Country Acres 2018 - May 4 edition by Star Publications

ountry C cres A

A Supplement to the Star Shopper

Friday, May 4, 2018 • Edition 6

Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment

on air

Growing plants Ortenblad produces lettuce with aeroponics By LAURA HINTZEN Staff Writer NEW LONDON Kevin Ortenblad, 62, is up at 4 in the morning in a building on his property that he calls, “more of a science project.” Lettuce Abound is a family run farm located in New London with a purpose of growing the freshest quality produce available without herbicides, pesticides and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). “I grow lettuce without using soil,” he said. “It’s called aeroponics.” Aeroponics is the process of growing plants in an air or mist environment without the use of soil. It often gets confused with hydroponics, which often uses soil which is infused with nutrients. Ortenblad grew up in Willmar where he farmed for

Melody and Erick, the couple retired from farming. They moved to Colorado where they ran their own bed and breakfast retreat center. “We ran that for 10 years and thought we wanted to do that in Nashville, so we moved there. A year later we decided that wasn’t what we wanted,” he said. “We came back here and I’m too young to retire so I had to find something to do.” Last September, the couple was paging through the newspaper and saw a blurb about PHOTO BY LAURA HINTZEN Dana Anderson, presKevin Ortenblad stands surrounded ident of Living Green by lettuce in his aeroponics facillity Farms, inquiring if April 20 in New London. the city of New London-Spicer would put a farm up for the city. 34 years. For 29 of those years, he and his wife, Julie, Living Green Farms is a vertical, indoor grower of high were organic farmers and also shipped soybeans to Ja- quality fresh lettuce, herbs and microgreens. The Ortenblad’s were quick to respond, having little pan for 27 years. “It was new and nobody else did it. We had a niche to no hesitation at the opportunity that was presented to market,” he said. After raising their children, Kara, Kressa, Mandy, ORTENBLAD continued on page 3

A GRAND SLAM By DIANE LEUKAM Staff Writer

PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM

Mitchell Worms holds fan mounts from several sub-species of wild turkeys he has harvested, April 25 at his home near Glenwood. From left, the fans are from Merriam’s, Eastern and Rio Grande turkeys.

GLENWOOD – In real estate, they say location is everything and that rang true for Mitchell Worms of Glenwood. The 10-acre property where he lives was only on the market for four hours before he signed a purchase agreement. An avid wild turkey hunter, he knew it would be a natural habitat for the birds he loves to hunt. “We were very fortunate to get it,” Worms said. He lives there with Anna, his wife of four years. The two were married in September 2014. Worms began hunting at age 12, and started hunting turkeys when he was 16. Worms is in his fourth year as a committee member of the Gobblers of Glacial Ridge, with the National Wild Turkey Federation. In an effort to get more people interested in the sport, he is working on starting a mentor hunt, where he takes youth and one or both of their parents out hunting. “If you can get them out, even just to see what it’s like out there, it’s good,” Worms said. “It’s fun when the dad is with, too, seeing the ex-

Worms works toward fourth wild turkey species

citement on their faces when they get one.” Worms is also working on a Grand Slam. Of turkeys, that is. There are four sub-species of wild turkeys in the United States, and he has harvested three of them. From the Black Hills of South Dakota, he harvested a Merriam’s Wild Turkey, which has a range throughout the Rocky Mountains, South Dakota and Montana, as well as in high-country areas of the Southwest. The Merriam’s is characterized by two distinct rows of coloration on the toms’ fan. An inner white row of coloration on the rump feathers is complemented by a slightly wider row on the outside fringes. The light colors can range from a buff color to white. Males can weigh anywhere from 18-30 pounds. A trip to Kansas produced a Rio Grande jake (one-year-old male) turkey, as well as trying circumstances. The week before he was set to leave for Kansas, Worms tore ligaments in his knee while playing volleyball. “I’d like to go back to Kansas and get another Rio because I just got a jake,” he said. “I would have liked to get a tom but I can’t complain when I was on crutches and had limited mobility.”

WORMS continued on page 6

Page 2 • Country Acres - Friday, May 4, 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

Story ideas send to: diane@saukherald.com SALES STAFF Jeff Weyer, 320-260-8505 jeff.w@dairystar.com Kayla Hunstiger, 320-247-2728 kayla@saukherald.com Missy Traeger, 320-291-9899 missy@saukherald.com Tim Vos, 320-845-2700 tim@albanyenterprise.com Mike Schafer, 320-894-7825 mike.s@dairystar.com Lynnette Ostendorf, 320-352-6577 lynnette@saukherald.com Brian Trattles, 320-352-6577 brian.t@saukherald.com

PRODUCTION STAFF Pat Turner Tara Pitschka Amanda Thooft Nancy Powell Brian Dingmann Cassidy Zenzen Jennifer Coyne, Proofreader Andrea Borgerding, Proofreader

Deadlines: Country Acres will be published the first Fridays of April, May, June, September, October and November, and the third Friday of every month. Deadline for news and advertising is the Thursday before publication.

