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North Dakota LIVING is published monthly by the white type >>>

NOVEMBER 2010 Volume 57, No. 5

Your Touchstone Energy Cooperative

North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives Your Touchstone Energy Cooperative

North Dakota LIVING is published by North Dakota’s electric and telephone cooperatives, which take pride in advancing and enriching the quality of life in North Dakota.

ON OUR COVER : Hearfelt designs from Bear Creek Ranch ...................... page 10

COVER PHOTO BY LAYN MUDDER

Your Touchstone 3201 Nygren DriveEnergy NW Cooperative P.O. Box 727 Mandan ND 58554-0727 Your Touchstone Energy Cooperative (701) 663-6501  (800) 234-0518 Energy Cooperative NDARECYour is a Touchstone statewide association that represents North s 16 electric cooperatives. YourDakota’ Touchstone Energy Cooperative Visit our Web site at www.ndarec.com. Magazine Staff: Dennis Hill, CCC, editor-in-chief ................... dhill@ndarec.com Kent Brick, CCC, editor............................... kbrick@ndarec.com Edna Stoltz, center pages & publications services manager............ estoltz@ndarec.com Tammy Kear, editorial assistant ..................... tkear@ndarec.com J.C. Balcom, production & graphics services manager ............ jcbalcom@ndarec.com Carmen Devney, CCC, communications specialist............... cdevney@ndarec.com Public Relations Advisory Committee: Ron Kinzler, chairman ........... Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative Bob Huether .................................. Minnkota Power Cooperative Christine Peterson ................ North Central Electric Cooperative Bruce Carlson ............................ Verendrye Electric Cooperative Don Franklund .................... Mor-Gran-Sou Electric Cooperative Jeanette Hoff ....................... Reservation Telephone Cooperative Joe Dunn ............................ Mor-Gran-Sou Electric Cooperative In accordance with federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Advertising Sales: Clark A. Van Horn, ............................................ (800) 234-0518 advertising manager....................... cvanhorn@ndarec.com National Country Market ................................... (512) 441-5200 The Weiss Group ............................................... (480) 860-5394 Advertisements in North Dakota LIVING are paid solicitations. The publisher neither endorses nor guarantees in any manner any product or company included in this publication. Product satisfaction and delivery lie solely with the advertiser. Questions about advertising in this publication should be directed to Clark A. Van Horn, advertising manager. Magazine subscriptions: One year.................. $11.28 for members of subscribing co-ops One year.............................................. $13.95 for non-members Three years ......................................... $38.50 for non-members Single copy ....................................................................... $2.OO To subscribe: Call (800) 234-0518; or visit www.ndarec.com Circulation .....................................................................70,200 Corrections, clarifications: Send to: Editor, North Dakota LIVING, P.O. Box 727, Mandan ND 58554-0727 Advertising: Space order by 1st of the month prior to publication month; copy due by the 5th. For advertising rates, contact Clark A. Van Horn, advertising manager, at (800) 234-0518. © Copyright 2010, by North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives. No portion of the advertising or editorial content of North Dakota LIVING may be reproduced without permission. The opinions expressed in editorial and advertising content in North Dakota LIVING do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of NDAREC. North Dakota LIVING (ISSN-1539-0063) is published monthly by the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, 3201 Nygren Drive NW, Mandan ND 58554. Change of address: Subscribing co-op members send notification of change of address to your local cooperative. Other subscribers, send mailing label with changes to: Subscription Department, North Dakota LIVING, P.O. Box 727, Mandan ND 58554-0727, or e-mail tkear@ndarec.com. Postage: Periodicals nonprofit postage paid at Mandan, N.D., and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to: North Dakota LIVING, P.O. Box 727, Mandan ND 58554-0727. 

Where there’s sheep, there’s wool, and in the hands and tools of artist Teresa Perleberg, wool comes alive. The Perlebergs keep Romney sheep at their ranch near Fort Ransom and Teresa uses wool for her needle felting work to create an array of cute animal replicas. She adorns these critters with wool garments created at her spinning wheel. Perleberg has become an active artist-merchant in the Pride of Dakota network of vendors of North Dakota original products. Look inside for more about Teresa Perleberg’s creations and about upcoming Pride of Dakota showcases.

TO G E TH E RW E SAV E Using energy in a smarter way................................ page 8

Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives are opening a new chapter in TOGETHER WE SAVE energy-efﬁciency practices.

S P E C I A L S E C T I O N : e - N O R T H D A K O TA Classroom technology goes the distance ............................... page 14 With assists from cooperatives, public schools have moved their distance learning tools into high deﬁnition zones.

AdFarm: using social media with homemade pie ........................... page 20

When today’s professional promoters of all aspects of agriculture gather, mobile communications is as prevalent as apple pie.

D E PA R T M E N T S  News Connections

 Teen-2-Teen

 Editorial by Dennis Hill

 Calendar of Events

 Country Line

 Recipe Roundup

USDA awards grant to NDAREC Wise energy use ranks high with co-ops BEK Business Solutions builds with trust

 Discovering Dakota

2010 Honor Flight takes World War II vets to Washington

 Reader Reply

Youth Tour: more than a ‘power’ trip

A favorite place begins with grace

 Kitchen Kudos

 Farm Byline by Al Gustin

 Marketplace Forum

 Advertisers’ Index

 Co-op Country

Barn taught life lessons

“November is National Adoption Awareness Month. Share an adoption story and photos of your family.”

Reflections

Local electric cooperative Center Pages ................C1 Local electric cooperative news in the “center” of magazine. (Not in all editions.) NORTH DAKOTA LIVING  NOVEMBER 2010 1

NEWS CONNECTIONS

USDA Rural Development awards grant to NDAREC

PHOTO BY KENT BRICK

.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development State Director Jasper Schneider presented a $225,000 grant to the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives (NDAREC) during the association’s board of directors meeting last month. The funding is provided through USDA Rural Development’s Rural Cooperative Development Grant program to help create selfsustaining, long-term economic development in rural communities. “The RECs strive to expand economic activity in rural North Dakota by providing quality services,” Schneider said. “Rural Development’s partnership with NDAREC will help support these efforts and it highlights the continued success of the cooperative business model as a viable organizational option.” The grant will be used by the NDAREC to operate its cooperative development center. The center will work with electric and telecommunications cooperatives to provide technical assistance in support

Rural Development State Director Jasper Schneider, right, visited NDAREC recently to formally present a cooperative development grant to NDAREC’s Rural Development Center, led by Lori Capouch, left.

of the development of other cooperatives and rural businesses. The center will facilitate strategic planning sessions, raise funds for development activities, lead organizational development, facilitate equity drives, conduct and participate in feasibility studies, develop financial packages, and conduct board of director training and management audits. “We are proud of our nearly two-decade long

$50 online-survey prizes available

orth Dakota LIVING is online in December with a readership survey. Readers who complete the survey online will be eligible for one of 10, $50 cash prizes awarded in a drawing. “North Dakota LIVING reader surveys are always helpful with the relationships our electric and telephone cooperatives build with our members,” said Kent brick, editor of the magazine. In early December, North Dakota LIVING read2

ers can go to www.ndarec. com and click on a link to the readership survey. Those completing the online North Dakota LIVING survey will be given an opportunity to declare their eligibility for one of the 10, $50 cash prizes awarded in a drawing. Rules for participating in the online survey will be posted with the survey when it appears in December. The North Dakota LIVING online reader survey will be open Dec. 7 through Dec. 31, 2010. n

NoVEMbER 2010 n NoRTH DAKoTA LIVING

partnership with USDA Rural Development, which has allowed us to expand community services all across rural North Dakota,” said Dennis Hill, executive vice president and general manager of NDAREC. Schneider said this grant to NDAREC aligns well with the USDA Rural Development mission of advancing economic and quality of life conditions in rural communities. This work is essential in the robust agricultural and energy development landscape in North Dakota, he said. “If you’re going to have domestic food production and domestic energy production, it’s absolutely essential you have rural communities,” Schneider said. “And to have rural communities, you need to invest in infrastructure to attract a work force so we can sustain and grow those industries.” In addition to boosting rural cooperative enterprise, USDA Rural Development also has programs to support development in the areas of housing, school and medical facili-

ties, modern electric power and telecommunications, roadway, water and waste disposal services. The USDA grant and related services are part of the NDAREC Rural Electric and Telecommunications Development Center’s services. This center, led by Lori Capouch, also directs and coordinates other key development activities currently ranging from housing, to renewable energy, to oil refining, to livestock processing and dairy operation, to rural development financing services. Capouch’s colleagues in the development center include Pat Downs and Gary Hoffman. The NDAREC rural development center has also experienced recent success in its coordination of the USDA Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program (REDLG). KEM Electric Cooperative, Linton, has received a $450,000 zero-interest loan through the REDLG program. This loan will be passed through to Green Iron Equipment for the expansion of its service shop in Napoleon. Green Iron’s expansion will add five full-time employees to the Napoleon location, bringing the total work force employed by the company to 22. Northwest Communications has received a $300,000 grant through the REDLG program to establish a revolving loan fund. The fund will be used to provide a zero-interest loan to St. Luke’s Hospital, Crosby. St. Luke’s is in the process of constructing a replacement clinic onto the existing hospital, remodeling portions of the hospital and adding a new ambulance garage. n www.ndarec.com

Trinity Health, Lake Region College boost technology PHOTO COURTESY TRINITY HEALTH

echnology strides are translating into improved contemporary health care in North Dakota. In-formation technology advances and improved tools help health care providers track courses of patient care and reduce time and discomfort patients can experience from critical procedures.

