Country Acres 2017 - April 21 edition by Star Publications

ountry C cres A

A Supplement to the Star Shopper

Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment

Friday, April 21, 2017 • Edition 5

We sell fun!

Josts share the load with each other’s businesses By DIANE LEUKAM Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA – Nestled in the rolling hills on a 50-acre parcel just outside of Alexandria, on Rob and Debbie Jost’s property, the reflection of the sunset gleams off the surface of the small lake in their backyard. Relaxing on their patio behind the house overlooking the lake, Debbie has just finished a busy day at her full-time job where she works in her garage just a few feet away. Rob is right beside her, a willing and able hand whenever he has time. Debbie is the owner of Speedy Worm, an online live bait store. As of this month, she has been buying, selling and shipping an assortment of bait for seven years. A business major from St. Cloud State University and partner with her husband in their business, Minnesota Muskie Farm, Inc. Debbie recognized a niche for her business quite quickly. “When I first decided to do this, I decided we were only going to do online sales,” Debbie said. “There is no other state like Minnesota,” she said. “If you see a lake you’re likely to see a bait shop.” While Minnesota has an extensive infrastructure for bait, other states are not that fortunate. In many areas, people

need to drive one to two hours one way to purchase the type of bait they want. Enter Debbie Jost. Though Minnesota provides 10 percent of her business, the other ninety percent of her business is done throughout the United States, filling that need. A garage fit for worms The Josts’ garage is a veritable worm facility. Walking in, a wall of shelves is filled with plastic tubs that appear to the naked eye to contain dirt. Rob reached into the dirt and instantly, European nightcrawlers filled his hand, as they await their destination. In one corner, a large walk-in cooler holds shelves full of boxes of Canadian nightcrawlers, a type that must be refrigerated. Next comes a garage refrigerator that, rather than the beer found in some garages, is home to “spikes.” Most would know them as maggots. Waxworms and mealworms have their own shelves in other freestanding units. Sitting near the packaging area is a cylindrical screen system that separates the worms from the dirt they came in. The worms are placed into the cylinder, and as it turns, the castings (worm excrement) and dirt fall through, and the worms are then weighed and packaged, along with a lighter-weight bedding that is less costly to ship. PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM

WORMS continued on page 4

Debbie Jost holds Canadian nightcrawlers, one type of bait she sells through her online business, Speedy Worm. Jost and her husband, Rob, operate Minnesota Muskie Farm, Inc., which they purchased in 1994.

Woodworking wonder Lodermeiers find joy in carving, pyrography By LIZ VOS Staff Writer

PHOTO BY LIZ VOS

Brenda and Mike Lodermeier stand in their Rockville living room where they are surrounding by a plethora of woodcarvings and pyrography they have created over the past 20 years.

ROCKVILLE – Sitting in their living room, overlooking the peaceful Sauk River in rural Rockville, Mike and Brenda Lodermeier can easily look through the large windows to see the art Mother Nature has created. But inside, they are surrounded by the art they have created. Woodworking has been a deeply cherished part of the couple’s life for over 20 years

since a chance meeting with a wood decoy carver peaked Mike’s interest. “I just so happened to meet someone who carved decoys and he started showing me how to do it,” explained Mike, who has since become an award-winning wood carver, using a power carving method. Brenda, who has also done woodcarving and relief carving, has found a niche in pyrography, which is the art of decorating wood or other materials with burn marks. She began the art form nearly eight years ago after taking an introductory class on it. “I enjoyed it from the LODERMEIERS continued on page 6

Page 2 • Country Acres - Friday, April 21, 2017

This month in the

COUNTRY

NEWS STAFF

Diane Leukam, Editor diane@saukherald.com Mark Klaphake, Assistant Editor mark.k@dairystar.com Herman Lensing, Writer herman@melrosebeacon.com Liz Vos, Writer liz@albanyenterprise.com Laura Hintzen, Writer laura.h@saukherald.com Elizabeth Bethke, Writer elizabeth@saukherald.com Michael Strasburg, Writer michael.s@star-pub.com

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10 Casama Brissp 14 The Rural City Guy 16 Lend me your ear 18 Next Generation

Story ideas send to: diane@saukherald.com SALES STAFF

Jeff Weyer, 320-260-8505 jeff.w@dairystar.com Kayla Hunstiger, 320-247-2728 kayla@saukherald.com Missy Traeger, 320-291-9899 misy@saukherald.com Tim Vos, 320-845-2700 tim@albanyenterprise.com Mike Schafer, 320-894-7825 mike.s@dairystar.com Lynnette Ostendorf, 320-352-6577 lynnette@saukherlad.com AJ Hasslen, 320-352-6577 allison@saukherald.com Brian Trattles, 320-352-6577 brian.t@saukherald.com

20 Q&A: Country Coops 22 Country Cooking

PRODUCTION STAFF Pat Turner Tara Pitschka Amanda Thooft Nancy Powell Brian Dingmann Hannah Kroll Layout Jennifer Coyne, Proofreader Andrea Borgerding, Proofreader

Deadlines: Country Acres will be published the first Fridays of April, May, June, September, October and November, and the third Friday of every month and inserted to rural customers with the STAR Shopper. Deadline for news and advertising is the Thursday before publication. Extra Copies available at the Albany Enterprise, Melrose Beacon and Sauk Centre Herald offices.

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Time to play in the dirt By now, many of you have at least begun to till taking care of the soil is a priority. What benefits the soil your fields for spring planting. There is always a cer- benefits the farmer. tain excitement and anticipation when the days get It hasn’t always been so. Last Friday, April 14, warmer, the equipment is ready to go and the marked the anniversary of Black Sunday, fields are ready to be worked. when in 1935, a massive dust storm hit the Those vegetable gardens might be tilled, Great Plains. Giant clouds of black dirt filled and even a few potatoes in the ground. the air over 27 states, and similar to a severe There’s just something about playing in blizzard, people and livestock were strandthe dirt. Obviously if farming is your livelied and some left for dead. There had been a hood you might not consider it playing, but severe drought, and to that point, not much it’s still a good thing. thought of conserving the soil. Farming techA photo online caught my eye one day. niques only made the situation worse. It was Someone was holding up a couple of hand- by Diane Leukam a national disaster, with literally hundreds of fuls of dirt and the caption read, “Antidepresmillions of tons of topsoil lost. sant Microbes in Soil: How Dirt Makes You A black cloud even settled over WashingHappy.” The story was about Mycobacterium vaccae, ton, D.C., and that year, the Soil Conservation Act was which is found in the soil, and the positive health ef- passed by Congress. The Soil Conservation Service fects it has. There are volumes written on the subject if that resulted helped turn the tide of disastrous farming you care to delve into it. techniques and the natural resource of the land became Other articles talk about the physical and mental something to be preserved. health benefits of gardening, with everything from the Admittedly, government agencies like the Environexercise and sunshine, to the beneficial organisms that mental Protection Agency, the Soil Conservation Serlive in the soil. And that’s before you eat anything. vice and the Department of Natural Resources can be a I believe that. I’ve always felt a sort of therapeutic pain in the rear at times. The red tape can be ridiculous effect when digging in the dirt, whether that was pick- and burdensome. They can overstep their boundaries at ing rocks in the spring or flower gardening. A little dirt under the fingernails is good for the soul. We have a common love for that dirt. Farmers, whether conventional or organic, love their land and

