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To the newly recognized Century Farms and Sesquicentennial Farms.

Congratulations to the new Century Farms and Sesquicentennial Farms in the area that are being recognized by the Minnesota State Fair and Minnesota Farm Bureau this year.

To be named as a Century Farm, a farm has to have had continuous family ownership for at least 100 years and are farming 50 acres or more. To be named a Sesquicentennial Farm, a family farm must be in continuous family ownership for at least 150 years, be 50 acres or larger and currently be involved in agricultural production.

This is no small feat.

Being recognized as Century Farms are the Hankerson Farm, Drescher Farms and Andersland Farm. Recognized as Sesquicentennial Farms are Roger and Shirley Enderson; Donald and Joanne Johnsrud Farm; Roger J. Pestorious and Jeannie Pestorious; Nicholson Farm and Schmidt-Stroklund Farms.

Thank you for your dedication to agriculture, not only for our area but the entire nation.

To the city’s continued efforts to clean up more blighted properties.

Thank you to the Albert Lea City Council who this week approved acquiring three more blighted properties in the city through tax forfeiture from Freeborn County for $1 each.

The properties are at 821 Jefferson Ave., 122 S. Ermina Ave. and 917 S. Broadway.

The city has already put some money into stabilizing the Jefferson Avenue house and plans to do a few more repairs before returning it to the private market for rehabilitation. The city has said it is still assessing the South Broadway structure, and it plans to take down at least part of the Ermina Avenue.

Though some question the city taking care of blighted properties like this, we believe when they, do it has a positive effect on the quality of life in the community. The neighbors will no longer have to see the dilapidation any further, and it helps clean up the community for both residents and visitors.

While not every structure will be able to be saved and some will have to be taken down, some are being returned to the private market for use for many years to come.

This also helps address some of the housing shortages in the community.