Country Acres 2017 - October 6 edition by Star Publications

ountry C cres A

A Supplement to the Star Shopper

WORK HORSE HOBBY Carlson spent first Social Security check on gentle giants By DIANE LEUKAM Staff Writer PENNOCK – If anyone is looking for Curtney Carlson of Pennock, chances are they’ll ind him tending to his animals. Even though he’s been a dairy farmer for most of his life, and even in his retirement helps on the family farm, the animals he now cares for most are of a different variety – horses. The day Curtney received his irst Social Security check at age 65, he had a surprise for his wife, Louise: a trip to Granite Falls. “I had an older friend, Newell Nielsen, that lived by Eagle Lake,” Curtney said. “I used to go visit him and we’d go to horse sales; I told him I was looking for a team of work horses. One day he called me up and said I should go over to Granite Falls. He knew a guy who had a team.” Unbeknownst to Louise, even though the two had known one another since childhood, Curtney had been longing to have horses of his own.

Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment

Friday, Oct. 6, 2017 • Edition 14

“I said ‘how come you never told me you wanted work horses,’ and he said, ‘Why talk about something you can never have?” Louise said. “All my money went into the dairy,” Curtney said. His longing to own his own team of work horses began early. Living only miles from each other as kids, Curtney and Louise (Ruter) attended country school together, walking each day from opposite directions. “He had a mile and I had two-anda-half miles. He didn’t wait for me at the corner,” Louise said. “He was a good friend of my brother, George.” Louise had 11 siblings, and Curtney knew them well. In those days, Louise’s brothers would ride bareback on the work horses to visit the Carlsons, and Curtney admits he was jealous. Though his family had Shetlands while he grew up, the work horses were much more fascinating. He did buy a couple of ponies for their sons, Chad and Carl, when they were young. “I bought a couple at a sale when the kids were little – one was a Welsh and one was half Arab. I bid a couple times,” Curtney said. “I stopped bidding and the kids were looking up at me.” He couldn’t say no. The kids rode them until they started sports, and that was pretty much the end of it.

Curtney Carlson with two of his Belgian work horses, Millie (left) and Gus.

Curtney’s love of horses didn’t wane, so when that irst retirement check came in many years later, he igured the time had come. That was 13 years ago. That day, he brought home Macy and Lily, two Belgian workhorses. They were 4 and 5 years old at the time, and already trained for pulling. “We got there and there were all these horses,” Louise said. “I asked him, what in the world are you gonna do

WORK HORSE HOBBY continued on page 5

PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM

Curtney Carlson waters his Belgian mares, Macy and Lily, at the Kandiyohi County Fair Aug. 12 in Willmar.

HUMANELY RAISED

Zachman, Meyer hog farming neighbors By ELIZABETH HOAG Staff Writer BELGRADE – Sows and piglets oink and squeal on the Al Meyer and Bruce Zachman farms. The neighbors farm independently of one another, yet share a common purpose in their hog operations. One could say they are very different from today’s typical hog farmers, in that they are contracted to raise their a n imals m u c h like their g r a n d p a rents did. B o t h men grew up on dairy and hog farms and continue to raise hogs as

a hobby. “I started raising hogs full time five years ago after I retired from 35 years of bridge construction work,” Zachman said. “Raising hogs keeps me busy.” Meyer agreed. “I always enjoyed taking care of my parents’ hogs when I was younger and after I sold my cows in 2013, I have more time to focus on my sows,” Meyer said. “It also helps that I have a neighbor who raises hogs. It makes it easier.” Meyer owns 1,000 acres of land, some of which he plants and harvest crops on with his brother, Gary, and sister-inlaw, Kym Meyer. The leftover acreage he uses to raise hogs and a small herd of steers. “Spring and fall get pretty busy planting and harvesting, so my sows only farrow twice a year,” he said. “I typically have 120 hogs at one time, but it depends. When my sows or gilts are farrowing, after I could have up to 150 pigs at one time because of the increase in piglets.” Zachman, who owns 430 acres – 300 of which are tillable – rents out the majority of his land. He houses pigs, chickens and Labrador retrievers on his land. “My operation is pretty low key,” he said. “The chickens free roam, my dogs think they are pig-herding animals and my 70-100 hogs walk in and out of buildings, free to walk wherever they want

PHOTO BY ELIZABETH HOAG

Al Meyer (left) and Bruce Zachman stand in front of Meyer’s barn on his hog farm outside of Belgrade. The two neighbors raise hogs for Niman Ranch.

within a fenced area.” Meyer and Zachman work with a company called Niman Ranch, through which they contract their hogs. Even though Meyer’s and Zachman’s farming systems are different, they have to follow strict guidelines to comply with the company’s rules and regulations to ensure the hogs they butcher are humanely cared for from birth to slaughter. “Our hogs cannot be kept in cages, crates or attached to tie stalls,” Zachman said. “They have to be free to do what they want.”

