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Country

Friday, February 21, 2020

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Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment

Volume 8, Edition 2

PHOTO BY JIM ROOK

A lush soybean field stands in the foreground of this picturesque landscape taken July 27, 2016 from Pioneer Park Road near Brandon. This photo was selected for publication in TPT’s Capture Minnesota.

The golden hour

Retirement a time to shine for photographer Rook By DIANE LEUKAM Staff Writer

ALEXANDRIA – A large package arrived at the doorstep of Jim Rook’s Alexandria home. It was from an agency in Massachusetts, but in reality, it was just making a full circle back to Rook. Opening it with great care, many things went through his mind as he studied eight large prints, each one as gorgeous as the next, and more than half the size of his dining room table. The prints were of landscape photos he had shot in September 2010 in South Dakota. Using just the right marker, Rook

signed each print before re-packaging them and sending them on to their final destination, the veterans hospital at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, D.C. That was in 2016, and last summer, another was purchased for an expansion of the facility. Rook, 67, has loved photography since he was a boy. “My mom was always taking pictures when I was a little kid,” Rook said Jan. 24 from the home he shares with his wife, Susan and his golden retriever, Millie. “I would bug her to use her camera. When I was 10 or 11 she went out to California to see one of my brothers and went to a pawn store and bought me a little 35mm camera. That lasted me until I was in college. I look back and I thought those were good pictures and they weren’t, but the interest was there.” Even as a college student Rook

This month in the

COUNTRY

Let’s get real Diane Leukam Column

FFA special section

PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM

Jim Rook of Alexandria has pursued a lifelong interest in photography, with more time to devote to his business after his retirement from a career in agriculture-related fields. Rook’s landscape prints grace the walls of the veterans hospital at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, D.C., and his photos have appeared in numerous publications.

would have loved to make a career as a wildlife photographer, but he realized that was not going to pay the bills. So, having grown up on a small dairy farm, his love for agriculture led him to South Dakota State University where he majored in dairy nutrition and minored in bio-chemistry. A long career in agriculture ensued,

12 Finding their superpower Richmond

following a path through the extension in Milbank, S.D, for two years; regional dairy specialist for six counties in Missouri in the late 1970s; and 20 years in the QQM (Quantity Quality Milk) proROOK continued on page 2

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Page 2 • Country Acres - Friday, February 21, 2020

Country Acres

Diane Leukam, Editor diane@saukherald.com Ben Sonnek, Writer ben.s@saukherald.com Herman Lensing, Writer herman@melrosebeacon.com Jennifer Coyne, Writer jenn@dairystar.com Evan Michealson, Writer evan.m@star-pub.com Carol Moorman, Writer carol@melrosebeacon.com Natasha Barber, Writer natasha@saukherald.com Sarah Colburn, Freelance Writer

Story ideas send to: diane@saukherald.com

ROOK continued from page 1 gram for Land O’Lakes based out of Alexandria. “Basically, we helped farmers to work in nutrition to better feed their cows, and on improving their milking routines, habits, equipment checks, stray voltage, and a lot of those things,” Rook said. “That was one the most rewarding jobs I’ve ever had. We were helping people and you could see their production improve. The goal was to help people realize a more profitable and better life from their dairy operation. I really enjoyed those years I was doing nutrition work and working on the QQM program. I was a speaker at many local coop gatherings and that introduced me to many of our small communities and the great people of the area.” Company layoffs by upper management in the early 2000s made

for tough times for Rook, followed by stints at Menard’s in Alexandria and Farm Business Management at Glenwood before the final leg of his career with Compeer, which was AgStar at the time he was hired in 2005. He worked with the company until his retirement in 2017. Throughout the years, Rook’s love of photography never waned. “In 2007, Susan got me a new Nikon for Christmas with a couple lenses and I was off to the races. I thought I had everything, but I didn’t; two cameras and a lot of lenses later I’m still learning a lot of things,” Rook said. Rook paged through a book of beautiful images called “Capture Minnesota,” which was published by TPT, the Twin Cities public broadcasting service. Photogra-

Great Egrets settle their differences May 4, 2018 near Fergus Falls.

PHOTO BY JIM ROOK PHOTOGRAPHY

phers from around the consideration in the pub- of soybeans, enhanced state submitted many lication. Rook paused at by a beautiful sunset. thousands of photos for a photo of rolling fields “This one was taken SALES STAFF just eight miles out of Kayla Hunstiger, 320-247-2728 town from a hilltop west kayla@saukherald.com of Pioneer Park,” Rook Missy Traeger, 320-291-9899 missy@saukherald.com said. “When I was taking Tim Vos, 320-845-2700 this photo that night, a tim@albanyenterprise.com guy who lived just down Mike Schafer, 320-894-7825 the hill and happened to mike.s@dairystar.com be from our church was Warren Stone, 320-249-9182 driving by. He and his warren@star-pub.com son stopped and I was Jaime Ostendorf, 320-309-1988 out in the field with the Jaime@star-pub.com tripod and he waved and Bob Leukam, 320-260-1248 came over and we visited bob.l@star-pub.com a while. He said ‘I just love this area. I just love PRODUCTION STAFF to stop here and see the Pat Turner view.’” Amanda Thooft When the time came Nancy Powell Maddy Peterson for the photo, the two left so Rook could work. Deadlines: Running into him at a Country Acres will be published later date, Rook relayed the first Fridays of April, May, that the photo had been June, September, October and published. November, and the third Friday “He was excited,” of every month. Deadline for Rook said. “Sometimes, news and advertising is the it will make someone Thursday before publication. else feel kind of proud, too.” The photo had been taken during the golden PHOTO BY JIM ROOK PHOTOGRAPHY hour. An old red barn stands in stark contrast to cool blue skies at this abandoned farmstead Jan. 11, 2020 at twilight on the Douglas/Grant County Line.

ROOK continued on page 3

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Friday, February 21, 2020 - Country Acres • Page 3 ROOK continued from page 2 “The golden hour is the hour before sunset or the hour after sunrise, and the blue hour is from sunset until an hour after sunset or an hour before sunrise until sunrise,” Rook said. “The blue hour is my favorite; you will get the most intense skies at that point, especially if you have high clouds. For a landscape photographer those are usually the best times of the day.” Many of Rook’s photos have stories to go with them. There is his symbol, a pileated woodpecker he photographed after setting up some old bark on his deck. There is one called the Tree of Hope, dedicated to his daughter-in-law who is battling cancer. Another, an osprey feeding her chicks on the top of

“The blue hour is my favorite; you will get the most intense skies at that point, especially if you have high clouds.” - Jim Rook

a utility pole, tells the story of another battle, that of wills between the osprey pair and Runestone Electric – a battle won by the birds. In the summer of 2018 the birds started building a nest on the pole and shorted it out. Runestone would clear it out and they would start all over. Finally, Runestone capitulated. They went a pole back from the nest and ran 600 feet

A female osprey feeds her chicks July 22, 2019 at their home atop a utility pole near Alexandria.

of underground line, leaving the nest undisturbed. “That was a remarkable act of conservation by Runestone,” Rook said. The 2018 hatch produced two young birds that did not live because of the late hatch. However, last year the osprey pair arrived early and hatched three fledglings. “I made a real amateur mistake. I was there about a week after they were

fledging and I thought I had good shots, but I forgot when I was taking still pictures to flip it back to 1000 shutter speed, so it’s all blurry,” Rook said. He thoroughly enjoyed observing the young birds as they learned to fly. “They’d go out of the nest and glide down and get so close to the ground, and then just be flying up like mad and land on the top of one of the other poles. They’d be teetering there like, ‘ok how

PHOTO BY JIM ROOK PHOTOGRAPHY

am I going to get back!’ It was just really comical watching them, and the parents would continue to feed them for quite a while.” Over the years, Rook has spent many hours learning his craft. Some of his resources have been the mentoROOK continued on page 4

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tain Eye Bank. They have an auction every year and whatever people pay for them they get. It’s kind of my way of saying thank you.” Eyesight is a gift but to Rook, the settings for his photos is an even greater gift. “Ansel Adams said it

best, [in that] God created all the beauty and he just put me in the spot at the right time to take that picture,” Rook said. For him, retirement is not only the stereotypical “golden years,” but the perfect time to work on his abilities to capture that golden hour.

