Country Acres - May 20, 2023

Mutua l Mutual TRUST

Dobmeiers compete in ranch rodeos

BY JAN LEFEBVRE STAFF WRITER

ALBANY – To do well in ranch rodeo competition, the horse and rider must work together as one.

“It’s definitely not something that a person can just buy a horse and go do,” Gracie Dobmeier said. “As a rider, you

have to build that trust with your horse and know that horse inside and out.”

Gracie, now 22, and just finishing her registered nursing degree, has been competing in ranch rodeos since she was about 12. She first competed alongside her older brother, Austin.

Now that Austin

has a wife and child and has come home to dairy farm, he has not had time to compete the past few years.

However, there are still two Dobmeiers competing. Gracie and Austin’s mom, Anita, decided to give ranch rodeo a try two years ago and is still at it.

“I was the mom; I brought them and took pictures,” Anita said. “Then, I wanted to see what it was like, too.

The Dobmeiers milk 70 cows and crop

farm near Albany on their third-generation dairy. Most dairy farmers in the area are not keen on having horses because, unlike generations ago, horses no longer have jobs or help bring income to a dairy farm. However, Anita, who grew up in St. Cloud, always wanted one. She had ridden her aunt’s horse a handful of times and enjoyed it.

When she married Tom Dobmeier in 1996 and moved to

the farm, she finally had space to have a horse and brought up the idea to him.

“He was supportive, but not sure,” Anita said.

In 1997, they purchased Maggie, an Appaloosa – but they didn’t stop there. As Austin and Gracie came along and grew, so did the herd, eventually numbering 13. Most of the horses were purchased, but four were born on the farm.

“Maggie had her

baby, April, and she grew up with Austin and me,” Gracie said. “That’s one of the first horses I remember, but the first horse that was considered mine was Ginger. She was a Quarter Horse.”

For a while, they also had a team of Fjords, a breed of workhorses.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Gracie Dobmeier competes in a doctoring event with her horse, Rebel, in May 2022 at a ranch rodeo competition in Morton. In doctoring, one team member has to rope a cow that another teammate on foot then puts shaving cream on to represent branding.

PHOTO SUBMITTED Anita (left) and Gracie Dobmeier gather with their horses in April 2022 at a Cowgirl Jackpot competition in Decorah, Iowa. Both mother and daughter compete together at ranch rodeo events as well.

Aountry cres

Published by Star Publications

Copyright 2014 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378

Phone: 320-352-6577

Fax: 320-352-5647

NEWS STAFF

Grace Jeurissen, Editor grace.j@star-pub.com

Jan Lefebvre, Writer jan.l@star-pub.com

Herman Lensing, Writer herman@melrosebeacon.com

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Carol Moorman, Writer carol@melrosebeacon.com

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Sarah Colburn Staff Writer

Story ideas send to: grace.j@star-pub.com

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PRODUCTION STAFF

Pat Turner

Amanda Thooft

Nancy Powell

Maddy Peterson

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Dobmeiers from front

“Gracie and I both drive horses, too,” Anita said. “We’ve done everything from drive wagon – they call it a people mover – to a four-cart, and we drive work equipment such as plows, cultivators and things like that.”

They mostly drove in demonstration events for friends who were in a draft horse club.

Both Gracie and Austin also showed horses in 4-H, and they competed in sorting competitions, which involves herding cattle. However, they had not heard of ranch rodeo until a friend told them about it and invited them to join a team and compete at one in Morton.

The Dobmeier siblings read about ranch rodeo rules, practiced a little on their own at home, and headed to Morton.

“It definitely was a struggle the first day,” Gra-

cie said. “I was learning how to go from a small pen to a really big pen because now you use the whole entire arena.”

Ranch rodeos are different from regular rodeos in that teams of four people with their horses compete against other teams in four different cow-event categories, all timed.

In the first category, sorting, a herd of around nine cows all have numbers on them. The announcer calls a number, and riders are timed as they sort the cows in number order, beginning with the number called.

The announcer might start by calling out “five.” Then the cows must be sorted five through nine and then one through four. Since competitors have no idea which number will be called first, there can be no preplanning of strategy before the clock starts.