The organization’s mission, humane but not organic, is to improve the lives of farm animals in food production by driving consumer demand for what they feel are kinder and more responsible farm animal practices. “Every two months a field agent comes out to inspect our operations to make sure everything is up to par,” Meyer said. The two neighbors also have to fol-

HUMANELY RAISED continued on page 6

Page 2 • Country Acres - Friday, October 6, 2017

Country Acres

This month in the

COUNTRY

8 An FFA president Evansville

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 Hoag, Writer elizabeth@saukherald.com Michael Strasburg, Writer michael.s@star-pub.com Carol Moorman, Writer carol@melrosebeacon.com

10 Harvesting Kimball 12 A Jar of Fun Rice 14 Hunt of a Lifetime Starbuck

Story ideas send to: diane@saukherald.com

16 Squeaky’s Miracle Sauk Centre

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17 Farm Safety Roger Strom 18 Country Cooking

PRODUCTION STAFF

“Committed to being the eyes and ears of our communities.”

Pat Turner Tara Pitschka Amanda Thooft Nancy Powell Brian Dingmann Cassidy Zenzen 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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More to the story

another sister younger than her. Minnie kept ere at Country Acres we love cool the family together, paying their way with stories. Some time ago, a man the older kids taking jobs. Louise rememcalled me, his voice giving away bers chopping wood and hauling water with the fact that he was more than hesher little sister, and getting electricity when itant, worried that it would seem like he was she was 12. Louise never had running water bragging. He even said as much; you see, until she was married to Curtney. the story idea he had was about himself. Curtney and Louise Carlson were marListening to him talk about his idea, it was clear that he had a very compelling, in- by Diane Leukam ried on June 19, 1964. His grandparents and parents were also married on June 19. The teresting story to tell. I reassured him that it wasn’t bragging at all – he was simply sharing a cool men were all 24; his grandmother and Louise were both 19, though his mother waited until the ripe old story. Sometimes there’s much more to a story than age of 21. In order to keep the June 19 tradition, can be told in one feature. I ran across this with the Curtney and Louise got married on a Friday, a rariCurtney and Louise Carlson feature in this issue. You ty in those days. They had two sons, and now have might remember the family from the June 11 Sun- six grandsons and a granddaughter. The boys all have day morning tornado that ripped through their farm names beginning with a C, though granddaughter, of 1,500 cows now being operated by their sons and Kylie Jo finally broke the mold. Towards the end of the visit with the Carlsons, their wives, Chad and Kindra, and Carl and Kellie and their families. They’ve been busy rebuilding all I met Kellie and several of the grandchildren. They summer and will continue into the fall. They recently were outgoing and welcoming, and presented other brought the last 310 of their cows back to the farm possible stories, such as the family legacy of wrestling, and a woman who knew nothing of farm life from their temporary home in Worthington. But this story was about Curtney and his work until meeting her husband. I would have been curious horses. I ran across him and Louise at the Kandiyohi to hear her story, so comfortable did she seem in her County Fair. I thought this guy with the cowboy hat farm setting. That’s the beauty of Country Acres. We will nevhauling heavy pails of water to his big horses was interesting, and struck up a conversation with Louise. er run out of stories, because everyone has one…or She told me all about the horses and how they came more! So feel free to come forward with any idea you might have, even if it’s your own. People are so humto be a part of their lives after retirement. At their home last week, I realized I could easily ble, and often afraid of what people might think. But have done a story on the history of their farm. Curt- remember, you’re not bragging – you’re just sharing ney’s great-grandparents homesteaded the farm, and a cool story. Speaking of cool, fall is in the air, and with the lived in a home dug into the side of a hill through the birth of their second child. They built their home in rain so far this week, it looks like things have slowed 1896, and by 1929 had electricity on the farm, build- down with the harvest, at least for the time being. In the meantime, fall colors are beginning to presing it up through generations. Or how about Louise’s history? Her mother, Min- ent themselves, as you’ll notice in the photo at right. And once the harvest is back on, please remember nie Ruter, raised 12 children on her own, with her PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM Fall colors made a show along this trail in Todd County last Sunday. father, George, dying when Louise was 2 years old, to slow down and stay safe!