Robotic surgery

Trinity Health, Minot, has become the first hospital in North Dakota to acquire the new da Vinci Si HD Surgical System, the most advanced robotic surgical technology on the market. The da Vinci combines the advantages of small incisions used in laparo- scopic surgery with highdefinition, 3D optics and advanced robotic instrumentation. The result is a system that gives surgical special-

PHOTO COURTESY LAKE REGION STATE COLLEGE

Dr. Ryan Hedgepeth, Trinity Health

Cindy Brown, Lake Region State College

ists the ability to perform precise and meticulous procedures using a minimally invasive approach. Dr. Ryan Hedgepeth, urologist who joined Trinity Health last summer, leads the new robotic surgery program. A Fellow in urologic cancer surgery and minimally invasive surgery, Hedgepath has performed more

than 150 procedures using the da Vinci system while at the Cleveland Clinic and the University of Michigan. “Robotic-assisted surgery is the next evolution in minimally invasive surgery,” Hedgepeth said. “The technology is quickly spreading across the country due to its technical advantages over traditional laparo-

OFFICIAL NOTICE OF PUBLICATION STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION (REQUIRED BY 39 U.S.C. 3685)

1. Title of publication: North Dakota LIVING 2. Publication No. 0393-880 3. Date of filing: Nov. 1, 2010 4. Frequency of issue: Monthly 5. 12 issues published annually 6. Annual subscription price: $13.95 U.S.; $29.95 Canada 7. Complete mailing address of known office of publication (street, city, county, state, ZIP+4): 3201 Nygren Drive N.W. (P.O. Box 727), Mandan, N.D. 58554-0727 (Morton County) 8. Complete mailing address of headquarters or general business office of publisher: 3201 Nygren Drive N.W. (P.O. Box 727), Mandan, N.D. 58554-0727 9. Names and addresses of publisher, editor and managing editor: Publisher: North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, 3201 Nygren Drive N.W. (P.O. Box 727),

Mandan, N.D. 58554-0727. Editor: Kent Brick, 3201 Nygren Drive N.W. (P.O. Box 727), Mandan, N.D. 58554-0727. 10. Owner name, complete mailing address: North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, 3201 Nygren Drive N.W. (P.O. Box 727), Mandan, N.D. 58554-0727 11. Known bondholders/mortgagees/other security holders owning or holding 1% or more of total amount of bonds/mortgages/other securities: None 12. Tax status (purpose/function /nonprofit status of organization and exempt status for federal income tax purposes): Has not changed during preceding 12 months. 13. Publication title: North Dakota LIVING 14. Issue date for circulation data: October 2010 Avg. no. of copies each issue during preceding 12 months

Actual no. of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date

15. Extent and nature of circulation A. Total number of copies (net press run) ....................................................................... 80,267 ........................... 71,769 B. Paid and/or requested circulation: 1. Paid or requested outside-county mail subscriptions ............................................. 78,104 ........................... 69,203 2. Paid in-county subscriptions (including advertisers’ proofs/exchange copies) ................................................................................................. 0 .................................... 0 3. Sales through dealers, carriers, street vendors, counter sales, other non-USPS paid distribution ............................................................ 0 .................................... 0 4. Other classes mailed through the USPS ......................................................................... 0 .................................... 0 C. Total paid and/or requested circulation (sum of 15B, 1, 2, 3 and 4) .......................... 78,104 ........................... 69,203 D. Free distribution by mail 1. Outside county as stated on form 3541 ........................................................................... 0 .................................... 0 2. In-county as stated on form 3541 .................................................................................... 0 .................................... 0 3. Other classes mailed through the USPS .................................................................. 1,656 ............................. 2,059 E. Free distribution outside the mail (carriers or other means) ............................................ 375 ................................ 375 F. Total free distribution (sum of 15D and 15E) ................................................................ 2,031 ............................. 2,434 G. Total distribution (sums of 15C and 15F) .................................................................... 80,135 ........................... 71,637 H. Copies not distributed ...................................................................................................... 132 ................................ 132 I. Total (sum of 15G and 15H) ........................................................................................ 80,267 ........................... 71,769 J. Percent paid and/or requested circulation ......................................................................... 97% ............................... 97% www.ndliving.com

scopic surgery and its ability to make more advanced procedures feasible and safe.” Hedgepath said the da Vinci system is becoming a leading surgical technology for prostatectomies and hysterectomies.

Health records, tech careers

Lake Region State College (LRSC), Devils Lake, is using technology to advance health care records technology progress and careers, a major goal of national economic recovery programs. A new section of the LRSC curriculum addresses the emerging needs for trained professionals in electronic health records. Through a grant funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, LRSC is offering three health information technology (IT) certificates. Each certificate is earned after six months of online study. “The roles for which we are offering non-degree certificates include technical software support, health IT trainer, and clinician/practitioner consultant. Those seeking to earn a health IT certificate will select one of these roles and complete the certificate in three, eight-week terms that cover a six-month period,” said Cindy Brown, health IT program manager. The first eight-week term began in September and concludes in late November. Future term start dates are Nov. 29, Feb. 7, April 4 and June 6. Brown said new students are accepted at the beginning at the each term. Additional terms also will be offered and can be accessed at www.lrsc.edu. n

NORTH DAKOTA LIVING n NOVEMBER 2010 3

EDITORIAL by Dennis Hill

Wise energy use ranks high with co-ops

PHOTO BY PHYNE PHOTOGRAPHY

ith North Dakota leading the nation in many economic indicators and quality-oflife rankings, it may have come as a surprise to many to read recently that our state ranks dead last in energy efficiency among all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This news comes from a recent report by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) that rated states based on six criteria including 1) utility and public benefits programs and policies; 2) transportation policies; 3) building energy codes; 4) combined heat and power; 5) state government initiatives; and 6) appliance efficiency standards. All of these criteria relate mainly or exclusively to whether state government has policies or programs in place to promote energy development. It’s true that North Dakota has not traditionally set energyefficiency standards for building codes, vehicles or appliances. Compared to many other states, North Dakota also has not developed or funded a lot of programs to promote energy efficiency. In part, this may have been due to low energy costs in our state, as well as a general reluctance by many legislators to dictate standards in areas of individual choice. But, times change, and the ACEEE rankings do not fully account for what is happening in North Dakota. While our state still has among the lowest electric rates in the country, all electric utilities in North Dakota are dealing with rate pressures and have — or will — raise rates substantially in the future. As member-owned utilities, North Dakota’s electric cooperatives have had a tradition of promoting energy efficiency and conservation. After all, co-ops exist to bring the best value possible to their members. In this time of increasing rates, energy efficiency is more important than ever. That’s one of the reasons our electric cooperatives offer a number of energy efficiency incentives and education programs, including some or all of the following:

Dennis Hill

n Energy Resource Conservation (ERC) loans to help finance energy-efficiency improvements. n Rebates on the purchase of some energyefficient appliances or equipment. n Off-peak programs to save money and cut electric use in times of high energy demand. n Energy-efficiency and renewable energy rebates through the North Dakota Utility Rebate Program offered through the North Dakota Department of Commerce from funds made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Since June 1, co-op customers have received more than $500,000 in rebates through this program. For program details and eligibility rules, go to www. ndarec.com and click on Utility Rebate Program. n Education programs for members on energy efficiency and conservation through a national campaign called “Together We Save.” For more information on this program and to learn how small steps can lead to big savings, go to www.together wesave.com. North Dakota’s electric cooperatives also support state policy initiatives to promote greater energy efficiency. Some of these initiatives might include: n Setting energy-efficiency standards for commercial and residential buildings as part of the State Building Code. n Enacting energy-efficient standards for construction of new public buildings. n Establishing minimum fuel-efficiency standards for the purchase of all State of North Dakota fleet vehicles. n Appropriating a small portion of the Resources Trust Fund for use in promoting energyefficiency programs. While there are many things legislators and utility officials can do to promote energy efficiency, using energy wisely is still primarily a personal responsibility. If you want to save energy and money and promote a better environment, look for energy saving tips in this magazine, visit www.ndarec.com or your local co-op’s Web site, or check out www. togetherwesave.com today. Working together, we can save energy, keep energy bills low, and perhaps improve our ranking in next year’s ACEEE report. n Dennis Hill, editor-in-chief of North Dakota LIVING, is executive vice president and general manager of the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, Mandan.

Comments may be sent to: Dennis Hill, NDAREC, P.O. Box 727, Mandan, ND 58554-0727 or by e-mail: dhill@ndarec.com. 4

NOVEMBER 2010 n NORTH DAKOTA LIVING

www.ndarec.com

COUNTRY LINE by Kent Brick

Kevin Lech, standing, and Uriah Burchinal, in vehicle, are “on the go” for BEK Business Solutions.

BEK Business Solutions builds with trust B

EK Communications Cooperative, Steele, has a strong legacy of telecommunications service for the rural folks of south central North Dakota. Now, through BEK Business Solutions, BEK Communications is proving the cooperative approach is well-suited to bringing the best of information technologies to growing cities and their businesses. BEK Business Solutions is the BEK Communications Cooperative affiliate operating from a business center on Memorial Highway in Bismarck. BEK Business Solutions offers a full line of products and services for office phones, computer networks, Internet connections, security, infrastructure implementation, cabling and more. “BEK Business Solutions offers comprehensive technology solutions for small- to medium-sized businesses,” said Uriah Burchinal, BEK Business Solutions operations manager. Burchinal said furnishing business telephone systems is a core service, and now computer and network services are in the portfolio. Partnerships with technology equipment developers is a key to BEK Business Solutions’ technology services, according to Burchinal. The business partners for phone systems are Avaya, Mitel and ESI. A growing and key partnership is operating with West-Com Nurse Call Systems Inc. West-Com creates state-of-the-art nurse call systems, clinic “staff flow” systems, intercom and visual nurse call systems. Kevin Lech, BEK Business Solutions communications consultant, has helped the business become one of the nation’s top distributors of West-Com Nurse Call Systems products.

Lech has more than 30 years of experience working with health care facilities on nurse call systems. Like many aspects of life and business, technology has transformed simple signaling into a wide, instant, multi-dimensioned information tool. “The nurses refer to it as the ‘call light system,’ ” Lech said. “When the patient needs something – for whatever reason – they touch a button and it turns on a light in the corridor as well as turns on a light and makes a sound at the nurses station.” This signaling can also reach pertinent staff instantaneously. Lech said modern nurse-call technology has multiple options, so a patient can send specific messages – ranging from simple requests to “code blue” emergencies – to staff. He said it also is an intelligent system that logs response times. This is an important resource for managing health care services. In Bismarck, BEK Business Solutions works with both St. Alexius Medical Center and Medcenter One on the deployment of the high-tech West-Com nurse call system. Jeff Beauchamp, director of biomedical services for St. Alexius, said this nurse call system has become a valuable asset. “We pride ourselves on very short response times,” Beauchamp said. He said the system is far beyond the “push buttons and buzzers” of the past and that the built-in time reporting helps St. Alexius Medical Center measure those response times. Beauchamp said, more than just alerts, the system can zero in on what a patient is experiencing. “It’s very descriptive in terms of what a patient’s needs are,” he said, adding levels of pain and trauma can be

NOVEMBER 2010  NORTH DAKOTA LIVINGH DAKOTA LIVING

www.ndatc.com

Kevin Lech displays the nurse call system components which health care facilities are installing.

