by anne queenan

Forty eight residents recently gathered in Clinton, Minnesota to hear each other’s ideas on how to make their community more vibrant and sustainable. Emerging topics included the building of a community garden to replace a vacant lot, promotion of ecotourism along the Minnesota River instead of proposed quarry mines, and development of artistic and cultural exchanges between nearby towns.  One man, not in attendance, later shared his thoughts on what he wants for the community’s well-being. 

Gayle Hedge, 77, is a lifelong resident of Ortonville.  He has agreed to lease 478 acres of his pastureland near the river to a mining company from North Dakota to develop three granite quarry mines on 102 of those acres.  Permits are now under consideration by the Big Stone County’s Planning Commission.

Gayle Hedge's Property for Possible Quarries

Understanding Gayle’s story seems important as it has a pivotal impact on what the landscape will look like along the headwaters of the Minnesota River 130 years from now.  It is a story filled with hard work, entrepreneurism, humor and a big love of life in a small town of western Minnesota. Gayle's story also reflects the tension in a rural community that rises between the old means of growth through industrialized extraction of natural resources and new designs for economic growth through art and culture, ecotourism and preservation of the scenic and historic features of the surrounding area. 

      Gayle Hedge

Gayle described why he thought a quarry mine would benefit Ortonville as we toured his property.  His viewpoint is in keeping with the history of his land which has long been used as a functional means to provide support for him and his family, his business, friends, and the larger community.

“When you think back to when I was a kid, there were six or seven implement dealers in Ortonville.  There’s none today.  There was half a dozen new car dealers in Ortonville.  There’s none today.  There was a half a dozen grocery stores.  There’s one today.  You know, that’s what happens when there aren’t people here.”

He continues, “The young people don’t stay here. Every little town is that way, because there’s no jobs or good enough paying jobs.”

Hedge believes the county will benefit from the proposed quarries with six to eight new seasonal positions for Big Stone County and a combined tax revenue of approximately $26,000 a year.  “Those employees will fill some of the many vacant houses available in Ortonville, ” Hedge said.  In addition, he plans to set up a fund for the City of Ortonville through $50,000 received from Strata Corporation in exchange for the agreement to mine the land for the next 130 years.   

Gayle at Hedge and Herberg office

Hedge’s trucking company, Hedge & Herberg, employs an estimated 30 local citizens, all of whom received end of the year bonuses this year.  More than 100 owner/operator truckers are also associated with the company.  He additionally co-farms 5000 acres of soy and corn fields and rents his land to two industrial businesses: Saputo Cheese for a refrigerated warehouse; and a concrete plant which stores crushed granite from one of two other local mines:  L.G. Everist.

Crushed granite from local mine is stored on Hedge's property

Local Corn Granary for Hedge's crops

Alternatively, new residents like Edie Barrett, an artist and a writer who moved to the community from Santa Barbara, California, describe Ortonville’s appeal as a quintessential rural Minnesota town.  “I moved here because I think it’s stunningly beautiful and I also think this artistic community is on the verge of really getting on the map.” Barrett is disappointed to learn of the new imagery of the quarry mines as part of the community plan.  “Many artists here are also savy business people … and there’s a real sense of commitment of revitalizing the community through the arts.”  Part of what makes a community attractive for the arts, she believes, is its natural beauty.  “If we don’t protect our natural resources,” said Barrett, “we compromise our potential.”  

 Hedge's Property

As far as Gayle Hedge is concerned,   “Preservation? I’m all in favor of it, which we have done with Big Stone Wildlife Refuge. Teddy Roosevelt was the smartest guy in the world about starting parks, you know, National Parks. But if you don’t have business, the people don’t prosper too well.”

Lois Torgerson, Maureen Laughlin, Edie Barrett (far right)

Others believe ecotourism can build an economy through nature lovers and young outdoor enthusiasts who come to enjoy the beautiful pastoral settings with rare plants and granite stone outcrops along the river where thirteen miles of a new bike path have been created by the city. Extending this bike trail to the communities downstream statewide along the river is a long-range plan by the Department of Natural Resources. Hedge believes in preserving this bike path and chose to move forward with a mining company that would allow the path to remain open.  The claims that the view of the mine would be blocked from the bike path have not satisfied cyclists who are also concerned how dust and blasting noise from the quarry will diminish their recreational experience.

