Country Acres 2018 - May 18 edition by Star Publications

ountry C cres A

A Supplement to the Star Shopper

Friday, May 18, 2018 • Edition 7

Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment

Muellner brings old items back to life By CAROL MOORMAN Staff Writer GREY EAGLE – Give Jodi (Nathe) Muellner an empty Freon tank and she will repurpose it into large, brightly colored tulip or sunflower petals or use the whole tank to make a planter resembling a dog, cat or pig. What was once a child’s ironing board is now a fish that can be hung on a wall, and another fish, made out of an old meat grinder pieces, could be placed outside in the dirt. Two goats made out of old tanks with long pliers for their horns greet people as they venture close to a shop. A clock made out of an old tractor fly wheel hangs on a wall in her and husband Randy’s rural Grey Eagle home. From the ceiling hangs what was once a container from a John Deere corn planter, which is now a light. Muellner loves repurposing old items into useable and, chances are, unusual, “Funky Junk,” which she sells at venues. “I make new things out of old things,” she said.

PHOTO BY CAROL MOORMAN

Jodi Muellner talks about how she made this ballerina and the worm that sits on a table, May 2 in Grey Eagle.

Muellner, who grew up in Greenwald, has an appreciation for old things and loves listening to stories that often go with items. She shares the story about a small table that sits in their home. The top was once a piece of wood that a carpenter crafted notches in to hold his tools. It sits on what was a Singer sew-

ing machine base. The Muellners’ TV stand was once a man’s workbench. “There’s so much character in items like these,” she said. And where does she find most of her “Funky Junk” treasures? During what she calls “picks” at scrap iron junkyards and old farms, where she searches for

items she can bring back to life. “Sometimes I think, ‘What am I doing here?’ like when I’m in an old barn, digging through stuff,” she said, adding, “And I’m afraid of mice.” MUELLNER continued on page 3

Lessons learned on the farm PHOTO SUBMITTED

Natalie Barka receives plaques at the 2018 Minnesota FFA Star in Production Placement during the 89th Minnesota FFA Convention April 23 in Minneapolis. Barka’s SAE project focused on calf health on her family’s 350-cow dairy near Litchfield.

Barka receives prestigious FFA award for dairy SAE By JENNIFER COYNE Staff Writer LITCHFIELD – In four short years, Natalie Barka has completely revitalized her family’s calf care protocol by reducing calf mortality to 3 percent and developing standard operating procedures for accurate and consistent feedings. Barka’s work was recognized April 23 at the 89th Minnesota FFA Convention in Minneapolis as she was awarded the 2018 Minnesota FFA Star in Production Placement. “This [project] gave me a sense of ownership on the farm,” Barka said. “Working to get the youngstock off to a healthy start pays off as those heifers become milk cows.” Barka, 18, is the daughter of Josh and Lynn Barka, and the third generation on her family’s 350-cow dairy near Litchfield.

At the farm, Barka is largely responsible for youngstock health – record keeping and vaccinations, as well as feeding at 5 a.m. and p.m. In eighth grade, Barka began closely monitoring the youngstock as part of her FFA supervised agricultural experience (SAE). Her first goal was to ensure every calf on milk had fresh water throughout the day and decrease the mortality rate by 3 percent. “My dad set up benchmarks for me that I should try and reach with my SAE,” said Barka, referring to the mortality rate, which began at 15 percent. Over the next three years, Barka further developed her proficiency project by incorporating her own focus all while continually lowering mortality rate. Barka’s first decision was to impleBARKA continued on page 6

Page 2 • Country Acres - Friday, May 18, 2018

This month in the

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

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.

