Anna Peterson empowered by recovery and resilience in NW Minn.

For Anna Peterson, community is everything. 

She’s the proud wife of a farmer and member of the northwest Minnesota farming community. Peterson’s husband, Mark, raises wheat and soybeans on 500 acres of family land in Crookston. Beyond her local roots, Peterson has cultivated a considerable connection within the University of Minnesota, both as an alumna and a U of M Extension staff member. For over a decade, she served as support staff for the Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP). More recently she took on the role of Northwest Minnesota Regional Coordinator for the Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs.) 

As a mother of four, an active volunteer in her church, and a member of numerous other groups, Peterson can’t help but be proud of her rich, wide-reaching community. Yet, it was in the aftermath of a traumatic accident where Peterson says she truly understood the depths of that community.

At a high rate of speed, Peterson hit a drainage ditch. It was a spot in the trail that was usually filled with snow. This time, it wasn’t. The exact details of the incident are unclear, but it’s believed that the impact launched Peterson into the air. Upon landing, she was partially crushed. Later her sled would be found an estimated 120 yards away from the crash site. 

“The next thing I knew I was on the ground. I had one arm pinned underneath me, and the other arm was straight up beside me. Someone was talking to me and telling me that I was going to be okay.”

Peterson soon found out that she was not ok. After being airlifted to a Fargo hospital, doctors determined she had broken multiple ribs, a wrist, and an arm. Most devastatingly, she sustained five broken vertebrae, one of which had shattered into her spinal cord.

Peterson says her memories from that night consist of excruciating pain. It was her 42nd birthday.

In addition to a statewide support network cheering her on, Peterson says it was an Extension colleague and close friend who made it possible for her to keep going.

“My husband was trying to farm, we had a crop to get in the field. My mom had been living with us for a time but she eventually had to move home,” she recalls. “So Mark would get me to work in the mornings, then my friend Megan Hruby in Extension's Family, Health, and Wellbeing Department, would bring me home in the afternoon. She would help me into bed and get me all tucked in. Then I'd be good until Mark got home. That's a best friend.”

Today Anna still deals with complications from the accident. She’s permanently lost most feeling in her lower extremities and often uses mobility aids. Yet, she remains determined to move forward. She's energized by pride in her community, her religious faith, and faith in herself.

“It’s been a long road. I’ve learned to live a very different life than a ‘normal’ life. But overcoming these obstacles has made me a more resilient person.”

“I have had a warm reception from people eager to learn more on how they can improve their energy efficiency and even add solar!” says Peterson. “It’s exciting because I know it's something that a lot of people up here don’t know about. I want to help people get to whatever level of clean energy they need in their lives!”

At the end of the day, Peterson says all of these efforts add up to one thing, a chance to serve the community that has given her so much.

“Since the accident, my outlook has completely changed. You learn very fast what’s important to you. That's why my work with CERTs and Empower Crookston is so exciting! It’s my opportunity to give back,” she says. "I love this community. You just can’t replace it."