(gentle music fades) - [Narrator] Funding for Off 90 is provided in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.

(rock music) - [Barbara] Cruising your way next, Off 90.

We learn all about Minneopa Falls and the Hubbard Milling Company.

We meet Mankato musician, Laura Schultz.

And we visit a Vietnamese kitchen and bakery.

It's all coming up on your next stop, Off 90.

(rock music fades) (lively music) Hi, I'm Barbara Keith.

Thanks for joining me on this trip, Off 90.

Elsamawal Ali won the immigration lottery in his home country of Sudan, which was a surprise because he hadn't applied.

A friend had applied for him.

Ali was a trained doctor in Sudan and hopes to become a doctor in Rochester.

He says many of his dreams lie in the futures of his American children.

(gentle music) - [Narrator] Elsamawal Ali won the lottery.

Not a money lottery.

He won the immigration lottery in his home country of Sudan.

An opportunity to come to America for a better life.

And it came as a complete surprise.

He hadn't even applied for it.

- [Ali] I don't know about it because a friend of mine he applied for me.

In the beginning it was like, are you serious?

It was really very exciting for me because I didn't expect myself to win.

- [Narrator] Ali immigrated to the United States in 2000.

And he married his wife Hanan in 2007.

He has consistently sent money to support his family back in Africa, providing enough support to put his two younger siblings through college.

Today, Ali and Hanan have five kids.

And Hanan works as a teaching assistant in Rochester's public schools.

When asked what are the most profound differences between the US and African countries, he says the wealth of the United States and our access to technology means people in the two regions live very different lives.

(dramatic music) - Life is very easy because of technology.

For example like now, we are in a distance learning for our kids.

Over there, because they don't have like the facilities, they cannot provide laptops, iPads for the students.

So the students are off school for like maybe six or seven months now.

They didn't go to school because of the coronavirus and the lack of technology.

- [Narrator] Ali says not only are internet connections unreliable in Africa, so is electricity.

Power outages happen there regularly.

He also says the poor African economy means fewer job opportunities and much lower paying jobs.

- Financially, you will not be, you will not be covering all your needs over there.

But in here, if you work one job, you can cover at least your needs.

Over there, it is not easy to find that a job, number one.

Number two, after you find a job, the salary is very low.

So the needs are higher than the salary.

(dramatic music) - [Narrator] In Sudan, Ali was a trained doctor.

So when he learned he'd won the immigration lottery, he set the goal of becoming a doctor here.

- [Ali] When I came here, actually the story get a little bit different because I need to support my family back home financially.

So I need to work and study at the same time, which is not easy.

So it took me a longer, longer, longer time to finish my tests.

In addition to that, United States Medical Licensing Exam are very expensive.

So I need to save a lot of money beside to pay for these tests.

I took them and it passed them.

- [Narrator] Despite passing the tests, he says it's very difficult to get into a residency program if several years have passed since you graduated from medical school.

Today, he's working as a medical interpreter at the Mayo Clinic.

(dramatic music) He likes being in the field, but he still has dreams of becoming an American doctor.

- My goal is to be as a physician in USA.

(dramatic music) - [Narrator] Today, many of Ali's dreams lie in the futures of his American kids.

- [Ali] My son Muhammad, he is now nine years old.

Yeah, he is very good writing books and in drawing illustration.

He is like a phenomenon.

So I hope, I hope one day I see him as an author.

What I didn't achieve for myself, I will achieve it for my kids.

(dramatic music) (upbeat music) - The name Minneopa comes from a Dakota word meaning waterfalls twice.

The Blue Earth County Historical Society shares with us the history of Minneopa State Park.

(soft music) - [Female Narrator] The word Minneopa comes from the Dakota word "mni hinhe nunpa" which means water falling twice.

In 1903, the current land owner considered turning the falls area into a pasture.

Luckily, in 1905, a bill was introduced to make Minneopa a state park, Minnesota's third.

In 1931, nearby Seppman Mill built by Louis Seppman in 1864 was donated to the park.

The mill was on land not yet connected to the park.

From 1937 to 1940, teams of men from the Works Progress Administration came to improve the park with new stairs and several new buildings.

The new land was added in 1972, home to a campground, picnic area and a path to the mill.

Over the next five years, volunteers made hiking and skiing trails.

Bison were added in 2015.

Minneopa State Park has an interesting history.

It has come so far from simply being a beautiful example of water falling twice.

For more information about historical topics, visit our website at blueearthcountyhistory.com.

(rock music fades) - Mankato musician Laura Schultz lets us into her home to answer some questions and share a performance in this video by Colin Sharf.

(doorbell rings) (door creaks) - Oh, hi.

- [Colin] Hi Laura.

How are you today?

- Pretty good.