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low strict guidelines about feeding procedures and vaccinations. “Our animals cannot be fed any kind of animal byproducts, given antibiotics or growth hormones,” Zachman said. The pigs are fed a soybean meal when they are younger. As they grow, they are fed a basic corn and pellet mixture, which contains a concentrate of vitamins and minerals. However, even though their feed must consist of the same type of ingredients, the men prepare it differently. “I bring my feed into the feed mill in Elrosa to have it mixed,” Zachman said. “I grind my own feed on my farm,” Meyer said. Every six months, the farmers vaccinate their hogs for internal and external parasites, following the vaccination program required by the contract. “When a field agent comes to check our facilities, they make sure that our animals are raised outdoors or in deeply-bedded pens,” Meyer said. “The hogs have to be on a bedding pack for their comfort when laying down, but they also need the bed-

Al Meyer herds his sows out of the barn for some fresh air and to eat on Friday, Sept. 22.

Weaned piglets roam freely in a fenced area on Al Meyer’s farm. Piglets are weaned after four to five weeks.

HUMANELY RAISED continued on page 7

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Friday, October 6, 2017 - Country Acres • Page 7 HUMANELY RAISED continued from page 6 on their size. “A sow is pregnant for 114 days – 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days,” Zachman said. “Piglets are weaned from their mother after 4-5 weeks typically, but we use our judgment based on how the sow looks. The piglets are then put into a different pen for feeding.” Meyer agreed. “The male pigs we decide will not be uses as boars, we castrate when they are 2 weeks old,” he said. “It’s important to castrate the piglets while they’re young because the extra testosterone affects the meat and makes it tough.” The process is a day’s work and the men have help. “My girlfriend, Phyllis Rustad, helps me around the farm with the castrating and chores,” Meyer said. Zachman’s wife, Jolene, and three sons help him on the farm when they are around. “It’s nice to have a neighbor who is doing the same thing because if we need an extra hand with something or have questions, we just ask each other,” Meyer said. When the first Monday of every month rolls around, the hogs that are ready for slaughter are hauled to Morris. “We try and haul our

ding to chew on – which also helps keep their teeth short.” The hogs must have open air or ventilation, and some form of shelter. “There are many aspects of being a part of this program and one of them is that we do not dock the hogs’ tails. Big hog farms typically have to dock their hogs’ tails because they are in too small of an area and are bored,” Zachman said. “We have to provide at least 8 square feet per pig.” Zachman and Meyer keep each of their hogs for approximately six months from the time they are born to the time they are ready for market. “The company likes them weighing between 260-280 pounds,” Meyer said. “We try and crossbreed the sow and the boar because they seem to have more fat on them, which is what the company wants. The fat makes the meat more red and provides the meat with more flavor.” The common breeds Zachman has are purebred Berkshire and Berkshire Landrace cross and Hampshire Berkshire cross. Meyer has Chester Whites and Duroc hogs, cross-breeding them naturally in hopes of enhancing the flavor of the meat. The fellow neighbors keep their sows for an average of 5 litters or 3-4 years for farrowing depending

Chickens and pigs on Zachman’s farm move towards the feed bin on Friday, Sept. 22. Zachman typically feeds his hogs twice a day.

winter, to clean everything and feed all of the animals does not take too long.” The two have had their success, but they have also struggled with the industry. “Trying to get the sows to breed and farrow at the same time is challenging, as well as weaning the piglets,” Zachman said. Meyer agreed. “We can’t complain

though, we’ve been very lucky because we haven’t had a disease problem.” As for the future, they are both looking forward to watching their farms flourish. “I enjoy watching each pig grow every day,” Meyer said. “It’s always rewarding to see a successful batch of pigs go.” Zachman agreed.

“I like throwing food and corn cobs into the pen and watching them go at it. They are free to be themselves,” he said. “I think as long as we continue this business venture together, we will learn new aspects of the farm. It’s the best place to be – out in the open with the animals.”