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times, but imagine the alternative. Years ago, people loved the land as much as we do today, but things we know now they didn’t know then. Products we have now weren’t available then. There weren’t soil tests that determined precisely what nutrients each field might need. Now, manure and other fertilizers are more likely to be handled with precision. Chemicals are used by the ounce per acre instead of the quart or gallon. Tillage practices have changed. Nature can tell us how far we’ve come in the process. For decades, it was pretty much a dream to think of ever seeing a bald eagle. The few that remained weren’t anywhere near here. Now they are a fairly common sight, to the point where they are considered a nuisance to many with small animals. To me, they symbolize the return of a healthier planet. There’s still room for improvement in soil conservation, but we’ve come a long way. Tomorrow 192 countries around the world will celebrate Earth Day. People are concerned about the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees…I almost broke into song there. There’s good reason to sing. Winter is over and it’s time to play in the dirt!

Page 4 • Country Acres - Friday, April 21, 2017 WORMS continued from front Even the castings have value for Debbie as a soil amendment. Lifting a handful, it appears to be a rich, dark soil. “This is perfect for the garden,” she said. Shipping worms Having grown up in Millerville and spending her youth helping her dad raise pigs and doing chores, Debbie is no stranger to hard work. That comes in handy, since during her busiest times of the year, she ships up to 200 boxes of live bait a week. The packaging depends upon the time of year and items being shipped. Various R-value Styrofoams boxes are used, and frozen bottles of water when necessary. She ships on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. “They (the worms) don’t stay here long,” said Debbie. “They come in and they are shipped right back out.” So where do all those worms come from? European nightcrawlers are imported from the Netherlands. Canadian nightcrawlers arrive from Canada in flats of 500, and the other types from sources in the United States. Since they don’t stay long, what is coming in depends on what is going out. Various types of bait are popular at different times of the year. When ice fishing begins, up to a million waxworms are shipped a week, though they are popular all year round. Spikes, too, are year-round. The Canadian nightcrawlers are more popular during the summer. Leeches are sold too, though the permitting for them is much more complicated than other types of bait. The leech facility is inspected by the state of North Dakota and those results are shared with the state of Montana and any other states requesting them. Interesting destinations Though the majority of her customers involve the sport of fishing, Debbie Jost has had many unique customers over the years. A shortlist includes providing for many films in Hollywood, for the “Valley

PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM

(Above) A walk-in cooler houses Canadian nightcrawlers. (Right) Rob Jost demonstrates a screen system that separates worms from dirt before they are shipped.

Scare” ride at Valley Fair, and the Como Zoo. A bat sanctuary buys waxworms, reptile owners and bird feeders buy others to feed their animals & birds. “One of my customers in Florida built a giant stingray aquarium in his home,” Debbie said. Last fall, bait was even purchased as a birthday gift for one of the presidential candidates. For privacy reasons she cannot say which one it was, but she can say it was not President Trump. A major sporting goods store in Nebraska also uses their bait, and it is from there that Debbie sponsors an ice-fishing team that travels to tournaments throughout the Midwest. “People in Nebraska are crazy about fishing,” said Rob. “There can be 2 inches of ice and they’ll be out there. Then they’ll have 70 degrees and the ice is melted.” At the end of the day, the Josts relax on the patio they built together, and together is a good thing for them. Debbie met Rob, a native of Alberta, Minn., when they were both starting out in college at

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Brainerd Community College. Rob was studying in the natural resources program, and finished up at Alexandria in the aquaculture program. “We had the opportunity to buy Minnesota Muskies in 1994, the year after we got married,” Rob said. The company raises pure strain muskies, tiger muskie, walleye, northern pike, black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, perch, fathead minnows and white sucker and sells them to stock lakes. They raise between 5,000 to 10,000 purebred muskies a year, along with 3,000 to 5,000 Tiger muskies. “The Tiger Muskie is a cross between the pure muskie and northern pike,” Rob said. “They can’t reproduce.” Fish are grown to precise lengths and sold to the Department of Natural Resources, lake associations, fishing clubs and wholesalers. Their busiest times of the

years are the spring and fall. They’ve built their businesses, and together they help make things work during their busy seasons. Debbie helps Rob mainly after Labor Day, and he helps her mostly on Mondays. Together they have raised their family of four children, Amy, 19, April, 18, Alex, 16 and Aaron, 14. And in the backyard is a lake. A lake that, 22 years ago, was a must for the young couple looking for a new home. “We needed a place with acres, and water for the fish,” Rob said. Though they no longer use the lake for their fishery, it still gives them much pleasure. Much like what they hope their work brings to others. One could say both businesses have the same end result. “We don’t sell food; we sell fun,” Rob said.

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Page 6 • Country Acres - Friday, April 21, 2017 LODERMEIERS continued from front start and got hooked. I want to be one of the best in the world,” she said. “I keep working at it all the time – it is really enjoyable.” From just about every angle in the Lodermeier’s living room, the creativity and talent of the two catches eyes. Mike’s award-winning duck decoys (his favorite is the canvasback) line cabinets. Character carvings of funny cowboys add a splash of humor to the room and majestic busts of Native American chiefs and warriors look out from the mantle of the fireplace. While he typically uses tupelo for his ducks, Mike also uses butternut for some of his work and also has used moose and elk horns, but points out that power-carving horns is toxic, thus, proper protection is needed to avoid inhalation. Her material of choice is basswood, but Brenda, who has also earned multiple awards, also creates incredibly detailed designs on varying woods and dried gourds. “The thicker the shell, the more you can do with it,” she explained of the gourds. “Minnesota gourds are thinner because of the short growing season, but I have gotten them from places like California where they have longer seasons and can get much thicker. That allows me to create more depth into the shell.” As with horns, power-carving gourds is toxic and inhalation needs to be avoided. In their efforts to grow and improve on their skills, the couple turns to the Central Minnesota Woodcarvers Association, which is one of four chapters of the Minnesota Wood Carvers Association.