The second event is called doctoring, where a

number is called out, and one team member has to

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Dobmeiers page 3

PHOTOS BY JAN LEFEBVRE

(Above) Bobbie the mare shows off her good looks May 5 at the Dobmeiers’ dairy farm near Albany. Being blind in one eye did not stop Bobbie, who is now retired, from competing with Austin Dobmeier in ranch rodeos in the past.

(Below) Horses gather in their pen May 5 at the Dobmeier dairy farm near Albany. Many of the horses have competed in ranch rodeos over the past 10 years with members of the Dobmeier family.

Dobmeiers

from page 2

rope that cow. Then a teammate on foot has to run to the roped cow, put shaving cream on it, and run back.

“The shaving cream represents the branding of a cow,” Gracie said.

The third event is trailer-loading. Two herds of cows with numbers are in the pen. When the announcer calls a number, the team needs to get both cows with that number into a trailer, close the middle gate in that trailer, load a horse and close the back gate of the trailer.

The fourth and final event is penning, which also involves two herds of cattle. The announcer calls a series of numbers. The

cows, in order of the numbers called, must be herded out from the rest and put in a pen.

During their first experience with ranch rodeo, the Dobmeiers became hooked.

“It was a good learning experience to see how people use certain tips and tricks and the best way to go about it,” Gracie said.

Through the next ten years, Gracie and Austin earned many awards in the sport, which in ranch rodeo come in the form of engraved buckles instead of trophies. There are also cash prizes of about $200

per team, per event. Gracie usually competes in close to 20 events a year, mostly taking place at county fairs. Anita now competes in several each year. Both have also begun competing in Cowgirl Jackpot events in Wisconsin and Iowa, which involve teams of two competing in sorting and penning events. However,

these competitions also include barrel racing and pole bending, which requires weaving between poles on horseback.

For the past year and a half, Gracie has ridden Rebel, a Quarter Horse, in competitions.

“I used to only ride geldings because mares always have an attitude, but there was

Dobmeiers page 4

PHOTO BY JAN LEFEBVRE

Anita Dobmeier and her horse, Chick, stand in the horse pen May 5 on their dairy farm near Albany. Dobmeier began competing in ranch rodeos after watching her children, Gracie and Austin, compete while they were growing up.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Gracie Dobmeier rides Rebel in May 2022 during a ranch rodeo competition in Morton, Minnesota. Dobmeier said Rebel is a good athlete that keeps her on her toes.

PHOTO SUBMITTED Austin Dobmeier and Bobbie the mare open the ranch rodeo competition at the 2015 Stearns County Fair. Austin and his family were instrumental in bringing ranch rodeo to the fair for the first time that year after pitching the idea to the fair board.

When the next opportunity arises, there’s

JEFFERSON Hearing Aid Center

Twisted Oaks

from page 9

surrounding grounds.

For owners Jeff and Stacey Otte, it is an opening day years in the making.

Jeff bought the land in 1992 and did woodworking in a shop on the property which is situated just a mile from his parent’s farm. The couple married in an outdoor ceremony on the land in 2000, and it was not until years later they decided the spot would be the perfect location for an event center.

For Stacey, the business is about fostering relationships.

“It’s very heartwarming,” she said. “You see people who haven’t seen their relatives for a long time, and there are a lot of emotions that go into the day.”

After hosting their own wedding on the land, the couple erected

a barn in 2003 and began to finish the insides with antiques from their travels. Through their business, Otte’s Concessions, Jeff has spent years traveling the five-state area selling kettle corn, hand-dipped corn dogs, cheese curds, fresh-cut fries, lemonade and funnel cakes.

Along the way, Jeff collects antiques and brings them back to the event center. The barn touts Sinclair, Gulf, Chevron and Gillette Tires signs. The stamped tin ceiling in the lower-level hails from Abercrombie, North Dakota, and was wrapped on the outside of a two-story hospital that was being renovated. Jeff said he left his number with someone handling the project and got a call a year later to pick up the tin.

“There’s a lot of history in the stuff around here and where it came from,” Jeff said.

