Country Acres - October 1, 2021 by Star Publications

ountry C

cres A

Friday, October 1, 2021

Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment

Volume 8, Edition 31

A farm-to-ferment

collaboration Osakis distillery fueled with local grains BY DIANE LEUKAM | STAFF WRITER

SAKIS – Standing by the former Pollard’s grain elevator in Osakis, Brett Grinager can point to the north across Lake Osakis, and in the distance, cornfields are visible. In just a few weeks, that freshly combined corn will be stored in the elevator. Not only that corn, but many other fields from local farmers, all within fewer than 20 miles, will be added to the store. Grinagar is a farmer, and his corn will be there, as will that of Tim Collins. “The fresher the corn, the higher the starch content, the higher the conversion rate on the distillation side,” Grinager said. “In the fall, we run a lot of straight corn whiskey; it’s high-yielding at that point.” In addition to farming, Grinager is the master distiller and general manager at Panther Distillery in Osakis; Collins works in commodities, maintenance and as a distiller’s assistant. The operation, at its base, relies on relationships with nearby farmers, producers of the corn, wheat, rye and barley needed for their whiskey mash. Each year, they need 50,000 bushels of corn, along with 5-10,000 bushels each of the small grains. All of the recipes at Panther are at least 70% corn; some recipes are straight corn, some corn and wheat, corn and rye and corn and barley, or a combination of the four. As with any company that relies on farm commodities, the drought has affected them this year, requiring them to purchases additional corn beyond what the farmers could grow on their own acreage. But, it’s still nice to keep it local. “It’s a big benefit for the company to be able to source our own grain and control drying and milling,” Grinager said. “It makes us unique too, to know exactly where our grain comes from.” On Sept. 24, the two men gave a tour of their facilities around Osakis, beginning with the landmark, iconic grain elevator that is now solely owned and used by the distillery. Since 2014, it has been the first stop of the grain on its journey to becoming a Minnesota spirit. “It’s a love-hate relationship,” Grinager said with a smile. “It comes with a lot of quirks; it’s an old elevator.”

Panther Distillery page 2 PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM

Brett Grinager (left) and Tim Collins stand outside the Panther Distillery grain elevator Sept. 24 in Osakis. The two farmers collaborate as staff members at the distillery, while also growing grain used in the mash to make whiskey.

ST R

Publications bli ti The newspaper of today is the history of tomorrow.

This month in the

COUNTRY:

Watch for the next edition of Country Acres on Oct. 15

Thank U for the apples Diane Leukam column

Rebuilding history Alexandria

12 American Dream on a glacial hillside Glenwood 16 A barn becomes a unique home Villard

21 Country cooking 24 The Harguths’ retirement plan Osakis 26 FFA student

Page 2 • Country Acres | Friday, October 1, 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

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

Panther Distillery from front

Other facilities include their custom-built distillery and the old Osakis Creamery where their offices are located and where the various end products are bottled and barreled. Some 8,000 barrels of whiskey are currently being aged in facilities located in Alexandria and Browerville, utilizing buildings that might otherwise have sat empty. “We wanted to stay small, stay small-town local, and know who our neighbor is,” Grinager said. “[But,] we’ve grown quite a bit in 11 years. We started with one still and five fermenters and now we’re building a second distillery plant in Browerville.” In those 11 years, one of their products has emerged as the clear favorite with customers: Minnesota 14. It is a 100% corn whiskey with a name that harkens back to the days of prohibition that began just over a hundred years ago in the United States, when it became illegal to produce, sell or distribute any alcoholic beverages. In those years, Stearns County became famous for its Minnesota 13 moonshine, which was produced in secret on farms throughout the area. The corn variety of choice was Minnesota 13, developed by the University of Minnesota, a corn that worked well in the north with its shorter growing season. “We wanted to write the next chapter; the next chapter was [Minnesota] 14,” Grinager

PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM

Cookers (front) are filled with mash to be quickly brought to a boil for 20 minutes, followed by a cooldown period. Copper distillers are visible in the background.

