we hope you enjoy reading CURE's July RiverVoice.
JULY RIVERVOICE
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Upcoming Events

When: Saturday, Aug. 1st, from 8 AM to 4:15 PM
Where: Southwest Research and Outreach Center, 23669 130th Street, Lamberton, MN

When: Saturday, Aug. 8, from 1 PM to 3 PM
Where: Upper Sioux Agency State Park

SAVE THE DATES

When: Saturday, Sept. 26, from 9 AM to 3 PM
Where: Lac qui Parle Mission

When: Saturday, Oct. 10th, from 10 AM to 1:30 PM
Where: Confluence of the Yellow Medicine River and the Minnesota River located near the Lower Campground at Upper Sioux Agency State Park
Water Program


As slimy green algal sludge started to overtake our waterways for the summer, a news piece with a bold headline took Minnesota by storm. The long-form City Pages story, "Big Ag is conquering Minnesota like a noxious, unkillable weed," swept through the state and across social media, earning 7,500 shares on Facebook within three weeks of publication. This story resonated particularly well with CURE members and other rural residents because it so perfectly captured the multi-faceted way that Big Ag, at the same time that it pollutes our natural resources, has changed the quality of life in Greater Minnesota for the worse. Meanwhile, our Legislature has largely failed to address these problems, preferring to give in to the industry rather than protect citizens, leaving many Minnesotans feeling frustrated and powerless. The author, Hannah Sayle, has done an excellent job explaining this dynamic, leading one Facebook user to comment on his share, "If you only read one article this year, read this one."


Review written by Ariel Herrod, Water Program Coordinator.

 

Energy Program

Photo by Midwest Energy News.

This year, the CURE Energy Program began publishing Rural Electric Coop News, an online platform dedicated to sharing rural electric cooperative best practices. Rural Electric Coop News serves as an information tool for rural electric co-op directors, member-owners and co-op employees on the many ways that renewable energy can help rural communities and co-ops thrive. The success stories of rural electric co-ops embracing renewable energy while holding onto the values, mission, and principles of rural electric coops are becoming more common every day. The article, "Minnesota program helps expand solar and renewables to rural areas," by Frank Jossi and published by Midwest Energy News, is a wonderful example of where renewable energy, energy efficiency, electric coops and the farm industry can work together to benefit all of us.

Events and Adventures

Would you imagine that halloween pennant dragonflies, whorled milkweed, prairie clover, porcupine grass, and a long list of other insect and plant species could bring over 100 people together on a hot July weekend? Well they can, and people from across the state joined together to build upon their own personal knowledge of tallgrass prairie on July 10 and 11 for the 2015 Simon Lake BioBlitz.


Blog post and photos by Peg Furshong, Director of Operations & Constituent Relations and Events & Adventures Program Coordinator. Additional photos by Sarina Otaibi. 

If you'd like to read more about the 2015 Simon Lake BioBlitz, check out one of the articles below:

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