MINI V NOSE

CONTRACTORS DECKOVER

hogs together to Morris because it saves us time and money,” Meyer said. After the hogs are dropped off in Morris, they are then hauled to a slaughter facility in Iowa. “The company contacts us before we haul our pigs to Morris to take inventory so they know what is coming to them from each farmer,” Zachman said. The two hog farmers plan on continuing their venture with the company because it is a hobby, but also because the hogs are low maintenance. “Pig farming has changed quite a bit over the past 40 years,” Zachman said. “The program we are working under has a lot of benefits. I’ve noticed I shovel a lot less manure because of the open system. We are also guaranteed a premium rate of 51 cents. This isn’t a big money maker, but it gives us something to do for extra cash.” Zachman’s and Meyer’s hobby does not take much time out of their busy schedule. “We clean our pens once a week and it usually only takes about an hour,” Zachman said. Meyer agreed. “During the summer, it is a bit chaotic because of my fieldwork and tending to the hogs, piglets and steers,” he said. “But in the

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Page 8 • Country Acres - Friday, October 6, 2017

An FFA president Henneman will apply country perspective to future in city By ELIZABETH HOAG Staff Writer

EVANSVILLE – As a freshman in high school Amara Henneman joined Future Farmers of America (FFA), and now as a junior has earned the title

President of the Brandon/ Evansville FFA. “I joined because I wanted to improve my leadership skills,” Henneman said. And what better way to do that than lead a group of young adults passionate about the future

of their agriculture. Henneman, the daughter of David and Necoe Henneman, lives on a hobby farm 5 miles south of Evansville. “I have horses, a dog and a few cats,” Henneman said. “For a while we trained both

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

FFA Chapter members represent their area, Brandon/Evansville, wearing FFA blue corduroy jackets. Front (from left): Nick Lundeen, Anakin Bosek, Kiley Lund, Riley Bitzan, Tyler Bitzan, Trevor Peterson, Amara Henneman and Alena Shores; Back (from left): Rhys Perrin, Wesley Siira, Mya Englund, Nicholas Thorstad, Chase Schmidt, Michael Schroeder and McKenon Plaster; Far back on left: John Roers.

CAOct6_1B_JW

of our horses, Zack and Reba, but had to discontinue training because of one of their ages. Currently I am trying to break the other horse in for the purpose of riding, but it is difficult because he is quite wild.” Her involvement in wildlife and agriculture kick-started her desire to join FFA and has flourished ever since. The process of becoming president was anything but easy, rather involved and extensive. “I filled out our chapter officer application, which listed 10 questions I had to answer about my availability and my character,” she said. “My FFA advisor and a couple other teachers chose officers based off of our leadership experience and involvement in FFA.” To be eligible and considered for the officer position, members have to agree to the following terms: attend all planned officer meetings and chapter activities, attend Summer Chapter Officer Training, maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher, be willing to serve, have an SAE (Supervised Agriculture Experience) program, memorize officer parts for

Amara Henneman, FFA Chapter president for Brandon/ Evansville gives her horse, Zack, a smooch. Henneman lives on a small hobby farm with horses, dogs and cats.

opening and closing ceremonies before May 31, obey the constitution and its by-laws, be a positive role model and welcoming to all FFA members in the chapter, fulfill all duties of office, enroll in at least one semester of agriculture courses during the year of office and be willing to

uphold school and district policies. The first-year chapter president’s responsibilities do not just stop at that. “I plan the FFA meetings and activities with the other officers,” Henneman

FFA PRESIDENT continued on page 9

Page 10 • Country Acres - Friday, October 6, 2017

Harvesting PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Means seeing country, crops and friends

Properly-maintained and up-to-date equipment is a must for Ken Lund’s harvesting crew.

By HERMAN LENSING Staff Writer

KIMBALL – Want to travel and see a good part of the U.S.A? Custom harvesting just might be a job you’d like. Ken Lund of Kimball has found it to be just that way. From May to about mid-November, he and his crew are usually somewhere between Texas and Canada harvesting crops. “We start in May with winter wheat in Texas and work our way north to the Canadian border,” said Lund. “We harvest about 25,000 acres a year.” Along the way, he and his eight-person crew work in fields of wheat, corn, soybeans, canola and several other crops. When the harvest is ready, they put in long days. “We usually don’t work late in the night because of the dew and dampness in wheat,” he said. “But if the weather is right, we will sometimes work late and only get about two hours of sleep.” Lund came to the occupation somewhat naturally. He is the fourth generation in his family to work in the custom harvesting field. Like all other aspects of farming, there have been a number of changes. “I started driving a combine when I was in kindergarten,” he said. “I can remember when my dad (Ron) had a 20-foot head on the combine. I thought that was huge. I now have one twice that big and they are talking about a 60-foot head.”

