Country Acres - March 20 edition by Star Publications

Country

Friday, March 20, 2020

cres A

Volume 8, Edition 3

Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment

Fireflies in the night

PHOTO SUBMITTED

The sun sets over a restored wetland pond at John and Lisa Holmquist’s home in Dassel.

Holmquists restore property to native wetlands, delight in return of wildlife By SARAH COLBURN Staff Writer DASSEL – During the summer the deep, gravely “ribbits” of the frogs ring throughout John and Lisa Holmquist’s property in Dassel. The 80 acres is teeming with wildlife, turtles, mice, gophers, pheasants, Sandhill Cranes, geese and, in the beginning, even otters, breaking holes in the snowbanks in winter, taking three steps and sliding on their bellies. But the creatures that make Lisa’s face light up are the fireflies. “There are fireflies galore in the woods,” she said. “All the wildlife came back. Once the use of chemicals stopped, the frogs were immediately back.” The Holmquists have spent the last 10 years restoring their property to wetland. They’re the fourth generation on the family land that was originally farmed by John’s great-grandfather, Per Holmquist, who settled on the property in 1884. Over the years the property has served as a farm with 40 tillable acres. John’s dad, Norman Holmquist, ran a small dairy operation on the property and had as many as 12,500 laying hens, later renting the land to a neighbor for farming. When John and Lisa took ownership of the land after Norman died, they needed to decide whether they were going to farm the soil or continue to rent the cropland out. John began to look into their options and decided on still another option, to bring the land back to its natural state through a wetland restoration project. Initially the couple was interested in organic farming but would have had to

This month in the

COUNTRY

PHOTO BY SARAH COLBURN

Lisa and John Holmquist spent years turning the family farm back to its original wetland state. Their property in Dassel is now teeming with wildlife.

start from scratch. The only equipment they owned were the original family tractors and plows; John’s father farmed with horses up until 1947. “He was slow to evolve and let go of the old ways,” John said. Once the couple decided to restore the land, they worked with a number of agencies to get the project going. The restoration was so successful the property was featured in a four-minute Pheasants Forever virtual reality video called “Management Matters,” which debuted in February at the Pheasants Forever Pheasant Fest. The Holmquists worked with the Meeker County branch of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office to restore the property. Experts used aerial photographs

Where were we? Diane Leukam Column

Seasoned and savored Belgrade

10 Fair enough! New London

HOLMQUIST continued on page 2

15 Forever family Melrose 20 Off to a good start Sauk Centre 23 What’s this?

24 The edible landscape Freeport 26 Country Cooking

Page 2 • Country Acres - Friday, March 20, 2020

Country Acres

HOLMQUIST continued from page 1

Story ideas send to: diane@saukherald.com SALES STAFF

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 Bob Leukam, 320-260-1248 bob.l@star-pub.com

PRODUCTION STAFF Pat Turner Amanda Thooft Nancy Powell 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 publication.

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PHOTO SUBMITTED

Two of the wetland ponds on John and Lisa Holmquist’s property are pictured before the rushes and willows grew up around the area. In the second or third year of their efforts to restore the property to its original wetlands, the dandelions flourished before the native grasses came in.

to study the land and figure out where the original wetlands lay. They studied soil types and looked at topography to determine the exact locations of the original wetlands. The Holmquists hired private contractors and they went to work interrupting the existing drain tile that made the land farmable. They had professionals GPS all the areas where they interrupted the tile so they have it documented for the future. What they found as they worked on the property was that the tile had been hand-placed and the nine-foot trenches that ran 750 yards, or more than six football fields, had been hand dug. The Holmquists believe the trenches were dug by Per and his three sons and were responsible for moving all the water from the low areas of land and directing it into Lake Fallon so the land could be farmed. Contractors came in with bulldozers and excavators to do the dirtwork. They created five small dikes with spillways that would regulate the water level in the ponds. They began construction in mid-summer and once the tile was disrupted, all the Holmquists had to do was wait. By the following spring, the six ponds were full of water and the cool-season grasses on the dikes and spillways hadn’t even had a chance to root yet. John, being a sportsman at heart, was expectant as he watched for the wildlife to return and Lisa, who grew up in the country but is always teased about being a city girl, was excited to be outside working in the garden. As their land matured, so did the natural plantings. “That’s one of the coolest things,” John said. “All the seeds that are there lay dormant; if native grasses and sedges were once there, their seeds can lay in the ground for up to 100 years and may still be viable.” As the ponds restored themselves naturally, the ducks came back and the waterfowl returned. The Phragmites came in, the cattails came in and they planted sedges, mullen and arrowhead, which the ducks and geese eat the root of, like a cucumber. The Holmquists have also faced some challenges. They

PHOTO SUBMITTED

These wood duck chicks cuddle in as their siblings continue to emerge from the eggs. From 2012-14, John and Lisa Holmquist built and put up 25 wood duck houses on their restored wetland property in Dassel.

didn’t realize cattails in Minnesota were hybridized and have become aggressive. Lake Fallon next door is two miles long and the wings of the lake have been taken over by hybridized versions. Additionally, they’ve been fighting with buckthorn. They purchased four Kiko goats named MOAB, Cheeky, Bambie and Daisy to clear the buckthorn and the goats eat it almost to the ground, so John can go in and clear out the larger trunks that remain. They ate more than an acre in five weeks. Because they live in what is now a natural area, the goats are potential prey for coyotes, so they’ve since added two standard donkeys, Dotty and Dutchess, to the mix. HOLMQUIST continued on page 4

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Diane Leukam, Editor diane@saukherald.com Ben Sonnek, Writer ben.s@saukherald.com Herman Lensing, Writer herman@melrosebeacon.com Jennifer Coyne, Writer jenn@dairystar.com Evan Michealson, Writer evan.m@star-pub.com Carol Moorman, Writer carol@melrosebeacon.com Natasha Barber, Writer natasha@saukherald.com Sarah Colburn, Freelance Writer

Friday, March 20, 2020 - Country Acres • Page 3

Where were we?

