Country Acres 2018 - June 15 edition by Star Publications

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

Page 2 • Country Acres - Friday, June 15, 2018

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 Katelyn Asfeld, Writer kate@saukherald.com Carol Moorman, Writer carol@melrosebeacon.com Abby Hopp, Intern

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

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. Deadline for news and advertising is the Thursday before publication.

This month in the

COUNTRY 4 June is what month? Diane Leukam Column 8 Luxes invite community to dinner Eden Valley 10 Busy Blenkers Albany 14 Barn quilt enthusiast shares artistic expertise Rose City 16 Flea bitten Wendy Womack Column 18 A battle with buckthorn Sauk Centre 21 Country Cooking

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June is what month?

une Dairy Month is something I have heard about for, well, decades. Growing up in Stearns County on a family dairy farm, and having been a dairy farmer myself, it has been something I basically take for granted. There are promotions galore, princesses and breakfasts on the farm. This month, Meeker County is even trying something new: Dinner on the Farm. Mike and Bridget Lux will host the dinner of grilled cheese sandwiches, milk, cookies and root beer floats on their Eden Valley Farm June 22. Did you know June is also National Turkey Lovers Month? Here in Country Acres, turkey production is a vital part of the economic landscape that perhaps gets less attention, but is absolutely phenomenal. Minnesota is the top turkey-producing state in the nation. Kandiyohi and Stearns counties rank No. 1 and No. 2 in Minnesota, with Meeker County at No. 7. Nationally, Kandiyohi County is No. 5 and Stearns is No. 9, according to Minnesotaturkey.com. Amazing. National Turkey Lovers Month is designed to remind people that turkey is good to eat all year round – not just on Thanksgiving. I agree. Speaking of eating, June is National Country Cooking Month. What does that mean? To me, it is meat and potatoes, vegetables and homemade bread. It is food made from scratch. I’m not sure if this is a country thing or a German thing, but I

by Diane Leukam remember helping out a neighbor family when I was a teenager. They ate potatoes three times a day. A large pot of potatoes was boiled each day and those not used right away were sliced and fried for the next meals. We ate a lot of potatoes that way too. Finally, June is a National Great Outdoors Month. In our area, that means a lot of fishing, boating, hiking, biking and camping. For others, it is graduation parties, weddings, potlucks and everything else we try to cram into our busy summer months. For me, it is being outside in the evening and listening to the tree frogs croaking up a storm, watching things grow and reveling in the warmth, sunshine and rain when it comes. For Gary and Judy Gall, June means watching the wildlife on their Sauk River property near St. Cloud. From wood ducks to flying squirrels, they never have a dull moment as water keeps flowing by. Cindy Haffner of Rose City is preparing for her display of barn quilts at the Evansville Art Center throughout the month of July. In addition, in a winning combination of art and barns, quilt trails

have become a fun way to experience the summer. Raising an abundance of children, animals and crops is everyday living for Adam and Rachel Blenker of Albany, where the Blenker family has farmed for 152 years. Ashley Huhn is an auctioneer whose life is steeped in the people of farm country. The Litchfield man calls auctions for everything, from land to guns, but enjoys the country people he works with more than anything. Weeds are just one of many challenges to make life interesting, not only for farmers, but anyone who owns property in the country. With ingenuity and determination, most of them are manageable. Buckthorn is one of many invasive plants landowners must deal with. On scenic little Fairy Lake of Sauk Centre, the local Lions Club is battling to remove the plant from their park. Left unchecked, buckthorn can take over large areas of properties quite quickly. Until reading the story, I had no idea it could reach a height of up to 25 feet. The plant can be quite a challenge, a far cry from the wild mustard I picked for a penny a stem in the oats fields as a kid. I hope you enjoy the stories, advertisements, recipes and everything else in this issue of Country Acres. We now go back to once-a-month issues for July and August. Our next issue comes out July 20. Enjoy your summer in the country, and see you next month!

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Friday, June 15, 2018 - Country Acres • Page 5 GALL continued from page 3

on the tree. He was not sure what would happen next. The hen came back to the house and kicked out another egg from the nest. “Those two eggs must’ve cracked, because she kicked those out and was back laying in her nest like nothing happened,” he said. The next day, June 5, the eggs hatched and the ducklings bustled around in the nest, eager to get out. The hen and her brood left the nest June 7. As they waited for the ducklings to hatch, the Galls admired other birds and wildlife that show up in their yard. “We call it our halfway house for birds in the winter,” Jodie said. “It’s a whole new setup in the winter with the feeders.” On the edge of their property, a Bald Eagle nest sits high on a tree. “We go out there and check the nest out every now and then,” Gary said. “Right now, we can see the eaglets moving around in the nest. It’s a neat sight.” The Galls also raise a few chickens, Golden Pheasants and Lady Amherst Pheasants. “Birds are just fun to watch,” Jodie said. “You learn their habits, their behaviors and what time of the year they come around. We really enjoy it.” Another animal the Galls see in their yard are flying squirrels. “The squirrels come out at night and come down the tree to eat from the bird feeders,” Jodie said. “You can hear them crawl down and latch on the feeder and all of a sudden, whoosh, they take off to the next tree.” The Galls were able to get a picture of an albino flying squirrel that frequently visited their feeders at night. “Oh man, that was unreal,” Gary said about the albino flying squirrel. Flying squirrels are the only nocturnal squirrels in Minnesota according to