This month in the

COUNTRY 5 Depends on if you count the dogs Diane Leukam Column 8 Dancing above the cows Willmar 10 Creamy creations Rockville 14 Hotdish day on Capitol Hill Washington, D.C. 16 Country Cooking Stickney Hill Dairy, Rockville 17 An Active Advocate Staples

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Friday, May 4, 2018 - Country Acres • Page 3 ORTENBLAD continued from front

them. “They brought us down to the original lettuce farm in Fairbault and the company agreed to add another farm,” he said. “Last summer, we put 30 units together for them. That gave us the chance to learn how everything works.” Fourteen months later, the sister farm was completed on the Ortenblads’ farm from the work of Kevin and his son-in-law, Brian Dengler. Lettuce Abound is the first sister farm that Living Greens allowed to use their technology. “They worked seven years to get it to this point and this is the latest prototype,” Ortenblad said. The current building started out as a regular pole shed, until it was insulated and the steel framework was completed. When entering the 2,500-square-foot building, one will notice a nursery of multiple different seedlings, including Red Oak Leaf, Arugula, Spinach, Bib Lettuce, Green Oak Lettuce and varieties yet to be tried. Each seed is incased in rock wool, made of crushed rocks spun into wool, which serves as an insulation and a water absorber. From there, they are placed under a Metal Halide light for a week. “As we get going, our goal is to harvest two of these a week,” he said. “When we get to harvesting two systems, we will be harvesting, 3,072 heads of lettuce every week.”

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Once the seeds germinate, they are placed on boards for a month and then planted by hand across 12 units, which represent the equivalent of 180 acres of land. Harvesting has to be done in a very timely manner so the roots do not dry out. “This is very critical to get done within an hour for that reason,” Ortenblad said. The software system has been designed by a computer programmer who resides in Florida. The software allows the whole system to be operated by a phone or a laptop from anywhere that has internet connection. Kevin is able to check on his crop and make adjustments while they travel. The program gives the user access to see the changes in pH levels, trends of where fertilizer levels have been, when valves are opening or when pressure is dropping. “If you can stay within two-tenths of your desired pH level, that is amazing,” Ortenblad said. “Most of the time, people can say they’ve stayed within a seventh or an eighth of a point.” Each unit has wand sprayers on a trolly, which slides back and forth frequently, to ensure nutrition and hydration areas are met. “I have it on a 12-minute cycle. Every 12 minutes, about seven gallons gets put on the unit and whatever

ORTENBLAD continued on page 4

PHOTOS BY LAURA HINTZEN

(Above) Lettuce grows on panels at Lettuce Abound April 20 in New London. Each system holds 48 panels.

(Left) The nursery where the seeds germinate for nearly a week before being moved to the panels for hanging.

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.

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thread of concern from our writers in the last week or two. More than once, I heard them say, “there’s so much more to the story. I can’t ﬁt it all in.” I felt the same way when writing about Mitchell Worms (A grand slam) and the Gatewoods (Dancin’ above the cows). For both, I was forced to simply choose a focus and leave everything else out. You won’t read about the history of the Worms family dairy farm near Greenwald, where Mitchell’s two brothers are taking over for their parents, Joe and Sandy. You won’t read about Mitchell’s desire to remain connected to the farm, leading him to pursue degrees associated with agricultural lending, along with his thoughts on the current farming situation. Or, playing baseball for the Greenwald Cubs and the rich tradition of town baseball in Central Minnesota. You will, however, be treated to some of his thoughts and expertise on turkey hunting and wild turkeys in general. When I sat down with Gene and Shelly Gatewood, there was an immediate feeling of being at home, sitting at the kitchen table in their farmhouse. We talked about their kids being the seventh generation of their

family attending the Svea Lutheran Church, and how important it is to not confuse the facts when it comes to family lineage. Gene’s grandma’s family was from Sweden, not Norway, though calling them Scandinavian would be acceptable. We talked about his parents’ involvement on the farm even after Gene and Shelly took over, and how they passed away within two weeks of one another in June of 2013, one expected, the other not.And, what prompted them to begin grinding their own flour, five pounds of which now sits in my kitchen cabinet. Finally, we talked about the little town of Svea, so similar to many tiny towns that dot the landscape in Country Acres. The population of Svea ranges between 60 and 100, according to various sources. Or, as Gene Gatewood said with a smile, “Depends on if you count the dogs.” In addition to wild turkeys and a barn dance, you will learn about aeroponics technology for growing plants on air at Lettuce Abound in New London, and an aquaponics system in Staples combining fish bait production with growing produce. Joe Gill, farm director from KASM in Albany, goes to Washington to do some taste testing, and last but certainly not least, Stickney Hill Dairy in Rockville turns out some delicious tastes of its own – cheese made from goats’ milk. With that, I hope you enjoy this issue of Country Acres as much as we have!

