Country Acres - April 2 by Star Publications

ountry C Friday, April 2, 2021

cres A Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment

Volume 8, Edition 21

PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM

Goats bring healing

Carol Ervasti cuddles one of her kids as she looks over her animals March 18 on the farm near Bertha.

to body, lift spirits

Ervasti finds comfort, brings joy to others through small herd BY SARAH COLBURN | STAFF WRITER

BERTHA – When Carol and Jason Ervasti moved to the middle of Amish country in 2014, they wanted their kids to be around animals. “We wanted them to see animals born and see animals die,” Carol Ervasti said. They wanted to process their own chickens, have eggs and milk their goats for milk, cheese and creamer. They wanted all that, but they also had to bring in some income so they raised Black Angus beef cows. On June 9, 2018 though, one of the cows, who had a history of calving problems, had just calved and Ervasti went to check on her. The cow leapt over her newborn calf and rammed Ervasti to the ground, sitting on her back and crush-

ing her vertebrae. It’s an injury she’ll never fully recover from, and Ervasti found out how one animal can change a life forever. Now, she relies on a different kind of animal to keep up the family’s spirits. Ervasti raises goats. Lots of them. The hum of the herd as they communicate with one another soothes her soul as does the classical music playing softly on an old radio in the barn, something Ervasti learned from her father. “It’s comforting to walk into the barn and hear the goats having their conversations with their babies,” she said. “They’re such inquisitive, tactile animals, they’re so excited to know what you have.”

ST R COUNTRY: Publications bli ti This month in the

The newspaper of today is the history of tomorrow.

(Watch for the next edition of Country Acres on April 16)

Ervasti page 2

4 8

Tapping into the “Wildwood” St. Joseph

15 Mushrooms: a new crop for you ? Diane Leukam column

A walk in the pasture Villard

18 What’s this?

11 Dairy Princess profiles

21 All cattle, all the time Little Falls

This adorable kid takes a few steps inside Carol Ervasti’s barn. Ervasti expects to have a good number of baby goats this year. 24 Country Cooking 25 Four decades of fiber fun St. Cloud 30 When the grain goes against you Sauk Centre

Page 2 • Country Acres | Friday, April 2, 2021

Country Acres

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 Anna Haynes Freelance Writer

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 Cheyenne Carlson

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.

from front

She’ll bring an apple or carrots into the barn and soon the herd will surround her, ready for a chance at a treat or a gentle pet on the head. Ervasti started with 12 or so goats and now she has more than 30, some of which are pregnant. Mostly, Ervasti breeds her own goats and her kids help with the birthing process, giving the animals their shots and feeding and caring for them. But, the Ervastis also do rescue operations when they come across an older animal in need of a good home. “You learn to recognize that sometimes, [both] people and animals need to be rescued,” Ervasti said. In this case, they’re rescuing one another. After her farm incident, Ervasti said she spent weeks feeling lost, spiraling downward. “I felt as if it had ended everything I was working towards,” she said. “I couldn’t go out in the barn, I couldn’t do what I wanted to do, I felt limited. I fell into a pity party for a while; I was in the valley. People spurred me on and told me I had to keep going.” As Ervasti debated how to move forward, she relived the incident. She thought of when the cow not only rammed her, but sat on her and then rolled her back and forth with its head. Ervasti rolled under the electric fence and welded wire that was used to keep the goats out of the corn field. She knew she was in trouble. It was around 11 a.m. and she was in shock and could hardly sit up, her feet hurt and she couldn’t go back to the house the way she came. She couldn’t use her legs, so she pulled her body across the field by her elbows until she reached the front porch of her neighbor’s house. She screamed for help

PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM

Carol Ervasti bottle feeds her kids March 18 on the Ervasti farm near Bertha, while her Great Pyrenees looks on. Ervasti began her love of goats when she purchased 12 of the animals. Today, her herd has grown to 31 and some of them are pregnant. In the last two weeks her herd has birthed 10 new babies.

and she banged on things, but nobody was home. It wasn’t until nine hours later that an Amish neighbor came walking home from work and Ervasti screamed her lungs out until he came to the rescue, going to get Jason for help. After her hospitalization, Ervasti sold her cows – even her favorites – and said she sat down and cried because she was so sad that chapter of her life was over. She knew she had to do

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something to jolt herself out of her depression; she had seen how their goats helped other people who had anxiety and depression, so she decided to focus her efforts there. It’s worked. In just the last two weeks alone, her herd has birthed 10 new baby goats. “The goats are taking off like crazy,” she said. Her farm is helping others as well. She invites kids and families – many of them are missionaries – from church to come hold the babies. Some of them maybe have a dog or a cat in their house, but really take to the farm animals. Some, she said, have even taken home some barn cats.

Her farm also houses two baby doll sheep, Sheldon and Mini, who are more like small pillow-like pets. They had pigs for a while, but they don’t anymore. They also have meat rabbits. As Ervasti sees the joy her animals bring to others, including her own children, she begins to heal. She’s also taken up martial arts to aid in her recovery. She begins each day slowly stretching her muscles to wake up her back and reduce the number of debilitating cramps she gets throughout the day.

Ervasti 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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Ervasti

Friday, April 2, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 3

Hydraulics Sales & Service

PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM

A variety of animals hangs around in the sunshine March 18 at the Ervasti Farm near Bertha.