PHOTOS BY KENT BRICK

communicated and dealt with based on what the system reports. Also on the Bismarck medical scene, Medcenter One is progressing with deployment of the nurse call system BEK Business Solutions provides. Chris Schaefbauer, Medcenter One director of biomed, said the BEK Business Solutions staff is helping make the transition smooth. “They’ve been very good to work with, from the availability of their staff to their fast response times,” Schaefbauer said. He said what he favors most about the system is that its multiple “smart” components throughout a large facility are connected. “Every device is networked together back to a central system,” he said. BEK Business Solutions has also had great success helping health care facilities deploy real-time locating technologies. This also is a product line from West-Com Nurse Call. It features digital tags that can be affixed to equipment, or people, including hospital patients and staff. “This gives a health care facility not just the ability to locate and track their staff, but also the ability to locate and track assets - for example, crash carts, IV pumps and wheelchairs,” Lech said. Burchinal has a strong information technology career resume, including an IT bachelor’s and master’s in business administration degrees from the University of Mary.

He has developed a strong sense of how to build professional relationships. “I have always taken the philosophy of ‘tools not toys,’” Burchinal said. “This is key to developing a solution that works for a company. Technology is fun and you can do amazing things with it, but that does not mean that any particular technology is right for all businesses. Keeping only technology that enhances your business makes best use of your technology dollars.” In the Bismarck community, BEK Business Solutions has also become a dependable provider of network technology for the city of Bismarck. BEK Business Solutions consultant Greg Sickler has helped Bismarck employ a multidimensional system where 11 different controllers and hundreds of advanced technology telephone sets are seamlessly networked. Lech indicates this type of service success starts with a commitment to listening. For health care client prospects, Lech said he begins by listening and assessing – not “pitching.” “We ask them for a list of items and to prioritize where their real concerns are within the facility. We ask what’s real important to them about what they want the system to do and what they don’t want the system to do,” Lech said. These thoughts begin to convey a picture of costeffective technology design for that facility, then Lech works to learn about the functional separations and aspirations in an organization. “Each group of users at the facility has their own goals and problems,” Lech said. What Burchinal and Lech are selling – or establishing – is trust. “It’s a lot easier for us at BEK to do business where we’re on a ‘trusted advisor’ relationship with a customer rather than a ‘salesman,’ ” Lech said.  Kent Brick is editor of North Dakota LIVING. He may be reached at kbrick@ndarec.com.

NORTH DAKOTA ASSOCIATION OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS COOPERATIVES 3201 Nygren Drive N.W. Box 1144 Mandan, N.D. 58554

(701) 663-1099 www.ndatc.com

Cooperatives

BEK Communications Cooperative ..................................... Steele Consolidated Telcom Cooperative ................................. Dickinson Dakota Central Telecommunications Cooperative ........ Carrington Dickey Rural Networks ...................................................Ellendale Nemont Telephone Cooperative ............................. Scobey, Mont. Northwest Communications Cooperative ...............................Ray Polar Communications Cooperative..............................Park River Red River Rural Telephone Association ....................Abercrombie Reservation Telephone Cooperative ................................. Parshall SRT Communications Cooperative ......................................Minot United Telephone Mutual Aid Corporation ...................... Langdon West River Telecommunications Cooperative ..................... Hazen www.ndliving.com

NDATC Officers

Leo Meier, President ................................. BEK Communications Stanley Vangsness, First Vice President ... SRT Communications Kent Klima, Second Vice President ....... Dickey Rural Telephone Brenda Volesky, Secretary/Treasurer ........ Consolidated Telcom Rodney Suko, Director .......................... Dakota Central Telecom Orvis Nelson, Director ................................... Nemont Telephone Robert Austreim, Director.............. Northwest Communications Ron Steinke, Director .............................. Polar Communications Ron German, Director ....................... Red River Rural Telephone Jeanette Hoff, Director............................ Reservation Telephone Richard Otto, Director...................................... United Telephone Randy Christmann, Director ........................ West River Telecom NORTH DAKOTA LIVING  NOVEMBER 2010 7

T O G E T H E R W E S AV E by Carmen Devney

Using energy in a smarter way

n August 2009, Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives launched Phase I of the “Together We Save” campaign. The national energy-efficiency campaign was created to educate electric cooperative members and consumers on how simple changes in the way people use electricity can help lower electric bills. Using print, radio and television ads and the Web site www.togetherwesave.com, Touchstone Energy showed consumers how small actions such as turning off lights, adjusting blinds, or lowering or raising the thermostat could add up to create significant savings. In addition, the campaign encouraged consumers to make affordable upgrades to their home, such as adding insulation to their attics or replacing incandescent lights with compact fluorescent light bulbs, to increase their home’s energy efficiency. One year to the date of the launch of the first campaign, Touchstone Energy rolled out Phase II of the campaign called “Together We Save Even More.” Phase II was created in response to consumer feedback that indicated electric cooperative members are willing to take more steps to improve the energy efficiency of their home or business if they know they will save money. In Phase II of the campaign, Touchstone Energy utilizes print ads, radio ads, billing inserts, the 8

www.togetherwesave.com Web site and other marketing materials to expand on energy-efficiency concepts taught in Phase I. Some of the updated messages include: n Using Energy Star products wisely; n Improving energy-efficient manufactured housing; n Recycling older, inefficient refrigerators; n Sealing air leaks; n Changing furnace filters regularly; n Saving energy while on vacation; and n Adding crawlspace insulation. Tim Johnson, senior energy consultant for Northern Plains Electric Cooperative, Carrington and Cando, says electric energy is a valuable resource. He indicates the newest phase of the Touchstone Energy campaign continues to remind consumers about the importance of saving energy one seasonal step at a time. “If members haven’t already prepared for the winter heating season, now’s the time to turn off their air conditioning systems and replace their furnace filters,” Johnson advises. “It’s one of those small Together We Save steps that can reduce the need for costly maintenance and prevent damage to the system.” Johnson points out some energysaving steps suggested by the To-

NOVEMBER 2010 n NORTH DAKOTA LIVING

gether We Save campaign can pay for themselves in just a few short months. “Changing furnace filters, turning down a thermostat and sealing air ducts where necessary can produce almost immediate savings,” he shares. “Many of Northern Plains Electric’s members have also taken advantage of the North Dakota Utility Rebate Program and upgraded their lighting or heating and cooling systems, or made other improvements to increase their home’s energy efficiency. Those folks will see significant savings in the years to come.” Johnson stresses being more energy efficient doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice convenience or comfort. “You can still do the things you normally do but in a smarter way.” Electric cooperatives and Touchstone Energy share a long history of helping members get the most out of the power coming down their lines. To learn how you can save even more with the Together We Save program, visit www.together wesave.com, take a virtual home tour and see how little steps can add up to big savings. n Carmen Devney is a communications specialist with the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives.

www.ndarec.com

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NORTH DAKOTA LIVING  NOVEMBER 2010 9

COVER STORY by Jo Ann Winistor fer

FROM

Heartfelt designs Bear Creek Ranch C

apering calves. Gamboling goats. Cheeping chicks. Waddling ducks. Take a quick trip around Jeff and Teresa Perlebergs’ Bear Creek Ranch west of Fort Ransom and you’ll find all these animals. But wait, there’s more! A fenced area near the big red barn contains a multicolored flock of Romney sheep, a breed noted for its heavy, lustrous fleece and long fibers.

PHOTO BY JO ANN WINISTORFER

NOVEMBER 2010  NORTH DAKOTA LIVING

www.ndarec.com

Animals on the farm often find their way into the Perleberg home via needle-felted replicas. For models, Teresa uses photos she snaps around the farm with her Nikon D40.

continued on page 12 www.ndliving.com

N O R T H D A K O T A L I V I N G n N O V E M b E R 2 0 1 0 11

PHOTO BY JO ANN WINISTORFER

COURTESY PHOTOS

Inside the Perlebergs’ attractive A-frame home in Cass County Electric Cooperative’s service territory, you’ll glimpse even more animals – miniature critters perched on tables and shelves throughout the house. Some of them echo their real-life counterparts outside; others are replicas of creatures that exist in the wild. They all have something in common: They were needle-felted by fiber artist Teresa Perleberg, using wool from the family’s registered Romney herd. It all started in 2005, when the family purchased four sheep. “This project led to spinning, knitting and eventually needle-felting,” says Teresa, an animal-lover who was raised on a farm near Wyndmere. Teresa began her hobby as a fiber artist in 2006, using her farm animals as models. Working without a pattern, she built her animals by using photos and her imagination. Since then, the Perlebergs’ Romney herd has increased to around two dozen, and Teresa has turned her hobby into a business. She has made hundreds of wool sculptures, some of which have been purchased by collectors. “It gives me great pleasure to know my pieces are now part of several private collections in places around the world,” she says. “I have sold things to the Netherlands, Norway, Australia, England and Canada,” she says. “Someone from Wisconsin has bought every one of my ducks and waits for the next one. Other people collect my bunnies.” Fiber artist Teresa Perleberg creates needleThe critters she’s made over the felted sculptures using wool from her Romney past five years include bears, bunnies, sheep. One of her “pet” creations is this cow, buffalo, mountain lions, mountain goats, modeled after one on the farm. dogs, cats, horses, cows, elk, mice, decoy-like ducks, pigs, lambs, raccoons – and the list goes on! One of her favorites is a cow patterned after a beloved farm animal. “She is accurate right down to her brand – and her udder!” Teresa says. Most of Teresa’s creatures are concocted of wool from the Perlebergs’ own sheep. “The fleece comes in white or natural colors, including black, gray, silver and brown,” she says. For other colors, she dyes the wool. According to Teresa, Romney wool is a great fiber for someone who is new to working with wool. “It spins wonderfully and is a dream to felt,” she says. “I love the texture of the wool and how easily it blends together to make the animals come to life.” She also purchases or trades wool with other fiber enthusiasts in the area. “This gives me different textures, since each type of wool has characteristics all its own,” she says. Making each creature is time-consuming. “To truly appreciate my work, one needs to understand the process of needle-felting and the time it takes to create such detail out of wool,” she says. She can usually complete a pig or a bunny in an afternoon; her duck decoy replicas take about a week. While some of the items she crafts are large (she made a Canada goose not long ago that was quickly snapped up by her Wisconsin collector), some are very small. “Tiny things are as hard to make as larger things, when it comes to adding the details,” she says. Key to each character’s “personality” is the face. “The time spent on the face of the animal really brings expression to each piece of art,” she says. “The face takes me the longest.” Nearly all of the facial features are crafted from wool, including the lines for the noses and mouths. The eyes, however, are usually made of glass, which she orders online. Teresa uses a spinning wheel set up in a sunny corner of her south-facing living room to turn wool into yarn. Some of that yarn embellishes her tiny creations. For

continued from page 11

Jo Ann Winistorfer, former associate editor of North Dakota LIVING, does freelance writing from her rural Pick City home. She is a member of Roughrider Electric Cooperative, Hazen. 12