COUNTRY 4 Girl Power Diane Leukam Column 8 Remembering Bert and Gert Albany 11 Constipation in your animals Wendy Womack Column 12 Pocket Gopher Patrol Melrose 14 Triple Duty Farwell 16 China trade concerns Roger Strom Column 18 All in the family Sauk Centre 21 Country Cooking 23 Stearns County Breakfast on the Farm Sauk Centre

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Friday, May 18, 2018 - Country Acres • Page 3 MUELLNER continued from front

She says the people at the junkyard think she is “crazy.” Items she has collected can be found in piles and in a building on the Muellners’ property; Muellner knows just where to find what. During a walkaround, she points out two cupolas that once sat high atop barn roofs. “Don’t they look like witches,” she said. Chances are, before Halloween

lable at the Albany rprise, Beacon and Herald offices.

they will be turned into witches. Muellner smiles when asked how and when she got started with her Funky Junk business. As an LPN, who works at the Franciscan Mother House in Little Falls, she fell into her pastime four years ago with encouragement from her husband. She asked Randy to make her something she had seen elsewhere, which needed to be welded. He suggested she try and make it herself,

and he showed her how to weld. “I was scared to death at first, but I wanted to prove that I could do it,” she said, adding. “I made a few things and people started asking me to make this and that.” Muellner soon became proficient – and efficient – at welding, using tools like a welder, grinder and plasma cutter. Her welding shop is in a corner of their garage, where she spends much of her spare time, especially when a craft show is coming up and she needs to build up her inventory. She displays and sells her unique artwork at the Modern Barnyard in Waite Park and at Junk Bonanza at Canterbury Downs each spring and fall. “I brought 30 planters made out of Freon tanks to Junk Bonanza and came home with five,” she said, of one of her most popular items. Her 13-year-old son, Jake, made planters that sold well at this venue. He has been welding since he was nine. Seventeen-year-old son Jayden has also welded a few items. Muellner’s artwork will be displayed, starting May 19, at Weathered Revivals, a popup shop upstairs at the ice cream shop in Freeport. Each of her items are originals, with no two the same. “The first thing I made was a flower out of old spoons,” she said. In a corner of the shop sit metal end tables that Muellner welded. She wears protective clothing when welding, including a welding mask, as sparks fly around her. A grinder is used to remove rust from an item, so she can weld on it. Muellner is proficient at us-

PHOTOS BY CAROL MOORMAN

The cover on this light, which was once part of a John Deere corn planter, hangs in the Muellner house, May 2 in Grey Eagle.

PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM

4 Child’s Play Diane Leukam Column 8 Young Farmer Q&A 10 A Cowboy Life Arizona 14 Cool Animals of the North Litchfield 16 Breast Cancer Awareness For Your Pets Wendy Womack Column 17 Is There a Trade War or Not? Roger Strom Column 18 Brewing Beer 101 Barret 21 Country Cooking

(above) Each system holds 48 panels and it takes eight of them to fill the 48. That is equivalent to 1,536 holes of lettuce. (left) The nursery where the seeds germinate for nearly a week before being moved to the panels for hanging.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Jodi Muellner wears protective clothing and a mask as she welds one of her projects in her shop May 4 in Grey Eagle.

MUELLNER continued on page 5

These two goats, made out of tanks and large pliers, sit in front of the Muellners’ shop, where Jodi does her welding, May 2 in Grey Eagle.

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ith Mother’s Day just behind us, it seems appropriate that women have captured a fair share of the ink this issue. Gert Schwinghammer, along with her husband, Bert, was a pioneer in agriculture in Albany during the early 1900s, a time when women’s roles were somewhat different than they are today. In 1984, she was the first woman ever inducted into the Minnesota Livestock Hall of Fame. Arnie and Ginny Meier of Albany reminisce about the Schwinghammers’ storied history. In Litchfield, learn how Natalie Barka, a high school senior, is making waves in animal production, specifically raising calves. Through her efforts, she has improved the health and reduced calf mortality on her family farm. She has been awarded the 2018 Minnesota FFA Star in Production Placement. In her welding shop at her home in Grey Eagle, Jodi Muellner repurposes junk of all kinds, creating fun works of art with almost anything. Plasma cutters and grinders are tools of trade…when she is not busy working as a nurse. Julie Zimmermann and her daughter, Christine Pohlmann, create a dynamic duo, teaming up to manage the day-to-day work dealing with the animals on the family’s hog and grain operation near Sauk Centre. At any given time, they are providing care for up to 8,500 animals.

