Update from Wadena, MN (6/30/25)
- knyreen
- Jun 30
- 3 min read
26 counties visited, 12 to go
by Erik Osberg on 6/30/25
For many years, the Hubbard County DFL has been throwing a Walleye & Wild Rice Diner. They host one in June and August. I attended my first one last week. They sure know how to have a fish fry up there. The crew worked like a well oiled machine. The lead fish fryer kept the secret recipe under wraps. And the crowd showed up in force. There was a buzz, an energy and joy in the American Legion in Park Rapids, MN that night. 280 tickets were sold and connections were made. I was fortunate enough to address the crowd and am grateful for the work they do in their neck of the woods.
On Saturday I made stops in Meeker & McLeod Counties. There was a great turnout at each event. I got to connect with 80+ concerned citizens and listened as they shared what was on their hearts and minds. The really good news is some of those in attendance said they were independents. This means we are making progress in our quest to create a shared reality. One that welcomes all and celebrates who we are right now. I even brought the Get out the Vote Boat and managed to do some fishin’ on my way home.
Earlier in the week, we unveiled our newest way to connect with people in western Minnesota. We call it our Coffee Talk Tour. Shorter visits that allow for smaller, more intimate conversations. Round 1 of our Coffee Talk Tour kicked off in Sibley County. We then visited Brown County and Cottonwood County. Some very deep, heavy and emotional subjects were discussed.
While I was chatting with people in Windom, they told me about a billboard in town. I made sure to stop and see it. The sign reads; “We many not see eye to eye, but we can still talk heart to heart.” We are deeply committed to our core belief that face-to-face conversations is what needs to happen in order to create the change we seek.
Round 2 of our Coffee Talk Tour is this Wednesday, July 2nd.
We will be visiting Murray County, Pipestone County, Lincoln County & Chippewa County. If all goes according to plan, we will have visited 30 of the 38 counties in Minnesota’s 7th Congressional District by week’s end. We can make a difference by dedicating ourselves to the actions we take. If we focus on the things we can control, like our intent & effort, we can create a different path to a different outcome.
Upcoming schedule:
July 2nd - Coffee Talk Tour Register here
July 4th - 4th of July parade - Warroad, MN
July 9th - our 1st Community Fish Fry, Eagle Bend, MN Register here
Thank you for all the support & keep up the good work!
Thanks to our generous donors, we have raised over $47,000 so far. Our campaign relies on donations from folks like you. If you have already donated, THANK YOU! If you have set up a recurring donation, even better. If you would like to host a private party fundraiser, click here: https://secure.ngpvan.com/SKQtMANaY0W8nGqHcpukXA2