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ring of other professional photographers, as well as books, videos, and inspiration from numerous photography websites, Facebook pages and even YouTube videos. Another habit he has tried to incorporate is to read one page from his camera manuals each day, to best take advantage of the features each camera has to offer. The Rooks love to travel to find new places to shoot, but most of the beauty he finds is right in Central Minnesota. He often takes advantage of waterfowl production areas, with Millie at his side. He has his own website, www.jim-rook.com where his many galleries of work are showcased. The ability to take beautiful photos is not something Rook takes for granted. This July will mark the three-year anniversary of his first cornea transplant surgery; his second took place the following month, in August 2017. Both surgeries were successful, but he is well aware he could have lost his vision completely. “In my business I do have sales of prints, calendars and cards but I take the most pride in [something else],” he said. “I take what I feel are my five best photos every year and donate them to the Rocky Moun-

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Friday, February 21, 2020 - Country Acres • Page 5

Let’s get real

Welcome to this issue of Country Acres! The Central Minnesota Farm Show is next week, and we have a jam-packed special section inserted in this paper as a spotlight on the annual get-together. Every year, vendors gather from near and far to showcase their products and equipment. There are speakers and topics on the hour; and, as you browse through this insert you will see a multitude of short stories on a number of advertising businesses, as well as features on two of the speakers. You will even notice a series of beautiful photos from a frosty morning at the end of January. Love it or hate it, winter in Minnesota can be a showstopper on those days. We also spotlight the FFA organization in anticipation by Diane Leukam of National FFA Week, which is Feb. 22-29 this year. It’s safe to say there is not another student-led organization in the world which has been as effective in developing young, talented, innovative leaders within the agriculture industry. One of those leaders is Emily Hoeing, who now works at the Purdue University Center for Food and Agricultural Business in West Lafayette, Ind.; she shares her thoughts on the benefit of FFA in this issue. Speaking of professionals in agriculture, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jim Rook of Alexandria. He is retired from his career in ag and has a photography business he runs out of his home. His photos will speak for themselves, certainly. It became clear when I spoke with him that the story could have gone in several directions. During the interview, the conversation turned to the current situation in farming, which has been difficult for many years. Having worked with farmers for decades in efforts to help them be more profitable in the dairy industry, Rook had some compelling thoughts some of you might need to hear. So, let’s get real for a bit. If you are one of the many whose financial situation has deteriorated, you are likely to blame yourself. The message Rook had on this is: Farmers are not to blame for the current situation. So much of it is out their control. Most of us know that, but those personally struggling might not. “You just can’t blame yourself,” Rook said. “You look back and you just do the best you can. If it doesn’t work, you did the best you can. Make sure you know that, even if we get five years down the road and something isn’t working, you used the best information that was available at the time and made your decision based off of that, and that’s all we could do. It’s easy to look back and say ‘if only we would have done this,’ but did anybody know about that back then?” Rook knows from personal experience what it is like to hit rock-bottom. t On Jan. 6, 2003, he walked into the corporate office at his work with a major coop and was told there would be 149 people laid off that day, and he would be the first. He had worked there for 20 years, and suddenly the bottom had fallen out. He had been married to his wife, Susan, just weeks prior. A blended family with grown children, Susan was in college herself and they each had a daughter in college. After a career where Rook had landed every job he applied for save one, he was now interviewing at every place he could, but nothing was available. After 12 months and with bills piling up, he finally landed a job at a large retail store which was just opening up in tAlexandria. “I came to realize what it is for a lot of people in this country who don’t have a job and people would say ‘Well, they don’t want to work, they’re just lazy,’” Rook said. “You know what that is like every time you swallow your pride and you walk in and try to get a job that you know you may not like, but you gotta have a job.” With two young managers at the store, one of them blew up at Rook one day not long after he started. “I came home and told Susan, ‘I know it isn’t much and I’m not bringing home much, but I may not even have that tomorrow,’” he said. The next morning, Rook spoke to the other manager, who wasn’t aware of what had happened. “I just said, ‘Whatever you guys need, let me know. I gotta have this job. I can’t lose it,’” Rook said. “He said, ‘Don’t worry about losing your job,’ and it’s like, whew, and you go in the corner and you cry.” Looking back, Rook figures that, though stressful, the year out of work was possibly the best year of his life in terms of personal growth. “In the course of all the interviews and putting things together and deciding if you’re worthwhile or anything anymore, you learn – at least I did – that you aren’t the most important thing out there,” Rook said. “You can’t do any more than your best. Try to be the best person you can be and, if you’re of the faith, put your faith to the test because, you know, timing is everything.” By Dec. 2005, Rook was working at AgStar. Susan was working full time as a nurse and, within the year, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Had that happened a year earlier, there would have been no insurance. “I think the other thing is, how you handle those tough times is what your kids are going to remember,” Rook said. “They’re going to face tough times, too.” If you are struggling in any way, the takeaway is you shouldn’t blame yourself, and please don’t try to do this alone. Seek help, whether it is the extension, farm business management, clergy, or the guy down the road just to talk.

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PINE VILLAGE, Ind. – The FFA blue jacket is a symbol of pride for members all around the world, and today there are more than 700,000 members in chapters in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The organization is also known for its ability to enhance the future careers of its members, and Emily (Achen) Hoeing, of Pine Village, Ind., is one who can testify to that with certainty. “FFA changed my life; absolutely it in some ways has contributed to my success,” Hoeing said Dec. 17 in a phone interview on the subject. Hoeing works at the Purdue University Center for Food and Agricultural Business in West Lafayette, Ind. Even before joining the center, she was involved in an agricultural position, spending nearly four years in sales and marketing with Diamond V, a global animal health and nutrition company. As a territory manager, she worked closely with dairy farmers and their consultants to meet their production and management goals. Hoeing has been at the Center for Food and Agricultural Business for the past three years. The center is focused on helping people in the food and agribusiness industries take on the challenges and opportunities of a dynamic and complex agri-food system. As a key account manager, Hoeing is skilled in connecting company leaders and experienced program instructors, and builds and develops transformational learning experiences that move businesses forward. Content development is a collaboration with client business leaders and Purdue Agribusiness faculty, designed through identifying values, goals and needs while combining research with real-world application specifically for the food and agribusiness industries. “The research we do is to provide thought leadership in the agribusiness industry,” Hoeing said. “The industry uses those insights for future business planning; they have a broader sense of what’s going on and how they might do things better or differently.” Though she is just 30 years old, Hoeing’s agricul-

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tural experience began long ago while growing up on a dairy farm south of Sauk Centre. With 11 children in the family, Hoeing learned the value of cooperation, hard work and dedication to farming. As a member of the Sauk Centre FFA chapter during her high school years, she moved up the ranks in her own chapter and eventually beyond. She joined in ninth grade and said the organization helped expose her to public speaking, dairy judging and parliamentary procedure. She did a supervised agricultural experience through FFA at her home dairy farm, keeping records of the number of hours she worked, the skills she developed on the farm and how her responsibilities grew over time. She graduated from high school in 2008 and studied at the University of Minnesota where she earned her bachelor’s degree in animal science with an economics and communications emphasis. While at the U of M, Hoeing continued her involvement in FFA and served as the state secretary, and during that PHOTO COURTESY OF KAC PHOTOGRAPHY time received an unusu-

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Learning to sell Turn the Bag Blue and Gold program benefits Alexandria FFA students By SARAH COLBURN Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA – The Alexandria FFA is raising thousands of dollars with a fundraiser that teaches students real-life ag-industry skills. Students in the FFA chapter, in partnership with Mycogen Seeds last fall through mid-December, learned how to sell seed corn. For each bag sold, $35 will go back to the local chapter, and in addition, the state and national branches of FFA each receive $15 per bag. “It’s an awesome opportunity for the students to do some hands-on learning,” said Andrew Steiner, Alexandria’s FFA advisor and an agricul-

ture teacher at Alexandria Area High School. “Farmers are going to be buying corn and it’s a great opportunity for kids to actually sell something people need to buy. They learn sales skills… and test-drive a potential career.” This year, eight students participated in the fundraiser and sold 95 bags of seed, earning the local chapter $3,325. The funds will be used for chapter activities throughout the year including a winter trip to Marshall to tour the agricultural school, as well as SUBMITTED provide funding for students to attend Kodi Bundermann (from left), Kallista Roers and Austin Jenc unload seed products toPHOTO deliver to area the state convention. Students who farmers as part of their local FFA fundraiser. participated in the fundraiser can also use the money to attend an FFA leadALEXANDRIA FFA continued on page 9

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al invitation. FFA leaders from around the nation were invited to march in the 2010 Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, Calif. The event was a partnership between the national FFA and RFD-TV, a television channel that features a large variety of rural topics, from farming and ranching to tractors and trains. The FFA president from each state was invited to participate, and Hoeing was able to jump at the opportunity when the Minnesota president was unable to attend. “It was really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I will never forget it,” she said. “I was so amazed in Pasadena at how much a part of the culture [the parade] is. All the floats are made of plant materials and we got to help put the flowers on the float the night before. It was go time.” The FFA float won the spirit award with a coordinated line dance they performed each time the float stopped to entertain the crowds. Hoeing described her group affectionately as “Just a

bunch of farm kids.” “Everyone carried their state flag and we wore our official dress,” she said. “If you can imagine marching in Pasadena for seven or eight miles in our corduroy jackets – it was a workout!” At the end of the parade there was another surprise in store for everyone: tickets to the Rose Bowl game between the Oregon Ducks and the Ohio State Buckeyes, which the Buckeyes won 2617. After arriving back home she prepared for yet another once-in-a-lifetime experience, that of an international leadership conference for state officers held in China. The Rose Bowl and China trips were unrelated to one another but both of them were opportunities created through the FFA organization, something for which Hoeing will always be grateful. “FFA just meant so much to me in so many different ways,” she said. “Finding truest friends, teaching me about myself, how to work better with others and be a more effective professional.” Even today, Hoeing’s FFA affiliation continues, as she takes the time to volunteer whenever they call her to judge a contest or help with an event. To her, it just makes sense. “Without volunteers these organizations would have trouble running,” she said. When it comes to time, Hoeing is busy with work, but maybe more so when she comes home where she and husband, Keith, are thrilled to share in the joy and responsibilities of raising their twin boys, Max and Hudson. At 2 years old, there is never a dull moment. The Hoeings enjoy traveling and being outdoors, kayaking, snowPHOTO SUBMITTED boarding, hiking or just Emily Hoeing takes a break while helping to decorate the FFA float on playing in the backyard. New Year’s Eve 2009 for the 2010 Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, Calif. As the Minnesota State FFA Secretary at the time, she was the state’s representative in the parade.

