Events Calendar

The gathering features a dinner prepared by Prairie Bay Restaurant from locally produced food, a farmer’s market, a program about protecting our shared watershed, live music from Hans Blix and the Weapons Inspectors and a wine tasting by Spirits of Nisswa.
Organizers said the unique diversity of our region, with its lakes and farm and ranch lands, shares one important resource - the watershed. Understanding and protecting the region’s watershed brought together such diverse groups as the Cass and Crow Wing Farm Bureaus and the Whitefish Area Property Owners Association. Each wanted a better understanding about what effects the water quality of their area.
The event was a way to put "a face on" water issues and to try to work things out locally according to Mike Sams, Cass County Farm Bureau. It is important to show how those involved in farming and ranching are good land stewards to a mostly non-farming public, he said. And for lake dwellers, it was important to understand their part in water stewardship, Sams said.
The coming together of these organizations, and others, has led to ongoing research projects aimed at examining ways to mitigate sources of pollution or runoff.
Ralph Lentz, from southeast Minnesota, will give a presentation on the findings from studies concerning grazing and streambeds. The ongoing study, involved the University of Minnesota and DNR.
Sponsors of the second annual Harvest Dinner include: Whitefish Area Property Owners Association, Nisswa Lions Club, Cass and Crow Wing Farm Bureaus, Pine River Watershed Alliance, Stonehouse Coffee and Spirits of Nisswa. Any proceeds from the event will go to support Farm Bureau’s Farm Safety program aimed at younger children and Cass and Crow Wing County’s Future Farmers of America clubs.