The group meets the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Whitney Senior Center in St. Cloud and as the Lodermeiers point out, has made an important impact on their lives and their woodworking. “It is such a supportive group of people,” Mike said. “We have carvers who have 30-40 years of experience and we have people who are really quite new to it. There are all sorts of levels and there is always something to learn from every one of them.” The group not only shares insight and education to members, but it also contributes to well-deserving individuals. Each year, dozens of comfort crosses are created and donated by members of the group to hospice patients around the area. Additionally, they create honor canes, which have the head of a bald eagle as the handle, to members of the U.S. Military who are recipients of the Purple Heart. “It’s those types of contributions that make this group of people even more special to us,” Mike explained. Mike and Brenda have gained great friendships with their fellow association members and they have also been able to be connected with

PHOTOS BY LIZ VOS

(Top) Mike Lodermeier’s canvasback duck decoy is an award-winning favorite. (Right) Character carvings accentuate features of the subject and make for fun projects for Mike Lodermeier.

carvers from all over the state and the country. They participate in about five competitions with their work each year and also attend multiple seminars across the country. Brenda also shares her skills with others by teaching at seminars throughout the year. “We have made great friends

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Friday, April 21, 2017 - Country Acres • Page 7 PHOTOS BY LIZ VOS

(Below) With the addition of color, this relief piece by Brenda Lodermeier pops off the wood canvas. (Bottom Left) Samples of Brenda’s award-winning pyrography work showcase her attention to detail and talent. (Bottom right) Mike Lodermeier hand carves a figure in his workshop, being careful to use a protective glove.

with people from other states because of this – there are just so many talented and interesting people who are into wood carving,” Brenda explained. “People from all walks of life do woodworking and it has been a lot of fun to get to know them.” Being connected with other carvers also gives Mike and Brenda the opportunity to have their work critiqued, something they say is important to improving artistically. “We both see importance in criticism,” Brenda explained. “It may not always be easy to hear, but it guides us toward becoming better and that’s what we want.”

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For 30 years, the Lodermeiers have lived on their 40-acres along the river, slowly remodeling and adding onto the original farmhouse. They have also expanded living spaces away from the house, with each having their own shop to enjoy their woodworking. “I could just do this for hours,” said Brenda, smiling as she used a flattened tip on a wood burner to create intricate patterns on a plate made of basswood. Just a short walk away from Brenda’s workshop is Mike’s shed where an array of tools and paints await his talents.

“It’s a nice way to spend our time,” he said as he chipped away on a piece of tupelo wood. “The only limit is your own imagination!” For anyone who has interest in woodcarving or pyrography, the Lodermeiers encourage involvement with groups like the Central Minnesota Woodcarvers Association. They also suggest taking classes. “I don’t know of anyone who carves that has not taken classes to become as good as they are,” Mike said. “There is natural ability, but learning from others and practicing is vital.”

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Friday, April 21, 2017 - Country Acres • Page 9

PHOTO BY MICHAEL STRASBURG

Dischinger has only owned one bull, Matthew, since he began raising yaks in 2012. The prime breeding age for a yak bull is between ages 6 and 9.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL STRASBURG

Dischinger raised and bottle-fed this calf, Gertrud, after its mother rejected her.

that’s when we switched to yaks.” A primary motivator in Dischinger’s switch to yaks was feed prices. Unlike the beef cattle, Dischinger’s yaks are grass-fed, with hay, water and some protein pellets thrown into the mix. “We were buying lots and lots of feed for our beef cows, corn was going to $7 a bushel. It was becoming an expensive hobby,” he said.

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iron and the protein is almost double beef. They have a distinct sweet flavor to the meat. You cook a burger or a steak to a nice medium-rare and you won’t even need barbecue sauce or ketchup.” Not long after that, the Dischingers were raising royal yaks, recognizable by their black and white coats. “They’re the least common in North America, for their color pattern,” Dischinger said. The yaks, even the first generation born, are relatively friendly and tame. “Most of them, once they’re friendly, are friendly for life — but they all have distinct personalities, which is really neat,” Dischinger said. For instance, one of the cows, Penny, is a tad irritable, but not outwardly hostile. Her personality is in sharp contrast to Shelby, who allows the Dischingers’ children to ride on her back. Dischinger currently has three cows, three heifers, two steers and one bull on his farm. Being natives of the Himalayan Mountains in Tibet, the yaks love the winter weather in Minnesota. The summer? Not so much. “A hot day for a yak is about 40 degrees,” Dischinger said. “So we get 90 here in the summer and they lay in the pasture like they’re dead, on their side, and they pant like a dog. They drink lots of water and we haven’t lost one to heat yet. They’re pretty tough animals.” The climate has resulted in yaks not being a particularly popular farm animal in America. There are about 200 yak farms in North America, with most of the farms being in the mountainous regions of Colorado,

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YAKS continued on page 10

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Wyoming and Montana. Discharger’s farm is one of six Minnesota yak farms. Being a higher-altitude animal, the yaks have larger lungs than other cattle their size. “They use yaks to pack gear up to Mount Everest,” Dischinger said. “They haul gear to the base camps. They’re really sturdy on their feet. While Dischinger’s first generation of yaks were tame enough, the second generation — born and raised on his farm — are particularly docile. Discharger is currently raising the first wave of third-generation calves and the trend appears to continue. One yearling, Gertrud, is a very friendly calf because Dischinger raised her and bottle-fed the calf after its mother rejected it. The Dischingers even let Gertrud out of the fence so she can run around. As a result, Gertrud — due to her docility, pep and small stature — has come to be akin to the family’s “farm dog.” Dischinger typically arranges for his calves to be born between April and July. He harvests the yaks between 3-4 years, a longer wait than beef cattle. Dischinger’s two main cows are both five years old and have plenty of calf-bearing years ahead of them. Cows can have calves until up to 25 years old, Dischinger said. “As long as they’re healthy we’ll keep them around,” he added. Dischinger’s bull, Matthew, will still be able to produce for another two years. Dischinger said prime breeding age for yak bull is between ages 6-9 In addition to yak meat,

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Page 10 • Country Acres - Friday, April 21, 2017

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YAKS continued from page 9

PHOTO BY MICHAEL STRASBURG

Craig Dischinger is assisted on the farm by his 4-year-old son, Jack.

