Country Acres 2019 - April 5 edition

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Country

Friday, April 5, 2019 • Edition 4

cres A

Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment Focus

Eye of an

artist

PHOTO BY LAURA HINTZEN

Ben Cotter is an avid photographer, musician, artist and woodworker who lives at Camphill Village near Little Sauk. He is also an advocate for people with Down Syndrome.

Cotter balances photography skills while advocating for those with Down Syndrome

By DIANE LEUKAM Staff Writer LITTLE SAUK – Ben Cotter and Karen Davis-Brown sat at Cotter’s computer discussing the photos Cotter had downloaded recently. The two quietly looked them over, with Cotter stopping occasionally to discuss various aspects of a photo here, or a photo there.

Cotter, 47, grew up in the Twin Cities but has lived at Camphill Village for 25 years. Near Little Sauk, the 525-acre village is where 50 people with and without disabilities live, work and care for each together, fostering social, spiritual, cultural and agricultural renewal.

Cotter, a man with Down Syndrome, has the respect of the Village as a long-standing resident.

“He’s trained a lot of co-workers,” Davis-Brown said, chuckling. “When somebody’s been here so long, other people come and go and you end up training them.”

Davis-Brown was a co-worker at the village many years ago, and has valued Cotter’s friendship since she first met him. She is enjoying a newfound hobby of his almost as much Cotter.

Since last Christmas, Cotter has blossomed in photography.

“You know, I sent all my family a link to a Christmas gift that I wanted and it came true,” Cotter said, proudly showing off his Canon Rebel T6 EOS. “Dad got me this. He is a big supporter of me; this is pretty new for me.”

Photography might be new for Cotter, but he is all in, and he is doing well with it.

4

This month in the

COUNTRY

7

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Sunflowers bloom in this still life taken by Ben Cotter of Camphill Village.

“I study the books from the Sauk Centre library and just go from there,” he said. “How to use the camera and the lens – and I like the book on black and white [photography, but] I don’t know about that part yet.”

When he’s not at the library, he does more research online. Having a special fondness for still life, he created a light box so he could take great photos in his home.

Hobby sprouts full-time enterprise Garfield

8

Must be the eggs Diane Leukam column

9

“I set up a studio in my room,” Cotter said. “I saw it online on my laptop. I put two boxes together and taped it and I got plastic paper and the biggest drawing paper. I have a lamp that dims and turns inside it so that’s what I did.”

He routinely downloads his photos onto his laptop, painstakingly setting up

Be patient about beginning lawnwork Robin Trott column

13 Eight crowned dairy princesses Stearns County

Moo-ving to the beat Eden Valley

17 A magical transformation Kimball

COTTER continued on page 2

22 Country Cooking 24 Springtime is syrup time Osakis

Page 2 • Country Acres - Friday, April 5, 2019

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 Herman Lensing, Writer herman@melrosebeacon.com Laura Hintzen, Writer laura.h@saukherald.com Jennifer Coyne, Writer jenn@dairystar.com Danna Sabolik, Writer danna.s@dairystar.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 Warren Stone, 320-249-9182 warren@star-pub.com Jaime Ostendorf, 320-309-1988 Jaime@star-pub.com

COTTER continued from front folders and labeling them, keeping only the best photos.

“Dad ordered this computer on eBay,” Cotter said. “This is a Dell.

I recommend it. The program Dad set me up with is the ZoomBrowser EX. I download pictures on that.”

Cotter takes many of his photos using his tripod, and can be seen at work around the Village.

He also enjoys those occasions when he and other friends can take photos together. Tina, a co-worker who lives in house and does a lot of photography for Camphill’s Facebook, Instagram and website, will sometimes team up with Cotter. Another friend, Lindsey Flicker, a former coworker who works on Camphill’s social media, had plans to come to the Village from her home in the Cities at the end of March to collaborate with Ben, as well.

“She’s going to come up at the end of the month and her and I are going to do a photo shoot with our cameras,” Cotter said.

“I’m thinking of doing a flyer for “Open Day” (Camphill’s fall festival held the second Sunday in September). I emailed her and she emailed me back what we’re going to do.”

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Soft lights on this guitar make for a compelling photograph taken by Ben Cotter.

With all these plans, Cotter also keeps busy with day-to-day life at the Village, where people choose their activities according to the season. He is currently working on the farm.

Cotter enjoys the agricultural work.

“I’m working on the farm this afternoon,” he said. “I feed, do bedding, get the hay down and all

those things. I like the farm and I like to work with Stephen and Stuart.”

Davis-Brown is Designated Coordinator at the Village, with the primary responsibility of supporting the people who live there to get the services they need and want. She is quick to point out that Cotter is what she calls a “Renaissance Man,” who is good at many things.

PRODUCTION STAFF Pat Turner Amanda Thooft Nancy Powell Brian Dingmann Maddy Peterson

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 publicati publication.

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“He’s a writer, an artist and a musician,” she said. “Before photography he was really into astronomy. He’s done extensive research and work on that.

He is also a woodworker.”

Cotter talked about his music.

“I play ukulele and the harmonica,” he said.

He plays them together, using a rack that holds up the harmonica.

He smiled as he noted his favorite song is “You are my Sunshine.”

Most Monday afternoons from 2:30-4 p.m., Cotter can be found at STEP On In in Sauk Centre playing music while another person who lives in the Village sells cookies. He has also enjoyed playing in talent contests, even being awarded a check for $125 at one in Long Prairie.

At a conference this year in Prior Lake, Cotter met a couple of fellow musicians and had a great time.

“Sam plays a guitar and the other one plays a banjo,” Cotter said. “They

came over when I was starting to play.

We jammed together.”

Down Syndrome advocate The workshop Cotter was attending was for people with special needs, helping them to know their rights and helping them know how to talk about their lives and what kind of life they want.

“Ben is an advocate for people with Down syndrome and disabilities,” Davis-Brown said.

What does Cotter want people to know about Down Syndrome?

“I’ve thought about that and you know, I have a book from the library about people with Down Syndrome,” he said, going on to talk about his favorite advocate. “There was a TV show, ‘Touched by an Angel.’ The character is Chris Burke with Down Syndrome. I just get inspired and I’d love to see him in person.”

Davis-Brown remind-

COTTER continued on page 3

How much do you know about

Fire Extinguisher Safety?

Fire extinguishers are relatively inexpensive to purchase and can provide a safe and reliable means to control a sudden fire. Being prepared is easy and takes very little time.

Make sure you have the right class of extinguisher. Some extinguishers are labeled for multi-use.

Class A extinguishers put out ordinary combustibles like wood and paper.

Class B extinguishers are for use on flammable liquids like grease, oil and gasoline Class C extinguishers are suitable for use on electrical fires.

Class D extinguishers are designed for flammable metals.

WHEN USING A FIRE EXTINGUISHER REMEMBER THE P.A.S.S. TECHNIQUE: P. Pull the pin on the fire extinguisher in order to break the tamper seal A. Aim the fire extinguisher low with the nozzle pointed at the base of the fire.

S. Squeeze the handle of the fire extinguisher to release the extinguishing agent.

S. Sweep the nozzle from side to side while pointed at the base of the fire until it is extinguished.

Know where to install a fire extinguisher.

