Saturday, July 1, 2023 | Country Acres South • Page 1 PRSRT STD ECR U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #278 Madelia, MN 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave Sauk Centre MN 56378
S SOUTH Saturday, July 1, 2023 3
Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment
Volume 2, Edition 3
Hot dısh
hIstory WITH
PHOTOS BY AMY KYLLO
Left) Lisa Kramer smiles with her grand champion ribbon Dodge County Free Fair keeps to its local roots (Above and engraved glass baking dish from hot dish competition at the BY AMY KYLLO | STAFF WRITER a hot dish competition during the vegetable(s), dairy or canned 2022 Dodge County Free Fair in Kasson. The fair board hopes to fair July 12-16. soup, and a starch. eventually make a cookbook using recipes from the hot dish and pie KASSON – Minnesota has The hot dish competition is “We twist the hot dish up,” competitions.
always known that a hot, full course meal in a 9-by-13 cake pan is called a hot dish rather than a casserole. As such, it is fitting the oldest county fair in the state of Minnesota has a hot dish competition. The Dodge County Free Fair, which is celebrating its 166th year, will be having
a newcomer to the historic fair, with this being its fourth year. Kelly Caspers, a fair board member, helped start the competition. “We thought, well, what better ... than hot dish because that’s a Minnesota thing,” she said. The hot dish creations have to follow certain ingredient rules. This year, they must have a barbecue protein,
Lisa Kramer's champion bacon cheeseburger hotdish. Kramer prepared this hotdish for the 2022 Dodge County Free Fair.
Caspers said. “There always has to be something fair related.” Last year’s champion was long time Dodge County employee, Lisa Kramer. She made a bacon cheeseburger hot dish with fried pickles and topped it with onions to take home the top prize. “It’s just fun,” Kramer said. “I like to cook. I like competition. ... So, I’d like to edge out anybody else.” Kramer also participated in the pie competition. When deciding what to make, Kramer keeps her audience in mind to match recipes and flavors with the generation who will be judging them. Caspers said the fair hopes to publish a cookbook with pie and hot dish recipes after a few years of both competitions. The Dodge County Free Fair has multiple attractions at the grandstand fairgoers can enjoy like bull riding, stock car racing, a demolition derby, trailer racing and, new this year, autocross races. Trailer racing, which started a few years ago, has quickly gained popularity at
(Above Main) People gather in the grandstands during the 2022 Dodge County Free Fair in Kasson. The grandstand entertainment includes bull riding, trailer racing, a demolition derby and autocross racing.
Ribbons hang from canned goods at the 2022 Dodge County Free Fair in Kasson. The fair board focuses on keeping the fair local and true to its roots.
the fair. Vehicles pulling trailers race while trying to unhitch the trailers of competitors. Participants can purposely ram the trailers but cannot ram the vehicles. The result is entertaining chaos. Marilyn Lermon, who has been on the Dodge County Fair Board for 28 years, has seen how the community has gained affinity for the trailer races. “They all come out to watch their friends,” Lermon said. “It
gets to be just a hilarious event.” Adding to the fun is the fact the participants decorate their vehicle and trailer entries as well. When adding events and planning, Caspers said the fair board is focused on keeping the fair rooted locally. She said they do not want to be flashy but instead aim to keep the fair focused on the basics.
Dodge County page 2
Dodge County, welcome to Country Acres South! Read about local fairs, agriculture and hidden gems in your area!
ST R
Publications bli ti
Country:
The newspaper of today is the history of tomorrow.
Watch for the next edition of Country Acres on July 15, 2023
This month in the
4
Core summer memories Amy Kyllo column
5
Fillmore County Fair Preston
7
Dodge County Fair Kasson
9
Wabasha County Fair Wabasha
8
Fungi furthers a movement Rochester
12 Winona County Fair St. Charles 13 A journey of service, faith Byron