding. The water reflooded after 2016 flooding, mained about 2 inches high around the building about one week after flooding. Some surface water and dirty spots caused by flooding were inside of the building. Godfather’s Assistant Manager Missy Lowy said work to alleviate flooding at the intersection would be “a welcome thought” to prevent future flooding and allow traffic to continue to flow through the area after heavy rain. East Main Street work is not the only major project the local government entities plan in the next five years. Freeborn County and the city are planning to replace the portion of Bridge Avenue from Marshall — Albert Lea City Street to Hammer Road in Engineer Steven Jahnke 2021. The $7.5 million project is needed, Jahnke said. causing the restaurant to “It’s deteriorating fast,” temporarily close after he said.
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Page 8 | AlbertLeaTribune.com | Progress 2018 | industry & agriculture | Saturday, February 24, 2018
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Back in 1913 the Albert Lea Tribune was in the building at the corner of West College Street and South Broadway Avenue and across from the courthouse block and the Broadway Theater. This photo was taken in the composing room when the type was set by hand. Now this process has been replaced with computers. PHOTO COURTESY FREEBORN COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM
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