Page 4 • Country Acres South | Saturday, July 16, 2022
Diversity a fit for
Schmidts PHOTOS BY JULIA MULLENBACH
Paul and Karen Schmidt run a diverse vegetable enterprise in Preston. Behind them is their garlic field that has 14 different varieties.
Couple offer unique country experience BY SARAH COLBURN | STAFF WRITER
“Whatever we do on our farm, we do it PRESTON – The mushrooms to fiber arts because we feel it’s the Schmidt Farm offers crafted from the wool right thing to do,” said everything from garlic, of llamas, sheep and al- Karen Schmidt. asparagus and shiitake paca. For the Schmidts, that means certifying the farm as organic and FARM ESTATE actively welcoming people to the farm to learn. Some come in an official capacity to learn SELLERS: John & Jodi Attig the behind the scenes on how to grow organ4870 Wheelerwood Rd., ic foods while other Northwood IA 50459 people, with an interest in learning more Saturday, July 30th at 10:00 am simply about farm life, rent the restored farm house on LIVE & ONLINE the property as a vacation experience for a For Further info, Call Kris Rugland 641-390-0220 few days. *Iowa Sales Tax on Applicable Items*
AUCTION
TRACTORS: 2006 John Deere 9620 Tractor, 3160 hours, 4 hyds., 800/70R38 Tires & Duals, Greenstar Ready, Autotrac Ready, Leather Active Seat, HID Lighting, Buddy Seat, HD Grudgeon, 2010 John Deere 9630T, 36” Tracks, 2632 hours, 4 hyds, HID Lights, Buddy Seat, 2010 John Deere 6100 D MFD, Power Reverser & Quad Range, 3 hyds, PTO, 9067 hours, 2010 John Deere 8530 MFD, MFD, 5 hyds, IVT Trans, ILS Front End, Front and Rear Duals, 5800 hrs COMBINE & HEADS: 2011 John Deere 1770 CCS 24/30’’ Planter, Row Cleaners, Chemical Bander, Insecticide Injection, Liquid Fertilizer, Hyd. Drive, Air Down Pressure, Corn and Soybean Units, 2013 John Deere S680 Combine, 4x4 Rear Axle, 650x38 Tires & duals, 2085 eng, 1474 sep hrs., Power Folding Hopper, 2014 640 FD Draper Head, 2014 John Deere 612C, Chopping, 12 Row w/Stompers, Gear Box Disconnects, Hyd. Deck Plates, Contour Master & Row Sense, Stud King 41ft Stomper Stud Head Cart, Mauer 38ft Head Cart, Tandem Axle FARM EQUIPMENT: 2004 Brent 976 Grain Cart, Scale, Roll Tarp, 2013 Krause Dominator 4850 Ripper, 11 Shank with Rear Leveler, John Deere 2700 Ripper, 7 Shank, John Deere 2210 Field Cultivator 65ft, 4 Bar Harrow, Single Point Depth Control, 2010 John Deere 3710 Plow, Colters w/ Buster Bar, 10 Bottom (Like New), Cat 18-yard Scraper, Pull Type, Dakon 250 bu Wagon, Demco 1200 Side Quest Tank, 600-gal, piece MTS for JD 8000 IVT Trans, Long Plow Disc 8ft, John Deere 2600 Monitor, Auto Trac, John Deere 2630 Monitor, Swath, Row Sense, John Deere 3000 & 6000 Globes, Bush Hog Disc 20ft Disc, Super B SM 750C Grain Dryer, Quantum Controls, 2870 hours, Single Phase, (3) B&B Nurse Trailers with Twin 1450gal Anhydrous Nurse Tanks, Walking Tandem & 5th Wheel, Brakes SEMIS/TRAILERS: (2) 2003 Freightliner Century, Day Cab, Cat C-12 Auto Trans, 1999 Freightliner FLD 120 Day Cab, ISM 330 hp Cummins, 9 Speed Trans, 2017 Wilson Pacesetter 41ft, Ag Hoppers, Roll Tarp, Air Ride, 2013 Wilson Commander 41ft, Roll Tarp, Ag Hopper, 1982 Wilson Grain Hopper Trailer 40ft, Roll Tarp, Spring Ride, Fruehauf Tender Trailer, with 3200-gal Water Tank, 1600gal Water