ountry C cres A
A Supplement to the Star Shopper
Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment
Friday, Sept. 1, 2017 • Edition 12
Jer-Lindy Farms steps into spotlight at state fair Jennissens’ showcase herd focuses on educating the public about dairy cows By MICHAEL STRASBURG Staff Writer
ST PAUL – Outlandish, indulgent fair food – everybody loves it. It’s a large part of what draws thousands to the Minnesota State Fair every year. But not all those who indulge know where their food comes from, or the effort put into bringing it from the farm to the table. This year, Jer-Lindy Farms owned by Jerry and Linda Jennissen of Brooten was selected to be in the spotlight when it comes to educating fairgoers on where their dairy comes from. “It’s agriculture’s chance to show the public what we’re doing and really celebrate what we do,” Jerry Jennissen said.
As part of that annual celebration, the dairy industry sponsors the Moo Booth each year. Year after year, the Moo Booth, located at the northwest corner of the dairy livestock building, proves to be one of the most visited places at the fair. The exhibit is focused on educating fairgoers about the dairy cow. In order to achieve this, the Moo Booth features a showcase herd each year. “That was always on my bucket list, to be the showcase herd,” Jennissen said. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do before I retired.” Jer-Lindy Farms has participated in the state fair in previous years, having shown cattle and brought cattle over for 4-H program – but never have they taken up a challenge like being the show-
PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM
Alise Sjostrom and Jerry Jennissen smile for the camera during the State Fair on Saturday. Jer-Lindy Farms was the feature and showcase herd for 2017.
case herd, which requires a commitment to show 16 cattle for 12 straight days. That said, Jennissen was always interested in the challenge – and even more so in recent years. A year ago, he mentioned to his staff that he would like to be the showcase someday, perhaps as soon as 2020. “I figured I’d like 2-3 years to prepare for something like that,” he said
While Jennissen would ultimately get the opportunity to be the showcase herd, he wouldn’t get the luxury of 2-3 years of preparation. This June the fair contacted him, asking if Jer-Lindy Farms could be the showcase herd for this year’s fair, after the contracted farm JER-LINDY FARMS continued on page 5
THE MUSHROOM MAN
Pattinson collects plants as a weekend hobby By LAURA HINTZEN Staff Writer
BELGRADE – It’s a quarter after 7 on a Saturday morning and Robert Pattinson has collected 40 pounds of mushrooms in three hours. He drives away, glancing over his shoulder to examine his overflowing boxes of mushrooms – which will soon make their jourPHOTOS BY LAURA HINTZEN ney from ground to plate. Robert Pattinson is Pattinson grew up with parents a mushroom hunter. who loved to hunt for mushrooms. Growing up with parents As he got older, he continued his who loved to hunt mushrooms, Pattinson parents’ legacy and devoted his time learned the proper to the hobby. identification “I like to hunt for them, find of mushrooms at them and eat them,” Pattinson said. “I a young age. can parallel it with an Easter egg hunt –
it’s exciting to harvest them and get a delicious meal out of the deal.” But before one goes on a hunt there are important precautions that should be followed. “Depending on the environment you are in, make sure to have adequate footwear, clothing that covers arms and legs and bug spray if necessary,” Pattinson said. “I try to go out in the morning when the bugs aren’t so bad.” When he’s not at work, Pattinson spends his weekends in the woods searching for mushrooms and the Chanterelle mushroom particularly – most often found in the late spring and summer months. Chanterelle mushrooms are orange and yellow in color, meaty and funnel-shaped. They give off a fruity aroma of apricots with hints of pepper. “Chanterelles have a symbiotic relationship with oaks, so you can find them growing on the dirt by oak trees,” Pattinson said. A few times throughout the year, he’ll go hunting with a friend of his, Luke Blonigan from Melrose, or go on hunts with a group he belongs to on Facebook that shows interest in THE MUSHROOM MAN continued on page 8
Page 2 • Country Acres - Friday, September 1, 2017
Country Acres Published by Star Publications Copyright 2014 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Phone: 320-352-6577 Fax: 320-352-5647 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 Carol Moorman, Writer carol@melrosebeacon.com
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 missy@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@saukherald.com Brian Trattles, 320-352-6577 brian.t@saukherald.com
This month in the
COUNTRY 7 The Minnesota State Fair Highlights 10 Myotonics - Oeltjenbruns raise fainting goats Belgrade 12 A little bit of everything 15 Roger Strom - Columnist 16 Showtime Grove City 18 Tall crop, sweet treat Lake Lillian 21 Beef breeding is as simple as black and white Rice 22 Country Cooking
PRODUCTION STAFF 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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PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM This quiet scene on a warm summer day is taken north of Kensington at the Kensington Park. The park is situated on the Olof Ohman farmstead where the Kensington Runestone was discovered in 1898. The Runestone artifact is dated in the year 1362 and currently is on display in the Runestone Museum in Alexandria.