I think of my parents and the team they made together on the farm. Each had their roles, and in those days, Mom’s role was to help milk cows every morning and evening, day in and day out. She helped with other farm chores as well, but the milking was her primary function as far as the dairy was concerned. With eight of us kids, she had plenty to handle in the house, with cooking and cleaning, laundry, and every few weeks, mending jeans. Back in those days, mending jeans is what you did. Does anyone patch jeans anymore? Probably not much. Think about this: How different would farming look without jeans. I would argue that jeans are the most important article of clothing ever invented for country living. What percent of farmers or ranchers wear anything else? I have no idea, but I would guess it is a very small percent. Think of the beating jeans take every day. By nightfall, they come in full of dirt, grease, manure and any other organic matter people come across on the farm. Here are a few tidbits

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everyone needs to know that I have gleaned from historyofjeans.com. The word “jeans” comes from Genoa, Italy, where cotton corduroy was produced. The word “denim” comes from a fabric that was produced in Nimes, France; “de Nimes” or “of Nimes” became “denim.” The people in Nimes tried to reproduce the jean fabric of Genoa but failed. Instead, they produced denim, what is now used to make what we call jeans, pioneered by none other than Levi Strauss in the 1850s. I suppose you could say jeans are the end result of ingenuity by the Italians, French and Germans. Funny how things have changed. Jeans are still being used, but instead of patching them, you are more likely to see people buy them with holes. However, I doubt there are many bought with holes in them for the purpose of farming. In Melrose, Toby Poepping and John Jensen have teamed up to help farmers rid their fields of pocket gophers. The men trap gophers in the spring and pretty much everything else in the fall and winter. Finally, out on the western front, the Ben Wade Town Hall was relocated to the tiny town of Farwell. Ted Irgens is restoring the school houseturned-town hall into a place for artists to work and display their creations, for the building’s third lease on life. Be sure to check out all the advertisers responsible for bringing this issue to your mailbox, and be sure to tell them you saw it in Country Acres. Give me a call anytime you have a story idea, a question, or just want to say “hello.” As always, we have enjoyed meeting all the people in this month’s issue of Country Acres, and hope you do too!

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Friday, May 18, 2018 - Country Acres • Page 5 MUELLNER continued from page 3

ing her plasma cutter to cut designs out of metal, like chickens. “For the chicken, I have a stencil and trace it on a piece of metal, so there’s still a little freehand. When using the plasma cutter, you have to work fast, because of the compressed air and fire it uses,” said Muellner, admitting she’s not a big drawer. She talks about runfning into her former art teacher, Jim Ploof, when

she sold her items at Sal- ballerina?” Muellner said. vage Sisters. She ended It sure does! up making three pieces Funky Junk is fun for for him. He also gave her this crafty lady. a tip, from one artist to another. “He told me I need to sign my pieces,” Muellner said. A larger than life worm made out of a bumper with two bolts for PHOTO SUBMITTED eyes sits on her table next Jodi Muellner (right) stands on the top of a pile of junk during a to another unusual piece, “pick,” when she searches for old made out of two different items that she will repurpose, sized metal cutters. May 3 at a local junkyard. “Doesn’t it look like a PHOTO BY CAROL MOORMAN

Jodi Muellner (left) uses freon tanks to make large flowers and planters, pictured here May 2 in Grey Eagle. Also pictured is a dragonfly she made.

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Friday, May 18, 2018 - Country Acres • Page 7 BARKA continued from page 6

“It means the world to me,” said Barka of being named Star in Production Placement. “It’s a true testament that hard work pays off, and I know the other [finalists] have done just the same.” Barka’s SAE not only greatly improved her family’s calf care, but also reignited her interest tin the dairy industry and

FFA organization. “My knowledge of dairy has increased, along with my own sense of responsibility and initiative,” Barka said. “On a larger scale, I’ve found what I like to do and have bettered myself.” The SAE has allowed Barka to develop her own herd of cattle, which consists of 24 cows and a few

youngstock. After the Litchfield High School senior graduates this spring, she will attend the University of Minnesota to pursue a degree in biosystems and bioproducts engineering, with plans to return home and start an on-farm creamery with her and her family’s herds.