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ow many of you remember listening to Paul Harvey and his “Rest of the Story” segments on the radio? Quite a few of you, I would guess, because between 1976 and 2009, 24 million people would listen with rapt attention each week as he unfolded the details of a mystery, ending with his famous, “And now you know, the rest of the story!” I loved Paul Harvey. No doubt, part of his charm was his down-toearth common sense and, of course, his beloved radio voice which was one of a kind. (I say this with the disclaimer that there is probably some scandal associated with him, since anyone who had an opinion that is no longer “correct” is subject to today’s fad of becoming blacklisted. Please join me in saying, “oh well.”) The closest we could get to Paul Harvey, Sr.’s iconic voice would be his son, Paul Harvey, Jr., who was the author of the “Rest of the Story” segments. The man had an amazing career. When Paul Harvey Aurandt, Sr. passed away in 2009 at the age of 90, he had two years left on his 10-year contract. A much younger man, Doug Limerick, was chosen to take his place on the air; he lasted three weeks. That was the long version of an introduction to my thoughts on the stories in this issue of Country Acres. I’m not sure if we have ever had an issue that leaves out more of the “rest of the story.” Let me explain. There was a common

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The Rio Grande turkey is found mainly from Kansas southwards through Texas. The toms’ tail feathers have tan tips and males average 20 pounds. The third bird of Worms’ Grand Slam is the Eastern Wild Turkey, the first of which was harvested in the area. The most recent was harvested on his own property. Eastern Wild Turkeys range throughout much of the eastern half of the United States and are the sub-species now common in Minnesota. Chestnut brown tips grace the end of their tail feathers and their wings are barred with black and white. Finally, one bird in the slam remains unharvested. “Hopefully, we can head to Florida next year and go for an Osceola, which is the final one I need for my Grand Slam,” Worms said. The Osceola is found only in Florida, mostly in the south. Tail feathers are tipped in dark brown, wings are mostly black, and the adult males average 20 pounds. “It gets expensive for a turkey,” Worms said. For Worms, turkey hunting is more than wall mounts and trophy fans. It is about being outdoors and experiencing the thrill of the hunt. “When you go out in the morning and do a locater call and you’ve got them gobbling around you, it’s quite the rush,” he said. “A lot of people think getting a turkey is easy. Once you get out there and try it,

it’s a different story. When you’re actually going for them and trying to call them in, they’ll teach you that it’s a little difficult.” Seeing them on his own property is nothing new, but when it comes to hunting, the birds are much more wary and elusive. Every turkey is different to hunt, according to Worms. He uses a variety of calls to attract the birds, including a diaphragm, crow, slate and box calls. “You want some calls and a nice pad to sit on because you don’t want to be moving around too much and you have to be comfortable. You don’t even really need a vest but they come in handy with so many pockets to carry stuff,” Worms said. Other equipment he uses includes decoys, a bow and a shotgun. Reaping, or crawling through the field with a fan mount in front of the hunter, is a method some are finding useful in turkey hunting, though Worms has not done this himself. “Toms get pretty agitated with other toms. They’ll see that fan and come towards you and want to fight,” he said. In addition to hunting, watching the birds is something Worms enjoys almost on a daily basis, right from his home. “They like to hang out in the yard. You’ll see them out here all the time,”

Worms said. “When I was getting ready for work the other day, two big toms came through with a couple hens and some jakes.” The toms strut around and fan out, and chase the hens. During the day, they spend time looking for other turkeys and scratching around looking for food.

Hens, once bred, sit on the nests, nearly invisible amongst the dead leaves. “When hens are on the nest, you can walk right up to them and almost step on them; you might not even see them,” Worms said.

WORMS continued on page 7

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Mitchell Worms stands with an Eastern Wild Turkey he harvested last spring on his property near Glenwood.

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Friday, May 4, 2018 - Country Acres • Page 7 WORMS continued from page 6

Over the years, he has developed a broad knowledge of the habits and characteristics of the wild turkey, as well as a love for sharing that knowledge with others. His focus is on getting people out hunting so they can enjoy nature, the animals and the sport. Next week he will take a hunter out for a second time around. As far as he is concerned, the more people he can get involved, the better, not only for the hunter, but for the turkeys themselves. Having more people interested in turkeys means more people interested in creating favorable habitats for them. “I would not consider myself a guide because I don’t take any payments

for anything,” Worms said. One person he would like to take hunting is his wife. “I have yet to get Anna out there. She hasn’t hunted anything yet but I think

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Realistic decoys, a female and a juvenile male, sway in the breeze April 25 in Glenwood. Mitchell Worms uses them while hunting to attract wild turkeys.