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Friday, September 1, 2017 - Country Acres • Page 3
Two worlds colliding
I
gering. t is said there are six Walking through the degrees of separation, barns at the fair, people of all whereby any two people ages work to show off their on earth will have some animals and answer the quesconnection to each other tions of the curious. Hitting through no more than five acup the cattle barn last Saturquaintances, steps, or “friends day, it was easy to locate 4-H of friends.” With the separation be- by Diane Leukam members from all our Country Acres counties. They were tween city and country becoming more distinct with passing more than willing to smile for the camgenerations (only 1 percent of the era, knowing an important part of the population lives on farms) farmers are work they do is communication. You making deliberate attempts to close the can see some of those smiles on page 7. A number of us from Star Publigap with their city friends. It even has cations had the opportunity to work its own buzzword: “Agri-tourism.” Agri-tourism, according to dictio- a shift at the Midwest Dairy Associanary.com, is “tourism in which tourists tion’s milk booth. It was an adventure, take part in farm or village activities, really. The saying “it takes all kinds” [such] as animal and crop care, cook- is so true. We found ourselves serving ing and cleaning, handicrafts and en- milk with many names, like normal, white, vanilla, 2 percent, regular, choctertainments.” We’ve often featured stories like olate…the dark stuff. We answered this in Country Acres, since the inter- questions like “Where does this milk action between city and country never come from?” and “Does this come from the grocery store or does this fails to intrigue. Those interactions are on display come from real cows?” Most of our customers felt it was in grand fashion at the Minnesota State Fair, where the two worlds collide for the best deal of the fair – and they were right. Then there were those who 12 days. Minnesota has the second largest state fair in the nation with 1.8 million visitors. That’s a half million ahead of “The Big E” fair which covers six states out east, but lagging behind Texas with 3.5 million visitors. Their population is almost 28 million, though, and with our population at just over 5 million, one could argue we have them beat! Either way the numbers are stag-
remembered coming to the booth as kids and drinking all they could for 25 cents. At $2 it’s more expensive than it was then, but I used the line numerous times, “the more you drink the cheaper it gets!” I hope it made them feel better. We weren’t able to eat during our shift, making it easier to turn down several offers of Sweet Martha’s cookies. The dairy association and Sweet Martha’s should really figure out how to get closer together. They could have quite a racket going. Two things I noticed: everyone was sincere in their love of milk, and “Minnesota Nice” isn’t just a random saying. Anyway, back to the city/country connection. Jerry and Linda Jennissen of Jer-Lindy Farms of Brooten are featuring this year’s showcase herd of 16 cows at the state fair. This is the herd at the Moo Booth which is meant to educate people about dairy cows. The Jennissens, along with their daughter, Alise, and son-in-law, Lu-
cas Sjostrom, who own the Redhead Creamery on the same farm, have worked tirelessly in their efforts to connect people to the farm. This is something they wouldn’t have had to do and I applaud them for taking on the challenge. The amount of work has to be astronomical, and the toll it takes on humans and animals alike must be considerable. They do this to promote the dairy industry, and create a better understanding for people who don’t know milk doesn’t originate from a carton. Linda Jennissen actually was the subject in the photo of the day (in my opinion) from Saturday. Catching up with her while she was working with the cattle, I realized suddenly that she was holding a plastic pan under a cow’s rear end to catch its manure before it fell to the ground. She gave a good-natured smile and one thought came to mind: That’s going above and beyond the call of duty. I chose not to run the photo, as a matter of privacy for the cow. I do wonder though, how many people will think that’s just “what farmers do?”
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Page 4 • Country Acres - Friday, September 1, 2017
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Friday, September 1, 2017 - Country Acres • Page 5 JER-LINDY FARMS continued from front dropped out. The Jennissens were given 24 hours to respond. “We visited with our employees and asked them what they thought… other than myself, no one hesitated,” Jennissen laughed. The positive responses proved to be the primary factor in Jennissen’s final decision to take up the challenge. “It’s a tremendous task to take on, to take 16 cows down there and have them ready for display every day of the fair and ready to be used for milking demonstrations five times a day.” In addition to five daily milking demonstrations, Jennissen had to prepare cows for milking contests twice a day. The showcase herd also features educational materials about the dairy cow and how their being a ruminant is important to agriculture. Jennissen soon discovered just how exhausting the challenge could be, especially with only two months to prepare, but he faced the obstacles head on. “To be the showcase herd is both an honor and a burden,” he said. As if it wouldn’t be difficult enough to manage the herd for 12 JER-LINDY FARMS continued on page 6
Linda Jennissen (left) and Paige Roberts pause while caring for the Showcase Herd from Jer-Lindy Farms of Brooten.
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Alise Sjostrom (in red on the left) and Jerry Jennissen calm one of their cows during a hand-milking demonstration.
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Page 6 • Country Acres - Friday, September 1, 2017 Join us for our annual JER-LINDY FARMS continued from page 5 Customer Appreciation days, the Jennissens also had to keep the dairy farm nesses running. Linda has been camping at the fair Open House in Brooten running full time. The Jennissens’ daughter, Alise, who owns Redhead Creamery, also had to prepare fresh cheese curds for the fair every couple days in addition to producing the regular creamery products. “Many family, neighbors and friends have stepped up to say they’re going to help,” Jennissen said. “We need three crews of people; a crew here, a crew in the cheese shop and at the state fair.” Since Jerry and Alise are in charge of the farm and creamery, respectively, they have been commuting to the fair each day while keeping the family busi-
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and supervising the showcase herd for the 12 days. While the fair will no doubt be exhausting, the Jennissens are still excited to meet and educate fairgoers, represent the community and participate in a once-ina-lifetime experience. “Our goal when we finish is that the state fair will say we did a great job and that they’d like to have us back; and secondly, that we would say we had fun and we would like to do it again,” Jennissen said. “We’re excited for the opportunity to represent our farm. We hope to represent the dairy community well and to represent our communities and our county well.”
