FACES+PLACES OCT 2023

FACES PLACES+

Tolle Rebecca

Artist and social activist of Northfield showcases paintings at downtown studio

Contents

3 4 5 6

FARIBAULT: New downtown drink shop welcomes all, including picky teens

KENYON: Rural farm home of unlikely pair

OWATONNA: Longstanding Reggie’s Brewhouse under new ownership

NORTHFIELD: Artist and social activist showcases message painting at downtown studio

7 8

9 10

LE CENTER: Puppy Love: Couple gets canines into hunting shape at Wild Acre Kennels

St. PETER: Plaza opening celebrates new community space

CALEDONIA: Local baking business turns 100

WASECA: FM BANK opens with focus on agriculture

FACES PLACES+

IF YOU GO

The Oasis is located at 212 Central Ave., Suite B. Hours are 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. Youth nights from 5-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

New downtown drink shop welcomes all, including picky teens

enue.

But it is the teenagers who drove Akbar to start her business venture.

For years she’d been on the lookout for the right space to open a coffeehouse-style space for local youth. The mother of three aims to give them a safe space to gather. But lack of parking or other such deficiencies were found at each spot she’d considered.

Until the owner of Central Ave Nutrition decided it was time for a career change and her landlord contacted Akbar and asked if she’d be interested in taking over the space.

Akbar had been envisioning a coffee shop and a bit larger space. But with a little reimagining and work, she found the offer too promising to pass up.

By KRISTINE GOODRICH kristine.goodrich@apgsomn.com

The menu at The Oasis lists drinks with names ranging from “chunky money” to “island dream” to “lemon pound cake.”

But Kristie Akbar says her decadent-sounding shakes and teas are a treat without the guilt. Along with the sweet mix-ins and whipped cream, the shakes are packed with up to 33 grams of protein. Aloe and collagen shots can be added along with the popping pearls and other flavorful twists on the already antioxidantrich green tea.

Before adding them to the menu at her new downtown Faribault establishment, Akbar tested each drink on picky teenagers.

“And they couldn’t believe it was good for them,” she said.

Everyone from families with young kids to business executives needing a place to work in between meetings is welcome at The Oasis on Central Av-

What once was storage is now a lounge with couches, tables and games. She has plans to keep adding comforts and activities like an air hockey table and record player.

Friday and Saturday nights beginning next week Akbar hopes to fill The Oasis with often-picky teenagers. Along with a hangout spot, she is planning to organize activities requested by teens such as vintage video game nights.

While she’s making the smaller space than she envisioned work at least for now, Akbar said she’d like to expand into an adjacent space if either of her neighbors who are also looking to expand decide to move.

Instead of coffee, she’s carrying on

Central Ave Nutrition’s tradition of serving protein and energy drinks.

With about a month under her belt serving over 60 drink options, she’s now preparing to triple the drink menu and add some chewable snacks, including the “energy bites” she has been making and selling at farmers markets.

In addition to teenagers, Akbar has another niche in welcoming customers with food sensitivities.

“We can work around just about every food allergy out there and still make it look good and taste good,” she said.

The Oasis is one of several new businesses to recently open or are opening soon on Central Avenue and Akbar will join in on the joint celebration next Friday. The Faribault Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting an event from 4-6 p.m. and Akbar said she’ll have a variety of samples available for visitors as well as prizes during that time and throughout the entire day.

This Friday afternoon she’ll have special drinks and discounts in celebration of Faribault High School homecoming and she’ll do the same next Friday for Bethlehem Academy homecoming.

While it’s Akbar’s first business venture, she said she has experience in the world of small business through assisting her parents with their small businesses.

“Now it’s my turn to be the business owner,” she said.

Reach Associate Editor Kristine Goodrich at 507-333-3134 or kristine.goodrich@apgsomn.

Dorothy Wille, front, and Emily Quann mull over the men at The Oasis Wednesday morning. (Photos by Kristine Goodrich/southernminn.com)

Dorothy Wille, left, tries a sample of popping pearls while The Oasis owner Kristie Akbar tells her about the drink add-in.