NOVEMBER 2010  NORTH DAKOTA LIVING

PHOTOS BY JO ANN WINISTORFER

example, her snowmen sport knit caps and scarves; her bunny angels boast corded belts. And her Christmas ornaments are encircled with yarn. To encourage others to take up this fun hobby, Teresa has created patterns for making everything from bears and bunnies to snowmen and sheep. The kits, mostly geared for beginners, come complete with needles, wool, a felting cushion and detailed photographs and instructions. Teresa is also the author/photographer of a full-color coffee table book called “Bear Creek Design Needle Felted Art.” In it are photos of her felt characters in natural settings. For instance, a hand-felted raccoon is pictured peeking out of a hole in a tree; a mountain lion reclines in the grass. The photos were taken by Teresa herself, who’s an accomplished photographer. Using a Nikon D40 with a zoom lens, she takes pictures from many angles to achieve as much realism as possible in her work. While most of her animals resemble their living models, Teresa is working to develop more whimsical animals from her own imagination. One of Teresa’s specialties is creating custom needle-felted replicas of “real” pets upon request, thus duplicating beloved family pets as one-of-a-kind works of art. Take, for example, Ralphie the cat. A woman from Teresa’s Woolly Women club asked her to “clone” her son’s cat, Ralphie, for use as a gift. The resulting “Ralphie Jr.” is as cuddly and cute as the real thing! Along with homeschooling her four children (Casey, 16, Libbie, 13, Lane, 10, and Tucker, 7) and handling household chores, Teresa helps her husband, Jeff, with farmwork. Jeff works for Bobcat Company in nearby Gwinner. In addition to teaching her own kids, Teresa has taught “how-to” felting classes to 4-H kids. A member of Woolly Women, a group of spinners from southeastern North Dakota and western Minnesota, Teresa and her fellow sheep enthusiasts demonstrate their skills and sell their products at shows such as West Fargo’s Bonanzaville events, Sodbuster Days in Fort Ransom, Rutland Uffda Days and the Fullerton Steam Threshers Show. Teresa also markets her creatures and how-to kits through holiday showcases sponsored by Pride of Dakota, a program that promotes North Dakota-made products and their producers. As part of her selling strategy, Teresa has become “Internet savvy.” She uses her Web site – www. bearcreekfelting.com – and online store to market her menagerie of homemade, heartfelt creatures. Her Internet provider is Dickey Rural Networks of Ellendale. “We offer wool for needle-felting and hand spinning, needle-felting kits and unique needle-felted art made from our Romney wool,” Teresa says. And for those of you who prefer to harvest your own wool, fresh off the sheep, the Perlebergs have a special deal: They also market Romney lambs and breeding stock! 

The “real” Ralphie, on the left, seems to approve of his whimsical wool replica made by Teresa.

Even beginners can do needle-felting, thanks to these kits devised by Teresa.

HOLIDAY SHOWCASES Featuring hundreds of North Dakota-made products, the Pride of Dakota Holiday Showcases will be held around the state in November and December. Dates include:  Nov. 6-7 in Grand Forks  Nov. 13-14 in Minot  Nov. 19-21 in Fargo  Dec. 3-5 in Bismarck www.ndarec.com

Holiday Showcases Featuring hundreds of North Dakota products!

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N O R T H D A K O T A L I V I N G ď Ž N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0 13

e - N O R T H D A K O TA by Luann Dar t

Classroom technolog “H

ow do you study for something like how an injury affects the system?” a student in Hazelton queries. “These are critical thinking things,” Elgin teacher Darrell Howard responds, then details an example during the test review. The simple exchange between student and teacher hums through hundreds of miles of cable, and even zips across a time zone, without an iota of delay. Each in a different classroom miles apart, the student and teacher interact through ITV, or interactive television, a distance learning network wired for speed. It’s all possible through the interactive network established by the Great Western Network and eight other ITV consortiums across the state that connect schools and students to offer more curriculum choices. The high-speed foundation furnished by the state’s telephone companies and Dakota Carrier Network (DCN) provides the pipeline for video, Internet and other applications to each school. The state’s nine ITV consortiums operate independently, but students can cross boundaries to take an ITV class from anywhere in the state. Each member school helps fund its consortium and has a representative on the consortium’s governing board. Each school that provides teachers receives payment from the consortium and pays for students enrolled in ITV classes. Classes range from anatomy to foreign language to art. One music teacher has even given guitar lessons over the ITV network. Forty-two schools in the Great Western Network offer more than 50 classes to over 1,000 students, while the North Central Distance Learning Consortium and Central Dakota Telecommunications Consortium offer 39 classes to 434 students with 21 teachers. “This gives all the schools an opportunity for additional curriculum,” explains Great Western Network Director Bill Strasser. “You’re getting a lot of instruction for a pretty good bargain.” “The biggest advantage is that we can offer classes that we wouldn’t normally be able to offer if we didn’t have distance learning,” agrees Grant County High School Principal Terry Bentz. “Students get a wider variety in their selection of classes.” 14

NOVEMBER 2010  NORTH DAKOTA LIVING

Sharon Klein teaches college-level English composition to 20 students, with Clarence Laub III, Jordan Roehl and Devon McAlexander (left to right) in the ITV classroom at Grant County High School, and other students attending via video.

Most teachers come from within the consortium of rural schools, rather than larger schools or colleges. At Grant County High School, Sharon Klein teaches German and college-level English composition; Howard teaches physiology and two sections of anatomy to 53 students in nine different schools on the ITV network. Students can pay tuition and enroll in college-level classes on the ITV network. Instruction is either from a professor at a college campus or from an adjunct professor in a high school classroom. Klein’s English composition class, for example, is a Bismarck State College class with 20 students enrolled from three high schools. “A college class can be taught by a college instructor, but very seldom are there actual college students in the class on campus; they usually are all high school students. ... They can often fill it without opening it up on campus,” explains Kathy McCracken, director of the Central Dakota and North Central consortiums. Those credits can then be transferred to any college when the student enrolls. “For our rural schools, the impression out there is that they don’t have the curriculum choices that the larger schools do and I think with distance learning, they have equal curriculum choices,” McCracken explains. “Distance learning has allowed them to continue to stay viable and still offer their students a www.ndarec.com

ogy goes the distance

PHOTOS BY LUANN DART

common bell schedules allow the network to thrive, with juggling to account for two time zones. While teaching the classes varies little from teaching a live classroom, the students are usually “the best of the best,” Howard says. “You have to put students in there that are self-disciplined,” Bentz explains. “We’ve been very fortunate that our students are wonderful. It’s not like a teacher in front of your room. You can get really lost in that whole system.” Klein and Howard agree that students who are more outgoing thrive in an ITV classroom. “The only difference is that perhaps I don’t get to know them as quickly as I probably would in a classroom,” Klein says. The 31-year teacher appreciates students being able to blossom in an art class they would not be able to experience otherwise, or explore a college career by taking anatomy or criminal law in high school. And a class can still be offered even with only one or two students in each school enrolled. The Great Western Network, North Dakota’s first ITV consortium, offers ITV by leasing fiber optic cable from surrounding telephone cooperatives, including West River Telecommunications Cooperative, Reservation Telephone Cooperative, SRT Communications and BEK Communications Cooperative. Midcontinent Communications also provides a portion of the fiber optic network for the consortium. “That’s what drove this from the start is that we got good rates and the telcos wanted to work with the schools,” Strasser says. With 1 gigabyte of bandwidth available, “we don’t feel we’re going to run out of space anytime soon,” he says. Outside the Great Western Network’s borders, a recent upgrade by DCN boosted bandwidth possibilities statewide. “We have that wide-open interstate highway now. We were a little congested before,” McCracken explains. “I have schools that are running three video units at a time plus all their computers and their labs and there’s no degradation of service for anybody.” DCN boosted its original bandwidth from 1.5 megabytes to a minimum of 10 megabytes at every school, with a backbone of 10 gigabytes.

During the ﬁrst session of anatomy class at Grant County High School in Elgin, student Morgan Cummins is joined by 14 other students from eight different schools across the interactive television (ITV) network. Teacher Darrell Howard leads two sessions of anatomy at Grant County High School, with a total of 53 students.

good curriculum variety and choice.” Students can also take additional advanced classes due to ITV, Klein points out. Students who have taken German or accounting can turn to ITV classes to take German II or accounting II, she says. As Howard leads his anatomy class in a lively discussion, a camera hovering over the instructor’s desk displays a worksheet on one of the classroom TV screens for all to see. Other cameras are aimed at Howard and the students in each classroom. Those images are then displayed on monitors in the classroom placed where both students and the teacher can see each other. High-definition monitors allow several classrooms to appear on one screen. When the class time ends, a monitor flashes a five-minute warning, then a one-minute warning. When the reserved bandwidth time expires, the screen goes blank, then automatically switches to show the classrooms which will be linked for the next session. As students amble in and out of the ITV classroom, they either have a live teacher or a teacher appearing on a monitor from another school. To keep in touch between class times, a facilitator at each school routes e-mailed assignments, monitors tests or prepares supplies. Common calendars and www.ndliving.com

continued on page 16 N O R T H D A K O T A L I V I N G  N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0 15

continued from page 15

COURTESY MAP ARTWORK BY BILL STRASSER

“It was a huge difference. It gave them the extra capacity to transport the HDTV-quality video signal,” says Seth Arndorfer, business development manager with DCN. Using the fiber optic cable already in the ground, DCN upgraded the electronics at 12 points of presence around the state during the multimillion-dollar project. The 15 independent phone companies that own DCN also upgraded their networks to provide the local connectivity to 176 schools. “Every segment of the network had to be upgraded,” Arndorfer explains. “If you have a small pipe anywhere Nine ITV consortiums serve North Dakota’s schools. within the system, the traffic is not going to flow at the rate that the schools needed, so we had to make the upgrade from during the next 24 months. end to end.” DCN’s 12 points of presence act as an “on/off” ramp to With Internet consumption across the United States the local service provider for making the connections. The doubling every 15 to 18 months due to expanding applicacompany provides high-speed point-to-point connections, tions, such as video, bandwidth is valuable. Ethernet and high-speed Internet services on a statewide “DCN built our network with the ability to upgrade fiber optic network. it over time without having to entrench new fiber optic It’s all part of a fast-moving, complex pipeline speeding facility. It’s the electronics that we can upgrade that we’ll those simple exchanges between student keep expanding to meet the customer needs,” Arndorfer and teacher. n says. DCN will be providing fiber optic facilities to every Luann Dart is a freelance writer from Elgin. school, replacing any copper that still links the local schools to DCN’s backbone. That project will be completed

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16 N o V E M b E r 2 0 1 0 n N o r T H D A K o T A L I V I N G

www.ndarec.com

e - N O R T H D A K O TA by Kirsti Craig

AdFarm: using social media with homemade pie T

PHOTOS BY LUANN DART

echnology and agriculture go hand in hand. Farmers use the latest technology to navigate fields, sow seeds, monitor crops and market the harvest. The Internet is a key ingredient in agriculture’s growing list of technological advances. Increasingly, farmers reach consumers with the help of blogs, Web sites and social media like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. This is the ground AdFarm is plowing. AdFarm, a multinational agricultural marketing communications company with North Dakota roots, sees social media as a dynamic platform from which farmers can connect with consumers like never before. AdFarm is about agriculture and only agriculture. The company has built its mission statement on values expressed by farmers. Its company slogan to “drive deeper into the heart of agriculture” is how AdFarm explores all available avenues to help the farmers it serves. “We’ve said we’re going to drive deeper, so we actually go out and do that,” said AdFarm President and Board Chairman Roger Reierson.