• Large tractors, combines, forage harvesters should have a minimum of two 10-pound extinguishers, with one inside the cab and one outside.

• Homes should have a 10-pound minimum extinguisher on each floor.

If you have a fireplace or wood burning stove, an additional extinguisher should be placed near each.

• Shops and welding equipment should have at least one 10-pound extinguisher and an additional unit if there is a wood burning stove in the shop.

Check your extinguishers regularly. If the indicator reaches the yellow or red area, either replace or service the unit.

Also check for loose parts or a damaged hose. YouTube is also a great source to educate your family on how to use an extinguisher. Gather your family together or a two-minute video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU35ioqiJmA

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Friday, April 5, 2019 - Country Acres • Page 3 COTTER continued from page 2 ed Cotter of a particular time when he reached out to strangers about their child with Down Syndrome.

“You came back from being home one time and you said you went to church with your dad and there was a family there that had a little baby with Down Syndrome and you

told the people, ‘you are so lucky to have that little baby with Down Syndrome,’” she said. “That little baby is in high school now. That’s how long ago that was.’”

Cotter remembered it clearly.

He said some of his favorite words are Down Syndrome. For him, it is a

source of pride.

“It’s cool being Down Syndrome,” he said.

What’s cool about it?

“The face,” he said.

One of his favorite faces is that of Sarah, his girlfriend of nearly 20 years.

Sarah might not know it yet, but Cotter plans to gift her with his old camera so she can take photos, too.

Maybe together they can do a photo shoot of dairy cows, something Cotter plans to work on soon. Whatever photos he takes, they will undoubtedly be seen through his special eye.

He explained, “My dad always says, ‘you have an artist’s eye.’”

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

A close-up of a wooden sculpture begs a second look.

Biscotti gets a new look in this photo by Ben Cotter of Camphill Village.

t PHOTO BY LAURA HINTZEN

Ben Cotter photographs pigs March 25 at Camphill Village near Little Sauk.

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Hobby sprouts full-time enterprise Ways meet demand for locally grown produce

By JENNIFER COYNE Staff Writer

GARFIELD – Agriculture is a way of life for Jeff and Jane Way, having both grown up in the industry and raised their three children in the same light.

So when the opportunity arose to transform a gardening hobby into a fulltime endeavor, the couple quickly accepted.

For almost a decade,

the Ways have sold fruits and vegetables they have grown on their 4-acre farm near Garfield.

“We have a wide variety of produce,” Jeff said.

“We’ve created a buffet of whatever could be grown in Minnesota – asparagus, rhubarb, leafy greens, tomatoes, garlic, squash…”

As frost leaves the ground and the days get longer, the growing season is approaching. But for the Ways, their work does not begin when this time arrives. In fact, they work all year around leading up to this moment.

During the winter months, the couple spends their days planning for the season ahead. They attend educational workshops and conferences to learn more about vegetable and fruit farming.

“We learn a lot,” Jeff said. “We get out there and gather any resources that might be available.”

Jane agreed.

“We’re constantly learning; no different than any other agriculture en-

deavor,” she said. “There’s always new technology and different ways of doing things, and we have to make those decisions if it’s a good investment for us.”

At this time, the Ways also plant cool season vegetables like spinach, lettuce and radishes in their permanent high tunnel greenhouses. This allows the crop to be harvested and available for market sooner.

In the past, the couple has planted spinach in the fall and harvested it in March. This is a viable growing option because the plants are spared from the outdoor elements.

Likewise, this system works well to extend the growing season.

Typically, Jeff and Jane will plant another batch of spinach and lettuce in late August, and harvest the crop in October.

“The purpose of farming this way is to get an early start to the season or keep going later into the year,” Jane said. “It’s pretty warm in there.”

PHOTOS BY JENNIFER COYNE

Jeff and Jane Way manage Ida Valley Farm at their home near Garfield. The couple began the enterprise nearly 10 years ago and supply fresh produce to area businesses and farmers markets.

The Ways purchased their first high tunnel greenhouse in 2012 with a Natural Resources Conservation Service grant, which allowed the couple to further establish Ida Valley Farm. Two years later, they purchased another high tunnel greenhouse.

“We’ve really inSpinach sprouts from the ground inside a high-tunnel greenhouse March 28 at Ida Valley Farm near Garfield. The Ways use the tunnel creased our markets because of what we can sell to grow vegetables early on and later into the season.

produce.

Part of the Ways’ success has come from the ability to progress with the industry. Every year, they evaluate their current operation and make changes that will improve the business.

Ida Valley Farm be-

when,” Jane said.

When the high tunnels are used to kick-start a season, with tomatoes, for example, the produce is later transplanted to the fields when the weather is conducive to growing.

In the field, Jeff and Jane also grow potatoes, squash, onions, kale, garlic, and strawberries and raspberries, among other

WAY continued on page 5

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Friday, April 5, 2019 - Country Acres • Page 5 WAY continued from page 4 gan as a small family farm, where Jane and Jeff were the sole caretakers. As the farm has developed, expanding their reach into an online farmers market, as well as a restaurant and food retailer in Alexandria, the labor has remained the same.

Jane is able to fully dedicate her time to the farm, while Jeff also works at a manufacturing busi-

ness in Alexandria and is a first responder. When the farmers market season peaks in the summer, the couple is constantly working around responsibilities on and off the farm.

“We’re looking for a better way [to farm],” Jane said. “When we get into July and August, we’re constantly picking and cleaning for the markets.”

Jeff agreed.

“Even just on a few acres, we can farm and turn a decent profit,” he said.

“But the labor is crazy. So much of our labor goes into weed management.”

This year, a good portion of the crop will be planted in 30-inch permanent beds with more intensive planting and minimal tillage to hopefully cut down on weeding and to increase crop production

on less ground.

“With growing produce more intensively on less acreage, we will have less ground in production to weed. Instead, more cover crops will be planted to help continue to build up our soil health,” said Jane, who mentioned Ida Valley Farm’s ultimate goal is to always provide quality food to their customers.

The Ways currently cover crop the fields using three rotations. In the

WAY continued on page 6 PHOTO BY JENNIFER COYNE

Jeff and Jane Way have a small herd of goats on their farm near Garfield in Douglas County. This spring, the Ways kidded in 20 kids.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Ida Valley Farm produce is on display at the farmers market in Alexandria last summer. Jeff and Jane Way provide a variety of fruits and vegetables to the local farmers markets and businesses.

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Page 6 • Country Acres - Friday, April 5, 2019 WAY continued from page 5 spring, oats and field peas are planted then mowed down and replaced with sorghum. Throughout the summer, the sorghum is mowed and allowed time to grow back. When winter arrives, the fields are planted with rye, vetch and turnips.

The Ways also have a small flock of laying hens and a herd of meat goats – both extensions of their children’s 4-H projects a time ago. These animals provide a source of nutrients for the soil in their manure, which is added to the compost pile and later spread throughout the field.

“The goats are more or less something to do to

in my pastime,” said Jeff of his herd of Boer and Kiko goats. “They are also a good way to control the brush.”

Jeff and Jane had a hectic spring kidding in 20 young goats, as well as preparing their greenhouses and land for the upcoming vegetable season.

With the snow melting and ground thawing, it will not be long before the Ways are able to provide local foods to the community.

