January 2024 
Dear Rotary Friends, 

I write to express my gratitude for choosing me to receive the Good Neighbor Award and for naming me as a Paul Harris Fellow.


I have the framed award hanging in my office and am very proud to point it out to my visitors. (Even though we humble, retiring Norwegians are not supposed to even think of being proud.) 

My associations with Rotary began in the mid 1960's as a public school teacher who was very involved in student welfare and providing opportunities to broaden young people's view of the world. It was my pleasure to speak at Rotary events and make note of young folks who were working to make a difference. My associations with Northfield Rotary has been centered around speaking about the work of the Cannon River Watershed Partnership, now Clean River Partners, to point out the work that is being done to protect our water, land and air. I have always been an active environmentalist in my education career and in how I farm the lands that I am privileged to operate. 

I applaud Northfield Rotary and Rotary at large for the emphasis to raise consciousness surrounding the changing climate. The Rotary Climate Action Team must play an active role in our community in helping address strategies to reduce the impacts of human activity. For several years I have been involved in speaking with people about the connections between agriculture and our climate situation. Each year I present several times at the Minnesota State Fair, speak in college and high school science classes, appear at adult forums in churches, and speak to civic groups in general. I am pleased to know that these efforts are congruent with the Rotary Climate Action Team's efforts. 

If the leadership of the Northfield Rotary would like to have one of these presentations, I would be pleased to supply. My presentation partner is a Northfield native, Hannah Malecha, U-W graduate, '18, BS in Agricultural Business Management. We do a program entitled " The View From the Tractor Seat" which traces the advancements in agriculture as well as the impacts and challenges of climate change on agriculture. 
With great gratitude for your important work in our community, 

Dave Legvold