the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, which is why they possess larger eyes than their daytime cousins. The folds of skin extending from the front to their hind feet make it possible for them to “ﬂy.” When they leap from a tree, they outstretch their legs to form a square-like shape and are able to glide as far as 150 feet. The Galls have two adult sons and four grandchildren. As a family, they enjoy kayaking and ﬁshing on the river. “I don’t think we could ever not live by water,” Jodie said. “We lived here so long that we’re just so used to the movement and the nature part of it.” “We love where we live,” Gary said. “There’s always some sort of wildlife activity going on. There’s never a dull moment.” PHOTOS BY KATELYN ASFELD

Jodie Gall holds up a photo of an albino flying squirrel they spotted several years ago in their backyard near St. Cloud.

A camera is mounted on the inside of a Wood Duck house with wire running to the television monitor inside a shed on Jodie and Gary Gall’s property near St. Cloud. The Galls mounted the camera this year to watch ducks nest.

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Page 6 • Country Acres - Friday, June 15, 2018 HUHN continued from front

Years later when Steffes owned the company, he was approached by the owner with an idea. “Scott [Steffes] sat me down one day and said, ‘You know what, I need an auctioneer and I think you would be a good one. I want you to go to auction school,’” Huhn said. He went to a course in Denver through the World Wide College of Auction-

eering and soon was calling auctions. There are three things Huhn said make him a better caller: practice, practice and more practice. “After a couple weeks of school, when you come back technically you are an auctioneer, but you’re really not that good,” he said. “But, you have learned how to practice and how to conduct yourself. The key

to being a good auctioneer is knowing what you’re selling and knowing the value.” For example, when he is selling a $200,000 combine and the bidding is slowing down at $180,000, he needs to convince the bidders why they should bid more, which requires a knowledge of the piece of machinery. Everything being sold must be re-

searched. Huhn auctions off all sorts of items, from machinery to antiques and everything in between, but he has a clear favorite category. “I really like selling real estate,” he said. “Real estate is very different from equipment for the simple fact that they’re not making more of it. There is a lot more tension in the room…

it’s a high-stakes deal. It’s hard for the farmers. They are leveraging everything they have, especially when a farm piece comes up for sale right next to them. It’s a situation where they think they’ve got to have it, because this could be their only chance to buy that piece of land in their lifetime.” The company recently sold land out of its

PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM

Machinery is lined up in rows at the Steffes Group auction site May 23 in Litchfield. The machinery will be sold in two separate on-line auctions.

Iowa office that had never been sold. It had been in the family since it was homesteaded by the U.S. government and had never been up for sale. It had been passed down through the same family through generations. Huhn said many farmers are tired of paying high rent, but they do it to get their foot in the door to possibly purchase land. “The problem with farming is you have to have land to farm,” Huhn said. “The entry barrier to getting into farming is very high. It’s almost impossible without a large capital investment for anyone to start farming.” In his mind, land is still a good investment. Like many farmers will tell him, it is going to be worth even more someday. They do not know when that someday is going to be, but say they would rather pay too much and own it. Another thing Huhn enjoys selling is guns. He, along with one other person in his office, is a Federal Firearms License (FFL) holder. “It’s a hot topic these days, and the reality is the ATF [Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms] just doesn’t want guns put in the hands of bad people,” Huhn said. “They just want to make sure that when

HUHN continued on page 7

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Friday, June 15, 2018 - Country Acres • Page 7 HUHN continued from page 6 we’re selling guns that we call the FBI and do the transfer.” Before a gun purchase can be finalized, the company must call the FBI or complete an online form to run a background check on the purchaser. Huhn has never had anyone fail a background check. “If you don’t think you can pass a background check, you probably won’t be bidding on a gun,” he said. The reason the company decided to get a license was because they were doing many estate auctions with guns. “A lot people out in the country have guns,” Huhn said. “They do a lot

of hunting and getting rid of coyotes and different varmints.” Auctions are Huhn’s life work, but it is the people he meets day in and day out that make his work rewarding. He knows how emotionally overwhelming it can be for farmers to sell their property, whether it be a few pieces of equipment or an entire farm and everything that goes with it. “There could be a thousand reasons why they are selling,” he said. “It’s hard for people. Sometimes I feel like a life coach, to be honest. Sitting around a table, some of them can’t keep it together and pretty soon I can’t keep it togeth-

er. It’s crazy.” When auction day comes around, sellers often find the day turns into a blur. About five years ago, Huhn’s crew began creating something sellers can treasure. They photograph the event and later present the sellers with a professionally-designed keepsake. “We put it all in a hard-cover book for them and it’s pretty cool,” he said. “We don’t always tell them they’re going to get that. We’ve had people call back and say, ‘That’s the best thing. Can you make three more?’” Whether he is selling land or guns, machinery or

the lifetime collection of bachelor farmers as he did recently, Huhn will enjoy every minute of it. With a laser focus he will watch

the crowd for a twitch, a wink or the slightest nod. Some he has known for years, others he will meet that day.

