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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