Friday, February 21, 2020 - Country Acres • Page 9 ALEXANDRIA FFA continued from page 8

ership conference or opportunity this summer. Nicolas Witt participated in the fundraiser with two friends and among the three of them, sold 21 bags of seed corn. They had a list of potential buyers and went out with a plan, hitting areas where they knew some of the farmers ϐirst. “There are more questions than you’d anticipate,” Witt said. From kernel size to coverage, Witt did his best to study his product and answer all of the questions. Along the way, he said, he made connections with new farmers that could be positive in the future. In an industry where farmers help one another out in a desperate time it’s good to meet others, Witt said. Kallista Roers opted to go straight to her two grandfathers and both purchased the seed. She enjoyed the experience and said it helped her and other FFA members explore industries like seed sales. Caden Rowe focused on friends and family near Clarissa, where he discussed the product with farmers and told them what he’s learned about the beneϐits of the seed. “It’s nice to just have knowledge about seed and what you’re selling,” he said. This is the second year the chapter has participated in the fundraiser; last year they sold one-third of what they were able to accomplish this year. While Steiner said he’s deϐinitely interested in offering the fundraiser again, Mycogen only allows each chapter to participate so many times before they give the opportunity to another chapter. When Steiner’s chapter is eligible again, he said they’ll likely participate. The fundraiser came to him through a Mycogen g representative he’s worked with and who supports e nother FFA programs and events. The fundraiser is an rofϐicial program offered by the seed company called the Turn the Bag Blue & Gold program. The company is heading into its fourth year of offering the program which has raised more than $93,000 nationnwide for participating local, state and national FFA eorganizations/chapters. Mycogen territory managers work with local retailers and chapters to offer farmers the option

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Want more info? The Turn the Bag Blue & Gold program is open to FFA chapters throughout the Midwest and a good portion of the country. Mycogen Seeds has been working in partnership with the National FFA Organization for more than 60 years. FFA chapters can apply for the program by visiting Mycogen.com/ FFA and submitting the online form by March 2, 2020. Mycogen Seeds and the National FFA Organization will review applications and accept up to 20 chapters. Selected chapters will be notified by May 1, 2020. to purchase corn hybrids that ϐit their geographies, according to the program’s website information. Farmers who purchase seed from FFA members will receive the product in dis nc ve blue-and-gold bags with the Mycogen logo. “Along with raising funds to support chapters, the program teaches students about agronomy, sales and customer service,” said Blake Courtney, Mycogen Seeds Marke ng Communica ons Manager. “Our Mycogen sales team and local retailers look forward to this mentorship experience every year.” Students began selling in the middle of September but due to ϐield conditions, the majority of the sales came in the last few weeks of the fundraiser which ended in mid-December. “Due to the weather conditions, and the farmers in the ϐields later, they didn’t have as much time to talk and ϐigure out their seed options for the coming year,” Steiner said. For the students, Steiner said, it was an opportunity to understand what goes into sales and how a salesperson operates. In addition, he said, students learned how farmers have to scrutinize and plan for the year to come, weighing which products are the best investment for their operation, a piece of farming, Steiner said, most students haven’t experienced. “Whether they go into sales or not they’ll know how a salesperson operates, they have the ability to have a conversation and step out of their box a bit. It puts them in a place they hadn’t been before in asking farmers,” Steiner said.

r r r PHOTO SUBMITTED o Nicolas Witt (from left), Kallista Roers and Caden Rowe sold seed to area farmers as a fundraiser for their local FFA chapter.

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Page 10 • Country Acres - Friday, February 21, 2020

FFA Week: engaging the student body at MAHS By SARAH COLBURN Staff Writer

MINNEWASKA AREA HIGH SCHOOL – The Minnewaska FFA chapter celebrates National FFA week with a number of key events aimed at raising the visibility of the chapter, connecting and educating youth and having fun.

The week, which runs from Feb. 22-29, highlights the role FFA chapters play in creating future leaders in agriculture as well as the importance of agriculture in the United States. Minnewaska kicks off the national celebration with a spirit week at Minnewaska Area High School. The entire student body is invited to participate in dressup days including pajama day,

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Minnewaska FFA Chapter members pose at a rodeo while attending the national convention in Indianapolis.

Skype day (look professional from the waist up), Camo vs. Hick day, Blue and Gold Day and Red, White and Blue day. Gift cards will be awarded for best dressed. “For me, it’s important to get our name out there as a chapter and get the student body activePHOTO SUBMITTED ly engaged in FFA,” said Katie Adam Larson and Michael Peabody walk down a hall at the national convention in Brown, advisor for the MinneIndianapolis last fall. waska chapter. “What matters

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is they respect what we’re doing and know what we’re doing.” Though Brown knows not everyone will join FFA, she said it’s important to raise the profile of the organization and the local chapter. The chapter isn’t just for kids of farmers, she said. As a teacher she aims to expand the profile of kids involved in FFA. Careers in farming touch every sector of society and jobs

range from bookkeeping and insurance to sales, engineering of seeds and even politics as leaders advocate for farmers and the industry. “People don’t understand how much work gets put into running a farm,” Brown said. “They think of people in fields MINNEWASKA FFA continued on page 11

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Friday, February 21, 2020 - Country Acres • Page 11 MINNEWASKA FFA continued from page 10 everyday working tractors and livestock, but not beyond that.” Prior to the official FFA week, the chapter will hold an Ag Career Day for seventh and eighth graders. Local professionals include those from Precision Ag 360, Hefty Seed Company, Form-AFeed, Riverview LLP, Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and a plant geneticist. The representatives will talk with students about ag career options. FFA chapter officers in full official FFA dress of white shirts, black bottoms and the signature blue FFA jacket will lead the younger students around to the various professionals. “If kids live in town or don’t farm, they don’t often get the chance to see the diversity of jobs in agriculture,” Brown said. FFA, she said, is the largest student-led organization in the country

with chapters in every state. Part of her responsibility as the local advisor is to make sure students understand at an early age that FFA is an opportunity for them once they enter the seventh grade. To that end, Brown has coordinated an ag day for students in grades four through six. Students will get their hands a little dirty and plant a marigold seed to take home. They’ll also see presentations from the high school FFA officers who will talk about the importance of the organization and the fun things they get to do as members. There will be a leadership activity for the class and an opportunity to build with Legos while learning about the local manufacturing industry. Additionally, there will be a petting zoo on site at the high school for the elementary students. Student FFA members will be bringing in their animals to visit with the elementary kids and the kids will be able to pet the animals and learn PHOTO SUBMITTED

Katie Brown is the advisor for the Minnewaska FFA Chapter.

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more about them from their keepers. “For the kids who don’t get access to the farm life or for the kids who don’t get to see livestock or never get to plant a seed until they take an ag class, it gives them a precursor for how big and how broad the ag industry is,” Brown said. To expose school staff to the inner workings of FFA, the chapter will host a staff appreciation breakfast on Feb. 28. The event is free of charge to staff and will be held in the high school wing. Chapter members will get a chance to socialize with staff and share some of their FFA experiences. This year, two of Minnewaska’s teams are going to state, one each in the categories of Horse Judging and Small Animals/Vet Science. “It’s a way for kids to get the publicity they deserve,” Brown said. “And,

On March 7, the general public is invited to attend a screening of “Silo The Film.” The movie is about grain bin and silo bin safety and the screening is made possible through a grant from Grinnell Mutual. The evening begins with a complimentary dinner at 5:30 p.m. and the movie will start at 6:30 p.m. in the Minnewaska Area High School Auditorium. “We want to reinforce understanding on how to be safe so no tragedy occurs in our town,” Brown said. The movie is part of a state-wide FFA movement to keep farm safety top-of-mind. The event is free and open to the public.