“They are great to work with, and that’s what we like about our jobs,” he said. “They’re our kind of people.” PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM

Ashley Huhn shows two samples of books for clients May 23 in his office in Litchfield. The books are sentimental keepsakes to help clients remember their auction day.

We salute and thank our local dairy farmers - especially throughout June Dairy Month Photo books are made to memorialize Steffes Group’s clients’ auction event, shown May 23 in Litchfield.

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Page 8 • Country Acres - Friday, June 15, 2018

Luxes invite community to dinner Meeker County ADA launches new promotional event By ABBY HOPP Staff Intern

EDEN VALLEY – Mike and Bridget Lux were up for a challenge when the Meeker County American Dairy Association (ADA) had proposed a new dairy promotional event. “We are hosting to promote our agricultural community,” Bridget said. Mike and Bridget own Lux-ury Holsteins, where they milk 115 cows near Eden Valley. Lux-ury Holsteins will host the first annual Meeker County Dinner at the Dairy, June 22. “The ADA is looking for an event with a different time frame and something new, an event for families to bring kids and for people of all ages,” Bridget said. The Lux family is not new to dairy promotions, although it has been a while since they have opened their farm to the public. They hosted a dairy breakfast 20 years ago. “We have always en-

joyed going to other farms for events like these, and we feel that it’s our turn again,” Mike said. The family looks forward to working with the Meeker County ADA as they bring in vendors and activities on the farm, including a hay bale maze, selfie station, Ag Centric trailer, corn and tractor toys and many other activities for all ages. The dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m. and run until 8 p.m. Grilled cheese sandwiches, milk, cookies and root beer floats will be available for a free-will donation during the event. Over the next several weeks, the Luxes will be preparing their farm for a slew of people eager to learn about dairy farming. The Lux family has been busy cleaning the farm and completing chores, like ordering new gravel and scheduling a power washer to get ready for the big event. The Meeker County ADA is planning the event;

PHOTO BY JENNIFER COYNE

Bridget and Mike Lux are hosting the first ever Meeker County Dinner at the Dairy June 22 on their 115-cow dairy farm near Eden Valley.

the Luxes only have to prepare their property. “We don’t have a lot of obligation to create activities for the event,” Bridget said. “The ADA board has been great. They are doing it. They are all busy people too, so I don’t take the work they are doing lightly.”

station someone in each area of the farm to answer questions and keep the visitors safe. “Greg is hoping to make it home and help on the farm,” said Bridget of their 19-year-old son who is spending the summer in Aberdeen, S.D. The Luxes’ other son,

Along with the help of the ADA, many friends in the area will be present at the event to assist the family. Eden Valley–Watkins FFA members and Ridgewater College dairy students will be on hand to guide tours. The family hopes to

Tim, 21, will be unable to attend the event as he is stationed in North Carolina in the army. The family is looking into handicapped parking and offering rides for those who park far away, but

LUX continued on page 9

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Page 10 • Country Acres - Friday, June 15, 2018

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By CAROL MOORMAN 2-and-a-half years in the service. Staff Writer Life is busy – and good– on this farm that has ALBANY – It is just been in the Blenker family after 10 a.m. on June 6 and for 152 years; Adam is the Adam Blenker just ﬁnished ﬁfth generation Blenker to mixing feed for hundreds own it. And in about three of replacement heifers on weeks it will get busier. his and wife Rachel’s farm The Blenkers’ sixth child west of Albany. Their older will be born, with the girls children, Maria, 14, An- hoping it will be a boy, so drew, 11, Ely, 9 and Kait- the numbers are even. Not lyn, 5; are busy playing only that, but chances are, outside. Inside the farm- more baby heifers will arhouse, Rachel is getting rive for them to tend to, their youngest daughter, adding to the close to 500 3-year-old Evelyn, ready replacement calves they for the day. raise at any given time, Adam’s grandpa, from three different dairy 93-year-old Andrew, who farms in Albany, St. Franhas separate living quarters cis and Little Falls. Not to in the farm house, returns mention baby chicks which home after attending Mass are due to arrive any day and playing cards for two now. Then there are the hours. He has lived on this nine baby pigs that were farm, or another Blenker PHOTO BY CAROL MOORMAN farm two mile away, all BLENKERS Three generations of Blenkers – (front, from left) Andrew, Ely, Kaitlyn and Evelyn; (back, from left) Andrew, Maria, Adam and of his life except for his continued on page 11 Rachel – stand in front of calves on their 152-year-old family farm west of Albany on June 6.