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Chillin’ in the cattle barn!
Country Acres caught up with 4-H members on Saturday, hanging out in the cattle barn at the Minnesota State Fair
Kandiyohi County 4-H members relax between their duties.
PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM
Anna Euerle, Litchfield, with her heifer, Muskrat
These guys keep occupied with their phones on a rainy Saturday at the fair.
Lauren Walter of Westport with her heifer, Ginger. Kallie and Hailey Frericks of Albany. Morgan Paulson, Kandiyohi County.
Zachary Holl (from left), Brynn Fernholz and JJ Sabolik, all of Kensington. Rachel and Crystal Halbersma of Browerville.
Page 10 • Country Acres - Friday, September 1, 2017
MYOTONICS
Oeltjenbruns raise fainting goats for show, fun By LAURA HINTZEN Staff Writer
BELGRADE – Country living is all Sarah Oeltjenbruns has ever known for the past 34 years of her life. She grew up on a farm in Brooten feeding cows and helping with chores. In 2001, she graduated from BBE High School and went to St. Cloud Technical College for two years, majoring in Child and Adult Care Education. Her degree brought her back to her roots where she worked at the elementary school in special education for several years until she got married to her husband, Greg, in 2005, built a home in Belgrade and had their first daughter, Taylor, 11, in 2006. Shortly after, Logan, 9, was born and then Blake, who is now 2 years old. As her family grew and her life changed, her love for animals never faded. For years, the Oeltjenbruns have had goats roaming around their farm as pets – until she was inspired by an online advertisement to contact someone selling a herd of fainting goats. “I thought it would be fun, so we
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PHOTO BY LAURA HINTZEN
Logan, 9, Blake, 2, and Taylor, 11, take their fainting goats for a walk down the gravel driveway. Their mother, Sarah Oeltjenbruns, follows behind. Not pictured is Greg Oeltjenbruns.
went to their house,” Sarah said. “It was a freezing, icy cold day and when we got there she was having babies. We ended up taking home three does and all of their little babies and got a buck that day, too.” FAINTING GOATS continued on page 11
This goat has fainted. While some stiffen standing up, other fall on their sides or back.
Friday, September 1, 2017 - Country Acres • Page 11 FAINTING GOATS continued from page 10 Myotonic breed was found originally in Tennessee, but are now being raised throughout the USA and Canada. Fainting goats are known for… well, fainting. Through MGR, Sarah rates each of her goats on a scale from one to six, based on their fainting tendencies. “One being they don’t really stiffen, but have traits of a Myotonic and they have a pedigree to back it up,” Sarah said. “Six being super stiff and probably something you wouldn’t want in your herd because they struggle through everyday life.”
Baby Myotonic goats on the Oeltjenbruns farm near Belgrade.
When Sarah sees a goat experiencing a fainting episode, she said each episode is a little different for every goat. “You can have babies that are just born that will faint and then you can have adults that will never faint until they are 2 years old,” Sarah said. “When they do faint, some of them will stiffen and their legs won’t move. Others will completely fall over and all four legs will go up in the air.” “The more they stiffen and fall down, the more muscle they have on their body to be able to compete against the boars and the other meat goats that are really popular,” Sarah said. One of the misconceptions people have about fainting goats is that scaring them will make them tip over. However, through MGR, Sarah has learned that it’s actually more of an alert for them and she wants people to be informed that they are much more than just a moment for laughter. “If I’m out there feeding grain and they see me getting food, some of them will get stiff and fall over,” Sarah said. “If you scare them and then they fall over, then they’re on high alert and won’t get scared anymore and won’t fall.” According to Sarah, another one of the misconceptions people have about fainting goats is they’re really easy to
take care of. “They are fun, but not easy,” Sarah said. “You have to do your research before you get them. They need the right grain, minerals and fencing.” The diet of a fainting goat consists of feed, alfalfa and grass hay. They are mostly a low-forage based animal. “They are more similar to deer than sheep or cows,” Sarah said. “They like trees, brush and leave the grass for last.” The goats are bred for their muscle quality and used as meat goats. Sarah’s goats have weighed anywhere between 60 to 200 pounds. The does can’t be FAINTING GOATS continued on page 12
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The Oeltjenbruns quickly went from having a couple goats to 37 of them. Those goats were transported to the Oeltjenbruns farm from a variety of states including Minnesota, Tennessee, Illinois, Florida and Ohio. “Some of them cost $100 and others can be up to $800 each,” Sarah said. “Over time it became my obsession and my hobby,” Sarah said. Sarah belongs to Myotonic Goat Registry (MGR) which serves breeders as an “open” registry for all goats of the traditional Myotonic breed. The
Page 12 • Country Acres - Friday, September 1, 2017 FAINTING GOATS continued from page 11
bred until they are at least two years old, and a fainting goat is not fully grown until they are three to five years old. For fencing, the Oeltjenbruns use a home-based hog panel sheep fence. The goats are fenced in at night for safety and comfort. In their pastures, three-string electric wire is used. “They aren’t like other goats that try to get out all the time – they know their boundaries,” Sarah said. The Oeltjenbruns also have another pasture at their neighbors’ house that they are allowed to use. Not only do the goats roam around the 114-acre farm lot, but the family travels around Minnesota and other states for shows. Taylor became a youth member of MGR this year and is also involved in 4-H. Through these programs, she gains points. The more points she gets, the more it adds up to when she’s a junior and senior in high school, she will have the opportunity for college scholarships. “She loves it. I’m hoping Blake and Logan will like it one day too,” Sarah said. “It’s fun to see Taylor at the shows, being a little girl amongst other girls, competing against grown men.” This weekend, the Oeltjenbruns will be bringing 13 goats to Princeton for the Minnesota Myotonic Madness. Taylor, Logan and Blake will each have the opportunity to participate in showmanship. “One of my bucks got a point this spring at a show in Chariton, Iowa,” Sarah said. “If they get three points they become a grand champion and are retired from the show ring to give other goats a chance.” Even though Sarah’s obsession with goats is at an all-time high, she is ready to enjoy watching her children enjoy the same upbringing she had as a little girl and cherish these memories for years to come.
