(GK: Garrison Keillor; SS: Sue Scott; TR: Tim Russell; FN: Fred Newman)
GK: ----and brought to you by the Minnesota Citrus Council. --(HAWAIIAN GUITAR)
TR: CITRUS IN MINNESOTA: A LEGACY OF FAITH.
SS: My father, Dr. Warren Lundeen, was a man with a dream. He loved oranges and though he was not trained as a botanist ---- actually, he was a periodontist ---- he dreamed of starting an orange grove on the hills above Duluth. And the more people scoffed at him, the harder Daddy worked to make his dream come true.
TR: And now, thanks to powerful butane heaters (SFX) the Lundeen Orange Grove is a reality. One man's vision ---- brought to life. Every year, literally hundreds of oranges and grapefruit grown, above 40 degrees latitude, during a growing season of about five weeks. Thousands of smudge pots lit every year (SFX) to hold off the early August frost. And a steady stream of Canadian migrant workers crossing the border to harvest the bounty.
SS: Raising oranges in Minnesota is very expensive. Dreams so often are. How can you help? Write your congressman and say, "I oppose any reduction in farm subsidies for northern citrus growers." Thank goodness, the current farm bill has been a godsend to the Minnesota citrus industry, but with the current federal deficit, this could change. Your vigilance is needed to get us to the next level: growing winter oranges for frozen juice concentrate.
TR: Florida oranges taste good but a Minnesota orange is a true miracle. Don't let it die. Write to your congressman today. A message from the Minnesota Citrus Council.
© Garrison Keillor 2003