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farming there full time and in 1997, took over the farm from Andrew, who was crop farming at the time. Adam and Rachel Gilsrud met while in high school in Albany in 1995 and dated until they married in 2002. Rachel grew up on a hobby farm. “I always said I’d never marry a farmer,” she said smiling. Even before they married they worked together on the farm. Their farm had been a dairy farm for close to 100 years, but since the 1970s, the barn stood empty. Adam and Rachel decided it was more productive to raise replacement calves for other farmers. To begin dairy farming again, they would have had to update the barn and undertake other improvements. Over the years, they expanded and built new enclosed sloped barns, with PHOTO BY CAROL MOORMAN pens, to house the heifer Kaitlyn Blenker looks at the calves, while also allowing calves June 6 on the Blenker them to wander outside. One barn holds 110 and the farm near Albany. other 300 calves at various stages of growth. They usually have between 400 and 500 calves on the farm at one time. Rachel used to help with chores, like feeding, but now their older children take turns helping, Call 320-352-6577 more so in the late stages today to advertise! of her pregnancy.

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“All of us fed yesterday,” said the younger Andrew, who also has taken a liking to the baby pigs, so much so that, on this morning, he ran around the pen to try and catch one but came up empty handed. Their children also help with fieldwork. The Blenkers farm 315 acres in corn, beans and alfalfa. “We utilize the crops for feed, and I use the straw for bedding,” said Adam. The calves are fed twice a day, at 6:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Adam estimates feeding takes a total of three hours a day, that includes feeding milk replacer and starter to the baby calves in the huts. The calves’ water is changed regularly. “If it’s hot, they are given water several times a day, and if it’s really cold, you have to feed them extra times a day,” said Adam, who has attended classes and seminars to keep up with farming industry changes. With this type of farming, there are more leniencies when it comes to schedules. “You are still tied down because he (Adam) loves to feed at the same time,” said Rachel, with Adam adding, “Say I have something going on, I can

BLENKERS continued on page 13

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Page 14 • Country Acres - Friday, June 15, 2018

Barn quilt enthusiast shares artistic expertise Haffner decorates farm buildings near Rose City

ROSE CITY – Putting an artistic touch on home décor and farm buildings has always been an interest of Cindy Haffner’s. Four years ago, Haffner further developed her interest when she stumbled across the art of barn quilts. Since then, she has created 75 barn quilts for herself and others. “Since I love to paint, and hate to rip, I tried my hand at a few barn quilts and was hooked,” she said. Haffner creates the barn quilts out of her and her husband, John’s, home near Rose City where she also owns and operates a country boutique. The business has allowed Haffner to explore creative decorating trends from various outlets such as magazines and turning those ideas into reality. “I was relaxing one PHOTOS BY LAURA HINTZEN Cindy Haffner shows a breast cancer ribbon piece she made in day, browsing through honor of her mother and three sisters who are survivors of breast a country magazine and came across an article cancer. Haffner makes barn quilts at her home near Rose City.

completely. With each quilt, she brings in her own unique twist, utilizing her skills in shading to best showcase the design. “By the time it leaves here, it’s perfect,” she said. “I tell them how to hang it and give them a little extra paint to cover up the screw heads.” Haffner displays her own barn quilts on the outside of a 1930s barn on

about barn quilts,” Haffner said. Barn quilts are quilt patterns painted on wooden panels of various sizes that are hung on exterior walls of barns and other buildings. “A barn quilt is made for barns, not beds,” HaffHAFFNER ner said. continued on page 15 Finding herself easily intrigued by the barn quilts’ stories and patterns, Haffner started painting her own at her home in 2014. “I learned a lot over four years about what works and what doesn’t,” she said. “I use Medium Density Overlay (MDO) which is an exterior sign board.” Haffner takes orders for barn quilts throughout the year, but focuses on painting them during the winter months. Typically, a customer will come in with an idea and Haffner will take it from there, creating either a 2- by 2-foot, 4- by 4-foot Each barn quilt is painted onto either a 2 by 2 foot, 4 by 4 foot or or 8- by 8-foot barn quilt 8 by 8 foot piece of Medium Density Overlay (MD0). upon request.

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Depending on the size and how many colors are requested, it takes Haffner nearly a week to complete one barn quilt. She has to wipe them all down, sand the edges, putty any holes, prime them twice and paint them three times before she starts her pattern. Haffner uses painter’s tape on all of her projects to keep track of her progress. The tape ensures that she does not miss a coat when working on a project and allows the paint to dry

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Friday, June 15, 2018 - Country Acres • Page 17 HAFFNER continued from page 15

fled off. Starting July 6, Haffner will have a display at the Evansville Art Center (EAC) during the whole month of July on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Amidst running her own business and helping her husband farm, Haffner’s time dedicated to making barn quilts is limited. One day she hopes to put more focus on the quilts. “I truly enjoy putting in my time and effort to make sure my customers are happy with my work,” Haffner said.