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Ervasti

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She does Kumdo, sword fighting, has earned a black belt in Hapkido which is Korean self-defense, and is working toward a black belt in Taekwondo. “That helps me repair myself; it also keeps me going,” she said. “Having the farm and having to do work and having the classes, those things I feel, keep my body young.” She’s had to relearn how to protect herself and her body, and do the things she wants to do. After months of recovery using a walker, she had to retrain her back and she still has to focus on her posture. But, as she gets stronger physically and mentally, so does her herd. The goats allow her to make a good enough living where she can stay home. She also assists her Amish neighbors, providing those who can ride in a car with rides to and from

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Carol Ervasti took up martial arts after a farm injury. The classes have helped her regain her strength and mobility and keep her back spasms at bay.

work. Much of the community near her works making wood pallets that are shipped out across the state. The Ervasti family handles the shipping once the pallets are complete.

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from page 2

Page 4 • Country Acres | Friday, April 2, 2021

Tapping into the

“W ildwood”

Maple syrup season brings family back to home farm BY ANNA HAYNES | STAFF WRITER

ST. JOSEPH – Kraemer Lake Wildwood is a county park built around a family-run maple syrup operation. Every spring, Tom and Shelly Carlson, along with their kids, Ben and Addie, extended family and friends venture into the s u g a r bush to tap, boil and bottle. Shelly has been in the sugar bush since she was a child. “I remember taking the generator out there,” Shelly said. “We had corded drills and I had to follow and keep the cords from being tangled. It was a chance to hang out

with my dad’s friends and brothers. My dad died on March 18, 1999. One of the last things my brother did was bring him a sample of the syrup before he died. It was the middle of the sugar season.” S h e l l y ’s father, Wally, began tapping the Wi l d w o o d maple trees in 1979. It was his passion and drive that brought the family out into the forest. The spring after her father passed away, Tom and Shelly had to take over the tapping. “We went out for a walk in the woods that June and noticed all the trees were still tapped,”

PHOTOS BY ANNA HAYNES

(Above) Tom Carlson (from left) and his son, Ben Carlson, show a local tour group the reverse osmosis machine on the back side of the sugar shack March 14 at Kraemer Lake Wildwood maple syrup operation. Listening are Holly Nelson (continuing to right), Adam Nelson, Brenda Hall and Nick Thielen. (Left) Shelly Carlson peers into the boiler as water evaporates, turning maple sap into syrup.

Shelly said. “We knew someone had to take over the operation. We basically did all the work that

Versatility. It runs in the family.

spring, and then we took charge of the operation. A few of my brothers helped out, so it was always a family situation. My mom was also involved at that time.” “When we got the new evaporator in 2004, that was when our family really took on the project,” Tom said. “When the county finally bought the park, it was always an agreement that we’d continue tapping the trees; it was a foregone conclusion.” In 2007, Wildwood

became Kraemer Lake Wildwood County Park. It was important to Shelly’s mother, Dorothy, that Wildwood stay in the name of the park. Shelly’s father named the sugar bush “Wildwood” after his old deer camp in Northern Minnesota. Originally, the patch of land near St Joseph was used for raising registered Morgan horses, but when Wally learned he had a sugar bush, he started tapping his trees. “My brother made birch syrup in Alaska,”

Shelly said. “Fred was tapping trees and I think that’s what got my dad into it. My dad was the kind of person who loved to get things from his land. Maple syrup just made sense.” Wildwood Ranch Maple Syrup remains a family operation. Shelly, Tom, Addie and Ben help out all sugar season. “We all kinda do everything,” Tom said. “Whoever is available.

Wildwood page 5

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Maple sap is collected using bags and gallon buckets attached to taps inside the trees, March 14 in Kraemer Lake Wildwood County Park. Bags must be emptied every two to five days, depending on the weather in March and April.

PHOTOS BY ANNA HAYNES

Holly Nelson (from left), Nick Thielen and Brenda Hall stand outside the sugar shack with Shelly Carlson and her daughter, Addie Carlson, on a tour of the Wildwood maple syrup operation. Behind them are sap holding tanks.

Wildwood from page 4

I do the firing and don’t usually empty the buckets. Ben does the RO [reverse osmosis] machine and Addie is better at bottling – there’s less spills when she’s around, but everyone can do everything” A more recent advancement to the Wildwood maple syrup is the (RO) machine into the back of the sugar shack. The RO filters out most of the water molecules from the sap and leaves the larger sugar molecules.

Shelly Carlson is the vice president of the Minnesota Maple Syrup Producer’s Association. She invites anyone interested in making maple syrup or getting involved to go to mmspa.org and join the association. This means the sap can be boiled less often and make more syrup from each boil because of the amount of water already removed. “We make a lot of filtered water,” Shelly said. “Nearly all of the water is used for cleaning. We save about 800 gallons of

water every day.” “We focus on efficiency,” Tom said. “The RO takes a lot of the work out of it; there’s a lot more things to watch and do. With better knowledge of how to make a better product, we focus on that and use what we know and consistently put out a

really nice product all the time. Some things have stayed the same; we still gotta boil it and bottle it.” “We make a better product that we used to,” Shelly said. “Now, we’re right on top of everything. We’ve gone to conventions, gotten education, done reading, talked to other sugar makers, and been around long enough that we’ve learned a lot from when we’ve started. There’s always improvements but right now, it’s working well.” Tom and Shelly have tree taps attached to bags,