Kristie Akbar, owner of The Oasis, a new protein and energy drink bar and gathering space in downtown Faribault, makes a mint chocolate shake Wednesday. (Kristine Goodrich/southernminn.com)

Customers at The Oasis are welcome to stay a while and play a game.

Rural farm home of unlikely pair

By COLTON KEMP colton.kemp@apgsomn.com

Alex Zemanek and Katy Lund, who own Boomflower Farm, don’t typically notice much of a personality in their birds. But almost two years ago, as Zemanek was feeding the poultry in their coop, he observed a bond beginning to form between an unlikely pair.

Sebastian is a 4-year-old African goose who is “hopelessly in love” with Betty White, a 7-yearold Muscovy duck who “puts up with him.”

There’s a problem for Sebastian, though. He sometimes confuses Betty White for a similar duck named Dot.

“There’s another one that looks almost exactly the same (as Betty), but has a black dot on her back,” Lund said. “And so he sometimes gets them confused and will follow the wrong one. Then, he realizes it’s the wrong one and he starts screaming and looking for the right one.”

The farm just east of Kenyon is home to many animals of many different species. Of the birds, Boomflower is home to ducks, chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl and Sebastian, the “guard goose,” who becomes “a big, scary object” and honks loudly at hawks or other predators.

“His daily thing is to wander around and try to figure out which duck is his,” Zemanek said. “Oh, and scream at things.”

This “guard goose” instinct extends to Betty. When Betty lays her eggs, she does so in a square area with three walls in the coop, and Sebastian stands in the open wall to block her from the other birds. He also protects her while

she eats.

“We have a bunch of different feeders,” Lund said. “He would kind of watch over her and make sure she was able to get in there to eat. And if another bird was trying to push her off, he’ll nibble on them to tell them to stop.”

Sebastian arrived at Boomflower Farm when he was about 6 months old. He came with another goose, Samantha, who was Sebastian’s first love. Their couple name was “Sebastamantha.”

“Unfortunately she was kind of a jerk,” Lund said.

“She would go around the coop and rip chickens off their perches.

So we had to say goodbye to her.”

Samantha became Thanksgiving dinner. This left Sebastian “a little lost.”

Within a few months though, Zemanek began to notice an unusual behavior in Sebastian.

“When we feed (the birds), they get kind of crazy and start running all over the place,” Lund recounted. “So, he would stand over Betty to guard her from the other chickens and ducks. There were a couple of days of that, and (Zemanek) was like ‘I think maybe this is happening.’”

Now that nearly two years have passed since they first became an avian couple, Sebastian and Betty’s relationship has become clearer to the farmers.

“Most of the time, they’re either wandering around together or they’ll take naps next to each other,” Lund said. “It’s been almost two years now, and they’re pretty consistently together. I think he really likes her, and she’s kind of like ‘I guess.’”

Reach Reporter Colton Kemp at 507-3333129. © Copyright 2023 APG Media of Southern Minnesota. All rights reserved.

Sebastian, the tall African goose at Boomflower Farm, has trouble differentiating Dot and Betty White, two similar-looking white Muscovy ducks who stand behind him Saturday afternoon. (Colton Kemp/southernminn.com)

Sebastian (left) and Betty White live at Boomflower Farm together, where Sebastian watches over the white Muscovy duck he’s “hopelessly in love” with. (Colton Kemp/southernminn.com)

As Betty White nibbles on a hay bale Saturday afternoon, Sebastian towers over to keep an eye on the other ducks. (Colton Kemp/southernminn.com)

After realizing he’s hanging out with Dot and not “his lady,” Betty White, Sebastian turns and begins to wander aimlessly Saturday, letting out a series of deflated honks. (Colton Kemp/southernminn.com)

Longstanding Reggie’s Brewhouse under new ownership

The entertainment aspect is another reason the Skalas were intrigued by the business. Derek explained that he has always loved being a host and providing a good time for people, and his goal is to establish that in downtown Owatonna.

“We want to have a place where people want to be,” Derek said. “Add things to do in Owatonna and let people get out and have an enjoyable time.”

want to continue that and do whatever we can to enhance what was already done.”

