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Fall/Winter 2018
Owner of Clinton eatery opens new restaurant in Fulton
Business keeps growing along with the Christmas trees at Fulton farm
Association behind many local events, community efforts
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COVER • STORY
Publisher Don T. Bricker General Manager/Advertising Director Jennifer Heintzelman Editor Jeff Rogers Magazine Editors Lucas Pauley Rusty Schrader Page Design Lucas Pauley Published by Sauk Valley Media 3200 E. Lincolnway Sterling, IL 61081 815-625-3600 Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media. No portion of River City Living Magazine may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Ad content is not the responsibility of Sauk Valley Media. The information in this magazine is believed to be accurate; however, Sauk Valley Media cannot and does not guarantee its accuracy. Sauk Valley Media cannot and will not be held liable for the quality or performance of goods and services provided by advertisers listed in any portion of this magazine.
Smokin’ and steaks shine at eatery
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More inside 5
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5 – Lyons Business & Professional Association Clinton group provides the power behind local events, efforts
11 – Local musician Aaron Remrey Area rapper set to release his third full-length album
18 Timber Lane Tree Farm There’s so much more than trees sold at Fulton farm
22 – Whiteside County Fair scrapbook 28 – Baar & Sons Potato Farm Take a ride down the road near Morrison to see a unique local farm
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Lining up for Lyons Association of businesses, organizations help make Clinton’s north end thrive
Story By Rachel Rodgers with Submitted Photos For River City Living The Lyons Business & Professional Association holds popular events throughout the year, including its burger cookoff.
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the north end.” There are several groups in Clinton and the area rooted in helping businesses of all sizes, but Lyons hones in on businesses and community members north of 13th Avenue North. Continued on page 6
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its own community of members promoting growth in the neighborhood and hosting events and family activities. “The association puts on events and markets the neighborhood to drive traffic to the north end,” association President Matt Parbs said. “Every single member actively supports and contributes to the quality of life of residents on
N E
T
he Lyons Business & Professional Association unites around 50 businesses and organizations for the common goal of making the north end thrive. The longstanding organization dates back nearly a century in its earliest form of linking a few businessmen together and has grown into
Serving portions of Whiteside and Carroll counties
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Continued from page 5
“For small businesses like Lyons businesses, having an opportunity to pool resources, energy, and ideas helps create growth for all of us,” said Parbs, who’s also executive director of The Sawmill Museum. “Our goal is to see all of our members increase sales and to add fun to the neighborhood.” Lyons started out as its own city and merged with Clinton in 1895. “I think what makes Clinton unique is that we still have two small business corridors that are viable. Both of us are out doing the same thing, reminding shoppers and residents to shop local, play local,” he said. The group’s marketing committee organizes several different events each year including the annual winter festival, Easter egg scavenger hunt, art and craft show, burger cookoff, consignment crawl, and chili/soup cookoff. “They are the backbone of the association,” he said. “All of the fun marketing initiatives and events happen because of their hard work.” Parbs said there are a variety of businesses, organizations and other offerings that contribute to the quality of life of the neighborhood, including the Catholic History Society and St. Boniface, Eagle Point Park, Wide River Winery, The Sawmill Museum, Farmers Market, Jaycees and the Lyons Depot, Foursquare Park, Lyons Library, St. Irenaeus Church, the bike path, rentable bikes in Lyons and at the Technology Park, as well as three wedding venue spots. s
The annual winter festival and Christmas walk are organized by the group. See details of a couple of upcoming events on page 9.
MORE INFORMATION
Call 563-242-2663, go lbpaclintonia.wixsite.com or find the Lyons Business & Professional Association on Facebook for more information or to become a member.
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The farmers market is another Lyons Business and Professional Association favorite.
A Community That Cares for You Prairie Hills offers senior living communities and memory care, right here in Clinton. Spend time with your family and friends while we take care of day-to-day chores like housekeeping, cooking and maintenance. A SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITY
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You saw all the people at the burger cookoff on page 5. It takes a lot of burgers to feed all those people, as you’ll see here.