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to show teachers what’s happening in the organization.” Throughout the week the chapter will also provide ag trivia over the high school loudspeaker. Students can earn different prizes as well as FFA T-shirts. Trivia questions will focus on ag-related topics. One of Brown’s favorites is “How many different uses can you get from a field corn?” Most students, she said, guess five, maybe 10; the actual answer is 4,000. The question is indicative of the size and impact of agriculture on the economy and on people living throughout the world. Brown said, “It’s a huge gigantic circle and people don’t really grasp it until they see (how) agriculture impacts everything.”

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Page 12 • Country Acres - Friday, February 21, 2020

Finding their superpower Ludwigs show cattle, lean on community, fellow ranchers for support By SARAH COLBURN Staff Writer

RICHMOND – What began as a way to show cattle at the Minnesota Angus Association’s annual Jr. Field Day has turned into lifelong friendship and support for a Richmond family whose youngest is fighting leukemia. Steve Ludwig grew up on the family farm. At the age of 16, Ludwig stood atop Bare Hill, an area of hill completely barren of trees, and pointing, showed his dad where he’d build his house and operate a beef ranch. His dad, a pig farmer, said, “Good Luck.” Today, he’s proprietor of Ludwig Shadow Ranch in Richmond and he raises award-winning purebred show cattle. He

and his wife, Carrie, are parents to daughters MaKenna, 18, Madelyn, 16, Abigail, 9, Anastyn, 7 and Alizabeth, 6. “We wanted to make a name for ourselves in the show industry with beef,” Ludwig said. Ludwig artificially inseminates all of his livestock, keeping a bull for backup. He chooses the exact traits he’d like for his cattle, poring over sire catalogs filled with genetic information. As he looks, he notes show cattle traits and which ones have calving ease, a designation important to him so the babies are born healthy and at the biggest weight possible with no trouble during calving. He breeds the cows to a heavier-weight birthing bull once they’ve had two or three calves

LUDWIGS continued on page 13 PHOTO SUBMITTED

Steve Ludwig and his daughters, Madelyn (from left), Anastyn, MaKenna, Abigail and Alizabeth, get their cattle ready for showing at the Meeker County Fair open show.

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These are skills he learned from a friend with a herd of 300 cows and from an association filled with farmers who have grown from experience. “When we sit around a table with cattle friends everybody has the interest of the industry, of the Black Angus cattle, in mind and what we can do to make it better,” Ludwig said. “It’s easy to make good friends in the cattle industry.” With his one friend in particular, he will discuss sires and consistency in calves and get guidance based on hands-on experience. Then, he goes to shows and sees what’s winning. “He’s got a lot of ideas,” Ludwig said.

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Ludwig likens the genetic lottery to having children – though they may have the same genetics, everyone is going to be a little different. He first began with the association because they awarded grants to kids to purchase heifers at the annual Minnesota Angus Association State Sale. MaKenna has been showing cows at the Meeker County Fair since she was in second grade. At the age of 12 she walked the stalls at state sale, clipboard in hand, writing down all the traits she wanted in her first purchase. She left the sale with a bred heifer. Every day from April through October, the family works preparing the show cattle. The girls help with washing, rinsing, combing, blow-drying, walking and feeding twice a day in order to have them ready to show. It almost all came to an end, though, in 2017, when Alizabeth was diagnosed with leukemia on New Year’s Eve. “We said we’re done showing cattle;

it takes a lot of time and money to make that work and Alizabeth isn’t going to be in the barns because of her immune system,” Ludwig said. Steve and Carrie sat down with MaKenna and Madelyn and discussed the future. “The doctors told us to try to live the most normal life we can,” Ludwig said. Carrie quit her job doing daycare so no additional money was coming in, and she instead spent her time running Alizabeth back and forth to doctor appointments in the Twin Cities. As the family grappled with the enormity of the situation, their friends at the Minnesota Angus Association were already planning for their continued success. They booked the Ludwigs a hotel room for the junior national show and asked what it would take for them to continue showing. MaKenna and Madelyn created silicone bracelets that say “I’m fighting cancer, what’s your superpower?” and sold them to raise funds to continue showing and go to the junior national show. Donations came in from across the state, from other cattle ranchers and people they’d become friends with on the show circuit. “My friends in the Minnesota Angus Association are an extended family,” Ludwig said. “They’re so tightknit. They’ve supported us, they help us.” As money got tight, Steve needed to buy a herd bull, havPHOTO SUBMITTED ing sold his the year The Ludwigs gather for a family photo last winter. Pictured are (front, LUDWIGS from left) Anastyn, 7 (ages now), Alizabeth, 6 and Abigail 9; Back: continued on page 15 MaKenna, 18, Steve, Carrie and Madelyn, 16. Manufactured by

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How long have you been in FFA, and why did you join? I have been in FFA since my freshman year. I was inspired by my older brother and sister to join. What officer position do you hold? During my junior year, I proudly served as the chapter’s Historian, and this year I was given the opportunity to serve as the chapter’s Vice President. What are your responsibilities? As Historian, 2018-19, it was my responsibility to organize the chapter scrapbook. Every event and competition that happened from April 2018 to April 2019 was covered in the book. In April, when the scrapbook is completed, it gets entered into a contest with other scrapbooks from different chapters in our region. Albany is part of Region 3. Right now as Vice President, it is my responsibility to overlook the work of each committee. When a committee is made, the chair and the members set a date to meet. My job is to make sure they are accomplishing their task in a timely manner, without stepping on their toes.

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What projects/competitions have you been involved in? I have competed in three different Career Development Events (CDEs): Nursery and Landscape for two years, Milk Quality, Meats, and one Leadership Development Event (LDE) Parliamentary Procedure, and this year I am competing in Discussion Meet and Agricultural Mechanics. How has FFA helped you to become the person you are today? Before I joined FFA I was a very shy and quiet person. FFA has helped me talk to people, from people my age to adults I don’t know. There are many opportunities FFA has given me, and FFA has expanded my horizons more than what I’ll ever be consciously aware of.

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What do you enjoy the most about FFA? I enjoy people’s excitement, about FFA and agriculture as a whole. Selling FFA fruit is one of my favorite times because I get to go talk to so many people, and everyone who buys is always happy. Not only that but also the staff and students at Albany. When we are planning an event the staff is more than happy when we need their help. For example, I am planning the third annual breakout rooms, and we need rooms to host them in. I talked to the teachers and all of them were filled with excitement and willingness to help me. One teacher even told me it now gives her a reason to organize her room. The students get involved with our activities, and for some, they look forward to them. Over the years that I have been in FFA, I have seen the community, FFA members, students and staff come together to create wonderful things. I could not thank everyone enough.

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Friday, February 21, 2020 - Country Acres • Page 15 LUDWIGS continued from page 14 from their hometown community and the community of ranchers. Ludwig said he never dreamed of the

before after breeding season. His friend called him up one day and said he’d saved a bull from the sale just for him, gifting him another one to ensure the success of his operation. “He told me I had other things to be worrying about and to focus on my family,” Ludwig said. “That was a huge release to know I didn’t have to come up with $4,000 to $5,000.” Not only the ranching community rallied for the Ludwigs, but the Central Minnesota community as well. Friends organized a benefit at the Roscoe Roadside Tavern and served more than 860 plates of food to well-wishers out to support the family. Ludwig’s only request? “We gotta serve beef.” The beef was donated by a local angus farmer whose donation grew as the anticipated guest list grew for the benefit. “It was an amazing day,” Ludwig said. “I was mentally preparing myself for the day but you couldn’t. We got married at the Roadside (but at the benefit) when we looked over the crowds; all you saw was heads, it was a solid pack of people.” People flocked to the benefit, ranchers from the far southwest and southeast came to show support and Ludwig’s uncle drove 12 hours from Ohio to attend. From the minute Alizabeth was diagnosed, friends, ranchers and community members supported the Ludwigs. Within days of diagnosis, a friend was bringing meals for the other four kids at home while Steve and Carrie navigated the healthcare system in the cities. That same friend started a meal train and they had meals from January through March provided twice a week by the community. “It was a lifesaver,” Ludwig said. “We’d come home from the hospital at 6 at night and there was either a fresh meal dropped off or something in the freezer, a box full of food.” Though the Ludwigs never wanted a situation where they’d need it, they have been overwhelmed by the show of support

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support system when he began nearly two decades ago purchasing his first purebred bull. He now has a full-fledged ranch with 25 cows, 10 of which show, one bull and this year, 23 calves. They participate in an average of seven shows a year. They’ve gone from being last out of the ring to last year, daughter Madelyn earning Reserve Champion at the Minnesota State Fair with her steer, a steer that came from three years of generation on the family farm. “It’s a huge accomplishment,” Ludwig said. Not only has the cattle industry been a lifeblood for their family, it’s been a way for Ludwig to teach responsibility to his girls. From the start, he helped Makenna buy her first cow and she sold the feeder calf, paying her dad back the cost of the cow. He in turn returned the money to her and told her to put it in her savings account. She just paid for her first year of college on her own, debt-free. She’s attending South Dakota State University and studying animal science. She wants to be a large and small animal vet. “It’s made me who I am,” she said. For the Ludwigs, raising and showing cattle have been at the heart of their family. Through life’s challenges, that family has grown to include not only their entire community, but the broader range of people who share a love for cattle. Together, they have found their collective superpower.