 Bike Path

The land under consideration is also located at the start of a new national Blueway designation of the Upper Minnesota River, recently announced by the U.S. Department of Interior.  According to the Director of Audubon Minnesota, Mark Petersen,  “the new Blueway designation is very compatible with this idea of ecotourism around birds, and bird conservation because these blueways are the highways upon which birds travel.”  He points to the Detroit Lakes Bird Festival as a successful case history of an ecotourism event resulting in economic gain for all stakeholders in that community. According to the US Fish and Wildlife Survey of participatory outdoor activities in the United States, birdwatching is one of the fastest growing outdoor recreational opportunities for Americans right now. 

In the Upper Minnesota River area, for the last eight years,  the small towns of Ortonville, Appleton, Milan, Madison, Dawson, Clara City, Montevideo, and Granite Falls have benefitted from an annual art studio tour every autumn called The Meander.  Residents from the Twin Cities, Fargo and Sioux Falls and throughout the region  patronize artists, the restaurants, shops and local hotels throughout the weekend.  "Just last year, the Meander generated more than $85,000 in art sales alone. More than $275,000 was generated between art, travel expenses, retail and lodging over the course of one weekend," estimated Kristin Fernholz of the Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission. 

  Don Sherman and Deb Larson

Deb Larson, a community leader and artist in Ortonville said, ” The Arts Council in Ortonville is diligently partnering with local community members to explore all avenues of growing the economy through the arts while at the same time highlighting natural resources, preserving historic buildings and bringing these assets all together.”  “The Meander taught us the benefits of bridging our community to the outside through these artistic exchanges,” Larson said.

And while on the topic of building pride and economic benefits to communities, according to Duane Ninneman of Clean Up the River Environment (CURE), "The Minnesota River Watershed Alliance is currently making plans for a Mayor's Fishing festival with events staged in the communities all along the Minnesota River next summer,” Ninneman said.  "This will build on the successful first annual Governor's  Pheasant Opener held in the Montevideo area earlier this fall, Ninneman continued.  "There is no reason why Big Stone County can't be the site of a Governor's Pheasant opener in the future as this quality of life based tourism and recreation economy picks up steam."

Momentum and heart are on the rise from many directions it appears.

So, for Gayle Hedge, a practical man who is most comfortable going with a familiar industry for growth of the town he loves, he still believes that what's best for the town of Ortonville is at the heart of the matter.  “If the community as a whole does not want this project, than it shouldn’t be done,” he said.  “But I am convinced the majority of the community does want it and it seems next to impossible to prove this one way or the other.” Gayle believes that most of the people in favor of it are not being vocal publicly about it.

Hedge is not afraid to admit to making mistakes along the way.  He explains, "I do the best I can and go with it the best I can."  He also said, " I am well aware that granite is abundant in supply and it’s the railroad tracks that make this an attractive deal for Strata.”

Local observers believe that the Big Stone County Planning Commission will likely approve the conditional use permit for the Quarry in the coming weeks.  The continuation of the Planning Commission's meeting on February 2 is now scheduled for February 16.  If a decision is made that evening, final approval will have to be made by the Big Stone County Commissioners.  The next scheduled County Commission meeting will be held February 21 at the County Courthouse in Ortonville on the main floor at 20 SE Second Street.  The Auditor's office will make the agenda available by request and on the county's website.

As the drama unfolds, it will be interesting to see how conflicting world views both centered on a love for place and community will be addressed.  The question on many minds:  Is it possible for a community to move beyond the old patterns of conflict, dismissal, vilification and one upmanship to a new way of interaction that takes time to listen, respect, integrate and discover common ground?

Only time will tell.

Sidebar

CURE leadership is hoping that sharing dialogue and group listening skills to area residents may have some power to move this debate forward.  CURE is working with InCommons to sponsor Art of Hosting training in May 8, 9 & 10 at the Granite Falls Upper Sioux Community.