Ron farms and still does some custom harvesting around his home in Renville County. Lund worked with his father until about 18 years ago. Now he is the head of the crew that takes to a field with four combines and four trucks. Their day begins as they fuel up the machines, check out their equipment and grease and oil. Then it is into the fields. “The crew members we have come from all over,” he said. “We have one guy from Arizona, Oklahoma, and Minnesota. We put [employment] ads in papers and online.” How much they harvest depends to a large degree on the crop they are harvesting. On a good day, they can harvest about 800 acres of wheat or beans. Canola is a harder crop to cut, so they average about 500 acres. Because corn is a higher-volume crop, they usually run one combine. They normally harvest about 150 acres a day. Meals are sometimes during breaks, and or occasionally bag lunches while they harvest. Still, the crew does have certain restaurants that are on the “must go to”

places during the season, and it is not just the food that is an attraction. “When we go to those restaurants, we are also seeing familiar faces,” said Lund. The restaurants are not the only places they see people they know. Lund has found an occupation that allows him to be outdoors working with people and machinery he likes. It also allows him to keep in contact with a number of people across the country. “You become friends with a lot of the farmers and it is enjoyable going back to see them,” said Lund. Occasionally, family members and friends of the crew come to visit them. Crews tend to change every year, so Lund gets to meet more people that way. Lund also has his own farm and manages another, taking care of about 1,000 acres in Meeker and Stearns County. That is home, however, he did note that one of

HARVESTING continued on page 11

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Page 12 • Country Acres - Friday, October 6, 2017

A jar full of fun

Popp delights in food preservation By JENNIFER COYNE Staff Writer

plants carrots, sweet corn, jalapeños, Brussels sprouts, and much more in three gardens on her property.

fruits for jams and jellies.” Alongside common canning vegetables, such as cucumbers, beans and tomatoes, Popp

“Every year, I plant similar varieties of each plant,” Popp said. Wisconsin 55 tomatoes work well for Popp’s salsa, spaghetti and canned tomatoes recipes, while a yellow pole bean variety has also resulted in favorable yields. In the beginning of June, once the chance of frost is greatly diminished, Popp plants her garden with the help of her husband, Joel. “It’s funny … I actually hate planting,” Popp said. “But my husband says I can’t harvest without planting.”

or longer.” Popp, who started canning in her late ‘20s, cans nearly 600 jars of RICE – From pickles fresh produce each sumand beans to tomatoes and mer. Her cooking continues throughout the winter beets, Shirley Popp cans as she cans meat, dried it all. vegetables and soups. Every year, Popp “I always find things uses the produce collected from her Rice countryside to can, and am never really done,” Popp said, smiling. gardens to make salsas, pasta sauces and a variety “There’s dried beans, of other canned goods that ham and bean soup, and I allast well into the months ways ahead. “I really like working have with fruits and vegetables – picking them when they’re fresh and then preserving them,” Popp said. “There’s a sense of accomplishment when canning is complete and I’ve PHOTOS BY JENNIFER COYNE made all these foods Shirley Popp cans nearly 600 jars of fresh produce each summer for herself, friends and that will keep a year family. She recently started selling canned items at the local farmers market.

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By mid-July, the vegetables have entered a mature growing stage, and Popp picks them for canning – beginning with cucumbers for pickles and beans. Throughout the remainder of the summer, Popp will spend her weeks canning produce for her family, friends and to sell at the local farmers market. “One day this year, I canned 35 quarts of pickles. I went out and picked them at 1 p.m., and was pulling the last quart out of the canner at 10:15 p.m.,” Popp said, laughing. “I

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Friday, October 6, 2017 - Country Acres • Page 13 A CAN FULL OF FUN continued from page 12

