ountry C cres A
A Supplement to the Star Shopper
Friday, March 16, 2018 • Edition 3
Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment
Farming and they grow it Peterson Farm Bros’ videos reach 50 million viewers By KATELYN ASFELD Staff Writer BRANDON – Internet plays a vital role for the millions of people in their everyday lives. It is used for research, entertainment, work, to connect with friends and family, to find ideas, resources … the list goes on. From the internet came social media platforms which made it easier for people to connect and share information with others about things going on in their everyday lives. For Greg Peterson, what started as a basic narrative video for friends has evolved into a series of musical parody videos that educate, inform and entertain millions of people. As a student at Kansas State University, Peterson, 26, wanted to show his friends, who grew up in the city, what life was like for him growing up on his family’s 2,000-acre beef farm near Assaria, Kan. He decided to create a video called “Wheat Harvest on a Real Family Farm in Kansas.” The video, narrated by Peterson, explains the process of harvest-
PHOTOS SUBMITTED
The Peterson Bros, Kendal (from left), Greg and Nathan Peterson have created 13 parody music videos about farming and have over 50 million views on YouTube.
ing wheat on Peterson Farms and it was uploaded in March of 2012. Shortly after his first video, Greg decided to create another one – this time, it would be a musical parody. Greg rounded up his brothers Nathan, 24, and Kendal, 21, and sister Laura, 17, to help him create it. The video, called “I’m Farming and I Grow It,” was a parody of the song
“I’m Sexy and I Know It” by LMFAO. It was filmed throughout the month of June 2012 and was uploaded to the Peterson Farm Brothers YouTube channel June 25, 2012. Within two weeks, the video received over 5 million views. The Petersons were astonished at how popular their video became and it instilled the motivation to create more. “People in the cities don’t want to
watch videos on farming unless there’s something that draws them in and that’s the music,” Peterson said. “People know the original songs and they watch the parodies.” The Petersons select songs based on their popularity; from there, they
FISHY BUSINESS Lake L k C Country t R Replicas li captures t es d detail t il off aquatic ti species i By KATELYN ASFELD Staff Writer HAWICK – Imagine yourself in a boat on a lake enjoying the calmness of the landscape as you fish and suddenly, you catch a whopper. You wrestle with it as you reel it in and finally get it into the boat. A rush of excitement runs through you as you hold up your trophy for a photo. After taking the measurements and admiring your beauty, it is time to release your catch. As you watch the fish descend back into the depths of the lake, you imagine how nice that fish would look mounted on the wall in your living room. One business helps to make that happen. Fred Roguske is the owner of Lake Country Replicas in Hawick. His business provides replicas to over 1,500 taxidermist customers each year. As a Wisconsin native and the son of a bait dealer, Roguske grew up fishing
and always had an interest in fish. Several years later, as an adult, he earned a master’s degree in business administration from Emory University, Atlanta, and went on to be a business man. “I’ve been involved in at least a dozen businesses and start-ups over the years,” he said. “I’m an entrepreneur.” Roguske owned a landscape business in the Willmar area for several years; he decided to sell it to engage in other opportunities. During the holidays in 2003, Roguske took a set of deer horns to a taxidermist for mounting. When he went to pick them up, he asked about the process of fish taxidermy. “The taxidermist showed me what he was doing in terms of molding fish to make replicas, and I looked at the quality,” Roguske said. “It was so much better than what the industry was doing. I thought that would be fun to market.” Roguske decided to finance the taxi-
dermist in his business of fish replicas and from that, Lake Country Replicas was founded in 2004. “I have a deep appreciation
FISHY BUSINESS continued on page 6
PHOTOS BY KATELYN ASFELD
Fred Roguske, owner of Lake Country Replicas in Hawick, holds a painted peacock bass replica March 8 in Hawick.
PETERSON BROS continued on page 5
Page 2 • Country Acres - Friday, March 16, 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
This month in the
COUNTRY
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.
8 Rusty Star Ranch Melrose 10 A taste of Minnesota Hutchinson 13 Stearns County Dairy Princesses Stearns County 17 Perception of agriculture Croatian Farming 21 Cats get arthritis, too Wendy Womack column 22 Koep teaches MinnAqua Program to fifth graders Glenwood 24 A 4-H inheritance Long Prairie 26 Country Cooking
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Friday, March 16, 2018 - Country Acres • Page 3
Hear us “Chore!”
about agriculture at The three little locations throughout kids in the back seat the world. We caught of the vehicle were up with Greg Petergetting antsy as we son as he spoke to the waited for their parDouglas County Corn ents, my daughter and and Soybean Growers son-in-law, while they Feb. 21 in Brandon. ran an errand. My You never know Country Acres conby Diane Leukam what will spark an nection came into play entire movement. as I had them watch a This issue is packed with video on my phone to keep them people who connect with others entertained. in the name of agriculture, and My Montana daughter asked what the kids were watch- in the case of two of the stories, our 10,000 lakes. Or to be speing as she got into her vehicle in Missoula. I told her it was the cific, 11,842. We have a peanut butter and Peterson Farm Bros. milk exchange program, where “I knew it sounded familfor 47 years, people from Liiar!” she said, and proceeded to sing out the lyrics to “Chore tchfield and Hartford, Alabama have traveled to learn about – Roar Parody,” a parody of Katy Perry’s “Roar.” The words the dairy and peanut-growing industries, as well as life in a are inset in the gray box. completely different climate. My daughter has not lived Adam Ulbricht studies with on a farm since she left for the Minnesota Agriculture and college in 2001, but she knew Rural Leadership program and the song. shares his experiences of their The power of the internet trip overseas, where a group of shines through in this case, 32 learned about agriculture in where three young guys and Croatia. The country along the their little sister reach literally Adriatic Sea has two completely millions (more than 50 million at this point) of people through different regions, separated from one another by mountains. music videos to promote agThe Stearns County Dairy riculture. They portray themPrincesses, crowned last Saturselves as the real people they day in Freeport, are featured in are, getting up in the morning and doing their chores, feeding a Q&A where they begin their tenure as representatives of the the cattle, driving tractors and dairy industry. For the next year combines and everything else they will speak to hundreds farmers do. They are creative and funny, of people about the industry, but real. And it doesn’t hurt that to put faces and names to the people who work to provide a they can sing. Now they have gone beyond the music to speak wholesome product for others to
