ountry C cres A Sauk River
A Supplement to the Star Shopper
Friday, June 15, 2018 • Edition 9
Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment
sanctuary
Galls’ property bustles with animal activity By KATELYN ASFELD Staff Writer
PHOTO BY KATELYN ASFELD
Gary and Jodie Gall stand in front of the Sauk River in their backyard June 1 near St. Cloud.
ST. CLOUD – For 35 years, Jodie and Gary Gall’s yard has been a haven for birds. As bird lovers, they have an assortment of bird houses and feeders hanging from trees and poles on their land, providing any bird that flies through their yard a treat or a place to build a nest. Hummingbirds, Baltimore Orioles, woodpeckers, tufted titmouse, ducks, geese, nuthatches, finches and sparrows are just a few of the birds Jodie and Gary spot in their yard. Living alongside the Sauk River, the Galls also see all kinds of interesting river-dwelling creatures, such as snapping turtles, waterfowl, otters and beavers to
“I AM AN AUCTIONEER” By DIANE LEUKAM Staff Writer
name a few. Lately, the Galls have been very interested in one particular bird species – the Wood Duck. Last year, Gary saw something he thought was extraordinary. “In a Wood Duck house, I saw the female duck fly out and land on the ground below,” he said. “She kept squawking and I was wondering what in the world was going on. Soon, out come these little fluff balls, one right after the other.” The squawking Gary heard was the female Wood Duck, or hen, calling for her ducklings to come out of the nesting box. “She stayed right there in the lawn as each duckling jumped from the box and
GALL continued on page 3
Huhn connected to land, people
been his destiny for much longer. His dad introduced him to the auction phenomenon at a young LITCHFIELD – Competiage while growing up on the farm tive bidding. The person willing three miles down the road from to spend the most money wins. where he now works. Ashley Huhn of Litchfield views “He dragged me to every auctions as one of the last fronauction,” Huhn said. “When he tiers of the free enterprise, and started farming, he didn’t have one of the reasons he loves to go the ability to buy new equipment to work every day. Chances are, so we were going to auctions all he will be calling an auction, or over.” preparing for the next one. He is They went to auctions within an auctioneer. Minnesota, but also out of state, Nearly every auction Huhn as far as Missouri. works is connected in some way Huhn is the son of Roger and Janet Huhn, who still farm to agriculture, farmers and people the land along with another son, who live in the country. And, the Anthony. Though his work is full people are what he enjoys most time and then some, Huhn works about his work. While he is callon the farm when he can, with ing an auction, he knows many of Anthony reciprocating at Steffes, the bidders personally, and, with taking online bids for every auchis trained eye, sees what others PHOTO SUBMITTED do not. Ashley Huhn (right) calls an auction for Steffes Group while Alison Johnson clerks the sale. Huhn is an auctioneer who tion. As a younger man, Huhn “There are people who have enjoys selling everything from farmland to machinery and guns. worked off the farm to support been around auctions a long time, and they won’t look at you,” Huhn said. People have their reasons for bidding the most money for our sellers,” Huhn himself, a situation which became a natural fit for the auction business. He had “They’ll just wink or move their pinky the way they do. While some may be ag- said. finger on their left side and all kinds of gressive and wave their number, others Huhn, 41, has been with the Steffes joined C&H and found the company was things. We know our customers pretty do not want anyone to know they are bid- Group since 2006 when the company the least busy with auctions in the spring well. They’ll make eye contact with you ding. purchased C&H Implement and Auction and fall when farmers were in the fields. and do something; you’ll know they are “Everybody’s trying to get it the Company, where Huhn was employed. HUHN continued on page 6 bidding.” cheapest they can, and we’re trying to get His life’s work, however, seems to have