Happy Thursday, Stillwater. Big news - Hannah’s Homemade Heavens is back open, this Friday! It’s been a long month and a half during their annual break, I’m looking forward to that first bite of donut.

A farm that exists to serve its neighbors is a powerful way to connect the community. Just south of us, in Lake Elmo, two women are doing just that. In 2020, Madeline Esterl and Elise Hanson formalized Cimarron Community Farm as a nonprofit, building on earlier community gardens to shape it into a service-oriented farm built around the needs of its neighbors.

On a summer day, the space feels alive, with rows of vegetables growing alongside kids learning to harvest, neighbors stopping by, and volunteers working side by side.

It’s located at Cimarron Park, a manufactured home community of around 2,000 residents representing a wide diversity of ages, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Much of the food grown at the farm is donated to families, at no cost. Madeline told me, “Cimarron Community Farm has grown for and with the community, driven by the voices of the people we serve.” They provide food to 150 families during the growing season, and community garden plots are available.

When I first visited the farm several years ago, I was impressed by the amount of food they grow on a relatively small piece of land - between 12,000 and 17,000 pounds of vegetables each year. You can see the farm from 10th Street, just south of the road. Each year, passing by, I watch it springing to life as summer rolls along. Tours are available for a closer look and information about their no-till, organic practices.

They offer free programs for kids through on-farm experience, where children in kindergarten through fifth grade can spend the summer planting, harvesting, and participating in other activities, returning home with exciting new knowledge and plenty of produce. Their Farm-To-Table cooking program, in partnership with FamilyMeans, teaches kids cooking skills. Over 30 neighborhood kids participate in their programs every week, and they employ 6 teen interns.

They also offer a CSA (community supported agriculture) program. A CSA is a great way to both support a local farm and receive fresh produce throughout the summer, building a direct relationship between farmers and the community that shares in the season’s harvest. At Cimarron Community Farm, as a CSA customer you receive your first box of vegetables in early June, and every week for 16 weeks, until mid-September.

While CSA members enjoy fresh seasonal vegetables, their participation also helps sustain the broader mission of the farm - supporting food access, education, and programs for neighbors in Cimarron Park.

Looking ahead to the 2026 season, the farm is expanding production with a new field block, experimenting with new cucumber varieties, and preparing for another summer filled with youth programming, farmers markets, and community gatherings.

Farms like this grow more than food, they grow connection. Watching it come alive each year is a reminder that meaningful community work often happens quietly, one planted seed at a time.

👉 Learn more or sign up for their CSA here.

🔧🚀 Family Engineering Night with the Science Museum of Minnesota
6:00 – 7:30 PM · Margaret Rivers A&B, Stillwater Public Library
Hands-on engineering fun with six interactive stations from the Science Museum. Build bridges, fling frogs, and launch rockets. Recommended for ages 6–12, with a PreK station available for younger kids. Free, no registration needed.

✨🔭 Winter Constellations
6:30 – 8:00 PM · Lake Elmo, MN
Explore winter constellations like Orion, Gemini, and the Big Bear, plus telescope views of Jupiter, Saturn, and star clusters. Dress for outdoor viewing and bring a lawn chair. Hosted by longtime meteorologist and astronomy educator Mike Lynch. Even cloudy nights promise a great experience.
$5 per person, register here.

🐦 Wisconsin Campus Bird Hike
9:00 – 11:00 AM · North End – Wisconsin Campus (Hudson)
Start your Valentine’s weekend outdoors with a guided bird hike exploring the natural spaces of the Wisconsin Campus. Learn to identify birds with local experts. Binoculars and field guides available or bring your own.
$5/person, details and tickets here.

🐦 Bird Hike at Pine Point Regional Park
9:00 – 10:30 AM · Pine Point Regional Park, Stillwater
Whether you’re a beginner or experienced birder, this guided hike offers a chance to learn bird identification, enjoy the outdoors, and contribute to citizen science bird surveys that support local conservation efforts. Free.

🎙️ River Radio
Available starting 9:00 AM · Online (Podcast Release)
The latest episode of River Radio explores the lives of Minnesota residents who are afraid to leave their homes, alongside a conversation with Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon about threats to free and fair elections. Hosted by Gayle Knutson and Jim Maher.

Presented by the Marine Community Library, River Radio features conversations with notable figures from Minnesota and beyond, exploring community, civic issues, and the wider world. Listen here.

🎣 Let’s Go Ice Fishing — Lake O’ the Dalles
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM (also 1:00 – 2:30 PM session) · Interstate State Park
Learn the basics of ice fishing with Wild Rivers Conservancy and the National Park Service. Gear and instruction provided — just bring warm clothes and curiosity. Great for families and beginners.
Suggested donation: $10/family (WI fishing license required for ages 16+.) Details and registration here.

🌲 Forest Bathing Valentine’s Walk
2:00 – 4:00 PM · Lake Elmo Park Reserve
Slow down and reconnect with nature during this guided forest bathing experience focused on relaxation, mindfulness, and gentle sensory awareness. Come solo, with friends, or with a partner.
$45/person. Details and tickets here.

🔥 Candlelight Night: Ski, Walk & Snowshoe
6:00 – 9:00 PM · Wild River State Park
Illuminated trails, bonfires, live music, and winter activities make this a magical evening outdoors. Walk, ski, or snowshoe the candlelit paths and warm up at cozy gathering spots throughout the park. Vehicle permit required; ski pass needed for skiers 16+.

🎣 Let’s Go Ice Fishing — Big Marine Lake
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM (also 1:00 – 2:30 PM session) · Big Marine Park Reserve
Another chance to learn ice fishing basics with Wild Rivers Conservancy and the National Park Service. Educational waiver allows catch-and-release fishing without a license during the program.
Suggested donation: $10/family. Details and registration here.

🎮 Mario Kart: Double Dash Tournament
Time TBD · Matt’s Basement, Stillwater
Race your way to victory in a Mario Kart: Double Dash tournament at Matt’s Basement. Teams of two compete for prizes awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers.
$20 buy-in per pair.

📚 Literature Lovers’ Night Out: Jenna Blum & Nickolas Butler
2:00 PM · Stillwater Public Library
Award-winning authors Jenna Blum and Nickolas Butler discuss their books, writing lives, and careers in this engaging literary conversation presented by the Stillwater Public Library and Valley Bookseller. Free registration here.

Friday, February 13
Broken Spoke — 7-11 PM
Saturday, February 14
Broken Spoke — 7-11 PM

Saturday, February 14
Acoustic Cocktails — 5-8 PM

Friday, February 13
The Soiled Doves — 6-9 PM
Saturday, February 14
Jesse Katzman — 6-9 PM

Friday, February 13
The Express Band — 8:30 PM
Saturday, February 14
Keauna Shae w/ Jesse Katzman — 2 PM
Saturday, February 14
Skitzo Fonik — 8:30 PM

Thursday High: 44 🌡️Low: 26 | Mostly Sunny

Friday High: 44 🌡️Low: 27 | Mostly Sunny

Saturday High: 50 🌡️Low: 28 | Mostly Sunny

Weather intended for amusement only.

🌿Thanks for reading the Stillwater Tattler — see you around town!

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