for more of what we love to do, enjoy. which is introduce you to the Bobbi Knutson and her fascinating world of those who husband, Dr. Paul Van Gorp, of Long Prairie raise a variety of animals on their farm, Chore – Roar Parody including hair sheep and Boer I used to help feed cattle as a lad goats. The couple inherited the Pitchin’ hay in the bunk just like my dad animals from their children’s Now I’m a farmer too, 4-H projects, and Knutson still I grow your beef for you works with 4-H kids, selling I guess you might not know and leasing animals to them and just what it takes teaching them how to show their To help produce those thick animals at the fair. and juicy steaks Shifting gears, Nancy Koep It starts with guys like me, of Glenwood teaches children out on the farm you see how to fish through the MinnI load the corn, I load the (HAY!) Aqua program created by the Then the silage fills it all the way Department of Natural ResourcThe wagon churns, I pull ahead es. MinnAuqa is a fishing and Cattle know that they about to get fed aquatic designed to teach adults They hear the noise, they run around or youth how to fish and protect (HEY!) aquatic habitat Cattle thunder gonna shake the ground Near Hawick, Fred Roguske It smells so good, they see it now owns the largest freshwater fish [Chorus] replica manufacturing business I got the eye of the bovines, at dinnerin North America. You can learn time, staring through the sunshine the process of creating lifelike Cause I am a farmer molds and replicas of various and they wanna see me chore species of freshwater and saltMorning, morning and night water fish. Cause I am a farmer Just for the fun of it, we go and they wanna see me chore along on the journey as Tim and Oh oh oh oh oh oh Laura Vogel turn their vision Oh oh oh oh oh oh into a reality on their property Oh oh oh oh oh oh along the Sauk River near MelThey wanna see me chore rose. I’ll give you a hint: Their Now the cattle know that I’m their guy Rusty Spur Ranch was quite a I treat ’em right, project but as they say, it was keep ’em healthy and alive well worth it. I feed to zero, so I’m their hero As spring arrives – we hope The markets go down, the costs go up spring arrives – we gear back (HEY!) up into publishing two issues of The farming life can get so rough Country Acres a month for the I feed in the cold, I feed in the rain next three months. Watch your The weather makes you go insane mailboxes on the first and third It can hold me down, but I’ll get up Fridays of April, May and June
call the country their home. Enjoy!
(HEY!) A true farmer will never give up I love my job, and I know that [Chorus] I got the eye of the bovines, at dinnertime, staring through the sunshine Cause I am a farmer and they wanna see me chore Morning, morning and night Cause I am a farmer and they wanna see me chore Oh oh oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh oh oh They wanna see me chore [Text] Beef cattle is the single largest segment of American agriculture. The USA supplies 25 percent of the world’s beef with just 10 percent of the world’s cattle. The animal can be made into hamburger, steak, roasts, jerky, leather, shoes, footballs, baseballs, basketballs, gelatin, soap, ointments, insulin, dog food, photography film, paint, brushes, crayons and much more! Chore, chore, chore, chore I got the eye of consumers, at dinnertime, or standing in the checkout line Cause I am a farmer and you’ll wanna see me chore Morning, morning and night Cause I am a farmer and you’ll wanna see me chore Oh oh oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh oh oh You’ll wanna see me chore “It can hold me down, but I’ll get up, a true farmer will NEVER give up!”
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Friday, March 16, 2018 - Country Acres • Page 5 PETERSON BROS continued from front come up with their own lyrics. Parodies created by the Petersons include “Farmer Style” from the song “Gangnam Style” by Psy; “Takin’ Care of Livestock,” from the song “Takin’ Care of Business,” by Bachman-Turner Overdrive; and “All About that Beef,” from the song, “All About that Bass,” by Meghan Trainor. A total of 13 parodies have been created by the Peterson Farm Brothers and they have over 50 million views on YouTube. Each video takes two to three weeks to create. Greg writes the lyrics, Nathan and Kendal help with filming ideas and Laura helps film. Videos are all made at home and Peterson has an insulated room where he does the audio recording. “Our filming equipment is pretty basic,” said Peterson. “We do have a drone which is pretty nice. We have some nicer equipment but a lot of the filming is done with cell phones which surprises a lot of people.” A year after their first video went viral, the brothers started receiving requests to speak at various events. “I do over 80 speaking events a year, which, most farmers don’t get those kinds of opportunities,” Peterson said. “The
reason people want to hear us speak is because of the popularity of the videos.” Peterson spoke at the Douglas County Corn and Soybean Growers Association’s annual meeting Feb. 21 at the Long Lake Lodge in Brandon. He has given over 300 speaking presentations in 40 states and eight countries about the future of the agriculture industry. Nathan and Kendal travel and do speaking presentations as well, but fewer than Peterson. “We do some of the bigger events together,” Peterson said. “But Kendal is finishing up college and both of them are working a lot on the farm. They don’t like to travel as much as I do.” At the presentations, the brothers talk about how the videos started and ways people in the audience can be advocates for agriculture. Presentations are given to farmers, youth and agriculturalists all over the world at banquets, conventions, conferences, farm shows, youth events, state and county fairs, high/elementary schools and concerts. “The thing that I’ve learned from all of these experiences is that agriculture is incredibly diverse,” Peterson said in his TEDx Talk, “Celebrating Diversity in Agriculture.” Peterson is a 2013
Kansas State University graduate where he majored in agricultural communications and journalism. He also has a minor in music. His education, along with his passion for farming, helps greatly with the social media production and advocacy he does. Nathan graduated in 2016 from Kansas State University with a major in agriculture technology management, and Kendal is a senior at Kansas State majoring in agribusiness. “Definitely getting to see all of the different areas in the United States and Canada and being able to meet so many farmers, farm families and kids,” Peterson said of his favorite part of the promotion. “There’s a lot of kids that watch our videos, and we enjoy being positive role models and having a good influence on them.” For over five years the Peterson Farm Brothers have been advocates for agriculture, showing people all over the world their farming practices on their farm through their parody videos, social media influence and public speeches. They plan to continue being active advocates. They also plan to farm together as the fifth generation on their farm. “We always wanted to farm together,” Peterson said. “So, one day, we’re hoping to do that and con-
tinue to be advocates for agriculture and continue working on the things we’re doing.”