A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING
PHOTOS BY MICHAEL STRASBURG
Rich and Deb Hansen stand between Rich’s 1930s Chevy and 1951 Ford F-1 – the first year of the long-running Ford F-series.
Hansen’s diverse motor collection By MICHAEL STRASBURG Staff Writer
PHOTOS BY LAURA HINTZEN
The Oeltjenbruns started with three goats as pets and now have accumulated 37 fainting goats on their 114-acre farm in Belgrade.
RICE - It all started with a 1975 motorcycle, said Rich Hansen as he walked through his four storage buildings beside his home in near Rice – each building packed with automotive collectibles. “It started with this motorcycle right here. A friend of mine had it,” Hansen said. “I was milking cows, he was milking cows; we were both farming and I traded him for a Honda three-wheeler. He had three boys so he traded. That’s where it all started. It was sitting in a granary – kind of dirty, stuff stacked on top of
it. I took it and put new tires on and got it back to running.” Hansen isn’t milking cows anymore, but he’s still cleaning up motorcycles – including that 1975. Hansen sold his farm in 1993 and moved down the road. Now he works in insurance with his sons Once he sold the farm, Hansen’s modest collection began to grow. What started out as a showroom, housing a 1970 Corvette Stingray and eight motorcycles, would go on to morph into a multi-garage complex, filled with odds and ends that Hansen picked up over the years. “What happened was I just kept adding buildings. When
I started it was just the one. I had a shed and I had the showhowroom – 24’ by 28’ where I had a Corvette and motorcycles. es. I thought, ‘well, I’m set good with that.’ Pretty soon I was out of room,” Hansen said.. First Hansen added a 32’ by 48’ shop, which soon fi lled filled up, so he added a 40’ by 80’ onto it. “Then I built a second cond 40’ by 80’, and two years ago I added on the end of that at a 34’ by 64’ for my tractors. rs. I think I’m done now,” Hansen nsen laughed. Five years ago, Hansen nsen and his wife, Debbie, revamped the original showhowroom into a modest man-cave cave that features a bar, poker table able and is packed with trinkets and knickknacks “My wife asked me ‘why why don’t you build a man-cave?’” e?’” DIVERSE COLLECTION continued on page 13
Blake decides to go for a run with his goat.
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Friday, September 1, 2017 - Country Acres • Page 13 DIVERSE COLLECTION continued from page 12 Hansen said. “So we go to auctions and garage sales to fill this place up. We kind of collect goofy stuff.” Just beyond the mancave, however, is the first indication of just how impressive Hansen’s collection is. As Hansen opens the doors, a panoply of classic snowmobiles is revealed – a collection so colorful and diverse it resembles a painter’s palette. “Every one is a different brand,” Hansen said. “I like to just collect nice original stuff, but there are about 30 snowmobiles and maybe a dozen cutters that go with them.” The cutters are pull-behind sleds or carriages, just as diverse as the snowmobile collection. One of which was a rescue cutter from Hoyt Lakes. “Hoyt Lakes village owned it in case there were snowmobile or ski accidents,” Hansen explained. “There is a gurney that comes out of there so you can lift the person out and carry them over.” Next to the rescue cutter is the first trail groomer used by the St. Steven snow-runners. The handmade groomer was constructed in the early 1970s, Hansen notes as he references the hand-drawn
blueprints that came with it. The oldest models in Hansen’s 30-snowmobile collection are a 1964 Polaris and a 1965 Ski-Doo. Hansen has several rare snowmobiles too, including a Yukon. Hansen said most of the snowmobiles were not restored, they were simply cleaned up and maintained by him. Beside the snowmobiles are Hansen’s equally-impressive motorcycle collection. Perhaps the most notable motorcycle is the 1974 Rickman, simply for the fact that the engine has never been started. “It’s a racebike from England and it’s never been driven – it’s never been started,” Hansen said “In fact, they put this grease on the bike, they put it on when stuff comes from other countries. It’s a film of grease that protects the bike. I wiped all that grease off because it was collecting dust, but I wish I hadn’t. I should’ve kept it on, just to show it.” Hansen, however, has no intention of starting the 43-year-old racebike – but he has had plenty of experience with racebikes. Up until five years ago, Hansen raced motorcycles. He said the biggest difference with racing at his
Hansen owns eight 1950s tractors made by eight different brands. “I’m not partial to any certain brand because I like the different looks of them all,” he said.