Reggie’s is involved in countless different events throughout the year aiming to help out local organizations. They are also actively engaged with the local sports scene, putting on events for the Owatonna Football and Wrestling programs. On top of that, Reggie’s sells pull tabs within the bar that directly supports the Owatonna Wrestling Association.

By PRESTON MEIER Guest Contributor

When the entire city of Owatonna turns its lights off and shuts down, the lights inside Reggie’s Brewhouse become even brighter.

Reggie’s has a longstanding history being one of the most popular bars in downtown Owatonna. The brewhouse was once known as Weber’s Bar before ownership changed in 2012 and the name Reggie’s took its place. Over the years, Reggie’s has developed into a top destination for hospitality and entertainment with many events taking place throughout the year.

Ron Schouweiler was the man who purchased Weber’s in 2012 and put Reggie’s on the trajectory it is today. But after 11 years of ownership, it was time to get some fresh faces in the building.

Derek and Kayla Skala are longtime community members of Owatonna, but they never expected to become owners of a bar. They initially showed interest

in purchasing the building itself and perhaps using it in a different manner. However, after seeing how well run the establishment is and how significant it is to the city of Owatonna, they were sold on keeping the business model.

“Initially, we were interested in the commercial building,” Kayla said. “As we started to look into the business, we met some of the staff, some of the customers, and that’s what ultimately sold us.”

The Skalas started looking into Reggie’s in early 2023 and saw the tight-knit community within the bar as something that cannot be replicated. The passion and positivity of the staff make the bar a valuable part of downtown Owatonna, and that was the final selling point for them.

Along with the hospitality, Reggie’s is known for putting on fun and popular events for the people of Owatonna to enjoy. None of their events are more famous than the Reggie’s Brewhouse Annual Street Dance, which takes place in the streets of downtown Owatonna. This year the event will take place on Saturday, Aug. 5, from 8 p.m. to midnight, with the Rock Godz performing.

In the future, the Skalas want to tap into the strengths already created at Reggie’s and improve upon them, however, immediate changes will not occur. They want to start by learning the business, gaining knowledge and receiving feedback in order to create a proper plan of action.

“We want to take it over, run it as is, utilize our staff and see if it is profitable,” Derek said. “Going from there, we will look at updating small parts of the building such as the patio and bathrooms, and adding windows.”

With changes coming in later years, the only thing that is set in stone for the new owners is to continue the standard that has been set at Reggie’s in years prior. One of the most important aspects for the Skalas is the impact they can make on the community.

“Reggie’s has historically done a ton for the community hosting pool leagues, dart leagues and they have always donated a large portion of proceeds to local organizations,” Kayla said. “We really

Owatonna Chamber of Commerce

MainStreet Director Lisa Cochran recognizes the extent that Reggie’s goes to help locally and what a crucial role they have played in the community. She expressed that their value will only grow with the changes being made downtown.

“With everything that is happening

downtown, especially with the new hotel, it is a great asset to have a place where people staying at the hotel can walk to,” Cochran said. “They also continually have really good bands playing in there on Fridays and Saturdays. If you are ever in there when a band is playing, it is the place to be.”

It is an exciting time to be a part of what is going on in downtown Owatonna. With the Skalas taking over Reggie’s, they will provide a fresh outlook and new ideas to the already successful bar. In time, they hope to expand on what has been built and make Reggie’s the place to be in downtown Owatonna.

Derek and Kayla Skala purchased Reggie’s Brewhouse in downtown Owatonna in late March. The new owners say the plan to first work on learning the business model before making any immediate changes. (Preston Meier/southernminn.com)

Reggie’s Brewhouse is known for its active participation in the community. The Skalas hope to become even more involved as the new owners, especially with Owatonna sports teams. (Preston Meier/ southernminn.com)

New owners of Reggie’s Brewhouse Derek and Kayla Skala pose next to the pool tables inside of Reggie’s. Reggie’s hosts weekly pool and dart leagues. (Preston Meier/southernminn. com)

Artist and social activist showcases message paintings at downtown studio

Tolle’s own art confronts contemporary topics, like fracking, the Supreme Court, mass shootings, COVID-19 and climate change.