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Let’s see, where were we? A month ago – Feb. 18, to be precise – we were going to press with the February issue of Country Acres, along with pages dedicated to National FFA Week. We were inserting a large special section for the Central Minnesota Farm show, and I was looking forward to seeing many of you there. Coronavirus was just something happening in China. How things can change in a month. As I write this, it is March 16 and we are in the midst of a national emergency due to the worldwide spread of the virus. It’s all you hear about, so I certainly don’t need to expound on it too much here, but who knows what will happen by Friday when some of you read this! Some things haven’t changed. People in the country continue on with their work and I applaud by Diane Leukam them. Financially, they have learned to cope with hardship and challenge for many years. Economy aside, they may be one group who is less affected by our new world situation as far as their personal way of life is concerned. There are many farmers who have never needed to fill their schedules with extra activities and entertainment, so the lack of sporting events, restaurant visits, movies and classes at the gym might go unnoticed by many. For many of us, these might be days for getting reacquainted with our own D rhomes, nature, our inner selves or a good book. Another thing staying the same is that farmers, and country people in general, love their land. That love leads in many different directions, several of which you will read about in these pages. Don Neu of Albany is a master gardener who has specialized in an edible landscape, specifically uncommon fruits. Not only does he create beauty on his property, but he and his family also consume the fruits of his labor – pun intended. The Kempers of Melrose are a family who thoroughly enjoy their 40-acre property. As you will see, it is a place in motion. Let’s just say there is never a dull moment for this forever family. John and Linda Holm- For many of us, these might quist of Dassel have fol- be days for getting lowed their hearts and restored the wetlands on reacquainted with our own their property that John’s homes, nature, our inner great-grandfather settled in 1884. They have spent the selves or a good book. last 10 years working on the project and could not be D happier. Wildlife has returned in full force, and there is even a ground-level e svideo involved in this story. Hint: Pheasant chicks have a unique view of the world. We round out our assortment of features with an on-farm custom butcher, a family who work closely together in their agricultural business, and a “fairly” amazing couple who have helped keep our great Minnesota get-togethers going for nearly half a century. Don’t forget to check out all of our advertisers within the pages of Country Acres, and unless we go into complete lockdown, please be sure to stop in and support these businesses. They are the reason this paper comes to your mailbox 18 times a year, and in the coming months especially, we must work together to keep our local economies rolling to the best of our ability. Whatever happens, I pray common sense will prevail and the loss of life will be kept to an absolute minimum. History tells us no pandemic has lasted forever, so eventually this too shall pass. Let us prepare for the worst but hope for the best. One thing I am sure of is this will bring out the best and the worst in people, and we can each choose our own response. Time does roll on, and we go back to our twice-a-month issues beginning April 3 and lasting through June. So, we’ll see you again in just a couple weeks!

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Page 4 • Country Acres - Friday, March 20, 2020 HOLMQUIST continued from page 2 Though Lisa said she could do without the farm animals, they help to naturally eradicate the invasive species. The Holmquists purchased a native seed formula for the upland acreage and John applied it with a broadcast spreader and the farm’s original 1947 tractor. They purchased another formula to create flow-

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ers and a pollinator plot on the property. A farmer came out and rolled the property, ensuring good seed-to-ground contact to help with germination. It took two or three years for things to grow and begin to look like a developed prairie land. As the plants mature, they re-seed themselves over time and get thicker and thicker. The three-acre pollinator plot on the property is filled with wildflowers and is the focus of the Pheasants Forever video. Josh Pommier is senior farm bill biologist with Pheasants Forever, and says the video shows the world from the eyes of a pheasant chick. As the chick navigates through the flowers and thick grasses in search of tiny insects, people get to see how important it is for them to have managed PHOTO SUBMITTED land to thrive. Dottie (clockwise from upper left), Duchess, Ginger and Storm romp through the fl owers and fields at “They need flowers John and Lisa Holmquist’s property in Dassel. and insects and diversity,” Pommier said. “Our goal is to show what management can do. Doing a con- into the winter. trolled burn on the property or having cattle grazing Every five years they do a natural burn on all the has a benefit three to five years afterwards.” upland acres to help reinvigorate the grasses, bring The pollinator plot attracts bees, butterflies and fertilizer to the soil and break up the dead plant matemoths as well as the pheasants. rial. The Holmquists have seen the full lifecycle of the land. The weeds and broadleaves come and then the SEE THE FILM: The film “Management Matters” is a four-minute, virtual reality video about the imgrasses and then the conifers. “Nature has a process it goes through,” John said. portance of land management from the view of a pheasant chick. The video, filmed on the Holmquists’ “Everything is God’s purpose.” The Holmquists have planted hundreds of trees property, can be viewed on YouTube at https://www. on the property, such as plums, chokecherries, hazel- youtube.com/watch?v=x6EZ1hwfteU. nuts and high bush cranberry, which hold their berries

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“Everything comes back so quickly, we see the contour of the land again with the grass gone; the green comes up so quickly out of the black,” John said. For the Holmquists, the land now represents peace and solitude. “It’s amazing to get away from the world’s sounds and sit here and see how it used to be,” John said. They listen to the crows, the Yellow-Headed Blackbirds singing and nesting in the cattails, the frogs, toads and tiny birds that nest in the grass. They witness the hundreds of Wood Ducks in the back pond each spring and fall. For them, and the wildlife, the property is a refuge. Lisa said the land is just the way nature and God intended. “I just have an appreciation for how it takes care of itself,” she said. “The less you intervene, the better things go. The less you are there, the more wildlife there is.”