How are you?

- [Colin] Are you ready for some 20ish Questions?

- Let's do it.

(alluring music) - [Colin] We're here today for 20ish Questions with Laura Schultz.

Laura, how's it going?

- Pretty good.

- [Colin] What where you doing before we started our interview?

- I ate a couple of pickles.

♪ Oh, hello.

♪ - [Colin] Dill or sweet?

- Dill.

- [Colin] What's wrong with sweet pickles?

- I don't like it.

- [Colin] It looks like we have a Moondogs hat over here, Laura.

Are you a baseball fan?

- [Laura] I love the Mankota Moondogs.

- [Colin] Did you grow up playing sports?

What's your favorite movie?

- My favorite movie of all time is the 1994 version of Little Women.

- [Colin] What do you love about this movie?

- [Laura] The way that it showcases and represents creativity, family relationships, and relationships between others.

It's just really a beautiful tale of empowerment and connection.

- [Colin] You're a very creative person.

Who might you cite amongst your maybe first influences as a creative individual?

- My sister as a painter and as a ceramicist and as an artist.

- [Colin] Do you have any of her paintings in this home of yours?

- Yeah!

Want to see one?

- [Colin] Yeah, let's go.

- This is a painting that my sister made.

- [Colin] Wow.

(angelic music) Are you also a painter?

- Well.

- [Colin] can we see some of your paintings?

- Painted that little painting.

(angelic music) - [Colin] This is another one of yours?

- [Laura] Oh yeah.

- [Colin] There's a lot of plants in this house.

Do you have a green thumb?

- Well, I try to keep things alive.

This friend, he's such a sweetie pie and he likes the sunshine.

Plants, plants, plants, plants, plants, plants, plants.

Plants, plants.

He's just starting with some of his new life here.

- [Colin] Does this little guy have a name?

- No.

- [Colin] Do you want to give him one for the camera?

- [Laura] Doug.

- [Colin] When did you write your very first song?

- I wrote my very first song with my friend, Laura McDonald about our history teacher.

And that was like sophomore year of high school.

So probably about 15.

- [Colin] Do you remember any bits of that first song about your histor teacher?

♪ Mr. Schneider you're a really cool guy ♪ ♪ In world history you taught us to ask why ♪ - [Colin] Did you perform it for him?

- I'm sure we did.

- [Colin] When did you begin to really take songwriting seriously?

- When I was in undergrad, I started writing songs and performing them and, you know, starting bands and joining bands.

- [Colin] What was your first band?

- The Love Badgers.

- [Colin] That's a really adorable name.

You also recently started a new band called Given Names.

What can you tell us about Given Names?

- Given Names is so much fun?

- Hi.

- Hi.

- Hi.

- We're Given Names.

- We're Given Names.

- We're Given Names.

(pipe organ music) (Michelle laughs) - Michelle plays a cocktail kit.

♪ Who goes to break your heart ♪ - Megan plays the synth.

♪ So slight of hand can't believe ♪ And then I play guitar and sing.

♪ Who breaks the news ♪ ♪ Who breaks the rules ♪ ♪ You fools, you ♪ It just feels really collaborative and exciting and fun and joyful.

- [Colin] If you could be in a band with any two performers, who might those performers be?

- (whispers) Oh no.

The first person who came to mind was Dave Grohl.

(chuckles) And then the other person who came to mind was Feist.

- [Colin] If you're watching Dave Grohl and Feist, Laura Schultz would love to be in a group with you.

Feist or Jenny Lewis.

- Feist.

- [Colin] Feist or Stevie Nicks.

- Feist.

- [Colin] Feist or Dolly Parton.

- For my sensibilities, Feist.

I love Dolly Parton.

- [Colin] Feist for the win.

What's your favorite scary movie?

- I really like Scream.

- [Colin] If you could be the main character in any scary movie, who would you be?

- Who Lives.

(laughs) - [Colin] I know that you are an avid wearer of Halloween costumes.

- Oh yeah.

(mysterious music) - [Colin] What do you want to be for Halloween this year?

- Oh jeez Louise.

Someone from Bobby's World.

- [Colin] Not only are you a musician and a painter, you're also a bit of an actor.

- Oh.

- [Colin] Can you tell us about your role in the cult classic film The Marmal Chronicles?

- [Laura] These are The Marmal Chronicles.

I was a documentarian.

I set out to investigate this threat.

I interviewed several individuals.

But everyone I spoke with had in some way been affected by the marmal.

- The marmal.

- The marmal.

- You don't want to mess with the marmal.

- About what was going on, what was really going on in the community of Brabalo.

- Brabalo.

- Brabalo.

- [Female Narrator] Brabalo, Minnesota.

- With regard to marmal sightings.

- A blob-like badger.