DIVERSE COLLECTION continued on page 14
Hansen’s colorful collection of 30 snowmobiles includes a H 1964 Polaris and a 1965 Ski-Doo.
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This classic Jaguar holds a spot in Hansen’s showroom.
Page 14 • Country Acres - Friday, September 1, 2017 DIVERSE COLLECTION continued from page 13 age was the speed of things. “You go slower,” he laughed. “You’re racing against people your own age, so you don’t have to be as fast to be competitive.” The next building over is filled with engines that are a bit more powerful – tractor engines. Hansen has eight 1950s tractors on display – all different brands. “Again, I’m not partial to any certain brand because I like the different looks of them all,” Hansen said. “For me, collecting is all about finding things that appeal to me. If it appeals to me, I like it, I buy it. Or if I remember something, like if a neighbor had this when I was growing up – then I like it and have that kind of a connection.” While being interested in a wide variety of engines makes it easier to shop, it also makes it much easier to buy. “Most everything appeals to me, that’s the trouble I have,” Hansen laughed. “Whether it’s cars or motorcycles or whatever. I’m not particu-
lar to anything. I like Fords, Chevys, Dodge, International – anything. I like all the different looks. That’s my downfall, that’s the problem I have.” In his final showroom, nearest to the house, Hansen has the first car that was part of his collection: the 1970 Corvette Stingray. “It’s the year I graduated from high school. That seems to be the era everybody remembers and likes – the year they graduated from high school,” Hansen said. Filling out the garage is even more motorcycles and three cars: a classic Jaguar, 1978 Porsche and a 2007 Corvette. In the other garage is a 1930s Chevy car and a 1951 Ford F-1, from the first year of the Ford F-series. Out of the classic cars, Hansen enjoys driving the Porsche the most. “It’s probably the most fun to drive, although the Jaguar is nice too. The old Corvette is probably my least favorite – it’s a real rough ride,” Hansen said. Hansen tries to take each motorcy-
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The 1974 Rickman motorcycle that sits in Hansen’s shed has never been started – and at this late date, Hansen has no intentions to change that.
cle and car for a short ride each year. He starts each tractor in the spring and fall. The summer is mainly occupied by sweeping through his entire collection and cleaning and maintaining each piece – something Hansen enjoys deeply. “I love having this stuff and cleaning it,” he said. “I’m not a very good mechanic and I certainly don’t do restorations other than small stuff, but I appreciated how it’s done and all the work people put into that. I just enjoy keeping things clean, nice and organized and making sure everything is ready to go when we want to use it.” Hansen does take his cars out for ride a little more often though. He and Debbie meet up with several other
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drivers and go for rides and get dinner throughout the summer. And while he doesn’t take his engines to many shows, another aspect of collecting that Hansen enjoys is inviting people over and showing them his collection. Hansen enjoys telling people all about the machines and answering their questions. That said, there’s one question he can never, and will never, be able to answer: what’s your favorite? “I have a favorite until I look at the next one, then that’s my favorite,” Hansen said. “I really don’t have a favorite though. For me, when I decide to get rid of it, it’s all going. I can’t possibly piece it out one at a time. I guess it will be a huge sale.”
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Page 16 • Country Acres - Friday, September 1, 2017
SHOWTIME! When it comes to dairy industry, Thyens are all in By LAURA HINTZEN Staff Writer GROVE CITY –There’s something to be said about the saying, “You can take the boy out of the farm, but you can’t take the farm out of the boy.” Russ Thyen grew up in northeast South Dakota on a dairy, beef and grain farm while his wife, Heather, grew up on a dairy farm with 40 head of grade Holsteins 18 miles north of Grove City. Both were involved in 4-H while growing up and Heather showed livestock as a kid. “When you have older siblings doing it, you just do it too,” Heather said. After they got married, the couple lived on a farm west of Hutchinson for seven years until they moved to Grove City in the fall of 1993 on a 20-acre piece of land. There, they started their business, Empty Pockets Holsteins, where they raise 15 heifers, a combination of shorthorns, black and white Holsteins and red and white Holsteins. While they have their heifers on their hobby farm, both their main occupations involve the dairy industry. Heather works for Minnesota DHIA as a software specialist and previously worked in the Al Industry for 12-and-a-half years, breeding cows, and dealing with semen and supply distribution. She is also a member of the Purebred Cattle Association Board of Minnesota.
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Heather Thyen (right) shows her Holstein at the 2017 MN State Holstein Show.