Wildwood page 6

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Page 6 • Country Acres | Friday, April 2, 2021

Wildwood from page 5 buckets, and an elaborate vacuum tube system that goes through the forest. Visitors have a chance to see and learn about several different methods of sap collection, but they aren’t just educational material. “You need buckets because the tubing can’t go everywhere,” Tom said. “It only works well where you have a valley where you can slope it all. You can’t go uphill with a tube. We’re lucky to have such a nice valley next to the lake.” “My brothers would be sad if they couldn’t empty buckets and bags,” Shelly said. “I think the vacuum tubing is the way to go; it’s less work and you get way more sap. On days like this, when the bags don’t have a drop, there is still sap from the tubes because it can fake out the tree and give pressure like the freezing and thawing would usually do.” If it doesn’t freeze at night and warm up during the day, the sap doesn’t run. The trees require a temperature and pressure change to give up their sap, but a vacuum tube system bypasses part of that problem. The amount of sap gathered in a day could be as little as 400 gallons when it didn’t freeze the night before, or up to 1,200 gallons on a great day. A lot has changed for Tom and Shelly since her dad ran the sugar bush, but even if their process has evolved over the

years, their reason for coming to the woods has stayed the same. “My family likes to come out,” Shelly said. “My nieces and nephews are here at least once a season. Once my mother passed away, things really changed because there was no gathering spot, her house was gone. Now this is the gathering spot. It’s a proud family tradition. I’m the youngest of eight; there’s a couple brothers that live around here that I see pretty regularly. But, I see everyone at sugar season, they come for their coffee and cookies like at grandma’s, and it’s nice to have the help.” Spring is a time of celebration for the Carlsons. “Both kids were born during the sugar season PHOTOS BY ANNA HAYNES so we celebrate birthdays here and, of course, we Brenda Hall watches as Tom Carlson explains the process of boiling maple sap into syrup. make maple cake,” Shelly said. “And, we always have our Easter out here.” “It’s the maple season,” Tom said. “It’s spring, it’s Grandpa’s legacy, and we’re coming back to the farm together.” This is Shelly Carlson’s favorite “It’s just the draw of maple syrup cake recipe from the tradition. I don’t know the book, “A Taste of Maple,” what I’d do without it,” copyright 1986 by Kathryn H. Shelly said. “We’ll keep Palmer. going as long as our bodies let us. Living in rubber boots for two months, it’s hard work. It’s something • 2-1/2 cups flour • 1/2 cup butter, • 2 egg whites • 1 cup maple syrup unique and all the work • 2 tsp. baking powder softened we put into it, and the Beat egg whites until fairly stiff. Cook maple syrup • 2/3 tsp. baking soda • 1 cup sugar connection to my dad, I’d until it spins a thread (233 to 234 degrees on a candy • 1/2 tsp. ginger • 2 eggs, beaten hate to lose that. It kinda thermometer). Slowly pour syrup over egg whites, beating just got into our blood.” • 1/2 cup hot water • 1 cup maple syrup

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An extensive system of vacuum tubes slope downward to their pump house and sugar shack to collect sap March 14 at Kraemer Lake Wildwood County Park. The tubes stay out year-round, but taps are put in each year in preparation for the season.

Page 8 • Country Acres | Friday, April 2, 2021

A walk in the pasture

PHOTO COURTESY OF AMANDA BECKER PHOTOGRAPHY

The Walter family (from left) of Levi, Nate, Angie and Lauren, takes time out for a family picture in their field as the cows graze.

Walters improve soil with cover crops, grazing BY SARAH COLBURN | STAFF WRITER

VILLARD – Animals have grazed the Walter family farm since 1935. It’s the way Nate Walter’s grandfather did it, it’s the way his father did it and it’s the way he does it now. “Grazing is really the key to why we’re still in business, from 2002 to now,” Nate said. “When we took over, we had a high debt load so we had to find a way to farm with the lowest input cost. Grazing is definitely a way to do that.” For Walter, grazing is about creating economic efficiencies but, it just so happens, it has also allowed the farm he runs with his wife, Angie, to become certified organic and become Ag Water Quality Certified. The couple is now in the process of receiving additional endorsements in integrated pest management, climate, wildlife management and soil health for their 100-head, 390-acre operation. The Ag Water Quality Certification takes into account what percentage of land is tilled in the fall, cover cropping and perennials. But, for the Walters, it’s more about a way of sustaining. “Our farm was small, so if you don’t do things different ... you can’t be big enough to be super-efficient,” Nate said. Grazing, he said, has helped reduce the inputs on the farm as the animals contribute to the soil health.

Country

On the right, the soil from the Nate and Angie Walter’s field has aggregation, pore space and worm holes, signs of healthy, uncompacted soil.