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Page 8 • Country Acres - Friday, May 4, 2018

Dancing above the cows Gatewoods’ annual event just for fun By DIANE LEUKAM Staff Writer

WILLMAR – Every year on the Friday before Memorial Day, the cows on the lower level of the Gatewoods’ barn listen to the shuffling and stomping of feet overhead. A caller sings out “allemande lefts” and “do si dos” to square dance music, with a few line dances, waltzes, polkas and the Virginia Reel thrown in for good measure. This is the ninth year young and old alike will enjoy Gene and Shelly Gatewood’s barn dance, which has grown each year since its inception. “We milk in the lower level and dance on top,” Gene said with a smile. “The cows don’t seem to

mind it; they lay there and chew their cud.” Gene explained where the idea of a barn dance originated. The family has a long history with the Svea Lutheran Church, and he was looking for something fun for the kids to do. “When I was in high school, we had a barn dance at another farm,” he said. “That was 40 years ago. We only did it once but I remembered it. That came to my mind and I thought it would be fun.” The first year, and every year since, the church’s youth group, the Luther Leaguers, come and help clean out the barn the week before the dance. Lights are put up, and the evening of the dance the caller, Larry Johanson, from Underwood, comes to the farm. “And the people show up like you wouldn’t believe,” Gene said. “It’s really cool to see.” Refreshments are simple for the 100-150 people who attend the dance. “We get a root beer keg and cookies,” Shelly

said. In the beginning, most were church members; now, there are friends and neighbors, and friends of friends. Perhaps the most represented age group is those who are in their 20s and 30s. The reasons for having the dance in the spring are twofold: The hay barn is at its emptiest, and the weather is cooler. Later in the summer, it gets too hot in the hay barn. “It helps that most of the time it rains,” said Jordan, 22, the Gatewoods’ son. Gene agreed. “I bet there’s only been one or two years that it hasn’t rained,” Gene said. Rain or shine, the goal is to dance and have fun. People come in western clothing with cowboy boots, hats and plaid shirts. “They like to put on their boots and make noise,” Shelly said. And, they can get the barn rocking – literally. “Once they were playing a “Cotton-Eyed Joe”

PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM

Gene and Shelly Gatewood stand in the hay barn April 19 on their farm near Willmar. For nine years, the Gatewoods have been holding a barn dance on the Friday before Memorial Day.

line dance,” Gene said. “I counted and there were five rows and about 90 people out dancing. When everybody’s going the same direction, the whole barn starts moving. It made me nervous at first, but the barn hasn’t fallen yet!” Generally, Johanson will start the evening out

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Dancers try their hand at square dancing May 27, 2016 at the Gene and Shelly Gatewood farm near Willmar.

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with a country line dance and the Virginia Reel. He will get people used to the allemande left, bow to your partner and other basic square dance calls. But, they keep it simple, since there a quite a few kids that attend the dance. “Straight square dancing is too hard [for them],” Gene said. Those who are kids at heart, but maybe slowing down a bit as they age, sit on straw bales that line the outside of the hay barn. No one is designated to the bales. “Just the ones who don’t want to dance,” Jordan said. Enough time has passed since the Gatewoods have begun their dances that Gene, 56, has noticed a difference even in himself. “I used to dance every dance all night long,” he said. “A couple years ago, the next morning I woke up and I was so sore. And it was like, you know what? I think I just got old!” A barn on the move The barn has not always been where it now stands. It made its appearance on the farm in 1991. Its home was four or five

miles down the road, belonging to another farmer. “It was sitting there empty,” Gene said. “Our barn that we were in was too small and too old. We talked to them, and they were interested in getting rid of it.” The barn was moved onto the Gatewood farm and, according to Gene, is solid and well-built. For the purpose of getting people to the upper level for the barn dance, steps were built onto the east end. The Gatewood farm is southeast of Willmar, and is comprised of 350 acres, 200 of which are tillable. Those acres are planted with corn, oats and alfalfa, along with an acre-and-ahalf of wheat. The wheat is ground into whole wheat flour and sold in their onfarm shop, Grandpa’s Granary, now in its third year. They also sell cuts of beef, lamb and chicken, along with eggs. Mostly, they milk their 66 cows in their tiestall barn. The Gatewoods’ daughters, Julie of Perham and Jessica of Kirkhoven, were both Kandiyohi

GATEWOOD continued on page 9

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Eight Stickney Hill Dairy employees sit in the conference room for cheese tasting April 24 at their plant in Rockville. Pictured left, to right: Sue Guggenberger, Linda Gade, Mackenzie Nelson, Glen Wood, Michelle Scott, Brandon McGinnis, Jane Resutek and Garrett Reynolds.

In 1999, three young men established Stickney Hill Dairy and began milking goats and producing goat cheese, all at the same location. As the popularity of Stickney Hill Dairy’s goat cheese grew, so did the business. In 2003, the operation began to focus

solely on manufacturing goat cheese. They began outsourcing milk for their cheese from dairy goat farmers throughout the state of Minnesota. The facility was working at full capacity and still growing in the early 2000s, so the company built the new plant in Rockville.

