With sleeves rolled up and boots thick with mud, Allie Kuppenbender tends to the seeds of what she hopes will be her most successful harvest yet.
But unlike many of the farms dotting the Zumbro River Valley, Kuppenbender isn't nurturing corn or soybeans. She's using the fertile soil to cultivate rows upon rows of colorful flowers for her budding business, Bleed Heart Floral.
To Kuppenbender, the work feels a lot like farming. And the challenges she faces — from fighting pests and coping with drought to finding reliable seasonal help — would feel familiar to most other farmers here in the southeastern part of the state.
Yet, even with the dirt under her fingernails and long hours spent in the fields, Kuppenbender doesn't meet the legal definition of a farmer. The distinction has led to an ongoing dispute between Bleed Heart Floral and Wabasha County over how to classify the property for tax and permitting purposes.
Read more at The Minnesota Star Tribune