PHOTOS SUBMITTED
Greg Peterson of Peterson Farm Bros near Assaria, Kan. speaks to a crowd about his family’s farm in Kansas during the Douglas County Corn and Soybean Growers Association’s annual meeting Feb. 21 at Long Lake Lodge in Brandon. (below) The Peterson Farm Bros from Assaria, Kan., uploaded their first musical parody video “I’m Farming and I Grow It” on YouTube in 2012. Within two weeks, the video had over 5 million views.
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Page 6 • Country Acres - Friday, March 16, 2018 FISHY BUSINESS continued from front assembled and need to be assembled by the taxidermist. The second is assembled and ready to paint, which means the body of the fish replica is put together for the taxidermist to paint and mount. The third option is assembled and painted, where the taxidermist receives the fish assembled and painted and will then mount it. The majority of taxidermists request their replicas assembled and unassembled. Only a small fraction of requests are for the fish to be painted. Before a fish can be replicated, a mold needs to be made for that fish. To create a mold, the business needs an actual fish. Roguske is the director of fish procurement. He travels all over North America to acquire new fish species. “My job is to go out and get the fish,” he said. “I’ve been to places that I never thought I’d ever go. I do the fishing, but if I cannot, I find someone who can help me find and acquire a certain fish.” Roguske has fished in places such as Alaska, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Once he has a fish, he will take a picture of it for his employees to use as reference when they replicate it. After procuring an Employee Angel Melendez prepares gills to be fitted onto a body of a northern pike replica at Lake actual fish, the fish is positioned into a swimCountry Replicas March 8 in Hawick. for the artistic capability and the eye taxidermists have in painting,” he said. After three years, Roguske’s partner left the business to pursue other interests. “When he left, I had to decide what to do,” Roguske said. “Do I just bail and write it off or do I decide to go ahead and pursue it and make something of it? I decided to make something of it.” Since then, the business grew to become the largest freshwater fish replica manufacturer in North America. Roguske handles the business side of it while his 10 employees manufacture the replicas.
The majority of the employees at Lake Country Replicas did not have prior experience in the craft before starting, said Roguske. They learn the craft at the facility. “It can take a month to three months for employees to learn the work because it is a skilled manufacturing process,” he said. The majority of their customers are taxidermists who need a blank replica for their mount. They manufacture on average 250 to 300 replicas a month. When a fisherman catches a fish he or she wants mounted, a taxidermist does not need the
actual fish. The fisherman will take a photo of the fish and record the measurements and bring that information to a taxidermist. The taxidermist will then request a replica from Lake Country Replicas to be made based on the specifications of the fish. “We find a mold that is about the size and shape for the fish that they caught and the taxidermists go by their pictures to match what the fish looked like for painting,” said Roguske. Replicas are sent to taxidermists in three different ways. The first is unassembled, which means the fish body, gills, head and fins arrive un-
Employee Forrest Carlson assembles a fish for painting at Lake Country Replicas March 8 in Hawick.
ming or natural position and placed in the freezer. The head is taken off and is molded separately. After it is frozen, it is placed on a raised bed of sand and the first layer of silicone rubber is poured on. The process continues until the mold is formed. Once the rubber dries, it is split and the fish is taken out. The outer layer of the rubber is coated with fiberglass. This is called the first-generation mold. “We originally started with a lot of actual fish that we make the molds
from and once we have a mold of that fish, then we can reproduce that fish any number of times,” Roguske said. “The secret to our success and quality is that we mold them with silicone rubber, not with fiberglass.” Fiberglass is a common product used in the industry for molding fish, however, the finer details of the fish are not picked up in fiberglass as well as silicone rubber, said
FISHY BUSINESS continued on page 7
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Friday, March 16, 2018 - Country Acres • Page 7 FISHY BUSINESS continued from page 6 Roguske. The business has over 1,000 molds of various fish species – primarily freshwater, but also some saltwater species. “We’re working on developing a saltwater line which is a difficult process. The fish are bigger, and we’re a long way from the coastline,” he said. Silicone rubber does wear out after some time, said Roguske. “When we get to that point, we take a blank of one of our early pulls from that mold that was very good in detail and we rework that whole fish and make new molds of all the parts. These molds are what we call a premiere
line; everything fits together real well out of that because it’s been reworked,” Roguske said. Creating a replica Once a mold is created, they can make a fish replica. The fish is made into four separate parts – body, head, gills and fins. Each part has their own mold. A two-part polyurethane mixture is poured into the fish body mold. The mold is then placed into a spinning machine for 20 minutes to spread the material out evenly into the mold. Once the spinning is finished, the body is set to dry and cure for about an hour. Heads
are made in pressure pots with the same material that is used for the body. The gills and fins are made of a different material – a three-part mixture of secret ingredients, created in-house, that make the fins translucent for a more realistic look. The material also allows fins and gills to be shaped by heat. The gills have an added pink pigment. Bait fish – which are made to be used as part of some mounts – are also made from the three-part material so they can be shaped by heat if needed. Once the molds are dry, they are polished and the eyes are added to the head. The eyes are made
of glass from China. An actual digital photo of the fish’s eyes is taken and transferred to the glass. “It’s actually an easy process, and there’s no extra work,” Roguske said. “I prefer this over painted eyes because they have a more natural look. Painted eyes are very bright and
unnatural looking.” After applying the eyes, the fish is assembled to the taxidermist’s specifications. If a replica needs to be painted, it will be taken to the painting area where employee John Osberg uses an airbrush painter and photo of the fish for reference, to create a painted fish. Once the product is complete, it is carefully packaged and sent to the customer. Prices for a replica vary depending on the size of the fish. Customers are charged by inch-length of the fish. Walleyes are the most popular freshwater fish they create, with northern pike being second. Salmon are the most common saltwater fish they create and Alaskan lingcod is the most unusual saltwater fish they create. When asked what the rarest, most unique Fish replica orders are being prepared for customers at Lake Country Replica’s warehouse facility March 8 in Hawick. The business fish they have ever made, manufactures 250-300 replicas a month.
An assembled fish replica awaits shipment to a customer at Lake Country Replicas March 8 in Hawick.