The state-of-the-art facility provides ample space for the business with room to grow. Currently, the business has 18 employees. A unique feature of the building is the strict air management, which means air is sterilized through filters and ultraviolet lights to keep the cheese fresh and at a consistent quality. Five changeovers of air happen per hour. The plant also provides locker rooms for

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STICKNEY HILL continued from page 11 employees to wash down and change into uniforms before entering the plant. To make one pound of goat cheese, it takes 14 pounds of milk, but the ratio may vary depending on the time of year. Components in the milk, such as butterfat and proteins, can fluctuate with the seasons. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Quality milk makes quality cheese and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a huge aspect of what we do, is being able to source quality milk,â&#x20AC;? Wood said. The first step in the cheese-making process is to bring the milk in and pasteurize it. It is then placed in a cheese vat where it is cultured; the enzyme rennet is added to begin coagulation, which is when fermenting organisms separate the curds (solids) from the whey (liquid). Fermentation takes 12 hours. When that step is finished, curd is pumped into cheese bags where the whey is drained. Once that step is complete, the

product is removed from the cheese bags and salted to give more flavor, draw out additional whey and suppress any bad bacteria growth. Depending on order size and type of cheese, flavorings will be blended in. Cheese is then pressed into molds and packaged based on the customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s specifications. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a pretty wide variety of product offering,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our cheese ends up in a lot of blue-plate restaurants.â&#x20AC;? Products are packaged in 40-pound bags, fourounce medallions and anything in between. Cheese is distributed to various vendors such as grocery stores, foodservice businesses and big bulk customers. The company submits their cheeses for various cheese competitions in the United States. At the North Central Cheese Industries Association Cheese Contest in 2017, the Stickney Hill Dairy Team received grand champion for their

cranberry cinnamon chĂ¨vre. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To me, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a fun thing to do and a good measuring stick of where you are at against everybody else,â&#x20AC;? Wood said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always getting better.â&#x20AC;? For the small town of Rockville, the operation is a benefit to the community as it provides local jobs and diverse, locally-made products. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a pretty cool thing for our area,â&#x20AC;? Wood said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All of this product is coming from our plant in Central Minnesota right here in Rockville.â&#x20AC;? The company has 12 different flavors of chĂ¨vre, including garlic and herb, tomato basil, peppercorn, cranberry, blueberry, honey and more. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re always working on new flavors of chĂ¨vre,â&#x20AC;? Wood said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We plan to have more flavors available in the future.â&#x20AC;? Only time will tell what they will produce next. PHOTO BY KATELYN ASFELD

Awards from various cheese competitions hang in the entryway of Stickney Hill Dairyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plant April 24 in Rockville. The most recent award was from the North Central Cheese Industries Association Cheese Contest in 2017. Stickney Hill Dairy won grand champion for their cranberry cinnamon chĂ¨vre.

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Hotdish day on Capitol Hill Judging right up radioman Gill’s alley By CAROL MOORMAN interview with a Minnesota congressman. Staff Writer “They had an opening (for a judge),” he said. … WASHINGTON, D.C. “It was great luck.” The hotdish compe– Joe Gill loves hot dish. So, when asked to judge a tition was started by forhotdish contest he jumped mer Minnesota Senator Al at the chance even if it was Franken. “I’m continuing Senin Washington, D.C. Gill, KASM Radio’s ator Franken’s tradition farm director from rural because I think my colAlbany, was one of four leagues in the Minnesota judges for the Minnesota delegation and I could all Congressional Delegation use some time to put poli8th annual Hotdish Off tics to the side in WashingApril 25 in the Dirksen ton and enjoy some great Senate Ofﬁce Building on hotdish,” Sen. Smith said. “I’m looking forward to Capitol Hill. He smiles when doing what I love most, talking about how the bringing Minnesotans tojudging gig got to be. He gether.” The theme was “Workwas in Washington D.C. April 23-25 for the Na- ing together to improve the tional Association of Farm lives of Minnesotans, one Broadcasters Meeting and hotdish at a time.” Gill estimated there Washington Watch, with were close to 150 people in 33 other broadcasters. “We were the only the hotdish judging room, station, and I was the only all with ties to Minnesota. farm director from Min- Sen. Smith was joined by nesota there,” said Gill, the entire Minnesota conNAFB national board gressional delegation: Sen. western district vice pres- Amy Klobuchar, Reps. Collin Peterson, Betty Mcident. While in Washington, Collum, Keith Ellison, Tim D.C., he called Sen. Tina Walz, Rick Nolan, Erik Smith’s ofﬁce to set up an Paulsen, Tom Emmer and

Jason Lewis. The event was hosted by Sam Brodey of the publication MinnPost. “Congressman Tim Walz walked in, and he won three hotdish competitions,” Gill said. “He was like the hotdish maﬁa.” Judging was scheduled for 11:30 a.m. So, Gill arrived 30 minutes before. “I thought I was in the wrong place,” Gill said. “Nobody was there and there were no signs up. Then in typical D.C. fashion, 15 minutes before it started everything got set up. You would have thought the president was going to speak.” Gill sat at a table with the other judges Phill Drobnick, gold-medal winning coach of the U.S. Men’s Olympic Curling Team; Noobtsaa Philip Vang, University of Minnesota graduate and founder of Foodhini, an online restaurant serving up meals handcrafted by immigrant and refugee chefs in the Washington, D.C. area; and Kate Schaefers, volunteer state president of AARP Minnesota.

