Country Acres - September 16, 2023

Larsons foster skills, life lessons

BY SARAH COLBURN STAFF WRITER

WILLMAR—

Each week teens and young adults gather around a table with their mentors to share in a meal with food they grew, harvested and cooked themselves.

The MNyou Youth Garden serves as a training ground for young people to learn skills, make money and help diminish food insecurity throughout the

region.

The thousands of pounds of vegetables produced in the garden each year do not go to waste. The food fulfills the demand of 30 to 60 paying customers who annually participate in MNyou Youth Garden’s Community Supported Agriculture program and receive weekly shares of produce. Those CSA shares cost more than traditional shares because each provides a matching CSA share to be given to a family

in need.

Brent and Deb Larson oversee the program, which was started by their son Ben and co-founder Nate Erickson in 2016.

“We always find an outlet for everything we grow, so the kids have an understanding we’re not just picking weeds; we’re actually making a difference in people’s lives,” Brent said.

This year the Larsons’ efforts were recognized as they were

Check

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named the Kandiyohi Farm Family of the Year.

In addition to running the CSA program, the Larsons and their student crew sell produce at a farmers market. Any additional produce is donated to Hope for Our City, the food shelf and a church in town that distributes food. Through the program, the young adults learn seedling management, pest management, transplant and harvesting skills, greenhouse and hoop house management, marketing skills

and customer service, among other things.

The garden itself touts a plethora of produce. There are more than 20 vegetables grown — everything from tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, carrots and beans to radishes, rutabaga, turnips and potatoes. In between the rows of veggies, they also grow flowers for cutting.

The three-quarter acre plot of land just outside the Larsons’ home is turned over three times a year, so there is a constant influx of food being

grown and harvested. Four years ago, the family moved a greenhouse to their property from the Minnesota West Community and Technical College to support the program. The greenhouse allows them to extend their food-growing season as do the two hoop houses on the

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Ben Larson picks beans alongside Ava Lundgren (left) and Raiya Sebesta in the MNyou Youth Garden in Willmar. The garden helps provide food security throughout west central Minnesota.

CAountry cres

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Copyright 2023

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Larsons from front

property.

Ben still serves as the manager of the farm, and Erickson helps with CSA deliveries. Ben begins seedlings in March. Young plants hit the ground May 1, and teams plant all the way through August. Weekly, from mid-June to mid-October, youth harvest, package and sell the produce. Brent oversees the market management and youth training while Deb does youth training and manages the farm’s product packaging.

At any given time, 15 to 20 students ranging in

age from 12 to 21 may be working on the farm. In addition to students who are referred to the program and those who hear about it by word of mouth, the Larsons also work with students with special needs from the Willmar Public School District and West Central Industries.

The produce and the flowers, Brent said, are the byproduct of helping kids learn responsibility and skills.

“Our main goal is to get to know the kids — know how they tick, how they work — and encourage them in their life goals, spiritually, how to show up on time, staying on task, being a man of your word,” he said. “They also learn

how to count back change, customer service, how to explain the vegetables. … It opens up a whole other avenue.”

They try to place kids in positions where they can be successful and use their natural talents.

“We just have a real passion for finding people’s skills and loving that we can work together with our team and find different things for people to do that they can’t find for themselves,” Brent said.

Deb said there are jobs for kids with all ability levels.

“We’re finding we can

create jobs for some of these kids with special needs,” she said.

They also work with families who have lost funding for care for their adult children. The farm, she said, gives them an outlet and allows them to work with a job coach.

“It’s such a diverse group of kids out here,” Deb said.

Participants include a number of students who are from Myanmar. Those students, she said, often

Larsons page 3

PHOTO COURTESY OF AMY HAUG

(Top)Maria, Nina, Leo and Ben Larson pose for a family photo. Ben Larson co-founded the MNyou Youth Garden.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

(Right)This is a sample of a community-supported agriculture share from the MNyou Youth Garden. When customers purchase a share of the CSA, they financially support a second share to be given to people in need.

Larsons from page 2

send at least one-third of what they make on-site to their relatives overseas.

To bring all the students together, the Larsons started coordinating Friday farm-to-table meals for the group. During that time, they teach kids how to process and cook the vegetables they grew. They teach them how to pickle foods, how to freeze corn and other skills they could bring home to their families.

As the kids work together to create the meals, Deb said, they come together as a group.

The program has attracted help from the outside as well. Through the years, it has received a number of grants, but those dollars have since run out. For some time now, the program has been operating off funds from the CSA program, the dollars from the farmers market sales and donations from the community, which Deb said always seem to come at just the right time.

The program also benefits from volunteers who have begun working with the students, teaching

them different recipes and cooking or preparation tips.

“Every retired mama has some,” Deb said. “It’s been a fun, unexpected thing that’s happened.”

Deb and Brent themselves are retired but said the farm venture is an opportunity to help young people to continue to grow. The couple said some of the kids in the program come from families that are struggling financially but not in spirit. They told the story of one of the students who slept in a basement floor apartment with a baby on top of him to keep the child warm.

No matter the young mentees’ financial backgrounds, their countries of origin or their skill levels, the Larsons said the farm and the weekly meal the students share together creates a sense of community.

“It really brought some things full circle,” Deb said. “They’re not just working in the garden the whole time pulling weeds; it’s brought them to the table together.”

PHOTOS SUBMITTED Baby lettuce thrives in the MNyou Youth Garden in Willmar. The garden is home to more than 20 kinds of vegetables which are harvested by youth for community supported agriculture shares, the farmers market and donations to those in need.

