Bowdon, ND

Earlier in March, Wayne Fuhrman, Gary Heintz, Laurel Jones, Valgene Kreiter, and Patti Patrie met with Dale Van Eckhout of the USDA to discuss options for funding for updating and heating the school, both the new part and the 1913 building. We’re looking at renewable energy sources that are economical to install and use. Many ideas were generated during the meeting, and the one thing we could all easily agree on was that we need the assistance of an architect to help us evaluate our specific needs. Anyone out there?  

Whew! Sorry I haven’t been doing much blogging lately–March has been a very busy month, and we’ve been doing too much to stop and blog about it!   To illustrate:  Sunday, March 30th, the Bowdon Lions Club held a benefit pancake dinner at the Community Center for Jim Kunz to help defray expenses while he and Sandy are in Rochester, MN for Jim to receive treatment. The food was great and the dinner was well attended. The Lions will have their funds matched by up to $1000 by Thrivent. People working together to help each other.

 Immediately following the dinner, the Horizons Steering Committee held a presentation in the basement of the Lutheran Church on organic gardening. The guest speaker, Dwight Duke, was phenomenal–all that knowledge in one man’s mind is absolutely amazing. I learned more about gardening–organic, sustainable gardening–in that one presentation than I have picked up in a lifetime! What a wonderful boost to our community gardens effort.

Then Patti Patrie and I were off to Crookston, MN, for the Home Grown Economy 2008 Conference at the University of Minnesota Crookston. The theme of the conference was “Connecting Local Foods and Economic Opportunity” which directly relates to what the Horizons Program is doing right here in our community. We learned all about organic gardening and farming, the growth of the local foods movement, sales, and marketing. Lunch was a fantasic spread of locally grown and produced foods, during which we had time to network with many different people, including Shawnn Balstead of the USDA in Minnesota, whose picture is shown here. What a wonderful opportunity to learn about addressing healthy living, growing our economy, and leaving a smaller environmental footprint, while eating tasty, local foods.

Feedback from readers of the newly resurrected BOWDON GUARDIAN is challenging the staff of volunteers to top their first issue printed in January, 2008.
Here is an email from the former pastor of the Lutheran church in Bowdon: “We have moved to Idaho last May, where I am pastor at a little congregation in Horseshoe Bend; but we continue to have a heart for the vitality and prosperity of Bowdon and the people. I want to tell you how excited I was to read through every word of the Bowdon Guardian. Your hard work and talents for this newsletter shine through every page. I am directed to resources and contacts in a clear, easy format. The layout is inviting and easy to read. The photos add a rich dimension to the articles. I like your business spotlight, as just starters. The articles reveal spirit of optimism based on concrete action. Anyway, I could go on, but suffice it to say, how welcome your work is. I believe your work will make a huge difference in the future of Bowdon. Communication is so important in gathering people together.” Rev. Marilyn deVeer
In a letter from Moorhead, Minn. Paul Eidbo writes,: “I have met and talked with many people with former ties to BOWDON and in every instant they are still very interested and in many cases I am sure they would be willing to help support you in these projects as I am if they were informed of them. Enclosed are my membership renewal dues for 2008. Keep up the good work!!”
As well as a glowing write-up on the new Guardian in the Harvey Press by Heather Knodel Melson, the editor of the former Willow City Centurion, Mildred Rothgarn, wrote to offer her congratulations.
Tenuous connections to Bowdon of readers from out of town and out of state, such as great aunts who used to live in Bowdon, have been renewed through the Guardian. Requests for subscriptions accompany many letters of encouragement.
Dues paid to BDCI automatically put you on the mailing list. BDCI, PO Box 314, Bowdon, ND 58418

I am pumped up!! Laurel Jones and I attended the Miner County presentation at Gackle Thursday night. We saw old friends from Leadership Plenty training, were inspired by the story of dedicated people in Miner County who are reinventing their future, and Laurel sold 16 “Believe in Bowdon” Raffle Tickets at $20 a shot. She assured the good folks in Gackle that at least one would win and good enough our friend Mary Conrad did just that in our first drawing yesterday in Bowdon.

Two things really impressed my about Miner County. 1. Their original program was youth driven. 2. They focused on the impact that 10% increased purchasing would do to their community. Someone had suggested that very idea for increased patronage to our local grocery store. Now we have proof from our friends in South Dakota that buying local has great impact!

Lance Brower, NDSU Ext. agent with an emphasis on economic development, can help Bowdon do a similar assessment. I will be taking the idea to the marketing task force soon and with their approval will anticipate some very helpful feedback through Lance’s assessment.

By the way Kurt S.– thank you for your blog and the suggestion for our grocery store. I am looking forward to the day when the Bowdon community will be celebrating the outcome of its new found loyalty to present and new business entities.