There were 10 hotdishes to judge. “Basically, we sat down and the 10 small bowls with the hotdishes were set down in front of each of us,” Gill said. “There was a 20-point grading system, for originality, creativity and if it featured ingredients from Minnesota.” Each hotdish was numbered so judges did not know who made each one. Gill admits he scored hotdishes high in originality, liking the ones that had Minnesota ingredients in them. “The ﬁrst one we tried was Congressman Rick Nolan’s, a traditional tator-tot hotdish,” he said. “It was great. It wasn’t unusual or creative, but it scored in tradition because it featured products right out of Minnesota.” Sen. Tom Emmer’s hotdish, which won the contest, was similar to an egg-bake. “His was just different,” Gill said. “It was dense and heavy.” He said a hotdish with

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SEN. TINA SMITH’S OFFICE

Joe Gill judges one of the 10 hotdish entries in front of him April 25 in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C.

long noodles was the most unusual. “But all the hotdishes were good,” Gill said. Growing up, Gill was taught to eat everything on his plate. He tried but could not down all the hotdish in each of the 10

small bowls. “I was full and didn’t eat supper until that night,” he said. Rep. Emmer’s dish was named the winner af-

GILL continued on page 15

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Friday, May 4, 2018 - Country Acres • Page 15 JOE GILL continued from page 14 ter a blind taste test and a tie broken by master of ceremonies Sam Brodey. Last year, Rep. Peterson earned his first hotdish title. Two years ago, Rep. Tim Walz added a third title after taking the top prize in 2013 and 2014. In 2015, Rep. McCollum won. Sen. Franken’s and Rep. Chip Cravaack’s hotdishes tied for first place in 2012. Sen. Klobuchar’s hotdish won in 2011. Emmer had someone else accept his award – a casserole dish with a plaque – and speak on his behalf, because he had to leave to attend a meeting. Gill said there is somewhat of a debate between broadcasters about the difference between a hotdish and a casserole. “Hotdish is the food, but it’s made in a casse-

role,” Gill said. The hotdish competition was just one of the many events Gill took part in during three days in Washington, D.C. “We had one day on Capitol Hill, one at the United States Department of Agriculture and on the third day we visited different organizations,” he said. Gill has been a NAFB member for six years. He said it’s like a family where the name of former KASM farm director Cliff Mitchell still comes up. “I don’t think I’ve been at one event where Cliff’s name or a story about him, doesn’t come up,” Gill said.” Gill had the honor of introducing Minnesota Congressman Collin Peterson at an event. Gill has been work-

ing at KASM Radio since 1999 and became farm director in 2009. He treasures the camaraderie with fellow farm broadcasters. “We can bounce ideas off of one another,” he said. “Things like what do you do at your radio station and how can I do that at mine? In 15 minutes, we can put our heads together and learn something new.” He said KASM radio is special in that they are a rural radio station with a farm director broadcasting farm related issues. “There were just a handful out of the 33 broadcasters who are small radios,” he said. “Many (farm radios) are part of networks.” One thing he took away from his trip was just how busy congressmen

and women are and that they really appreciate input from people. “Their daily schedule is crazy,” he said. Gill found that Minnesota congressmen and women were in tune with Minnesota issues, while the eyes of other congressmen and women were opened when he spoke about things like low milk prices, buffers and wolf issues. “It’s like they live in a big bubble,” Gill said. Gill returned to Minnesota April 26, knowing the icing on the cake was being a hotdish judge. “To be invited to do that and represent our station was great,” Gill said. Sen. Tina Smith (right) hosted the hotdish competition for the “It made me feel right at Minnesota delegation April 25 in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. home.”

Rep. Tom Emmer’s award-winning hotdish recipe • Pepper • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese • 3/4 cup cooked crumbled bacon

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Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line the bottom of a 12-inch greased cast iron skillet with tater tot crowns and then line the sides of the pan. Bake for 15 minutes. While baking, heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Whisk together the eggs and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook the eggs until just set (they will cook more in the oven). Remove the tater tots from the oven and use a spatula to press down on top and sides of the hotdish to smash the tater tots a bit. Pour the can of cream of mushroom over the tots and 3/4 of the sausage. Top with 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Add the scrambled eggs, sausage crumbles and another cup of shredded cheese, making sure the cheese reaches the tater tots on the sides of the pan. Continue adding layers until desired thickness. Sprinkle with the crumbled bacon and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Garnish with cereal.

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Page 16 • Country Acres - Friday, May 4, 2018

COUNTRY COOKING

Goat Cheese Stuffed Mini Peppers • • • •

4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled 8 ounces goat cheese, softened 1 clove garlic, minced 2 green onions, thinly sliced

• 1/2 pound mini peppers, cut in half and seeded • 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce • 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Mix bacon bits, goat cheese, garlic and green onions. Stuff mixture into the mini pepper halves. Roast in a preheated 400-degree oven for 15 minutes or until the peppers are tender and the cheese is melted and golden brown. Enjoy warm with the mixture of the sweet chili sauce and balsamic vinegar.

