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Sunday, May 19th, 2013
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Grow it from the rooftops! Söntés is poised to begin hyper-local ag innovation


By Nate Langworthy

Mon, May 13th, 2013
Posted in Rochester Home & Garden

Uprooted Hay Bale Garden sketch by Adam Ferrari. Photo submitted

Featuring locally grown food has been something that Söntés restaurant takes pride in. The downtown Rochester establishment is preparing to take local to a whole new level by creating Rochester’s first commercial rooftop garden, growing in a hay bale garden to be located on top of the historic Kennedy building on the southwest corner of South Broadway and Third Street.

The fresh vegetables and herbs will be served up in the restaurant below, and plans are being made to make the garden not only a food production zone, but also a new experience demonstrating what is possible in both dining and urban agriculture.

“We want to create an environment where people can enjoy a meal on the rooftop and actually see the garden that part of their meal was grown in,” said Daniel Heublein a local farmer and engineer recruited to jumpstart the project by Söntés owner Tessa Lueng. “Many people have felt how nice a table on a rooftop can be at a bar, like Kathy’s. We want to bring a similar experience to appreciate local food.”

A hay bale garden is started by sprinkling nutrients on top of the hay bales and soaking the hay so that it begins to produce nutrient-rich compost while still retaining the rectangular structure that vegetables can then grow out of. Once the gardens are growing, an umbrella of shade cloth is constructed to keep the plant from the nonstop sunshine they will see throughout the day on the roof.

The garden will begin with 10 to 15 hay bales, but the plan is to eventually increase that to about 50.

As garden planning began to get underway, unexpected costs began to arise. Chiefly, the services of a structural engineer will be required to make the rooftop suitable for a number of people, hay bales, and other equipment to be on it. An irrigation system also needs to be installed.

To raise funds for the Uprooted project, an Indiegogo campaign has been started (www.indiegogo.com/projects/uprooted-an-urban-garden-project). A person can donate and receive gift certificates and other goodies from Söntés as well as a hay bale on the rooftop in your honor.

After the initial costs are covered Heublein says that the garden can exist for a long time at very little cost.

While this garden may be the first rooftop garden in Rochester, Heublein hopes it is not the last.

“We want to demonstrate that this can be done, that .....
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Mary Bung

Tue, May 14th, 2013
Posted in Rochester Obituaries

A memorial service will be held for Mary Bung on Thursday May 16th at 1:00 PM at Mahn Family Funeral Home, Rochester Chapel. A private burial will be held at the Chatfield Cemetery. Mary Bung, 79, of Rochester, died Sunday May 12, 2013 at the sk ..... 
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Flannery O’Connor Short Stories Produced for Stage

Tue, May 14th, 2013
Posted in Rochester Arts & Culture

Flannery O'Connor, the 20th century American writer and essayist, once said, "To the hard of hearing you shout, and for the almost blind you draw large and startling figures." Possibly best known for her use of the violent and the g ..... 
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Art on Main - Opening reception

Mon, May 13th, 2013
Posted in Rochester Arts & Culture

Twenty-seven colorful banners will grace Main Street in Zumbrota this summer. Each banner sports a photograph of an original work of art which has been donated for the project. The original art will be on view in various locations in town all summe ..... 
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Staver elected Council President

By Nate Langworthy

Mon, May 13th, 2013
Posted in Rochester Government

After nearly a year, Randy Staver will remove the “interim” label from his position as Rochester City Council President, a position that he assumed last July following the death of then president Dennis Hanson. “Its kind a relief to have th ..... 
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72 years later, a time capsule opened, Lourdes students unveil history

Mon, May 13th, 2013
Posted in Rochester Education

ROCHESTER, MINN. - Rochester Catholic Schools (RCS) and Lourdes High School (LHS), on Friday, May 10, had 9-12 grade students, faculty and staff visit the new Lourdes High School site for the very first time and unveiled historical belongings from t ..... 
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Art on the Avenue

By Nate Langworthy

Mon, May 13th, 2013
Posted in Rochester Arts & Culture

The fourth annual Art on the Avenue celebration in the Slatterly Park neighborhood will be held this coming Saturday. The event moves to a different block in the neighborhood each year. The 1000 block of Seventh Avenue SE will play host this year ..... 
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Youth orchestra welcomes top brass

Mon, May 13th, 2013
Posted in Rochester Business Announcements

Rochester, Minn. -- Southeastern Minnesota Youth Orchestras has hired two top executives, with leadership saying the newcomers will help further the SEMYO mission. Executive Director Renee Berg joined SEMYO April 15, and Stephen Pelkey has an expe ..... 
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Rochester Schools purchase People’s Cooperative Services facility

Mon, May 13th, 2013
Posted in Rochester Education

The Rochester Public School board unanimously approved the purchase of the Peoples Cooperative Services Facility, located at 3935 Highway 14 East, in a special session held Tuesday April 30th. The purchase price as agreed by both parties was $2.5 mi ..... 
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