With a fond embrace, AdFarm’s Roger Reierson sends a “no-tech” thanks to pie baker, Jane Lukens.

The centerpiece of AdFarm’s “deep drive” is the rural Aneta farming operation of Fred and Jane Lukens. The Lukens family custom farms a 70-acre field each year for AdFarm. It is a learning lab for AdFarm employees – one in which they invest to experience. Each year over the last decade, AdFarm employees have been choosing to participate in this farming experience. It is an educational opportunity based on employee purchase of shares in the AdFarm crop. Each individual can buy up to four shares at $25 each. AdFarm has a committee of employees who work

PHOTOS BY KIRSTI CRAIG

Fred Lukens, gesturing, left, describes the progress of his crop to AdFarm tour participants.

NOVEMBER 2010  NORTH DAKOTA LIVING

www.ndarec.com

New media on the farm

Ann Simmons Boushey shows how AdFarm matches information technology to agriculture.

with Fred Lukens on decisions for their AdFarm field. In addition to helping choose and raise the crop, the committee markets and sells the harvest. Routine updates on the state of the field are furnished to employees across the country. More than 100 employees invested in the 2010 experience – Pioneer 39D97 corn. “It’s designed to give the employees an opportunity to see the decisions associated with raising crops – and the risks associated with raising crops,” Fred Lukens said. “If the crop makes a profit, employees who invested make a profit. If it creates loss, employees experience that same loss.” Reierson said the AdFarm experience gives employees a bona fide agricultural experience they can bring to their client service. “We like to hire individuals with agricultural backgrounds – degrees, experience or having been raised on a farm – but not all professionals have that, so we connect them to a farm experience as much as possible,” Reierson said. The AdFarm experience includes providing participants with inspection tours of a variety of area crops, ending with a visit to the AdFarm field. Agricultural experts come along to discuss the crops. The tour ends in the Lukens’ home with homemade pie and refreshments. Jane Lukens is ready to present the crowd of guests with more than 20 varieties in freshly baked pies – all from her ovens during the 24 hours before the tour shows up at her door. Jane’s pie social has been a part of the tour since the beginning. “We couldn’t invite these people out here without sending them home fed. We wanted to do something that represented the farm experience – something different from eating at a restaurant,” she said. www.ndliving.com

While the whims of nature, the roar of a combine and the aroma of pie right out of the oven are constants in farming, technology devices are now fixtures on the farm, as well. AdFarm participants – devoted entirely to promoting agriculture – are living proof of that. Kathryn Lukens Pinke, the daughter of Fred and Jane Lukens, is the director of business development for AdFarm, working from her rural home in south central North Dakota. “(I‘m) a full-time, work-from-home mother who traded in corporate America for small-town life on the prairie,” Pinke said. “I no longer go to an office every day, but work seamlessly through modern technology from home in my agriculture marketing career, a passion I acquired from my fifth-generation farming family.” During this summer’s AdFarm tour, Pinke and her marketing colleagues sent real-time updates to Twitter. This is the popular microblogging service allowing users to exchange short messages called “tweets.” These tweets can have photos and links attached to them, and can be sorted into groups by putting “#” in front of a word. Participants in the AdFarm tour were asked to put “#adfarmtour” at the end of their posts about the tour. “Tweeting about what we do and see is a way we can instantly get our ideas out to the world. It’s a form of content creation in a short, easy-to-read version,” Pinke said. “I also carry a small flip digital video camera with me in my purse,” she said. “I can capture farmer interviews anytime. The videos can be used in our blog – AdFarmonline.com – or uploaded to YouTube.” On the tour, Pinke had that camera in the pocket of her jeans. She used it to interview rural Aneta farmer, Scott Huso, a former AdFarm employee. Huso traded his suit for coveralls when he returned to his hometown to manage a neighboring farm. Pinke also interviewed Dazey farmer Jim Broten, a member of the U.S. Grains Council, a farm equipment manufacturer and speaker on the Lukens AdFarm tour. “Farmers are humble,” Broten said. “We don’t like to brag. But, if we don’t tell our story, people won’t know all we do to ensure a quality crop.” The voice of agriculture is expanding to be heard through multiple new, social media channels. This is a central part of the AdFarm experience. With the help of smart phones and social media, content can be created wherever you roam, including a field in rural North Dakota, Pinke said. The Lukens farm has its own blog – griggsdakota.blogspot.com. The blog gives brief, photo-filled updates on the happenings of the Lukens family farm, and includes explanations about various farming practices. “Blogs are important because they’re a form of content creation,” Pinke said. “Using text and photos, farmers can illustrate their practices and the economics of farming. …You can advocate for agriculture on a local, regional, national and global level from anywhere. You just need to be passionate about what you are doing.”  Kirsti Craig is a communications specialist with Northern Plains Electric Cooperative and Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative.

N O R T H D A K O T A L I V I N G  N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0 21

D I S C O V E R I N G D A K O TA by Jo Ann Winistor fer

2010 Honor Flight takes World War II vets to Washington

Fast-forward 65 years to Washington, D.C.

Feland, now 89, was one of 88 World War II veterans who took part in the 2010 Roughrider Honor Flight (RRHF) in mid-September. The flight, which originated in Bismarck, carried veterans and their guides to the nation’s capital to visit the National World War II Memorial commemorating their military service. Completed in 2004, the memorial pays homage to the 16 million Americans who served during the war. “The Honor Flight program was conceived as a way to recognize the courage and sacrifices of World War II veterans,” says Kevin Cramer, Roughrider Honor Flight committee chair. “This is our way of thanking them for their service.” The memorial sits on a large oval surrounded by 56 pillars, including one for each state. At each end is an arch representing both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters of the war. Flanked by the Washington Monument to the east and the Lincoln Memorial to the west, it is the only 20th-century-event memorial on the National Mall’s central axis. Because of the memorial’s late completion date, the majority of the 69,000 men and women from North Dakota who served during World War II “never had the opportunity to see it,” Cramer says. The Honor Flights give some of the estimated 7,000 to 10,000 North Dakota veterans still living a chance to visit their site in person. According to Cramer, this was the fourth RRHF flight. On previous flights, the RRHF escorted approximately 300 service men and women to Washington, D.C. An additional 800 veterans traveled on flights originating in Fargo and Grand Forks. The Bismarck-based RRHF, 22

NOVEMBER 2010  NORTH DAKOTA LIVING

PHOTO BY LAYN MUDDER

uring World War II, U.S. Army medic Robert “Bob” Feland of Flasher served with the 540th Combat Engineering Battalion of the Fifth Army. Entering the service at age 21, Feland participated in five amphibious landings on beaches in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. While under heavy fire at Anzio, located in a basin rimmed by German-fortified mountains, Feland rescued 12 wounded men from a mine field at night. “I had to try to help them. I couldn’t just stand by. They were my friends,” he comments. For his gallantry that day, he later received a Silver Star. He saw further action in France and Belgium, much of the time picking up wounded men by ambulance or working as a doctor’s assistant in field dispensaries. In March 1945, he and his fellow soldiers crossed the Rhine on pontoons at Mannheim, Germany, in the face of steady enemy shelling. “There were so many shells in the air that night that you didn’t need lights,” he says. “The whole sky was lit up, just BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!” Feland, a member of Mor-Gran-Sou Electric Cooperative, was in Munich May 8, 1945, the day victory in Europe (V-E Day) was declared.

The national Honor Flight Ground Crew extends a warm welcome to Bob Feland (left) and the Roughrider Honor Flight veterans upon arrival at Dulles Airport.

a member of the Honor Flight Network, is currently the only active Honor Flight group in the state, serving veterans in central and western parts of North Dakota. Another veteran who attended last year’s Roughrider Honor Flight was also touched by his experience. Reuben “Chip” Unruh of Zap was just 18 when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy Air Force in 1943. Later based on Iwo Jima, he flew on 17 patrol bombing missions to Japan, serving as 1st aviation radioman. His job was to send and receive Morse code messages as well as man the machine gun from the top turret of the Navy’s equivalent of a B-24, a 12-man bomber. On search-and-destroy missions along the Japanese coast, “We would fly just skimming the water, at times as low as seven feet, so we would not be detected by enemy radar,” he says. “We wore only a life jacket, as we did not have enough altitude to bail out (by parachute) if it were necessary.” Unruh’s fellow crew members also flew submarine patrol to protect the 3rd Naval Fleet amassed for the invasion of Japan. The crew was responsible for destroying five enemy ships. Following the war, Unruh received three Air Medals. Applications for future flights are available at www. rrhonorflight.com or by calling (701) 373-5416. Roughrider Honor Flight is a volunteer organization, supported entirely by the community. Donations are tax deductible and can be sent to P.O. Box 220, Bismarck, ND 58502.  Jo Ann Winistorfer, retired associate editor of North Dakota LIVING, writes from her rural Pick City farm.

Editor’s note: For more on Bob Feland’s war experiences, go to: www. word-gems.com/personalstatement.40.hero.html. For Chip Unruh’s World War II story, e-mail your request to: chips23@westriv.com. www.ndarec.com

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N O R T H D A K O T A L I V I N G n N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0 23

R E A D E R R E P LY

This month, we asked our readers to submit replies to the following...

‘November is National Adoption Awareness Month. Share an adoption story and photos of your family.’