“When we lived in Erie, Colorado in 2010, the fracking around us and near schools just incensed me,” she said.

She packs her paintings with emotions such as frustration, confusion and disgust. Ironically, during those years living in the Rocky Mountain State she remembers selling a few of her fracking paintings to people in the oil industry.

Some people have asked her why she doesn’t just paint pretty paintings.

“I want to instill our connection to the subject and capture the grittiness,” she explained. “I want to say what I want to say.”

By PAMELA THOMPSON pamela.thompson@apgsomn.com

Artist Rebecca Tolle likes to listen to music from her Pandora playlist while she paints.

Tolle, who moved her downtown art gallery two doors south on Division Street in February, said she particularly likes listening to cello music.

“The cello is rhythmic, moving and flowing,” she said. “It always invokes a feeling, much like painting.”

Opening Tolle Fine Art at 508 Division St. has allowed her to not only showcase the artwork she creates using cold wax and oil but to expand her classes and workshop offerings. The larger downtown space givers her more room to highlight her drip art pieces in the well-lighted space inside the front window.

Tolle said imbedding hidden messages in her artwork is how she can comment on important issues such as the environment and gun violence.

Well versed in art

After graduating from Tulsa University in Oklahoma, Tolle received her master’s in painting at Regis University in Denver. She spent years working as a graphic artist designing brochures, printing collateral and books, and then pivoted to desktop publishing, website design and writing code.

“That burned my brain,” she said.

For 18 years she gave up oil painting. Instead, she kept her artistic creativity under wraps by focusing on work and family.

Now, Tolle said she’s trying to do it all: run a business, be an artist, teach art classes and workshops, travel the world with her husband and spend time with her family.

“Go big or go home,” she said with a laugh.

Moving her artwork from a home studio to the public space has allowed her to ramp up her classes, create large scale paintings and increase her com-

munity visibility as an advocate for the visual arts in Northfield.

“Now that I’m running a business with two websites, I can introduce people to all kinds of art,” she said.

When customers learn about Tolle’s art classes, she’s often asked why she hasn’t offered to start a ‘paint and sip’ class.

“That would make me crazy,” said Tolle. “I want people to understand that it takes years to be an artist. It is not immediate.”

In her intermediate painting class, Tolle prepared small canvases, each with a single grey tulip in order to teach her students how to deconstruct the background, then pull the subject back out by adding in color. It’s a difficult lesson, but worth the effort once the painter understands the process.

Tolle said she wants her students to have fun while they create art, but she generally prefers when the wine is poured after the art is made.

“We laugh during class; there’s no pressure,” she explained. “Learning is so important to the soul. Over the course of three hours of painting, sometimes the world goes away.”

Tolle said being in the zone while creating art often means that artists need to “turn off their brains” and become more spontaneous.

“I just realized I’m more alla prima, meaning I like to apply layers of wet paint onto layers of wet paint,” she said. “I’m not patient.”

Today, Tolle and her husband Larry have two children and five granddaughters, aged 2-14. Before settling in Northfield, they moved around from the Twin Cities, to Chicago to Denver.

“I’m like an ambassador,” she said. “I find the common ground that art provides.”

Tolle prepared the tulips on small canvases in order to teach her students a deconstructing art technique. (Pamela Thompson/southernminn.com)

Besides selling her own paintings, Tolle Fine Art also sells some works by student artists. (Pamela Thompson/southernminn.com)

LOWER: One of Rebecca Tolle’s landscape paintings available for sale at Tolle Fine Art. (Pamela Thompson/ southernminn.com)

TOP: Tolle said this painting gives a nod to those famous works by Santa Fe artist Georgia O’Keeffe. (Pamela Thompson/southernminn.com)

The downtown space allows for exhibition space in front and workshop/classroom space in back. (Pamela Thompson/ southernminn.com)

Pamela Thompson is the associate editor for the Northfield News. Reach her at 507-6451115 or pamela.thompson@apgsomn.com.

The Gallery is located at 508 Division St. in Northfield. See more about Tolle’s art and business at rebeccatolle.com and tollefineart.com.

WILD ACRES

Wild Acre Kennels is located at 20542 440th St., Le Center. Its hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday.