The treads on the staircase to the upper level of the barn are lay-

Twisted Oaks page 11

PHOTO

A close-up look at some of the design details inside the open-air pavilion at Twisted Oaks. Jeff and Stacey Otte, along with the help of friends and family, stained all the wood in the pavilion.

Twisted Oaks

from page 11

opening. There is a bridal suite as well as gentlemen’s quarters in the barn for the bridal party.

Additionally, Twisted Oaks offers an outdoor ceremony area with plans to add a second one. An old grain bin on-site has been transformed into an outdoor event bar. Couples can bring in their own licensed caterer as well as alcohol. Packages include tables, chairs and linens and the option for guests to camp onsite. The property has four camp sites with electric and water access.

with the antique theme at Twisted Oaks, the Ottes offer a 1937 restored Dodge truck to provide a ride for the wedding party to make a stop at a local bar for a beverage after the ceremony. The truck is also available for rental.

To date, there are 10 weddings booked this year at Twisted Oaks and three on the books for next year.

As an add-on service, the Ottes

A sign announces the opening of Sauk Centre’s newest wedding reception. Twisted Oaks is set to host its first wedding the weekend of June 3. offer their Otte’s Concessions to party-goers for a few hours later in the evening, providing a snack of corn dogs, cheese curds and fries –tying their businesses together.

PHOTO S S U B MITTED

(Top Left) A bright red barn serves as an event space at Twisted Oaks event center in Sauk Centre.

(Left) The lower level of the barn at Twisted Oaks is mired in history, the ceiling and walls are made from reclaimed materials and antique signs abound.

PHOTO S S U B MITTED

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New 2022 Westfield MKX 13x64, 540 PTO, 235-80-R16 tires, low profile mechanical drive swing hopper, hydraulic lift.

PHOTO BY HANS LAMMEMAN

A sunset reflects across the south end of Sauk Lake May 4 in Sauk Centre.

PHOTO BY TIFFANY KLAPHAKE

Dan Klaphake plants corn May 10 near Sauk Centre. The last couple of weeks were busy for area farmers since many had a late start due to the long winter.

PHOTO BY TIFFANY KLAPHAKE Bergenia flowers bloom May 15 near Sauk Centre. Bergenia are a perennial flower hardy to Minnesota.

PHOTO BY TIFFANY KLAPHAKE (Above) A Red and White Holstein lounges May 9 near Little Falls. The calf sports a white heart on his forehead.

PHOTO BY HANS LAMMEMAN

Nevaeh Deshay and Ethan Nathe sit with their dog while waiting for fish to bite in Sauk Lake Sunday, May 14. Despite the windy weather and occasional rain, anglers cast their lines from boats and docks throughout the fishing opener weekend.

PHOTO BY TIFFANY KLAPHAKE

Two loons swim in the open water May 8 near Ward Springs. The common loon is the state bird of Minnesota.

PHOTO BY HANS LAMMEMAN

Two anglers brave the wind and rain Saturday, May 13, to fish in the south end of Sauk Lake in Sauk Centre. Fishing boats were seen dotting Sauk Lake throughout the weekend.

PHOTOS BY TIFFANY KLAPHAKE

(Left) A flock of pelicans wade in Lake Minnewaska May 3 near Glenwood. Pelicans commonly eat fish.

(Right) Tulips bloom May 15 near Sauk Centre. Tulips are phototropic.

PHOTO BY TIFFANY KLAPHAKE

A flowering tree comes alive in spring May 14 near Burtrum. Flowering trees are a common sign of spring in Minnesota.

BY SARAH COLBURN STAFF WRITER

SPICER - The sisterly duo of Adriana and Abigail Behl head to the shed each day after school to be greeted by a bumbling, jumping,

yelling herd of Nigerian Dwarf goats.

The mischievous goats are tricky, they said, methodically testing the fencing surrounding their pasture, looking for weak spots to plan their twice monthly escape from their enclosure.

“They get in everywhere; they get their heads stuck, “Adriana said.

The goats have a hay trough with wooden slats no bigger than goats can fit their heads through, but she said then they occasionally can’t get their heads back out.

Their innate joy is their downfall as far as easy-tocare-for animals go.