The Walters raise corn and hay and everything they grow gets fed to their cattle. They also grow some winter rye, barley and oats. “The hay field and pasture, those are perennial crops,” Nate said. “If it’s green and growing more days of the year, and putting carbon into the soil and not [getting tilled] every year, we’re not releasing the carbon as often.” Oftentimes, by April 1, their fields are green and growing. The cover crops also help alleviate some of the spring field conditions. The first time the Walters

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planted winter rye they only had 160 acres to farm and needed more feed for the cattle. The rye could be grazed early in the spring, keeping the weeds down, and the land could still be planted for corn. In addition to keeping cover crops on the land, they’ve experimented with inter-seeding some crops into the corn. When they cultivate corn for the last time in late June, they spread seed. Radishes, Nate said, can break up compaction and clover naturally puts nitrogen into the ground to assist the corn in growing. They’ve been doing the inter-seeding for three years and though they said it hasn’t been as successful as they would like, they’re continually tweaking the process. They’re debating planting corn in 60-inch rows instead of 30-inch rows to let the sun get down to the cover crops without yielding much less corn, but they’re still not sure about the idea. “Since we’ve been organic, our network of people, they’re doing lots of different things, so we’ve been picking stuff up from other farmers,” Angie said. After they combine the rye, they plant oats, turnips and radishes for the heifers to graze until late in the fall. “A big focus is soil health,” Angie said. “We’ve been trying to learn about that the last couple of years.” The more the ground is consistently covered, she said, the better the soil health. The constant cover keeps the topsoil stable and in place so it isn’t lost to the spring winds.

Walter page 9

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Friday, April 2, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 9

Walter from page 8

Angie works with the Sustainable Farming Association’s Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship program and the couple has had an apprentice working on their farm. The organization trains people in dairy farming who might not otherwise have the opportunity to farm through their parents or grandparents. After two years of training with the program, the participants become journey workers and can purchase a farm at that time or become a herdsman or manager. While the Walters had an apprentice on site, they began looking into more regenerative agriculture. They planted sorghum-sudangrass and hosted a pasture walk at their farm – a walk open to other farmers to come and learn about their practices. For the pasture walk, they participated in the “Soil Your Undies” protgram, an indicator of soil health. Sixty days prior to the pasture walk they buried fresh new, 100% cotton briefs in the soil throughout various parts of the farm. Then, the day of the walk, they dug them up to check on the soil health throughout the property, the idea being

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

(Above) Area farmers gather for a pasture walk on the Nate and Angie Walter farm near Villard. The pasture walk was an opportunity for farmers to share their knowledge, and the Walters focused their walk on soil health and their grazing system. (Left) This nest was found in the Angie Walters’ pasture, a good sign of regenerative agriculture that animals take refuge in the fields.

that if the soil is active and healthy, the cotton will decompose and nothing but the elastic waistband will remain. The underwear buried in the sorghum-sudangrass field, where the cows had grazed previous years as well as that year, were fully decomposed. The cotton in the cornfield was nearly gone, and in the newly-purchased hay field, and a lower producing field that needs tile work and more livestock integration, the cotton remained nearly intact. The Soil Your Undies test was in line with what the Walters see visually

on their property as well. When they get a large rain, it will soak into the healthier fields and remain on top of the least healthy and productive fields. They do officially test their soil every three years to keep up with organic certification. They can also tell, Angie said, simply by looking at the structure of the soil and smelling it. The healthy soil, she said, has a honeycombing to it, worm holes, castings from worms, aggregation and bumps. The soil that isn’t as healthy is hard like a big rock, she said. Through Angie’s work, she coordinates with farmers throughout

“Our farm was small, so if you don’t do things different ... you can’t be big enough to be super-efficient.” - Nate Walter the region to offer pasture walks for their fellow farm colleagues. On the walk, visitors will learn about a farm’s practices, get ideas, hear from guest speakers and have the opportunity to visit with other farmers. This summer, Angie is coordinating three such walks in Central Minnesota for the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship program. Typically, 20-25 people attend and a lunch is served.

For Angie, farming is a newer adventure. Though Nate grew up on his family farm that had been in his lineage for generations, Angie’s parents owned their own financial planning business, and she entered the world of dairy farming when she planned to marry Nate. The two purchased the family farm one year before they were married. Now, they have two

children, Laureen, who is 16 and Levi, 13. Angie said the appeal of living and working on the farm has remained strong through the years and raising their kids on the land is important to her. The biggest thing she had to get used to was living where she worked and the constant work that’s required of dairy farmers. Though it’s difficult work, it’s something they enjoy. She said, “We need to take care of our soil so that it is here for the next generation to keep growing food on it in a sustainable way.”