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Friday, March 20, 2020 - Country Acres • Page 5

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Tell us about some of the things you’ve done this year in FFA: So far this year in FFA, I have attended National Convention. In FFA, I participate in the Conduct of Chapter meetings and my SAE (Supervised Agricultural Experience) is on Beef Entrepreneurship where I plan to expand my herd and Inform the public along the way. Name one current issue you believe will impact agriculture in the future: One thing I think will impact agriculture greatly in the future is public perception. People have seen some of the cons of agriculture and don’t realize that it may be one farm, but that it is not every farm. When you look back in all history books it is the farmer who provided and that is one of the big reasons humans are here today. I myself cannot change a person’s opinion but I can certainly influence it. How would you encourage an inactive FFA member to become more involved? I encourage members by simply being their friend. Being kind and not forcing something on a person is more beneficial. I just look at what they could bring to the table, then slowly try to influence a decision. What is the greatest benefit you have received from being involved in FFA? The greatest benefit FFA has given me is a whole new leadership level. When I look back to seventh grade when I joined, I am nowhere near who I was back then. I have grown into a leader and will continue to gain skills and knowledge. Some people find their place in football or hockey, but FFA has been my place. I have met some of my best friends through FFA and it has truly impacted my life greatly. What do you enjoy most about FFA? I honestly enjoy just about every part of FFA. It is an altogether amazing organization that has sculpted many people and continues to do so. It all depends on what interests you as a person and how far you want to run with it. What does leadership mean to you? Leadership is not a position or a title, it is action and setting an example. Cory Booker said that and I stand by it completely. Leadership to me is paving a way. It’s all input and output. What I do will affect someone in some way. So what will I do? What other hobbies and interests do you have outside of FFA? Outside of FFA, I am involved in 4-H where I participate in Dairy Bowl and club office. I also show cows and barrel race with my horse.

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Page 6 • Country Acres - Friday, March 20, 2020 Who is going to sell your property? • • • •

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PHOTO BY SARAH COLBURN

Alan Loch is a custom exempt butcher who processes animals for customers, he can add in spices and cheeses for customers who want them. His farm in Belgrade has all the equipment he needs to process, seal, label and freeze various cuts of meat for customers.

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BELGRADE – On the Alan and Michelle Loch farm near Belgrade, there is a storeroom filled with spices, dried jalapeños and seasonings. A nearby refrigerator houses the cheeses and wild rice he adds to his sausage, meat sticks and ground and smoked meats. Loch is a custom exempt butcher, which means he processes other people’s animals for them. He takes

care to create recipes only in small batches so he can guarantee every customer gets back the exact meat from the animal they brought to him. He scours hundreds of recipes, trying out seasoning blends on his own meat before offering them to customers, often giving out samples to ensure his customers will enjoy the end result. “It adds a lot of flavor to the product where you LOCH continued on next page

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By SARAH COLBURN Staff Writer

Friday, March 20, 2020 - Country Acres • Page 7 LOCH continued from previous page

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PHOTO BY SARAH COLBURN

• All Meters will be ran on test stand and a parts list and quote will be presented to the grower.

Alan Loch, a custom exempt butcher, has order forms where customers can specify exactly how they want their animal prepared. His business in Belgrade processes animals seven days a week.

LOCH continued on page 8

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can just savor it,” Alan said. “You can age an animal but how you season it can make that meat taste extremely good. Knowing how to season is a big challenge for a lot of people.” He said it didn’t used to be that way. Women used to pass down their recipes – recipes for homemade bread, meats, and now, as everything has become more commercialized, many of those recipes have been lost along with the signature flavors of different foods. “That’s the problem, we’re losing a lot of culture, we’re losing a lot of family recipes,” he said. Loch processes animals seven days a week for his customers; cattle, hogs, poultry, turkeys, ducks and deer. He’s been butchering since he was a kid but began his business in 1997 with chickens. As he fixed up the family farm his parents bought in 1954, he’d process chickens and those chickens helped him put steel on the barn, upgrade his equipment and add stainless steel, food-grade processing products and epoxied floors. He began in the butchering business after low prices pushed him out of dairy and pork. He bought the farm in 1989 and over time has torn down five buildings on the property, keeping only three and building a new house along with additions to the butcher shop. He’s been doing custom butchering for six or seven years. “I just like butchering, experimenting with different types of recipes and how things will taste,” he said. Through the years he’s entered and even organized rib cookoffs. He started a rib contest at the August Festival in Belgrade and ran the event for a handful of years. He also cooks ribs for the Belgrade football team as a fundraiser. He experiments with different ways to prepare chicken and ribs. “I don’t like spicy food because I like enjoying the flavors and the seasoning of the meat itself,” he said.

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Page 8 • Country Acres - Friday, March 20, 2020 LOCH continued from page 7

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PHOTO BY SARAH COLBURN

Custom exempt butcher Alan Loch explains the process for using an automated chicken plucker to process chickens and remove the feathers March 2 at his butcher shop in Belgrade.

You breathed into existence The sun, stars, sea and sand. You gave us night and day and life, And rich and fertile land.

He feeds our nation with the food He grows so tirelessly each day. He feeds the people much in need In nations far away.

God, bless the faithful farmer Whose knowledge, love and toil Gives us all the things we need From Your good & fruitful soil.