just keep going until I run out of quarts or there’s not enough to fill the canner. But with long days like that, then I don’t can again for a few days. It’s tiring.” Popp has her canning process down to a science for how many quarts or pints of each produce she can make given how much she has picked for the day. Typically, in a canning session, Popp preserves upwards of 24 quarts of pickles, 15 quarts of beans, 30 pints of salsa varieties, 15 quarts of spaghetti sauce, and roughly 12 quarts of tomatoes. “I used to give a lot of it away … I just love canning,” Popp said. “The best part is when you’re complete and you look at all the jars filled with color, looking nice, and you think, ‘I did that.’” Over the years, Popp has experimented with different recipes, adding and taking away flavors until the perfect balance is reached. “The most challenging recipe I’ve worked with is my black bean and corn salsa. It took me more than six years to figure out what I was missing in it,” Popp said. “But there’s not a recipe I don’t like, because after all, I have to eat it, too.” When Popp perfects the recipe, she and her taste testers notice. This year at the farmers market, Popp f cannot keep up with the demand for her garlic dill pickles. With each season of canning, Popp looks forward to finding new recipes that appeal to her and others. This year, she made a jalapeño pie filling. “You can’t be afraid to try,” Popp said. “I still mess up recipes, but half the fun is practicing and trying new things. Canning is a great adventure.” Popp was a young girl when she was first exposed to the food preservation craft; she was 7-years-old and helped her grandmother can meat. “I remember it being January, and living on a dairy we often butchered our own meat. We’d prep the meat for canning and spend all day putting it into jars,” Popp said. “To this day, I still love opening up a jar and putting it on the kettle with some onions and garlic. It’s a fast meal that really is delicious.” Popp was 12-years-old when she preserved food from her own garden – freezing a small bundle of berries from a strawberry patch. As Popp got older, she delved further into the craft. “It was all really self-taught,” Popp said. “There

was a lot of trial and error.” Now, Popp teaches others. “People have asked me how I make my pickles, and I always welcome them to my home and they can make their own,” Popp said. “I really like doing it, and I hope someday to offer classes on canning.” With Popp’s knack for food preservation, her interest has attracted younger family members to take up the hobby – a notion Popp can hardly put into words. “My niece will call me up with questions about canning and it’s neat to be able to show her what I know and that she’s taken an interest to it,” Popp said. “For me, being able to pass on my knowledge … that’s These storage cabinets contain some of the nearly 600 jars of fresh a really good feeling.” produce Shirley Popp cans each summer.

Popp combs through her garden looking for cucumbers ready to be picked for canning. Popp has found her cucumbers grow best vertically on a fence.

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Page 14 • Country Acres - Friday, October 6, 2017

HUNT OF A LIFETIME A look inside Minnesota’s wildlife industry

By MICHAEL STRASBURG the United States to come better support wildlife and Staff Writer and hunt here on this land,” improve the surrounding

STARBUCK – Every year, individuals from across the country visit Minnesota with hopes of capturing the natural beauty and splendor of the state’s wildlife. One of the places that offers access to some of the best Minnesota wildlife is Kruger Farms in Starbuck. The goal out at Kruger Farms is to reintroduce individuals to nature and wildlife by offering once-in-a-lifetime guided hunts. Don Nelson, a Washington native, founded the company after moving to the area to start Lamont Marketing. A key component of Nelson’s emerging company was the rewards program it offered to top-selling clients. “Through our rewards programs people get a rewards catalogue and one of the top prizes would be a hunt here, so Don would get people from all over

Josh Foley and a hunting dog scan a pond for ducks.

said Russ Barkheim, store manager at Kruger Farms. Nelson was at first leasing farmland to hunt, but once it came up for sale, he made a move to purchase the land. “The landowner’s wife said ‘you should sell to Don, he’s been so good to us over the years.’ They did, and her maiden name was Kruger. So out of respect for her, Don named that piece of land Kruger Farms,” Barkheim explained. After that land was purchased, Nelson decided he wanted to house his guests at the farm, rather than put them up in a hotel, so he purchased a piece of nearby land that featured an 1890s farmhouse. Nelson remodeled the farmhouse and built additional space, eventually opening the house up to ten rooms that can hold a maximum of 20 men. Nelson also undertook restoration projects on the land to

habitat. As the company took off, Nelson found he was offering more and more products to visiting hunters, so he began storing merchandise at the Starbuck location and in 2010, opened a store next to the guest house. “At this point, everything ships out of Starbuck,” Barkheim said. “We have offices in St. Paul, they put on the orders and handle our marketing, and we fulfill orders. Everything is shipped and housed here. That’s how we can fill the store here.” In addition to the growing success of the catalogue and the local store, companies from across the nation still send their top salesmen to Starbuck for a unique hunting experience. “We get guys from all over. A lot of guys from

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Friday, October 6, 2017 - Country Acres • Page 15 HUNT OF A LIFETIME continued from page 14