Walter page 10

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Mushrooms: a new crop for you? Comedy in the country We like to cover specialty crops here parts for Ford, and Ikea has committed to in Central Minnesota. Over the years, transition much of its plastic packaging to there have been hops and hemp, tobacco a mushroom-based renewable alternative.” and wild rice. Sometimes, that crop is acMycelium is also being implemented tually a fungus, like five years ago when in textiles as sensors that can detect elecwe did a story on Forest Mushrooms near trical signals, and it is being researched for St. Joseph. cleaning up nuclear waste. Mushrooms are Mushrooms are in the news these big in the health and wellness industries too, days. At least, they have been passing with scientists looking to them for possible through my email inbox with such reguprotection against future pandemics. Reflections larity that I’ve noticed an undeniable pat- Random I learned a new term from a co-workby Diane Leukam tern. It has gotten to the point where I’m er who is highly interested in “functional wondering if mushrooms could become mushrooms.” These fungi have health and one of the next agricultural super-crops. medicinal benefits and can be consumed in powders, If you have the will to investigate and learn about sprays and even coffees. them, this could theoretically be quite a business opSee what I mean? This is getting real and, any portunity for someone in Country Acres land where way you look at it, mushrooms are becoming an imour people are creative, hard-working and resource- portant commodity. The mushroom/mycelium exploful. My disclaimers to this are: 1) this is a column sion has been interesting to watch. and I am not scientist; 2) the first thing that someWe didn’t even talk about mushrooms as food, times pops up when mushrooms are mentioned are the both in animal agriculture and for people. Corbley “magic mushrooms” that grow in the wild and contain writes of underground parking lots in Paris being psilocybin, a hallucinogenic compound – let’s not go turned into mushroom farms to supply people in the there; and 3) don’t pick any old mushroom in the wild city with several kinds of organic mushrooms. Briland eat it – it could be poisonous. liant! Mushroom conversations could be in the context Some people love to eat mushrooms, but others, of food, fiber or medicine. Andy Corbley writes fea- not so much. My husband likes the flavor but is fully ture stories for Good News Network and has written convinced that, with their texture, they should be used several on mushrooms lately. One is about a guy who as bait on a fish hook. I fall in the middle somewhere, is growing mushroom bricks from mycelium, which even as I know they are very healthy in the diet. is the underground portion of a mushroom. They are Soon it will be May, and time for Minnesota supposed to be stronger than concrete. According to mushroom lovers to hunt for their favorite fungi in Corbley, he plans to “build a house for 12-20 people the wild. Hunters will be out in full force as the growout of reishi mycelium.” ing season progresses, searching for tasty morels and Interesting. other species. Mycelium is being researched as a possible reMushrooms are even growing on trees, such as placement for all sorts of plastics. An aside to this the dozen or so species of chicken of the woods. Apstory tells about a Nebraska student who built a parently, and this comes from a very reliable source, canoe from mycelium. Corbley writes, “Already, they are delicious sliced and cooked on the grill like mushrooms are being used to create compostable car a steak. I tend to play it safe and find my mushrooms at the grocery store in either the canned or fresh food section.

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ountry C Friday, April 2, 2021

cres A Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment

Volume 8, Edition 21

, e l t t a All c

all the time

Koketts raise Gelbviehs, Balancers BY DIANE LEUKAM STAFF WRITER

LITTLE FALLS – At Kokett Farm, it’s all about cattle. “Just yesterday, I laid down and a text came in from a guy looking at a PVF Marvel Angus and I told Andrea, ‘that’s all our life is, is cows, nothing else,’” Ben Kokett said March 17 at the farm near Little Falls. That’s just fine with them. Ben and Andrea Moss have been together just seven years, but their lives have involved cattle for decades. Andrea’s path has carried her across nations; she was born in France and lived in many places as part of a military family. As an adult, she worked cattle on a large ranch near Carson City, Nevada, at

PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM

Ben Kokett discusses genetic traits of cattle in an auction catalog while Andrea Moss looks on, March 17 at their home near Little Falls. The couple raises Gelbvieh, Angus, Red Angus and Balancer cattle on the Kokett farm.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Daisy Mae, a purebred Red Balancer heifer, stands at attention during a cattle show in 2018 at the Morrison County Fair.

the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains. While there, she was responsible for a variety of tasks for a herd consisting of Angus, Shorthorn, Longhorn and Brahman. In general, she feels the cattle on the Kokett farm have a better life than those out on

the open range. “Every now and then, we make comparisons and our cattle are living at the Taj Mahal compared to what those poor critters did,” Andrea said. “I love to work with our herd and these cattle are amazing; as far as cattle go they are friendly,

which I can really appreciate.” For Ben, his love of cattle goes back much further, to when he was growing up nearby. “Dad bought me a calf when I was 8 and so it began,” he said. Clover was a Polled Hereford, and Ben showed the calf as a member of the the Snappy Elmdalers 4-H Club. Now, the animals on the farm are all polled (bred to be without horns), but they are different breeds. The Koketts raise 100 beef cows that are Gelbvieh, Angus, Red Angus and Balancer, which is the trademark of registered Gelbviehs crossbred with other breeds. From the farm, they have sold bulls to 10 states and to Taiwan. Kokett started with Gelbviehs in 1975, about the time when the breed was introduced to the United States. They made a connection to a dairy farmer in Little Falls who wanted some of his dairy animals bred with Gelbviehs. They made a deal. “They wanted the calves,

and the same with embryos,” Ben said. “We would put in three embryos, we’d get one and they’d take two. We had seen quite a few breeds and the Gelbviehs were the ones we liked, and we still like.” According to Ben, the best trait of the Gelbviehs is their fertility. He has had plenty of time to develop his opinions, having worked in AI (artificial insemination) as a cattle breeder for 44 years. Most of his clients are dairy farmers within a 30-mile radius. Most of his work is with Holstein cattle for dairy, but when an animal fails to breed back after calving, another breed is selected for better fertility. “We’ll breed them three or four times, then throw an Angus or Montbéliarde in,” he said. When he is not on the road working for dairy farmers, he is at home working with the beef herd. Genetics play a huge part

