Saturday, May 3, 2025 | Country Acres • Page 1
Country Acres Saturday, May 3, 2025
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Volume 12, Edition 06
Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment PHOTOS SUBMITTED
Flowers grow in the garden July 27, 2023, at Belle River Flower Farm & Sourdough Breads near Belle River. The garden is one acre in size.
WORK BEHIND
petals
Graffunders reflect on sourdough loaves. are a lot more work effort behind growing than“Flowers people realize,” Dan said. “Some seeds are so small that I sit flowers, produce with a toothpick and place one seed BY RAE LANZRATH STAFF WRITER
BELLE RIVER — When purchasing a bouquet, customers often think of their recipients, if they are for a special occasion, or how they will brighten up the room. What customers usually do not consider is the work that goes into growing each flower. Dan and Lisa Graffunder own and operate Belle River Flower Farm & Sourdough Breads. The couple grow more than 50 varieties of flowers and sell them in fresh cut bouquets at local farmers markets. They also sell homemade, artisan
ST R
Publications The newspaper of today is the history of tomorrow.
at a time in the seed starting trays. Then, each seedling needs transplanted into the garden when the soil temperature is 60 degrees.” There are many layers to operating a flower farm, because of different growth cycles, critters destroying plants and getting the bouquets safely to market. Some flowers that grow on the farm are started from seeds, and some are planted as small plants. Lisa said Lisianthus can take months and months to develop, and, because of the Minnesota winters, it is not practical to start the seeds that early. “We’d have to plant them in December for an August bloom,” Lisa said. “That just doesn’t work.”
This month in the
COUNTRY: Watch for the next edition of Country Acres on May 17, 2025
The Graffunders have a high-tunnel greenhouse that gives them some flexibility when it comes to growing flowers, but not much. “You can kind of control the tempera(Above) Flowers and bre ture, but not comthe Alexandria Farmer’s ad are displayed June 1, 2024, at pletely,” Dan said. Lisa Graffunder sell flowMarket in Alexandria. Dan and er bouquets and sourdo Most of the breads. ugh flowers are grown (Bottom) Sourdough bre in their outdoor ad is packaged Octob er 25, 20 24, at Belle River Flowe garden, which Dan r Farm & Sourdough Bre ne ar ads Be lle River. The bread is ho spends countless memade by Lisa Graffunder. hours managing. Between planting, weeding and harvesting the flowers, the work seems unceasing. Another factor the Graffunders Graffunder page 2 have to deal with is animals destroying their crop.
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Healthy living Atwater
11 A cut above Motley
19 Country cooking Benton County
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My Charlie Tiffany Klaphake column
15 Managing more than a herd Barrett
21 Bringing in the next generation Cushing
18 Across the acres Q&A