UPCOMING EVENTS
LBPA Fourth Annual Chili/Soup Cook-Off When: Saturday, Oct. 6 Time: 10:30 a.m. Where: Brick Alley Way east of Rastrelli’s Restaurant Price: Freewill donation Join the Lyons Neighborhood in hosting a great family, friendly event. Sample chili and soups from numerous vendors and vote for your favorite. Watch the Iowa Hawkeyes versus Purdue on the big screen. Passports to sample food are $5. Beverages (beer, soda, water, hot chocolate) are also available for sale. Enter to win one of three raffle baskets. Tickets are $1 for 1 or $5 for 6. Baskets include Lyons Gift Certificates and apparel, fall decorations, kids games and Iowa Hawkeye themed items.
Good Samaritan Society-Services@Home is part of a not-for-profit organization that strives to offer more service and housing options to seniors, thus transforming the aging experience. Getting a little help around the house or with errands might just be what is needed to help you or your loved one stay safe and comfortable living at home. The Good Samaritan Society’s Services@Home offers non-medical, home based services. This type of care may also be known as private duty care, home care/nonmedical care. We can help with mediation reminders, meal preparation, grocery shopping, light housekeeping, laundry, and any other daily tasks to help you stay as independent as possible. Caregivers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We can also offer short-term services, like coming over for an afternoon while a family member runs errands; or maybe just an hour or two in the morning to help you get your day started. Our services do not require a deposit, there’s no minimum time commitment and you don’t need a doctor’s note to begin services. Call us to set up a free in-home consultation to learn more about our services. A service plan and schedule will developed to fit your individual needs. Our services are available at times convenient for you, giving you and your family peace of mind that we’ll be here for you whenever you need us. Please call 563-242-2308.
Halloween Trick-or-Treat Walk When: Friday, Oct. 26 What Time: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Where: Lyons neighborhood LBPA Winter Festival When: Saturday, Dec. 1 and Sunday, Dec. 2 What Time: 9 to 11 a.m. Where: Main Avenue and Lyons Neighborhood Price: Free at participating locations Join the Lyons Neighborhood in hosting a great familyfriendly event. The Winter Festival Open House will take place throughout the neighborhood with activities including cookie decorating at Sweetheart Bakery, a photo booth at Classic Bodyworks and a coloring contest at Lyons Filling Station. Fireworks will be at 6 p.m. with a tree lighting in Four Square Park to follow.
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Rapper on the rise Local recording artist Aaron Remrey (A.Rem) poses for a photo at Straightaway Productions just down the road in Morrison. Read about his story of redemption on page 11.
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Area musician overcomes past, looks ahead
A
Story By Phillip Hartman & Photos By Michael Krabbenhoeft For River City Living
aron Remrey isn’t afraid to share his journey. Parts of the 31-year-old hip-hop and rap musician’s latest music video, “Save Me,” are set in a cemetery in Carroll County between Lanark and Mount Carroll, as he reflects on surviving a 2013 car crash with a semi. In one scene, Remrey sings as he sits beside a tombstone with the name “Remrey” on it: “Something had to go wrong / for me to write this song ...” Remrey nodded as he and his producer, Steven Bearsley of Straightaway Productions in Morrison, watched the video on Youtube. “2013 was a real eye-opener, with my daughter being born and the car crash. It’s to redeem myself from everything,” Remrey said of why he’s so focused on his music career. Redemption wasn’t always a theme of Remrey’s songwriting. The son of Bryan and Angie Remrey of Lanark, Aaron grew up attending Eastland and West Carroll schools, and started writing music in junior high. He also played basketball and
months of house arrest. He then started 7 years of felony probation. “If at any point I would have slipped up in those 7 years and got arrested again, I was facing 3 to 5 years in prison,” Remrey said. Remrey started over, working as a restaurant manager at Applebee’s, Sonic, and Pizza Hut from until he was 28. He completed his probation, which expunged the felony counts from his criminal record. Remrey’s youthful interest in music returned in 2011 as a hobby, but he almost didn’t get the chance to pursue it as a career. “In 2013, my brother, Andrew, and a friend and I all had the day off work. We were working 6 days, 50 hours a week,” Remrey recalled. Their friend fell asleep behind the wheel, and by the time Remrey was able to reach for the wheel, they’d hit a semi head-on. “I awoke 2 hours later. The car was in pieces, and everybody else was in the ambulance. The paramedics had brought three body bags. All we had were stitches and bruises,” Remrey said.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Find A.Rem on Facebook for more information. Find Aaron Remrey on Facebook or email arembooking@ gmail.com for booking information.