Pat Schwab, Deb Larson, Ethan Norby, Ava Lundgren and Hannah

orchard A family

Albrecht, Leach thrive by staying small

BY TIFFANY KLAPHAKE STAFF WRITER

STAPLES — Rows of trees with red, sweet, juicy apples line the yard of Christine Albrecht and Tim Leach’s property south of Staples.

The 350 trees are enough to keep Albrecht and Leach and their three boys busy. They grow six different varieties: Zestar, Honeycrisp, Sweet Tango, KinderKrisp, Snow Sweet and Sweet Sixteen at Oasis Orchard.

“It’s been good for the kids because they come out here and help while learning where their food comes from,” Albrecht said. “And for them to gain that work

ethic, I think that is so important these days. Most kids don’t have that.”

Albrecht and Leach and their three boys all work together to get the apples picked, washed, bagged and ready to sell at their roadside stand and at the Staples farmers market.

“We started the orchard because my husband was spending about $100 on Honeycrisp apples every two weeks at the grocery store,” Albrecht said. “So, I said we need to start growing these. We talked about it and decided that an apple orchard is something we could both get behind since we both love apples.”

Albrecht and her

husband were living in the town of Staples at the time but found some land in the country that Leach could also use for hunting. From growing up on a dairy farm, Albrecht was used to living in the country, having a large garden and doing lots of canning. Leach grew up in the Twin Cities but loved the outdoors and going hunting.

“I always wanted to live in the country,” Albrecht said. “But when we first moved here, we couldn’t find land, so we bought in town. We continued to look for land in the country, and eventually we found this.”

Originally the land was just going to be used as hunting land for

Leach, but the couple soon decided it would be the perfect place to start an apple orchard. Eventually it became the perfect place to raise their family as well.

“It took a while to convince my husband that we should build out here,” Albrecht said. “Now he is very glad we did it.”

The year after buying the parcel of land,

Albrecht and Leach planted 100 apple trees there, but they quickly realized there was more to starting an apple orchard than just planting a bunch of apple trees.

“Right away the deer would come and eat all the leaves off,” Albrecht said. “Also, we did not have irrigation and would have to haul

water in because we didn’t even have a well out here.”

PHOTO BY TIFFANY KLAPHAKE

Tim Leach and Christine Albrecht stand with their children — Alex, Reed and Zane Leach — Sept. 6 at their orchard near Staples. The family works together to run the orchard.

Albrecht/Leach page 6

PHOTO BY TIFFANY KLAPHAKE

Apples wait to be picked Sept. 6 at Oasis Orchard near Staples. The orchard is home to 350 apple trees of six different varieties.

Albrecht/Leach

from page 5

The couple started attending Minnesota Apple Growers Association meetings and learned all about owning an apple orchard in Minnesota.

“We wanted to get all Minnesota-developed apples,” Albrecht said. “The KinderKrisp is actually one of our favorites. It was developed by an orchard in Minnesota.

The KinderKrisp is a smaller apple that is designed so kids can eat the whole apple at once, which makes it useful for doing farm-to-school programs.

Albrecht, who

works full-time at the hospital in Staples as the chief medical doctor, coordinates with the hospital and the local schools to have all the students participate in The Great Lakes Apple Crunch Day.

“It’s a national thing, and it happens in October,” Albrecht said.

“Every kid gets to take a bite out of an apple at the same time to see how loud of a crunch they can make. That has been a really fun thing we do.”

Of all the apple varieties Oasis Orchard grows, Sweet Tango

sells out the fastest.

The family works together every evening until dark, getting apples ready for the next day. They also enlist the help of several high school youth for picking.

Albrecht also makes caramel apples and dried apples to offer customers.

“I sell about 30 caramel apples a day just at our roadside stand, and we sell out every time at the farmers markets,” Albrecht said. “Once it calms down with the picking, I will take some of the apples and run them through a dehy-

drator to make dried apples.”

Albrecht/Leach page 9

PHOTO BY TIFFANY KLAPHAKE

(Above) Hundreds of picked apples wait to be washed and bagged Sept. 6 at Oasis Orchard near Staples. All apples are washed, dried and sold in 4-pound bags.

PHOTO BY TIFFANY KLAPHAKE Reed Leach takes a big bite out of an apple Sept. 6 at Oasis Orchard near Staples. During apple season, Reed will eat fi apples a day.

APHAKE washed les. All lll gs.

FANY HAKE t of an at Oasis season, eat five

Albrecht/Leach

from page 6

The roadside stand at Oasis Orchard was hand made by Leach and some of his friends and serves as a sign that apple season is here to the cars driving by.

“It is really neat because, like a fish house, it can be lowered down to be right on the ground, and then we can raise it up when we need to move it,” Albrecht said.

Inside the roadside stand are two grocerystore-style refrigerators with a glass door for customers to see the bags upon bags of apples.

The family also has a walk-in cooler where the apples go once they are picked until they can be washed. It also houses extra bags of readyto-sell apples waiting to be placed in the roadside stand or brought to the farmers market.

“My son has always wanted to sell sweet corn, so we got into that a couple of years ago too,” Albrecht said. “We always get the latest variety (of corn) so that it (is available) right into apple season.”

Once the apples start slowing down in Octo-

ber, the family also sells pumpkins and gourds at their stand as well.

“Finding the time to get it all done in the fall is a challenge,” Albrecht said. “I work full-time, and my kids are in school and sports. Tim is home during the day and will pick by himself too.”

Ever ambitious, the family plans to eventually add additional apple trees and some pear trees. They do, however, understand they already have a fairly full workload.

“My favorite part is just knowing that these apples are going to the local community and that we are providing a product that is really nutritionally dense — and I had a hand in making that happen,” Albrecht said. “That makes me proud.”