Roguske’s response was the peacock and rainbow bass. Peacock bass are a freshwater fish native to the Amazon and Orinoco basins in tropical South America. They are vivid green with black stripes, a bright orange underbelly and a spot on their tail fin. A rainbow bass is characterized as a spotted freshwater fish with a purplish body, white underbelly and teal green fins; it is native to Costa Rica. Lake Country Replicas provides avid fisherman the chance to display their trophy fish. It is especially beneficial for fish species that are strictly catch and release. The business, in partnership with taxidermists, is able to capture the life of a fish in its natural habitat, amazing all who look upon the mounted displays.
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move the house and barn 90 miles from Clara City to rural Melrose. The house was backed into the hole, jacked up and set on cribbing, so Mike Bauer and Gregg Rieland could do the foundation and block work. Stearns Electric came on site to hook up their electricity, and LeClaire Electric (Jesse and Cheryl) did the electrical wiring in the house. Tim’s brother, Dave, a master plumber, did the plumbing work. Then the renovation work began,
RUSTY STAR RANCH continued on page 9
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barn bar area, walk out onto their dock to watch the sun set over Sauk River or take a walk on the Lake Wobegon Trail. “It was a lot of work but worth it,” Tim said Tuesday, March 6, looking at photos of the process. By CAROL MOORMAN It all started with Tim’s vision. He Staff Writer and Laura were looking for property in the country to live. They were living in Melrose in the house where Tim and his MELROSE – A Rusty Star Ranch siblings were raised. Tim had a handysign greets people as they drive under man service years ago and has remodeled a wooden arch and onto Laura and Tim Vogel’s rural Melrose property. A house the house to meet their needs. When Tim saw the former Norb Hiltand barn that were moved in have been ner property, 12 acres west of Melrose, renovated. They can bask in the warmth of the in 2013 he knew his vision could become sun shining in their sun porch, enjoy the a reality, but he had to convince Laura, heat from a burning fireplace on cool fall his wife of less than one year at the time. The only buildings on the property were nights, have a beer with friends in their an old granary and a garage. The location met Tim’s criteria. Because he works for the city of Melrose it had to be close to town and be a buildable site. It was near a river and near the Lake Wobegon Trail; both plusses. “We have the best of both worlds. We’re close to town. We can tube down the river and walk down the trail. You’d be surprised at all the deer and other animals we see,” he said. After searching, the Vogels purchased a barn and three-bedroom house, complete with all new windows and appliances, located in Clara City, which had to be moved to their newly-acquired Tim and Laura Vogel are creating many memories property by Thein Moving Company. But at Rusty Star Ranch, which they are happy to call it was not a done deal, Tim said, because the movers had to come up with a route home.
Friday, March 16, 2018 - Country Acres • Page 9 RUSTY STAR RANCH continued from page 8
with Tim and Al Wolbeck doing the carpentry. They started with the barn, constructing a two-car stall garage in the lower level along with a bar area. Upstairs they constructed a loft with a deck, using old galvanized steel and knotty pine wood. “We had to build pull-down steps,” said Tim. Next Tim and Al started on the house. “We remodeled every room in the house,” Tim said. They used knotty pine wood throughout much of it, including a basement bedroom. It gives it the log house look that Tim initially longed for and finally got in a roundabout way. They remodeled the kitchen to allow for more counter and cabinet space and built a sun porch. Hardwood floors were installed throughout the house. An outside fireplace was built, and they installed a stamped colored concrete patio. When approached by the owner, the Vogels purchased 23 acres of adjoining land, which would bring them closer to the Sauk River; renting the open field to a local farm family.
Their vision isn’t quite done. They hope to build a barn to house cattle and horses. Tim talks about his and Laura’s dream board, an actual board with a list of accomplishments they hoped to do in their lives, which they created after they got married in 2013. It is now complete, and they are ready to make another dream board. “It’s adventure,” said Tim. So why did they name their home Rusty Star Ranch? Tim said Al and Betty Wolbeck gifted them with a star, and, to utilize that, they came up with the name Rusty Star Ranch. The Vogels enjoy hosting family and friends during gatherings at the ranch, where music can often be heard from different bands, including the Vogel Boys band, which Tim is sure would make their mom and dad, Susie and Ervin, happy. While the house, which was moved to the rural Melrose property from Clara City, was in good shape, the Laura and Tim plan to make many Vogels renovated each room, including the kitchen. new memories at their Rusty Star Ranch. “Sure, you can have a house built, but when you are doing it with your wife, your family and your friends, there are so many memories” said Tim. “It makes a house a home.”
When Tim and Laura Vogel purchased Norb Hiltner’s 12 acres near Melrose there was just a garage and An area in the barn is used by bands to perform a variety of music. granary on the property. They moved a house and barn onto the property, renovating each building and adding landscaping amenities.
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Page 10 • Country Acres - Friday, March 16, 2018
A taste of Minnesota Peanut Butter and Milk Festival explores sister cities By JENNIFER COYNE Staff Writer
Janie was one of eight individuals from Alabama who participated in the 47th annual Peanut Butter and Milk Festival Feb. HUTCHINSON – 24 through March 2 in While peanut butter and Litchfield. milk might not mean much The group was to many people, to those welcomed with a weeklong itinerary of events and activities that showcased Minnesota’s history, urban development and rich agriculture sector. Among their schedule of touring the capitol, visiting the Mall of America and learning about dairy manufacturing at First District Association, the Alabama visitors saw firsthand the work of dairy farming. “It’s just us,” Pam Radunz said. “The four of us do all the farming in between full-time school, college, work, 4-H, FFA, sports and everything else we are involved in.” Pam milks 81 cows with her husband, Larry, and two daughters – Alison, 20, and Ruby, 16 – near Hutchinson. The Radunz family hosted the Peanut PHOTOS BY JENNIFER COYNE Butter and Milk Festival Julia Baker, of Alabama, (left) milks a cow by hand while Alison Radunz helps Feb. 24 during a tour of attendees as part of a series of farm tours Feb. 26. They Radunz’s 80-cow dairy near Hutchinson. in Litchfield and Hartford, Ala., they are two foods that have united the cities. “[The late] Bruce Cottington was thinking what went better with milk than peanut butter sandwiches, and it’s
been our small-town thing since,” said Janie Fondren, teacher and advisor for Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) at Geneva County High in Hartford, Ala.