Recipes Submitted by

STICKNEY HILL DAIRY Flatbread Pizza

Rockville Stearns County

Jam Pastry Bites • 1/2 box Puff Pastry sheets • 1 large egg • 8 ounces goat cheese • 1/2 cup whole berry jam • 1 tsp. vanilla Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together the goat cheese, vanilla and egg. Unfold the puff pastry rectangles and cut each three-piece sheet into 30 squares. Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray and put the puff pastry squares into each well. Spoon in a tablespoon of cheese mixture into each well, then cover with about a half tablespoon of jam. Bake for 20 minutes

• 5 thick slices bacon, cut into 1-inch • 1 11-ounce log fresh chèvre pieces • 1sp. red pepper flakes • 1 unbaked pizza crust • Freshly ground black pepper to taste • 1 cup chopped fresh asparagus • 1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cook bacon to release most of the grease, but do not cook until crisp. Remove to drain. Spread the pizza crust out on a pizza pan or large baking sheet. Top with bacon pieces, asparagus and tomatoes. Dot with goat cheese, then season with red pepper flakes and black pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the crust is golden brown underneath. Let cool for five minutes before slicing and serving.

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Roasted Squash Salad For roasting squash: Salad: • 1 acorn squash; peeled, seeded and • 1 tsp. grated orange zest cut into 1-inch cubes • 1 tsp. garam masala seasoning • 2 Tbsp. olive oil • 1 clove garlic, minced • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon • 1/2 tsp. salt • 1/2 tsp. ground cumin • 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper • 1/2 tsp. salt • 1/2 cup olive oil • 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper • 1 5-ounce package baby arugula • 3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar • 1/4 cup dried cranberries • 2 Tbsp. maple syrup • 1/4 cup chopped pistachios • 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard • 2 ounces crumbled chèvre Position a rack into the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread cubed squash onto baking sheet and toss with olive oil. Mix cinnamon, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl; sprinkle spice mixture over squash cubes. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until squash are tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Whisk apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, orange zest, garam masala, garlic, salt and black pepper in a bowl until thoroughly combined; slowly drizzle olive oil into vinegar mixture. Refrigerate while completing remaining steps. Toss cooked acorn squash cubes, baby arugula, cranberries, pistachios and goat cheese in a salad bowl; drizzle with dressing and serve.

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Friday, May 4, 2018 - Country Acres • Page 17

An active advocate Thoele aims for sustainability, conservation By KATELYN ASFELD Staff Writer

STAPLES – Teacher, farmer, learner, bait dealer, inventor, builder. All of these words could be used to describe Barry Thoele of Barry’s Cherries in Staples, but the word that would describe him best would be advocate. Thoele is passionate about restoring, preserving and protecting the natural world he lives in. On his land, he is striving to make a difference by using various sustainability practices to raise fresh produce and live fish for bait with an aquaponics system he built and has refined over the years. At his home, sitting at the kitchen table, Thoele begins to share his story. Thoele’s father worked for the military and the family moved often for his job when Thoele was growing up. In 1973, the family settled in Eau Claire, Wis., and Thoele graduated high school in 1977. His interest in inventing and conservation began in high school. “Most of the stuff I’m doing now I learned aspects of in high school,” he said. “I had the best high school you can imagine. My guidance counselor took me aside when I was in 10th grade and asked me what I was going to do when I got out of high school. I had no idea what I was going to do.” Thoele is a hands-on learner, and he did well in classes where he could utilize his learning style. He took every shop and tech class that he could; he learned about architecture, drafting, electrical wiring, welding and more. Upon graduation, Thoele began truck driving until 1981 when he became disabled with back problems and was diagnosed with osteoarthritis, a type of arthritis that occurs when flexible tissue at the ends of bones wear down, causing joint pain and stiffness. Because of his disability, Thoele had no choice but to leave his job. “The thing with osteoarthritis is that about 70 percent of the problem is nutritional,” he said. “The rest has to do with being active.” Thoele began working on his diet and lifestyle to improve his symptoms while seeking a different occupation. A friend from Minnesota asked Thoele if he would like to help him

with his fishing guide service. In 1985, Thoele and his family moved to the Staples area, and he began working as a fishing guide. The business also rented out ice shacks and sold bait to fishermen. “I liked the life, but it was too inconsistent of an income to raise a family,” Thoele said. “We worked all year-round but it just wasn’t enough. Part of the problem with the guide service was getting the bait, so that led me to the bait business.” Thoele began catching his own bait from rivers and selling it commercially until he discovered what he was doing was not sustainable. The large number of minnows he took from the river with minimal effort was becoming detrimental to the river system. River minnows do not replenish

themselves as under such pressure. One fish in particular – the redtail chub, or hornyhead chub – was beginning to decline in population in local rivers. The redtail chub is a popular live bait used amongst fishermen as they move rigorously on the hook, attracting large fish. Thoele decided to artificially spawn and raise the redtail chub. In 1992, he began working on his system. “The bait industry is integral to Minnesota’s tourist industry,” he said. “If we don’t have bait available here, fishermen will just buy it from a different state and bring it with them, which can spread disease amongst fish.” Thoele applied and

THOELE continued on page 18

PHOTOS BY KATELYN ASFELD

Barry Thoele, of Barry’s Cherries, stands in one of his greenhouses on his property near April 23 near Staples. Thoele operates an aquaponic system that produces bait fish and a variety of fresh produce.

