Bernard Fultz
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If you asked Bernie Fultz, who has farmed for more than sixty years, what he thought of wind before 2004, he would have told you that it was his enemy. Wind is something Bernie always had to fight as farmer. It wracked havoc when spraying his crops, it blew his corn crops over, and it lodged the beans in the ground. One year, a tornado (which is wind) nearly destroyed his home as well as the homes of his two sons who live nearby. For Bernie, wind was a curse until his son Dennis presented him with an opportunity to turn an old foe into a friend.
Even as he was heading into his eightieth year, Bernie was open to new ideas concerning the land he has lived on his whole life. “My son is one of my best friends, so when he came to me with the idea for wind farming I was willing to listen,” said Bernie Fultz. “I saw how this resource or concept could benefit the farm and the communities, so I invested.” Bernie is the optimist of the Outland founding team. He is also the sounding board; reassuring his fellow Outlanders that renewable energy is a good move for them and for future generations. Bernie does not see his investment in Outland as one for personal gain, but rather as a benefit for his children and grandchildren and for the future of Minnesota. “I consider my neighbors my extended family, and believe that working together on developing wind and other renewable energy sources is building something for the greater good,” added Bernie. Bernie and his wife, Elnor, live in Tracy, MN. They have three sons, Dean, Dennis, and Eric and two daughters, Ann and Laura. Bernie is an active member of Tracy Lutheran Church and former board member of the Farm Credit Board. Bernie’s motto: Neighbors help neighbors |