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When Loch first began smoking meats, his smokehouse consisted of four steel doors and today he has a room-size smoker that can smoke 150 pounds of meat at a time. Loch and his brother built the smoke-room using a storage unit he bought in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They insulated it and added stainless steel on the floor and a computerized pellet smoker, meat probes and an air exchanger. “We grew up without money. My friend had a smaller unit and my brother does industrial construction, so we designed and built this smokehouse,” he said. He smokes sausages, snack sticks, summer sausage, ribs and chicken, among other things. “I’m not scared to smoke anything,” he said. He now sets the temperature on the smoker and it stays within two degrees. He smokes meat a couple times a week, and in the fall, during deer hunting, he fires up the smoker daily to make venison jerky. His customers can choose to add in wild rice, cheddar, jalapeños, mozzarella cheese; anything they’d like, he’ll throw into the mix. He is also willing to create a batch from a customer’s favorite recipe. He’ll create virtually anything they want, except hot dogs or bologna. In line with passing along a love of well-seasoned meats and recipes that have been handed down through generations, Loch is teaching the next generation of his family. He cares for his grandkids a few days a week – Hudson, age 2 and Thea, 5 months. He teaches Hudson about the different parts of the animal and he watches with the curiosity of any 2-year-old. LOCH continued on next page

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Bakers nearing 50 years of involvement at county, state and national level By SARAH COLBURN Staff Writer As the tinny sound of carousel music melded with the excited voices of kids in the 4-H barn, Denny and Corinne Baker revved into town on their bright red Harley Davidson motorcycle. Though they sometimes opted for the car instead, the two have traversed the state of Minnesota visiting county fair after county fair. Denny has served as the vice president and the president of the board of managers for the Kandiyohi County Fair, he was elected as a representative to the Minnesota Federation of County Fairs, serving 12 years as District 7 Director and two years as chairman of the Minnesota State Fair Board. His positions gave him the opportunity to check in on events across Minnesota but even without the mandate, Denny is a true fair man and has been for nearly 50 years. “County fairs are a showcase of the county where people can bring in whatever their interests are, animals or bakery or floral,” Denny said. He sees that showcase as a place to build community, for neighbors to meet, for couples to come together – he tells stories of people who met their spouse at the fair. Through the years, he and his wife of 59 years visited fairs

PHOTO BY SARAH COLBURN

Denny and Corinne Baker reminiscence about their decades of fair experiences as they page through photo books and awards at their kitchen table March 2 in New London.

and sparked the love of the community fairs/festivals in their three children and now, even in their eight grandchildren and 12 – soon to be 13 – great-grandchildren. While on the Minnesota State Fair

board, Denny traveled border to bor- Minnesota is a short one. der visiting 90-some county fairs from Denny was first elected to the 1998-2011, some more than once. The Kandiyohi County Fair Board in 1973. couple often traveled together and sometimes stopped into as many as four BAKER fairs in a day, knowing the fair season in continued on next page

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He ran for the position at the urging of a “strong Irish woman” who served as fair secretary at the time. He took on the task because he was disgruntled. A newspaper man by trade, he wasn’t happy with the way the fair administration was doing things, including printing. That was the start of his decades-long love affair with the fair industry. “I like to give back to the community. When you live and do business in a community, if you’re part of a community you ought to give something back,” Denny said. He wasn’t alone in his mission. Corinne works behind the scenes, taking care of the family business of Baker Printing, along with son, Craig. The only time she misses a fair is when she is swamped at work creating posters, brochures and booklets. For a good three weeks a year she spends upwards of 120 hours on fair-related materials alone. She also has created the convention book for the annual Minnesota Federation of County Fairs/Minnesota Agricultural Society/Midwest Showman’s Association event held each January. Through the years, the fair-going couple has witnessed a lot of changes,

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Page 12 • Country Acres - Friday, March 20, 2020 BAKER continued from page 11 the most dramatic being from a technical standpoint. What once was done by hand, like county fair entries, judging and tallying, today is all computerized. Premium books, as they were known, outlined all the various fair competition categories and were published every spring. Those books, which Denny refers to as the Bible of fair entry guidelines, are now in many cases, available online instead of in print, though Corinne still designs one for the Kandiyohi County Fair. There are many competitions in fairs and baking has always been, and still is, a long-held category. Through Denny and Corinne’s business, Baker Printing, they took over the Baker’s Best Contest at the Kandiyohi County Fair. The contest was originally run by the West Central Tribune newspaper but the Bakers began leading it in 2017. Some years, the whole family has served as judges for the competition which garnered entries of cakes, pies, breads and muffins. Trendy additions to the category now include things such as craft brews. The photography category has gone digital and what were once coloring contests have been upgraded to Lego-building contests. Some things remain the same: The backbone of the fair is still the animal. From cattle, hogs and horses to today’s love of llamas and goats, show animals

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Denny Baker speaks at the 4-H Beef Championship awards ceremony.

still reign supreme. Fairs are important for the agriculture community and are a time for education and fun, Denny said. Fairs not only give farmers and their families a chance to show off their hard work, he said, they give city dwellers an opportunity to see how food is produced. “It’s parents who keep their kids going with interest in showing or going to the county fair,” Denny said. “4-H and FFA play a very integral part. It’s about pride.” That’s been in the background at each county fair the Bakers attended – pride. The pride people have in their animals, their baking skills, their artistry and pride in the community or county they call home. Every fair the Bakers traveled to, they’ve been met by locals eager to tell them what was new, what was working at their fair and the areas in which they were seeing success. That rang true from the smallest of county fairs, a fair set up in a PHOTO SUBMITTED

Denny Baker rides with the eight-horse-hitch Budweiser team in the 2006 Minnesota State Fair parade. The parade concluded with the team thundering into the Lee and Rose Warner Coliseum for a performance.