Russ spends most of his time driving across southwestern Minnesota, where he transports liquid nitrogen tanks storing semen and distributing it to dairy and beef producers that breed their own cows. He has been on the Minnesota Holstein Board for the past nine years and served as president for the last two years. In addition, both Heather and Russ are on the Minnesota Livestock Breeders Association Board representing the red and white dairy association and the black and white Holsteins. One might think that with all their activities within the dairy industry, they might have enough of it by the end of the day. However, they find great enjoyment in showing their heifers at cattle shows. The Thyens have been showing at the World Dairy Expo for the past 22 years in Madison, Wis., and attend their county fair and the Minnesota State Fair each year. They show at multiple levels including 4-H, the state open level, county, state, regional and nationally. Keeping the heifers lean and looking sharp is a timely task. Evening chores consist of washing them and feeding them completely separate diets. Rations are different depending upon the time of year. Starting in February and running through October, the cattle are fed show rations, when they are fed beet pulp, showcase and soybean meal. After the state fair, the heifer can go back to eating grain and continue growing. “At that time you can mix it all together and it won’t matter if they’re too heavy in three days,” Heather said. “I always say show season’s never over. You have to keep doing it,” Russ said. “In February I’m cutting hair off the heifers. Most dairymen would say we’re
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crazy.” The Thyens are showing seven animals at the Minnesota State Fair to see how they place, and then will decide how many they will be bringing to the World Dairy Expo in early October. “It’s way too expensive to just bring an average one,” Russ said. “We’re always striving for a lean figure with our heifers.” Showing rewards The Thyens have even had a few elite animals over the years. “An older milking shorthorn cow we have has made seven trips to Dairy Expo, where she placed in the top 10,” Heather said. “We’ve had a few All-American nominations where they all at least have to make top six of their respective breeding class.” One of their heifers, “O Me O My,” has attended the dairy show for 7 years. “That’s probably my biggest pride – when you can take a cow, be eight years old and make seven trips and compete at a national level,” Heather said. “We’ve only not had medals two of those times and we have to be in the top 10 to get medals. Now we’re still showing her offspring.” The Thyens’ daughter, Elizabeth, is following in her parents’ footsteps, and has begun showing animals herself. After adopting Elizabeth, the Thyens gave her a heifer named “Frenchie” and put it in Elizabeth’s name so she could build a cow family from there. She is the third generation homebred for Elizabeth. Currently, she is too young to qualify for 4-H, but she is still able to show at Minnesota State Junior Shows. Already, she knows her animals. SHOWTIME continued on page 17
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Friday, September 1, 2017 - Country Acres • Page 17 SHOWTIME continued from page 16 “Elizabeth walked into the shed this spring and said ‘I want to show that heifer.’ Sometimes you can tell when they are born that they’re extra big or fancy. She was just a calf,” Heather said. “I told her ‘if you want to show her, you’ll train her to lead completely.’ She turns around and wins the junior calf class at the Minnesota State Junior Show and took second in the open class.” If things continue as they are, the Thyens should have many years to watch their daughter carry on their show tradition.
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PHOTO SUBMITTED PHOTO BY HERMAN LENSING
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Page 20 • Country Acres - Friday, September 1, 2017
Friday, September 1, 2017 - Country Acres • Page 21
Beef breeding is as simple as black and white Nelson Charolais herd complements each other By NATASHA BARBER Staff Writer
RICE — For many people in central Minnesota, the word cow is most often associated with a black and white breed. The iconic Holstein dairy cattle are unsurpassed when it comes to producing milk and of the nine million dairy cows across the country, 90 percent are of Holstein descent. You’ll find 50 registered milking Holsteins on Dwain and Barb Nelson’s Farm near Opole, but the family also retains a less typical black and white herd. They are the Nelson Charolais. Dwain and Barb, their daughters Katie and Rachel and son-in-law Travis Molitor (Rachel’s husband) are the proud owners of 50 head of beef cattle made up of
purebred creamy white Charolais and black Simmental/ Angus. They raise the Charolais for private treaty and consignment sales throughout the Midwest. “It was a 4-H project which kept growing,” said Katie Nelson, the primary caretaker of the herd and Junior Advisor of the Minnesota/Wisconsin Charolais Association. “I had shown dairy cows, but at 14 [years old] wanted to try something different. Family friends recommended a farm to purchase a beef heifer from and, it was by luck, I ended up with Charolais.” Charolais are one of the oldest French cattle breeds and were developed solely for beef production. They are large cattle with broad bodies and heavily muscled loins and haunches. Full grown bulls weigh on av-
PHOTO BY NATASHA BARBER
Nelson Charolais are located near Rice. Charolais are a beef cattle breed which are known for their weight-gaining ability and lean muscle.
erage 2,400 pounds and cows can easily average two ton. Because of their weight-gaining ability and lean muscle they are attractive to commercial beef producers who are looking to make the most of their dollar. “In a commercial setting, bulls are going to bring added pounds
at weaning weight, while the breed itself has been able to keep birthweights relatively under wraps. There is a stigma that Charolais are born big, but they complement black cows well,” Katie said. The Nelsons use embryo transfer to produce more genetically superior calves from one mating of purebred Cha-
rolais. After calving each year in the dead of winter, the Nelsons use artificial insemination and embryo transfer to implant their black cows with purebred Charolais offspring. “I choose my donor cows based on preferable genetic attributes. I want to multiply them faster to further advance our herd,
so we’ll transfer the extra embryos into surrogate black cows. Rather than having one calf from a mother, I’ll get ten,” Katie said. About thirty embryos will be transferred into the herd each year, the rest of the herd is artificially inseminated NELSON CHAROLAIS continued on page 23
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Page 22 • Country Acres - Friday, September 1, 2017
COUNTRY COOKING
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1 cup white sugar 3/4 cup shortening Pinch of salt 1 egg 1/4 cup sorghum syrup 2 cups flour 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. cloves 1 tsp. ginger 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda.