“People are looking for local more and more, and that’s huge for farmers like us,” Jane said. “We’re anxious to get going.”

PHOTOS BY JENNIFER COYNE

Jeff and Jane Way discuss the freshly-planted spinach in one of their high-tunnel greenhouses March 28 at their farm near Garfield.

A doe eats hay March 28 at the Ways’ farm near Garfield. During the summer months, the goats are let out on pasture where they feed Boer twins nurse off their mother at Jeff and Jane Way’s farm, were Jane Way holds a young kid March 28 at her farm near Garfield. Way off grass and brush. they raise Boer and Kiko goats as a hobby. and her husband, Jeff, finished kidding in early March.

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Friday, April 5, 2019 - Country Acres • Page 7

by Diane Leukam adults who avoided eggs.”

So, what’s a person to believe? We could start with how many eggs we are actually eating a day.

Most websites agree we eat around 280 eggs a year per capita in the United States, or .77 eggs per day – less than one. Japan eats the most in the world at 320, still fewer than one.

As it turns out, Japan loses 40.50 people per 100,000 per year from coronary heart disease, second least of any nation in the world, according to worldlifeexptancy.com. We lose 86.89 per year on the same chart. Are these results telling the whole story?

Definitely not, because the numbers are all over the board.

Let’s put this into perspective. To move into the “egg-dangerous” warning category mentioned in the March 15 headline, two people would have to begin eating between 182 to 243 dozen eggs a year. A family of four would have to consume 365 to 487 dozen eggs a year.

Only at the end of the story does a doctor admit that “Eggs are a nutritious food and…eating healthily is all about balance.”

The things that aggravates me most about stories like this is there are very real people out there trying to make a living in animal agriculture. They don’t need CNN’s 90 million U.S. followers to read just that headline and take it at face value when they shop for groceries.

Today it’s the eggs, tomorrow it might be beef, turkey, chicken, pork or

dairy, who knows? If you are an animal ag farmer, you might be better off trying to predict the direction of the wind.

Let’s switch to something more fun, like this issue’s lineup!

In Osakis, Bill Clay is enjoying his springtime retirement hobby. The sap is running, and he is preparing a year’s supply of maple syrup for his pancakes, French toast and corn flakes. If you are one of his friends, you might even enjoy some of the excess fruit of the trees, so to speak.

In Little Sauk, meet Ben Cotter. The 47-yearold is a photographer, artist, musician and woodworker.

He is also an advocate for people with Down Syndrome.

Eden Valley’s Michael Klein raises beef and garlic and volunteers for Mended Hearts. Perhaps most unusual, he has been teaching couples various kinds of dances for more than 25 years.

Ceramic artisans JD Jorgenson and Megan Mitchell of Kimball talk about their work at their Maine Prairie Studio, and how clay has drawn them in. Read their story and see some of their beautiful work.

In Garfield, Jeff and Jane Way have transformed a gardening hobby into a full-time endeavor on their four-acre farm. They implement multiple techniques and technologies to ensure they can make a living on their small farm.

They grow fruits and vegetables, along with some laying hens and meat goats. Alert: cute baby goat photo!

We also have special pages this issue, a Q&A with this year’s eight Stearns County Dairy Princesses. See what these young ladies think about life on the farm and the dairy industry in general.

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ometimes I run a column in the Sauk Centre Herald that I can’t resist sharing with you. I can get a little protective over the agriculture sector when I come across something that seems to be a bit over-dramatic and, I believe, sensationalized to the detriment of our farmers. This one ran on March 21, and here it is in a condensed version: CNN came out with an intriguing headline March 15: “Three or more eggs a day increase your risk of heart disease and early death, study says.”

I saw that and thought, great, here we go again.

The egg pendulum within science and the media has swung in both directions over the years.

This story says a study has followed six studies and 29,000 people. The writer says, “People who eat three or four eggs a day – or any equivalent [emphasis mine] of 300 mg of dietary cholesterol – have a higher risk of both heart disease and early death compared to those who eat fewer eggs, new research finds.”

They are sure this time that eggs are bad, because “Other studies did not take into account that egg consumption may be related to other unhealthy behaviors [emphasis mine, again], such as low physical activity, smoking and an unhealthy diet.”

Yep. It must be the eggs. Today, at least.

CNN ran a story by the same writer on May 21, 2018 with the headline: “An egg a day might reduce your risk of heart disease, study says.”

The story says, “Eating an egg a day may lower your risk of cardiovascular disease, a study of more than 400,000 adults in China suggests. Daily egg eaters had an 18 percent lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, which manifests as heart attacks and strokes, compared with

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Details on reverse side.

Page 8 • Country Acres - Friday, April 5, 2019

Be patient about beginning lawn work

S D ROLLERS M R HA UTY LAN D HEAVY

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pring is officially here!

The meltdown is occurring, and our lawns will once again appear. However, you may find some surprises in your lawn as the snow recedes. First instinct may be to take advantage of the warm spring days and start your yard work, but doing work too early could cause more harm than good.

Lawn care should not begin until the ground has firmed up and the soil is no longer cold and muddy.

Raking too early may cause damage in two ways; the first is by uprooting many healthy grass plants, and the second is causing compaction to the soils simply by walking on it. Keep in mind you may have different conditions in different parts of your yard so some areas would be ready sooner than others. Best advice would be to monitor, and simply wait until conditions are more suitable to walk on and soil temperatures have increased. This same rule applies for working in your gardens as well.

As the snow melts homeowners may find a few unwanted surprises.

One of those surprises would be small- to medium-sized circular, light tan patches which appear to be dead grass. In some circumstances the circular patterns merge to create a larger area of what appears to be dead grass. Likely this could be a condition caused by fungi that thrive in cold

Country Acres

and moist conditions; this is often referred to assnow mold. In most situations, the simple remedy for this is to lightly rake away the dead-looking grass. Again, waiting until the conditions are suitable to walk on will help prevent damage to the healthy grass plants. Doing this light raking will remove the unsightly grass and allow more sunlight and air circulation to reach the healthy plants, giving them the opportunity to rebound and recover.

Some may notice narrow, twisting ridges of loose grass or uprooted grass. Most likely meadow voles have tunneled these small trenches. The meadow voles have likely left your lawns by the time you have noticed these after the snow melt in search of more protective cover. The best method to remediate meadow vole damage is to rake up the loose grass and any clumps of uprooted plant material. Most of the damage caused by the meadow voles is actually confined to the grass foliage rather than the crown of the plant, which is the part of the plant responsible for regrowing new shoots and grass blades.

However, if there is extensive damage, leveling these

spots and possibly adding topsoil and over-seeding may be necessary.

One other common damage to our lawns we discover after the snow melts is damage caused by deicing salt. Damage is most commonly seen curbside or along sidewalks or driveways. Turf grass is not able to handle the temporary influx of the moderate to high concentration of deicing salt. The first step in improving this area would be to dilute the concentration by allowing several spring rains or using a garden hose to thoroughly soak the area. The second step, once the soil has dried out to the point that it is no longer muddy or soft under foot, is to reseed or sod the area. Turfgrass science re-

search continues to study more salt tolerant varieties, includingPuccinella distans var.‘Fults’ or ‘Salty’.