also hosted an Alabama delegate, Nicole Stewart, for the week. Attendees also visited Ru-Be Dairy of Grove City, a 350-cow farm owned by Joe and Karen Becker and Patrick and Rachael (Becker) Rusch. “We want to show them what dairy farming looks like in Minnesota,” said Jennifer Bipes, a member of the festival’s planning committee. For many of the Alabama students, it was their first time on a dairy farm. In the southern state, agriculture consists primarily of broiler chickens and cow-calf production, as well as cotton and peanuts. “We’re about 60 miles off the Gulf of Mexico,” Janie said. Learning about dairy farming was an eyeopening experience. “My grand-daddy raised [beef] cattle on the land,” said Emily Joiner, a senior at Geneva County High. “It’s different to see how dairy farmers keep their calves and raise them to cows.” While at the Radunz family’s farm, the group saw how a cow’s life begins at birth and she
moves through the farm – from pen to pen – until she joins the milking herd in the 62-stall tiestall barn. Then, Pam spoke of the dry-cow period. “A cow can’t give milk unless she’s had a calf; and then, she can’t give milk forever,” Pam said. “A few months before the cow is expecting another calf, we let her stop milking because she needs to build up strength and energy for the next calving.” Throughout the remainder of the tour, Larry explained the way he prepares feed for the cattle, using corn silage, hay and corn. “Up until last year, we fed cob corn. We would grind the corn and cob together to feed it,” Larry said. “Last year, we put up a grain bin that can hold 14,000 bushels of shelled corn.” Before the Alabamians left the Radunz family’s operation, they had the opportunity to milk a cow by hand and then feel the pulsating sensation of a milker. While some were hesitant to get that close to the animals, they all
PB & MILK FESTIVAL continued on page 11
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Friday, March 16, 2018 - Country Acres • Page 13
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Why did you want to be a dairy princess? I wanted to be a dairy princess because I wanted to be able to share my experiences and knowledge with those who are not familiar with the dairy community, so that I can spread a positive message about a community that is so important to me.
Why did you want to be a dairy princess? I wanted to be a Stearns County Princess for years. It was something my mom did when she was a senior in high school, and I wanted to follow in her footsteps. I also want to be an advocate for dairy and tell the stories of dairy farmers.
Tell us a fond memory you have from growing up or working on a dairy farm. One of the best memories for me was watching a calf be born for the first time. It was amazing to see the instincts of the cow kick in as she delivered her baby. I’ll never forget how spunky that little bull calf was.
Tell us a fond memory you have from growing up or working on a dairy farm. I cannot decide if my fondest memory on the farm was the first time I milked a cow or the first time I drove a tractor. I was so glad when I was finally able to milk a cow or drive a tractor. I had been asking Dad for years to teach me how to drive a tractor when I was around the age of 9.
Why is the dairy industry important to you, and why should it be important to everyone? The dairy industry is important to me because of all the great connections and opportunities I’ve had from it. The dairy industry should be important to everyone since dairy is a huge source of nutrients in a daily diet. If you could pick one dairy message to encourage more dairy consumption, what would it be and how would you deliver it? Dairy farms are sustainable and work hard to conserve our land and make decisions with our animals’ best interest in mind. To promote this, I would be active on social media, like Snapchat and Facebook, so I can spread a positive message to many people. Describe your farm and your role on the farm. I work on an organic farm where we milk 175 cows. I tend to bounce around between roles, but I primarily milk and feed calves. I also take care of my goats. Every once in a while, I do some skid loader work, but I am not very good at it so I do not do that very often.
Why is the dairy industry important to you, and why should it be important to everyone? The dairy community is important because it has been my whole life. Growing up on a dairy farm has given me a great amount of talent and skills. I know that being raised on a dairy farm has made me a more well-rounded person. The dairy community should be important to everyone because it is an important community in our state, and dairy is wholesome, nutritious and good tasting. The dairy community employs thousands of people throughout the state and the nation. If you could pick one dairy message to encourage more dairy consumption, what would it be and how would you deliver it? The key dairy message I would use to encourage more dairy consumption is the health benefits of eating and drinking dairy products. I would deliver the
MIRANDA BRETH continued on page 16
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Page 16 • Country Acres - Friday, March 16, 2018 MIRANDA BRETH continued from page 13
EMILY DONNAY continued from page 14
ANNA DONNAY continued from page 14
message with a great amount of excitement and show how enthused I am this message is by being a consumer of dairy foods in front of people. about dairy. I would explain how all dairy products contain nine essential When they notice how I enjoy milk, cheese and yogurt they might find interest in consuming dairy foods. For example, if a young kid were to nutrients for strong bone health. see me eating a cheese stick they may also want one. Another way I will Describe your farm and your role on the farm. Our farm has been deliver this message is by talking about dairy foods and explaining to in the family for three generations. We milk Holstein cattle. On the farm, those I meet what wholesome, nutritious and great tasting truly means. I am in charge of calf care, making sure the cattle are fed, general farm maintenance and help with fieldwork. I make sure both the cattle and the Describe your farm and your role on the farm. I grew up on an calves are well cared for by making sure they are well fed and bedded. I organic dairy farm. My family and I milk a mix of 40 Holsteins, Jerseys and help with the upkeep of the sheds and buildings on the farm. I help in the a few cross breeds in a stanchion barn. We plant and harvest all the hay shops with preparing machinery for the field. In the field, I help pick rocks, and corn silage the cows eat throughout the winter. During the summer with planting oats and corn, baling hay and straw, combining oats and and part of spring and fall, our cows graze in our pastures. Over the years my role on our farm has changed. When I was little, I helped where help corns, hauling gravity boxes, chopper boxes and hauling manure. was needed, mostly by feeding calves. As I got older, I started helping more and more with milking. Now, I take care of cleaning the cow’s teats ASHLEY MAUS continued from page 15 prior to milking. I also help with sanitizing and washing the milk machines before and after we milk. In the summer, I take care of the gardens on down. our farm which provide vegetables to my family and other farm animals. During the school year, I fill in where ever I am needed when I’m home. Describe your farm and your role on the farm. I grew up on my While working in the barn and milk house, my focus is geared towards family’s dairy farm where we milk 60 Holstein cows. Being as I am in keeping them clean and sanitary. college I am not home all the time, however, when I am home I can often be found milking cows. It is not the only thing I help with. My family works as a team and most of us can fulfill any task from milking cows to feeding calves and anything in between.
dairy product in hand and switch it out with dairy. This conversation hopefully will give the consumers a wake-up call and realize dairy is wholesome, nutritious and good tasting.