PHOTOS BY TIFFANY KLAPHAKE

(Above) Christine Albrecht takes a break in front of the roadside stand Sept. 6 at Oasis Orchard near Staples. Inside the homemade stand are refrigerators where customers can self-pay and pick up apples.

(Left) Alex Leach picks apples Sept. 6 at their family’s orchard near Staples. The orchard is home to 350 apple trees of six different varieties.

Creativity Creat

brings concepts to life

DenHartog uses talent to carve out tailored woodworking

BY MARIA BICHLER STAFF WRITER

BELGRADE —

When Jeff DenHartog opens his shop door to begin his latest woodworking project, he does not follow a carefully drafted plan. Rather, the custom creations leaving Crow Country Sawmill and Woodworking stem from DenHartog’s imagination.

“To begin a project when I was in high school, you had to have a drawing of it first,” DenHartog said.

“I’ve gotten to

the point where I don’t draw much of anything. I have a vision in my head, and then the vision goes from my head straight to the wood project.”

DenHartog and his wife, Stephanie, and their children live near Belgrade. In addition to his full-time job in manufacturing, DenHartog has turned an adolescent hobby into a business which operates at the family’s property.

DenHartog can make wood décor and products to fit a custom order, but he also makes projects to add to his inventory. Services such as laser engraving can transform a photograph into a piece of wood art, and epoxy creations add a dimension of color and interest to a piece.

To begin any project, DenHartog collects the wood himself.

He gathers wood that has fallen down af-

ter a storm and said, in this way, he helps others who are trying to clean their yard of fallen trees and debris.

“I have the mindset that I’m not just going to go cut a tree down to make some wood,” DenHartog said.

Other times, he will collect wood from a damaged or dying tree.

“If it doesn’t have to come down, I’m not going to take it,” he said.

At home, the wood is stacked. Then, DenHartog uses a sawmill to process wood that is up to 18 inches in diameter and 9 feet in length. The milled wood is stacked to air dry until the moisture content reaches 8%-10%.

DenHartog also dries wood in a shed by using a woodstove that burns scrap wood from

DenHartog page 12

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

(Above) Jeff and Stephanie DenHartog stand next to their sawmill at their property near Belgrade. Jeff has been doing custom woodworking for more than 20 years.

from page 11

the sawmill; this way, he can speed the drying process.

Air drying the wood can take one year.

Once the wood is dry enough to be safe to work with, DenHartog proceeds with various methods, depending on what he is making. He works with a variety of woods but said oak is nice to work with. Ash is abundant in the area, he said, and is found in many of his creations.

DenHartog said

all woods have unique features.

“When you start cutting a log open, you’ll never know what you’re going to find,” he said. “One can have your typical wood grain. The next cut you make, you can find a nail or a piece of fencing.”

The unknown characteristics of a log is part of the enjoyment for DenHartog.

“Pulling the board off the sawmill and seeing the change in the grain is a satisfying thing to watch,” he said.

inet, an entertainment center, a linen closet and a desk, among other items.

Now, engraved décor, checker and chess boards, coffee tables, sconces, cutting boards, coasters, bowls, foot stools, end tables and more keep DenHartog’s imagination churning. The creative process comes naturally for him.

“I’ve always aimed back at woodworking,” DenHartog said. “There’s some kind of spark there that happened in seventh grade, and it stuck with me.”

After stepping away from woodworking for a time, DenHartog began acquiring tools 20 years ago. The projects and needed equipment progressed until DenHartog invested in a sawmill in 2020.

“I used to cut boards with a chain saw,” he said. “I enjoyed it, other than it was way too much work. I’ve enjoyed working with the sawmill. I’ve had good luck with it, and it’s probably one of the better tools I have right now.”

That investment has allowed DenHartog to expand his offerings. For certain projects, he will purchase wood not only to shorten his time investment but also to offer the product at a lower price point.

including this foot stool. DenHartog does woodworking in the evenings, on weekends and during time off as he also has a full-time job in manufacturing.

DenHartog was first exposed to woodworking techniques in the seventh grade. There, he made a wardrobe cab-

and time off as anddringtimeoffashe also has a full-time in manufacturing

DenHartog page 13

CASept16-1B-MS

PHOTO SUBMITTED Jeff DenHartog made this coffee table using epoxy to add the blue accent. DenHartog works with epoxy as well as a laser engraver and other tools to create unique products.

PHOTO SUBMITTED Jeff DenHartog makes various furniture items,

DenHartog

from page 12

DenHartog devotes the necessary evenings, weekends and time off to complete projects.

“If I have a project that someone wants, I’m going to try to reroute my schedule as much as I can so that I can get it done right away,” DenHartog said.

A recent customer placed a custom order to memorialize his late uncle. DenHartog engraved a photograph of the gentleman on 3-inch, wooden Christmas ornaments which were then given to the customer’s family members as gifts. The ornament was complete with the words, “In loving memory,” and the uncle’s name.

DenHartog said the entire process of every project is satisfying, but the reactions of his customers makes his role worthwhile.

“Probably 95% of

the time, the first time someone sees a project, you can just watch their face light up,” DenHartog said. “Everything I do is rewarding in some sort of way.” Inspiration comes naturally for DenHartog.

“I can be at my full-time job and an idea will come out of nowhere, and I’ll think, ‘Oh, I have to make this when I get home,’” he said. “I’ve always had one of those minds that is always turning.”

A current project for DenHartog includes a wooden urn for a widow and her late husband, which is an item he has never made before.