To reach out, contact 507-2108481, andrew@wildacrekennels. com or visit the website at wildacrekennels.com.

Puppy Love: Couple gets canines into hunting shape at Wild Acre Kennels

By PRESTON MEIER Guest Contributor

For Andrew and RaeLynn Skluzacek, training and breeding dogs isn’t just a job, it’s a lifestyle.

Out at Wild Acre Kennels, the couple lives, works and breathes all things canine. Whether it’s helping dogs getting into hunting shape, boarding them while their owners are away, treating them to spa services or breeding labrador puppies — the Skluzaceks do it all just outside their own farmstead eight miles southeast of Le Center.

Seven days a week, the Skluzaceks are busy caring for their canine clientele. Andrew compares it to working on a dairy farm; since the dogs don’t take a break, neither do the Sluzaceks. Dogs have to be fed, kennels need to be cleaned, and the Wild Acre Kennels pastures must be free of dog droppings on a daily basis.

It’s a lot of work, but Andrew wouldn’t have it any other way. The Montgomery native had a passion for training dogs since he was an 18-year-old senior in high school, when he received his

first hunting dog Scout. More than a partner, Scout was a friend, a companion always ready to share in the thrill of the hunt. While Scout has long passed, Andrew keeps a large framed photo of himself and the hunting dog on the wall behind his office desk as a memento to his best friend.

“I was a senior in high school and he was my ride or die. He went everywhere with me. That dog was my best friend. He knew every story I knew,” said Andrew. That bond sparked an interest in dog training that’s continued for over 15 years. In South Dakota, Andrew spent around a 11 years as a guide at hunting lodges. Then in 2017, Andrew decided to pursue his passion and build a business of his own, establishing Wild Acre Kennels.

With the help of a crew of staff, Andrew trains dogs of all skill levels in a variety of obedience and hunting programs. Lessons are available for puppies as young as five months, starting with basic skills training like learning standard commands and becoming accustomed to birds and gunfire.

Higher up the skill ladder, canines

RaeLynn Skluzacek gives her dog Slash a command to retrieve a dummy in the place of a bird. This skill is one of the many hunting-related techniques dogs can learn at Wild Acre Kennels. (Carson Hughes/southernminn.com)

A Wild Acre Kennels staff member leads a canine client through obedience training. (Carson Hughes/southernminn.com)

Andrew and RaeLynn Skluzacek, owners of Wild Acre Kennels, pose on the front stoop with one of their five Labradors, Slash, named after the Guns n’ Roses guitarist. The couple lives on the farm site south of Le Center where they train, kennel and breed dogs. (Carson Hughes/ southernminn.com)

Plaza opening party celebrates new community space

Delivery. Attendees got on their feet as St. Peter flamenco dancer and instructor Molly Kay Stoltz taught some of the basic moves behind the traditional Spanish dance. The event also featured catering by River Rock.

“It’s amazing, there’s people here that I don’t know which is the most exciting part. It wasn’t just my friends who came,” said Malkin.”I’m curious to see how it goes and I’m hopeful people will see it as a space they can take ownership of, come grab a coffee, have lunch and hang out.”

Sol, who are planning a Skatember Shakedown ska dance party for Sept. 29 at 7 p.m.

Then, on Oct. 1, a literary event called “Oh My Word” will hit the plaza, where participants can read aloud poetry and short stories they’ve written themselves or pieces they love and want to share with others.

By CARSON HUGHES carson.hughes@apgsomn.com

What was just a barren, concrete lot has recently flourished with crowds enjoying live music, dance lessons and water marbled silks, as the St. Peter community celebrated the opening of the St. Peter Plaza.

As the music played, community members moved their feet across the twisting pattern of colorful flower petals and pink-accented leaves that decorated the now blue-green background painted over what was once an ugly block of grey. The gathering signaled a new beginning for the property on 107 W. Nassau St. Formerly the site of the St. Peter Library before it was destroyed in the tornado of 1998, the depressing

reminder of the 25-year-old disaster had been transformed into a painted gardenscape for the whole community to enjoy.