Dischinger sells the animal’s fur. consumption rates.” “We comb their hair in the spring Not only is the farm work and here,” he said. “They have two differ- maintenance less involved, it’s also ent layers of hair. They have a coarse, more affordable. guard hair — that’s the long layer all “The vet is out here far less — over their body. Then they’ve got a and I thought I had pretty healthy really fine winter hair.” beef cattle too,” Dischinger said. The winter coat is finer than al- “There is a lot of savings on the vet paca fur, Dischinger said, and it is costs; I also don’t have to be around ideal for being spun into yarn. Each as much during calving. With beef spring, Dischinger combs the yaks cows you have to watch them to once a week for about two months to make sure they’re not having any collect the fiber. trouble. The calving is just so much “We comb them for as long as quicker. I timed it one time. I saw the they’ll tolerate it,” he said. “Some of cow going into labor, I timed it and it them you can stand there and comb took ten minutes. A beef cow could them for an hour, for some of them take hours.” five minutes is good and they want to Overall, Dischinger finds the go. We don’t want to stress them out transition from raising beef cattle to so once we notice they’re getting irri- raising yaks pretty achievable — of tated we let them out.” course, he has had help with various Dischinger also sells yak hides, farm chores from his sons Jack, 4, which can be turned into rugs, wall and Peter, 1. hangings, blankets or even pro“The boys help me clean the cessed into leather. barn, collect eggs He said Wilson Sport— whatever I’m doing Goods has begun ing they want to do,” “I love to yak producing yak hide Dischinger said. softball and baseball In fact, Jack is about yaks. If gloves. quite involved. On anybody has “The leather is their Facebook page, tougher and thinHot Disch Farm questions they ner than cattle, but LLC, the Dischargers it’s more pliable,” chronicle the story of can call me. Dischinger said. “I got boys growing up We’ve toured lots their to feel a yak baseball with yaks on the farm. glove, brand new, and is always helping of families that Jack it felt like it had alout, and from time to ready been through a were interested in time he has performed season of use — nice in commercials for the raising yaks.” and flexible.” farm. The meat, how“He likes to come - Craig Dischinger ever, is the primary to the farmers marproduct. Hot Disch ket and pull stuff Farms provides yak meat for a num- out of the freezer for customers,” ber of local resturaunts, and they are Dischinger said. currnelt working on distributing the Thanks in part to Dischinger’s meat to nearby grocers. Last year, presence, there has been a growing Hot Disch farms began showing up interest in yak farming in the area. at the Willmar farmers market, and That said, Dischinger always makes they intend to return this summer. and effort to keep himself available The Dischinger’s also sell yak meat for those interested in raising some and yarn online. yaks of their own. Over the years, Dischinger has “I love to yak about yaks,” he found the sale and distribution pro- said. “If anybody has questions they cess for yaks to be more involved and can call me. We’ve toured lots of demanding than with cattle; but he families that were interested in raisalso says the farm work itself, how- ing yaks. We’ll tour people and tell ever, has been much less involved. them about our story, though every“There is a lot less maintenance body’s story is a little different.” with the yaks,” Dischinger said. “For For more information, search for feeding, with these guys I can put a Hot Disch Farms LLC on Facebook, round bale of hay once a week and or visit the farm’s website at www. make sure their water is full, whereas hotdischfarm.com. with beef cows I was out there twice a day. I had them both out at the same time so I was able to see their hay

Friday, April 21, 2017 - Country Acres • Page 11

Casama Brissp: a foundation of plants By HERMAN LENSING Staff Writer

PHOTOS BY HERMAN LENSING

(Left) Betty and Jim Schmidt started the Casama Brissp Foundation by giving $25 to each of their grandchildren and challenging them to double the money each year. (Below) Matthew Lieser checks on the progress of plants in the hot house. The plants are used in a sale to help the Casama Brissp Foundation.

ST. MARTIN – Seven years ago, Jim and Betty Schmidt gave each of their six grandchildren a $25 gift. “They each received an envelope with $25,” said Betty. “The money was theirs to start a foundation. It was their seed money, and they were expected to double it each year.” The grandchildren lent not only their money, but also their names to the foundation. It’s called the Casama Brissp Foundation. The name is derived from the first two letters of the first name of each grandchild: Carly Feldewerd, Samantha Lieser, Matthew Lieser, Brent Feldewerd, Isaac Lieser and Spencer Lieser.

Calling the gift “seed” money was fitting, because the grandchildren quickly found seeds were a great way to grow their investment. Each of the last seven years they have sponsored a plant sale (this year May 13) at the Schmidts’ home to raise funds for the foundation. “I don’t think I really knew what was going on at the first Christmas,” said Matthew, 16, the oldest of the grandchildren. “I think it has gotten bigger than was ever planned.” Through 2016, the foundation has raised over $11,364.52. The plant and bake sale has been no small part of that. It has grown each year, bringing in over $1,200, last year.

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Page 12 • Country Acres - Friday, April 21, 2017 CASAMA BRISSP continued from page 8 “The money is donated to help others,” said Betty. “Some has gone to Catholic Charities to sponsor families at Christmas, but some has gone to help local families.” The Schmidts conceived of the idea following the 2009 Christmas performance by John Tesh in St. Cloud. Tesh told the audience how he and his staff volunteer in every city they perform in. He then challenged audience members to make a difference. The Schmidts had always been believers in helping others and passed that lesson on to their daughters, Megan Lieser and Heidi Feldewerd. The foundation, they felt, was a great way to way teach that lesson to their grandchildren. One thing they were very clear about: while adults (parents and grandparents) could help out, the projects and work to increase the seed money was to be done by the grandchildren. That clearly is the case when it comes to the plant and bake sale. At the Schmidt house there are three planting days, one late in February and two in April. In a work shed on the Schmidt farm, the grandchildren fill the pots and plant the seeds that will develop into tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and other plants and flowers to be sold at the plant and bake sale. The planting and growing is spread out over about six weeks.