Behl page 17

Behl from page 16

“When summer comes around, they see people… and they’re sociable,” Adriana said. “Anytime any person walks by, they run up to the fence and run up and look at the road. They see a human and they think it’s dinner time.”

The herd, now 17 strong, was born out of the two high schoolers pleading with their mom, a lifelong 4-Her, to show something at the Kandiyohi County Fair bigger than rabbits. She spoke with a friend from work and found two six-monthold Nigerian Dwarf goats for the girls to get their start. Those goats, named Black Olive and Honey Bun are still part of the herd five years later.

“They were really

tiny,” Adriana said. They really still are.

To show goats, the girls load them into a dog kennel to transport them in the back of their dad’s truck. The herd has grown through the years and now they have eight does, three bucks and six kids for a total of 17 goats.

“I think my parents have reached max capacity of goats,” Adriana said. “Seventeen is a lot of goats.”

Still, Adriana said, the girls can tell them all apart by the markings on their faces and the sounds they make. “It’s harder when you have 17 goats

tends to her Nigerian Dwarf goat, Honey Bun. Honey Bun is one of two original goats to the Behls’ goat herd.

Behl

from page 17

screaming at you, but you can tell in the face and the body markings,” she said. “It’s how mothers can tell their twins apart; you see them 365 days a year.”

As a herd, she said, she refers to the goats innate ability to get food as short-term memory loss. The girls will typically head out to visit with the herd after school and feed them, and then two hours later they’ll whine for more food as if they didn’t just eat.

The goats mostly graze the grass in the summer and eat hay in the winter, but the girls do give them sweet feed once a day.

“It’s like having a little bit of candy after you eat so much grass,” Adriana said.

They are currently milking one doe, and two of their does still have kids on them. They have a couple dry yearlings as well, but they expect to have three milking goats by the time of the Min-

nesota State Fair.

For now, the girls are freezing the goat milk they harvest. The goats, at peak, produce about a cup to 1 ½ cups of milk each day, or about a gallon a week, between all of the milking goats combined.

The teens have been working on plans

to make soaps and lotions with the milk and hope to eventually be able to sell them at local farmers markets.

“Our first batch of soap didn’t go so well,” Adriana said. They have been re-

Behl page 19

PHOTO SUBMITTED Adriana Behl holds one of her newest Nigerian Dwarf goat kids to the herd, born in 2023 and named Horse. Adriana and her sister Abigail currently have six kids in their herd.

Behl

from page 18

searching other methods to get their formula right.

The goats have been a change for the family.

When the girls first started showing, they were bringing guinea pigs and rabbits to the fair for the day.

“Goats were definitely a big leap,” Adriana said.

They’ve been the first animals the girls have left overnight at the fairs to show.

“It’s very rewarding,” she said.

The goats hold a special place in their hearts.

“It’s when you have those first kids of

the season; this is why you do it – to have fun and raise goats and learn about goats and see the miracle of life,” she said. “It’s kind of special, they’re your family, and they rely on you and you rely on them.”

When the girls first got the younglings, the family bought some adjacent land, cleared some trees and built a shed to house them. Then, they built a bigger shed. Now, the Behls said, they’re beginning to sell off some of their goats.

The girls are taking them to livestock auctions, and they’re selling some of the wethers as meat goats.

They’re also selling some of the kids as pets or goat herd starters for other people.

“We sell them as kids so they can get used to their families,” Adriana said. “(We like) involving other people with goats and all the adventures of it.”

PHOTO SU B MITTED

Adriana Behl shows her Nigerian Dwarf goat, Black Olive, at the 2021 Minnesota State Fair. Adriana and her sister Abigail both show goats from the herd.

PHOTO SU B MITTED

Abigail Behl shows her Nigerian Dwarf goat, Delani, in 2023 at the Kandiyohi County Fair. Abigail and her sister Adriana maintain a herd of goats.

Proliant Dairy Ingredients (Premier Drying Plant)is accepting applications for a full-time position in Melrose, MN

Night Shift

Production

Operator

3PM-1AM or 4PM-2AM

• 10 Hour Shifts, 4 days/wk.

• Every Other Weekend Off!