“The couple had made an agreement before he passed away that whoever went first

would hold on to the ashes until the other one passed, and then they’d be buried together,” DenHartog said. “When she asked me if I wanted to build the urn for him, I asked her if she would like me to build one that would be big enough for both of them so that they can be together forever.”

The project is an example of how DenHartog’s creations touch the lives of others, one wood grain at a time.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

(Above) Red cedar rests outside after being split on DenHartog’s sawmill near Belgrade. The sawmill can process wood that is up to 18 inches in diameter and 9 feet in length.

e t

proc leng

O C A L

Richters operate small winery

BY TIFFANY KLAPHAKE STAFF WRITER

LONG PRARIE –

Among the acres and acres of corn and soybean fields south of Long Prairie lies a small vineyard, Dragon Willow Winery.

While many farmers in the area are working hard to harvest their crops with big machines, Curt and Dawn Richter harvest their entire crop by hand. All 3.5 acres

of over 2,000 grape vines are harvested by the Richters and a handful of volunteers.

“We’re getting into harvest season now,” Curt said. “So, it will be really busy during the next two months because not only do we pick and process, but there is a lot of critical wine making that happens early on in the process.”

From mid-April all the way into December, Dragon Willow Winery is open on weekends for tastings and for

people to stop in and purchase homemade wine.

“You won’t see Cabernet, Chardonnay or Pinot Noirs here because we just can’t grow those grapes here in Minnesota,” Curt said.

When Dragon Willow Winery first opened, they had five wines to offer. Currently there are a total of 10 wines available plus an apple wine. Some of the wines offered are Campfire Red, Prairie White, Shoreline White, Relaxin’ Rosé and Summertime.

“Depending on the weekend, our Summertime or

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For more information contact: Kristine at 320-212-9379 or Kristine@FladeboeLand.com Glen Fladeboe 651-208-3262 Dale Fladeboe 320-894-9392

our Rosé, they kind of battle for number one,” Curt said. “Those are more summer style wines, easy drinking — although this year, Frontenac has been way up there too.”

Neither Curt nor Dawn had any experience in the wine making industry when they first started out, but when Curt lost his job in 2011, they decided it was time for a change. He worked in information technology and continues to

do freelance work around his wine-making schedule.

“Working in IT, you don’t really have anything tangible to show for your work,” Curt said. “I wanted to pick up a hobby where I could make something from start to finish and enjoy a finished product.”

Richters page 16

PHOTO BY TIFFANY KLAPHAKE

Curt and Dawn Richter stand together in their vineyard Sept. 6 near Long Prairie. The couple started their own winery journey in 2013.

Richters from page 15

Curt first dabbled in beer making, but Dawn does not like beer, so he switched to wine making. Together they visited several wineries across Minnesota. They also attended meetings and events hosted by the University of Minnesota enology program.

Dawn is originally from the Long Prairie area, and her mother still lived in the area and owned some acreage. She asked her mother if they could plant some grape vines there and she said her mother loved the idea.

In the spring of 2012, the couple planted 900 vines at Dawn’s mother’s place. The vines included nine different varieties. By that fall, the Richters found property that would suit their plans to build the tasting site for their winery.

“It was a bare piece of land,” Curt said. “In the spring of 2013, we put up our building here and began the journey.”

In the meantime, the couple started working on getting all the permits needed to start a winery. They also planted 400 Petite Pearl grapevines at their new property.

Their permit was approved just as their vineyard was ready to be harvested for the first time.

By 2017, all their building projects were complete, and Curt retired from the U.S. Air Force after four years of active duty and 16 years of reserves. The couple was ready for customers at their winery.

Over 500 people showed up to their grand opening event.

The Richters have continued expanding their vineyard and their selection of wines. They now grow 12 different varieties of grapes, which accounts for 65%-70% of the total volume they need to produce

their wines. The couple works with three small growers to collect the rest of the fruit needed for production.

Curt and Dawn also work with a grower by Osakis who grows Haskap berries for their Haskap wine, and the Richters have eight apple trees at Dawn’s mom’s house for their apple wine.

This year Curt and Dawn will be harvesting one varietal of grapes for the first time, a variety that has been proven to do well in Minnesota and have disease resistance.

“We have a couple more wines in the works,” Richters page 17

Dawn Richter harvests a cluster of grapes Sept. 6 at Dragon Willow Winery near Long Prairie. The Richters grow both red and white grape varieties.

PHOTOS BY TIFFANY KLAPHAKE

(Left) A cluster of red grapes are waiting to be picked Sept. 6 at Dragon Willow Winery near Long Prairie. The Richters, who own the winery, grow 65 to 70% of the grapes they need to make their wines.

(Below) A cluster of Petite Pearl grapes hides among all the leaves Sept. 6 at Dragon Willow Winery near Long Prairie. The winery has 2,100 vines on 3.5 acres.

Richters

from page 16

Curt said. “We’ll be getting our first harvest (of Itasca grapes) this year. I’m very excited for that one.”

Dawn agreed.

“Hopefully we will have it available next summer,” she said.

The Richters continue to experiment with new products.

“We added a new machine this year for two wine slushies and a non-alcoholic one as well for designated drivers or those who bring their kids with them because we are family-friendly,” Curt said.

Besides being open for tastings, Dragon Willow hosts or co-hosts various events throughout the year including combined events with other local businesses for wine and appetizer, wine and cheese, and wine and chocolate pairings.

Dawn said they’re a popular draw.

“I think our biggest compliment is that we have a lot of repeat customers,” Dawn said. “They keep coming back for more and want to know what’s new.”

Several of their repeat customers have become good friends and even volunteer to help in the fall with grape harvesting and in the winter with bottling. Luckily for Curt and Dawn, their volunteers agreed to be paid in wine.