Page 16 • Country Acres - Friday, February 21, 2020

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Country

Friday, February 21, 2020

cres A

Volume 8, Edition 2 Section B

Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment PHOTO COURTESY OF ALBRAUNWORTH.COM

Amber Mielke pulls Zach Newman over the top of a jump in the 2018 skijoring free style competition at Canterbury Downs.

Extreme thrills Mielke’s skijoring a blend of humans, horses, stunts and speed By SARAH COLBURN Staff Writer

SOBIESKI – Amber Mielke has always excelled at speed events like barrel racing, jumping and weaving. When Canterbury Downs held its first extreme horse skijoring event three years ago, Mielke didn’t hesitate and signed right up. The 31-year-old works with her horses at least three times a week during the winter, training them to pull skiers and snowboarders over 4- to 5-foot jumps at the track, at a speed of more than 35 mph. This is the third time Mielke will compete in the Canterbury event and she said skijoring has been growing in popularity each year since she’s been competing. “It’s probably just the thrill of it,” Mielke said. “You’re always just a little scared ‘cause you never know what’s gonna happen. Something bad could happen or worst-case scenario, something could go wrong and you could die. It’s that adrenaline rush.” Mielke, who lives in So-

bieski, rides horseback, pulling her brother, Kevin Miller, 40 of Little Falls, on a snowboard. This year she’s bringing two horses to the event and so is a friend of hers from Wisconsin. Together, they’ll work to pull three snowboarders and one skier. There are different classes for skiers and snowboarders and a free-style class where Mielke works to pull a skier as fast as she can over a 10- to 15-foot jump so he can perform stunts in the air. They get three chances in free-style and their top score goes up against other racing teams. “It’s two unique types of people coming together,” Mielke said. “I don’t ski or snowboard; I’m learning the lingo.” She works with her horses to prepare them for the event, training with them four or five times a week in the summer, practicing and keeping them in shape. “You have to have a horse

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALBRAUNWORTH.COM

Powder flies as Amber Mielke pulls Tyler Anderson behind her horse during an extreme horse skijoring event at Canterbury Downs.

that’s used to pulling and not scared of somebody flying through the air behind them,” she said. “It’s a little bit of a training process.” She begins the training by having the horses drag a rope behind them. Just a rope touching them can make them nervous, she said. So, she spends time getting the horses used to the experience. Once they begin to ignore the rope, she

moves on to the second stage of training, pulling a tube behind the horse. When she’s working with a new horse, she’ll pony that horse next to her so the newbie can see a horse that’s calm and comfortable with the tube. Once the tube becomes commonplace, she upgrades to a tire for weight. The next step is adding sound. Miller joins her and snowboards near

the horse, getting it used to the slapping sound as the board hits the snow. She’s built a course with jumps and together, she and Miller practice. As the horse becomes more and more comfortable at a slower speed, she increases the speed and eventually gets the horse comfortable MIELKE continued on page 2B

Page 2B • Country Acres - Friday, February 21, 2020 MIELKE continued from page 1B

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with a human flying through the air behind it. In the beginning, she said, that movement can make a horse jump forward, startled. As everything begins to fall into place, it is rewarding. “It’s fun to see what you can accomplish,” Mielke said. “I like the excitement, I like to stay moving.” This year she’s bringing Wager, a 6-year-old registered paint horse, to the event. She’ll also bring Ivy, her 4-yearold Cremello. Though Miller practices with her often, and she occasionally invites other skiers and snowboarders to do the same, she tries to practice at the track at least once a year just prior to the event to get her horses used to the envi-

ronment. They’re running outside on a snow-covered track and though Mielke said she doesn’t worry too much about them slipping, they can get worked up and excitable on race day. “You’re always a little worried but you saddle up and do it,” she said. “It’s just a risk you take, and in this sport, one of your partners is a 1,200-pound animal with a mind of his own.” To prepare herself and the horse for the event, she works on relaxation techniques and deep breathing, knowing that when she takes a deep breath, her MIELKE continued on page 3B

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Amber Mielke and her brother, Kevin Miller, love extreme fun and compete together in horse skijoring at Canterbury Downs.

To keep them at their optimum, she has her horses adjusted at least once a year, more if needed by Paradox Chiropractic out of Little Falls. Mielke also works with a chiropractor, Dr. Allison Zak Chiropractic out of Little Falls, for her own chiropractic needs during race season. Both chiropractic clinics are sponsors of Mielke’s and help pay for expenses such as registration fees to enter the competitions. Skijoring has allowed Mielke to live out her love for the extreme while spending time with her horses, her brother, and now her son, bonding over their shared enthusiasm for the sport.

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horse will too. “I think if you approach it the right way and go slowly you can do almost anything,” she said. “I like the challenge.” She and Miller are used to extreme sports. Growing up, Mielke said she’d ride her horse all day long, racing it up and down the gravel roads near the lake by Twelve Mile Tavern. Her family didn’t have a lot of money so instead of hitting the slopes during the winter, so they found other creative ways to learn their stunts and tricks. Their love for the extreme is passing onto the next generation. This year, for the first time, Mielke’s 7-year-old son, Whyatt, will participate in the youth class on his step-up pony, Butters. “I have a lot of confidence in his ability, he’s been riding since he was three,” Mielke said. For this first year, she said, he’ll take it slow but he’s been riding this pony for six months, practicing by pulling his uncle around. Both Mielke and her son wear helmets while riding. They also wear their winter coats and chaps to protect their legs from the wind. Though their winter boots don’t fit as well in the stirrups, they wear them to keep warm. The ideal racing weather, Mielke said, is 30 degrees but winters can be tough. She doesn’t train her horses if it’s too cold and the ever-waning daylight is always an added challenge. To cool the horses down after a workout, Mielke covers them in fleece blankets and gets them out of the wind to wick the moisture out of their hair and make sure they’re completely dry before they head in for the night.

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Zach Newman approaches the rings during the skijoring competition where most skiers reach their arm out to grab the ring and maintain their high speeds.

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Page 4B â€˘ Country Acres - Friday, February 21, 2020

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11, which also happened to be chick day. â€œThey were delivered this morning â€“ born today, right out of the shell,â€? John said. â€œTheyâ€™re dried fuzzballs. Thatâ€™s when theyâ€™re cute.â€? In addition to raising chickens, the Illieses raise crops, a rotation of corn and soybeans on 1,250 owned and rented acres. The three have chosen to farm together, and to keep their workload to a level they can handle themselves. John and Marie were married in 1982, and took over the family farm in 1985 after his mother had farmed for three years on her own after his father, Donald, passed away. Raising chickens was not the first thing John and Marie considered. As young crop farmers, they were interested in expanding into some form of livestock and considered raising beef, among other things. Johnâ€™s adult ag instructor at the time suggested he think about raising chickens. Wondering why on earth he would want to do that, the instructor insisted it would be a good option for them. â€œMarie was gone shopping and when she walked in I said â€˜Marie, guess what weâ€™re going to raise?â€?â€™ â€˜Chickens,â€™ she said. I guess weâ€™re raising chickens,â€? John

ILLIESES continued on page 5B

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ILLIESES continued from page 4B

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Daniel (from left), Marie and John Illies stand next to a litter keeper Feb. 11 on their farm in Elrosa. The Illies family has been raising chickens since 1990, and farm 1,250 acres of corn and soybeans.