baseball in high school. “I started at third base varsity as a freshman. I had a lot of community support. I was planning on playing college basketball,” Remrey said, looking into the distance as he sat in the control room at Straightaway. While Remrey was on a track to a bright future in sports, he felt differently inside. “I’ve always felt misunderstood my entire life. If you’d ask before who I was, you’d get 10 different answers,” he said. When he was 18, things took a sharp turn. Remrey was charged with three felony burglaries. “I felt like I let everybody down,” he said. Remrey did 120 days in jail, and underwent 6 months of drug and alcohol treatment at Sojourn House in Freeport before another 6
Continued on page15
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Resthave feels like Home You’ll find an interesting, intelligent group of residents at Resthave, along with a varied slate of activities in which you can participate – your choice. The staff is welcoming, kind and competent and provide care appropriate to your needs.
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Recording artist Aaron Remrey (left) and Steven Bearsley, chief engineer and owner at Straightaway Productions in Morrison, pose for a photo at the studio. Continued from page 13
The near-fatal crash served as a wake-up call, and Remrey started working harder on his musical career. He began performing concerts in Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison and Janesville, Wisconsin, Lansing, Michigan, and Detroit, and toured a lot in 2015 and 2016. “The touring’s pretty much in the Midwest. With social media, your promotional budget’s more beneficial when used there. Every 10 years, the game changes, and it’s not all about selling mix tapes out of your trunk,” Remrey said. Remrey also met Bearsley, and they later discovered they were distant cousins. They’ve
produced three albums in 3 years – “Still Here, Still Standing,” “Middle of Nowhere,” both already released, and “Letting Go,” planned for release before the end of 2018. “‘Middle of Nowhere’ put us on the map. We’ve had downloads in all 50 states and 60 different countries,” Remrey said. He had 12 songs on “Still Here, Still Standing” and 18 on “Middle of Nowhere,” and has seven of 12 planned tracks recorded for “Letting Go.” “I’ve had seven on the radio. I go mainly for Pandora and Sirius XM. They’re more nationwide. I’m really trying to take this as mainstream as I can,” Remrey said.
While Remrey is focused on his future, he’s not forgetting what drives him to succees. He’s trying to provide for his daughter, Brielle, 5, and sons, Ashton, 2, and Aaydon, 3 months. “My daughter made me change my life, keeping me out of things I shouldn’t do. My kids play a big role in my life,” Remrey said. Remrey’s determination to set his life on the right path has carried over into his musical work ethic. He’s set weekly, monthly, yearly, and 5- and 10-year goals. “I break them all the time. I’m extremely hard on myself. I constantly have to remind myself, I have to look how far I’ve come.” s
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David James, owner of Fulton Steak and Ribs, stands inside his business at 1107 Fourth St.
Story By Gavin T. Jensen & Photos By Michael Krabbenhoeft For River City Living
Fill up in Fulton
Owner of Clinton business crosses Mississippi River
F
or David James, smoking meat is nothing short of second nature. Especially when it comes to ribs. Fueled by sibling rivalry and confident about the outcome, James smokes his ribs with applewood chips and charcoal for 4 to 6 hours, just long enough to make the meat tender enough to pull it off the bone with a plastic fork. “I’ve just always smoked meat,” James said. “It all started with a friendly sibling rivalry at family cookouts, and it’s what I’m known for and it’s what I’m good at,” James said.
