from the publishers
Farm girl becomes wife, mother and painter
Welcome to the Fall Issue of Minnesota Moments. In this edition we introduce you to a woman who wears many hats.
Meet Bonnie Mohr. Bonnie is a Minnesotan. She grew up on a farm near Gibbon, picking rocks and milking cows. Today, Bonnie lives near Glencoe. She still is on a dairy farm, which she owns with her husband, John.
Bonnie is a mother of five. And, Bonnie is a painter. Bonnie's artwork is recognizable around the globe. She paints rural scenes, such as barns, farmyards and most notably - cows. She loves cows and barns and all things rural.
Bonnie has been selected to paint the cover of Minnesota Moments' 2007 holiday edition.
Bonnie's story is intriguing for many reasons. There aren't many women like her remaining. There used to be many women who raised their families while living and working on farm. But as family farms have dwindled in recent decades, so has the role of farm wife and mother. Today's farm families are smaller. Many wives work off of the farm to help support their husbands who milk cows, raise animals and grow crops.
But instead of taking a job off the farm, Bonnie has helped her husband diversify the farm operation by painting. A studio on the farm allows Bonnie to raise her family while remaining in the middle of the whole operation. Only instead of brandishing a pitch fork or shovel, Bonnie wields a paint brush.
We hope you enjoy Bonnie's story, as well as all of the offerings inside this issue of Minnesota Moments. And, we can't wait for you to see Bonnie's painting gracing the cover of Minnesota Moments' fourth holiday issue. Look for it in your mailbox or on newsstands by early November.
Mike Nistler and Diane Wimmer