said, describing that conversation long ago. “Two months later we were scratching ground [on a new barn].” The first flock was delivered on Jan. 19, 1990, and since then, it has been an enterprise that has worked for them as a family. As owners of the facility, they currently contract with Pilgrims Pride Corporation out of Cold Spring. The Illies family has been providing care for their flocks as long as Daniel, 28, can remember. When asked how long he has been involved, his answer was immediate. “Twenty-eight years,” he said, laughing. “I walked through the barn with mom and dad.” Caring for chickens On chick day the birds arrive to a well-prepared barn, a process which began after the previous fully grown flock was loaded and hauled away. To clean the barn, a special machine called a litter keeper is pulled behind a small tractor, and the litter is picked up onto a conveyor belt. “It’s a chain and it ‘chatters’ and the clean dry stuff falls through and the caked up stuff goes into the back and that’s what we haul out,” John said. “Years ago we used to clean the brood area completely out and put in fresh new shavings. Now, we reuse litter on the whole barn and this is better for the birds because you are keeping the good microbes in the manure and it’s warmer for their feet. We keep it 6 inches deep now, where we used to have it 3 inches.” Also between flocks, all the fans are washed, dust cleaned from everything,

and all equipment thoroughly cleaned. Throughout the barn, care is taken to level the litter surface so there are no deep gouges for the chicks to maneuver and so the water lines are perfectly level. Four to five days prior to the new chicks arriving, things begin to heat up – literally. The temperature is brought up to 90-plus degrees. The day before they arrive, a natural treatment is applied to the litter to eliminate ammonia, the air is flushed, and the heat brought up again. Tissue paper is placed under the water lines to take advantage of a natural instinct of the birds in their first few days after being hatched. “It’s like tissue paper for gifts,” Daniel said. “It’s loud paper, so when one steps on it, they all get attracted to the noise and they all go to him [and drink water].” Feed lines flood into flats in rows from end to end of the barn and extra flats of feed are placed around the barn. Finally, the barn is ready and the flock is delivered. From that point on, the birds are carefully watched. “We usually walk the barn three times a day to make sure the water is there, heat is up to temp, make sure the air quality is good and just overall what it feels/look like,” John said. “You watch how active the birds are – if they are really active, there could be something wrong. If they are huddling usually they are cold, and if they go to the walls it’s too hot.” A computerized system gradually

ILLIESES continued on page 6B

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Page 6B • Country Acres - Friday, February 21, 2020 ILLIESES continued from page 5B lowers the temperature inside the barn as the chicks get older and maintains an even temperature for the duration of the flock. Monitors keep track of humidity in the air, something that is naturally higher in the winter. Air freshness is a little trickier. “You have to feel how fresh the air is, basically,” Marie said. “If the air is too stale, they’re not going to do well. It’s something you have to learn.” Water is monitored by computers as well, with the expectation that each day there will be an increase in intake by a certain percentage. During the summer, a flock reaching maturity can easily consume thousands of gallons a day. Feed is delivered to the farm, with rations changing as the birds grow, with consumption of up to 10 tons a day. No antibiotics are ever used. Whenever there is a flock in the barn, the Illieses are on high alert. Everything has to work – all the time. The generator is tested every week, and equipment maintained to optimal working condition. In

case of failure of any one of the systems in the building, the computer will call a service center that keeps making phone calls – first to the house, then John, Marie and Daniel – until they reach a human voice. “We have alarm systems that call us for [problems with] temperature, water, feed, electricity, hot, cold,” John said. “That’s why when I come to church people look at me – I have to carry a phone because that’s my alarm, that’s my life right there. If I don’t answer that call it could be serious, especially when it’s hot outside.” For that reason, they make sure someone is nearby, even during fieldwork. “Those two are out in the field and I’m running dinners, meals, and watching the chicken barn,” Marie said. The building is cooled with a cool cell system, where water is circulated through a series of special cardboard-like pads while also cooling the air that is being drawn PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM through them and pulled through the barn John Illies points out the chain on the litter keeper that ‘chatters’ and shakes clean dry litter through and end to end, creating an air tunnel. back onto the ground, while caked-up material sorts into a compartment on the bottom of the machine and is hauled away. During the summer, the drinking wa- for it to come and pretty soon it was tame ter lines must be flushed to keep the water enough that you could catch him all the cool and to encourage the birds to drink. If time.” the water gets warm, they won’t drink it. Daniel enjoyed those birds. “It’s like if you went to the house after “You’d get him about 20 feet away and a long day and you were going to have a he’d see you, weave through the chickens beer; if it was warm you probably wouldn’t and come running up to you and wait for drink it,” Daniel said. you to pet him,” he said. When the flock is fully grown, the Daniel would beg his dad to keep the company brings in catching crews and pet chicken to no avail. But, there is more trucks and hauls them to their processing to life than caring for chickens – even pet plant in Cold Spring. And then, the cycle chickens. begins all over again. For favorite pastimes, Marie and John One would assume there would never ride their motorcycle wherever their inclibe such a thing as a pet chicken on a farm nations take them, and Marie seeks Jesus like this. One would be wrong. wherever she feels led. Daniel pulls pickup “We have had pet chickens,” John trucks with American Puller, Central Minsaid. “Once in a while – and it doesn’t hap- nesota Pullers and Red River Valley Pullpen much anymore because they changed ers. They also enjoy spending time with breeds – you would get a solid black chick- friends and family – and John and Marie en and you would make that one a pet. The have four other children: Carrie, Nicole, central MN kids would help. They would pet it and call Kristy and David; and six grandchildren.

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Those plant-based fake meat alternatives may not be as popular as some of the fast-food restaurant chains had hoped. They were counting on alternatives like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods to attract customers that are trying to cut back on meat consumption either because of health concerns or the belief they are helping the environment. The “Impossible Whopper” at Burger King was supposed to be a big sales driver with Wall Street analysts forecasting growth for the chain of over 3% for the fourth quarter. Instead, it was up only 0.6%. Burger King’s largest U.S. franchisee, Carrols Restaurant Group, said in January that average daily orders of the Impossible Whopper at one of its locations had dropped by 32 to 28 a day while one of its restaurants typically sells about 234 beef Whoppers a day. Meanwhile, McDonald’s has been testing a burger made with a Beyond patty in restaurants in southwestern Ontario. Last summer their biggest franchisee, Tim Hortons, tried a breakfast sandwich made with Beyond’s meatless sausage and a burger with its meat-free patty. By fall, they dropped the breakfast sandwich from the majority of the provinces and in January it disappeared from menus altogether. A Tim Hortons spokesman issued a statement saying: “Ultimately, the product was not embraced by our guests as we thought it would be. We may offer plant-based alternatives again in the future, but we have removed it from the menu for now.” Part of the problem is customer confusion about what exactly these plant-based products are. A survey by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association showed 55% of respondents thought that plantbased products had some form of animal product in them and they didn’t understand that it was vegan or vegetarian. One-third thought it had real meat in it, in some form or another. The online survey polled

more than 1,800 consumers, ages 18-65. The confusion starts with the packaging. They didn’t understand why the wording that said the product was “Even Meatier,” asking questions like: “Why is it even meatier if it doesn’t contain any meat?” “Marbled juiciness” doesn’t make sense to me.” “Why is there a cow on the package?” “What kind of meat is it exactly?” “Says it’s meatier but plant-based...Huh?” They also wondered why it looked like beef if it wasn’t meat: “It’s called a burger, looks like a burger, but is not meat?” “It’s confusing that the product greatly resembles beef.” “It seems like it’s advertising beef.” “It’s says beef but beef comes from a cow not plants.” And my favorite: “The fact that there’s a cow on the package, shouldn’t it have a Ghost-busters-style slash through it?” Sounds like a great idea.

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Page 8B • Country Acres - Friday, February 21, 2020

Creating winter interest in your country garden Andersons transform property for year-round beauty By SARAH COLBURN Staff Writer

LITCHFIELD – Kathy and Leif Anderson’s six-acre property is teeming with life all winter long. Birds flit about from tree to feeder and wild turkeys roam the yard. The dried Annabelle hydrangea blooms still cling to their stems, giving off a distinctive

rustle while the ornamental grass plantings blow in the breeze. The entire landscape has been thoroughly planned and not only does the Andersons’ yard look welcoming in the summer, it beckons someone to take a refreshing snowshoe trek through the hard pack of winter as the plantings they’ve chosen throughout the landscape create an interest and depth in the space.

PHOTO BY SARAH COLBURN

Kathy Anderson stands inside her atrium Feb. 4 near Litchfield, where she and her husband, Leif, garden on their six-acre property.