BAKER continued on next page

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Friday, March 20, 2020 - Country Acres • Page 13 BAKER continued from previous page

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Denny Baker is pictured on the merry-go-round at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds,. Commenting on his tenure on the Minnesota State Fair Board of Managers, he said “It’s been an awesome ride!”

school and senior center with a garage nearby for the animals, to those attended by thousands upon thousands. Through the years the Bakers have visited with the folks behind the scenes, the ones who are organizing the fairs and keeping them running smoothly. They’re

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Page 14 • Country Acres - Friday, March 20, 2020 BAKER continued from page 13 also not afraid to pitch in or hop on a golf cart to help when necessary. “Regardless of how busy they were, they were delighted to share with you what was new…what had changed,” Denny said. Through the decades, Denny has heard talk of potential mergers of fairs but none have ever come to fruition and Denny believes it’s because communities everywhere are proud of what they have. As the Bakers grew to know more and more people on the fair scene, they became well-known, too. It was difficult to make it in and out of a line without Denny visiting with a local. One year at the Minnesota State Fair, before he served on the board, they attended with a daughter, son-in-law and a grandchild and attempted to get in an extremely long line to buy a Blooming Onion, the new food for that year. As they stood in line, Denny came strolling up with a special treat in hand – he had secured the treat through a friend whose family operated the Blooming Onion at that time. For 14 years, the Bakers spent 15 days a year living on the grounds of the Minnesota State Fair in the officers’ quarters by the Space Needle. Many nights, one of the officers would prepare a meal for the group and they’d share their days’ experiences. Though fair officers stand in lines and pay for food just like everyone else, they do receive a ticket perk. In 2010, the Bakers saw Tim McGraw live and their tickets were dead-center, seven rows out. As McGraw crooned from the stage the couple listened, Corinne apparently with her hand open. A guitar pick sailed into her hand with the word “Denny” inscribed on one side – a pick belonging to McGraw’s long-time

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Denny Baker (fifth from left) at the “Straw Toss” groundbreaking for the new Ag Star Arena at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Baker was the Minnesota State Fair Board president in 2011 and the arena was built prior to the opening of the 2012 fair.

guitar player, Sioux City native Denny Hemingson. The Bakers have the pick and their concert tickets now framed in their family room – a memento of the years they’ve given to the fair and the community. Though the Bakers retired their Harley last year, they do have one fair tradition they still continue today as

Denny Baker, now 79, still serves on the Kandiyohi County Fair Board. At the end of the day at the Minnesota State Fair, after the grandstand show comes to a close, the Bakers’ last stop on the grounds has always been the 1919 Root Beer stand. They would grab a soda for the ride home, paying for it as was required by fair board member

policy. Every year the man who owned the stand would say “when you retire from the board, the next year you come here and I will give you a free root beer.” Sadly, the man passed away before Denny retired from the state fair board, but they still stop by the stand for their traditional drink.

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Forever family Kempers’ country acres filled with life, love By DIANE LEUKAM Staff Writer

MELROSE – Sprawled across 40 acres at the top of a hill just a couple miles east of Melrose, lie pastures and trees, some hay ground and a building site. An expansive view of the city to the west gives way to the horizon many miles beyond. Inside the home, a family gathered around the kitchen island. Maddie Jo, 8, perched on the lap of her big brother, Ben, 20, who happily put up with her silly antics. Max, 18, wandered through while their parents, Glen and Sara Kemper, smiled and took it all in. Adding to the activity were enough animals to keep everyone occupied. There is Milo, a large 3-year-old Golden Labrador, Otis, the 10-yearold Schnoodle, a cross between a Schnauzer and a poodle. Midnight, an aptly named black cat, is joined by another, Stitch, who is big and orange. Lilo, his sidekick, had passed on. “When we moved here we had one dog and now we’ve got…” Sara said. Glen finished her sentence: “Lots of animals,” he said. Completing the house animals are a guinea pig named Peanut, and two fish, pointed out by Maddie.

“This one right here is Freddy and this is Bob,” she said. Rabbits Hazelnut and Clover live in cages in the garage, but are welcome to join the family in the house on occasion. Outside, there are seven Black Angus, two miniature horses named Willow and Poppy, and a variety of goats. One shed contains a dozen chickens,

which Maddie helps care for. Her favorite is one she named Chicklet. “We bought Chicklet at the store and raised it; Chicklet comes to her all the time,” Glen said. The family dynamics in the home are much like any other. “Those two get along pretty good,” Glen said, pointing to Ben and Maddie. Smiling, he pointed out Max

and Maddie: “These two are like oil and water.” Sara explained. “Max was the baby for so long and then she came along,” she said. All three are adopted by the couple, whose personal histories are inKEMPER continued on page 14

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grained in the Melrose area. Glen grew up in Melrose and for 23 years has worked for Stearns Electric, where he is a supervisor in the operations department. He oversees special equipment like voltage regulators and capacitor banks at their substations. He also has his own part-time wiring business, Glen Kemper Electric. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I grew up in town but my dad (Marv) owned a truck and had a milk route, so I was always on farms,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My mother, Betty, had her own business which she conducted out of our house. She custom made window coverings which allowed her to be at home tending to our needs. I can remember her working almost every day in her sewing room in between making meals, and working well into the PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM night.â&#x20AC;? Ben (from left), Maddie and Max Kemper are the children of Glen and Sara Kemper of Melrose. The boys Sara grew up just were adopted in 2002, and Maddie was adopted in 2012. outside of Melrose, herself the adopted child of Frank and Bonita Hughes. Frank was the elementaThe two were married in 1994 and moved into ry school principal and Bonita owned a realtor and a home they built together and lived in for 17 years. appraisal business. Sara, an RN, works at Centra- They went through a period of fertility treatments Care Melrose Hospital where she manages surgical and decided to begin the lengthy, difficult process services, taking care of surgery outreach, cardiac KEMPER rehab, pulmonary rehab and PT/INR. continued on next page