PHOTOS BY LAURA HINTZEN

Cindy Haffner has been making barn quilts for nearly four years. This barn quilt is customized for a family who enjoys tractors and gardening. The eight-point star represents eight grandchildren.

A barn quilt is designed using a waterwheel pattern and painted in all Swedish colors to match a quilt. Cindy Haffner mixed various shades of blue and yellow to give it more of a soft look. Cindy Haffner holds her favorite hummingbird piece at her home near Rose City on June 6. To her left is the breast cancer ribbon piece, and behind, is a barn quilt one of Haffner’s sisters made for her.

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Page 18 • Country Acres - Friday, June 15, 2018

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verity of this, and that helped.” The Lions Club worked with Kern and the DNR on a long-term plan to control the buckthorn. Kern assessed the extent of infestation on 16 acres of wooded area of the Lions Park and determined the buckthorn needed to be removed mechanically. “Treatment of buckthorn depends on the severity of the infestation,” Kern said. “In this case, for the park, it was a pretty severe infestation.” The seeds on a buckthorn shrub are round black berries that are slightly toxic to animals. The berries’ toxicity actually benefits the shrub’s reproduction.

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Meier. “Well, we never did anything and maybe 10 years ago, we voted on getting a quote from someone to remove the buckthorn and it got voted down, and now this year, we got more involved. We had the DNR come out and give a speech to the members on the se-

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PHOTO BY KATELYN ASFELD

Lions Club members Ken Dirkes (from left) and Ken Meier, water planner for the Todd County Soil and Water Conservation District Shannon Wettstein and Department of Natural Resources Forestry Officer Jason Kern stand May 25 in Lions Park at Fairy Lake. Buckthorn was mulched in a large area of the park in an attempt to control the invasive species.

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SAUK CENTRE - The Lions Club Park on Fairy Lake is used by many for social gatherings, picnics, swimming, boating, fishing and other festivities. The park, made up of 30 acres of land bordering the lake, offers a serene place for the public to enjoy. Trails in the wooded area of the park are available for parkgoers to take a stroll through the trees and admire nature. The park, however, has been facing a detrimental invasive species over the last few decades – buckthorn. Humans brought buckthorn to the United States from Europe in the early 1800s. It was used extensively as a hedging material as it grows rapidly and responds well to cutting. The shrub/tree possesses green leaves, prominent leaf veins and leaves that are edged with small teeth. A thorn grows

at the tip of a twig, giving the shrub its name. Buckthorn grows back every year and holds its leaves much later in the fall than other trees and shrubs. The shrub is detrimental to a forest as it fills the understory of trees, wiping out any forest regeneration. It also contributes to soil erosion by shading out other plants that grow on the forest floor. “In Minnesota, we never seemed to have a problem with it up until the 80’s,” said Department of Natural Resources Forestry Officer Jason Kern. “It has accelerated since then and really became a problem. The concern of the buckthorn in the park was brought to the club’s attention over two decades ago. “About 25 years ago, there was a gentleman in town that was a teacher and he said, ‘You guys have buckthorn started out there, you better get on it. That stuff spreads,’” said Lions Club member Ken

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Lions Club taking steps to control infestation at park

A battle with

“The seeds have a diarrhea effect, so when birds eat the berries, they fly away and spread the seeds through their droppings,” Kern said. “It’s a virulent plant. The seeds are extremely good at reproduction. Our native trees, for example, burr oaks, if there’s a 10 percent catch of the burr oak acorns, that’s a good year. Buckthorn is about 90 percent effective. So, as trees fade out, there’s nothing to replace them but buckthorn.” In addition to forests, buckthorn can be a problem in grasslands. Kern has spotted the shrub growing on the edge of a freshly-plowed corn field.

He also said buckthorn’s shallow roots cause soil erosion, impacting water quality. “It’s a water quality issue because as the buckthorn shades out all of the forbs and grasses on the forest floor, that soil is now available to erode because the roots don’t hold very well,” Kern said. The Lions Club hired a tree service company to mechanically remove the shrubs using a forestry mulching head attached to a skid loader, and, in steeper areas, by hand with a chainsaw. The mulching head pulls the buckthorn

BUCKTHORN continued on page 19

Friday, June 15, 2018 - Country Acres • Page 19 BUCKTHORN continued from page 18

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into its teeth and grinds it up on the spot, leaving chipped pieces of it on the forest floor. The operator works around large trees while grinding up the shrub. Removal of the buckthorn, however, will take several years until it is to a level where it can be managed by the Lions Club. In the following year, Kern and Lions Club members will re-evaluate the state of the park and work on their next step in the removal process, hoping that each year will be less extensive than the last. “The next step will probably be spraying with some herbicides and more

BUCKTHORN continued on page 20

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A forestry mulching head attached to a skid loader is used to grind up buckthorn shrubs May 25 at Lions Park next to Fairy Lake north of Sauk Centre.