From the sun-drenched atrium with its polycarbonate panel ceiling shipped in from Israel, the Andersons have created a nature-focused space, inside and out. Their whole yard is visible from PHOTO BY SARAH COLBURN Ornamental grasses look great year-round and provide movement and texture in the back addition, their sanctuary to relaxation. the garden. “I just enjoy gardening

Now, 42 years later, their yard is a haven. “It becomes an obsession,” she said. Though she encourages others not to get carried away at first, every hill and valley ANDERSONS continued on page 9B

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Friday, February 21, 2020 - Country Acres • Page 9B ANDERSONS continued from page 8B in their space has been tended to. The glory didn’t come without a lot of hard work and help. Their son-in-law worked on the space for 10 summers, they hired students from the local high school to help out and now their grandkids are just getting old enough to work in the gardens. For those who want to add a little winter interest to their properties, Anderson offers this advice: – Consider the existing hardscape: Determine what is already in the space and whether some of it needs to be cleared. The Ander-

sons had to clear some trees from the property to make space for what would become their landscape. Be sure to keep or incorporate trees with interesting bark, Kathy said. Their yard includes River Birch, Paper Birch with exfoliating bark, Amur Cherries, Pagoda Dogwoods, Korean Lilacs and Fringe trees that offer clusters of white fringe all over in the spring and add structural interest to the winter landscape. AdditionalPHOTO BY SARAH COLBURN ly, they enjoy Kentucky Coffeetrees with really rough bark, and fruit This pergola not only provides a focal point for the backyard, it’s also a quaint place to enjoy the natural trees or weeping apple trees that are surroundings. structurally pleasing. Evergreens, she said, also add winter interest but, they also choose shrubs such as the Smarter Insurance for Agriculture® Weeping Spruce which she affectionately refers to as Snuffleupagus. – Create focal points: The Andersons added two bridges and a pergola to their space. One bridge helps them access the rest of their property which has a stream running through Contact me before March 15 to insure your spring seeded it, while one is more aesthetic in nacrops and protect your bottom line with crop insurance. ture. “You don’t want to overdo it; you want to be sure it fits and has a Bruce Vanderpool natural flow,” Kathy said. Once the 28518 State Hwy 55 Office 100 large-scale piece is installed, she Paynesville said, be sure to create something (320) 243-2782 with the landscaping that leads the (320) 492-7167 Cell eye toward the piece, nestling it into 1-888-334-0865 Waite Park the space. – Create a natural flow: The Andersons added berms to their property as well as a dry rock bed and a water feature. “This is where you might want a professional to make PHOTO BY SARAH COLBURN Sculptures and garden art placed next to sure they can plan for things to look outcroppings of natural plantings provide an extra layer of design in a space.

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AGRICULTURAL

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Spring Long Prairie & Todd County Consignment Auction Saturday, April 4th at 9:00 AM Held at the Hillig Equipment Lot: South Highway 71, Long Prairie, MN Attention Farmers, Dealers, Lenders

Selling Complete Lines of Farm Machinery as Well as Individual Farmer and Dealer Consignments of Farm Equipment, Construction Equipment, Trucks, Trailers, ATV’s, Recreational Vehicles & Related Items. Turn Your Excess Equipment Into Cash at the Largest, Best Attended Consignment Auction in the Upper Midwest We Will Again Be Placing Large Items On Our Online/Live Portions Of The Auction

Fabral metal rooÀng and siding systems will work for you by protecting your assets within barns and other agricultural buildings with little maintenance. Metal provides security when durability and longevity are essential.

FOR BEST RESULTS PLEASE CONSIGN YOUR ITEMS BY MONDAY, MARCH 9th TO HAVE THEM PLACED IN OUR EXTENSIVE ADVERTISING PROGRAM. If You Are Unable To Make This Date, Call Marv Hillig 320-815-8618 We are committed to achieving top dollar for your consignments and will be able to do a better job if major items are well described and consigned in advance to be included in our advertising program. So Do Not Delay, Get Your Items Consigned Today. Dock, Forklifts, and Trucking Available. Please Note, All Items Whether Listed On The Bill Or Not Must Be On The Lot By 5:00 PM The Wednesday Before The Auction: Wednesday, April 1st If You Have Several Large Items Or A Complete Line Of Equipment We Will Come To Your Farm Or Business To Photograph & List Your Items

Call us today!

To consign your items or for more information please phone: CA-Feb21-1B-MT

Marv Hillig 320-815-8618 Mark Ziemer: 320-979-4044 Brian Ziemer 320-894-3603 email: lziemer@tds.net Thank You For Your Past & Future Business Sincerely, Marv Hillig Hillig Enterprises, Call Or Fax 320-732-3121

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Or Stop By Hillig Equipment Lot Monday - Friday 8:00-5:00, Saturday 8:00-4:00

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Page 10B • Country Acres - Friday, February 21, 2020

Land Auction!

Country Acres

Brian ZIEMER

Mark ZIEMER

New London, MN (320) 979-4044 Auctioneer

AUC ION

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The Following Described Real Estate Will Be Sold At Blocks Auction Center Located At 9064 60th Street NE Spicer MN Being 2 1/2 Miles Southwest Of Spicer On MN Hwy 23

Tuesday March 10th 11:00 AM LAND AUCTION

Are you out of our coverage area? Subscribe T

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NAME:

Section 24, Twp 121, Range 35. Kandiyohi County. 3 Miles West Of New London, MN On Kadiyohi Co Rd #40 Then 1 Mile South On US Hwy #71 And 1 Mile West & South On 7th St NE Existing Parcel #23-024-0042 64 Acres Plus-Minus Sold In 3 Parcels Parcel #1 32 +/- Deeded Acres (30 Tillable Acres) Parcel #2 25 +/- Deeded Acres (20 Tillable Acres) Parcel # 3 7 +/- Deeded Acres Parcel 3 Has Working Well On Property

ADDRESS: Parcel #1 Parcel #3 Parcel #2

CITY:

STATE:

PHONE:

E-MAIL:

ZIP:

Please return this form along with check or money order for $35.00 payable to: COUNTRY ACRES

522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378

TERMS: 10,000 Earnest Money Per Parcel Down Day Of Sale Cash 2U &HUWLÀHG &KHFN 0DGH 7R 1HZ /RQGRQ 5HDO (VWDWH 7UXVW $FFRXQW Balance Due Upon Closing 45 to 60 Days. Property Sold As-Is. 6% Buyers Premium Applies. Owner Reserves The Right To Reject Any Or All Bids. Survey To Be Done After The Sale Of The Property. Zoned A2 & RM, CER Rating 66.6

or Call 320-352-6577 or email missy@saukherald.com NO REFUNDS

For Property Information Packet Call: Mark Ziemer 320-979-4044 Terry Hilbrands 239-777-3120 Ron Baeth 320-894-3975

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Not responsible for accidents Lunch on grounds Number system used www.ziemerauctions.com or midwestauctions.com, click on Ziemer Follow Ziemer Auctioneers on Facebook!

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Evergreen and deciduous trees create a backdrop for the Andersonsâ€™ year-round gardens.

â€“ Start small: The Andersons get much of their plant material from greenhouses, but Leif Anderson occasionally places bare root orders as well. â€œStart small and make sure youâ€™re getting a quality product,â€? Kathy said. As the Andersons grew their gardens, their knowledge of gardening and gardening options has grown as well. They encourage doit-yourselfers to learn by following planting directions, but also by doing research. They often use the University of Minnesota Extension service website and look to http:// www.myminnesotawoods.umn.edu/. Additionally, a local master gardener, like Anderson herself, can serve as a resource for those venturing into garden planning. Kathy Anderson is part of the University of Minnesota Meeker County Master Gardener program. Plan now for next yearâ€™s winter beauty!

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like they belong,â€? she said. Undulations in the yard create interest instead of looking out over a flat surface. Berms, simply the adding of soil to an area, create a topography the eye can move across. â€œIt adds interest; your eye moves over that and itâ€™s more pleasing to look at than a flat surface,â€? Kathy said. A berm can also provide a barrier from the wind for more fragile planting. â€“ Add interesting perennials and shrubs: Kathy Anderson looks for shrubs and roses like hedge Rugosa that keep their hips. Native Viburnum with berries can add interest and sumacs are great too, she said. She likes Annabelle hydrangeas that keep their flower heads, dogwood shrubs to add a pop of red to the garden and ornamental grasses that stay standing and blowing throughout the winter months. Some of her favorites are sedum, Echinacea/cone flowers, Rudbeckia/Black-Eyed Susan, Goldenrod and Baptisia, which is a perennial that acts like a shrub, much like a peony. Siberian Iris, she said, can also be planted and their seed heads can be cut to use in winter arrangements. â€“ Color works in winter: Small trees and shrubs including Amelanchier, also known as the Saskatoon tree or the Serviceberry, are nice additions with their grayish, mottled bark as are Ninebark because of their deep burgundy leaves and stems. Rug Junipers, she said, get berries and hug the ground and are beautiful with the snow on them or off them, and theyâ€™re available in shades of greens and blues. â€“ Consider using natural stone: Boulders, Anderson said, can ground a space and require no maintenance. â€œIt adds a lot and you donâ€™t have to water it,â€? she said. Boulders should be dug into the ground, not just set on top of the soil. Plantings can surround the rock. Rock retaining walls also add different colors and textures to a space. â€“ Add living interest: Anderson feeds the birds in her winter gardens. Her bird feeders encourage all varieties of birds to visit her landscape. â€“ Donâ€™t forget the artwork: The Andersonsâ€™ gardens contain sculpture work, small metal pieces and even a pineapple. The art looks great in the summer time but also adds interest in the winter.

James & Wendy Gilk

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PHOTO BY SARAH COLBURN

A variety of plantings of different heights, textures and structures create a cohesive look in the Andersonsâ€™ yard.