“If we don’t do that we have a huge mess,” said Heidi. They are labeled and carried into a greenhouse. There are also two hothouses for the plants that have started growing. “Every plant is tagged and marked,” said Betty. “We use old Venetian blinds for the stakes.” The plants are constantly monitored while growing. While it has become a multi-generation family project to plant and sell the vegetables and flowers, it is not the only activity used to bring in funds. Funds have also been raised through craft sales (Betty is a crafter in her own right) and getting pledges for running, fishing and swimming. A love of baseball shared by Isaac, Spencer and Matthew also played a role in increasing the foundation’s funds. “That was grandma’s idea,” said Matthew. “Isaac and Spencer got more into it than I did.” The formula calls for various hits, or runs, and their grandparents donate a certain amount to the fund, but strikeouts and errors result in a deduction from the fund. The project, attention to the fund (a report is created and signed by the grandchildren each year) and work on the fund does take time. The lesson,

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however, seems to have taken hold and grown into another generation – and has spread a bit beyond the family. “Allison Hukriede, Matt’s girlfriend, is helping this year,” said Betty. The Schmidts wrote a sunset clause into the document on the foundation, but it is possible it will not be invoked. Some of their grandchildren see the

Casama Brissp Foundation as worth keeping and growing. “I like doing it,” said Samantha. “It is really good to help people who need help. Some of my friends come to the plant sale and they think it is cool and give donations. It’s nice to do because we are helping others.”

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Page 14 • Country Acres - Friday, April 21, 2017

The “Rural City Guy” Heimkes shows support for agriculture, nature By ELIZABETH BETHKE Staff Writer

PHOTO BY ELIZABETH BETHKE

Richard Heimkes sits in front of certificates he has been awarded over the years for his involvement in environmental and agricultural organizations.

GLENWOOD – Richard Heimkes of Glenwood has been named the “Rural City Guy,” because of his love for agriculture and nature, despite not living on a farm. For over 20 years, Heimkes has been involved in numerous organizations and has served as a voice for the local agricultural industry. “Ambition and common sense is how I earned my involvement in the organizations,” Heimkes said. “I practically sat on every round table in the county.” The city guy’s rural roots Heimkes, his wife, Delores, and children grew up in Eagan. At the time, the community was built around livestock and hay fields. “We could hunt out of our back door un-

til the city became what it is today,” Heimkes said. “With the change in scenery, we moved to Glenwood.” For 46 years, the Heimkes family has lived on Lake Gilchrist. The Heimkes are stewards of the land, being environmentally aware of their actions and the consequences they have on nature. This respect for nature earned Heimkes the nickname “rural city guy.” Taking action Heimkes’ love and appreciation for nature ignited a drive in him to become involved in different organizations to spread the word about paying attention to the Earth. For many years, Heimkes worked at a hazardous waste facility, testing and balancing the pH levels for the surrounding bodies of water. “I was in charge of making sure the water didn’t drop below a certain pH level, otherwise the flood gates would barricade down,” Heimkes said. With an ever-changing lakeshore environment, Heimkes took action within local organizations. “I became the co-director of the lake association and as years went by, we made some changes – changing the meeting times and accommodating everyone’s busy schedules to talk about issues surrounding the lake and land nearby,” said Heimkes, who served as president of the organization. Going hand in hand with the lake associ-

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Friday, April 21, 2017 - Country Acres • Page 15 ation, Heimkes also volunteers for the culture were obvious, and the rules were revised to allowed him and other Citizen Lake Monitoring program. “I have been taking lake observa- members without agricultural land to tions and water data; temperature and vote on certain matters. “I don’t know how much prouder clarity from ice off to ice on for 27 years,” he said. “I test the water week- I could be,” Heimkes said. “My pasly and have noticed a steady decrease sion is in the farm. Farms live off the in the level of water and quality over- Earth and create agriculture that helps Mother Nature thrive.” all.” The 2-mile-long lake that Heim- Advocating for future generations Heimkes’ fokes and his wife cus in all the orlive on is not ganizations is to suitable for rechelp the younger reational use begeneration because of the overcome aware of growth of blue how important and green algae. farming is and the “Mother Nadelicate balance ture is sending a between Mother message,” HeimNature and farmkes said. “She is ing. getting tired; I can “It is getting tell by the years of harder for the testing.” small farms to Nature and continue,” Heimagriculture thrive - Richard Heimkes kes said. “Either from water – the younger generatwo linking factors that made Heimkes want to join tions do not want to continue on with the family farm, or, if they do, large the Minnesota Farm Bureau. “I have been a member of Min- companies are buying land at higher nesota Farm Bureau for about nine prices than what small farmers can years,” he said. “I am also a board compete with.” The concerned environmentalist member and serve on the executive lets fear push him to persuade othboard.” When Heimkes joined the organi- ers like him, and younger, to become zation, he was unable to voice a vot- more aware of what is going on in ing opinion because he did not own their own backyard. “Once I am gone, who is going to farm property. However, to the board, Heimkes’ love and passion for agri- continue?” Heimkes said. “Between

“Between the farms and nature, the Earth is getting tired and we are not using our resources wisely. My motto is to use common sense to look at situations in a positive way.”

PHOTO BY ELIZABETH BETHKE

The “Rural City Guy,” Richard Heimkes, lives on Lake Gilchrist. Heimkes has tested the water of the lake for 27 years.

the farms and nature, the Earth is getting tired and we are not using our resources wisely. My motto is to use common sense to look at situations in a positive way.” Although retired from some environmental organizations, Heimkes remains persistent in protecting the land and water for the purpose of food production. “The overall population of the world does not understand the balance between mankind and Mother Nature,” Heimkes said. “Agricultural teaches youth about where food comes from – from the farm to the ta-

ble. Consumers need to walk through woods and farms to get the full experience.” Heimkes believes that if everyone can be as environmentally aware, Mother Nature will slowly start to repair herself. “The worst thing that can happen is for the younger generation to accept what is happening with the environment and not ask why is it happening. Everything has a cause and an effect – it’s never too late to make a change,” Heimkes said. “Nature is for the animals – Mother Nature’s wealth.”