Curt’s favorite part of the process is the bottling.

“You get to see that hard work in the finished product,” he said.

Dawn’s favorite part is tasting the wines. It is important to taste the wine at the various stages to see if they need adjustments within the process.

The Richters both agree that they want to stay small.

“We don’t really want to get too big,” Curt said. “I like the connection we make with the people who come through here.”

That is one reason the Richters like to be present during business hours.

“It’s rare that you won’t find one

of us in here,” Dawn said.

It is common for wineries to name themselves after a local landmark or the family name, but that is not the case for Dragon Willow Winery.

“Our name is in reference to my wife and me,” Curt said. “I’m a big nerd — I like “Game of Thrones,” the Renaissance Festival, and yes, I played (Dungeons and Dragons) in high school. I’m the dragon side of the name. Dawn grew up here in Long Prairie and wanted a reference to that rural, outdoorsy upbringing she had, so she’s the willow side of the name.”

Dragon Willow is an actual type of tree, but not one that is hardy to Minnesota, so the Richters planted a different variety of willow trees on the property as a nod to that tree.

There are lots of ideas Curt and Dawn have for their future, but the one thing that will remain constant is that they will continue to produce locally grown, homemade wines.

“All of our wines beside Summertime are 100% Minnesota grown,” Curt said. “I think we’re one of the few wineries that can say that.”

they use 100% Minnesota-grown grapes to make their wines.

PHOTOS BY TIFFANY KLAPHAKE

Curt Richter stands by his retirement certificate from the United States Air Force Sept. 6 near Long Prairie. Richter served 20 years in the United States Air Force.

DRAFT HORSE FIELD DAY

DRAFT HORSE FIELD DAY FIELD

Saturday, September 23rd, 2023

(Inclement Weather - Sunday, September 24th, 2023)

Shoveling

a.m. Parade at 3:30 p.m.

Starting Time 10:00 a.m. Parade at 3:30 p.m.

EVENTS PLANNED

• Cultivating Corn

• Camp Fire Cooking Demo

• Corn Binder

• Harness Demonstration

• Multiple Horse Hitch

• Planting Grain & Corn

• Potato Digging

Shovels and I were strangers for many years. My right hip joint was giving me a significant amount of pain. Walking and climbing stairs were challenging enough. Walking on uneven ground was dodgy, and wielding a shovel was impossibly painful. Then I bit the bullet, went under the knife and had that joint replaced.

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Elderly & Handicap Accessible 75-100 Draft Horses & Mules Fresh Dug Potatoes for Sale

Northern MN Draft Horse Assoc. & Host Not responsible for accidents. No Dogs, ATV’s, Golf Carts or Drones Allowed On Grounds

Host: Forest City Threshers | Address: 64917 309th St., Litchfield, MN 55355

Directions: 5 miles North of Litchfield on Hwy 24 (Across the road from the Forest City Stockade)

DRaffle drawing for GRAND PRIZE of $500 at 4:00 p.m. Hos Dire

ADMISSION: $5.00 Per Person - Children under 12 FREE

YARD, CRAFT SALE & SOME MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS FOR SALE. (Crafters welcome $20 donation for space - call 507-828-1294)

For further information: www.NMDHA.com | Facebook: Northern Minnesota Draft Horse Assn. & Friends

Duane Cronquist: 218-639-0012 | Lester Bain: 218-639-8116 | Connie Cronquist: 218-371-5181

Bill Pramann: 320-236-7632 | Albert Barthel: 612-328-6571

That was five and a half years ago. I have to admit that using a shovel was still beyond my capabilities for the first couple years after surgery. Applying pressure with either foot to the step of the blade of a shovel was either painful or put me off balance.

Since I spend significant amounts of time in the garden, I persisted in trying to dig out weeds, transplant flowers and bulbs, and work up new spots to plant something.

Then I switched to no-till gardening. I used to love the look of a tilled garden and doing the tilling to make it look that way. But over time, and with some gentle persuasion from Silas the Gardener as well as a workshop with a University of Minnesota professor who advocated for the no-till method, I gave up tilling. You wouldn’t think that tilling would compact the soil, but my garden area that I tilled for decades is about 4 inches lower than the area around it. When the soil isn’t disrupted by tilling, biological action and microscopic soil life is encouraged. Mulching reduces weeds, but weeds still come up and need to be dealt with.

Since I’m always looking for a good outdoor workout, I started using a shovel. And over time, my strength and agility with using a shovel improved.

The last few springs, I’ve used a shovel to dig out the grass encroaching on the perimeter of my garden spaces. I dig out the dandelions, thistles and hollyhocks that spring up. To plant rows, I use a hoe to move aside the mulch and give a second pass with the hoe to create furrows for planting. A third pass covers the row, and I’m on to the next one. I use a shovel to plant squash, pumpkins and other seeds that go in hills.

Last fall, I tackled an 8-foot-tall honeysuckle shrub with a shovel. Honeysuckles can be invasive, and on this property, they tend to spring up everywhere. There are native ones that are fine — they have solid stems — but the invasive hollow-stemmed varieties can go. I used pruners and the chainsaw to reduce the overall size and then tackled the roots. They were sturdy and reluctant to give way to my shovel. I persevered, switching from left foot to right and back to left. It was definitely a good workout. Planting a hydrangea in its place was simple by comparison.

My herb garden provided a huge opportunity for shoveling this spring. Though I’ve had many different herbs in the garden over the years, the assortment is down to a few dependable perennials: oregano, tarragon, mint, lovage, elecampagne, garlic chives, chives, mugwort, lemon balm, and echinacea. Asparagus has transplanted itself into the herb garden, and a decidedly not herbal plant, spurge, that looks soft and sweet but is neither, developed a major presence.