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A buckthorn branch grows May 25 at Lions Park. Buckthorn is characterized as a shrub/tree with glossy green leaves, prominent leaf veins and leaves that are edged with small teeth. A thorn grows at the tip of a twig, giving the shrub its name.

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3 Tbsp. paprika • 1⁄2 cup honey 1 Tbsp. salt • 1⁄4 cup apple cider vinegar 2 tsp. ground pepper • 3 Tbsp. olive oil 1⁄2 tsp. cayenne pepper • 1 onion 1 tsp. garlic powder • 3-3 1⁄2 pounds pork roast 1⁄2 tsp. thyme Mix together all the dry spices. Add honey, vinegar and olive oil to make a paste. Rub paste all over the pork roast. Cut onion in half and place on the bottom of a slow cooker. Place roast on top and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Once finished, shred pork and serve as main dish or as pork sliders with coleslaw.

Grandma Martha’s Pancakes • • • • •

3 eggs • 1 tsp. salt 1⁄3 cup vegetable oil • 1 tsp. baking soda 1 quart buttermilk • 1 tsp. baking powder 1⁄2 cup sugar • 2 cups flour 1⁄2 cup flour Beat eggs until fluffy. Add oil and buttermilk and beat together. Add sugar, 1⁄2 cup flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Once mixed together, add the remaining 2 cups of flour. Mix until the batter is wet, it will be lumpy. Pour pancake mixture onto hot griddle. Serve plain, with blueberries or chocolate chips. Top with hot syrup.

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1 tsp. ground pepper 1⁄2 tsp. oregano 1⁄2 tsp. sugar 1⁄8 tsp. cayenne pepper 1 can dark red kidney beans, rinsed 1 can chili beans

Brown the beef and put remaining ingredients into large Dutch oven. Stir, cover and simmer for 1 1⁄2 hours. It is also great to make in a slow cooker on high for 4 hours.

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2 Tbsp. butter • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken 2 medium carrots, shredded • 2 cans wild rice, drained 1 medium onion, diced • 1 pint whipping cream 2 stalks celery, diced • 1⁄2 tsp. salt 1 cup mushrooms, canned or fresh, • 1⁄4 tsp. pepper sliced • 1⁄2-1 tsp. Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, or • 1⁄4 cup flour until the flavor is just right. • 4 cups chicken broth Sauté vegetables in butter until tender. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth until thickened. Add wild rice, chicken, cream and spices and cook until heated.

Grandma Carey’s Peach Pie • 6 peeled peaches sliced or enough to • 1⁄4 tsp. salt fill a pie plate • 2 Tbsp. flour • 2 eggs • 1⁄2 tsp. cinnamon • 2⁄3 cup sugar • 1 can evaporated milk Beat two eggs. Add sugar, salt, flour, cinnamon and evaporated milk. Pour over sliced peaches in a 9-inch unbaked pie crust. Bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes.

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Page 22 • Country Acres - Friday, June 15, 2018

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2.99% FOR 36 MONTHS

MORE RUGGED MORE REFINED

VISIT POLARIS.COM FOR MORE OFFERS

RANGER Just 20 minutes from Little Falls or St. Cloud on Cty Rd 17,

HOLDINGFORD

320-746-2165 Holdingford

CA June 15_1B_JW

www.jimssnowmobileandmarine.com

PIERZ, MN

320-468-2161 Hwy. 27 West

SAUK CENTRE, MN 320-352-6543 Hwy. 71 South

www.modernfarmequipment.com

UP TO

CA-June15-1B-TV

© 2018 CNH Industrial America LLC. All rights reserved. “New Holland” is a trademark registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., subsidiaries or af liates.“Equipped For A New World” is a trademark in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or af liates.

*Offers vary by model. Rebate and finance offers valid on select 2014–2019 new and unregistered models purchased between 6/1/18–6/30/18. See your authorized dealer for complete details. **Rates as low as 2.99% APR for 36 months. Examples of monthly payments required over a 36-month term at a 2.99% APR rate: $29.08 per $1,000 financed; and with a 60-month term at a 5.99% APR rate: $19.33 per $1,000 financed. An example of a monthly payment with $0 down, no rebate, an APR of 2.99% APR for 36 months at a MSRP of $12,299 is $357.62/mo. total cost of borrowing of $575.16 with a total obligation of $12,874.16. Down payment may be required. Other financing offers may be available. See your local dealer for details. Minimum Amount Financed $1,500; Maximum Amount Financed $50,000. Other qualifications and restrictions may apply. Financing promotions void where prohibited. Tax, title, license, and registration are separate and may not be financed. Promotion may be modified or discontinued without notice at any time in Polaris’ sole discretion. WARNING: Polaris off -road vehicles can be hazardous to operate and are not intended for on-road use. Driver must be at least 16 years old with a valid driver’s license to operate. Passengers, if permitted, must be at least 12 years old. All riders should always wear helmets, eye protection, and protective clothing. Always use seat belts and cab nets or doors (as equipped). Never engage in stunt driving, and avoid excessive speeds and sharp turns. Riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix. All riders should take a safety training course. Call 800-342-3764 for additional information. Check local laws before riding on trails. ©2018 Polaris Industries Inc.