The festivities wouldn’t have been possible without the efforts of Amanda Malkin, owner of local arts conservation practice PaperLoves Conservation, LLC and founder of community placemaking nonprofit Point to Place. In her mission to establish beautiful spaces in St. Peter for the public’s enjoyment, Malkin leased the 12,600-square-foot concrete lot and gathered a small group of volunteers to help paint and decorate the property.

Malkin’s careful cultivation of the space bore fruit on Sunday as community members gathered underneath the pergola to listen to the jazz stylings of Hanna Cesario and Kristie Compana of Mankato musical duo Uccellino and classic hit songs covered by Special

The artist behind the plaza stayed busy during the event, hosting a garden swap and marbling silk scarves for guests to take home. Malkin placed the scarves in a special water bath, thickened with carrageenans extracted from seaweed, and allowed participants to drop colored dyes of their choosing into the mixture. When finished, the scarves emerged from the bath with bright, multicolored patterns.

Malkin emphasized the new space for anyone to enjoy, whether they’re just stopping by for lunch or wish to reserve the space for their own event. The St. Peter Plaza has already attracted interest from other event organizers, including Punk Rock Tom Heffernan and Suniva

Malkin will be hosting a Halloween Showcase and Bazaar running from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 29. The bazaar will feature an array of seasonal art and craft vendors as well as tarot readings and bubble fairies.

An authentic traveling medicine show will entertain the crowds with fire dancing and other fascinating acts. Guests can get moving in movement classes for all ages and skill levels including qigong and senior yoga. The DonutNV food truck will also on site with donuts, coffee and hot chocolate.

“It’s open and free to the public. It’s everyone’s space,” said Malkin. “As long as they can respect the painting, respect the furniture and treat it as if it’s your own, everyone is welcome.”

Amanda Malkin and a small group of volunteers painted the St. Peter Plaza mural over the past month. (Carson Hughes/southernminn.com)

Flamenco dancer and instructor Mary Kay Stoltz taught guests steps to the flamenco after a public demonstration. (Carson Hughes/southernminn.com)

Special Delivery performed classic hit songs at the St. Peter Plaza opening ceremony. (Carson Hughes/ southernminn.com)

Amanda Malkin marbled silk scarves for community members to take home from the St. Peter Plaza opening ceremony. (Carson Hughes/southernminn. com)

Reach Reporter Carson Hughes at 507-9318575. ©Copyright 2022 APG Media of Southern Minnesota. All Rights Reserved.

Local baking business turns 100

By RACHEL STOCK rachel.stock@apgecm.com

Preserving its past, friends, family and descendants of former owners gathered at the Caledonia Bakery (124 E. Main St.) Saturday, Sept. 16 in jubilant celebration of the historic local business.

The anniversary was hosted from 7 a.m. until noon and featured a special anniversary cake, ceremoniously cut during the celebration. Each layer represented a different decade, symbolizing the many years the bakery has been in service.

According to Roesler, the bottom layer represented the 1920s and had a popular Flapper girl design, whereas the middle layer embodied a 1950s and 60s design. Lastly, the top layer was a modern arrangement, popular at weddings today.

From 8:30-10 a.m. music from Sis Stemper and Sweetwater could be heard filling Main Street. A line formed outside the bakery that morning. Coffee and goodies were enjoyed by attendees either on the sidewalk or in the courtyard, which was transformed from an alleyway during renovations.

A variety of Crazy Day specials, including 25 cent glazed donuts and 50 cent loaves of bread, were available while supplies lasted, as were “recipes from the vault,” such as elephant ears, peanut rolls, eclairs and cream puffs. Then, at 10 a.m. the Houston County Dairy Princesses arrived and served ice cream to attendees.

“The complementary coffee, anniversary cake and ice cream sundaes were much appreciated by everyone,” commented current owner Susan Roesler.

Many former owners of the bakery and their descendants were invited to visit on the day, as were former employees. This included Mr. Hugo Schroeder’s grandson, who came from out of town. “It was very special for us and them to talk about their grandfather,” said Roesler.

A private tour of the bakery was offered to these descendants and former employees. After the bakery officially closed at noon, the celebration continued at Elsie’s, starting at 4 p.m., on the patio.