Over time, the tarragon had spread south, the oregano went north and the spurge went west. It was an overgrown mess. So, I got out my trusty shovel and dug. I removed, relocated and purged. Then I mulched heavily. I find it helps my resolve to take before and after photos. It gives me a goal.

I should have taken a before picture, also this spring, when Ron and I tackled a 30-foot flower bed in front of the house. I knew I needed help with that one, and Ron actually got to it before I did.

We worked together to dig, extricate the grass and roots, and plant some of the irises and phlox back in tidy rows. Then Ron planted a few dahlias in front and we mulched the whole bed.

You’d maybe think that with all this shoveling my hip would be complaining. It isn’t. It’s actually much better than it was the first couple years after the surgery. And, I might mention, Ron has two artificial hips and one artificial knee. They don’t complain much, either.

Working out –outdoors, that is by Nancy Leasman

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Pohlmanns from page 20

are considering raising youngstock with him. Aaron might remodel the tiestall barn into a machine shed, but not yet.

“I want the barn to stay empty for a year,” Jerry said. “We have plenty to do for the rest of this year anyway, so we will figure it out next year. It all started in 1971 when my parents built this barn.”

Jerry is the second generation on the farm. His parents purchased the farm in 1958.

“When Mom and Dad married, they got three cows from my dad’s sister and four cows from my mom’s dad,” Jerry said. “Then they bought a couple more. When they started milking, they had 15 cows.”

Jerry was 12 years old when they built the current tiestall barn with 48 stalls and the herd increased to 40.

“I milked cows before school and after school, but my parents let me play all the sports I wanted,” Jerry said. “I came from a family of 14 kids, so we had enough help.”

When Jerry started dating Bev, she lived 20 miles away in the town of Greenwald, but she spent time helping on her aunt and uncle’s farm.

Although Bev had not thought about becoming a dairy farmer, it fit into what she wanted in a career.

“I wanted to do something outside, an outdoor occupation,” Bev said.

When the couple married in 1982, she fit right into the dairy lifestyle.

“Bev and I milked side by side morning and night since we moved to the farm,” Jerry said.

Both said they enjoyed the feeling of accomplishing something through hard work.

“I liked to be busy all the time, and I liked taking care of calves,” Bev said. “I like to see them raised from a calf to a cow and to know that I did good work.”

The couple officially took over the farm in 1987. It was then that a three-year drought began, the height of it being in 1988.

“The technology of crops, the hybrids we have now, didn’t exist (in 1988),” Jerry said. “We’ve hard-

ly had any rain this year, and the corn still looks good. If it were the drought year of 1988, 90% of the corn would probably be only knee high.”

He said it was probably the toughest year of farming he and Bev experienced.

“But, we were dug in,” Jerry said. “I thought, ‘I’m not giving up; I love dairy farming, so we are doing this thing.’

Mostly, Jerry said, times have been good on the farm. They are also proud of improvements they were able to make to their herd.

“I took A.I. school and started breeding our own cows to top bulls,” Jerry said.

That led to a lot of change in 41 years. In 1982, their herd was at a 17,500 rolling herd average. In 2023, their herd was at 29,000.

“It was sad to see them go,” Jerry said. “They paved a lot of highway on this farm.”

He said the cows allowed them to buy land, remodel the house, put in tiling and buy farm equipment.

“When it was time (to retire), it was the right herd to sell,” Jerry said. “They were some awesome cows. The sale was good.”

With their herd gone, Jerry has found a way to maintain freedom with his schedule but still work with cows. He milks cows for a neighbor but at his own discretion

“A lot of my family think I’m nuts, but I love it,”

Jerry said.

Both Jerry and Bev said they feel busy but with more freedom. The tiestall barn stands pristinely clean and empty, but Jerry said he sees hope that young families on small farms will find ways to keep barns like his full, most likely by adapting them with technology.

“The one good thing about robots is, if you want to stay small, you can have one robot and milk your 60 cows, which is nice for a small family, or you can get two robots and milk what might be more financially (viable), such as 100 to 120 cows,” Jerry said. “That’s going to save a lot of these dairy farms.”

PHOTO BY JAN LEFEBVRE Jerry Pohlmann shuts the door to the tiestall barn Aug. 30 on his farm near Grey Eagle. He and his wife Bev retired from dairy farming after milking cows together for 41 years.

F all F arm Fest Fall Farm Memory making

Van Becks share family legacy

BY CAROL MOORMAN STAFF WRITER

The smells, sounds, sights and memories make fall on the farm fun.

That’s what Noah and Sara Van Beck and their family, Spencer

and wife Angela, Quentin, Maretta, Thatcher, Jena and Damian, hope people visiting Van Beck Ranch northwest of Freeport experience during Fall Farm Fest. The farm fest runs weekends from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., starting Sept. 9 through October,

with a wrist band fee. It might be watching alpaca antics, baby goats walking behind their mammas and ducks quacking as Kunekune pigs eat; sharing the story of hatching chickens; playing in a corn dig and on a giant candy corn jump pillow or tactile bazooka ball course;

picking out pumpkins, riding on homemade horse swings or snapping photos by old vehicles, including a 1948 Packard Noah and Sara used as their wedding car 25 years ago.

“It’s our mission to have every family have wonderful fall memories here, like we have,” Sara

said Sept. 7 while sitting with Noah in the concessions and gift shop.

