Fertile, Minnesota

Fertile is a city in Polk County, Minnesota, United States. It is part of the Grand Forks ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 842 at the 2010 census.[5]

Fertile
City
Nickname(s):  "The Flower City"
Location of Fertile, Minnesota
Coordinates: 47°32′1″N 96°17′0″W
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
County	Polk
Area [1]
• Total	2.08 sq mi (5.38 km^2)
• Land	2.08 sq mi (5.38 km^2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km^2)
Elevation	1,138 ft (347 m)
Population  (2010)[2]
• Total	842
• Estimate  (2019)[3]	818
• Density	394.03/sq mi (152.13/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	56540
Area code(s)	218
FIPS code	27-20978
GNIS feature ID	0643615[4]
Website	http://www.cityoffertile.org

The annual Polk County Fair is held in Fertile and dates back to 1900. The Polk County Fair is also the main attraction for the town of Fertile during the summer. It holds many competitions for crops, animals, and man made items.

History

A post office called Fertile has been in operation since 1881.[6] The city was named after Fertile, Iowa, the former home of a share of the first settlers.[7]

Geography and climate

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.13 square miles (5.52 km²), all land.[8] The area east, south, and southwest of Fertile are hilly while the areas to the north and west of Fertile are very flat and good for agriculture.

Fertile is home to the Fertile Sand Hills. These hills are sand dunes left behind by ancient Lake Agassiz, and host several rare plants and insects. Lake Agassiz existed mostly in what is now Canada. The Fertile Sand Hills form the only such dune field in Minnesota.[9] Portions of the Sand Hills are protected in a state preserve called Agassiz Dunes Scientific and Natural Area[10] and a city park called the Fertile Sand Hills Wilderness Sanctuary and West Mill Recreation Area.[9]

Minnesota State Highways 32 and Minnesota Highway 102 are two of the main routes in the community. The Agassiz Recreational Trail, a 53-mile multi-use trail built on an abandoned railroad grade passes through the city.[11]

The city has a climate typical of a humid continental climate, with long, cold winters and warm, humid summers. The town averages 24 inches (610 mm) of rain and roughly 45 inches (1,100 mm) of snow each year. The record low is −46 °F (−43 °C) and the record high is 105 °F (41 °C). Because Fertile is located near the geographic center of North America, the area can experience many types of weather.

Economy

The city has a sandy soil, which makes the area immediately around Fertile poor farming land as the soil dries out very easily. In the areas east and west of the immediate area, however, are prime for corn, soybeans, wheat, sunflowers, oats, barley, sugar beets (to the west of Fertile), berries, hay, potatoes, vegetables, and much more. Livestock used to be a big area of agriculture for Fertile. The remaining livestock production is mainly beef cattle, with a few dairy farms here and there.

Although not directly related to farming, another vital part of the Fertile area economy is hunting and fishing. The area is prime for deer, waterfowl, small game and pheasant huntingas well as multiple types of fishing with the many lakes in the area.

Polk County Fair

Fertile has been home to the yearly Polk County Fair for over 110 years. This event is known to be family friendly with free admission, many food stands, rides, a Free stage and grandstand. The fairgrounds are located east of Highway 32 in Fertile providing easy access for the many visitors every year.[12]

Education

The Fertile-Beltrami Public School is located in Fertile at the intersection of Mill Street and Jefferson Avenue. The school is a K-12 grade building shared by the community of Fertile and the smaller community of Beltrami which is located approximately 12 miles to the west. The school's team is the Fertile Falcons, which includes softball, baseball, basketball, volleyball, football, and golf.

Advance Com

Advance Com is a student-based web hosting service that creates and designs web pages for the community. It is managed by Year-3 computer students that 'apply' and these students manage the school, and other websites that pay the business to update throughout the year. The business also takes on Video Editing jobs on occasion.

Knowledge Bowl

Knowledge Bowl is a question-based competition in the state of Minnesota. The first round is a test taken by five of the team members to find out their ranking based upon their score. The written round is usually followed by four oral rounds in which four of the team members participate. In 2011 the Fertile-Beltrami Knowledge Bowl team has had success with its first team going to the State Competition.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1890	273		—
1900	587		115.0%
1910	614		4.6%
1920	800		30.3%
1930	800		0.0%
1940	907		13.4%
1950	890		−1.9%
1960	968		8.8%
1970	955		−1.3%
1980	869		−9.0%
1990	859		−1.2%
2000	893		4.0%
2010	842		−5.7%
2019 (est.)	818	[3]	−2.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[13]

2010 census

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 842 people, 372 households, and 211 families living in the city. The population density was 395.3 inhabitants per square mile (152.6/km²). There were 428 housing units at an average density of 200.9 per square mile (77.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.1% White, 0.4% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population.

There were 372 households, of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.3% were non-families. 39.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.90.

The median age in the city was 44.1 years. 23% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.2% were from 25 to 44; 21.4% were from 45 to 64; and 27.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.4% male and 53.6% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 893 people, 396 households, and 220 families living in the city. The population density was 471.9 people per square mile (182.4/km²). There were 433 housing units at an average density of 228.8 per square mile (88.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.20% White, 0.56% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.56% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.34% of the population.

Fertile also ranks as the second community in the U.S. with the highest percentage of residents claiming Norwegian ancestry by 54.4%.[14]

There were 396 households, out of which 21.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.2% were non-families. 42.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 29.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.3% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 20.9% from 25 to 44, 16.1% from 45 to 64, and 37.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females, there were 79.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $23,021, and the median income for a family was $30,192. Males had a median income of $27,344 versus $20,341 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,866. About 11.1% of families and 17.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.4% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
2. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
3. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
4. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
5. "2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File". American FactFinder. U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
6. "Polk County". Jim Forte Postal History. Archived from the original on 24 January 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
7. Upham, Warren (1920). Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance. Minnesota Historical Society. p. 424.
8. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2012-07-02. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
9. Welcome to the Fertile Sand Hills (Brochure). Agassiz Environmental Learning Center. 30 July 2019.
10. "Agassiz Dunes Scientific and Natural Area". The Nature Conservancy. The Nature Conservancy. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
11. "Agassiz Recreational Trail (Minnesota)". American Trails. Archived from the original on 14 March 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
12. Archived 2012-08-26 at the Wayback Machine, additional text.
13. United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing". Retrieved September 11, 2013.
14. http://www.epodunk.com/ancestry/Norwegian.html