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Friday, May 18, 2018 - Country Acres • Page 9 SCHWINGHAMMER continued from page 8

“Gert was always a team player alongside Bert,” recalls the Schwinghammer’s longtime friend and fellow Albany area farmer, Arnie Meier. “She was determined to do everything on the farm and she had a sharp eye in her judging.” Arnie and his wife Ginny retired from dairy and swine farming 12 years ago. Arnie had spent 72 years on the farm he was born and raised on. Now, living in Albany, the couple recalls the positive impact the Schwinghammers had on their ag life. “They were older than us and they really served as great mentors,” Arnie said of the Schwinghammers. “They were like family. We talked with them, learned from them and became great friends.” Originally meeting when their children were involved in 4-H, the two farm families acted in

multiple farm organizations, parish council and many other groups as they served their community while advancing agriculture. “Should we stop at Schwinghammer Guernseys to visit Gert without an appointment, she could be found in the barn working with Bert and the best Guernsey genetics in the breed’s history,” Arnie said. “Gert had strong work ethics, she was a leader of the Albany Climbers 4-H Club and she provided leadership in the community, the church and more.” Bert graduated from the University of Minnesota School of Agriculture and Gert from the Minneapolis Business College. The couple married on Oct. 17, 1938 and though she was not born into farming, the Stearns History Museum noted that Gert led by doing and she had said that if she wanted to be with Bert,

she had to learn how to like cows. In 1951, they established a prize-winning Guernsey dairy herd on the Schwinghammer family farm near Albany, which was originally the Ludwig farm. The Schwinghammer house was filled with dairy trophies, plaques, souvenirs, and all types of farm memorabilia. Gert’s colorful collection of cows extended to every room in the house. The Schwinghammers adopted three children. Along with raising the children and running the farm, Bert and Gert were sure to spread their expertise and time to improve the world around them. As Arnie points out, the Schwinghammer and Meier families were members of the same 4-H Club, as well as members

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SCHWINGHAMMER continued from page 9 of Seven Dolors Parish originally settled on the Church, which will cele- age of 84. and the fraternal organi- land. Berthold “Bert” was brate 150 years this year. “We enjoyed life as zations. the son of Isidor and ElizGert retired from team players,” Arnie said “We also shared the abeth and was the grand- the farm in 1997 after of his friends and ag comsame services of the co- son of Joseph and Anna the death of her beloved panions. “Rest in peace ops, the DHIA, the farm (Katzner) – pioneers, who husband and companion. and God bless Bert and organizations and more,” also were the first to be Gert Schwinghammer Gert!” he said. “Bert mentored married at Seven Dolors died Oct.18, 2002, at the me on how to get behind a podium and speak to a crowd. He was detailed and insisted on chronological order and a good delivery when speaking.” Arnie and Bert worked together too, in elected positions with Seven Dolors Parish, serving together for six years on the parish council. Thereafter, Arnie and Bert served as Seven Dolors Parish Trustees, Arnie serving for 20 years and Bert serving until he passed away at age 86. Gert was a member of the National Dairy Shrine and was involved in the 4-H leadership program. She was also involved in Home Extension, the County Home Council, and the Albany and Stearns County History Museums. She also served as Avon Township Clerk and was an active volunteer. The Schwinghammer name is still well known around Albany and the surrounding communiARCHIVE PHOTO BY MIKE KOSIK ties since the family was Bert and Gert Schwinghammer hold the plaque they received after being placed in the Minnesota among the pioneers that Livestock Hall of Fame in 1984. They were the first couple to hold the place of honor.

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Page 12 • Country Acres - Friday, May 18, 2018

POCKET GOPHER PATROL Poepping, Jensen rid alfalfa fields of rodents

PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM

Toby Poepping (left) and John Jensen get ready to set traps May 14 southwest of Melrose. The men trap gophers for area farmers every spring, sometimes setting 90 traps a day.