Van Becks page 26

PHOTO SUBMITTED

The Van Beck family — Maretta (front, from left) and Damian; (middle, from left) Thatcher, Noah, Sara and Quentin; and (back, from left) Spencer, Angela and Jena — gather Aug. 1 at Van Beck Ranch, northwest of Freeport. They are hosting Fall Farm Fest each weekend through September and October.

LET US HELP WITH THE HARVEST SEASON GRIND.

At 25-35% kernel moisture, we can achieve 100% kernel fracturing. We can grind at a rate of about 2,700 bushels per hour, and we will work around the clock to get the job done! We can also utilize a Dohrect Enject Applicator, which is designed to apply water soluble inoculants in a concentrated form.

Mid Minnesota has equipment to assist with clearing smaller projects including but also not limited to:

• Tree Lines • Ditch Lines •

Fence Lines •

Call 320-808-1345 to get a quote!

Benefits of Brush Hogging:

Our equipment can handle: WHAT IS BRUSH HOGGING?

• Weeds

• Bushes (brush)

•

• Vines

• Even small trees

MID-MINNESOTA GRINDING & MULCH CAN TAKE CARE OF YOUR GRINDING NEEDS ALL YEAR AROUND!

CASept16-1B-JO

of the year FARM FAMILIES FARM

family

Dana and Katy Blume farm 3,200 acres and serve as the fourth-generation of Blumes to continue the farming tradition.

The extended Blume family, including Dana’s father, brother and son, farm a combined total of 6,400 acres of corn, soybeans and sugar beets. Dana and Katy are members of the Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative and process their sugar beets in Wahpeton, North Dakota.

They have been named this year’s Grant County Farm Family of the Year.

Dana has been farming since 1996 when he rented his first piece of farmland, 140 acres.

Four years later, he and Katy were married. The two met as students at the University of Minnesota

Crookston. Together they have four children — Kilee, Cole, Addison and Charlie — who are all involved in the farming operation to some degree. Kilee is a senior at North Dakota State University majoring in communications. Cole will be attending North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton and plans to return to the family farm.

Addison is a junior at Herman Norcross Community School and is active in sports, 4-H and FFA. She loves showing dairy and beef cattle. The cattle are leased from another family. Charlie is a freshman at HNCS, plays hockey, is active in 4-H and FFA, and loves hunting, driving tractors and mowing lawns. Their parents are

equally as active. Dana has been a member of the Herman Fire Department for 23 years and the Herman School Board for 18 years. He has served on the St. Charles Catholic Church Council, Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, and various local co-op boards. Katy is the coordinator of faith formation at church, board member of Herman Foundation, and is involved in local 4-H and FFA programs.

The University of Minnesota

Farm Family Recognition Program honors farm families from throughout Minnesota for their significant contributions to the agriculture industry and their local communities.

The families were chosen by county-based local University of Minnesota Extension committees based on their demonstrated commitment to enhancing and supporting agriculture in their county.

The Farm Family Recognition Program has honored Minnesota farmers since 1979. It is coordinated by University of Minnesota Extension, the College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences and the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Farm Families for 2023 were recognized at Farmfest, held in Redwood County, August 1-3.

PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION

Dana and Katy Blume are named this year’s Grant County Farm Family of the Year. The couple farms 3,200 acres.

REENTS POPE COUNTY family

Jane and Gary Reents currently farm 1,500 acres with their son, Kyle, and his family.

The family, recognized as this year’s Pope County Farm Family of the Year, has implemented a number of conservation practices on the farm.

They are a Minnesota Agriculture Water Quality Certification farm with cover crops, buffer strips, field windbreaks, water and sediment control basins, irrigation scheduling, and land in the conservation reserve program. They also practice notill farming. They currently raise corn, soybeans, wheat, sweet corn, peas, hay and cover crops. Kyle also has beef cattle and rotates pastures with paddocks. The Reentses use a crop consultant and do grid sampling, variable rate planting, and fertilizer and split rate nitrogen applications.

The farm has been in the family since 1932. Gary Reents’ father started irrigating crops in 1957, mainly to feed his cow-calf operation. He also raised potatoes for local produce distributors. After Gary’s father’s death at age 45, Gary quit college and returned to the farm, adding center pivot irrigation over the years.

Jane and Gary have four children and 12 grandchildren. All the kids helped on the farm while growing up. Heather is a teacher; Jesse is a doctor, midwife and a Villard first responder; Lindsey is a medical lab technician; and Kyle farms, serves on the Villard Fire Department and is a first responder. Jane and Gary are transitioning the farm operation over to Kyle and his family.

Off the farm, the family has been involved in the community. Gary has been a Pope County Soil

and Water Conservation District supervisor for over 35 years and was on the board of Villard Co-op Oil for 35 years. He has been inducted into the Viking Speedway Hall of Fame; he raced cars on area dirt tracks for five decades. Jane was the first woman elected to her county’s Farm Service Agency committee and also served as chair. For 35 years, she was a Villard first responder. The Reents are members of the Villard Methodist Church, where Kyle’s wife, Jackie, is a Sunday school teacher.

671 Lincoln Ave • Villard, MN 320-554-3101 TANK’S APPLIANCE

PHOTOS SUBMITTED Kyle (from left), Natalie, Jane, Gary, Madeline, Jackie, Lily and Katlyn Reents gather for a celebration photo. The Reents family was named the Pope County Farm Family of the Year for 2023.

Gary Reents loads out corn for a March contract and checks grain bins. Gary and his wife Jane run the farm with their son Kyle and his family.

Granddaughters Eleanor Vander Hagen and Natalie Reents play on the hay bales at the Reents family farm. The farm has been in the family since 1932.