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Page 12B • Country Acres - Friday, February 21, 2020

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Friday, February 21, 2020 - Country Acres • Page 13B PAINT IT FORWARD continued from page 12B al, Hardware & Paint company in Paynesville is brightening her day. In late January, the program called “Paint it Forward” gifted Johnson a freshly painted room in her home. She chose her hallway and her master bedroom, a room that overlooks Lake Koronis via banks of windows on three sides. “It just changed the look of things and cheered me up,” Johnson said. “It’s been hard to deal with and having them come out and paint for me was wonderful.” Johnson said painting isn’t in her nature and she never would have gotten around to creating the updated look. The program is the start-up of manager Jane Parks. She began the venture six months ago and Johnson’s house was their first fix-it job. “It’s been something I’ve been thinking of doing for a long time,” Parks said. “We’re a small town and a lot of people need help.” Because the lumber company specializes in paint, she decided to start there, offering to have volunteers paint a room for someone in the area. They distributed fliers to local churches, community gathering places, the laundromat and several banks. The fliers asked area residents to nominate someone in need. For the first go-round, Parks received five nominations for residents

in need and two came in from people who knew and recommended Johnson.

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- Jane Parks

“It is hard to choose,” Parks said. For Parks, the program is a way to give back. It’s the way she’s always done things, having volunteered for Meals on Wheels and numerous other projects. She learned to give of her time from her mother and now she’s passing the trait on to her daughter as well. Parks said being in the paint industry since 1983 she just takes note when things need tending to. She knew Johnson’s job was a good fit. “She was just so tickled,” Parks said. “She gave me a hug at the end.” Johnson was able to move a desk, file cabinets and home office area out of the bedroom, the remains of the family business her husband ran. With the help of her kids and

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Heather Rondeau paints trim near the baseboards while Evie Vearrier works from the ladder.

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Page 14B â€˘ Country Acres - Friday, February 21, 2020

COUNTRY COOKING

Recipes submitted by

JULIE JANAK Grey Eagle Todd County

Five-Hour No-Peek Stew â€˘ â€˘ â€˘ â€˘

2 pounds stew meat 2 medium onions, chopped 6 carrots, cut into coins 1 cup celery, chopped

â€˘ â€˘ â€˘ â€˘

4-5 potatoes, cubed 2 cups V-8 or beef broth 3 tsp. tapioca 1 slice bread

Cha Cha White Chicken Chili â€˘ â€˘ â€˘ â€˘

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1/2 (4 ounce) can diced jalapeno peppers â€˘ 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chili peppers â€˘ 2 tsp. ground cumin â€˘ 1 tsp. dried oregano

Mix first seven ingredients together. Place slice of bread on top of stew. Cover and cook for 5 hours at 250 degrees. Do not peek!

Meat Loaf â€˘ â€˘ â€˘ â€˘ â€˘ â€˘ â€˘ â€˘

1 1/2 pounds ground beef 2/3 cup cracker crumbs 1 cup milk 2 eggs, beaten 1/4 cup onion, chopped 1 1/2 tsp. rubbed sage 1 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper

â€˘ 1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper â€˘ 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth â€˘ 3 cups cooked chicken breast, chopped â€˘ 3 (15 ounce) cans white cannellini beans â€˘ Sour cream â€˘ Shredded cheese â€˘ Tortilla chips

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Slowly cook and stir the onion until tender. Mix in the garlic, jalapeno, green chili peppers, cumin, oregano and cayenne. Continue to cook and stir the mixture until tender, about 3 minutes. Mix in the chicken broth, chicken and two cans of the beans. Put the last can of beans in a blender or food processor with a little of the soup broth and puree. Add back to the soup. This will thicken the soup nicely. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. This soup tastes much better if you make it at least one day in advance of serving. Top with sour cream, cheese and/or tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Sauce: â€˘ 1 cup ketchup â€˘ 6 Tbsp. brown sugar â€˘ 1/2 tsp. nutmeg â€˘ 2 tsp. table mustard

Soak bread crumbs in milk. Add to ground beef. Mix in eggs, onion, sage, salt and pepper. Place in greased loaf pan or 8x8 inch pan. Combine sauce ingredients and pour over meat loaf. Bake 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees. Your family will love this meat loaf!

Oatmeal Carmelitas Crust: â€˘ 2 cups flour â€˘ 2 cups quick rolled oats â€˘ 1 1/2 cups brown sugar â€˘ 1 tsp. baking soda â€˘ 1/2 tsp. salt â€˘ 1 1/4 cups butter, softened (2 1/2 sticks)

Filling: â€˘ 1 cup chocolate chips â€˘ 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional) â€˘ 12 ounce jar caramel ice cream topping â€˘ 3 tsp. flour

Grease 9 X 13 pan. Combine crust ingredients. Press half of the crust mixture into pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Sprinkle warm base with chocolate chips. Combine caramel, flour and nuts and pour evenly over chips. Sprinkle top with reserved crust. Bake 18-22 minutes.

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Friday, February 21, 2020 - Country Acres â€˘ Page 15B YEAR END INVENTORY REDUCTION SALE!

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WESTERN & PAINT IT FORWARD continued from page 13B TRAILERS WORK BOOTS â€˘ Stock â€˘ Flatbed Largest â€˘ Steel Toe â€˘ Ladies & Kids grandkids she moved in â€˘ Enclosed Cargo â€˘ Cinch, Ariat Selection â€˘ Dump â€˘ Utility an old wooden rocking & Wrangler Around! â€˘ Horse chair, one that belonged â€˘ Other Name â€˘ Tiltbed â€˘ Fuel Specials Brand Clothing to her grandfather, to â€˘ Several Used Flatbeds throughout â€˘ Hats â€˘ Belts transform the space into the store! â€˘ Montana Silver a reading nook. There New Wilson & Sundown Stock Trailers are now a couple of DAHLBERG BOOT & TRAILER - E. Hwy. 12, Willmar, MN â€˘ 320-235-4180 small bookshelves in the space along with some photos and memorabilia. â€œItâ€™s happier,â€? Johnson said. â€œIt just makes me feel better. I changed ANGUS BULL & FEMALE SALE some things, simplified. ANGUS Sunday BULL March & 8, FEMALE 2020, 1:30SALE PM I had too much stuff Sunday March 8, 2020, 1:30 PM hanging on the walls.â€? She opted to have PHOTO SUBMITTED the room painted in two shades of sage green, Heather Rondeau (from left), Jane Parks, Linda Johnson, Evie Vearrier and Chris Wurzer work on the first inspired by a lamp Paint it Forward project being held through M&M Lumber,Â Hardware, Rental & Paint of Paynesville, Jan. shade she picked up at a 25 at Johnsonâ€™s home on Lake Koronis. Â Â Â Â Â Â garage sale a few years back. One color is as call for projects in the project a year. The paint â€œThere are so many dark as the lamp shade paper but didnâ€™t think was donated by Valspar people who need so Lot 19, Bar J Emblazon 905 Lot 1, Bar J Open Country 983 and the other is a pale much about it until and the lumber compa- much more,â€? Parks said. sage. Parks called with the ny picked up the cost Darren Michaelis is â€œItâ€™s a wonderful news sheâ€™d been nomi- of the tools and equip- the operations manager project, certainly a lift- nated. ment. for the lumber compaer-upper for people â€“ it The lumber compaParks organized ny. When Parks brought would be for anybody, ny has plans to choose volunteers from the the idea for Paint it Forit helps lift your spirits,â€? another project this company to complete ward to him, he happily Johnson said. spring and then will the painting work; tap- approved the project. She read about the likely proceed with one ing the walls, laying Lot 3, Bar J Payton 948 â€œI think itâ€™s always Lot 5, Bar J Payweight 940 down plastic, putting on good to give back a little two coats of paint and bit to people who need 52 Registered Angus Bulls 6 Registered Bred Angus Heifers 15 Commercial Heifers cleaning up. it,â€? he said. â€œItâ€™s just the Yearlings and 2-Yr-Olds Parksâ€™ daughter, right thing to do. PeoCalving Ease with Power! Heather Rondeau, was ple have hard times and 44 years in the Angus Business! one of the volunteers. they canâ€™t afford to take Contact us to get on our mailing list: Initially, Rondeau care of their houses so showed up to take pho- this is a great way to fit Bar J Ranch John: 320-346-2750 Jake: 320-429-0983 tos of the process but that bill and help them 30217 110th Ave barj@tds.net barjangus@gmail.com Brooten, MN 56316 then ended up chipping out in a small way.â€? www.barjangus.com in on the painting. â€œIt was an opportunity to do something really selfless, it was the right thing to do,â€? Rondeau said. Rondeau also said it was nice to have the experience with her mom and see her mother take ownership of the project. â€œWe like to help people and to be able to do it together was really cool,â€? she said. 140 W Elm St., PO Box 157, Parks is hoping itâ€™s just Annandale, MN 55302 the start of a program that will come to help PHOTO SUBMITTED more people in the comChris Wurzer takes care to paint up to the trim in Linda Johnsonâ€™s munity. home.

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Page 16B • Country Acres - Friday, February 21, 2020

March 14-15 and March 21-22

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