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Friday, March 20, 2020 - Country Acres • Page 17 KEMPER continued from previous page of adoption. They became foster parents on and off and one day in 2002, about eight years after they began, they received a call that would change their lives. “We knew about them (the boys) and we had been doing visits with them; they had been coming to our house to visit,” Sara said. “They called me at work and said, ‘they’re yours.’ I called Glen and said, ‘when do you want them?’ My boss came up to me at work that day and asked me if I could pick up these shifts and I said, ‘actually, I was just going to tell you I’m going on maternity leave.’” Eight days later, a pickup pulled into the drive, loaded with Ben, 2 and 1/2 and Max, who was just 6 months old, and all their earthly belongings. They remember a photo taken of the new family on that day, which was overcast, and Ben sitting in his bright red Little Tykes car. “There was no easing into it,” Glen said. “It was fast.” The Kempers adjusted to their new family with the help of family and friends, setting up their rooms and getting organized. “It was unreal; actually, it didn’t set in until a week later,” Glen said. Suddenly, they were welcomed to sleepless nights, being unable to pick up and go as they once did… and a houseful of love. They pulled their name from the adoption list for a while, but two years later changed their minds. They requested a girl who would most likely be available for adoption, knowing it is always the county’s goal for children to be reunited with their parents. Eight years later, Glen was out on a two-day job after a storm when he received a call. There was a little girl in need of placement. “With her we had one night (to decide),” Sara said. Within two days, little Maddie arrived at just three weeks old. “She was a little chubby baby; I got to pull her chubby cheeks,” Ben said, remembering the arrival of his sister. He was 12 at the time, and he remembers begging for a sister. For many months, Sara brought Maddie to St. Cloud to be with her mother three times a week, but she was at peace. KEMPER continued on page 18

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Page 18 • Country Acres - Friday, March 20, 2020 KEMPER continued from page 17 “In my heart I always knew she would be ours, I really did,” Sara said. “We were lucky.” When Maddie was a little over a year old, she was finally adopted. Like her brothers, she had found her forever home. At least, their forever family. They were bursting at the seams of their home in town. “We always wanted a place in the country,” Glen said.

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Seven years ago, Glen heard the property on the hill was for sale. He had a history with the home, having wired an addition to it years prior. Glen and Sara went out to look at it and two days later purchased it. Since then, they have worked inside and out on the property, making it their own. Now, they talk about how much they love living in the country. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I love it because growing up, we lived in Pickville, which was out of town,â&#x20AC;? Sara said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a farm, but it was less neighbors and I loved being out in the country. This is nice. I love having the privacy.â&#x20AC;? They also appreciate the proximity to Melrose. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cool to have something thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s close to town,â&#x20AC;? Glen said. The boys love the country as well. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lots more freedom; you can go riding and work on derby cars, I just love it out here,â&#x20AC;? Ben said. There is never a dull moment for the Kemper family. After school and work, there are animals to be fed, chores to do, derby cars or old-time snowmobiles to be worked on. There are mini-bikes and four-wheelers to ride. They appreciate their neighbors, one on either side of them on their dead-end road. Other neighbors get a little on the wild side, with deer, pheasants, eagles, sand cranes, wild turkeys and even coyotes in the neighborhood.

Page 20 • Country Acres - Friday, March 20, 2020

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Off to a good start

Herickhoffs work as a family in ag business By SARAH COLBURN Staff Writer SAUK CENTRE – A big yellow school bus has pulled up in front of Brad and Amy Herickhoff’s Ag Tech Drainage business almost every school day for seven years. Their kids, Brandon, now 18, Tyler, 15 and Evan, 13, hop off and head into the shop to lend a hand. They’re normal kids by any standard, occasionally just turning on the television, watching YouTube, playing video games or eating their way through the breakroom. But, they also know how to wash down equipment and trucks, change out brakes, work on engines and operate heavy machinery. “As a business owner and as a parent, I don’t think I have all the tools in life to be the rock star that I want my boys to be,” said Brad Herickhoff. “But I can teach them work ethic and things we do here. They learn by watching and by doing. I tell my new hires my boys are part

of my business. Some of that will be cool and some of that will be a frustration, but when you work here you get it all.” It’s the way the Herickhoffs have always been. They’ve let their boys be involved since the beginning. Even when they ran the business out of their home, the boys helped stuff, lick and stamp envelopes with their mom. They did work like mowing the lawn around the house from a young age. And now, since their mom was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) 13 months ago, they’ve done their best to help even more. Brandon took on a leadership role at the business last summer and ran a crew. Tyler was also ready to step up and make some money, so instead of working at a fast-food place, his father encouraged him to help out more around the business. Ag Tech Drainage designs and installs drainage systems for farmers. Brad said though a new tractor is shiny and wonHERICKHOFFS continued on page 22

PHOTO BY SARAH COLBURN

Tyler (from left), Evan and Brandon Herickhoff take a break to pose on some equipment March 2 at their parents’ Ag Tech Drainage business in Sauk Centre.

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Page 22 â&#x20AC;˘ Country Acres - Friday, March 20, 2020 HERICKHOFFS continued from page 21

PHOTO BY SARAH COLBURN

Brad and Amy Herickhoff own Ag Tech Drainage in Sauk Centre and welcome their three sons to take part in the business, even at young age.

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derful, drainage is the one thing that can add value to a farm and its bottom line, getting farmers in the field earlier and allowing them to remain in the fields longer. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We increase the value of their land as well as increase their ability to farm and add to their profitability,â&#x20AC;? he said. While Brad works directly with customers and employees, Amy oversees the books. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It allows me to be a leader without much attention to the detail in regard to the bookwork and recording, financing and legalities,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She gives me the ability to think very freely without worrying that the backside is managed properly. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m the shotgun of the operation and sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the rifle, she sees it through with pinpoint accuracy.â&#x20AC;? As Amyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s MS has become a factor, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve hired a secretary, Sharon Haakinson, to assist her. The assistance is great, because Sharon helps get the work done. There was a time before her diagnosis that they were concerned about what the future looked like. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing we chose but something we live with and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s made us closer,â&#x20AC;? Brad said. The Herickhoffs are independent people, Brad admitted, sometimes to a fault. The community support, he said, has been surprising and uplifting as people ask about Amyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health and let Brad know theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re praying for her. He said they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to be a burden so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nice to know that there are people who care. In some aspects, her diagnosis has deepened their faith and though they know thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s struggle in everything, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop him from being optimistic. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a trait he learned growing up as a farm kid. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In agriculture you have to look at the up side of everything, [because] thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a frustrating point almost every day,â&#x20AC;? Brad said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You need to know the next opportunity is coming, you just have to find it and sometimes you have to look a little harder.â&#x20AC;? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done with Amyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diagnosis. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve slowed down, they appreciate each other more, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made new connections and have seen and felt support from places they never expected. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When people say â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still in our prayersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really nice and really cool,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Historically, I would have said thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s somebody more deserving of that. Today, I say â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Thank you.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? The business has become the place their family gets to experience life together and grow as individuals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a good experience for them and a chance to rule out what they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like,â&#x20AC;? Amy said. From management to secretarial work to bookkeeping, working with employees and customers and working on jobs in the field, the boys get a feel for it all. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I just think they get their mind opened up a little bit further than most kids,â&#x20AC;? Amy said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If the kids are around, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll learn things at a younger age and have a better understanding of things to do in life.â&#x20AC;? HERICKHOFFS continued on page 23