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and daughter, Jessie, of Fairhaven. They have three grandchildren. With their schedules, Poepping and Jensen have the time to do what the farmers can’t. “Gophers can do such damage to the hay ﬁelds with their mounds they push up,” Poepping said. “Some of the newer disc bines are very expensive. The biggest thing for farmers is, it [trapping] reduces damage to their equipment.” Not only do gophers damage equipment, they are hard on ﬁelds as well. They feed on alfalfa roots, which grow very deep once established for a few years. Most of the men’s trapping is done in a sixor seven-mile radius of Melrose. They do not solicit any business, operating by word of mouth only.

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for the freshest piles on the other end where they are active,” Jensen said. They usually set one trap for each area in the field, though sometimes the fields are so affected, it is difficult to tell where to start. “We have been to farms where you can’t tell because there is just a big area,” Poepping said. “There is more dirt above ground than grass or alfalfa it’s such a mess. They can do a lot of damage and it can get out of control.” When they choose a gopher mound to set a trap on, an indicator on the pile tells them where to search for the underground tunnel. A circular indentation, or in some cases a protrusion, tells the men where the go-

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“When somebody asks us about trapping gophers, we always ask, ‘is anybody else trapping out there?’” Jensen said. “If there’s a kid in the neighborhood that’s trapping, we’re not going to go in and take money out of a 12- or 14-year-old kid’s pocket.” Still, they keep plenty busy, setting up to 85 or 90 traps at any given time. With the springtime activity of the gophers after the frost is out, there is about a six-week trapping period before the alfalfa gets too tall to see the mounds. During that time, they set and check traps twice a day. When they get a call from a farmer, they look at the gopher mounds to see where they should set their traps. “You can see when they start digging their tunnels, the direction that they are going. You look

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MELROSE – Pocket gophers have long been the nemesis of farmers when it comes to their alfalfa ﬁelds. Farmers in the Melrose area know they have someone to call in the spring, when the rodents are actively digging, and when they themselves are too busy to do anything about it. Enter Toby Poepping and John Jensen,

who have formed a team to trap the critters. Both have been hunting and trapping since they were about 13 years old, Poepping where he grew up near New Munich, and Jensen for farmers in southwestern Minnesota. The two share a love of hunting, ﬁshing and trapping. Poepping is a 40year, full-time employee at Melrose Dairy Proteins in Melrose, working three 12-hour shifts one week and four the next. He has three children – son Josh

By DIANE LEUKAM Staff Writer

NFIDE

Friday, May 18, 2018 - Country Acres • Page 13 POEPPING, JENSEN continued from page 12

phers are pushing the dirt up. Probing the area with a steel rod locates the tunnel. “Once you do it a bunch of times you can see very quickly where it [the tunnel] is just by looking at the pile,” Poepping said. After clearing the tunnel of dirt with a garden trowel and then their hands, they set the trap with one of three types of traps: the Lanesboro, the cincher and the death trap, the latter being the one they use the most. They leave the tunnel open, a system they have found works extremely well. The gopher will feel the air currents or see sunlight, and come back to plug the hole up. “Sometimes when the gophers are really active, we’ll set traps and when we’re done, on the way back to the truck we’ll check some that were set an hour ago and they’ll have gophers in them,” Jensen said. At a recent location between Sauk Centre and Long Prairie, they saw this work to perfection, with 16 gophers caught tby the time they were finished setting traps. “When they are re-

ally active, it’s crazy,” Poepping said. “Years ago, I set the trap and I heard something; I looked around thinking it was a squirrel or something. Here I was still on my knees by the hole and I had him already.” Poepping and Jensen will trap an average of 25 gophers per field, with one field recently yielding 58 in three or four days. Last spring, they trapped about 450 gophers. “We don’t catch every gopher; there are some that plug our traps over and over,” Jensen said. Along with the few that get away, more keep moving in from road ditches or other fields. “We always tell the farmers we’re never going to get them all; they are always going to be there,” Poepping said. “You can catch them but they will keep moving in.” The men receive payment per gopher from the farmers, as well as a bounty from some townships. “A lot of the townships are budgetary; they allocate X amount of dollars towards a gopher bounty and when it’s gone, it’s gone,” Jensen said.

