In today’s segment, a new warning from T-S-A about weapons in carry-ons. Then, farmers may soon be able to grow produce all winter long. And, federal flood relief is heading our way.
Transcript
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HOST: You're listening to North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live, a daily newscast about what it means to live in Minnesota.
ANCHOR: In today's segment, a new warning from T-S-A about weapons in carry-ons. Then, farmers may soon be able to grow produce all winter long. And, federal flood relief is heading our way.
I'm Chantel SinGs.
The Transportation Security Administration, or T-S-A, confiscated two loaded handguns in just one day earlier this month at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. It's illegal to pack a weapon in your carry-on. Passengers who bring firearms to TSA checkpoints face federal penalties. Officials encourage passengers to pack smart and start with an empty bag. Passengers can travel with firearms in their checked baggage if it is unloaded, packed properly, and declared at the check-in counter. TSA officers have found 22 firearms at MSP checkpoints this year.
Next, a new type of greenhouse will allow state farmers to extend the growing season, giving farmers the possibility of an income stream into the slow winter months. Britt Aamodt has the story.
Britt Aamodt: Minnesota farmers may soon be able to raise and sell produce all winter long thanks to the deep winter greenhouse.
Greg Schweser: So about 10 years ago, there were a couple of farmers in Southwestern Minnesota that wanted to grow crops in the winter, and they didn't want to use a lot of delivered heat.
Britt Aamodt: Greg Schweser works with the University of Minnesota Extension.
Greg Schweser: So they cracked open their old books from the 70s and found a way to develop a greenhouse that captured solar heat, stored it in a thermal mass underground, and they used that to heat the growing space at night, when the sun goes down and they grew crops throughout the winter.
Britt Aamodt: The new development came when those farmers partnered with the University to make a larger farm-scale version.
Greg Schweser: We're testing out this concept and seeing how well it works and whether it's something that farmers can use to economically and feasibly grow winter crops throughout the winter for sale to their customers.
Britt Aamodt: Carrie Calvo is one of five farmers participating in the University's deep winter greenhouse study. Her Owl Bluff Farm in southeastern Minnesota's Houston County got a grant to cover part of the greenhouses cost, but she and her crew had to install it themselves.
Carrie Calvo: So it's 60 feet long by 16 feet wide, and I want to say 10 feet high at the highest point.
Britt Aamodt: There are key modifications that differentiate it from the high tunnel greenhouse you typically see dotting farms, basically metal ribs covered in plastic.
Carrie Calvo: It's super insulated on all sides, except for a steep glazing wall on the front that faces south, and it's set at the right angle to maximize solar gain during the coldest months of the year.
Britt Aamodt: That allows it to store and retain heat even through long cold nights with little to no reliance on heaters, which could saddle farmers with an expensive electric or gas bill. Carrie plans to grow greens and herbs in her deep winter greenhouse.
Carrie Calvo: Right now, we are hoping to do a winter CSA.
Britt Aamodt: Through which she could offer boxes of produce to subscribers every month throughout the winter. Normally, her income would stop at Christmas and pick up sometime around April. The greenhouse could prove to be an economic lifeline for farmers, says Greg Schweser.
Greg Schweser: We have a very strong local food movement in Minnesota. The problem is a lot of those farms don't make an awful lot of money. So any way we can find to make them a little more successful.
Britt Aamodt: But that's not the only goal with the deep winter greenhouses.
Greg Schweser: There's been a number of things that have threatened our food supply. You know, COVID. If it gets too hot or the water dries up in the desert Southwest, that's where the vast majority of our winter vegetable crops are grown. If we're unable to rely on that, this would be a good backup.
Britt Aamodt: For North Star Stories, this is Britt Aamodt.
ANCHOR: You are listening to North Star Stories.
Parts of Southern Minnesota are still recovering from the devastating floods last June that destroyed the Rapidan Dam. Crews repairing the damage now have an additional 5-million dollars from the federal government to help. The funds will be used to repair and replace damaged and destroyed roads and bridges in Blue Earth County. With the County Nine Bridge out, motorists and farmers are forced on a 15-mile detour. That road isn't expected to re-open for another two to three years. The state is also receiving federal funding to help repair roads in Minnesota's Chippewa and Superior National Forests in Northern Minnesota.
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HOST: North Star Stories is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota's communities, with support from the McKnight Foundation and the State of Minnesota. Online at ampers dot org.