Now, the owner of Gil’s in Clinton has crossed the Mississippi River to make a splash in Fulton with his new fine dining restaurant: Fulton Steak and Ribs. Located at 1107 Fourth St., the restaurant
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FULTON STEAK AND RIBS
Address: 1107 Fourth St., Fulton Phone: 815-208-7890 Hours: 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday Online: fultonsteakandribs.com
– which opened on June 4 – serves steak, ribs and prime rib, smoked catfish and more, including his wife Melinda’s Chicken George. The intimate restaurant seats about 70 people, and has been remodeled from its previous Chinese restaurant decor to give patrons a cozy feeling. Melinda’s Chicken George is made with a concoction of seasonings and covered with panko breadcrumbs, and James said the unique taste is unlike any other. “You have to try it,” he said. “It’s got more flavor and less grease.”
James is confident you won’t have to wet your whistle to enjoy the food, but the bar is open and offers house wines, domestic bottled beer and mixed drinks to pair with the succulent eats. If you’re in the mood for a steak, James offers a wide variety, all cut in-house, including the char-grilled ribeye, sirloin, New York strip, bacon-wrapped filet, and a prime rib dinner that’s served only on Friday and Saturday. And for those who can handle it, ask for the DJ cut, Where James upgrades the portion. In a hurry or just want to enjoy James’ food at home? Fulton Steak and Ribs has a fully carry-out menu. Whether you’re dining in our carrying out, James hopes you’ll enjoy his labor of love. s
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Tree climb to the top Story By Cody Cutter & Photos By Alex T. Paschal For River City Living Donna Holesinger, shown here in November 2017, and husband Bill have operated Timber Lane Tree Farm since 2003.
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TIMBER LANE TREE FARM
Address: 7250 Garden Plain Road, Fulton Phone: 309-887-4892 Online: timberlanetreefarm.com and Facebook Hours: The fall season runs from Oct. 5 until Nov. 10 before closing to reorganize for the Christmas season. The farm reopens on Black Friday and remains open through Dec. 23. During both seasons, the farm is open noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday and Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
“The last 2 years we’ve increased our tree sales by 100 each year, and that’s a big jump for us,” Donna said.
Seasonal Fulton business continues to grow each year
W
alks through a Christmas tree farm can be unique experience. When it comes to the Timber Lane Tree Farm and Country Store, 7250 Garden Plain Road, you just might need to visit a few times just to see it all. Bill and Donna Holesinger, who have operated the tree farm since 2003, sold more trees than ever 2 years ago. They renovated their sales areas to help accommodate the additional traffic, and last year sold 1,700 trees to eclipse last year’s high. The Holesingers simply keep building as more people come. “We started at three or four hundred, so in 10 years it has just exploded,” Donna said of the tree sales over the years. “The last 2 years we’ve increased our tree sales by 100 each year, and that’s a big jump for us.” The sales area for the TLC Country Store keeps on growing, too; recently, a workshop had to be moved to an adjacent building to accommodate the display of more items such as candles, decorations, baby items, hats, scarves, doll clothes, fall and traditional Christmas ornaments, Amish sauces and jams, western-themed items, corn shucks, straw bales, Delft – a type of Dutch pottery and dinnerware – and more. The relocated workshop was rebuilt along with a work area for local preschool students who take field trips to the farm. The new rooms also have created a wall for better displaying of wreaths, which Donna makes throughout most of November. Children now have a warmer indoor space where they can work on creations such as wreaths and kissing balls – which are like mistletoe balls. Continued on page 20
The farm’s Santa House was rebuilt this year, expanded to 20-by-15 feet to accommodate more kids. (Photo by Cody Cutter)
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Tons of ornaments are sold at the tree farm. Continued from page 19
“We take greens from yucky trees and stick them in a ball,” Donna said. The farm’s Santa House was rebuilt this year, expanded to 20-by-15 feet to accommodate more kids. Santa will be at the farm from noon to 3 p.m. during the first two weekends of December. And, of course, the children get to tour 22 acres of trees that grow east of the farm, stretching alongside Garden Plain Road. “We show them our fields,” Donna said. “We got four different varieties of trees and