Along with the bounty comes a responsibility to report whose farm they are trapping on, so the townships know the gophers were trapped in a field and not a road ditch. Some townships do not allocate a bounty due to their budgets. Often, the money they earn goes towards the purchase of more traps, though they do use some of it for spending money. But, there is another bonus for their springtime work. “The other benefit is to establish relationships with the farmers and then it might open up fur trapping opportunities for you With a steel rod, Toby Poepping shows the indentation on a pocket gopher mound that indicates where the tunnel will be, May 11 near Melrose. in the fall,” Jensen said. Poepping agreed. “We go trapping together in the fall for raccoons, mink, muskrats, otters, beavers, fox, coyotes and skunks,” he said. “Anything with fur on its back is fair game.” With their spring season of gopher trapping nearly over, the men will likely do some fishing this summer before fall rolls around and they begin to hunt and trap a wider variety of animals. Come spring, they will once again be ready for pocket gopher patrol.

Toby Poepping clears dirt from a pocket gopher tunnel with a garden trowel May 11 near Melrose.

PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM

Toby Poepping holds two gophers that were trapped May 10 in a field near Melrose.

Toby Poepping sets a death clutch trap in a pocket gopher tunnel May 11 near Melrose.

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IRGENS continued from page 14 ner of Ben Wade Town- put in contact with Ted ship; the schoolhouse Irgens. He was extremewas built and completed ly interested in the buildin 1894. Pleasant Grove ing.” School, School District “They said I could No. 76 was established have it if I could move it Sept. 23, 1889 (John S. Ir- by spring. So, I found a tgens was chairman of the parcel of land in Farwell tschool district that year) for it,” Irgens said. and operated until June Irgens hired Anderof 1954. After the closure son Building Movers, of the school, locals used based in Paynesville, to the building for town hall, move the building from 4-H and other organiza- its original location to a tional meetings up until plot in the town of Farrlast year when the town- well. tship decided to sell the “I’m glad it’s being building and the plot of moved and used instead land it rested on. of being destroyed,” VerAlthough the building non said. “I didn’t want to rwas wired with electricity, destroy it, so we’re happy it did not have bathroom that it’s going to a good facilities, air conditioning home and can still be used or other modern-day ame- for something.” nities such as wireless inAfter restoring the ternet. Sonia and Vernon building, Irgens plans to Pooch, farmers in the Far- make it available to the well area, owned a field community for events. surrounding the building, “I know there are a so they purchased the 1.33 lot of talented artists in acres where the building the area who are looking rested on to merge it into for places to display their their existing field. In or- work or a place to work der to farm the land, how- on their art,” Irgens said. ever, the building needed “I’m open for however to be removed. The cou- the people in and around ple tried giving away the Farwell would like to use building with no success. it. I just think it’s a shame “Originally, we to have these buildings thought maybe the idea sitting vacant and collapsof a cabin or man cave ing in on themselves. I’m would interest someone, but there was no luck,” IRGENS continued on page 17 Sonia said. “Until I was

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(right) The former Ben Wade Town Hall building is moved by Anderson Building Movers May 12 into the town of Farwell. It will be restored by Ted Irgens and converted into a community art center.

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IRGENS continued from page 15 hoping the people of Farwell can use the building for art classes, exhibits, luncheons and the like.” Irgens hopes the restoration will be completed by July 14, in time for the annual Farwell picnic. The schoolhouse has been set back on the lot so it will have a small ‘school yard’ in front of it with ﬂowering trees, shrubs and ﬂowers. Former Farwell resident and master gardener, Sonia Rensink, is designing the gardens and Irgens said he will gladly welcome any volunteers who would like to help with the planting. “The schoolhouse restoration will be pretty straightforward,” he said. “The exterior needs some repairs and to be repaint-

ed. On the interior, the 1970s paneling and ceiling tiles will be removed, the original bead-board restored and repainted, and the floors will need to be refinished. But given that the building is only two rooms, the project shouldn’t take too long.” The former gas station in Farwell is another project Irgens is working on. The use of the building is yet to be determined, but Irgens hopes the residents of Farwell and the surrounding community will be able to make good use of it as well. “Old buildings naturally deteriorate over time and, unfortunately, it doesn’t make sense to save all of them,” he said. “But restoring significant

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PHOTO BY KATELYN ASFELD

The interior of the former Ben Wade Town Hall May 12 near Farwell. Ted Irgens plans to restore the building and use it as a community art center for the town of Farwell.

