Paul Gruchow

Paul Gruchow (May 23, 1947-February 22, 2004) was born in Montevideo, Minnesota in 1947. He grew up on a small farm and later became editor and co-owner of the Worthington Daily Globe newspaper. He also served as Minnesota Public Radio’s director of news and public affairs and edited Minneapolis Magazine. Later, Gruchow taught at various Minnesota colleges and lectured about environmental issues at the Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center.

Often compared to Henry David Thoreau and Aldo Leopold, Gruchow was a conservationist who wrote about Minnesota nature and the environment. His writing explored the interconnectedness of people with the land and environmental issues such as the negative impact of industrial farming on nature. Gruchow’s book Grass Roots: The Universe of Home received a Minnesota Book Award in 1995. His final work, a memoir entitled Letters to a Young Madman, was published posthumously in 2012.

More information on Paul Gruchow from the Minnesota Historical Society.