Friday, June 15, 2018 - Country Acres • Page 23

Save BIG

this planting season

200

$ If you Buy 3 items receive: mail in rebate vDrive, Delta Force and Speedtube $ If you Buy 2 items receive: mail in rebate vDrive, Delta Force and/or Speedtube $ If you Buy 1 item receive: mail in rebate vDrive or Delta Force or Speedtube

150 50

Other Specials

Is offering a 6% cash discount and 2.99% Financing for 36 months on orders over $10,000 starting June 1st and ending August 25th 2018 Call for details!

$25.00 planter inspection per row that includes meters being tested & looking over the planter for broken and worn parts. Expires August 25th

15% off shop labor done at Johnson Seed & Ag - Belgrade untilJuly 15th

5% off on farm labor until July 15th

Grow the Population you Plant $5.00 rebate per row on Copper Head Ag Wheels on orders over 12 rows.

STARTING AT

210USD PER ROW

SPIKED INSERTS $

90USD

USD 130 PER ROW

Allows young roots to penetrate sidewalls

Allows young roots to penetrate sidewalls Fits into your existing closing wheel hubs Fits into your existing closing wheel hubs Prevents furrow from re-opening Prevents furrow from re-opening Angular tooth design helps prevent clogging Angular tooth design helps prevent clogging Built-in depth control allows for use with multiple crops Built-in depth control allows for use with multiple crops Works in virtually all soil and tillage conditions Works in virtually all soil and tillage conditions Especially in saturated soils soils Especiallyeﬀective effective in saturated For all makes and models For all makes and models Case IH Great Plains Horsch John Deere Kinze Monosem White

Case IH Great Plains Horsch John Deere Kinze Monosem White

Peter Johnson 320-212-8551

EACH

Unique combination of sidewall

Unique combination of sidewall crumbling and soil ﬁrming crumbling and soil rming Angular tooth design helps prevent Angular tooth design helps prevent clogging clogging Works in virtually all soil - from sandy Works in virtually all soil - from sandy to heavy and clay-based to heavy and clay-based Provides improved in in Provides improvedseed seedslot slotclosure closure bothconventional conventional and both and no-till no-till situations situations Especially eﬀective in saturated soil Especially effective in saturated soil

4041 180th Ave SE, Lake Lillian

Nick Hanson 320-979-6820

Jason Schaefer 320-491-5632

Page 24 • Country Acres - Friday, June 15, 2018

HAWKINSON AG

21-10-1 Big Mak Blue 2110SF

6.17

2220SF

CA June15_LO

7.17

CALFPRE

FLEET SUPPLY

www.yarmonford.com www.yarmonford.com

9251

Monday-Friday 8:00am-7:00pm Saturday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. • Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. Saturday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. • Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Saturday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. • Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

PAYNESVILLE

LITTLE FALLS

Hwy. 71 S. • Ph. 320-732-6195 STORE HOURS

GLENCOE

Hwy. 27 • Ph. 320-632-9240 STORE HOURS

3105 10th St. • Ph. 320-864-4304 STORE HOURS

Monday - Saturday 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Sunday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Monday-Friday 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. Saturday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

www.yarmonford.com

S APPEARANCE PKG., 2.5, 18” MAGNETIC ALUM WHEELS, RRSPOILER, CLOTH

NEW

MSRP

ST70

10.47

MANNA PRO

Calf MannaPelleted

12.37

2150

32.67 Hunting & Fishing Licenses Available At All Locations!

1050 Centre Street, Sauk Centre • 320-352-5261 WWW.FLEETSUPPLYMN.COM

www.yarmonford.com

$18,135

DISC./REBATE $3,294 VALUE PRICE $14,841*

www.yarmonford.com

LIFETIME LIMITED WARRANTY INCLUDED WITH EVERY NEW VEHICLE PURCHASE. PLUS 10 YEAR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE!

NOW THATS A FACT!!!