The important thing is to read the turf grass seed labels just as you would a food label to determine the seed variety content.

In addition, follow the directions on the package for application rates.

Our landscapes will soon turn from the white snow cover to green grass, but have a little patience so that damage is not caused to your lawns by starting lawn care too early. For more information on turfgrass, visitwww.turf.umn. eduorwww.extension.umn. edu/garden Until next time, happy gardening!

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Moo–ving to the beat

By DANNA SABOLIK Staff Writer

EDEN VALLEY – It is not uncommon to see Michael Klein’s toes tapping along to the beat. This prancing producer resides near Eden Valley, raises grass-fed beef and garlic and teaches dance lessons in his free time.

Michael has been dancing for more than 30 years and teaching for more than 25.

He also raises American Aberdeen grass-fed beef cattle with his wife, Bridget, on 40 acres surrounding their home. They also raise 4,500 garlic plants, and all the produce is direct-marketed and sold locally.

Michael has taught classes through community education in multiple communities, and also worked with private groups for other reasons such as a wedding party, a family before they went on a cruise and a homeschooled class to help

them earn their physical education credit.

Most of the classes Michael teaches are beginner classes, and are four to six weeks long. He teaches East Coast Swing, Big Band Swing and Western Two Step.

“It’s exciting to watch the transition from week one to week four,” Bridget said. “Week one they feel awkward and can’t get the footwork and by week four they’re doing turns and having fun out there.”

Michael agreed.

“I tell them, ‘if this felt difficult and frustrating, hang in there. After the first night it will get better,’” he said.

His goal is not to push the precise footwork, but to get the couple working together as a unit and have better form.

He enjoys teaching classes when a group of friends attends.

“It’s nice when you get two or three couples together who know each other because if they go out

Friday, April 5, 2019 - Country Acres • Page 9

Kleins share love of dancing, farming

together on a regular basis, they help remind each other of turns or if someone needs to sit out for a song, they have multiple partners,” Michael said.

Bridget helps Michael teach when she can, but is a cardiac nurse at St. Cloud Hospital, CentraCare Health and often has conflicting shift work.

In that case, Michael’s daughter, Melissa, who lives in the area, will help out.

Another benefit to dancing with a group of friends is teaching one another.

“Your students learn more by assisting than by doing it on their own,” he said. “It’s also a good way to build self-confidence, and it makes you a stronger dancer.”

Michael attends PHOTO BY DANNA SABOLIK

KLEIN continued on page 10

Bridget and Michael Klein share a passion for dancing and farming. They raise American Aberdeen grass-fed beef and garlic on their farm near Eden Valley. When they are not farming you can find them twirling around the nearest dance floor.

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Page 10 • Country Acres - Friday, April 5, 2019 KLEIN continued from page 9

pital with pre- and post-op cardiac patients about their concerns and to offer support.

He know firsthand that support is needed by heart patients. Michael underwent coronary artery bypass grafting surgery in 2009. For him, dancing is a form of cardiac exercise.

“If you get out there on

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you’re the dance floor and yo moving for 40 minutes and pushing, it’s great cardiac exercise,” he said.

Some of Michael’s favorite tunes to dance to are “White Liar” by Miranda Lambert and “Stay A Little Longer” by Brothers Osborne. He also enjoys dancing to Keith Urban.

“I like stuff that moves fast,” he said. “And I like to keep moving.”

The couple goes out dancing about three times a month; they would prefer to go once a week.

Locally, the Kleins like

to dance at Manannah Hilltop Tavern, Eden Lakeside, O’Neil’s in Spicer and the ballroom in Glenwood.

“The first thing I look at on a woman is what’s on her feet. If she has tennis shoes, high heels or flip flops, she’s not here to dance,” Michael said.

Michael’s favorite part of dancing is sharing what he loves with others and watching them learn to love it as well. He enjoys seeing students teach one another.

“You want to keep doing it because you enjoy

it,” Michael said.

He encourages former students or any dancer to ask for help if they need it.

“Don’t hesitate to dance with one of us if you need a reminder or want to learn a new move,” Michael said. “Any true dancer would be happy to teach a move.”

And, a true dancer he is. So while Michael works on the farm caring for his beef cattle or garlic, or volunteers for Mended Hearts, in his own heart of hearts, he is likely spinning around on the nearest dance floor.

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work, Mended Hearts.

This organization has been around for 68 years, and serves as a support organization for people with heart conditions and who undergo heart surgery.

Through this organization, Michael has been to Georgia as the regional director. He also volunteers at the St. Cloud Hos-

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cattle shows with his wife, Bridget, all over the country. They have been to Kansas City and Denver as well as at local shows. One of the first things Michael does when he travels to a new city is look for a bar that plays country music and has a dance floor.

Michael also travels a little with his volunteer

Friday, April 5, 2019 - Country Acres • Page 11

PHOTOS BY DANNA SABOLIK

Michael and Bridget Klein show off their dance moves in their home near Eden Valley on March 22. Michael teaches East Coast Swing, Big Band Swing and Western Two Step in surrounding communities and enjoys dancing any chance he has.

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Page 12 • Country Acres - Friday, April 5, 2019

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Friday, April 5, 2019 - Country Acres • Page 13

Eight crowned dairy princesses

PHOTO BY MARK KLAPHAKE

Eight ladies (from left), Katelyn Rakotz of St. Anthony, Miranda Breth of St. Anthony, Lexi Feldewerd of New Munich, Katherine Maus of Freeport, Jessica Ohmann of Albany, Donna Honer of Rockville, Maggie Molitor of Rockville and Savanna Marthaler of Sauk Centre, were crowned Stearns County Dairy Princesses March 16 at the Freeport Community Center. Honer and Maus were also scholarship recipients and Marthaler was named Miss Congeniality.

Katelyn Rakotz

Miranda Breth

Lexi Feldewerd

Katherine Maus

Jessica Ohmann

Donna Honer

Maggie Molitor

Savanna Marthaler

Parents: Gary and Holly Rakotz Siblings: Nate, Nolan, Alex and Aiden Town: St. Anthony

Parents: Jerry and Tammy Breth Siblings: Dillon, Makayla and Emily Town: St. Anthony

Parents: Dennis and Karrie Feldewerd Siblings: Levi, Ty, Kade and Rylee Town:New Munich

Parents: Darrel and Lisa Maus Siblings: Nathan, Ashley and Briana Town: Freeport

Parents: Ron and Ami Ohmann Siblings: Nathaniel, Alissa and Isabella Town: Albany

Parents: Scott and Toni Honer Sibling: Ava Honer Town: Rockville

Parent: Joe Molitor Siblings: Melaine, Kristen, Leah, Hannah, Maria, Abby and Angela Town: Rockville

Parents: Harold Marthaler and Denise Mikkleson Siblings: Anthony, Dominic, Eugene, Vincent and Julia Town: Sauk Centre

Describe your farm and your role on the farm: We have a dairy farm where we milk about 200 cows. We currently are milking in our parlor. We had a stanchion barn up until the summer of 2013 when we started building our parlor.

Our dairy farm is about 7-10 minutes

Describe your farm and your role on the farm: I am a part of the fourth generation on the dairy farm which my parents own.