“I want to recognize the value that we place on the previous owners because without them the bakery would not still be here 100 years later,” said Roesler. “It was a time for everyone to share memories and just enjoy our proud history.”

Originally on Grove Street, the bakery was first opened by Mr. E.O. Miller in 1923. Just a few years later, in 1927, Mr. Miller sold the bakery to Mr. Hugo Schroeder. Schroeder owned the business until 1947, when Mr. Joe Hemmer took over. Then, in 1972 the bakery was moved to its current location on Main Street. In 1987 an employee named Annette Fruechte assumed ownership.

Finally, in 2005 Fruechte passed the business on to Sue Klug, who later sold the bakery in March of 2019 to its fifth and most recent owner, Susan Roesler. In June, Roesler began renovations on Main Street.

“The real heroes of the bakery still being here 100 years later is the town. They are the people who have sustained it and supported it,” said Roesler. “It was a very special day for the bakery.”

Reach associate editor Rachel Stock at 507724-3475.

Inside and outside the Bakery were packed with people on Saturday.

Susan Roesler is the current owner of the Caledonia Bakery. She took over the business for Sue Klug in 2019.

The granddaughters and great-granddaughters of Earl Miller can be seen here holding one of Mr. Miller’s original baking sheets from 1923.

Casey Scanlan cuts the anniversary cake.

FM BANK opens with focus on agriculture

By ETHAN BECKER ethan.becker@apgsomn.com

For President Jon Butler, the process of bringing FM BANK to Waseca, “started with a dream.”

“I’ve worked for FM BANK for the last 12 years … family brought us back to this area and we moved back to Waseca,” Butler said, saying that for the past six years he’s commuted to his job at other FM BANK locations. “I always had the idea that a bank that operates like we do and, and does business the way that we do would be very successful down in this area.”

The opportunity to test that idea popped up about 18 months ago, following the closure of the Wells Fargo branch in Waseca on Elm Avenue.

“[The building] had sat on the market for a period of time. And I brought the idea up to [FM BANK’s] owner and said would we consider the possibility of opening a location in Waseca,” Butler said. “After a deed restriction was lifted on the building from the previous owners, which is Wells Fargo, we started the remodeling process.”

Butler said that “the first hammer” was swung somewhere around March, with the remodeling process taking about six months. Throughout that process, Butler said that his mentality was always to get as many local businesses involved as possible.

“It was very important for us to support local businesses when it came to the remodel. And the last time I had totaled it up, I think there were 18 local trades that we used for the bank remodel,” Butler said. “That was very important for us, to support local businesses, because we hope that they support us as well.”

When it comes to its business model matching the needs of Waseca’s community, Butler said that FM BANK is uniquely situated to help the town and surrounding communities.

“There’s a few things that we take pride in, which is our commitment to the communities that we serve, our ability to make local decisions and our understanding of agriculture and business. Those values drive consistency in business and in ag lending. … We are very consistent in how we do business and how we provide value to farmers with the local decision making and also how

Jon Butler, the president of FM Bank’s Waseca location, said that the branch “started with a dream”. (Ethan Becker/southernminn.com)

we structure those loans,” Butler said. That agriculture focus isn’t just an empty expression from FM BANK; it’s built into their brand. As a press release from the company states, “The name FM BANK is a salute to their history which began as Farmers and Merchants State Bank of Clarkfield (MN), commonly referred to as FM.”

Knowing the needs of farmers and other ag workers isn’t something that Butler just preaches, it’s something ingrained into his upbringing.

“I’m originally from Blooming Prairie. I grew up on a farm. I attended school in Blooming Prairie. [I] grew up in the 80s when farming was very difficult, and it was always ingrained in me to go to college and get away from the farm,” Butler said. “And I did that and after college started in banking.”

And although he got away from the

farm, Butler said that farm and agriculture mentality always stayed with him, and he was constantly looking for ways to help ag workers. That was a big draw for bringing FM BANK to Waseca. Now, with the new location having opened Sept. 26, Butler will get a chance to put his dream into action.