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ZIMMERMANN continued from page 18

Zimmermann farm, managing the bulk of work with the animals. “For years it’s just been the two of us in the barn,” Julie said. “We do at least 90 percent of the work in the barn. I would say it’s been about 20 years ago I just took over the hog part of it. We all discuss everything, but at the end of the day, whatever decision happens in there is mine and he [Kenny] can do out here

[with the crops] what he wants to do.” The door opened and Christine walked in; sunglasses protected her eyes which were recovering from a recent Lasix surgery. She joined in the conversation, a very capable addition to the hog operation with a degree in animal science from Ridgewater College, and growing up with plenty of work experience on the farm.

Julie told how the family made the switch from dairy to hogs. In the early 90s, their facilities were getting very old and they needed to decide if they wanted to build a new dairy, or raise hogs or possibly beef. Kenny’s knees had been bad for some time, so the decision was made to go with hogs. ZIMMERMANN continued on page 20

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ZIMMERMANN continued from page 20 we never touch it because we’re the ones who work with the animals.” Christine remembers a time when things on the farm were not as specialized. “Dad used to be in the barn more when he was younger, but since we have more crops now and hauling pigs and grain, he’s not,” Christine said. The women described the process of keeping disease out of the barns, with a series of steps involving showering, changing of clothing, different bathrooms for inside and outside the barns. Once they are in the barn, they choose to stay there, for the most part. “After we went to this system, it was like this is clean and this is dirty,” Christine said. “Inside clothes are clean and outside clothes are dirty.” The logic is that everything outside the barn is dirty, and everything inside the barn is clean. “We wear hats. We are all covered and we wear masks,” Julie said. “If you saw us we’d look like an alien from another

planet.” They may not be on another planet, but the barns are their world. Every aspect of raising the hogs is managed by the two women. From genetics to feeding, from farrowing to ﬁnish, the decisions are theirs. “We work well together. It’s funny how much time we spend in the barn and we rarely have to talk,” Julie said. “We both have our own area. If she sees me doing something, she knows what’s going to be happening.” Every two months they have a veterinarian come out to do herd health and pregnancy checking. “We ﬁnd out, what can we do different, better…what we are doing wrong,” Julie said. “Every day we need to learn.” When it comes to favorite tasks, for Julie, there is no question. “Farrowing is my favorite thing. You’re bringing new life into the world,” she said. “We take good care of our animals – we pride ourselves on it.” When it comes to

farming, she cannot imagine doing anything else. “It’s my dream job. There’s nothing about it that I don’t love,” she said. She has a philosophy that has helped her keep her chin up during good times as well as difﬁcult times, and in times of frustration. “If you are in agriculture, you have to trust in God; there’s just no other way,” she said. “We can’t control prices, we can’t control weather and we can’t control disease. We can react to those things, but we can’t control any of it, so you just put yourself in God’s hands and go.” And, she loves every minute of it. “Every day I’m excited for the day. Even as old as I am, I still learn something new every day,” Julie said. “You’re always surprised at what you can do. It used to be that all the kids were home to help, and now Christine and I have ﬁgured out how to do most of it [the hogs] ourselves. It takes a little creativity but we get it done.”

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PRICES per foot STARTING AT: FOR 4 INCH TILE Price includes design, survey, material & installation* * Prices are subject to prices of material, depth and quantity.