[Bill] will explain the difference in the trees to them. They also get to see the shaker, which shakes out dead the needles, and shows them how to bale the tree to get it in the house.” Timber Lane sells four types of trees: concolor and canaan firs, and scotch and eastern white pines. The canaan firs are the big seller. “A canaan fir is a short-needled fir that is similar to a frazier fir, which I have a difficult time growing in this area,” Bill said. “A canaan grows very well. That’s kind of our main tree, and it has a good fragrance to it as well.” Concolor firs have soft needles and emit a citrusy smell. Scotch pines may not be around
for too long, as diseases and bugs have become a problem. Trees are available pre-cut or you can cut your own; saws and carts are available. The experience of walking through rows of trees to find just the right one is something Judy Holesinger enjoys the most about trees being part of the Christmas experience. “A lot of it is the experience of a family together,” said Judy, who, with her husband, Rich, own the farm. “Going out and finding that perfect tree and cutting it down together, instead of taking a tree out of a box, I think that’s very important.” s
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Kids kick it at the fair Area families carve out time for the Whiteside County Fair
T
he 148th annual Whiteside County Fair was held in mid-August and as always, it dazzled people of all ages. Events included the Western horse show, pro bull riding, the Martin Family Circus, an antique tractor parade, a motocross show, tractor and truck pulling, and the ever-popular demolition derby. Keith Anderson, an American country music artist known for “Pickin’ Wildflowers,” performed at the fair, too. Anderson also co-wrote Big & Rich’s single “Lost in This Moment,” and “Beer Run,” by Garth Brooks and George Jones. Wilson Family Rides brought its carnival back to town and there were daily bike giveaways. The Grandpa Cratchet Stage Show had people cracking up again, too. Take a look through our fair scrapbook through page 27 to see how much area kids enjoyed themselves.
A wood carver with Bear Hollow Wood Carvers uses a torch to blacken parts of a carved bald eagle Aug. 17 at the Whiteside County Fair in Morrison.
Photos By Alex T. Paschal For River City Living
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Nora Kasinger, 7, of Fulton, keeps her eyes shut tight as she is transformed into a butterfly at the fair.
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Abe Axmear, 7, of North English, Iowa, helps scrub down a harness outside of the horse barn at the Whiteside County fairgrounds.
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Clover Hicks (left), 8, and Ava, 9, and Luke Movida, 7, all of Clinton, stop to pet a sheep while visiting the Whiteside County Fair in Morrison.
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Joseph Grim, 9, reacts to coming close to sinking a ping pong ball to win a fish with sister Laura Scott, 11, both of Morrison.
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Brinley Tegeler, 4, of Morrison, hangs on as she spins on a ride with sister Paisley at the Whiteside County Fair.
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Popped up from the peat
Baar & Sons Potato Farm offers more than potatoes
Story By Cody Cutter & Photos By Michael Krabbenhoeft For River City Living
Steve Baar’s grandparents didn’t have much when they emigrated to the United States from Holland in 1933. More than 85 years later, Baar and his wife, Gwen, do business with a variety of plants and vegetables using the same soil his family found along a bottom around Rock Creek near Fenton. Potatoes remain the specialty at Baar & Sons Potato Farm, 12712 Fenton Road. The large sign leading to the driveway reads “Baar & Sons Potato Farm,” but there’s more than just potatoes popping up on their peat.
Different kinds of potatoes and a wide variety of vegetables can be found at the farm, owned by Steve’s parents and maintained by the third generation of Baars. “His grandfather came over on the boat through Ellis Island with a rake or a shovel,” Gwen said. “They were broke, and started farming.” About 100 acres of property is set aside for corn, and 65 acres are for potatoes. “It’s potatoes, corn, beans, and 10 acres of garden,” Steve said. “It’s a pretty good-sized garden. It keeps us out of trouble.”
The large sign leading to the driveway reads “Baar & Sons Potato Farm,” but there’s more than just potatoes popping up on their peat. Gwen and Steve Baar grow a wide variety of produce on the farm near Fenton, which is owned by Steve’s parents and maintained by the third generation of Baars.
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The most common image of a potato is brown and oval-shaped, but there are more kinds of potatoes. The Baars raise red, white, Yukon gold and Russet potatoes – the latter the more-common brown-skinned variety – and raise more red potatoes than anything else. Yukon golds are a wetter and pastier potato with yellow, sweet flesh. Many stores like to carry the red potatoes because the others can turn green under fluorescent lights. They are the first potatoes to be grown and should be ready by mid-August.