- [Woman Interviewee] There was a figure above me floating.

- [Man Interviewee] Light exploded from my ball.

The room began to shake.

The woman combust, covered her eyes and then she attacked me.

- [Colin] Do you, Laura, believe in the marmal?

- We're just a bunch of Guinea pigs in a city-sized laboratory.

We have to, we have to tell everyone.

We have to warn these people.

Yeah, I think I would be a fool not to.

- [Colin] For the past few years, you've been practicing meditation.

Do you have any advice for somebody who might like to start meditating?

- Some of the best advice that I've gotten.

(angelic music) See how you can make the practice pleasant.

So that might be having it in a specific location that feels comforting, making a cup of tea.

And then also getting specific about it.

So I'm going to do it at 9:30 in the morning for 10 minutes so that I prioritize it.

'Cause sometimes we think it'll just happen.

- [Colin] Do you find that playing music is a form of meditation?

- Yeah.

I mean I think what we're aiming for is a flow state.

that's something I definitely aim for through writing music, performing music.

- [Colin] You have a song called Radiate and one of the lines is ♪ Hearts beating out ♪ ♪ In separate spaces ♪ ♪ Between the beating ♪ ♪ Radiating ♪ ♪ Yeah we're radiating ♪ - [Colin] I'm getting choked up just thinking about it.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

- That's beautiful!

One of the most beautiful ways that I've heard crying described is that it's just an emotion that floods our body.

It doesn't have to be sadness.

It can also be joy.

It can be that connection and it can just feel like, wow, this is so much of this feeling that I need to cry in order to allow the release of that.

I get choked up all the time.

- [Colin] Now that we've had some very serious talk.

What do you think about being a meditator for Halloween?

A tater who meditates?

- Yeah.

(angelic music) I feel great about it.

- [Colin] What's something you hope to accomplish by the end of 2021?

- Well, I set a goal to read, I think 45 books this year.

- [Colin] How many have you read so far?

- I think I've read like 22.

- [Colin] Okay.

Yeah.

That sounds like you're on pace, you're halfway.

- Yeah.

- [Colin] Well, Laura, that's about all the time we have today for 20ish Questions.

I'd like to thank you for hanging out with us and being open and sharing all of your wonderful stories and insights and experiences.

I'm going to ask you a question now that pertains to you in this moment and how you got here.

If you could go back in time and tell young you one little, give her one little piece of advice.

What's something you might tell that little gal?

- (whispers) Man.

It's crazy to think about.

Yeah.

'Cause I think, oh it's so hard.

Okay.

So I'm in high school, nervous all the time.

The advice that I would want to give myself has to do with acknowledging when something is difficult.

Like acknowledging when it's hard and letting it feel challenging and then reaching out for help when things are difficult.

There can be a lot of avoidance of difficult emotions or experiences.

And then that just leads to more and more anxiety.

Things can be difficult.

Let it feel difficult and reach out for help.

- [Colin] Better to talk about it or to at least acknowledge.

It takes a lot of power.

- Yeah.

Yeah.

I'm still practicing.

- [Colin] Thanks for hanging out with us today for 20ish Questions, Laura.

This has been a real pleasure getting to chat with you today.

Bye.

- Bye.

("Making Eyes" by Laura Schultz) ♪ Making eyes ♪ ♪ You tell me you're trying to avoid me but ♪ ♪ The screen door slams ♪ ♪ A parachute open ♪ ♪ And on an unknown dream ♪ ♪ We haven't met but ♪ ♪ You sure you've seen before ♪ ♪ Who gets to tell your story ♪ ♪ When it's all messed up ♪ ♪ Tangled up and we ♪ ♪ Know you could smell the smoke ♪ ♪ Long before we'd ever ♪ ♪ See it ♪ ♪ Plain and grand ♪ ♪ Maybe almost tearing me well ♪ ♪ Stormy banks ♪ ♪ Til the bricks are dust on the feet ♪ ♪ Rest in solace ♪ ♪ Or a bloody battle field ♪ ♪ Depending on your vantage point ♪ ♪ Well, who gets to tell your story ♪ ♪ When it's all messed up ♪ ♪ Tangled up and we ♪ ♪ Know you could smell the smoke ♪ ♪ Long before we'd ever ♪ ♪ See i ♪ ♪ Who gets to tell your story ♪ ♪ When it's all messed up ♪ ♪ Tangled up and we ♪ ♪ Know you could smell the smoke ♪ ♪ Long before we'd ever ♪ ♪ See it ♪ (Laura humming) (alluring music) (rock music fades) - In 1878, the Mankato Milling Company was founded using steam-powered rollers to crush the wheat.

Later, the name was changed to the Hubbard Milling Company.