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Page 16 • Country Acres - Friday, April 21, 2017

Lend me your ear The three most common ear prob- is easy to forget and miss some doses. lems we see at veterinary clinics can be There are much better alternatives for eradicating ear mites now that interrelated. They are the foloften mean only one to two lowing: ear mites, bacterial or treatments. Your veterinarian yeast ear infections, and aural can explain all the options. hematomas. They all have So if dogs usually don’t have similar symptoms. These are ear mites, what is that stinky, head shaking, scratching at dark discharge in their ears? the ears, pain, discharge from Well, it is usually a bacterial the ear, bad smell and possior yeast (a fungus) external ear bly a head tilt. To understand canal infection (otitis exterwhat is at the root of the probby: Wendy na). There is normally a small lem, each condition requires a Womach amount of bacteria and yeast minimum diagnostic combinain the ear, but with increased tion of an exam of the ear canal with a magnifying otoscope and usually moisture and decreased ventilation these microscopic evaluation of any abnormal can overgrow causing inflammation, discharge and discomfort. Many factors can material in the ear canal. Ear mites are microscopic tick-like create the perfect conditions for an ear bugs that live in the ear canal. They tend infection. These can include things about to create an ear discharge that is black, the anatomy of the ear – pendulous ears, crumbly and dry like coffee grounds. narrowed ear canals, increased amount They are most common in cats. Many of hair in the canal, and increased numpeople see discharge in their dog’s ears bers of oil glands in the ear. All of these and think they have ear mites, but unless things decrease ventilation of the ear that dog lives with or spends a lot of con- canal and increase moisture retention. tact time with a cat that goes outdoors, Frequent swimming and bathing that inthis is uncommon. Many people waste troduce water into the ear canal and high time and money treating dogs with over humidity weather can contribute to ear the counter ear mite medication, so al- infections developing. Even excessive ways check with the vet first before start- cleaning can traumatize the ear canal ing any ear treatments. People do not get setting up conditions that foster an ear ear mites, but they are very contagious infection. In addition to these predisposbetween cats and dogs. This means that ing factors, there are many direct causes when your pet is diagnosed with ear of ear infections like foreign objects in mites, you need to treat all the pets in the the canal (often pieces of plants), unhousehold so they do not keep passing derlying allergies, underlying hormonal them back and forth. Ear mite adults live imbalances like hypothyroidism, disorabout 2 months and the entire life cycle ders of skin shedding like seborrhea in from egg to adult takes about 3 weeks. Cocker Spaniels, tumors, and yes – ear This means that most over the counter mites sometimes. By far, allergies are the treatments need to be used for at least 3-4 most common cause of recurrent ear inweeks. Many pets get very crabby about fections. Eighty percent of dogs with altreatment over this period of time and it lergies (food or inhalant) have recurrent

draining the blood from the ear and allowing the skin and cartilage time to heal back together. Unfortunately, just pulling the blood out with a needle and syringe rarely works. It tends to start filling back up so quickly that the skin and cartilage do not have time to seal back together. One of a couple of surgical techniques is usually needed. One technique is to open a hole for drainage in the ear flap and evacuate all the blood and clots and then insert a bovine teat cannula that is then left in place for a couple weeks or more to keep the ear flap drained while healing occurs. This can be messy and irritating for the dog, but some tolerate it well. This works better for dogs that have ears that hang down allowing for continuous drainage. Another technique is to open a hole to drain the blood and clots and then suture the skin and cartilage together, holding them in close contact while they heal. This works well for all ear types and is well tolerated.

ear infections and for some allergy dogs, this is the only allergy symptom they have. Treating external ear canal infections is sometimes simple and sometimes very challenging depending on the cause and our ability to manage any chronic underlying conditions. Some chronic, recurring external ear infections can cause so much damage over time that only aggressive surgery will provide relief. The third common condition we see is usually the result of an ear infection, ear mites, or something else that caused the pet to shake their head repeatedly due to ear irritation. This condition is called an aural hematoma. When a cat or dog shakes their head hard enough and often enough, they can break a blood vessel in the ear flap which then fills the space between the skin and the cartilage with blood. This will make the ear feel and look like a water balloon. Treating this condition involves fixing the underlying problem that caused the head shaking and

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Melvin and Elizabeth Beiler (left) and Jethro and Rosie Beiler are the two generations that operate Nature’s Acres organic farm in Grove City.

Beilers committed to next generation Carrying on organic farm tradition By MICHAEL STRASBURG Staff Writer

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GROVE CITY—As time goes on, the simple family dairy is becoming more of a rarity. Some families, however, like the Beilers, manage to make things work. The Beilers’ secret to success? Organics. “If I wouldn’t have gone organic back in 2002, I probably couldn’t have made it financially,” said Melvin Beiler. Melvin began working on his father-in-law’s farm in 1978. While the organic farming industry didn’t really exist back then, Beiler’s father-in-law started the farm in 1958 with a similar philosophy. “My father-in-law was thinking about farming differently from the

conventional way,” Melvin said. “He was turning away from using chemicals.” When Melvin took over the farm he saw the benefit in continuing that style of farming. “At the turn of the century we realized there was a real market for organic products,” he said. “So we became completely certified.” Nature’s Acres farm became certified organic in 2002. The certification requires that all land is free of prohibited products for at least 36 months, and livestock must be fed organic feed for one year before the milk can be labeled organic. “It basically means you can’t use any type of chemicals for weed control or pesticides — or even synthetic fertilizers with added nitrogen,” said Jethro Beiler, Melvin’s son. Jethro grew up on the farm and started taking care of the calves at age 12. Jethro has been a partner on the farm for 17 years. In addition to providing organic feed, the Beilers’ livestock must be free of antibiotics, additional hormones and GMO grains. As a result, they use approved vitamins and nutritional supplements. While the end result of organic farming is a more valuable commodity, it takes a lot of work to get there. “It’s a lot more work,” Melvin said.

Nature’s Acres supports two families on 160 acres and 65 cows. The farm has been certified organic since 2002.

Friday, April 21, 2017 - Country Acres â&#x20AC;˘ Page 19 â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have to go out and deal with weeds constantly. The whole growing season we have to keep getting rid of those weeds.â&#x20AC;? Aside from the selling point, the Beilers have found additional benefits in their choice of organic farming â&#x20AC;&#x201D; especially when it comes to livestock maintenance. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Herd health has been really good since we switched to organic,â&#x20AC;? Melvin said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a lot fewer veterinary bills, almost non-existent.â&#x20AC;? But in the end, the primary benefit is clear. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The major benefit is being able to sell your product for a higher price,â&#x20AC;? Melvin said. The Beilers sell their milk through Organic Valley and their milk can be found at local groceries through the Organic Valley label. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They do really good in helping small farms be successful,â&#x20AC;? Jethro said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They really focus toward that. Here, we support two families on 160 acres and 65 cows. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take thousands of cows or thousands of acres to make it work.â&#x20AC;? Amidst the recent trend of consolidation, the Beilers believe theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re experience is an example that small family farms can still survive for decades. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The challenge is how do you transition small family farms to the next generation,â&#x20AC;? Melvin said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Organic farming makes it a lot more possible to do because of the value of the commodity you produce. It brings in enough revenue to do that.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Otherwise youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be forced to go buy 500-600 cows or merge with someone else,â&#x20AC;? Jethro added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Getting your foot in the door is a lot harder with that, compared to a smaller operation that you could start to take over. People can do it in a larger operation like that, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just easier to start smaller.â&#x20AC;? Having inherited the farm from a previous generation, Melvin plans to continue that trend â&#x20AC;&#x201D; as the farm continues to be productive. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to make it so Jethro can continue operating the farm; Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m committed to making that happen,â&#x20AC;? he said. And Jethro, who is currently raising three children on the farm, is cut out for the farm life. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great to be able to work at home, work the land and work with the livestock and â&#x20AC;&#x201D; most of all â&#x20AC;&#x201D; work with your family,â&#x20AC;? Jethro said.