I help with feeding, cleaning, vaccinating and milking the cows.

Most of the year, I spend the majority of my time out in the field. It seems like

Describe your farm and your role on the farm: I grew up on a small Holstein/Jersey farm a couple miles out of New Munich. My role on the farm varies from calf and cow care to milking, feeding and everything in between.

Describe your farm and your role on the farm: My family lives south of Freeport where we milk 60 Holstein cows twice a day. My responsibilities include feeding the cows and calves, and sometimes I also milk the cows.

Describe your farm and your role on the farm: We have a 10acre hobby farm and lease Ayrshires that graze in our pasture each summer. We work with the animals to be shown at the Dairy Day show, the county fair and the state fair.

In addition, I work at Groetsch Dairy where

Describe your farm and your role on the farm: I have many roles on the farm but my main job is as a milking technician. I also help feed calves, assist in breeding, monitoring cattle health, and upkeep of farm records.

Describe your farm and your role on the farm: I live on an organic dairy farm in Rockville. I am proud to say that I am the fourth generation living and working on my family’s dairy. Currently, we are milking 300 Holstein cows in a milking parlor. My duties on my farm include

Describe your farm and your role on the farm: I grew up on a 72-cow dairy farm four miles north of Padua. It is a second-generation farm currently owned by my father. I have many responsibility on the farm like feeding and bedding calves and cows and giving vaccines to calves,

Rakotz page 14

Breth page 14

Feldewerd page 14

Maus page 15

Ohmann page 15

Honer page 15

Molitor page 16

Marthaler page 16

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Page 14 • Country Acres - Friday, April 5, 2019

MUNSON FEED CO. INC.

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Rakotz from page 13 out of Albany, in the town of St. Anthony.

I have many different roles on our farm.

One task I do is milk our cows and bring them in from the holding area. Along with milking, I also am responsible for watching for cows that need a dose of oxytocin. With that task I am responsible for making sure the cows are cared for properly and are healthy. I also feed the bigger calves grain and hay. One more job I do is feed the baby calves in our feeder barn. Bottle feeding the baby calves is my favorite thing to do on the farm. After the first few feedings on a bottle we switch the calf over to our automatic calf feeder.

What is your favorite dairy product?

Chocolate milk Why do you feel the dairy industry is important?

It’s important because what would the world and food be without dairy products. Dairy is very important because it makes a lot of foods healthy and nutritious. Dairy is slowly going downhill but I think it’s important to keep it going because we need dairy in our lives.

What do you look forward to most in your upcoming year as a Stearns County Dairy Princess? I’m looking forward to doing as many events as I can and advocating with the younger kids, teaching them things and answering questions that they or any other person has who is interested in the dairy industry.

What is your favorite memory from the farm?

Just growing up on the farm, always being with my dad and being his “tail.”

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picking rocks and baling hay monopolize most of my time during the spring and summer. I also assist in harvesting oats, rye and corn by combining, hauling gravity boxes and baling straw. I help to maintain the buildings and pasture and assist in fixing and servicing equipment.

What is your favorite memory from the farm?

One of my favorite memories from the farm is when I was riding in the combine with my dad. We were working on filling the hopper for the first time in the field, and he thought we could make another round in the cornfield before we unloaded. Little did he know, the corn was busheling better than he thought. He told me to drive to the end of the field, and he had to go hand shovel the corn so it all fit.

What is your favorite dairy product?

My favorite dairy product is cheese because it goes with everything and you can never have too much cheese. It is really easy to add extra cheese to a pizza or in a sandwich. Different forms of cheese can also make great snacks such as string cheese or cheese and crackers. Cheese also comes in many different and distinct flavors, so there is a type of cheese for everybody.

Why do you feel the dairy industry is important?

The dairy industry is important because it provides a lot to communities and to families. The local farms provide dairy foods for the towns. They also can help to provide an education to students by giving farm tours.

The dairy industry is a way of life for many people and has given so many things to a lot of people. It has given people a career and passion. It has shown people work ethics. The dairy industry has even given people great family memories. These events happen on and off the farm. The dairy industry has an endless number of jobs which are created due to it, from truck drivers to salespeople to mechanics, even to government officials, and the list goes on. One of the most important things about the dairy industry is that it provides dairy foods which are wholesome and nutrient-rich.

What do you look forward to most in your upcoming year as a Stearns County Dairy Princess?

I am excited to get to know and work with the other Stearns County Princesses and Ambassadors. I am also looking forward to teaching kids and getting them excited about dairy. I think that it is important to bring dairy, and agriculture, awareness into schools. It is a great experience to meet with people in the county and get to know their stories. I enjoy being able to talk to people about agriculture and dairy, and being able to share my story and knowledge with them.

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What is your favorite memory from the farm?

My favorite memory from the farm would have to be when my dad surprised me with a new cow. He came home from the sales barn with Jersey just for me. I begged and begged my dad to get me a Jersey and one day he did. This was actually the first Jersey introduced to the farm! Now, I have 14 of my own.

What is your favorite dairy product? My favorite dairy product is definitely ice cream, with cheese as a close second.

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Why do you feel the dairy industry is important?

I feel the dairy industry is so important because farmers like my family and I feed America. Working endless hours to put food on the table for families around the world. Providing the world with so many healthy and good-tasting products that can be enjoyed by everyone. There is literally a product for everyone.

What do you look forward to most in your upcoming year as a Stearns County Dairy Princess?

In the upcoming year I look forward to advocating for the dairy industry and educating as many people as I can about why the dairy industry is so important and how they can find a dairy product that works for them. Teaching younger generations about why dairy is good for them but also is good tasting will go a very long way.

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Friday, April 5, 2019 - Country Acres • Page 15

Maus from page 13 What is your favorite memory from the farm? My favorite memory is training my calves for the county fair.

During the summer I would stroll around the yard with my calf, and afterwards I would head to the house to get an ice cream treat.

What is your favorite dairy product?

My favorite dairy product is chocolate milk because it refuels my muscles after a workout and is an awesome way for people of all ages to consume the nine essential nutrients found in milk.

Why do you feel the dairy industry is important?

Dairy is found in many different varieties of foods. With the population on the rise, we need to continue producing products and growing crops for the future. Not only do we all need food, but we also need wholesome, nutritious dairy products to keep us healthy and strong.

What do you look forward to most in your upcoming year as a Stearns County Dairy Princess?

I am looking forward to representing the local dairy farmers and being the link between farmers and consumers by attending community events and parades, and sharing my story.

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What is your favorite memory from the farm?

This year we brought a two-month-old baby calf for my 5-year-old sister to show. I enjoyed helping her bring this calf from bottle-fed to show ready.

Why do you feel the dairy industry is important?

The dairy industry is a vital part of our county and state’s economic wellbeing. In addition, local farmers provide healthy, nutritious products that are an essential part of youth and adult diets.

What do you look forward to most in your upcoming year as a Stearns County Dairy Princess?

I look forward to meeting the young consumers who are excited about the healthy products I am here to promote.

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What is your favorite dairy product?

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BELGRADE NURSING HOME Honer from page 13 What is your favorite memory from the farm?