“If you look 50 miles in any direction here, there’s a significant amount of agriculture, and that’s what rural communities thrive on. I see a lot of opportunity and a lot of value that we can provide to the customers in the agriculture sector … as well as consumers. So I’m excited about serving the customers and providing value to them in this area.”

Ethan Becker is a reporter for the Waseca County News. Reach him at (507) 333-3133. Find him on Twitter @Ethan_BeckerWCN or @ WasecaNews.

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After six months of renovations, FM Bank is set to open it’s doors at their Waseca location on September 26. (Ethan Becker/southernminn.com)

learn how to retrieve ducks and waterfowl while navigating a pond filled with decoys on the grounds’ wetlands. The four-legged clients are also taught how to quarter a field (find, hunt and retrieve birds) and how to recognize and locate antler sheds based on scent in all types of terrain.

Depending on the program, Andrew may spend as little as two weeks or as long as four months training an individual dog in a course. Pets who previously trained at Wild Acre Kennels also get a refresher on their skills while boarded at the ground’s 26-kennel facility.

All that work is worth it for Andrew, who has seen firsthand how life changing having a well-trained dog. He recalled one woman he had as a client whose dog was such a terror she wanted nothing to do with the pet and was ready to get rid of it. But after training it, Andrew said that dog became her best friend. Now when she takes her family on a road trip, it’s the dog, not her husband, that gets the front seat.

“To get to that point, it’s a lot of work. It’s a lot of stress. You ask yourself why you do this, but then all of a sudden you see that smile,” said Andrew. “The customer doesn’t even have to say anything, just that smile on that face is why we keep going at it every single solitary day.”

His years of caring for dogs hasn’t just changed his customers lives, but his own life as well. It was through his work as a breeder that Andrew would meet the woman who would become his wife and business partner, RaeLynn. When she came to Wild Acre Kennels to find a friend a new dog, it was puppy love at

RaeLynn is a lifelong animal lover and was working at a veterinary clinic at the time she met Andrew. The couple bonded over their shared passion and today, RaeLynn lives her dream of working with animals as the head of Wild Acre Kennels breeding operation.

The couple owns five labrador retrievers that they keep at home and 17 American and British labs they foster out to families that take care of them when the dogs aren’t breeding. For RaeLynn, there’s no better feeling than connecting customers with the newest member of their family.

“You get a customer that lost their lab and they’re finally ready to purchase a puppy; it’s huge that you’re able to make their day. Or we have people on the waitlist for puppies for a year and they finally get to bring their puppy home and it’s huge,” said RaeLynn. “I got to be that person to connect them with their puppy. It’s better than any paycheck we ever get.”

Breeding has even connected the Skluzaceks with dog owners from across the nation. They’ve had people come from New York, Kansas, Nevada and Wisconsin just to purchase a puppy, some of whom have gone on to become friends with the couple. RaeLynn noted when one sells a puppy, customers will stay in contact with her to ask questions and these conversations have led to close and lifelong friendships.

“Some of them have become our best friends that we hunt with every single year now,” said RaeLynn. “We sold them a puppy and now we’re in Wisconsin every week and hunting with them and he’s one of our best friends.”

“A customer down in Kansas married

us,” Andrew added.

In addition to breeding, RaeLynn leads Wild Acre Kennels’ full service dog spa. When dogs end up being too naughty for their local groomers, RaeLynn said owners often send their pets her way. She offers baths, deshedding and dematting, ear cleaning, nail trimming and teeth brushing.

“You really got to love your partner when you do this. You got to be able to stand each other or it’s not going to work. But we’re the same person in and

out. We’re both stubborn workaholics.”

Raelynn

WILD ACRES Wild Acre Kennels is located at 20542 440th St., Le Center. Its hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. To reach out, contact 507-2108481, andrew@wildacrekennels.com or visit the website at wildacrekennels.com. 8ff34c67-8ca8-4489-8cfc-bdb048ae60f3

Preston Meier is a freelance writer. Reach the editor at OPPeditor@apgsomn.com.

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Slash retrieves an orange dummy after navigating past the decoy birds in the Wild Acre Kennels pond. (Carson Hughes/southernminn.com)