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Gene Mensen, Sales Cell: 320-429-1036 gene@agtechdrainage.com

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Mark Machart, Sales Cell: 320-429-4633 mark@agtechdrainage.com

Friday, May 18, 2018 - Country Acres • Page 23

Vogt family ready to host Stearns County Breakfast on the Farm By ANDREA BORGERDING

Staff Writer

SAUK CENTRE – Although they have hosted smaller farm tours in the past, the Vogt family admits hosting a breakfast on their farm is not something they have considered doing. But they did not hesitate when asked to be the hosts for Stearns County’s annual June Dairy Month celebration. “I think these breakfasts on the farm are very important,” said Ken Vogt, who works in a partnership with sons, Aaron and Ethan. “The educational opportunity for people, especially kids, is very important.” Vogt Dairy, located south of Sauk Centre, will be the site of the 11th annual Stearns County Breakfast on the Farm June 2. Breakfast including pancakes, French toast, sausage, eggs, milk, juice and coffee starts at 7:30 a.m. All activities – farm tours, petting zoo and an obstacle course – will run until 12:30 p.m. A free charter bus will

take attendees to and from the farm. Parking will be available at the Stearns County Fairgrounds. Vogt Dairy milks 310 Holsteins in a double-10 parallel parlor. They grow corn and alfalfa on 535 acres. Ken, Aaron and Ethan formed a partnership in 2016. Each one has an area where they focus, but all three work together to complete all the farm work. Aaron works with the cows and youngstock, Ethan raises the crops and does the fabricating and fixing around the farm. Ken manages the business end of the dairy operation. “We had to do the dividing of jobs,” Ken said. “If I wouldn’t have let them do that and I was controlling everything, they wouldn’t be here.” The Vogts have focused on keeping the dairy a family farm. In addition, the dairy has two full-time and four part-time employees. Securing their family dairy for future generations is just one of the reasons the Vogts feel it is important to host the an-

nual breakfast. Dispelling misconceptions on how a dairy farm operates and to present a positive impression of what happens on a modern dairy have also been motivation for the Vogt family. “Even in our small community, there are a lot of misconceptions of what dairying is all about,” Aaron said. “They believe what they see and read on social media. Those are the people who we hope come out here – the people who are on the fence about dairy products and how animals are treated. We want to show them our cattle are treated just as well as our own kids.” Opening their dairy to close to 2,000 people in less than a month has the Vogts excited and anxious to be sure their farm is visitor ready. “We don’t have new facilities, everything has been pieced together through the years,” Aaron said. “But it’s important to let visitors see that not everything is brand new and that we aren’t making a ton of money by dairying.”

PHOTO SUBMITTED

The Vogt family – (front, from left) Carrie, Ethan, holding Drew, Jaran, Ken, Sally, Afton, Pyper, Abe; (back) Nicki, Aaron, Chris Lima and Ann Vogt-Lima – will host the Stearns County Breakfast on the Farm near Sauk Centre, June 2.

The late spring has posed challenges for the Vogts in prepping the farm for a breakfast. They managed to get painting done last fall and spent most of the winter finishing their shop where the breakfast will be served. The Vogts also added calf and heifer facilities to allow more room for their youngstock. At the end of the day, the Vogts hope the visitors come away with a positive experience of agriculture, and dairy in particular. Perhaps even spark an interest in the

dairy industry from nonag people. “Changing a few minds is just as important as getting some young kids not from a farm interested and maybe eventually involved in agriculture,” Aaron said. Ethan agrees that presenting an overall positive light on the industry is the goal in hosting the annual breakfast. “That would be the best thing we can do,” Ethan said. “Dairying means producing a good, safe and healthy product while taking care of the

animals and the land.” When the day arrives, whether rain or shine, the Stearns County Breakfast on the Farm will go on and the Vogt family – Ken and wife, Sally; Aaron and wife, Nicki, and their children, Pyper, Afton and Abe; Ethan and Carrie, and their children, Jaran, Drew and baby due in June – will all be ready to welcome visitors. “After experiencing breakfast on the farm, I hope people feel they can come to us anytime when they have questions about dairying,” Aaron said.

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Page 24 • Country Acres - Friday, May 18, 2018

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