• Full Benefits First of the Month following hire date

• 401(K) with generous match

• Annual employee bonus incentive

To apply, visit www.proliantdairy.com and click on "Careers"

Successful completion of pre-employment physical and drug test required.

Join our

service technician team!

Midsota Trailer Sales & Service in Avon, MN is looking to hire another service technician!

Are you looking for a good team environment, paid vacation, a variety of projects, and plenty of opportunities to grow in the field? Please feel free to reach out with any further questions or stop in to grab an application.

320-356-2412

www.midsotatrailersales.com

Midsota Trailer Sales & Service is an equal opportunity employer offering great benefits including insurance, 401(k), paid holidays and PTO, as well as short term and longterm disability. If you love working in a fast paced, team-based environment, apply to be a member of our Midsota Team today!

Process Welder/ Maintenance Tech II

7AM - 5PM

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• Every Other Weekend Off!

Proliant Dairy Ingredients (Premier Drying Plant)is accepting applications for a full-time position in Melrose, MN Night Shift Production Operator

• 1 on call evening per week & every 4th weekend

• Full Benefits First of the Month following hire date

• Full Benefits First of the month following hire date

• 401(K) with generous match

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• Annual bonus incentive

• Annual employee bonus incentive

To apply, visit www.proliantdairy.com and click on "Careers"

Successful completion of pre-employment physical and drug test required.

RECIPES SUBMITTED BY EDITORIAL | Sauk Centre, Stearns County

Want your favorite recipes to

Breakfast Burritos

• 1 package Old El Paso

Spanish Rice

• 1 chub chorizo

sausage

• 2 tablespoons green

chilies

• 2 tablespoons taco

seasoning

• 1 medium size onion

• 1/2 can (8 ounces)

seasoned black beans

• 1/2 cup cheddar

cheese

• 1/4 cup milk

• 6 eggs

• Tortillas

Optional:

• Cheese

• Sour cream

• Salsa

• Lettuce

• Tomatoes

In medium pot, follow directions on Old El Paso Spanish Rice package. While rice simmers, brown chorizo sausage in medium frying pan. Add 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning and green chilies, keep on low. In separate pan, fry onions in butter until tender add black beans and 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning. Add onions and beans to browned sausage. In medium bowl, whisk cheese milk and eggs together. In the same pan used for the beans and onions, melt butter and pour egg mixture in the pan. Scramble the eggs and once complete mix with the sausage, onions, and beans. Prepare tortilla like a burrito, adding meat and rice with additional toppings of your choosing.

Farmer’s Wife

Breakfast Sandwich

• English muffins

• Butter

• Eggs

• Cheese slices

• Cold cut ham slices

Toast English muffins. In medium frying pan, melt butter and fry a broken yolk egg along with slices of ham. Butter English muffin, and place cheese, fried egg, and ham on muffin. Enjoy!

Animal Cookie Truffles

• 13 ounces bag frosted animal cookies

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened

• 6 ounces vanilla almond bark

• Sprinkles

Puree animal cookies until fine crumbles. Combine crumbles and cream cheese. Form mixture into 1-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet. Refrigerate 1 hour. Melt almond bark. Roll each cookie ball in almond bark until it is covered. Top with sprinkles before bark hardens and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

HELP WANTED: Service Technician

Dairyland Supply in Sauk Centre has an opening in our service department. Some service experience is preferred but not required. We have highly qualified servicemen with the ability to train as needed. Duties include setting up new equipment, repairing equipment in shop or on the farm and installing equipment on the farm. Some welding, washing, moving, loading and unloading equipment with a forklift. Dairyland Supply has a modern facility with up to date equipment.

WAGES BASED ON EXPERIENCE • FULL BENEFITS

If interested in joining our team, please stop in at Dairyland Supply for an application or contact Gordon or Roxane at 320-352-3987.

I cut down six trees this week. As I processed the wood I couldn’t help but exercise a new note of caution with what I’ve learned: My great-greatgreat grandfather was killed when he was hit by a falling tree.

Nathan Hudson Packard was 44-years-old when he died in 1836. He had served in the War of 1812 and as a reward for his service had been given a land grant in Illinois. The thing was, he lived in Vermont and died in Michigan. I had to do a little digging to find out why he was cutting trees in Michigan.