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nature’s filtration system. So, I thought, if nature uses plants to filter nutrients, why can’t I?” From there, he built his own aquaponics system – operating a fish hatchery and using the nutrients expelled from the fish to grow a variety of herbs, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, romaine lettuce, strawberries and more. Thoele started with a system of four gutters and 60 plants. He now grows lettuce and herbs in two systems of 1,260 plants in 3,000 feet of high-tunnel greenhouse space; a sys-

tem he designed and built with his own two hands. “Aquaponics is three separate systems combined to make one,” he said. “The fish create the nutrients, bacteria convert the nutrients from fish waste to plant-usable nutrients and then the plants use the nutrients in the water. The water is then returned to the fish.” The system, however, only works with certain fish species that will provide enough nutrients to grow the plants and can survive living in nutrient rich water. Through his 27 years of working with the system, he has found the redtail chub, common shiners and golden shiners work in his aquaponic system. In his artificial spawning system, minnows begin spawning from June through July. Redtail chubs begin the second week of June until the first week of August. When fry hatch, they flow through a channel out into a pond to mature to harvest size (about 4-6 inches). The adults are taken out of the man-made

river and placed in a separate pond. Another set of brood stock is placed in the river to spawn. Growing time takes about nine months from egg to adult and at the time of harvest, each pond will have, on average, 40 gallons of minnows. Through controlled water temperatures, Thoele can have up to three spawning cycles per season in each raceway. “In a natural river, the cool nights drop the temperature of the water,” he said. “This stops the spawning until it warms up again. This makes the spawning cycle in the wild last almost 60 days.” Thoele can also control the water level and current in his system. Paddle wheels that he built keep the water moving constantly, like a natural river. A net over the top of his manmade rivers keep birds and other predators from eating the fish. Every year, Thoele needs to catch a new brood stock from natural rivers as they do not survive in the

THOELE continued on page 19

Barry Thoele uses fish traps to collect his bait fish at harvest time on his property near Staples.

PHOTOS BY KATELYN ASFELD

Barry Thoele shows how his homemade aquaponics system works in one of his greenhouses April 23near Staples. Water constantly flows through the gutters, providing nutrients to the plants.

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received a fish farming license, commercial license and wholesale bait dealer license. He designed and built his fish farm in 1998; it consists of 13 ponds for fry to grow and three artificial rivers, called raceways, for spawning. But, he needed to come up with a sustainable way to remove fish waste. “Long before the term ‘aquaponics’ came about, I starting studying what nature does to deal with increased nitrates, phosphorus, ammonia – things that fish give off,” he said. “Nature has plants – those are

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Friday, May 4, 2018 - Country Acres • Page 19 THOELE continued from page 18

ponds in the winter time. “The pond water level drops in the winter time,” he said. “And I can’t control Mother Nature. Otters tand mink always seem to get in under the ice and eat what’s there.” Thoele is constantly working on improving his system to make it as sustainable as possible. He spends a lot of time researching management structures. “I utilize the internet, the public library and university libraries a lot,” he said. But, Thoele said it is important to be skeptical about the information that is out there. “University research is ﬁne but just because it can be done in a lab doesn’t mean it can be scaled up Ato a full-sized commercial

system,” he said. In addition to his aquaponic system, Thoele works on wetland restoration projects with the Department of Natural Resources, restoring native aquatic plants and freshwater shrimp. He also tries to do two classes a year, giving a two-hour lecture on hydroponic and aquaponic systems. The last class he did was hosted by the Agassiz Sustainable Farming Association. In March, Thoele gave a lecture to 32 attendees in Fergus Falls. “We’ve been given a gift and my generation has squandered that gift and it’s a shame,” Thoele said. “We had every opportunity. The whole world was laid out for us. The last 40 years we’ve spent going sideways, not moving forward. I can’t sit back and

let it happen anymore. We haven’t ﬁxed anything, we just kicked the can down the road to the next generation. We have a whole new set of problems and ﬁxing those problems is going to take a whole new way of thinking.” Thoele continues to work on bettering the environment in any way he can. He stays actively involved in his research and operation, ensuring fresh produce is available for his customers. Currently, Thoele is growing tomatoes and 21 varieties of peppers for a salsa company. “I might not be able to help the whole world, but I can work on my corner of it to try and make it a better Various greens are ready for harvest at Barry’s Cherries near Staples. place,” he said.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

KEVIN’S COUNTRYSIDE

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Cucumbers hang from a trellis in a greenhouse at Barry Thoele’s farm near Staples.

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