STOCK #85200

NEW FOCUS SE

NEW FLEX SEL AWD

HOT PEPPER RED METALIC SE APPEARANCE PLG., FOG LAMPS, COLD WEATHER PACKAGE, HTD STEERING WHEEL, HTD. SEATS 17” ALLOYS. W

NEW

MSRP

PRICED FROM $35,188

$32,540

DISC./REBATE $7,543 VALUE PRICE $24,997* STOCK #81400

STOCK #81218

NEW F150 XLT 4X4 CREW

RUBY RED W/ APPEARANCE PACKAGE, BLACK PAINTED ROOF, OVER 75 TO CHOOSE FROM. 20’S, NAV, TRAILER TOW, LEATHER AND ‘SUPER’ HOT

DISC./REBATE $5,015 VALUE PRICE $18,630*

*ALL REBATES TO DEALER, AND MUST FINANCE THRU FMCC. OAC.

9.97

No Cash...No Problem. Charge It!

MSRP

STOCK #80222

$23,645

9250

NEW

$24,380

1 gal $

8.97

BIG GAIN

AUTO, COLD WEATHER PKG., HTD SEATS, HTD MIRRORS, 16” BLACK MACHINED WHEELS

DISC./REBATE $4,381 VALUE PRICE $19,999*

11.87

Chlorinated Pipe Line Detergent 1 gal

NEW FORD FIESTA SE

MSRP

2.77

ST260

Available at all Fleet Supply Stores

www.yarmonford.com

NEW FORD FUSION

SALE PRICES GOOD June 15 - 30, 2018 Get your Propane tanks filled here!

STEARNS PACKAGING

BIG GAIN

11.57

LONG PRAIRIE

www.yarmonford.com

www.yarmonford.com ww

2115

GLENWOOD

www.yarmonford.com

ST11

Sure Start 16% Complete Goat Goat Creep Starter 18% 21% Total Calf

Hwy. 28 & 55 • Ph. 320-634-5209 STORE HOURS

Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. Saturday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. • Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

ST121

24.07

BIG GAIN

1050 Centre Street • Ph. 320-352-5261 STORE HOURS

Hwy. 55 West • Ph. 320-243-3556 STORE HOURS

STOCK# 8Z101 * ALL REBATES TO DEALER, AND MUST FINANCE THRU FMCC, OAC.

2014 Ford F150 Super Cab Fx4 4x4 Fresh Trade, 25k One-Owner, Loaded ………………………………………$28,500 2017 Ford F150 Super Cab Lariat 4x4 Fresh Trade, 6300 Miles, Sold Here New …………………………………$43,850 2005 Ford Escape Limited AWD 107k Jet Black, Clean Fresh Trade ……………………………………………… $6,694 1978 Ford Thunderbird 38k, Fresh Trade, Fresh Out of Storage Diamond Edition ………………………………$16,000 2012 Ford Platinum Crew Cab Fresh Trade, 68k and Clean ………………………………………………………$28,000 2016 Lincoln Navigator Select One-Owner, Fresh Trade, Silver 54k ………………………………………………$42,000 2015 Chrysler 200s, Fresh Purchase, 45k, Snow White with Sport Interior ………………………………………$13,888 2008 Chev HHR Panel Van LS Fresh Trade, Clean, 119k …………………………………………………………… $4,800 2010 Chev Equinox LS Fresh Trade, 134k Black and Very Clean …………………………………………………… $6,715 2008 Dodge Nitro SLT 4x4 Fresh Trade, Black, 53k …………………………………………………………………$10,372 2005 Ford F250 SD Crew 4x4 Dsl, XLT, Fresh Trade and Clean ……………………………………………………$16,500 2016 Ford F150 Crew XLT 4x4 20k, Fresh Lease Return 2.7 Ecoboost ……………………………………………$34,200

88 640 Diekmann Dr., Paynesville, MN 9 1 e c n i S 320-243-4235 WWW.YARMONFORD.COM 32

YOUR DEALER, YOUR WAY! CA_June1_LO

www.yarmonford.com

NO890705

3.17

Acid Rinse

3.77

Concentrated Bleach 121 oz

Dairy Wipe Refills

15.57

Milkstone Remover 1 gal

STEARNS PACKAGING

KLEEN TEST PRODUCTS

YOUR COMPLETE FARM & HOME STORE

SAUK CENTRE

38.17

Hypo-Chlo 6.4% 1 gal

STEARNS PACKAGING

Sani Prep Dairy Towels 1770

SSTEARNS TEAR PACKAGING

ST1

KIMBERLY CLARK

45.17

019687

Big Mak Pre Starter

Trace Mineral Block #50 87016

32.47

Today Mastitus Treatment

HAWKINSON AG

COMPASS MINERALS

37.97

22-20-.5 Big Mak Red

White Salt Block #50

BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM

HAWKINSON AG

COMPASS MINERALS

41013S

019688

STEARNS PACKAGING AGINGG

www.yarmonford.com

www.yarmonford.com www.yarmonford.com

www.yarmonford.com

2.77

Tomorrow Mastitus Treatment

www.yarmonford.com

BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM

www.yarmonford.com

1024060

JUNE DAIRY MONTH DEALS

www.yarmonford.com

Coarse Barn Lime #50

www.yarmonford.com

WAUKESHA LIME AND STONE