Four generations of Nathan’s ancestors had lived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony area south of Boston before his father Robert moved to Vermont in 1782. Robert married that year and started his family. Nathan was their fourth son, the fifth child of seven, when he was born in 1792.

Nathan enlisted in the 11th U.S. Infantry on August 6, 1814 at Stockbridge for the period of the war and was honorably discharged May 21, 1815 at Sacketts Harbor, N.Y. The General Land Offices in Washington, D.C. have a record of a “military bounty” land warrant issued February 20, 1816 to Nathan Packard, a private in Smead’s 11th Infantry, War of 1812. The tract, in western Illinois’ Warren County, was patented to him February 20, 1818.

Nathan got married about the same time he received the land warrant but it was another two years before it was patented to him. Nathan and his wife, Celia Houghton, had 10 children in 17 years, all of whom were born in Vermont. No records indicate that he ever moved to Illinois.

By 1833, as the fourth son in his family and not likely to inherit property or wealth, and being the provider for a large family, it’s likely that Nathan was looking for a better op-

portunity when he heard about the land boom in Michigan. “Michigan fever” attracted settlers from New England where land was limited. Michigan was a much bigger territory (it became a state in 1837) and the land was cheap. The new Erie Canal also allowed easier migration from east to west. Interesting, too, is the possibility that Nathan’s wife, Celia, may have been a cousin to geologist Dr. Douglass Houghton who was active in Michigan’s exploration.

Whatever the circumstances that led up to September 1, 1836, on that date Nathan was in Jackson County, Michigan. He was working to clear trees from property that he had purchased. There were no gas-powered chain saws. Clearing trees was accomplished with axes and two-man saws.

It’s not known whether he was working alone or if his older sons, Robert, Israel and Cyrenius (ages 20, 18, and 14) may have been working with him. Nathan was not a tall man, his military record described him as having, “dark eyes, brown hair, dark complexion, height 5 ft. 6 in. and by occupation a farmer,” so it seems likely that others would have been with him. Whether he was hit a glancing blow by a branch or if he fell under the full force of a falling tree, the result was the same. Nathan’s life ended that day.

Celia moved to Michigan and Illinois. The children spread from Massachusetts to Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota. Cyrenius died in the Civil War.

Artemus, Nathan’s ninth child who was only four-years-old when his father died, eventually moved to Iowa and central Minnesota. He became my great-great-grandfather. Nathan cautions me from the grave, “Be careful out there in the woods!”

Home

Reuss family bids farewell Reuss family bids farewell to their ancestral abode to

BY HANS LAMMEMAN STAFF WRITER

HOFFMAN - For generations, the Reuss family has cultivated a bond with their historic farm, nurturing cherished memories and upholding the traditions of the land. With hopes to downsize while preserving the legacy of their agricultural roots, Mark and Mandy Westrom faced a difficult decision — to part ways with the 135-yearold ancestral farmhouse that has been a cornerstone of their family history.

The building’s history predates the first Reuss ancestors to farm the land outside of Hoffman. The house was originally constructed in 1888, serving as a granary temporarily before Joe and Lucielle Reuss called the property their own in the 1940s,

marking the beginning of an era.

Since then, the house has stood as a gathering place for the family, hosting countless holiday dinners and celebrations. It has witnessed the presence of generations of Reuss descendants, including George and Albertina Reuss, German-American farmers who were the eldest among their kin to set foot on the farm bearing their family name.

As one generation passed the torch to the next, the Reuss parents handed down both the home

and the right to cultivate the adjacent land to their children. Seven children, in total, grew up within the

Reuss page 25

Randy Reuss (from left), Carrol Reuss, Mandy Westrom and Connie Reuss inspect family and farm photos Thursday, May 11.

The farmhouse remains the last original building on the property since Joe and Lucille Reuss moved to the farm in the 1940s.

PHOTO S BY HAN S LAMMEMAN

The farmhouse that the Reuss family has lived in since the 1940s sits on about 450 acres that Mandy and Mark Westrom oversee today. The couple plans for the house to be relocated to its new owners in July.