Describe your farm and your role on the farm. I work on I have grown up on my family’s 40-cow organic dairy farm with Holsteins, Jersey and a few cross breeds. We have a stanchion barn were the cows are kept inside during the winter but do get out once a day, and in the summer the cows are outside grazing in the pasture and only are in the barn during milking. All the feed comes from our 200 acres of crops which we grow corn for corn silage, triticale grass mixture and then alfalfa for hay. We also have pigs, chickens, ducks, rabbits, cats and a dog. In the summer I help morning and evening with milking and with field work. I also oversee the chickens and ducks. Every spring we get about 100 broiler chicks and raise them till about July, so I feed and water them daily. We also having 20-25 laying hens. I get the eggs and feed and water them. When it’s school time, I come home on weekends and breaks when time allows and am outside as much as I can be milking and taking care of the chickens and just hanging out on the farm helping where help is needed. I am in charge of keeping the book records from crops to calves to milk components. On our farm, we work together and are all able to do anything. It all depends on who’s there to do it, but it always gets done one way or another.
PHOTO BY ANDREA BORGERDING
Six girls were crowned Stearns County Dairy Princess Saturday night at the 64th annual dairy princess banquet at Freeport Community Center in Freeport. The Stearns County Dairy Princesses include (from left) Anna Donnay, Kayle Benesh, Samantha Wiechman, Emily Donnay, Ashley Maus and Miranda Breth. Emily Donnay and Donna Honer, dairy ambassador, received $500 scholarships from the Stearns County ADA. Hannah Hartung, dairy ambassador, earned the Miss Congeniality award.
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Friday, March 16, 2018 - Country Acres • Page 17
Perception of agriculture By DIANE LEUKAM Staff Writer
Thirty-two Minnesotans blink their eyes as the bus they are on breaks into the sunshine. Dots of color in the landscape greet them, sheep visible here and there grazing amongst sage plants and a view of the Adriatic Sea in the distance. The group has traveled three-and-ahalf miles underground through the Sveti Rok Tunnel, which runs under the Valebit mountains and connects the distinctly different regions of eastern
and western Croatia. “It is located right across the Adriatic Sea from Italy,” said Adam Ulbricht, who spent 12 days in Croatia with other classmates in the Minnesota Agriculture and Rural Leadership (MARL) program, returning March 1. The trip was the capstone of the 18-month program where people from Minnesota travel across the state learning about agriculture and different leadership styles. All are either farmers, agriculture business people, rural leaders or politicians
with a connection to rural leadership. Throughout the program, self-assessments are completed. “We’re learning about ourselves, but we’re also learning about the challenges and opportunities in different Minnesota communities and sectors of agriculture. I joined to get a better perspective of how things work around the state,” Ulbricht said. Ulbricht, 30, works for AgCountry Farm Credit Services based in Willmar doing marketing and communications. The son of Allan and Julie Ulbricht
of Melrose, he has strong connections to agriculture through his grandparents. “Dad was from southwestern Minnesota in Jackson County. It was a hog farm with corn and soybeans,” Ulbricht said. “My mom’s side is from the Melrose area. Her mom grew up on a dairy farm between Melrose and Sauk Centre. My grandfather was a milk hauler for Kraft for many years. I didn’t grow up on a farm, but I was either going with my grandpa on a milk route or going down to my other grandparents’ on their hog farm. That
Ulbricht’s take on Croatian farming
was always fun, and that’s what gave me a taste for agriculture.” A 2006 graduate of Melrose, Ulbricht graduated from St. Cloud State in 2010 with a four-year degree in broadcast journalism and a minor in political science, followed by his master’s in public relations in 2012. His college and post-college years were a blend of five-anda-half years in radio and three years as a journalist, some of them in Washington, D.C. He covered politics with Radio America for a summer, his most notable
stories revolving around the Affordable Care Act as well as Supreme Court rulings for G. Gordon Liddy’s national radio show. Later, he worked in St. Paul for a session before being hired by Farm Credit Services. The purpose of the MARL trip to Croatia was to see how agriculture and leadership work in other parts of the world. Croatia is a country about a quarter of the size of Minnesota, with a population of 4.3 million compared to
ULBRICHT continued on page 18
PHOTOS SUBMITTED
Adam Ulbricht sits on a wall in February in Dubronik, Croatia during a tour of the country with the Minnesota Agriculture and Rural Leadership (MARL) program. The area is the filming location for the “Game of Thrones,” and has a Mediterranean feel.
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Minnesota’s 5.6 million. The capital city is Zagreb, on the eastern side of the country. With a long history of communism and socialism, Croatia has been in an ongoing process of transitioning to their current market-based system since the early 1990s. Agriculture in Croatia varies depending upon which side of the mountains the land lies on. “The country is cut in the middle by mountains, so the eastern part is flatter, where the highest quality ag ground is for row crops, but the climate is colder than the western side. The eastern side gets a lot of snow, and we were there during a historically-cold time period,” Ulbricht said. “The east side of the country is much more gray, lacking the brighter colors of the western side. The influence of the Soviet Union is evident in the architecture and the buildings are much older.” Crops include corn and soybeans, wheat, oats and sugar beets. Much of the grains are used for feeding animals, including a significant number of
dairy animals. The group visited one major farm, which accounts for roughly half of the country’s food supply. “The common farmer is much smaller and owns a few acres,” Ulbricht said. “The machinery is definitely a lot older. You are not going to see any major, modern equipment. It was something different, which I think was the whole point of the trip.” The western part of the country has a Mediterranean feel to it. The terrain is rougher and suitable for sheep. A sheep cheese plant made for an interesting stop during the trip. “They grow a lot of grapes. There is lot of wine, olive oil and plums that they make into plum brandy,” he said. Brandies are a big item in Croatia and a favorite of Ulbricht’s. Their use highlights a difference between the Croatian culture and that of the United States. “There the norms are a little bit different,” Ulbricht said. “Here if you do some morning drinking or day drinking it’s kind of odd, but there, if people
show up they welcome them with a morning shot of brandy.” Tradition is important in the lives of Croatians, and farming traditions are tightly-held. They are 100 percent anti-GMO and pro-organic. “We heard that every single stop,” Ulbricht said. “That’s partly the European Union, but also very traditional Croatian. They want to do things the traditional way even if it’s not necessarily the most economical. They are trying to focus on quality over quantity in a lot of ways and we heard that concept.” One example of that was one of the top wineries in the country. It was not the biggest, but they are winning international awards and there is a large demand for their product. They do not increase production because they are not interested in becoming a large farming operation. Their supply is set and people are willing to pay their price.