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Friday, September 1, 2017 - Country Acres • Page 23 NELSON CHAROLAIS continued from page 21
PHOTO SUBMITTED
The Nelson Charolais herd is a mixture of purebred Charolais cattle and black Simmental-Angus crosses.
Nelsons. Katie checks each pastured herd once a week for illness, feet complications and additional items like mineral needs, fencing problems and weed control if needed. In addition to the weekly checks, Katie weans calves in three groups. She brings them home and halter-breaks them for shows, fairs and upcoming sales. “When I pick out a show heifer, I start with good sound feet and legs. If a heifer can’t move she’s not going to work well for the herd in the future. That’s the most important,” Katie said. She also looks for cleanliness throughout the neck which blends smoothly into the shoulders, a deep rib cage and a long body. The Nelsons sell about ten show heifers each fall to those doing 4-H
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snow. “We calve in January because it gives us older calves to market in the fall and fits in our labor resources better than March or April, before spring field work and our busy off-the-farm jobs,” Katie said. “We don’t have many problems, but I found that if you keep them dry, bedded well and check on them routinely after they are born, you can turn them out to field after those first few weeks as long as they are up on their feet.” And it helps that she already has good genetics in the mix. “A cow in good body condition will naturally produce the colostrum for the calf. It’s easy having a healthy calf/cow pair if they start out with good nutritional status,” Katie said. So simple, it’s black and white.
CASept 1_1B_KH
and a clean-up bull. Because the Nelsons calve their Charolais beginning in January and start breeding mid-March, most of the herd is confirmed pregnant before being let out pasture in May. “I have four different pastures spread out near Gilman, Avon, Holdingford and home, but will only run a bull in one of them,” Katie said. “We’ll implant or A.I. and then kick the cows out to grass with the bull. I don’t keep those last ones around long enough to confirm a pregnancy.” After the cow/calf pairs are released to pasture for summer, they rely solely on free-choice mineral and what the ground below provides. Katie practices good pasture management and makes sure not to overstock and overuse her grass. There is minimal upkeep during these months for the
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Page 24 • Country Acres - Friday, September 1, 2017
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MINNESOTA
FARM FAMILIES OF THE YEAR
P.O. Box 359 Long Prairie, MN 56347
Bus: (320) 732-2819 Fax: (320) 732-2148
Page 2B • Country Acres - Farm Families of the Year - Friday, September 1, 2017
Douglas County
Dave and Amy Staples Family Minnesota Farm Family of the Year - 2017 oth Dave and Amy grew up on family farms in Douglas County. Dave was raised on a farm purchased by his father in 1977. Amy’s family farm began with her greatgrandfather and was passed down to her grandfather and then her father. After obtaining a degree in business management from Moorhead State University, Dave began his farming career. He now farms with his father and two brothers near Kensington, where the Staples family raises corn and soybeans on 3,500 acres. Dave and Amy have four children: Dawson, Gage, Ryder and Addison. The older boys help in the fields in the spring and fall when time allows between sports and school. Gage is busy in FFA at West Central Area Schools. Dave has been involved with the Douglas County Corn Growers committee for eight years. He currently serves as church secretary and on the advisory committee of Kensington LCMC. Amy is a special education teacher at Discovery Middle School in Alexandria and has volunteered as president of the Parent and Community team. Both Dave and Amy coached youth basketball for several years.
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PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM
(above) The Staples family raises 3,500 acres of corn and soybeans near Kensington. Pictured are (from left): Dawson, Dave, Addison, Amy, Ryder and Gage Staples.
(right) Amy Staples helps pick sweet corn, which the family sells at a vegetable stand in the fall.
(below) Dave Staples works on machinery in the shop north of Kensington.
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Friday, September 1, 2017 - Country Acres - Farm Families of the Year • Page 3B
Kandiyohi County PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MINNESOTA EXTENSION SERVICE
Accepting their Farm Family of the Year award is the Orsten family of Willmar. Pictured are, from left: Dr. Brian Buhr, Dean of the College of Food and Agriculture; Ross Orsten, Robert and Rochelle Orsten, Michael D. Hsu, U of M Board of Regents; and Dr. Trevor Amos, Dean of Veterinary Medicine of the U of M.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Family fun, with various modes of transportation.
PHOTO LAURA HINTZEN
James Orsten (from left) with Dylan Schueler and Robert Orsten.
R and R Family Farms Minnesota Farm Family of the Year - 2017 he Orsten family began raising breeder turkey hens in 1967. Ray and Marge Orsten started with 600 turkeys and today the Orsten families raise about 70,000 breeder hens. In 1992, the Orstens added registered Hereford cows and in 2006 the families added row-crop farming into their system. The Orstens are the second generation of the family to raise turkeys and the third generation is preparing to continue the tradition. Today, the Orsten families, Ross and Rhonda and their two sons, George and Darren, along with Ross’s brother Robert, his wife, Rochelle, and their five children RJ, Brady, James, Talia and Autumn, focus on producing high-quality turkey hatching eggs. They also raise about 800 acres of corn and soybeans and own a herd of about 120 registered Hereford cows. Several family members are involved and employed on the farm. Robert is past president of the Minnesota Turkey Council and past president of the Community Christian School Board in Willmar. He and Rochelle are also senior high youth leaders at Living Hope Church in Willmar.