Koketts page 22

Page 22 • Country Acres | Friday, April 2, 2021

Koketts

from page 21 in his enjoyment of the cattle. “I like a good, deep pedigree, a stacked pedigree,” he said. He has traveled throughout the country attending cattle shows and sales, all while studying traits and deciding which animals he would like to incorporate into the herd. Recently, the couple purchased a young purebred bull from a sale at Eagle Pass Ranch in Highmore, South Dakota. “I studied the entire book and came down to two bulls,” Ben said. Hacker is a Prowler (the sire) out of a Lifeline (the dam). Prowler was reserve grand champion in Denver and Lifeline was champion in Denver. They also bought an embryo calf of Estelle, the mother of Lifeline. Hacker also carries a red gene. “We wanted something that was a red carrier – he was black but has red gene in him yet,” Ben said. “Originally, Gelbviehs were red and black was rare; now they are 75% black but trending back red, so with a new bull we had to make sure he’s got red.” Also important are traits involving calving ease and birth weight, but to Ben, “breedability” is

king, whether raising cattle for breeding, feeders or rodeos. “A friend always said, ‘you’ve got a beef cow for two reasons and two reasons only: She’s gotta have a calf and she’s gotta feed it,’” he said. “You can buy a cow for $30,000 and you don’t get any calves out of her, what good did she do you? Then, she does have a calf and she has no milk, he’s a little runt and you have nothing. She’s got to have that calf, feed it, rebreed and have another calf, that’s it!” The couple could talk cattle all day, but when asked about their children, the conversation shifted to how they met online, and to an unfortunate common bond the two share. Both have lost a child. Ben had two sons, Nathan and Alex. “Alex passed away in July 2010, at 19,” Ben said. “You never want it to happen to anyone else. It’s the worst thing that can happen to a human being; what else could be worse?” Andrea lost a newborn son, who lived for six hours. She has two girls, Rachel and Caity, and a son, Jacob. She knows other people have the same struggles. “You just gotta look over the edge of that box and you can see other people that have things going

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Erica Hollerman shows a Black Gelbvieh heifer, the 2019 Reserve Champion PureBred Gelbvieh Heifer at the Minnesota State Fair.

on,” she said. “It is what it is. I hate that saying but there’s a lot of truth in it. You can’t change what is.” Ben figures in the end, if he looked to other people’s problems, he would probably still choose his own. “One old guy told me things aren’t always what they appear from the end of the driveway,” he said. “You always bet they got it good…maybe not.

and forth. “Kalli is our righthand girl, she’s my sidekick,” Ben said. “She’s so good with the cattle, you never tell her twice and she just knows. She is the star of the show around here; we couldn’t do it without her.” Kalli lives a mile for the day. She came into away and has been comthe house and helped her- ing to the farm since she self to some orange juice from the refrigerator as Koketts page 23 the three bantered back

“That’s all our life is, is cows, nothing else.” - Ben Kokett We’re happy.” Speaking of happy, 17-year-old neighbor Kalli Czech drove into the yard, finished with school

Howdy, I am looking for other farmers and Drainage Co’s that have or had issues with Stearns County Environmental Services over farmed wetlands.

Call 320-241-8915 Eddie Peternell | St. Stephen

Maybe we can ﬁgure out something to do. CA-APRIL2-1P-MT

Ben Kokett admires a young bull sired by Brilliance at the Kokett farm of Little

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Page 24 • Country Acres | Friday, April 2, 2021

COUNTRY COOKING EMMA BONNEMA |

Raymond, Kandiyohi County

WANT YOUR FAVORITE RECIPES TO BE FEATURED IN COUNTRY ACRES?

Contact Diane at diane@saukherald.com

Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Hotdish

Banana Bread • • • • • • •

1-3/4 cups flour 1 tsp. soda 2 eggs 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 tsp. vanilla 1-1/2 cups sugar 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1 cup bananas, ripened and mashed (about 2) • 1/4 cup buttermilk • 1 cup chopped nuts, optional

• 2 cups rotisserie chicken, chopped • 2 cups broccoli heads, chopped • 2 cups rice, cooked • 1 can cream of chicken soup

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise • 1-1/2 cups Velveeta, shredded • 1 sleeve Ritz Crackers, crushed • 2 Tbsp. butter

Chicken-Broccoli Hotdish • 1 package chicken flavor Rice-A-Roni • 2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed • 1 (10-ounce) package frozen broccoli • 1 cup shredded cheese

• 1 can cream of chicken soup • 1 can milk • 1/4 cup butter, melted • 1 cup crushed potato chips, optional

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, stir dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine eggs, bananas, oil, buttermilk and vanilla. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Pour into a wellgreased bread pan. Bake for 1 hour, 20 minutes or until it tests done.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together all ingredients except crackers and butter. Spread in 9x13 inch pan. Mix crackers and butter together and sprinkle over hotdish. Bake for 30 minutes until crackers are brown.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare Rice-A-Roni according to directions. Layer Rice-A-Roni, chicken, broccoli and shredded cheese in 9x13 inch pan. Mix together the soup, milk and butter and pour over layered mixture. Bake 45 minutes. Top with potato chips and bake 10 minutes more.

Lemon Pineapple Salad

Cherry Salad

Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple • 1/2 cup sugar • 1 small box lemon Jell-O

• 1 cup boiling water • 2 to 3 cups Cool Whip

Mix pineapple and sugar in a sauce pan and boil for 3 minutes. In a bowl, mix Jell-O with 1 cup boiling water. Mix together and cool in refrigerator. When it is setting up, add 2-3 cups Cool Whip. Keep refrigerated.

WANTED

• 1 small package cherry Jell-O • 1 small package raspberry Jell-O

• 2 cups boiling water • 1 cup cold water • 1 can cherry pie filling

Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water. Stir in cold water, then pie filling. Refrigerate, and when it starts setting up, stir and pour into a Jell-O mold. Refrigerate to set.