My favorite memory is when we had a class from the cities come out to the farm to learn about dairy. Earlier that morning I had chosen a calf which I was going to later show the kids. When I brought the calf out there was a rush of excitement and the kids ran to the calf. This caused her to poop and then everyone was so fascinated and grossed out at the same time. It was just cool to see the kids so excited about a touching a calf.

Why do you feel the dairy industry is important?

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What do you look forward to most in your upcoming year as a Stearns County Dairy Princess?

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What is your favorite dairy product?

My favorite dairy product is probably cheese. It is delicious and still very nutritious plus it comes in dozens of different flavors and styles. I love how you can put it in just about anything or eat it plain and still have it taste so good.

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What is your favorite memory from the farm?

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I loved riding alongside him in the tractor or Ranger anytime I got. Even at a very young age, he would encourage me to ask questions and learn the tasks he was completing. I learned so much from him and valued the quality time I got to spend with him.

What is your favorite dairy product?

My favorite dairy product would have to be milk! In my opinion, there is

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What do you look forward to most in your upcoming year as a Stearns County Dairy Princess?

This year I look towards meeting new people from across Stearns County and sharing about how amazing the dairy community is. I love sharing my story as a dairy farmer and teaching youth about having a healthy lifestyle by consuming dairy products.

along with milking the cows with my father. I also am in charge of making sure every young animal has water, along with a special feed.

Why do you feel the dairy industry is important?

I feel that the dairy industry, or as I like to call it, “the dairy community,” is important, because it supplies healthy and wholesome foods for people to enjoy, but also provides countless jobs for our community.

What is your favorite memory from the farm?

One of my favorite memories on the farm would be a water fight I had with my siblings a couple summers ago; we all ended up drenched from head to toe.

What do you look forward to most in your upcoming year as a Stearns County Dairy Princess?

I look forward to getting to know and inform the community about dairy, and bringing joy to children when they get to enjoy some delicious dairy food.

What is your favorite dairy product?

My all-time favorite dairy product would be cow tracks ice cream.

DID YOU KNOW...

The Stearns County American Dairy Association held its 65th Annual Dairy Princess Banquet on March 16, 2019, at the Freeport Community Center in Freeport. Roast beef dinner will be served, followed by the coronation of these eight young ladies as Stearns County Dairy Princesses.

Throughout the year, the girls will represent the dairy industry at various events. Last year’s princesses were present at events such as a girls’ basketball game in Eden Valley serving ice cream; the Paynesville-Holdingford football game with cheese and Go-gurts for everyone; other area high school sporting events; honoring veterans at the Eagle’s Healing Nest in Sauk Centre at their annual Nest Fest; and the 2018 Stearns County Fair where they served soft serve ice cream, root beer floats and cold bottled milk in white, chocolate, and strawberry.

They also speak at many schools to educate children about nutritious dairy products, and life on the dairy farm.

In August, they have the opportunity to compete for Princess Kay of the Milky Way, with finalists joining in on the tradition of having their heads carved in butter at the Minnesota State Fair.

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Friday, April 5, 2019 - Country Acres • Page 17

A magical transformation

Jorgenson, Mitchell blend talents, teaching as clay artisans

By DIANE LEUKAM Staff Writer

KIMBALL – The whirr of a quiet motor, a trickle of water and an occasional scuffle of a foot were the only sounds at Maine Prairie Studio just north of Kimball on a Friday afternoon in March.

JD Jorgenson and Megan Mitchell tended to their potter’s wheels, working in easy silence, as comfortable in their surroundings as they were with one another.

Mitchell, working on an electric wheel, transformed a ball of clay into a vase-shaped piece in just a matter of minutes. Using her hands to center the clay, it was as if by magic

“You really use your body differently than when you use an electric wheel,” he said. “I used to be a rower in college and you used both upper and lower body mechanics.”

From a pot in front of him, Jorgenson trickled water over the clay to wet it, making centering easier as he pressed into it. Soon he, too, had a form shaped from the clay, his different than hers.

Each has taken a journey of twists and turns to become the experts they are, even before their worlds collided in 2014 when they met at a ceramics conference in Milwaukee.

that the vase was formed, rising up from the wheel, from nothing into something. After putting finishing touches to the vase, she gently removed it and set it aside where it would dry.

The whole process seemed effortless.

“When I teach beginning ceramics my students complain that I make it look too easy,” Mitchell said, smiling. “For me, the throwing is the fastest part of the process.”

Nearby, Jorgenson placed a large piece of clay on his Karatsu Korean-style wheel, preparing to make a ceramic piece of his own. The wheel is kept in motion with regular “kicks” of his foot. He enjoys the physicality of the wheel.

CLAY ARTISANS continued on page 18

ALL PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM

Megan Mitchell and JD Jorgenson relax at their Maine Prairie Studio March 22 north of Kimball.

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Page 18 • Country Acres - Friday, April 5, 2019 CLAY ARTISANS continued from page 17 The couple recently purchased a property north of Kimball and built a home there, along with developing their studio using two existing buildings. Their studio spaces are filled with an extensive amount of equipment, from various wheels and kilns to shelving for pottery and an area for displaying the finished products. On the side of the main building is a glaze kitchen where recipes are used to create any number of glazes.

“We have recipes in this kitchen just like you would have in the house to bake bread with,” Jorgenson said.

One can sense an influence and interest of other cultures in both artisans.

Jorgenson, 43, was born in the Dickinson, N.D., area and attended North Dakota State University for t w o years before transferring to the U n i versity of Iowa in Iowa City. Beginning with a

This large sculptural piece (right) by Megan Mitchell was created by hand coiling and shows the artistic imagery she often employs in her ceramics.

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focus on art education and art history, his influence changed to studio ceramics and Japanese language.

“I was interested in Asian aesthetics and ceramics, calligraphy, tea ceremony and any number of things,” he said.

“I wanted to use that language to go to Japan and study ceramics and other treasures from there.”

Jorgenson teaches ceramics classes and creates his own work while also working at the St. Cloud Quarry.

Jorgenson’s first work

out of college was teaching clay classes at the Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis. In 2002 he was a visiting artist at St. John’s Pottery at St. John’s University, later becoming an apprentice there. The Asian influence of his earlier studies came into play once more as an apprentice under Richard Bresnehan, who himself had studied in Japan as an apprentice.

“When I worked with him it was not the same as being in-country in Japan, but it was still very rigorous,” Jorgenson said. “It

CLAY ARTISANS continued on page 19

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A glaze kitchen off one side of the studio is equipped with recipes, ingredients and tools for mixing glazes. The glazes are applied to ceramic pieces before they are fired in a kiln.

ALL PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM

These pieces have not been glazed yet, but are decorated with farm scenes.

Friday, April 5, 2019 - Country Acres • Page 19 CLAY ARTISANS continued from page 18 for brick making and casting recently.”

He enjoys the challenge of mold-making, and an exhibition at St. John’s University in 2016 showed many of those pieces.

Jorgenson pointed out a sculpture made from a mold created using nuts from heavy equipment at the quarry.

“I like industrial things; bolts and nuts,” he said. “At the quarry there’s a lot of machinery and big industrial equipment. That’s a stack of nuts that we’ve used to fix equipment.”

Jorgenson creates a variety of functional pieces, such as mugs and bowls, using either the electric or kick wheel, or occasionally coil building by hand.