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Evan (left) and BrandonÂ HerickhoffÂ don welding jackets and helmets as young boys in the shop at Ag Tech Drainage in Sauk Centre.

Page 22 â&#x20AC;˘ Country Acres - Friday, March 20, 2020

HERICKHOFFS continued from page 21

Not only have the boys learned munity as well. They recentto alphabetize files, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ly invited seventh and eighth graders from Belgrade-Brooen-Elrosa â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re pretty proud of what we tschools to come do and how we do it. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not an in and learn about the athlete but for my kids to see me more company. Stuwere able work ... we feel as though the dents to learn about the technology boys are off to a good start.â&#x20AC;? and computers - Brad Herickhoff the company uses as well as get a feel for learned to safely operate some of the sales jobs and field and maintain equipment and jobs they hire for. theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also learned how to And though drainage is handle money. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen the family business, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not all their parents purchase equip- there is to life in the Herickhoff ment and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve earned mon- house. Evan plays hockey and ey of their own. Tyler does trap and hunts and The Herickhoffs help fishes, so school plays as big of spread that message in the com- a role as the family business. PHOTO SUBMITTED

Tyler (left), Brandon and EvanÂ Herickhoff gather in their younger years in front of a welding bench in at Ag Tech Drainage. The boys were working on their own creative welding project.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We feel that school is very important and they need to get good grades,â&#x20AC;? Amy said. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re currently discussing options with Brandon, as heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s set to begin working fulltime in the shop and his parents would like him to continue on to college after graduation. Brad attended college at North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, North Dakota, and has encouraged his son to do the same but ultimatePHOTO SUBMITTED ly, the decision is his. Evan HerickhoffÂ backs a tractor/snowblower out of the Ag Tech Drainage shop Brad said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are plenMarch 2 in Sauk Centre.

ty of good employers who want to train and are willing to train regardless of a college education.â&#x20AC;? For Brad, attending a twoyear college was a chance to meet people outside of his community and develop relationships. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The exposure was far greater than just the education,â&#x20AC;? he said. Brad said every parentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dream is to give their kids a better life than they had, but that isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always a good thing.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The individual you are today is because of your upbringing,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you were given love and you were given opportunity whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so bad about your upbringing? I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always spend the most time with my boys playing catch but I take them to work and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the opportunity theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re given. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re pretty proud of what we do and how we do it. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not an athlete but for my kids to see me work â&#x20AC;Ś we feel as though the boys are off to a good start.â&#x20AC;?

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Friday, March 20, 2020 - Country Acres â&#x20AC;˘ Page 23 HERICKHOFFS continued from page 22 Not only have the boys learned munity as well. They recentto alphabetize files, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ly invited seventh and eighth graders from Belgrade-Brooen-Elrosa â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re pretty proud of what we tschools to come do and how we do it. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not an in and learn about the athlete but for my kids to see me more company. Stuwere able work ... we feel as though the dents to learn about the technology boys are off to a good start.â&#x20AC;? and computers - Brad Herickhoff the company uses as well as get a feel for learned to safely operate some of the sales jobs and field and maintain equipment and jobs they hire for. theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also learned how to And though drainage is handle money. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen the family business, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not all their parents purchase equip- there is to life in the Herickhoff ment and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve earned mon- house. Evan plays hockey and ey of their own. Tyler does trap and hunts and The Herickhoffs help fishes, so school plays as big of spread that message in the com- a role as the family business. PHOTO SUBMITTED

Tyler (left), Brandon and EvanÂ Herickhoff gather in their younger years in front of a welding bench in at Ag Tech Drainage. The boys were working on their own creative welding project.

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Page 24 • Country Acres - Friday, March 20, 2020

The edible landscape Neu uses master gardener expertise to grow uncommon fruits By SARAH COLBURN Staff Writer

FREEPORT – Don Neu’s yard is filled with landscaping such as shrubs, trees and various plantings, none of which looks unusual at first glance. There is one thing that makes his property unique though: Almost everything on it is edible. Neu, a Stearns County Master Gardener, has been gardening since he was a child, working with his parents, harvesting vegetables and enjoying fragrant flowers. As an adult, Neu’s focus has changed to uncommon fruits. From hackberries and buffalo berries to sea berries and June berries, Neu grows them all in his own backyard. “I try to plant as many different kinds of fruits as I can,” Neu said. He lives in Freeport with his wife, Kelly, and their kids, Anna, 13, Mallory, 9 and Henry, 5. They all work in the garden together, the kids focusing most on harvesting. For Don, it’s a passion for wine-making that sparked his love of uncommonly-found fruits.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

The bright red lusciousness of the Juliet cherry is a vibrant contrast to the green leaves nearby. It is part of the edible landscape at master gardener Don Neu and his wife, Kelly’s, residence in Freeport.

“When I first started doing this, I did a PowerPoint and I didn’t even know these (plants) existed,” he said. He began researching on the in-

ternet and reading books about edi“If it was edible and tasty, I’d look ble plants. He’s sifted through many into it,” he said. a field guide seeking out plants found in nature that double as food; he also NEU continued on page 25 learned which ones to avoid.