ULBRICHT continued on page 19
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There is a lot of causes with time. It does information and adverrequire special comtising out there about pounding to get doses helping your older dog small enough for a cat. with arthritis. Most people The category of pain would also recognize the relievers used most often classic dog dealing with for arthritis in dogs and arthritis as having difficulpeople are the nonsteroity rising and lying down dal anti–inflammatories and limping. But, do you (NSAIDs). These are know how to tell if your drugs like Ibuprofen or By WENDY WOMACK cat is struggling with arCelebrex for people or thritis? One study showed Rimadyl for dogs. The that 90 percent of cats over the age of 12 problem is there are none approved by years have arthritis and that 22 percent the FDA for long-term use in cats. These of cats of all ages show arthritic changes drugs can be hard on the lining of the on x-rays. stomach and decrease blood flow to the The most common joints affected kidneys. are the hips and elbows. Arthritic cats One of the most common problems typically do not limp or show signs of we see in older cats is kidney disease, lameness. What you may notice is that unfortunately this is also the population they do not groom as well as they used most likely to struggling with arthritis. to, so their coat looks rougher and has If we give these drugs chronically to an more dandruff-like flakes. The sides of older cat with kidneys that are borderline their litter box are too high to step over in their function, we can push them into or the box is in a location that requires full kidney failure. The drugs from this them to take a flight of stairs to get to family are only approved for a few days it. They may not jump up onto areas of use in the cat, like after surgery or an they always used to, like your bed or the acute injury. These drugs are meloxicam kitchen counter. They spend more time (Metacam) and robenacoxib (Onsior). sleeping or even start hiding. They may In other parts of the world these drugs become cranky because they are dealing are used for longer periods. If we do use with chronic pain. these in the United States it is considered Your observations are the best thing off label use, which is not uncommon we have as veterinarians to diagnose ar- to do in veterinary medicine simply thritis in cats. X-rays can show the bony because we use so many medications changes of arthritis but don’t tell us how from the human world that have not well your cat is coping. Some cats with gone through full drug trials on animals. minor changes can be very painful and If we do use these drugs long term it is others with significant changes on x-rays important to do monitoring bloodwork to are still quite mobile. Cats are also not be sure your cat is tolerating them. the most cooperative about allowing a Use of aspirin is not recommended good orthopedic exam in the clinic. because cats metabolize it so slowly that One of our biggest challenges as it is easy to cause toxicity. So, what can veterinarians is how to help the cat in we do for our aging kitties? We can start chronic pain. There are currently no by making their environment a little easgood medication choices for treating cats ier to manage. Use low-sided litter boxes in chronic pain. Some pain relievers like and place them in a location they can Tylenol (acetaminophen) are actually access without having to navigate a flight toxic and will kill cats. There are a cou- of stairs. Provide steps to allow them to ple of choices from the narcotic family reach favorite places without jumping. but they have their limitations. Buprenor- Provide soft bedding and consider a phine (Buprenex) is easy to give orally heat source for that area. There are safer because it is absorbed through the cheek choices than heating pads out there now, lining and gums in the mouth but can be like discs you can heat in the microwave sedating and is expensive, so not a good that will stay warm for hours and not long-term option. Tramadol, another pose a fire risk. Always cover a heating narcotic, is bitter so it can be hard to give source with a blanket so your kitty is a cat orally on a regular basis. It also has not directly in contact with it. Start a to be specially compounded (prepared by glucosamine/chondroitin joint supplea pharmacist) to get a dose low enough ment when they hit 10 or 11 years old to treat a cat. There is a human form of to provide the body with what it needs tramadol called Ultracet, but do not ever to keep cartilage healthy. Supplement give this to your cat because it is comwith omega fatty acids (fish oils) because bined with Tylenol which is toxic. they are anti-inflammatory and help with There is a seizure medication called arthritis. Keep their weight optimal. gabapentin that has been found to also Finally, consider alternative options like be effective for neuropathic pain. That is acupuncture. All these approaches can the burning/tingling kind of pain caused minimize the need for medications, esby damaged nerves. This can be made pecially when we don’t yet have an ideal into liquid forms that can be given long one for cats with arthritis. term and cats do get over the sedation it
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Page 22 • Country Acres - Friday, March 16, 2018
Koep teaches MinnAqua Program to fifth graders Students engage in hands on activities about fish By LAURA HINTZEN Staff Writer
GLENWOOD – Fishing is a lifelong activity for both the young and old to enjoy, especially in the land of 10,000 lakes. In Minnesota, there are 5,400 game fish lakes and 18,000 miles of fishable streams and rivers. Nancy Koep, of Glenwood, remembers 10 years ago to the day she heard about the MinnAqua Program, which is a fishing and aquatic education program which partners with community organizations, schools and angling groups that want to teach adults or youth how to fish and protect aquatic habitat. Koep grew up in Clitherall and graduated from Battle Lake High School. One day she went snowmobiling with one of her friends and ended up
at her friend, Brett Setterholm’s, fish house on West Battle Lake. “All of these guys were in his fish house and I asked Brett what was going on,” Koep said. “He told me he took fith and sixth graders fishing through the MinnAqua Program.” Shortly after their encounter, Koep stopped by the Battle Lake school to visit Setterholm, a teacher, and listen to one of his classes. “He gave me the contact information for the DNR, and then I started training,” Koep said. It was then that Koep brought the nine-week program, created by the DNR, to Minnewaska Public Schools and in 2009, began teaching interactive classes about fishing to the fifth grade students. “The kids really look forward to it. The first day
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Fifth grade students at Minnewaska High School gather Feb. 14 on Lake Minnewaska, with instructor Nancy Koep of the MinnAqua program, for a group photo.
I’m in class, everybody asks about the fishing outing,” Koep said. Koep also works full time at Koep’s Bait Shop in Glenwood, where she has been the owner for the past 18 years. The program started the second week in December and wrapped up
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Nancy Koep (left) with fifth grader Brooklyn Armstrong were looking for a good catch Feb. 14 on Lake Minnewaska. Koep has been teaching the MinnAqua program, created by the DNR, to fifth grade students at Minnewaska Public Schools since 2009.