Parenthood is a gift

Do you have children? For years, this question brought sadness to my husband and I. We tried for years to have children. After frustrating medical appointments and failure, we decided we had too much love in our hearts to not become parents. After two failed adoption attempts, we finally brought home a Ronda and Carl Zeltinger adopted sweet baby boy. their “sweet baby boy,” Jackson. Some people may believe the birth parents do not love the baby they give up for adoption. In my experience, there was so much love both from the birth family and from my husband. I know our new baby would someday understand every bit of that love. When we started the adoption process, I was afraid I couldn’t love a child as much if I didn’t bring it into this world. What I found is that I love my baby more because I realize how close I came to never experiencing the glorious gift of motherhood. Now, when people ask us if we have a child, we smile and say yes. Ronda Zeltinger, Donnybrook Verendrye Electric Cooperative

History repeats

Krista (Carson) Verlinde, center, thanks two generous birth families for making her family possible. Her father, Bob, and her sister, Amanda, were both adopted. Posing at Krista’s wedding include (l-r) Johnny, Amanda, Krista, Brenda and Robert Carson.

My dad was adopted into a ranching family in western North Dakota. He became the first child to grace my grandparents, who were unable to have children. In his younger days, he spent a majority of his time hunting, trapping, fishing, playing with his hunting dogs, and helping my grandpa around the ranch. Today, my dad owns the ranch. My sister was also adopted into a ranching family, like our dad. She was our parent’s second child. They thought 24

NOVEMBER 2010  NORTH DAKOTA LIVING

it would be a good idea to adopt, and had expressed their interest five years prior to my birth. My parents later had a son. All three siblings grew up riding horse, playing with our pets, being ranch hands, and also hunting and fishing as our dad had years before. For years, my dad and sister have wondered about the individuals who were generous enough to give them to their families. Both have been lucky enough to locate their birth mothers, who welcomed them with loving arms and open hearts. I will never be able to express the extreme gratitude I have toward those two mothers who gave me my family. I am truly blessed and I know it! Krista (Carson) Verlinde, Dickinson Roughrider Electric Cooperative

Love at first sight

While serving in Korea in the 1950s and Vietnam in the 1960s, my husband, Sidney, witnessed the plight of mixed-race children. In 1969, we discussed adoption with our sons, Mike and Jeff, and decided to adopt a girl who would otherwise have almost no chance at a good life. The whole process took about nine months. One day, I received a call from the Children’s Village in Fargo. The caller asked if we would take a 2-month-old baby girl who was Carol and Sidney Moore instantly fell in love with half-Japanese. Our answer was, adopted daughter Bobbi. of course! It was love at first sight. “Bobbi” was so cute with her black hair, which stood up at the back of her head due to her double crown. In 1970, adopting an Asian child was still fairly uncommon. People would come up to us and ask questions such as, “Will she speak Japanese when she grows up?” Our sons have always been very protective and supportive of their sister. And we couldn’t be more proud. Bobbi graduated near the top of her mechanical engineering class at the University of Minnesota. She is a global account manager for Cisco Systems, and is engaged to be married. Carol Moore, Watford City McKenzie Electric Cooperative

UPCOMING READER REPLY QUESTIONS: DECEMBER: “Share your favorite memories or family traditions about attending church at Christmastime.” Deadline for submission: Nov. 15 JANUARY 2011: Meet the 2010 Reader Reply winners We pay $25 for each letter we print. Send to: READER REPLY, North Dakota LIVING, P.O. Box 727, Mandan ND 58554-0727. Or send responses via e-mail to: cdevney@ndarec.com. www.ndarec.com

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ALASKA 2011 with Joe Satrom Join Joe on this enhanced Alaska Cruise-Tour with Holland America! July 18-28, 2011. Two nights in Denali national park, home of Mount McKinley; special Kenai Fjord tour included. Joe’s been to Alaska more than 20 times - it is one of his favorite places; let him share his enthusiasm and knowledge of our 49th state with you! For a color brochure contact us: since 1978

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701-290-3931 Email: naomi@valleytel.net

Licensed in North Dakota and South Dakota

View additional listings at www.landofdakota.com BEAVER CREEK RANCH - Hunters Paradise! Sellers will consider offers! Priced at appraised value and including non-ag. income ranging from $50,000-90,000/year (salt water disposal well, road lease, gravel). 4,625 contiguous acres of beautiful North Dakota Badlands wilderness. Several miles of Beaver Creek, deep draws, native forage, grass coulees and tree cover. Deer, Elk, Big Horn Sheep, Turkeys and Grouse call this land “home”, allowing some of the best recreational/hunting potential in North America. Fresh water well, rural water pipeline, electricity and good road access. No buildings. Adjoins thousands of acres of Forest Service land. Efficient management practices and proven stewardship have contributed to heightened revenues on this property. Appraisal and possible owner financing available. PATENT FOR SALE - “Badlands Panels” is an innovative product that has proven its capabilities for strength, flexibility and longevity in the agricultural test field. The product not only has a proven current market, but untapped potential and expansion for future business success. The current PATENT sells, as well as pending patents. Call me for an appointment on this family owned business. SLICKS PLACE - Bar & Grill in Pollock, SD. Successful main street business with reputation for great food and good times. Area of excellent pheasant hunting and walleye fishing. $110,000. MEDORA ACREAGES - There is no place like Medora! Tuck yourself away on one of these quaint sites in the North Dakota Badlands, just 12 miles from town. Create a western get-away for your family to enjoy for generations to come. Close to Bully Pulpit Golf Course. Scenery, wildlife, and rustic landscapes included! Priced at $2500/acre, 40 acre minimum.

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N O R T H D A K O T A L I V I N G n N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0 25

TEEN-2-TEEN b y Geena Leschisin

Youth Tour: more than a ‘power’ trip

PHOTO BY J.C. BALCOM

oday’s teens are busy. From sporting events to club activities and family vacations, students’ calendars are flooded with activities. Some teenagers are already preparing for college, while others are practicing musical instruments or working parttime jobs. And all of us study for tests and complete homework assignments along the way. I am one of those megabusy teenagers. But despite my hectic schedule, I make time for opportunities. Last summer, one of those was participating in the National Rural Electric Cooperative Youth Tour. Geena Leschisin Many electric distribution cooperatives in North Dakota sponsor one student to attend the annual Youth Tour trip to Washington, D.C. Eligible students are required to write and submit an essay on a specific topic. The student who wins the contest earns an all-expensepaid, weeklong tour of the D.C. area. Joined by teenagers from across the state and nation, students tour and learn about U.S. government, history and electric cooperatives. They also visit historic sites and meet their state’s congressional delegation on Capitol Hill. After reading about the Youth Tour in the center pages of North Dakota LIVING, I wrote an essay and applied for the trip. Ecstatic to learn I’d won, I believed the Youth Tour would be a typical vacation. Instead, it was a life-altering experience. I visited important sites I’d only viewed in a textbook, like the Library of Congress. I toured memorials like Arlington National Cemetery and saw firsthand the sacrifice of servicemen and women. We quizzed our state’s congressmen on issues of important to us. I walked away from the Youth Tour with countless memories, lifelong friends, and an increased knowledge of America history and electric cooperatives. I also valued my leadership role, in knowing I represented my family’s power company, MountrailWilliams Electric Cooperative.

If you will be a junior or senior in high school in the fall of 2011 and your family is served by a participating electric cooperative, now is the time to apply for the 2011 Youth Tour. No matter how busy you are, please take the time to apply for this oncein-a-lifetime opportunity. You may never find one like it again. n Geena Leschisin, 17, is a senior at Stanley High School where she is active in cross-country, track, Character Counts, band, FBLA, Girl Scouts, 4-H and church activities. She is the daughter of Doug and Connie Leschisin, Stanley, who are members of Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative.

For more information on the National Rural Electric Cooperative Youth Tour, contact the member services department at your family’s electric cooperative.

HEY, TEENS! Become a NORTH DAKOTA LIVING correspondent! Build your resume! Earn some cash! Get real-life experience! All by writing for the state’s best-read publication … North Dakota LIVING! The North Dakota LIVING magazine is seeking a fresh crop of teen writers for 2011. The popular Teen2-Teen column will feature selected correspondents who will address issues of importance to teens. This past year, some of our student writers tackled subjects including the high cost of Prom, the importance of taking a second language, and why teens should pay attention to politics. The 2010 writers included Zack Jordan, Minot; Carley Ward, Hunter; Sonni Lagodinski, Edgeley; Vanessa Stumpf, Mandan; and Geena Leschisin, Stanley. If you would like to write for North Dakota LIVING as a teen correspondent, send us an essay about why you would make a good contributor, along with a recommendation from a teacher. Also include at least two topics you might like to address in a column. Along with your submission, include your name, the names of your parents, your complete mailing address, telephone number and e-mail address so we can contact you. Also indicate if your family belongs to an electric and/or telephone cooperative. Submissions should be received by Dec. 31. Each correspondent we select will receive $50 for each article North Dakota LIVING publishes. If you are interested in serving as a teen correspondent for North Dakota LIVING’s Teen-2-Teen column, send your essay, teacher’s recommendation and contact information to: Teen-2-Teen, North Dakota LIVING, PO Box 727, Mandan, ND 58554-0727

North Dakota LIVING will review the essays and recommendations, and select qualified applicants to serve as correspondents throughout 2011. Students, we look forward to hearing from you! 26 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0 n N O R T H D A K O T A L I V I N G

www.ndarec.com

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N O R T H D A K O T A L I V I N G n N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0 27

CALENDAR OF EVENTS NOVEMBER

20 n Fall Craft and Bake Sale, 10 a.m.3 p.m., Parshall. (701) 862-3115. 20 n Power of the Night Sky, 7:30 p.m., Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center, Williston. (701) 572-9034. 21 n Dakota Discussions, 2-4 p.m., library, Ellendale. (800) 338-6543 or (701) 255-3360. 23 n Dakota Discussions, 7-9 p.m., Dakota College, Bottineau. (800) 338-6543 or (701) 255-3360. 23 n Holiday Lights Parade, 6:30 p.m., downtown, FargoMoorhead. (701) 241-1570. 24 n Art and Democracy Film Series, 7 p.m., Empire Arts Center, Grand Forks. 25 n Cystic Fibrosis Association of N.D. Turkey Trot, 8 a.m. registration at Bismarck Elks Lodge and 9:15 a.m. at Arbor Avenue, Bismarck. (701) 222-3998. 26 n Gear Daddies concert, 8 p.m., The Venue at Playmakers, Fargo. (800) 511-1552. 26 n Wake Up Santa Fireworks and Parade, 5:45 p.m. fireworks and 6 p.m. parade, Main Street, Hettinger. (701) 567-2531. 26 n Holiday Open House, Lillian & Coleman Taube Museum of Art, Minot. (701) 835-4445. 26-27 n Performance of “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” Mouse River Players Community Theatre, Minot. (701) 838-3939.

PHOTO COuRTESY OF BHG INC.