Tank, 2’’ Pump and Hose, Inductor AUGERS: (2) West eld 13’X71” Auger w/Swing Hopper, West eld 10’x31ft Auger FARM MISC: 2004 JCB 8040 10,000# Mini Excavator - 2000hrs, new tracks, (3) 1600-gal Poly Tanks, 2200-gal Poly Tank, 3000-gal Poly Tank, (2) 2000-gal Fuel Barrels w/Pumps CONSIGNED FROM LOCAL RETIRING FARMERS: 2010 John Deere 1990 Air Drill CCS, 30ft, 15” Spacings, 350 JD Monitor, One Owner, 3600 Acres, Ground Drive, Extended Wear Boots, John Deere 1518 Batwing Mower, 15ft, 8 Wheels, Small 1000 PTO, John Deere 856 Row Crop Cultivator, 16 Row, 30”, C Shank, Rolling Shields, John Deere 825, 8 Row, 30”, C Shank, 2002 Hagie 2100 Sprayer, 2088 Hours, 60ft/80ft Booms, 15” Spacings, 320/85/ R34 Tires, 1975 Chevy C-65 Dump Truck, Single Axle, w/Contractor Box, 366 Gas, 5+2 Trans, 2000-gal Pol tank w/2” Pump & Inductor, 3pt Forklift, John Deere Flail Chopper, 3pt. 2 Wheel Windrow Invertor, 1982 John Deere 7720 Combine, Chopper & Spreader, 30.5-32 Tires, Heavy Duty Rear Axle, Case IH 1300 3pt Sickle Mower, 9ft, (2) Tiking 125cc Four Wheelers, Four Stroke, Riteway 900 Rock Picker, 2018 John Deere 6105D MFWD, ROPS, JD 540 Loader, 265.7 hours, 2 SCV Outlets, Manual Trans w/Shuttle Shift, Firestone Rubber, John Deere 235 Disc, Tandem Wheels, 22’ 9”, 1956 Allis Chalmer WD45, 1993 Ford LTA9000 Semi, 855 Cummins Motor, 9sp Trans, Feterl 10”x66ft Auger, PTO, Feterl 10”x31ft Auger, 10sp Single Phase Motor
K a ren and her husband, Paul, own Schmidt Farm near Preston. “It’s based in our mission of the farm, teaching other people what we do and how we do it and an appreciation for how food is produced and animals are
Commercial Residential Agricultural
Randy Haakenson 326 Parkside Dr. SE, Preston, MN 55965
Home: 507-765-2297 | Cell: 507-251-5535 CZJuly16-1B-JM
Icelandic sheep are the breed the Schmidts chose to fit their operation. Karen shears the sheep twice each year raised,” Karen said. and spins their wool into The Schmidts have yarn, which she uses for a little bit of everything. needle art.
In addition to the production farming they do on site, they also have horses, donkeys, goats, rabbits and chickens on the farm. Paul grew up on the land, it’s been in his family for 120 years. His father milked cows at the farm, had laying hens and hogs. Paul and Karen themselves ran 850 acres and a 6,000head custom-finishing hog operation on the property from 1997 un-
130 State Hwy. 16 Dexter, MN 55926 CZJuly16-1B-JM
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til 2021. In 1999, the couple began transitioning the land to organic and became certified with their first 250 acres in 2001. Then, 15 years ago, Paul started dabbling in garlic. It began as a hobby when he planted 350 bulbs. All 350 bulbs grew and he harvested the crop in full. “As a farmer that is a statistical anomaly, a statistical improbability,” he said. The success he had achieved with the garlic prompted him to learn about the varieties. He now offers 14 different varieties and plants 30,000 bulbs on 1 acre. They have Inchelium Red, Chet’s Italian Red, Krasnodar White, Music, Armenian, Georgian Crystal, Georgian Fire, German Extra Hardy, Zemo, Estonian Red, Siberian, Belarus, Russian Giant and Krasnodar Red.
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