Mother Nature's Daughter

Life on the farm at Terry Prairie

Published 11:24 a.m., July 28, 2009

Whether plowing with a team of horses, giving winter sleigh rides at a local festival, restoring prairie, raising chickens or educating homeowners about preserving our natural resources, Karen Terry is passionate about her life’s callings. Her careers as fisheries biologist, river ecologist and now, water resources and environmental educator, have shaped this “Mother Nature’s daughter” to live her life with intention and concern for the environment. Whether on the job and at home, for Karen both work and play are in tune with nature.

Little House on the Prairie:

At Terry Prairie northeast of Fergus Falls, summer is now

well underway. The pastures are cloaked in green, hens are laying eggs like crazy, Cheddar, the dog, carries a stick as an invitation to play, while the cats, Spot and Ted, wind between your legs begging to be carried and petted. Baby chicks are brooding, birds are flocking to the feeders and the two-ton horses are sleek and happy. Wandering this bustling animal kingdom, Karen says, “Of course, I’m always shopping for a

new horse (or two!) It’s an addiction, I guess.”

Karen’s “homestead-type” lifestyle excites her for two reasons. “I simply find life in the country interesting and calming” she said. “And the gardening, canning, egg-raising, chicken-raising activities let me know the origin of my food.” Additionally, hers is a personal decision to push for social change. Karen isn’t suggesting that everyone live like she

does, but it is her hope that people are intentional about their life choices and are taking responsibility for those choices.

Water, Water, Everywhere:

Water has played an important role Karen’s life. Born in Indianapolis, the youngest of three girls, Karen’s family spent

a portion of every summer at a lake cabin in Minnesota’s Aitkin County. At college in Indiana, an environmental class piqued her interest and ultimately led to her 15-year career with the DNR Fisheries Department.

Karen became involved in stream restoration around 2000, using heavy machinery to reshape rivers. During that time, she began to realize that lifetimes could be spent putting “band-aids” on eroded stream banks, but the problem was not being solved. People were still acting the same way, doing the same things that caused the erosion in the first place. Her work on creating an educational CD about rivers convinced her that education was the key to restoring rivers and this encouraged a career change for her. Completing her Master’s degree in education, she began her new vocation in 2006, as an educator with the University of Minnesota Extension Service. “I think education is critical for protecting our natural resources’ future. I really believe that most people will do the ‘right’ thing if they firmly understand what it is and,” Karen added with a smile, “if it doesn’t cost them lots of money.”

Her work with the Extension Service is providing outreach opportunities related to water resources. She has been leading seminars and workshops for private citizens about lakescaping and creating rain gardens. Currently she is shifting lanes a bit and offering more river-related workshops. In the near future, Karen will incorporate webcast offerings on various topics. Using the Emriver™, a portable teaching tool about the size of a pool table, that mimics the effects of natural and man-made changes on waterways, she now can create rivers, change surrounding environments and share the effects on those waterways. Karen is excited about this tool and said, “It isn’t everyone that gets to ‘play’ at building dams, moving earth, or changing the flow of rivers as part of their job. I love it!”

Horsing Around:

Karen is expanding her equine passions by learning more about farming with horses and mules. She is training her two Percherons, Hank Jr. and Ladd, to be “working horses” and has begun using Hank Jr. to move big round bales of hay. Karen says, “He doesn’t like it much but if he wants to eat, he can do a little work to earn it!” While Percherons aren’t mules, they can be stubborn. But with great affection, Karen cradles Hank Jr.’s massive head as if it were a little child’s, but this “child” weighs in at 1650 pounds!

Collaborating on common interests and wishing to share them, Karen and friends have formed a new club, the Harness and Homesteaders Club of Otter Tail. Last year they hosted a Draft Horse Field Day at the Dave Lindig farm, near Fergus Falls. Plans for the second event for September 19-20, 2009 are well under way. This field day will have demonstrations of horse-powered farming and other homesteading skills. “We’re looking for adventurous volunteers,” she added.

Shaking Hands with Mother Nature

Living “the prairie life” in modern times is sometimes a conundrum. Karen said, “The reality is that the human race is not winning the war against Mother Nature so it’s a good time to take a step back, regroup, and consider an amiable truce rather than fighting to the death.” A positive, witty and thoughtful woman, Karen is truly shaking hands with Mother Nature and it looks like the partnership is thriving!

Websites to explore:

For more great photos and information about Karen and the Terry Prairie:

http://www.terryprairie.blogspot.com/

Karen’s new website as the “egg lady”: http://sites.google.com/site/karentheegglady/

Draft Horse field day information:

http://www.lindigfarms.com/

---

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE THIS STORY?

---

Story and photos by Sandy Thimgan