7-8 n Performance of “King Arthur’s Quest,” Grand Rapids Memorial Park, Grand Rapids. (701) 883-5230. 9 n Dakota Discussions, 7-9 p.m., Our Lady of Peace Church, Mayville. (800) 338-6543 or (701) 255-3360. 9-10 n Performance of “Mama Mia,” Fargodome, Fargo. (701) 241-9100. 11 n Zoolute to Soldiers, free admission from noon to 4 p.m., Red River Zoo, Fargo. (701) 277-9240. 11 n Production of “Disney Live! Mickey’s Rockin’ Road Show,” 7:30 p.m., Fargodome, Fargo. (800) 745-3000. 11-14 n Performance “You’ve Got Hate Mail,” 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, Fargo-Moorhead Community Theatre, Fargo. (701) 235-6778. 13 n FARRMS Sustainable Farm Session, 301 Fifth Ave. S.E., Medina. (701) 486-3569. 13 n Festival of the Arts, 6 p.m.-midnight, Radisson Hotel, Bismarck. (701) 223-5986. 13-14 n Pride of Dakota Holiday Showcase, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.5 p.m. Sunday, 2005 Burdick Expy. E., Minot. (701) 857-7620. 14 n Conversations at Bismarck State College (BSC), “Putting Otto von Back in Bismarck,” 3-5 p.m., Sidney J. Lee Auditorium, BSC,

Bismarck. (800) 338-6543 or (701) 255-3360. 19-20 n BismarckMandan Symphony Orchestra Season’s Celebrations, 7:30 p.m., Belle Mehus Auditorium, Bismarck. (701) 258-8345. 19-20 n N.D. Lamb and Wool Producers Convention and Third Annual Lamb Cookoff, Seven Seas Inn, Mandan. (701) 794-8743. 19-20 n The Big One Art and Craft Fair, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Civic Center, Bismarck. (701) 837-6059. 19-21 n Roman Catholic Diocese of Bismarck Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat, Bismarck. (605) 374-5639. 19-21 n Pride of Dakota Holiday Showcase, 6-9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.5 p.m. Sunday, Civic Center, Fargo. (800) 242-7535. 20 n FARRMS Sustainable Farm Session, 301 Fifth Ave. S.E., Medina. (701) 486-3569. 20 n Einstein on Wine Benefit, 6:30 p.m., Francis Leach High Prairie Arts and Science Complex, Bismarck. (701) 258-1975. 20 n Nodakords concert, “Harvest of Harmony,” 7:30 p.m., Sleep Inn & Suites, Minot. 20 n Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy, 8 p.m., Fargodome, Fargo. (800) 745-3000.

The Dickens Village Festival entertains with English high teas, street vendors, carolers and more. The festival runs Nov. 26-28, Dec. 3-4 and Dec. 10-11 in Garrison. For more information, call (800) 799-4242. 26-28 n Emter Family Christmas Concerts, 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Emter Family Music Theater, Mandan. (701) 426-0539 or (701) 426-8596. 26-28 n Dickens Village Festival, Garrison. (800) 799-4242 or (701) 463-2631. 26-Dec. 18 n Festival of the Season Art Show and Sale, 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, 2 N. Main St., Minot. (701) 838-4445. 27 n Performance of 24 Holiday Songs, 7:30 p.m., FargoMoorhead Community Theatre, Fargo. (701) 235-6778. 27 n Santa Parade, Main Street, Cavalier. (701) 265-4288. 28 n Dakota Discussions, 2-4 p.m., Velva School and Public Library, Velva. (800) 338-6543 or (701) 255-3360. 29 n Parade of Lights, dusk, Main Street, Ellendale. (701) 349-4103.

Country Christmas Concerts November 26 - December 19

Call for reservations

email: info@emterfamily.com website: www.emterfamily.com

Now available rhubarb and chokecherry, vodka and cordial. Plus try our wild plum cordial. Also available chokecherry jellies and syrups. Order online!

Wine sampling Mon-Sat 10a.m.-5p.m. Sundays and evenings by appointment.

Every Friday and Saturday-7:00 pm CT Every Saturday and Sunday-2:00 pm CT

701-426-0539 or 701-426-8596

1-Dec. 31 n Christmas in the Park, 6-10 p.m., Lincoln Drive Park, Grand Forks. (701) 795-1115. 1-March 31 n Winter Wonderland, daylight hours, International Peace Garden, Dunseith. (888) 432-6733 or (701) 263-4390. 3-4 n Dickens Village Festival, Garrison. (800) 799-4242 or (701) 463-2631. 3-5 n Emter Family Christmas Concerts, 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and

2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Emter Family Music Theater, Mandan. (701) 426-0539 or (701) 426-8596. 4 n FARRMS Sustainable U Education Day, 9 a.m.7 p.m., Radisson Hotel, Bismarck. (701) 486-3569. 4 n Arthritis Foundation Jingle Bell Run, 8 a.m. registration and 9 a.m. run, Courts Plus Fitness Center, Fargo. (701) 388-1988. 4 n Christmas on the Prairie, 3-7 p.m., Bonanzaville, West Fargo. (701) 282-2822.

Our unique winery is located in Historic Downtown Casselton.

Emter Family Music Theater

Tickets $10 + .50 tax

DECEMBER

Come celebrate our

20th Anniversary

with three generations of

EMTERtainment

NoVEMBER 2010 n NoRTH DAKoTA LIVING

Maple River Winery 628 Front Street Casselton, ND 58012 701-347-5900 greg@mapleriverwinery.com www.mapleriverwinery.com

www.ndarec.com

A favorite place begins with grace by Carmen Devney

lden Lieberg has had more than a few sleepless—but productive— nights. According to his wife, Orpha, Alden writes poetry when he can’t sleep. To date, he’s written in between 200 and 300 poems, which he stores in a three-ring binder. Someday soon, he plans to organize the collection and make copies to pass on to the couple’s five daughters, 13 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. One of the many poems Alden has written is called “Our Favorite Place.” Drafted in only one hour, the poem details memories made around his family’s gathering place … the kitchen table. High-school sweethearts, Alden and Orpha will celebrate their 53rd wedding anniversary in January. Tradition is important to this couple from Arvilla, who use food and stories to teach their family about their Norwegian heritage. Every year around the holidays, the family comes together to make goodies including lefse, doughnuts and apple turnovers. In the autumn following a hard frost, the Lieberg’s apples are sweet and ripe. Alden picks, peels and slices the apples. Then Orpha and daughters teach the grandchildren and great-granchildren to roll the dough and cut rounds, add the filling and seal the turnovers. Fresh from the oven, the turnovers are ready for Grandpa Alden’s taste-testing services. “For quality control, of course,” Orpha jokes.

Orpha teaches great-granddaughter Lauren and granddaughter Alexis to cut dough rounds. 30

NOVEMBER 2010

COURTESY PHOTOS

RECIPE ROUNDUP

A former 4-H leader, Orpha Lieberg (front, center) taught her ﬁve daughters to cook and bake. Joining Orpha to make their annual apple turnovers are (L-R) Kim Nelson and Kristi Williamson, Larimore; Karen Salwey, Grand Forks; Kathy Moser, Larimore; and Karla Middlestead, Mayville.

When the Liebergs bake, word gets out. Neighbors and relatives start trickling in to check the progress and sample the treats. “Of course, the coffee is always on. It’s a day we look forward to each year,” Orpha shares. “It is really good family time, working together.” For this family, traditions and memories have been recorded and preserved, thanks to Alden’s sleepless nights and beautifully crafted poetry. Alden, a member of Nodak Electric Cooperative, retired as the Larimore postmaster in 1996. A former 4-H leader and active wife and mother, Orpha now quilts, works in her garden, or volunteers with Alden in the community. The couple’s greatest accomplishments: raising a large family, and staying involved with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Orpha also adds,

Alden Lieberg is the ofﬁcial apple picker, peeler and slicer — and taste tester.

NORTH DAKOTA LIVING

she and Alden are survivors. Alden triumphed over cancer, and Orpha survived open-heart surgery. North Dakota LIVING thanks these members for sharing their Apple Turnover recipe and family baking traditions, and for honoring and remembering time at the table.  Carmen Devney is a communications specialist with the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives.

Our Favorite Place Of all the rooms that are in this house The one that’s used more than the rest Where the family meets most often It seems the kitchen is the best. Around Mom’s kitchen table Where many a mouth has been fed Tasting Mom’s fresh baked goodies And sometimes her homemade bread. Memories have been made at this table Not all have been filled with joy But many fresh goodies have been served here For many little girls and boys. Whenever someone comes to visit This is usually where we sit To sip from a fresh cup of coffee And visit for just a bit. Many holidays we have gotten together Food brought here by everyone Not all can fit at this table So we use extra tables for some. The many times at this kitchen table As we sit in our favorite place As our food is placed before us Most often we begin with grace. Alden Lieberg, Arvilla Nodak Electric Cooperative www.ndarec.com

KITCHEN KUDOS

APPLE TURNOVERS

ember participation makes Recipe Roundup one of the best-read sections in North Dakota LIVING. Our magazine staff takes great pride in working with readers and featuring their submissions. We wanted to share some feedback we’ve received over the past several months from readers whose submissions have been published, and to encourage you to keep submitting those recipes, cookbooks, restaurant referrals and family dining traditions. YOU are the reason North Dakota LIVING is rated the state’s best-read publication! September 2010 issue

Recipe: Honey Oatmeal Chews PHOTO BY J.C. BALCOM

I love the article and photos! I have to complement you on the whole process. You made it an enjoyable experience. Thanks again for a fun-filled afternoon! Ann LaDuke, Shields Mor-Gran-Sou Electric Cooperative

June 2010 issue

Cookbook: Celebrating the past, looking to the future

APPLE TURNOVERS Crust: 5 cups flour 1 cup milk, warm 2 cups plus 2 tbsp. shortening 2 eggs, beaten 3 1 tsp. salt ⁄4 cup evaporated milk 1 package yeast Mix the flour, shortening and salt. Add yeast dissolved in warm milk; let stand 15 minutes. Add beaten eggs and evaporated milk. Mix together and cool overnight in refrigerator. Use an additional 4 tablespoons of flour and 1 tablespoon of sugar to roll out dough. Cut dough into rounds using a 2-pound coffee can. Filling: 11 ⁄2 cups sugar 12-15 apples (depending on size) 1 T. each of flour, cinnamon and tapioca Cook apples until tender. Spoon filling into crust (about 1 1 ⁄2 tablespoons); fold crust in half and seal edges. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Yield: about 3 dozen. Test notes: Orpha and her daughters make the dough the night before they bake. When rolling out the dough prior to baking, they use the additional flour and sugar to stop the dough from sticking to the rolling pin and pastry board. Orpha also uses a rolling pin sleeve cover dusted well with flour, to prevent the dough from sticking. She suggests moistening the dough edges to seal the turnovers if they don’t hold. Orpha also uses a 1-pound coffee can to make smaller turnovers and frosts her turnovers with powdered sugar frosting.