South Carolina, North Carolina — that area; California, the East Coast, all over,” Barkheim said. Since many of the salesmen are from metropolitan areas, Barkheim is constantly reminded to not take the scenic beauty of his home for granted. “It really makes you appreciate what you have here when you see these guys come,” he said. k“They walk up and stand on that hill looking. You walk up and ask ‘what are you guys looking at?’ And they say ‘just look at that, isn’t it beautiful?’ You get so jaded driving by the hill tevery day, but you see that

lake and it’s a beautiful area, it has a lot to offer.” Not only are many visitors unaccustomed to the rustic atmosphere of Kruger Farms, they’re also not familiar with the Northern climate and way of life. This is why ice fishing remains the most popular and talked-about activity the farm offers. “You get 12 guys out on the lake from Texas and just to drill a hole and look down the hole is big event for them. It’s just mind-boggling to them that you’re going to drive your truck on the lake,” Barkheim said. “A guide said the one day he grabbed the ice auger and one guest said ‘what are you doing?’ He said he was going to drill a hole. The guest said to wait, and then everyone pulled out their phones and took a r video of it to send to their buddies back home. “ After getting out on the lake and drilling their holes, the guests fish on the lake all day and the guides cook what they catch on the ice. Then at night they come back to the farmhouse to sleep. “I would say it’s the most talked about activity when they get back home, especially if they’re from a southern state,” Barkheim said. In addition to ice Gary Lagred displays a trophy buck he bagged at Kruger Farms. fishing, Kruger Farms also

offers pheasant, waterfowl Michael Steinmeyer with a and deer hunting trips. bufflehead duck he harvested The farm usually takes in off Kruger Farms. ten guests at a time. The guests stay for two days. Typically they fly in to the Twin Cities and are transported to Starbuck by an employee from the St. Paul office. “We feed them and take care of them and house them. We’ll take them out hunting Friday and Saturday. Then we take them back to the airport and send them home,” Barkheim said. While the act of hunting and fishing, like mankind’s connection to the wild, holds a natural and innate allure, Kruger Farms cannot profit on that alone — there is always competition. So in order to keep guests coming back and to improve their wildlife experience, the staff at Kruger Farms is always looking back to their late founder’s initial ambition. “Don’s goal was always to provide the hunt of a lifetime, Barkheim said. “In all the years I’ve done it, you always think back to that year we caught so many fish, or got those pheasant. Getting to know everybody and being comfortable is a big part of it; you want them to have a good time. But it’s like Don always said, The late founder of Kruger Farms, Don Nelson (second to left), celebrates a successful geese hunt in the the hunt of a lifetime.” party shed with a group of guests.

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Page 16 • Country Acres - Friday, October 6, 2017

PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM

Lois and Squeaky Bosl stand with a 656 International tractor on their farm north of Sauk Centre. Squeaky survived being run over by the tractor in October 2016.

Bosls share story of tractor accident By DIANE LEUKAM Staff Writer

SAUK CENTRE National Farm Safety and Health Week was Sept. 1723, and the theme for 2017 is “Putting Farm Safety into Practice.” According to the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety, “the Department

of Labor shows the agricultural sector is still the most dangerous in America with 570 fatalities per year, which equals 22.8 deaths per 100,000 workers. When combining all labor sectors, the death rate was 3.4 percent.” Lee “Squeaky” Bosl, 74, farms with his wife, Lois, and son, Gene, north of Sauk Centre, and knows

as well as anyone how quickly a situation can turn on a person while working on the farm. And that there is a story for every accident. Squeaky’s story actually began prior to the accident. He had a history of eye problems, and had had eye surgery for a detached retina. Last October he had a checkup in St. Cloud, and

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Lois went along with him. “On the way home I said ‘I can’t see very good.’ My perception was really off because they always jerk around on my good eye. They put shots in it, too, so it messes that up for a couple days,” Squeaky said. The Bosls’ oldest son, Gene, was ﬁnishing up combining a ﬁeld. That

morning, Squeaky had taken all the wagons out there so Gene could just combine and Squeaky would unload them when he got home. Before they got home, it started to rain. By the time they got there, Gene was unloading wagons, but the combine and two more loads were still out in the ﬁeld. It was raining hard so

the men decided to back the loads Gene was working on into a shed to get them out of the rain and to use the skid loader to make the job easier. “He comes with the Bobcat and he pulls the pin on the back one and I pulled the pin on the front one and that stupid tractor started to roll ahead slow. You’ve done it a hundred times – run around, jump on the step, get in and go, you’re ok,” Squeaky said. With his perception being off, he got his foot between the tire and the step instead of on the step. “There’s this much space and when I got my foot between it the tire was rubbing my leg and the tire just rolled right up and over me, across my body,” Squeaky said. Luckily, it missed his head. This had all taken place up a hill from the farmhouse, where Lois was at the time. Between the house and the hill was a pump house. “I heard this swearing and then I heard this crash and I thought ‘oh my gosh, the wagon got away and it hit the pump house,’” she said. She jumped on her four wheeler, knowing they were going to need lights because it was already dark. “I get toward the pump house and turn up the hill and Gene yells, ‘you might want to call an ambulance;