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plow packer wheels 4-18” diameter Crow Foot Brillion Plow Packer Wheels to ﬁt a 2” diameter shaft. Or a complete Plow Packer with Crow Foot Wheels - 9’ Wide.

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• • • • • • •

1 stick butter 1 stick Oleo 1 cup white sugar 1 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp. soda 1 tsp. baking powder

• • • • •

1 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. salt 1 cup oatmeal 2-1/2 cups flour 1-1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix butter, Oleo and sugars. Mix in eggs, then add soda, baking powder, vanilla and salt. Mix in oatmeal, flour and chocolate chips. Bake 10 minutes. (I put pans on top rack 5 minutes and on lower rack 5 minutes.)

Help Wanted ASAP

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Melrose Electric is seeking a full-time, well-rounded Accounting Clerk with experience in payroll and related reporting, accounts payable, purchase order management, project management and general office duties. An Associates degree in accounting or related field, with 3-5 years of experience is preferred. Melrose Electric offers competitive salary and benefits. The ideal candidate will: • Have proficient computer and Microsoft Office skills • Be adaptable and thrive in a fast-paced environment • Multi-task and work independently • Have strong verbal and written communication skills CAApril2-1B-RB

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SUBMIT YOUR RECIPES TO diane@saukherald.com

Friday, April 2, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 25

Four decades of

ﬁber fun

Rocking Horse Farm a gathering spot for knitters, spinners BY SARAH COLBURN STAFF WRITER

ST. CLOUD – Merino wool, locally-produced alpaca and llama wools, Icelandic wools, hand-spun yarns and those imported from South America and Germany, Carole Wurst carries them all at Rocking Horse Farm. The 150-year-old farmstead she works out of includes a log cabin and antique machinery, as well as an old farmhouse. The site is host to Wurst’s shop which she opened 40 years ago. Inside, the store is organized by varietal, with brown sheep wool in one place, acrylics in another, sock yarn, dress yarn, specific brands … they all have their place. In addition to purchasing specialty yarns, the farmstead is also a place for people to learn. Wurst hosts a number of in-house fiber classes, knitting camps, clubs and guilds. Participants can learn everything from tips and techniques for sock knitting to hand-dyeing yarns. There are also a number of larger public events held at the farm including the sixth annual Spring Spin Fest. During larger events, Wurst offers tours of the historic farm and its antique, horse-drawn machinery. The Wursts don’t

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Fleece hangs from the fence in Rocking Horse Farm’s outdoor classroom area. The fleece came from sheep in the St. Augusta area and was for sale during a previous Spring Spin Fest held at the farm.

farm the land themselves but rent it out. They don’t have live animals on the farm either, but for events, the people who provide the wools often bring their animals for showing and the space becomes a temporary petting zoo for llamas, Mohair goats, rabbits and sheep. “As a kid I never had a playhouse, and I always have to laugh, because this is my playhouse,” Wurst said. At any given time, Wurst will have four projects in the works, at various stages of completion, operating off of four different knitting machines inside her shop. She can craft socks in an hour and a sweater in a day. Wurst designs and publishes her own knit-

ting patterns based on garments she designs and creates herself. Sweaters, ponchos, capes – she takes her ideas from fashion magazines and then thinks on them. “I just think about something and it pops right out,” she said. “I know how to do these cables and how to do these edgings, it’s wonderful, it’s so rewarding.” Wurst’s grandchildren model the garments in her publications; each pattern is meticulously measured to detail exactly how wide pieces have to be and how many stiches need to be cast on.

Carole Wurst is seated at an antique school desk from a one-room school as her husband, Fred Wurst, stands behind her at Rocking Horse Farm’s annual Spring Spin Fest. Lots of antiques are on display and used as store fixtures at Rocking Horse Farm.

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Page 26 • Country Acres | Friday, April 2, 2021

Rocking Horse Farm from page 25

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Carole Wurst sits at a knitting machine wearing a sweater and cowl she designed and knit.

She usually plans everything on paper before she knits and then she makes changes and tweaks along the way. “It’s fabulous to see what happens,” she said. “The ideas just pop into my mind. I get all excited and I make something fun.” She offers machines for use and sale that can handle bulky knits, standard ones, and different-size needles. She also has an antique round sock machine that people use for socks as well as scarves. The farm is a place where people of all ages can gather and learn and create. In March, Wurst had some high school kids in to learn and she’s had parents with homeschooled children in as well. Wurst can be found on site daily; even Sunday and Monday when the shop is closed, she moseys over to simply create. Her husband fixes and repairs machines for customers and her son helps her publish a newsletter, which includes patterns, four times a year. That newsletter reaches roughly 1,200 people across the

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Bags of locally grown fleece are for sale at a previous year’s Spring Spin Fest held at Rocking Horse Farm in St. Cloud.

“As a kid I never had a playhouse, and I always have to laugh, because this is my playhouse.” - Carole Wurst

United States each year. Additionally, Wurst is on Facebook, Instagram and has a presence on YouTube. She creates YouTube videos that focus on specific techniques, patterns and how machines work. “To accomplish and make something is such a good feeling,” Wurst

said. “People should get started in enjoying things and prove to themselves they can do something or make something.” Wurst didn’t become interested in knitting the traditional way – she didn’t sit down next to her mother or grandmother. Instead, her husband, Fred, bought her a pair of

knitting needles and some yarn for Christmas from Sears and Roebuck. He signed her up for knitting lessons, explaining that she needed some time to herself, out of the house and away from him and their five kids.