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The Neu family pauses for a photo while on vacation at Yellowstone National Park. The family gardens together at their home in Freeport and includes Mallory (front, from left) and Henry; Back: Kelly, Anna and Don.

For him, it’s about the hunt. He finds most of his plant stock online and finds some of the more unusual k varieties are often shipped as bare root plants. “It’s the art of it…I’m growing something new and unique that nobody else has,” he said. His garden includes elderberries, buffalo berries, sea berries, apples, June berries, mulberries, mountain ash, honeyberries, red currants, josta berries, blueberries, alpine strawberries and hackberries. Additionally, he grows four varieties of cherries and five kinds of grapes including Swenson, Frontenac, LaCrescent, PHOTO SUBMITTED Marquette and Alpha. He also grows These lush, burgundy aronia berries produce a aronia, a bush that produces black smoky flavor. berries with an interesting smoky flavor but aren’t particularly great to eat by themselves. Though the Neus mostly use the fruits for wine-making, they do create the occasional Enjoy coffee & cookies! En pie or jelly as well. This year he plans to add bearberries to his gardens but said space We now take is getting tight on addgarbage! ing much more. He’s been working on the garden since 2006 and now has • FFerrous Metals • Non Ferrous enough varieties that Metals • Appliances • Electronics something different is • Mattresses/Furniture/Garbage always ready to pick. • Oil • Scrap Cars • Roll Off Delivery As the harvest comes in, Neu will move bird • Open to Public netting around to different plants to protect 320-845-2747 FOR ALL THINGS the berries as they ripCLEAN UP Conveniently located next to I-94 en. He’ll start with the blueberries and strawberries and then most often move the netting to the cherries and then

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Page 26 • Country Acres - Friday, March 20, 2020

COUNTRY COOKING

Recipes submitted by

SANDRA FRENCH Long Prairie Todd County

Wisconsin’s Favorite Rhubarb Torte Crust: • 1 cup flour • 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed • 1/2 tsp. salt • 3/4 cup shortening • 2 cups quick cooking oatmeal

Filling: • 8 eggs • 3 cups granulated sugar. • 1/2 cup flour • Dash of salt • 6 cups fresh or partially thawed frozen rhubarb, cup up • Cinnamon • Butter

Loaded Potato Soup • • • •

1 package (12 ounces) bacon 1 1/2 cups onion, chopped 6 cups Progresso chicken broth 2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled, cubed • 2/3 cup butter • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour • 4 cups milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the crust ingredients with a pastry blender. Reserve 1 cup. Press remaining mixture firmly in a 9x13 inch pan. In a large bowl beat eggs. Add sugar, flour and salt; mix well. Add rhubarb; stir to mix. Slowly pour filling onto crust. Sprinkle with reserved crust mixture. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon and dot with butter. Bake 1 hour or until custard is set.

1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper 1 cup ham, cooked and diced 1 container (8 ounces) sour cream 2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese • 3/4 cup green onions, sliced

In a 12-inch skillet, cook bacon over medium heat 6-7 minutes or until crisp; drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon; set aside. Reserve 2 Tbsp. drippings in skillet. Cook onion in bacon drippings over medium-high heat 6 minutes or until almost tender. In 6-quart Dutch oven, mix onion, broth and potatoes; heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cook 10 minutes or until potatoes are very tender. Meanwhile in same skillet, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour with whisk until smooth. Cook and stir 1 minute. Gradually stir in 2 cups of the milk. Pour milk mixture into potato mixture. Add remaining 2 cups milk, the salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with whisk, until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in ham, half the bacon, the sour cream, 2 cups of the cheese and 1/2 cup of the green onions. Cook until thoroughly heated and cheese is melted. Evenly top individual servings with remaining bacon, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/4 cup green onions.

Buffalo Style Chicken Pizza • 3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cubed • 2 Tbsp. butter, melted • 1 (2 ounce) bottle hot sauce • 1 (8 ounce) bottle blue cheese

• • • • •

• Salad dressing • 1 (16 inch) prepared pizza crust • 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the cubed chicken, melted butter and hot sauce. Mix well. Spread whole bottle of salad dressing over crust, then top with chicken mixture and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake in preheated oven until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly, about 5-10 minutes. Let set a few minutes before slicing and serve.

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1 cup brown sugar, packed 1/2 cup light corn syrup 1/4 cup butter 2 Tbsp. light or heavy cream Non-stick spray 10 1-inch slices French bread, or any other thick-sliced bread • 2 1/2 cups low-fat milk

• • • • • •

1 Tbsp. flour 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1/4 tsp. salt 2 large eggs 2 Tbsp. sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon

Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside. In a small pot, combine brown sugar, corn syrup and butter. Cook over medium heat until mixture is bubbly, 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in cream and pour into prepared baking dish. In a bowl, combine milk, flour, vanilla, salt and eggs with a whisk. Pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over bread. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden. Let stand a few minutes before serving.

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Harvested grapes from the landscape at Don and Kelly’s Neu’s Freeport home will be made into wine.

Established in 1975 the currents. It can take a growing season, or even two, before the plants start to produce fruit. Shortly after they do, Neu begins making wine. “Sometimes we’ll have a little bit of this and a little bit of that or a handful of this crop and put it in there,” he said. “Or a pound of this and a pound of that and see what happens.” Most often, he makes straight-up grape wines but laughed as he said the

blends are “usually pretty good,” admitting that occasionally he just has to dump it. He produces at least 10 gallons of wine a year. “It kind of depends on how the fruit crop is and how ambitious we are,” Neu said. “There are a lot of different options people can consider when they want to have edible landscaping. It isn’t just a bush in your yard; you get twice the use out of it.”

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(Left) White apple blossoms provide quite a show as they emerge.

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