To create the mold used for this sculptural piece, JD Jorgenson stacked large nuts from his work at St. Cloud Quarry. In addition, he will often use clay and granite dust from the quarry in his work.

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Mitchell, also 43, grew up in New Hampshire, where her parents still live.

She went to Carleton College in Northfield for her undergraduate degree, as a painting and print-making student, and received her master’s degree from Utah State University. She moved to Montana to work on the trail crews and became interested in pottery, working at a commercial pottery studio in Whitefish, Mont. and one in California.

“I had a wandering spell for a good while,” she said, smiling.

Mitchell creates both functional pieces like cups, mugs, bowls, plates, serving dishes and trays, as well as sculptural pieces. Much of her work is thrown on the wheel, but she also extensively uses coil building to create her larger sculptural works.

She uses her print-making background with imagery and patterns on the surface of her work.

“Images are screen-printed on paper and transferred onto the clay, a little like a temporary tattoo,” she said.

Glazes are transparent, so the images are visible after the pieces are fired in the kiln.

“Depending on if I’m getting ready for an exhibi-

Megan Mitchell throws a vase on an electric potter’s wheel, March 22 in her studio north of Kimball.

tion or what I’m doing, I’ll go back and forth between smaller more functional work and sculptural work,” she said.

She is represented in galleries across the United States, including Red Lodge and Whitefish, Mont., Door County, Wis.,Taos, N.M. and Grand Marais.

“Pricing is really hard because I don’t want something to be so precious they won’t use it,” she said.

The pots I make I want them to be used. I don’t want them to sit on a shelf.”

Mitchell teaches art at St. Cloud Technical and Community College, and Minneapolis College in Minneapolis. Together, she and Jorgenson teach ceramics classes at the Paramount in St. Cloud, as well as classes and workshops in their own studio.

For them, the connection to clay runs deep.

“Clay is wonderfully tactile experience; there’s kind of this magic of transformation that happens,” Mitchell said. “I’ve always been drawn to art because

CLAY ARTISANS continued on page 20

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Each clay has its unique characteristics that he appreciates, and uses they are most suited for.

Much of what he uses comes from the quarry in St. Cloud.

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Page 20 • Country Acres - Friday, April 5, 2019 CLAY ARTISANS continued from page 19 it’s something tangible and you end up with a tangible thing. That’s satisfying to me, seeing the results of my efforts.”

Jorgenson’s connection perhaps comes from a place deeper within, in a sort of primordial way.

From the time he started experimenting with clay processes at a young age, it has held him captive.

Building a kiln and learning the processes to make it work, learning about clay, mixing glazes and the many other complicated processes of ceramics are challenging and intriguing for him.

“Clay drew me in when I first tried it and it wasn’t really a conscious decision on my part,” he said. “I got the clay bug and it’s something that’s been really important in my life ever since.” (left) Floor-to-ceiling shelving displays a personal history for JD Jorgenson and Megan Mitchell at their home north of Kimball. (right) JD Jorgenson works with clay mined from his parents’ property in North Dakota to throw a ceramic piece on his Korean-style Karatsu kick wheel.

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What do you enjoy most about FFA? Why? The diversity of members. In FFA, you have theater kids, athletes, band/choir kids and kids coming in from so many different activities. I’ve found that many of these students wouldn’t often talk to one another outside of FFA, and it’s very rewarding to watch them come together within the organization.

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Page 22 • Country Acres - Friday, April 5, 2019

COUNTRY COOKING

Tagliatelle with Lemon

Everyone loves pasta and the quickest pasta to cook is Tagliatelle!

• 3 unwaxed lemons • 4 Tbsp. butter • 4 Tbsp. light cream

Grate the zest of two of the lemons. Peel the other lemon, and be sure to remove all of the white pith from the zest. Cut the peel into thin strips. Next, melt the butter in a large skillet. When the butter begins to foam, add the grated lemon zest, stir occasionally. After 2-3 minutes, reduce heat from medium to low and add the cream.

Be sure not to overheat the cream.

In separate pan, cook the Tagliatelle to al dente (not soft). Drain well. Add the pasta to the skillet with the sauce and gently toss. Add plenty of Parmesan cheese and two to three pinches of salt. Gently toss the pasta again and serve with the strips of lemon rind as garnish. Serves 4.

Recipes submitted by

LINDA GIAMBI Starbuck Pope County Italian meals begin with an antipasto [appetizer, or hors d’oeuvre], so here are two quick and easy recipes.

An easy, make-ahead dish. Makes 5 cups.

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 tsp. sugar 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1 pint cherry tomatoes 1 can (14 ounces) quartered and drained artichoke hearts

Bruschetta

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• 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil • 10 fresh basil leaves, lightly chopped • 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, cubed • 1 loaf French baguette bread

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In a medium bowl add chopped tomatoes, capers, pepper, salt, olive oil, chopped basil and cubed mozzarella. Gently mix to coat. Slice the baguette bread lengthwise and split into 4 pieces. Toast bread lightly in toaster. Remove and place bread on plate. Top bread with tomato mixture, making sure to use the tomato and olive oil liquid in the bowl to lightly soak the bread. Enjoy. Makes 4 servings.

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NAME:

This is another classic Italian antipasto, pronounced “Broo skit ah.”

>>> APRIL

This is a classic dessert known and eaten throughout Italy.

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• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed • 1 can whole black olives • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves • Bibb lettuce leaves [Bibb lettuce is a slightly smaller version of Butterhead lettuce]

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Let stand on counter at least 30 minutes. Line a platter with lettuce leaves and add tomato mixture over the top. Serve at room temperature.

• 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped into cubes • 2 Tbsp. capers, drained • 1/4 tsp. black pepper • Salt to taste

Zabaglione

• 4 egg yolks • 1/4 cup sugar

Marinated Antipasto • • • • • • • •

• 10 ounces Tagliatelle pasta • Salt • Parmesan cheese, finely grated

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Page 24 • Country Acres - Friday, April 5, 2019

Springtime is syrup time

By HERMAN LENSING Staff Writer

OSAKIS – Bill Clay waits for springtime.

He knows that sometime in that season every year he will be finding a sweet treat – in trees.

“It is a fascinating thing,” he said of tapping maple trees on his property at Maple Lake near Osakis.

“The season is sometimes only two or three weeks long.”

In that time, from when the sap in the trees starts running to when it stops, Clay has a daily routine. He collects the sap from bottles and bags he has placed on trees. Then, he begins to boil it down to maple syrup.

A native of the area, he didn’t really do much cooking of sap until about one year after he graduated from high school. That year his father decided to try tapping.

“My dad owned a resort on the lake,” he said.

“We collected the sap and cooked it off in one of the cabins.”

After high school his work with ceramic tiles took him throughout the state and into the Dakotas and Wisconsin, but he never forgot the area he grew up in. When he retired 16 years ago he and his wife, Joann, moved to their home on Maple Lake.

In about a year he looked for a springtime hobby and making maple syrup seemed to fit the bill.

“When I retired I wanted something to do this time of the year and I thought this (making syrup) was perfect,” he said.

He contacted a daughter in St. Cloud who downloaded information on how to make maple syrup at home and started his hobby.

“It showed how to do it, like making this thing,” he said of his homemade cooker. “It is just cement block and grills to hold the pans.”