T
PHOTO LAURA HINTZEN
At right, turkeys are being moved to production barns at R and R Family Farms in Willmar.
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Page 4B • Country Acres - Farm Families of the Year - Friday, September 1, 2017
Meeker County
PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH BETHKE
The Manannah Valley Farm is operated by the Schmitz family out of Eden Valley.
Manannah Valley
From front left: Anthony Butterfass, Hailey Butterfass, Elizabeth Thyen, Emma Butterfass and Kaiden Nelson. Middle: John and Julie Schmitz, Bernie and Aggie Schmitz, and Heather and Russel Thyen.
Minnesota Farm Family of the Year - 2017 he Schmitz family moved to Meeker County in 1966 and worked for Spruce Shadow Dairy Farm near Litchfield. In 1979, the family moved to the current farm near Manannah. The Schmitz herd consisted of registered and grade Holsteins. Bernie Schmitz worked at First District Association and his wife, Aggie, was in charge of the day-to-day operation of the farm. In 1996, Bernie and Aggie’s son, John and his wife, Julie, along with their children, Jolene, Jill and Joel, moved to the farm and took over its operation. Three years later they purchased it. The current dairy herd on the farm consists of black and white and red and white Holsteins, Milking Shorthorns and Brown Swiss. The family milks about 30 head and has 30 young stock on the farm. The farm consists of 80 acres and the land is rented to the third generation of the family. John and Julie are in charge of milking and decision-making. Bernie helps with feeding and other day-to-day chores along with help from Jolene and her fiancé, Lance. Jill and her husband, Bret, and their family, along with John’s sister Heather and her husband Russ and their family, occasionally help on the farm and are very involved in the county fair and state and national dairy shows. John’s brother Greg helps out around the farm when time allows. Aggie served on the Meeker County Fair Board for 20 years. Bernie and John have been very involved in various local and national Holstein organizations. The Schmitz children have been involved in 4-H and FFA and the family has volunteered at American Dairy Association activities including Breakfast on the Farm and the dairy princess program.
Back: Bret and Jill Butterfass, Grey Schmitz, and Jolene Schmitz and Lance Nelson.
T
The Manannah Valley Farm is located in Eden Valley and was established in 1979.
Jolene Schmitz kisses her show cow on Thursday, Aug. 24.
FIRST DISTRICT ASSOCIATION (320) 693-3236 John Schmitz shovels feed into a wagon on his farm in Eden Valley.
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Friday, September 1, 2017 - Country Acres - Farm Families of the Year • Page 5B
Pope County PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH BETHKE
Chris and Deanna, and Andy and Rachel Emmert manage Emmert farm in Pope county. Chris and Deanna hold their daughters, Alison (left) and Bailee on Tuesday, Aug. 22.
Emmert Family Farm was established in 1959. Brothers Chris and Andy and their wives Deanna and Rachel manage the farm together.
Emmert Family Minnesota Farm Family of the Year - 2017 van Emmert bought the farm in 1959 when he was just 19 years old. Throughout the years he managed the dairy and farmland, and with his wife, Teresa, he raised a family. In the mid-1990s, Ivan and Teresa handed over the dairy to their sons, Andy and Chris. Today, Andy and Chris, along with their families, run a dairy farm with the help of two Lely robotic milkers. Each family manages its own dairy herd of 75 cows and robotic milker. They raise their own heifers on-site. The families work together to manage the farmland and raise feed for their animals. Andy and his wife, Rachel, have 10 yearold twins, Megan and Ethan. Chris and his wife, Deanna, have two daughters, Alison and Bailee. Andy is on the Langhei Township Board. Chris and Deanna are members of the Glacial Ridge Cattlemen’s Association.
I
The Emmert Family Farm use two Lely robotic milkers to milk their cows.
Alison Emmert feeds her chickens at Emmert Family Farm on Tuesday, Aug. 22.
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Friday, September 1, 2017 - Country Acres - Farm Families of the Year • Page 7B
Todd County
Lee and Laurie Paskewitz Family Minnesota Farm Family of the Year - 2017 ee and Laurie purchased their farm in 1991. They moved to it with 12 cows, purchased 40 more, and soon added a free stall barn. They continued to grow. Today, the Paskewitz have a dairy herd of 250 cows—primarily Holsteins with some Jersey and Guernsey cows as well. The family grows 250 acres of corn for silage and grain and 120 acres of alfalfa. Lee is the owner-operator of the farm known as Solid Rock Dairy. The Paskewitz children, Lindsay and Alek, worked on the dairy farm until they graduated from college and started careers of their own. Son Colton continues to work on the farm when he’s home from college for the summer. Lee and Laurie are active in their community. Lee has served as chair of the Todd County DHIA board, served on the Todd County Extension Committee, was township board chair for six years and has volunteered as a football and basketball coach. Laurie is a reading specialist at Staples Elementary School; she volunteers in the Staples Kinship Mentor program and is a member of the Staples Friends of the Library. The Paskewitz family is very active in their local church.
L PHOTO SUBMITTED
The Paskewitz family of Browerville was named the Todd County Farm Family of the Year for 2017.
PHOTOS BY LAURA HINTZEN
At right, Lee Paskewitz works on machinery. Below, Paskewitz stands in front of the sign collection displayed on the barn.
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Page 8B • Country Acres - Farm Families of the Year - Friday, September 1, 2017
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