From The Editor: Been Farmin’ Long?

On the wall of my maternal grandparents’ farmhouse near Sioux Falls, S.D., there was a clock with a photo of two toddler boys in a field, dressed in overalls. Along with the photo, there was some text: one boy asking the other, “Been farmin’ long?”

Both those boys and the people behind Lucky Lavender and Liten Bekk farms, both featured in this issue, would probably answer “No” — and that’s a wonderful thing! The recent crop (pun intended) of LGBTQ+ farmers, covered in this and previous issues of Lavender, creates exciting opportunities for both farmers and the LGBTQ+ community more broadly. 

As more diverse voices enter the world of farming, they’ll inevitably introduce new ideas that will ultimately change it for the better. As more LGBTQ+ people become farmers and establish a community within the profession, it’ll become easier for LGBTQ+ people who are interested in farming but might have been concerned about a lack of safe and welcoming spaces for themselves to pursue that passion. New seeds will produce stronger crops that will produce more new seeds, and so on and so forth. 

While new LGBTQ+ farmers might feel like toddlers in overalls today, one day, they’ll be community elders whose experience, knowledge and maybe even quirky wall art will inspire future generations. 

For those who don’t appreciate the joys of operating massive farm equipment or don’t think they look good in overalls, we’ve got you covered, too. Filling out the rest of the Summer Home & Garden section, we have features on Midtown Antiques in Stillwater and a detailed breakdown on the value of window shutters. We also have previews of CTC’s “Wizard of Oz,” NEMAA’s Art-a-Whirl and the 2026 Minnesota Lynx season. 

If none of that sounds good to you, then you must be one picky eater. Whether it’s magazine articles about vegetables or literal vegetables, I’d encourage you to give them a try — you might like it!

Lavender has made corrections to two articles from Issue 805, Spring Dine & Drink: “‘Freddie: Break Free’ ballet promises ultimate homage to Queen frontman and his legacy” and “Hola Arepa Says Hola Aliveness.” Details on those corrections can be found on the online version of each article.