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the end of February. “Second through sixth graders can be involved in the program. Through the program, there are different levels on how to start out. I chose fifth graders because at the time my son was in fourth grade, and knew the following year, he would be in my class,” Koep said. In the 40-minute class period, students are taught
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Friday, March 16, 2018 - Country Acres • Page 23 MINNAQUA PROGRAM continued from page 22 something new each week, starting with the basics. One week, each student had the chance to make their own aquatic resource. Other topics included the six senses of fish, fish identification, making lures, fish sense’s land versus water, invasive species, water quality, pollution, fins, forms and functions, life cycle of a northern and spearing. After she is done with her classroom time, Koep treats the 96 students to a day of ice fishing on Lake Minnewaska. “We fished on Feb. 14 this year and drilled nearly 120 holes for the kids,” Koep said. Not only did the kids catch fish, they were able to check out a spear house on the lake, from the Alexandria Dark House Chapter out of Alexandria. “So many kids have never speared, or even
heard about spearing, so to be able to give them the ability to do it is huge,” said Koep. She has many local sponsors that help her fund this event, as the school does not help her out with any funds for her program. After fishing is done, each student gets to take home a new 13 fishing ice combo, completely set up and ready to fish. Because of her sponsors and local support, she can pay for the kids’ rods and let them bring them home. Three weeks from now, Koep and her friends will go out fishing, so each student is able to filet either a sunfish or a crappie. From there, the students will be able to disect the fish, learning about the internal organs. They will have to do a ‘treasure hunt,’ to identify the organs. At the end of the class they have a fish
fry for all the kids. This year, Koep is also going to be taking the class to the Minnesota Fishing Museum in Little Falls on a field trip to show them the history behind fishing. Many of Koep’s friends ask her why she continues to teach the program year after year because she is involved in a lot of activities with her two children, Ty and Evan. Koep said, “Literally two minutes after one friend asked me that, one of the fifth graders with four of his friends said, ‘Miss Nancy, Miss Nancy, you are never going to guess what I caught.’ He talked about a one-and-ahalf-foot northern. He was so proud and couldn’t wait to share it with me. That’s the stuff that touches my heart and I know I’m doing what I love, sharing my passion for the sport of fishing.”
Hunter Rood (from left), Noah Jenson, Zach Guisberg and Weston Marthaler circle around an ice hole that was freshly cut Feb. 14 on Lake Minnewaska.
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Fifth grader Brooklyn Armstrong enjoys the day with her dad, Mike, during the 40-minute instruction time from Nancy Koep of the MinnAqua program.
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Friday, March 16, 2018 - Country Acres • Page 25 PROJECT ANIMALS continued from page 24
“That is the big attraction of them,” said Bobbi about when they began with sheep in 2005. “They don’t have wool. They shed and you don’t need to shear them.” They raise the Katahdin breed. It was developed in Maine from a strain of hair sheep found in the Caribbean. Paul had read about the sheep and wanted to begin raising them. “These are a smaller breed,” said Bobbi. “We started with a herd of about 10 and now we have 20 of them. We try to keep the flock of sheep at about 20 rather than getting too big.” The goats, like some of the chickens that range around their farm, were “inherited” by Paul and Bobbie about 15 years ago after their children completed 4-H projects. “Our daughter showed sheep, chickens, goats and horses,” said Bobbi. “We kept them after she graduated.” 4-H is still part of her world. Bobbi sells and leases goats for 4-Hers. “I enjoy educating the 4-Hers so they can have a successful showing experience at the fair,” she said. The sheep are easy to care for and are winter hardy. It takes less than a year to grow what they consider a nice-sized market sheep. One reason for the
quick turnaround from when it is born to sending a sheep to market, is that the meat is different when the animal ages. “Mutton is meat from a sheep over 1 year of age,” she said. The sheep and goats they raise are generally sold to markets. Bobbi said they work with a person who knows where to sell the meat, usually in the metropolitan area. They have learned there is a difference between sheep and goats, and it is not just temperament. They have learned to raise their sheep and goats separately. “Sheep can’t have added copper, but goats can be fed it in their minerals,” said Bobbi. The Boer goat has its origins in the early 20th century in South Africa. It is thought to have descended from native stock being crossed with European and Indian stock. It was first raised by the farmers (boers) of South Africa but is now a popular breed of meat goat around the world. “They are easy to care for,” said Bobbi. “The kid (young goats) are always active. They like to climb.” Unlike sheep, the goats are browsers, not grazers. Put sheep and goats in a pasture with plenty of grass and shrubs or low-hanging trees, and
the sheep will take the grass and the goats the shrubs and trees. Despite a popular misconception, there is one item they really don’t eat. “They don’t eat tin cans,” said Bobbi. “They will chew on them for the paper and glue, but they don’t eat the tin.” Something they will do, however, is literally tear into anything. “We keep our old twine in packages. If they get out they will tear the bags apart,” Bobbi said. Whether sheep or goats, the time of greatest concern is when the young are born. “It was hard to go to work knowing one of them is in labor,” said Bobbi. That is one thing she likes about retirement. She is able to be there when the little ones come, though they don’t always follow a time schedule. “We thought that one would have her baby about two weeks ago,” Bobbi said in mid-February, pointing to one of their goats. “We have been up almost every two hours checking on her.” Occasionally there has been a need for more than just feeding the animals. Recently, one of the goats would not stand for her kid to suckle. That kid was bottle fed, and like the other kids is racing around the pen and appears to be doing just fine.
The cows, chickens and goats are farm animals, not pets, and occasionally cause concerns. Bobbi said they have more than once gotten a call from law enforcement officials because the animals (often cows) were out on Minnesota 287. “We’ve had calls at 11 p.m. or so and in the dark it is hard to find them,” she said. The variety of animals keeps them busy every month of the year, although Bobbi said in the summer they were on a bit of auto pilot mode. Still, they have enjoyed raising a family and animals on the farm. “It really doesn’t seem cat keeps watch from its perch above the goat pen on the Knutson/ like work,” Bobbi said. “It AVan Gorp farm near Long Prairie. The cat keeps the barn clear of mice. is fun.”
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