Rocking Horse Farm page 27

We have

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Page 30 • Country Acres | Friday, April 2, 2021

When the grain

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Farm hazard highlighted in free movie BY BEN SONNEK STAFF WRITER

SAUK CENTRE – Some people might not think of the everyday farm as a place of movie-worthy danger, but the film, “Silo,” from Blood Orange Pictures has achieved critical acclaim for highlighting a farming hazard which continues to claim lives. The movie is having free showings at 1 p.m. April 9-11 at Main Street Theatre in Sauk Centre, courtesy of Grinnell Mutual of Grinnell, Iowa, and Grove Mutual of Meire Grove. “Silo” is inspired by true events. The story focuses on Cody Ross as he is entrapped by corn in a 50-foot-high grain bin, and his family, neighbors and first responders must put aside their differences to rescue the teenager before he suffocates in the grain. Angie Fuechtmann, Grove Mutual’s manager,

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next to a pile of grain when it collapses. Hazardous atmospheric conditions, such as unsafe levels of oxygen or dangerous gases, can also be present inside a bin and suffocate a worker. Research from Purdue University in Indiana showed that the number of total grain bin incidents in American farms rose from 23 entrapments with 12 deaths in 2017 to 30 entrapments with 15 deaths in 2018 and 38 entrapments with 23 deaths in 2019.

Silo page 31

Chores taking too long? 320-251-5090 141 28th Ave. S. Waite Park, MN trautcompanies.com

To improve your water pressure, contact Kyle, Residential Service Manager 320-251-5090 or kylem@trautcompanies.com

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Administration, grain handling is a high-hazard industry. Its dangers include fires and explosions from grain dust accumulation, falls from heights, injuries and amputations from grain handling equipment and suffocation from engulfment and entrapment in grain bins. Suffocation is a leading cause of death in storage bins; workers can get buried in grain by standing on it when it is moving or flowing, by standing on a bridge-like clump of grain which collapses into a hollow underneath or by being

Your livestock chores take long enough without having to wait for the water tank to ﬁll up so your cows can drink. Low water pressure may indicate that your pump requires service or possibly replacement.

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was contacted by Grinnell Mutual in 2020 about bringing “Silo” to her community. “They do that through what’s called co-op advertising,” Fuechtmann said. “They’ve given us the opportunity to help pay for bringing this movie to the community so we can spread the farm safety message.” The purpose of “Silo” is to make audiences aware of the emotional, physical and psychological costs of keeping the world fed. According to the Occupational Safety and Health

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PHOTO BY BEN SONNEK Angie Fuechtmann presents the poster for “Silo” March 19 at the Grove Mutual office in Meire Grove. Free showings of the movie will be held at 1 p.m. April 9-11 at Main Street Theatre in Sauk Centre.

CA-Apr2-1B-WS

Friday, April 2, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 31

Each year, grain bins similar to these, pictured June 4, 2020 at Rosenquist Farms near Atwater, claim the lives of farmers, although becoming educated on the dangers can help save lives.

PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM

These grain bins store corn on a farm south of Sauk Centre.

Silo

from page 30

From what Fuechtmann has seen of the movie, its message resonates with her. “Hearing stories lately about farm accidents and deaths, it does hit home because everybody knows somebody who has gotten injured or has died,” Fuechtmann said. “My great-uncle actually died in a farm accident just down the road from (Meire Grove), so it hits home to me.” The 1 p.m. showtime for “Silo” allows every screen in Main Street Theatre to be available for the movie. If one screen reaches its capacity under current COVID-19 restrictions, another can be opened as needed. “It’s great that Jesse (Douvier), the owner of the movie theatre, is allowing us to do it at this time slot

so we can kind of take over the whole movie theatre,” Fuechtmann said. Fuechtmann and the Grove Mutual board have been promoting “Silo” in the local communities to remind people of the importance of farm safety. “Farmers are going to be going into the fields soon, so even if this is a slight reminder to the farmers to take that extra step, to be a little more careful, we hope that’s what we’re going to accomplish by doing this,” Fuechtmann said. “It’s a promotional thing for us, but it’s also a way that we can give back to the community that’s supported us for the past 120 years we’ve been in business. We want to thank the farmers for feeding the world.” More information about “Silo,” as well as the movie’s trailer, can be found online at www.silothefilm.com.

GROVE MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY presents a

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SILO

High Five If You Hate Ticks & Fleas

Inspired by true events, SILO follows a harrowing day in an American farm town. Disaster strikes when teenager, Cody Rose, is entrapped in a 50-foot-tall grain bin. When the corn turns to quicksand, family neighbors and ﬁrst responders must put aside their differences to rescue Cody from drowning in the crop that has sustained their community for generations.

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CALL 320-845-6930 FOR AN APPOINTMENT 551 Railroad Ave., Albany • Located across from the Kraft plant

Visit silotheﬁlm.com for information about the movie and to view the trailer.

Page 32 • Country Acres | Friday, April 2, 2021

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One Tough Animal

Country Acres - April 2

Articles inside

Tapping into the “Wildwood

Dairy Princess profi les

All cattle, all the time