A Look at Legacy

Despite Minnesota’s historical dependence on agriculture, more than half of our state’s residents lack exposure to farm life because they live in cities or suburbs. As Don Lee reports, the Minnesota Zoo is using Legacy Amendment funding to support its working farm, where visitors’ interaction with workers and livestock can help them appreciate the importance of farming. [Read Transcript...]

For centuries, the Hmong people of Southeast Asia have used sung poetry as a way to preserve their history and culture. As the Hmong have emigrated to Minnesota and other locations in the United States, they fear the tradition will be lost. As Don Lee reports, Laotian-born musician Bee Yang aims to counter that. Now living near Cannon Falls, he’s using Legacy Amendment support to compose and record a CD of original Hmong song poetry. [Read Transcript...]

Elderly residents at St. Paul’s Ravoux public housing high-rise are responding enthusiastically to Lifelong Learning in the Arts, a Legacy Amendment-funded initiative of the Wilder Foundation. As Don Lee reports, collaborators from Kairos Dance Theatre, the Women’s Drum Center, Northern Clay Center and elsewhere visit the high-rise, leading arts learning activities designed to benefit residents’ mental and physical health. [Read Transcript...]

Deteriorating conditions in shallow lakes throughout western and southwestern Minnesota threaten food supplies for ducks and other waterfowl. A number of factors contribute to turbid water conditions in those lakes: high water levels, runoff from nearby farms, lack of natural fish winterkill, and invasive fish. Don Lee reports on Legacy Amendment-funded restoration measures. [Read Transcript...]