The Food We Eat
Minnesota is a great place for agriculture.
But not all things grow everywhere in Minnesota. Weather and soil are different depending on where you live. That is why there are different things grown across the state. Let’s meet two farmers from across Minnesota.
Laura Frerichs and her husband Adam own Loon Organics in South Central Minnesota, near Hutchinson. On their farm they grow 50 types of vegetables, including tomatoes, peppers, lettuces, beets, carrots and cauliflower. Laura’s farm has a longer growing season than some farms in Minnesota because her farm is in the southern part of our state. The southern part of Minnesota has higher temperatures and more hours of sunlight each day than northern Minnesota. This means she has more time to grow the plants that need long summer days full of sunshine.
Rachel Arneson is a sugarbeet farmer in Northwest Minnesota, near the town of Halsted. In this part of the state, the temperatures are lower and there is less sunlight than southern Minnesota. Because the growing season is short, Rachel plants her sugarbeets early in the spring. She can’t plant too early or the sugarbeets could be killed by the frost. Freezing temperatures are also a problem in the fall. If the ground freezes too soon, Rachel can’t harvest the sugarbeets.
The sugar from sugarbeets is used in your breakfast cereal, cookies, and snacks!
YUM!
Temperatures During Minnesota’s Seasons