Let's find out more in this short video by the Blue Earth County Historical Society.

- [Female Narrator] Incorporated in 1878, Mankato Mill Company was a place where farmers could send their wheat to be ground into flour.

The mill use steam-powered roller drums to grind the wheat, which left little to no debris in the flour compared to gristmills such as Seppman Mill.

It wasn't until 1897, the name was changed to Hubbard Milling Company.

Over the years, the company has produced flour under a few different names, including Mother Hubbard and RD.

In 1928, Hubbard Mill began producing animal feed under the name Hubbard Sunshine Concentrate.

This would later expand to include feeds and animal health products.

The first sale of the company was the flour side in 1984 to Cargill.

Then the pet food division in 1997 to Windy Hill's Pet Food Company and the feed division to Ridley, Canada.

Today, the divisions of the original company are operated by Ardent Mills and Alltech.

For more information about historical topics, visit our website at blueearthcountyhistory.com.

(upbeat music) - We've reached the end of this tour Off 90.

Thanks for riding along.

See you next time.

But before we go, we head to Mi-Sant Kitchen and Bakery to learn how they share Vietnamese culture through food.

- Hi.

- [Customer] Can I get a classic banh mi?

- For sure.

- And an order of teriyaki chicken spring rolls.

- [Linh] Mi-Sant is a small family-owned and operated restaurant.

Our main focus is to create really good, authentic Vietnamese food.

As a fast casual concept, we specialize in banh mi sandwiches and croissant.

So that's where our name comes from.

Banh mi for the Mi and the Sant for croissant.

- [Narrator] Mi-Sant Kitchen and Bakery in Roseville, Minnesota was started by wife-husband team Kimwin and Quoc Le along with Kim's sister Linhwin.

All three entrepreneurs grew up in food-related family businesses.

Kim and Linh, their three siblings and parents immigrated from Vietnam in 1994.

They settled in St.

Cloud, Minnesota, where the family opened Viet-Tien Market.

- [Kim] Viet-Tien Market is a Asian Oriental grocery store.

We try to carry as much as we can in this 5,000 square feet store.

(laughs) - [Narrator] Quoc Le's family runs Trung Nam Bakery in St.Paul.

- [Quoc Le] We primarily focus on making croissants and fusion, the Vietnamese and French fusion of banh mi.

- Thank you, have a nice day.

- Yeah, you too.

- [Kim] Viet-Tien started because my parents wanted us to have a better life and I wanted to help my parents so then we can grow.

But when I met my husband, his family has a bakery and he wants to continue to grow his family business.

- We just had this idea brewing for a long time since we've been married and we're discussing about starting a business like kind of fuse the two together.

- So then we have an idea.

What if we do something, the best of each side.

My parents do groceries and deli, which we of expert in ingredients.

And my husband's side, they are known for their croissants and French baguette, Vietnamese French baguette.

- [Quoc Le] So we wanted to kind of fuse those two together and then kind of expand the menu a little bit more to just give more variety for the sandwiches, like different types of proteins that we can provide.

- [Narrator] Located in a former baker square, Mi-Sant is a second generation Vietnamese restaurant that seeks to introduce the Vietnamese cuisine to a broader market.

- Since we came to America, our live have changed a lot and we learned and adapt whatever we think it's good.

- [Linh] we just want to be known for one particular item, which is the banh mi sandwich.

And of course, croissants too.

(uplifting music) When France colonated Vietnam in Indochina, they introduced a lot of their food and an ingredient into Vietnam.

So the banh mi is the creation of that.

I'm just going to spread it with a little, just a little mayonnaise and some pâté.

The classic banh mi consists of three different types of meats.

So this is a pork roll.

And we're going to add some (speaking Vietnamese), Vietnamese ham, cured ham.

And this is my favorite meat, which is the head cheese, which it has really nice texture and flavor into the sandwich.

We're going to add some fresh vegetables.

These are pickled carrots and daikon.

And we're going to add a couple of pieces of cucumbers and a couple pieces of jalapenos.

Some soy sauce and garnish it with cilantro.

- [Narrator] Linh gave up a career in marketing to devote herself full-time to Mi-Sant.

She did it as a way of repaying her parents for their hard work.

It's a mission shared by all three Mi-Sant partners.

- [Linh] They gave me everything that I could have wanted.

They gave me really great education.

I was able to work in corporate.

I achieved that American dream.

But I also want it to show them that their work was important too.

- The main goal was to help our parents retire.

My mom and dad can retire from the grocery and my husband's parents can retire from the bakery.

So that was our simple dream, to help our parents retire.

So that's how Mi-Sant became alive and born.

(laughs) ("Turner's Blues" by Balboas Blues Band) (gentle music) - [Narrator] Funding for Off 90 is provided in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.