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Why did you decide to raise chickens and how long have you been raising them? Chickens are an inexpensive pet that doesn’t take that much time to bed, feed and water, and then to open and close them during the day and, of course, for the fresh eggs. We have been raising them about 10 years trying different types of chickens from regular Banties to Barnyard to our Silkie Bantams. Tell us about your chicken coop: I mentioned it to the boys about making another chicken coop, so my oldest, Zachary, found a picture on the internet and we thought it was perfect for our fancy little silkies. We got some materials and wood after designing our hut. Austin and I started to build, changing the design to make it work with the windows, doors and nesting boxes. We put skis underneath so it could easily be moved around the yard to give the chickens new territory. We also insulated it for winter.

Lisa Moening and Austin Moening Sauk Centre Todd County Breed: Silky Bantam Chickens Number: Five hens and three roosters

What are the benefits of raising chickens? Fresh eggs, some fertilizer for around trees or gardens, pest control like bugs, ants and wood ticks. Chickens also love table scraps like noodles, bread and chips, and they love fruits like watermelon, grapes and strawberries. How are the responsibilities of raising chickens divided up in your family?

Why did you decide to raise chickens and how long have you been raising them? My mother-in-law Doris had chickens forever. She was known as the chick lady in Farwell. My husband Kevin and I have been raising them for 20 years. Tell us about your chicken coop: It was on this property, but got moved to where it sits right now. We’ve been here for 40 years, but the coop has been standing for 60 years. What are the benefits in raising chickens? I find pleasure in doing it. It’s a great pastime. I have Multiple Sclerosis, so it’s a reason to get me out and keep going. That way I get my walking in, it cheers me up and it’s also a tribute to my mother-in-law. How are the responsibilities of raising chickens divided up in your family? My husband cleans out the coop, feeds the chickens and I treat them with mealworms, bread and regular wild bird food.

Tell us about your chickens’ personalities and their antics? We started out with 6 chickens. Five of them got away – they were up in the trees and didn’t know they flew there. There was an eagle down the road and she spotted them. By that time they were down in the field and there was no way of catching them. The only one that remained was our one guinea hen. She is a good watch dog, alerts you to cars pulling in, wild animals and is great for snakes. As for our chickens, Whitey has the sweetest personality. She lets you hold her, pet her and enjoys being rocked to sleep. Doris is speckled and has a personality like my mother-in-law. She’s quite sassy and doesn’t take crap from anyone. Margie is reddish in color and named after my mother. She is more of a loner, likes treats and loves flowers just like my mother-in-law did. What is it about raising chickens that makes you happy? I think it’s because they don’t judge. They don’t care that I can’t bend down and pick them up right away. It’s calming.

Between the boys and I, we only let the chickens out when someone is home. Our chickens have been taken by multiple predators, like Bald Eagles, hawks, fox, raccoons, owls, skunks, bobcats and weasels. As far as cleaning, watering and feeding, I always double check at the end of the day before we close them up for the night. Tell us about your chickens’ personalities and their antics. We have a proud, good, white rooster that we call Roody. He protects his flock of hens. He’s so protective he attacks my youngest son, Austin, when he teases him. He’ll fly at his feet or chase him around the yard. The hens are pretty docile and friendly. Another unusual thing with Silkies is they do not roost like most chickens. They cuddle together in a nesting box or just on the floor. What is it about raising chickens thatt makes you happy? Fresh eggs and too watch these balls of fuzz. We also have a g broody hen that we call snowball sitting n on eggs, about 14, that should hatch in about 14 days. Watching baby chickss with the mother is awesome too. Lastt time she successfully hatched six chickss o – five roosters and one hen. You can also fill the food and water and leave for a few days and not worry.

Kim Norlien Farwell Todd County Number: Three chickens and one guinea hen

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Friday, April 21, 2017 - Country Acres • Page 21

continued

Why did you decide to raise chickens and how long have you been raising them? It all started about four years ago when a friend of ours gave us some eggs that we decided to incubate and hatch. After seeing how relatively easy it was and the fun the grandkids had watching them hatch, we were hooked. Without the help and knowledge of our friend and neighbor boy, Kooper, we perhaps would not be doing chickens. He is such a big help and always researching chickens.

not be a benefit, but with a rooster in the flock you know when the sun is coming up in the morning.

Tell us about your chicken coop: The chicken coop started out as a playhouse that we built for the grandchildren. As it became used less and less we decided to convert it into a chicken coop. We added perching boards, nesting boxes and hanging feeders. To keep them contained at times, we added a fence around it. After losing several chickens to predators such as hawks, owls, coyotes and a fox, we built a mobile chicken tractor that can be moved around. But most of the time they are free range around our hobby farm.

Tell us about your chickens’ personalities and their antics. The chickens all have different personalities; some are more shy than others. They can be really silly. The rooster is very protective of the flock. If he spots something dangerous, he alerts the hens with different noises. If he sees a predator in the sky he will make a certain call and the hens will know to take shelter. The chickens become very tame. We even had one roosting on our horse’s back one winter.

What are the benefits of raising chickens? Most people would say fresh eggs, which is definitely a great reason, but there are other benefits too. We noticed our woodtick population decreased with chickens and they are a great source of entertainment. They love to eat some of our compost such as melons, grapes and cucumbers. This may

Jerry and Sandy Larson and Kooper Frank Cold Spring Stearns County Breed: Rainbows, Barred Rock, Buff Orpington and more Number: Eight chickens with 15 more coming in May.