Orpha Lieberg, Arvilla Nodak Electric Cooperative

We have had several people call and write us, wanting cookbooks. As of right now, we only have two books left. I will be sending a copy [of your magazine] to my mother, who is 96 years old. She will be thrilled to see one of her recipes in print. Thanks again for everything. It was fun. Sharon Lock, Forman Forman 125 Years cookbook committee Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative

Editor’s note: The Forman cookbook committee donated the $50 they received from North Dakota LIVING to the Forman Library. We thank them for their commitment to community. April 2010 issue

Recipe: Bjorneby’s Twice-Baked Potatoes

Thank you for your nice article. We have received many compliments from our neighbors. The article was well-written, and should help us promote our local product.  Keith Bjorneby, Lone Wolf Farms, Minto Nodak Electric Cooperative

North Dakota LIVING still values North Dakota cooks! Readers, please continue to send us:  Cookbooks featuring family, church, community;  Unique recipes unlike those we’ve published in the past;  Tips on great dining spots across North Dakota; and  Family dining traditions. If we publish your submission, we’ll pay you $50 for your time and effort! In order to publish, we must have a contact www.ndliving.com

name, current address and daytime telephone number. We also request to know whether or not you belong to an electric and/ or telephone cooperative. Send your complete information to North Dakota LIVING, P.O. Box 727, Mandan ND 58554-0727, or e-mail your submission to cdevney@ndarec.com. 

N O R T H D A K O T A L I V I N G  N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0 31

FA R M B Y L I N E by Al Gustin

Barn taught life lessons O

PHOTO BY LAYN MUDDER

ur tired, old barn is gone. It wasn’t one of those iconic, majestic, round-roofed or gambrel-roofed barns. It was a simple barn. It had a two-story, gableend middle section and a one-story lean-to on each side. History professor Tom Isern calls them prairiestyle barns. The barn had actually been built by adding onto a smaller barn, so it was a rather cobbled-together affair that already seemed somewhat tired when Dad bought the farm in the 1940s. But it was our only barn and it was central to many of the daily chores. In the north lean-to were the stalls for the milk cows – two cows per stall, tied with neck chains at a hay manger that contained a box or tub on each end for the cows’ twice-a-day ration of ground feed. The south lean-to served a variety of purposes over the years. The laying hens were kept there. Part served as a cattle shed where pigeons made their nests. The midsection of the barn contained a pen for the dairy calves – some of them day-olds that Dad bought at the sales ring or from the neighbors. A rather small loft above the calf pen held straw bales. We filled the remainder of the barn’s midsection

Al Gustin

with hay bales for the milk cows. What a lot of work it was to toss the bales in and stack them all the way to the rafters. But what a feeling of accomplishment and security it was when the barn was full for the winter. I don’t remember the barn as being a place where we children played, although we did. Mostly, I remember the barn as the place where the duties and responsibilities of being a farm youth were learned. When we were old enough to help, we gathered eggs. From that, we graduated to putting ground feed into the mangers for each cow. As we got older, we fed the bucket calves; and then it was our turn to help milk the cows – by hand, of course. As teenagers, we helped pitch out the calf barn when it needed cleaning. Dad never sent us to clean that barn. It was a job that we did together. In later years, when there no longer were milk cows and day-old calves, when our daughters became horsewomen, I built a tack room in the barn for them to use. our girls, too, have memories of that barn. But the old barn wasn’t designed for modern livestock production. It didn’t justify restoration. So it is gone – a poor man’s barn, where life lessons about work, responsibility and family were learned. n Al Gustin is farm news director for KBMR and KFYR Radio in Bismarck. He is also a farmer/rancher and member of Mor-Gran-Sou Electric Cooperative.

2011 Agri International Trade Show

2 BIG DAYS!

February 15-16, 2011 Bismarck Civic Center, Bismarck, ND Reserve Your Booth Space Today!

• Horse clinician • Nearly 400 trade show booths • Farm toy show

• Living ag classroom • Informational seminars • Al Gustin’s Farm Forum

800 E Bismarck Expressway, Bismarck, ND

For booth information call 1-800-766-5367 or visit www.kfyr.com to download a booth contract 32

NoVEMBEr 2010 n NorTH DAKoTA LIVING

www.ndarec.com

www.ndliving.com

N O R T H D A K O T A L I V I N G n N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0 33

MARKETPLACE FORU

• R E A L E S TAT E • FA R M & R A N C H • WA N T E D • F O R S A L E • T R REAL ESTATE FOR SALE • Beautiful one-of-a-kind home with an awesome Badlands view on 15 acres near Medora. • Beautiful Medora ranchette and 40- to 160-acre Badlands tracts for sale! • 20 acres of land in northeast Dickinson adjacent to city limits; prime for development! • 160 acres near Mott; 135 acres in CRP. Lots of pheasants and deer. $800 per acre • Woodshed is a great restaurant/steakhouse, bar/ lounge in Hazen. Great community support. Includes furniture, fixtures, equipment and real estate. $295,000 • Looney Bin is an almost-new sports bar and restaurant with a banquet room/game room in Beulah. A beautiful 7,500-square-foot facility selling far below replacement cost with all equipment, furniture, fixtures and real estate. $700,000 Contact: Don Schmeling, Continental Real Estate, Dickinson. Call (701) 260-5555 or (701) 483-4400. View properties online at www.donschmeling.com.

FARMERS & RANCHERS Are you looking for assistance with: ➢Beginning Farmer programs? ➢Agricultural loan applications? ➢Adding value to your farm/ranch production? ➢Diversifying your farm/ranch operation? ➢Financial or other problems? North Dakota Agricultural Mediation will help you sort through your options. For confidential assistance, call

(800) 642-4752

Ask SCORE for Business Advice Free and Confidential Business Advice Call a SCORE OFFICE in North Dakota: Bismarck: 701.328.5861 Fargo: 701.239.5677 Minot: 701.852.6883 Grand Forks: 701.746.5851 Web: www.scorend.org

GENERAL INTEREST TOWN — CHURCH ANNIVERSARIES — FAMILY & SCHOOL REUNIONS — Commemorative custom plates, spoons, bells, playing cards, pens, cups, Christmas balls, T-shirts, throws, napkins, sweatshirts, bookmarks and crocks. Liberal credit terms. FREE literature, samples available. Serving since 1972. KLEPETKA ADV., PO Box 931, Aberdeen, SD 57402. Ph. (605) 225-0621.

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Call us about direct, non-stop flights from North Dakota on Allegiant Air to: Las Vegas Phoenix/Mesa Orlando-Sanford Los Angeles

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 Acme Tools ............................... 33  Advanced Surgical Arts Center ................. 9  Argo .......................................... 27  Bank of North Dakota ............... 13  Basin Electric Power Cooperative ................... 19  DakotaBookNet.com................. 13  Dakota Carrier Network ............ Inside back cover  Days Inn, Bismarck................... 23  Emter Family Music Theater ..... 28  Enbridge ................................... 33  Grand International Inn, Minot ... 25  Hydro-Sil ................................... 25  Jensen Travel ........................... 9  Judy’s Leisure Tours Inc. ......... 23  KFYR Radio ............................. 32  Kelly Inn, Bismarck ................... 23  Maple River Distillery & Winery .................... 28  Medora CVB ............................. 5  Naomi Rossow Realty LLC ...... 25  North Dakota Beef Commission ..................... 29  North Dakota Farmers Union ... 9  North Dakota Soybean Council ...................... 9  Prairie Public Radio .................. 33  Pride of Dakota Holiday Showcases .................. 13  Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat ........ 23  Radiant Systems ...................... 23  Radisson Hotel, Bismarck ........ 16  Regional Neurological Center... 25  RTC .......................................... 16  Satrom Travel & Tour ...........16, 25  Sleep Inn & Suites, Minot ......... 18  Spine & Pain Center ................. 27  St. Alexius PrimeCare .................. Back cover  State Historical Society of North Dakota ........................ 17  Trinity Health...... Inside front cover

N O R T H D A K O T A L I V I N G  N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0 35

Reflections M CO-OP COUNTRY

Reflections

emulate what they know and love.  of all? This North Dakota LIVING fairy tale features stars who irror, mirror, on the wall — who bears the most resemblance

irror, mirror, on the wall — who bears the most resemblance of all? This North Dakota LIVING fairy tale features stars who emulate what they know and love. 

CABBAGE PATCH TWINS: From the matching curls to the clothes, Jordyn Taylor Whitfield is the spitting image of her baby. She is the daughter of Kara and Velbert Whitfield and the granddaughter of Jim and Sherry Locken. Sherry submitted the photo; she and Jim are members of MountrailWilliams Electric Cooperative.

BREAK TIME: Being a well driller like grandpa must either be very hard work — or boring — according to cousins Hunter Domier (left) and Bennett Filler. Hunter is the son of Heidi and Mat Domier and Bennett is the son of Laura and Sam Filler. The boys are the grandsons of West River Telecommunications Cooperative members Karen and Terry Feickert. Karen submitted the photo.

BATHING BEAUTIES: Fascinated by the faucet, twins Amelia (left) and Mollie Kuntz try to figure out how to catch and hold the water. They are the daughters of Vernon and Tavia Kuntz, who are members of Roughrider Electric Cooperative. Tavia submitted the photo.

IMITATIONS: Kaylee Magandy must be thinking, “If I can stretch like my dog, maybe I can crawl on all fours, too!” She is the daughter of Chris and Carrie Magandy and the granddaughter of Alvin and Joetta Magandy. Joetta submitted the photo; she and Alvin are members of McLean Electric Cooperative and Reservation Telephone Cooperative.

North Dakota LIVING is seeking photos of winter scenes, sports and recreation! Of course, we also want other family favorites for upcoming Co-op Country pages. We’ll select our favorites and print them as space allows. Those whose submissions appear on this page will receive a check for $10 following publication of the magazine. We prefer high-resolution digital photos e-mailed to cdevney@ndarec.com, but you may also mail entries to CO-OP COUNTRY, North Dakota LIVING, P.O. Box 727, Mandan ND 58554-0727. Readers, North Dakota LIVING will not publish low-quality photos such as those taken on cell phones. When submitting photos, please include the following information: your complete name and address, your daytime phone number, and the name of your electric and/or telephone co-op. We will contact you prior to publication. NOTE: Please keep a duplicate photo, negative or file; the magazine is no longer able to return submitted photos.  36

NOVEMBER 2010  NORTH DAKOTA LIVING

www.ndarec.com

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TurN This over for a BrighT iDea.

North Dakota Living November 2010