SQUEAKY’S MIRACLE continued on page 17

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Farm safety

k SQUEAKY’S MIRACLE continued from page 16

t your husband just got drove over by a tractor,’” Lois said. Squeaky yelled for her to get the car. Not calling 911, Lois backed down the hill and t parked her four-wheeler. r “I ran in the house, grabbed my purse, grabbed his billfold so I’d have his insurance papers because they always ask for them and out the door we went,” Lois said. t Lois drove and Gene got in the back seat with Squeaky in the front. Gene talked to him on the way to town to make sure he didn’t go into shock, but Squeaky was feeling worse by the minute. “I was driving and t praying and Gene was talking,” Lois said. Gene called his younger brother, Greg, and had him call the hospital and let them know they were coming in, and the emergency room team quickly took over once they arrived. X-rays and an MRI were done, and t LifeLink called, since they didn’t know the extent of his internal injuries. r The tractor Bosl was run over with was a 656 International. Lois said, “It was 7,500 pounds, and none of the medical personnel could believe what it was. t They thought it was a garden tractor.” Squeaky was flown to the St. Cloud Hospital, where surgery was done that night on his torn bladder. Four ribs and his clavicle were also broken. “The ribs were kind of kicked out of place a little but they got them in

place and that’s about all they could do with them,” Squeaky said. From that point on, he was determined to get out of the hospital. The accident happened on Tuesday and by Friday, he was on his way home. When he got there, he sat on the deck in the front of the house. “They were combining, and our drying system was down there (pointing out the window). I sat right here in the sunshine and thought, ‘you dummy why’d you do that!’” he said. “I just sat here in the sun and observed.” By January, he was feeling like his old self. When asked if he had any words of advice for farmers to avoid an accident like he experienced, Squeaky answered with the usual flair he is most known for, “Put the SOB in park and lock the brakes!” Lois, for her part, considers it a miracle that he wasn’t killed, and keeps telling Squeaky, “We’re too dang old to be having this much fun!”

n a matter of days, combines will be marching across fields, trucks will be hauling and bins being filled. An exciting time on the farm, but along with the busiest time of the year comes the most dangerous time as well. During harvest, farmers are continually moving from one piece of equipment to another, dealing with equipment breakdowns and unpredictable weather while working long hours under stressful and fatiguing conditions. It’s no wonder farming continues to be the deadliest U.S. industry every year for the last decade, beating out mining and construction with roughly 2.2 deaths for every 100,000 workers. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, tractors are the biggest danger, particularly those without rollover protection, now claiming 125 lives a year. Even though farmers are well aware of need for shields on PTO shafts and other moving parts, every year someone is killed because the shields were removed. Other harvest-related farm injuries include getting caught in a machine that’s running, highway collisions between farm equipment and other vehicles along with farm equipment contacting overhead power lines. This photo shows the space But it’s not only where Bosl’s foot missed the equipment that can kill step as he was trying to get onto you, grain bins also claim the moving tractor. lives. Although the num-

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Page 18 • Country Acres - Friday, October 6, 2017

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• 1/2 pound or 4 1/2 cups of medium or large egg noodles • 8 ounces sour cream • 1 egg • 10 ounces package frozen spinach • 6 oz. (1 1/2 cups) Colby or Swiss cheese. • 2 tbsp. finely-chopped onion or instant minced onion • 2 tbsp. butter • 1 tsp salt • 1/2 tsp. sugar • 1/4 tsp. pepper Cook egg noodles according to directions Drain. Meanwhile in 3 quart mixer combine remaining ingredients and beat low speed until well blended. Add spinach mixture to noodles and heat through. A blender maybe used for mixer for a green, more consistent product.

CA_Oct6_1B_JW

Recipes Submitted by

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter 9 x13 pan. Butter both sides of bread and place in pan; covering bottom of pan. In a bowl toss pecans with brown sugar and distribute over bread. Drizzle syrup over pecans. In bowl mix sugar, half and half, milk , eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour evenly over bread mixture. Let rest 15 to 30 minutes before baking, to absorb egg mixture. Bake 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes, until golden brown. Invert onto tray and serve piping hot.

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