JANSON MORRISON COUNTY family

Roger Janson is a fourth-generation farmer, and he runs the family farm with his wife Janice and their son Keith. Together, they raise corn and soybeans and fresh market sweet corn on 260 acres. They run three roadside stands and provide seven local stores with sweet corn.

The Jansons employ several youths from the community to help pick sweet corn during harvest season. Additionally, they run a manure pumping business, which employs four people outside the family. The business pumps 50 to 60 pits during the spring and fall.

The Janson family was named this year’s Morrison County Farm Family of the Year.

On the farm, Roger and Keith are responsible for growing crops and running the manure-pumping business. Janice does the bookwork, picks sweet corn, helps run the roadside stands and drives a tractor for the pit business. Keith and his wife Shelby and family are very active in the sweet corn operation. They pick corn and help run the roadside stands. The Jansons’ son, Matthew and his wife Jenny, also help pick

corn and help run a stand as does Roger and Janice’s daughter, Kelly.

Roger is a trustee for St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Buckman. He was very involved in the construction of the church’s parish center and church renovation. Keith is on the Holy Trinity School board

in Pierz, and Shelby is the school’s parent-teacher organization president. Keith and Shelby’s children are very involved in 4-H. The Jansons sell crop insurance and Dairy Revenue Protection insurance as well.

Roger (left) and Matthew Janson load sacks of sweet corn into a truck from a trailer Aug. 22 at the Janson family farm near Pierz. The whole family pitches in during sweet corn season to get the product from the field to the consumer.

PHOTOS BY HANS LAMMEMAN

Evelyn Nouis (front row, from left) and Gareth Nouis; (middle, from left) Emily Leidenfrost, Candace Stangl, Isabelle Nois, Kelly Nouis, Ben Leidenfrost and Lucas Scott; (back, from left) Roger Janson Janice Janson, Keith Janson, Gabe Stangl, Hunter Jacobson, Jayden Zajac, Westin Hoheisel and Matthew Janson stand in front of a sweet corn stand Aug. 22 by a field at the Janson family farm near Pierz.

Janski Farms is owned and operated by Richard, Marlys, and their sons, Thomas and Daniel. The farm focuses on a cash crop as well as a dairy and feeder steer operation. In 2016, the family began experimenting with no-till and cover crops. Today, 90% of the land the Janski family farms uses no-till and cover crops. Due to their efforts and involvement, the Janski family was named this year’s Stearns County Farm Family of the Year.

Janski Farms began operations in 1940. The farm itself started in 1902, but in 1940, Richard Janski purchased the farm from a relative and ran it with his son, Robert, as Janski Farms. They milked cows and crop farmed. In 1966, Robert and his wife, Joanne, had a son, Richard. Richard and his wife, Marlys, had four children who were actively

involved in the day-to-day operation of the farm.

Richard is involved in activities on the farm, including planting, harvesting and excavating. Marlys takes care of the books and feeds the calves. Thomas handles cattle care, equipment maintenance and crop fertility. Daniel helps with animal health, cover crops, planting and overall animal welfare. His wife, Bridgette, helps with calf care and meal planning for the farm.

The family credits their soil health success to the help of many friends and family along with past and present employees.

The Janskis work with their local National Resource Conservation Service office to learn more about conservation efforts and share their outcomes with others in the use of cover crops.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Daniel (from left), Thomas, Robert, Marlys, and Richard Janski gather at their family’s farm. The family was recently named the Stearns County Farm Family of the Year.

Decker (from left), Kara, Thomas and Lanie Janski stop for a photo on their family’s farm in Stearns County. They are part of the multi-generational Janski family that was named the 2023 Farm Family of the Year for their county.

BEYER SWIFT COUNTY family

John Beyer is the third generation on his family’s farm in Tara Township in west central Minnesota. He has been farming since high school when the farm included hogs and, until recently, a beef feedlot. His wife, Heidi, was born and raised on a dairy farm in Swift County and worked as an ag loan officer after college at a local bank for several years. Heidi and John were married in 2014, and they farm together with John’s brother Dan, his wife Becky, and John’s father Norman.

The Beyer Farm in Swift County now uses a corn and soybean rotation and occasionally includes some wheat. The family also raises a small acreage of alfalfa/grass mix. The Beyers do some custom dairy heifer feeding in the fall and winter for some relatives with a dairy operation nearby. The Beyers were named this year’s Swift County Farm Family of the year.

John and Heidi have five children. Thomas graduated from high school this spring and is attending South Dakota State University to major in human biology and wrestle for the Jackrabbits. He’s been in 4-H for 12 years and FFA for three. Thomas has shown dairy heifers and steers over the years and helps with some tillage in the fall

around football events. Twins Sam and Cora also are involved in 4-H and enjoy showing dairy heifers as well. They look forward to being promoted from “rock pickers” soon. Julia recently started 4-H and showed her first heifer, Pepper, last year at the county fair. Julia is also a rock picker and looks forward to doing so with her four cousins. The couple’s youngest child Lauren is two years old.

Heidi has been a stay-at-home mom for the past few years and helps with the Holstein heifer feeding in the fall and winter, drives some grain carts in the fall and helps with some tillage. In addition to the family’s 4-H

involvement, they are active in their church and many school sporting events and band.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

The Beyer family was named this year’s Swift County Farm Family of the Year. Julia (front, from left), Sam, Cora and Lauren Beyer; (back, from left) John, Heidi and Thomas Beyer work together to run Beyer Farm.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Chloe Zigan mixes milk for the calves. The Zigans have 35 calves on milk at their family farm.

Alec Zigan hauls out calf pails. He is in charge of cleaning pails and equipment.