Clay cooks about 10-

ALL PHOTOS BY HERMAN LENSING

After sap is collected in five-gallon pails, Bill Clay pours it into his pre-cooker as part of the process of cooking down the sap. His cooking stove is made of cement blocks.

15 gallons of sap a day at about five gallons at a time, simply because that is what his container holds.

There is usually a 40-to-1 ratio for sap to syrup. It is a day-long process that starts

with Clay driving around his yard on a four-wheeler collecting the sap from the bottles and bags he has hung on his trees.

“I got the bags a few years ago,” he said. “Be-

“I took a piece of an fore that it was bottles.”

Something else he old broomstick, drilled a adopted in recent years is hole through it and whitusing metal spigots in the tled it down to fit into a trees to extract the sap. He used to make his own spigCLAY ots. continued on page 25

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Friday, April 5, 2019 - Country Acres • Page 25 CLAY continued from page 24 hole in the tree,” he said.

Once he collects the sap, Clay uses a two-gallon pan to fill the cooking container, gets a wood fire going, and proceeds to boil off the water in the sap. Even as the fire boils off the sap, he refills the two-gallon container and sets it on the grill, but not as close to the heat.

“I like to preheat it,”

Established in 1975

he said. “That way when I pour it in, it doesn’t take as long to start boiling.”

Clay learned how to improve his technique over the years by talking with people who also cook, visiting other cooking places and doing a bit of research.

He likes to visit with people learn new things.

One of the more interesting visits he made was

to St. John’s, Collegeville, where he went on a tour of the facility and received an education in making maple syrup.

“They had demonstrations of how the Native Americans cooked the syrup,” he said. “They heated rocks and dropped them

CLAY continued on page 26

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Page 26 • Country Acres - Friday, April 5, 2019 CLAY continued from page 25 into the sap. Can you imagine how long that took?”

His cooking has also drawn visitors. Friends, neighbors and occasionally a traveler along road he lives on, have stopped by. Once a game warden showed up.

“That was about five years ago,” he said. “I remember, because I was cooking about one week before the fishing opener and there was ice on the lake. That was a late season.”

The outdoor boiling starts to conclude at about 5 p.m. or so. He finishes the batch that is cooking, then covers it to let it cool.

The next day he strains that batch and starts cooking another. The strained batch is taken in the house where it is cooked down to about two gallons.

“You can taste it outside and it is really good,” he said. “Then when you cook it down again you go

‘Wow, how did it get better?’ It is so good it is crazy.”

Cooking it down in the house requires a lot of patience and observation.

“You have to use a candy thermometer,” he said “The magic number is 219. Once it is at 219 degrees you have to pull it off the stove or it will be candy. That doesn’t work so well for putting on pancakes.”

Pancakes, French toast and similar foods seem to taste better with his homecooked syrup. He also uses it on corn flakes.

Clay likes to have a supply of the syrup year round, but is really not into canning the syrup.

“I freeze it in half-gallon containers,” he said.

“Then when I want to use it, I take that container and put it in smaller containers until I use them.”

The freezing also lets him know the quality of

that syrup.

“If it is really good, you can freeze it without water crystals showing up,” he said. “It has a thick, dark color.”

Clay always ends up with more syrup than he can use. His friends benefit as he gives away the excess product.

“I keep enough for myself, and give the rest away to church friends,” he said.

The three to four weeks of the sap run does keep him busy most days, but it also provides him with a reason for visiting friends (giving them syrup), being outdoors (for cooking) and knowing he is practicing a long-established spring tradition.

What he really likes about cooking syrup, however, is that it is another product of his home area.

“This is not from Vermont or Massachusetts,” he said. “It is right here in Minnesota.”

Sap is collected into bags and bottles one drip at a time. When the sap is running strong, it will produce a drip every three to four seconds.

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SAUK CENTRE

GLENWOOD

LONG PRAIRIE

1050 Centre Street â&#x20AC;¢ Ph. 320-352-5261 STORE HOURS

Hwy. 28 & 55 â&#x20AC;¢ Ph. 320-634-5209 STORE HOURS

Hwy. 71 S. â&#x20AC;¢ Ph. 320-732-6195 STORE HOURS

Monday-Friday 8:00am-7:00pm Saturday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. â&#x20AC;¢ Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Saturday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. â&#x20AC;¢ Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Saturday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. â&#x20AC;¢ Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

LITTLE FALLS

GLENCOE

Hwy. 27 â&#x20AC;¢ Ph. 320-632-9240 STORE HOURS

3105 10th St. â&#x20AC;¢ Ph. 320-864-4304 STORE HOURS

Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Saturday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. â&#x20AC;¢ Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Monday - Saturday 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Sunday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Monday-Friday 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. Saturday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

No Cash...No Problem. Charge It!

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Get your Propane tanks filled here!

Available at all Fleet Supply Stores

CA-April5-1B-WS

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Your Full Service Arctic Cat & E-Z-Go Dealer

â&#x20AC;¢ New Arctic Cat ATVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;¢ New Arctic Cat Side-by-Sides â&#x20AC;¢ New E-Z-Go Golf Carts â&#x20AC;¢ Used E-Z-Go Golf Carts

11,949

Hunting & Fishing Licenses Available At All Locations!

1050 Centre Street, Sauk Centre â&#x20AC;¢ 320-352-5261

PAYNESVILLE Hwy. 55 West â&#x20AC;¢ Ph. 320-243-3556 STORE HOURS

$

for Dairy, Equine, Livestock & Poultry

AGASSIZ SEED

YOUR COMPLETE FARM & HOME STORE

Super Quiet Prowler Pro

ANIMAL HEALTH

2019 Wildcat XX

In Stock!

Factory Train ed Technicians

NEW Alterra 500 $

4,699

NEW E-Z-Go Valor $

5,999

www.CountryCat.com â&#x20AC;¢ Sauk Centre, MN â&#x20AC;¢ (320) 352-3534 4VCKFDU UP BQQSPWFE DSFEJU "57nT DBO CF IB[BSEPVT UP PQFSBUF 'PS ZPVS TBGFUZ BMXBZT XFBS B IFMNFU FZF QSPUFDUJPO BOE QSPUFDUJWF DMPUIJOH "WPJE FYDFTTJWF TQFFET #F QBSUJDVMBSMZ DBSFGVM PO EJGæDVMU UFSSBJO 0OMZ SJEF BO "57 UIBU JT SJHIU GPS ZPVS BHF 4VQFSWJTF SJEFST ZPVOHFS UIBO "SDUJD $BU SFDPNNFOET UIBU BMM SJEFST UBLF B USBJOJOH DPVSTF BOE UIBU UIFZ SFBE BOE VOEFSTUBOE UIFJS PXOFSnT NBOVBM CFGPSF PQFSBUJPO 'PS TBGFUZ PS USBJOJOH JOGPSNBUJPO TFF ZPVS EFBMFS PS DBMM UIF "57 4BGFUZ *OTUJUVUF BU Â&#x201E; "SDUJD $BU 4BMFT *OD Â&#x2030;u 5SBEFNBSLT PG "SDUJD $BU *OD 5IJFG 3JWFS 'BMMT ./

Used E-Z-Go TXT $

3,999

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HUGE Parts Department