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St. Charles, Minn. – The rolling countryside near St. Charles is a place of horse-drawn buggies and one-room schoolhouses, woodworking shops and limited electricity. Settled by 60 Amish families, it’s a place of simple living, where farmers like Daniel Gingerich raise livestock.
Gingerich, a bishop in the isolated community, fears the burgeoning silica sand mining industry in southeastern Minnesota could harm their way of life.