“The red potatoes are a wetter potato, and are great for potato salad,” Gwen said. “The whites ones are good for baking, mashing and frying. They’re a drier potato and they’re flakier. They’re along the lines of a russet. We sell a lot of russets for multi-purpose potatoes, because they’re big and [people] like the size.” None of the potatoes have to be transported on road to the barn; rather, wagons traverse the many strips of dirt roads to collect the produce. Potatoes are dumped from wagons to a rear room of the barn and go through a potato grader. After passing through a dirt eliminator, the potatoes go up and through a sizer, where any that are less than 2 inches get weeded out. They then go through a washer and through dryer rolls, and a pair of workers grade them at the end of the line. Anything odd-shaped is a No. 2, according to Steve, and thrown into a different spot and bagged in 50-pound bags. The larger ones eventually get stacked onto 2,000- to 2,200-pound totes. Continued on page 31
Kohlrabi is one of the vegetables grown in the garden at Baar & Sons Potato Farm.
Gwen Baar pulls up some red potatoes at Baar & Sons Potato Farm.
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Baar & Sons Potato Farm near Fenton grows a wide variety of produce, including carrots (shown below).
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Continued from page 29
“If a potato sits dead on the ground, the skin toughens up,” Steve said. “We have a machine to make it a nice looking product.” Potatoes and cabbage were the original specialties, but Steve’s mother, Neva, expanded the farm to include a wide variety of vegetables. Asparagus, cauliflower, green onions, leaf lettuce, okra, peas, radishes, spinach, and tomatoes are among the common vegetables grown in the garden near the barn. The vegetables are Gwen’s specialty, and she likes them hand-picked. In addition to the farm, Gwen has a table at a farmers market in the Quad Cities every Wednesday and Saturday. “I didn’t really want to do it,” recalled Gwen, who didn’t grow up on a farm. “We had a child and I needed another job, and I knew [Steve] wanted me to become a part of it. I ended up loving it.” Among the vegetables difficult to find fresh at most stores are lima beans and kohlrabi, both are raised and sold at the farm. “People like it,” Gwen said of the kohlrabi. “It’s a member of the cabbage family. Most people eat it raw.” The secret to the Baars’ success lies in the soil – actually, it’s peat, which is light, spongy and can retain water better than regular soil. The area around the Baars’ farm was once part of a slough of the Mississippi River thousands of years ago when the river bed wound a few miles east of the current channel. Peat farms surround the Baars’ property on three sides. Upon entering the Baars’ property, a long driveway leads to a raised, at-grade Burlington Northern Santa Fe railway crossing. The peat, and most of the farm, lies east of the tracks, and the Baars have noticed a difference in the freshness of their produce depending on
BAAR & SONS POTATO FARM
Address: 12712 Fenton Road, Morrison Phone: 815-718-5020 or 815-778-4483 Hours: Walk-ins on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday Accepts: Cash, check, credit and debit cards Online: Facebook the type of ground. “The peat grows good crops,” Steve said. “Wet years, not quite so good; it can get back quick. It’s a high mineral soil. It’s good ground.” “Steve’s mom realized that the soil helped grow good root crops such as beets and carrots,” Gwen added, “Someone would say to her, ‘Can you raise my beans?’ and she started to do all these vegetables.” Baar & Sons Potato Farm is open from early May to late October, or until produce runs out. The Baars have a staff of four employees when potatoes are not in season, and around 15 during season – most of whom are friends, neighbors, or other farmers. Machinery keeps the potato farm operating efficiently, but there are signs of the original way of doing things on the property. The original barn sits to the left of the railroad crossing; half of it was razed recently. “It had one grader, and my husband’s grandmother would turn a crank on it all day so that it would roll to grade the potatoes,” Gwen said. “They were 100-pound bags, hand-sown with twine.” Times have changed, but the peat has not – and its kept Baar & Sons Potato Farm prospering and growing. s
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