Why did you decide to raise chickens and how long have you been raising them? For some responsibility for the kids to take on, and we thought it would be fun to have our own eggs. We have been raising them for one year.

How are the responsibilities of raising chickens divided up in your family? The chickens are mainly Kooper and Jerry’s responsibility. They don’t require much work, just feed and fresh water on a daily basis. The coop gets cleaned once a month and fresh wood shavings are added.

What is it about raising chickens that makes you happy? They are just very entertaining. It’s fun to see the flock change. Some die but then getting the new chicks is a real joy. It’s cool to see how the mother hen protects and teaches the baby chicks lessons. It’s also very interesting to incubate eggs and watch them hatch out. It teaches kids about life.

How are the responsibilities of raising chickens divided up in your family? It is mainly Aiden’s responsibility (Aiden’s business) because he receives the proceeds from the sales.

Tell us about your chicken coop:We changed a manure pump room from a retired dairy barn, into the chicken room; it was the perfect size.

Tell us about your chickens’ personalities and their antics. The white ones seem much more friendly than the red ones. And since it’s gotten nice out, we have been letting them go around the yard, and they never want to go back into the coop.

What are the benefits of raising chickens? Well I can’t say that it is a money maker, because eggs are pretty cheap in the store. But it is fun, and nice to know where your food comes from.

What is it about raising chickens that makes you happy? Because it gives me (Aiden) something to do when I come home from school, and it makes me happy to see all those eggs!

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Page 22 • Country Acres - Friday, April 21, 2017

ZUCCHINI BREAD

Recipes Submitted by

JEN MOLITOR Lake Lillian Kandiyohi County

3 eggs 1 cup oil 2 cups sugar 2 cups zucchini, peeled and ground 2 tsp. vanilla 3 cups flour

1/4 tsp. baking powder 2 tsp. cinnamon (or less if desired) 1 tsp. soda 1 tsp. salt 1/2 cup nuts (if desired)

Beat eggs until light and foamy. Add oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla. Mix together lightly but well. Mix and blend in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, soda, salt and nuts. Bake in two greased 9x5 inch bread pans at 325 degrees for one hour. Remove from pans immediately and cool on racks.

SPANISH RICE HOTDISH 1 pound ground beef, browned 1 cup rice, boiled 4 Tbsp. butter 1 onion, minced 1 green pepper, minced 1/4 cup celery, diced 2 cups tomatoes, cooked 2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper

APPLESAUCE CAKE (NO EGGS) 1 1/2 cups applesauce 1 cup sugar 2 cups flour 1 cup raisins 1/2 cup shortening

1 Tbsp. hot water 2 tsp. soda 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. cloves (or less if desired)

Mix all together and bake in a loaf pan at 350 degrees until done. *This recipe can be used for fruitcake base for Christmas.

Mix and cook butter, onion, green pepper and celery. Add to hamburger. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook all of this slowly for 15 minutes. Gently stir in hot drained boiled rice and cook 5 minutes longer. Makes about 8 servings.

FROZEN BREAD ROLLS 2 loaves bread, frozen 1/2 cup butter or margarine 1 cup brown sugar 1 large or 2 small boxes vanilla pudding mix (not instant) 2 Tbsp. milk cinnamon (to taste) Thaw two loaves of frozen bread (do not allow to raise). Break one loaf up in bottom of greased 9x13 cake pan. Melt butter. Add brown sugar, pudding mix, milk and cinnamon. Mix all together. Pour over broken bread. Break second loaf on top and let rise 2.5 to 3 hours. Bake approximately 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool and cut out of pan.

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Visit our website for more buildings • www.borklumber.com 18508 County Rd 130, Paynesville, MN 56362 • 320-243-7815

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Sale runs April 17-May 31 - While Supplies last - NO RETURNS Centra Sota - Little Falls, MN | 320-632-3631 Centra Sota - St. Martin, MN | 320-548-3245 Centra Sota - Upsala, MN | 320-573-2186 Centra Sota Feed & Grain - Albany, MN | 320-845-4086

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Friday, April 21, 2017 - Country Acres • Page 23

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BBQ MEAT BALLS 1 pound ground beef 1 egg, beaten 2/3 cup bread crumbs 1/2 tsp. soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1 Tbsp. chopped onion

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mycotoxin, and wet chemistry testing for dairy cows, beef cows, swine, poultry and equine

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Mix ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs, soda, salt and onion. Form into small balls. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees until brown, uncovered. Put glaze on the meatballs and bake for 30 more minutes at 325 degrees, covered.

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Special Services PEACH COBBLER 12 peaches 2 1/2 cups sugar 9 Tbsp. flour Slice peaches and mix sugar and flour together. Put on top of crust. Crust: 2 eggs, beaten 3/4 cup shortening 1/2 cup flour 1/2 tsp. sugar Mix together eggs, shortening, flour and sugar. Pat down well in a 9x10 pan.

Glaze: 2 eggs, beaten 2 Tbsp. butter 1/2 cup cream 2/3 cup milk 1/2 tsp. vanilla Mix eggs, butter, cream, milk and vanilla. Pour over peaches and bake in oven for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

• 24 Hour turn-around on NIR samples - 36 Hour turn-around on most wet chemistry samples • Rush service is available on select water analysis • E-mailing or faxing of results • Toll free service for voice communications • Competitive pricing

• VISA, MasterCard, Discover, American Express are accepted Email:• Email: stearnsdhialab@stearnsdhialab.com www.stearnsdhialab.com stearnsdhialab@stearnsdhialab.com CA_Apr21_1B_MT

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www.CountryCat.com • (320) 352-3534 • Sauk Centre *Subject to approved credit. ATV’s can be hazardous to operate. For your safety, always wear a helmet, eye protection, and protective clothing. Avoid excessive speeds. Be particularly careful on difficult terrain. Only ride an ATV that is right for your age. Supervise riders younger than 16. Arctic Cat recommends that all riders take a training course, and that they read and understand their owner’s manual before operation. For safety or training information, see your dealer or call the ATV Safety Institute at (800) 887-2887. ©2016 Arctic Cat Sales Inc., ®™ Trademarks of Arctic Cat Inc., Thief River Falls, MN 56701.

CA_Apr21_1B_MT

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Page 24 • Country Acres - Friday, April 21, 2017

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Sale & Service hours: M-F 8am-5:30pm; Sat 8am-2:00 pm; Sun CLOSED

CA_Apr21_1B_MT

CA-Apr21-1B-KH

FRIEDRICHS TIRE & OIL

14.99