said. Making whiskey “We distill six batches four days a week, 24 batches of whiskey a week,” Grinager said. “A batch is a 500-gallon ferment, so that will be about 1,000 pounds of grain. The yield on a 500-gallon batch will be about 10% alcohol, so you get between 45 and 50 proof gallons of usable alcohol off a 500-gallon batch.” It all begins at harvest time, when the grain is brought to the elevator and dried, stored and

milled to a consistency similar to a chicken feed or cornmeal flour. From there, it is hauled to the distillery where it is stored in holding bins outside. It is then brought in, weighed and augured to one of two cookers. With water starting at 160 degrees, the grain is quickly brought to a boil and cooked for 20 minutes. The remainder of the four-hour cooking process is a cool-down. Once down to 88 degrees, the “cook,” or “mash,” is transferred to fermenting tanks,

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where added yeast works to break down the grains’ starch into sugar, the goal being to make as much sugar as possible. Inside the distillery, there are many fermenting tanks, with mash at all different stages of bubbling and in some, grain swirling, pushed up from the bottom of the tanks by the force created by yeast doing its work. As the activity in the batch slows and the yeast’s work is finished, it is time for distillation. The whole batch is transferred, grain and all, to a distiller, where it is heated very slowly to between 140-160 degrees. Alcohol evaporates and rises through a column in the center of the distiller. Plates in the column create resistance to the steam as it rises to the top, cause it to condense, turn back to a liquid and flow into a collection tank. The collection tank has three chambers for three products: heads (an unwanted form of ethanol), hearts (the desired alcohol) and tails (an unwanted, bitter alcohol). Collins explained it takes a lot of experience for a distill-

Mash ferments at various stages as yeast converts starches to sugar in the process of making whiskey.

Panther Distillery page 3

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Friday, October 1, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 3

A mash bubbles in this fermenting batch, as yeast converts starch to sugar.

Grains rest on the top of this batch of mash, brought up from the bottom of the tank by the activity of the yeast.

PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM

Distillers like this one are used to extract alcohol from the fermented mash.

from page 2

er to know when to switch the valves to direct the product to its proper chamber. “You can just smell when that clears up andd the methanol is through, h, you switch levers and it goes to the hearts and the he hearts is the good alcohol; ol; then we pull all that off to a certain point and you can an smell, it’ll get a little bititter on your nose,” he said. “Some people taste it, but the more you get used to it, you can go by smell.” The process is called “making the cuts.” Very little waste is generated in the distilling process, with some of the heads used as cleaning products in the distillery, and the tails recycled back into a distillers grain, which both Grinager and Collins feed to their beef cattle. The liquid portion, a syrup at that point, is also used in cattle feed. Meanwhile, the hearts are pumped into large tanks, with scales to track the pounds yielded from

WE DIG DIRT

“The yield on a 500-gallon batch will be about 10% alcohol, so you get between 45 and 50 proof gallons of usable alcohol off a 500-gallon batch.” - Brett Grinager, master distiller and general manager of Panther Distilleries

DK10SE Model shown

each batch of grain. From there, the tanks are trucked to the former Osakis Creamery building, where the whisky is bottled or barreled. Barrels are then trucked in semi-loads of 285, 600-pound barrels to one of the two warehouses. “It is aged at least four years, and a lot of barrels for seven years,” Grinager said. “We sell a lot of whiskey in the barrel to other distilleries whose production wasn’t there, or their product line took off. Our whiskey in barrels is sold in Texas, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, California and Maryland.”

In their tasting room at the distillery, people can sip on samples of the various spirits, such as the Minnesota 14 whiskey, maple and honey varieties, Saint Paul Straight and Ordeal bourbons and spiked apple spirits. Customer buying is extremely limited by state regulations and kept to small bottles and no more than one bottle per customer. Otherwise, bottled products are sold in retail stores all across Minnesota, as well as the Dakotas and Wisconsin.

Panther Distillery page 4

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Panther Distillery

Page 4 • Country Acres | Friday, October 1, 2021

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PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM

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Panther Distillery from page 3

“We don’t want to be an off-sale liquor store,” Grinager said. “We do as much as we can and sell our bulk product to help cash flow the business on the backside.” For Grinager and all the staff at Panther, there is a learning curve to making quality whiskey. Grinager learned the art of distilling from some of the most

well-respected distillers in the United States and together with their team of around 10, they operate the state-of-the-art distillery. They all have their areas of specialty, but are ready and willing to help out in a pinch. “We’ve all worked together long enough now, everybody can just step in when needed when something’s going on; we’ve all cross-trained enough, it works out really good,” Collins said. For Grinager, that’s to be expected. “With a small busi-

ness like this, there are very few things that we haven’t all done,” he said. “We’ve always said, there’s nothing that we’ll ask someone else to do that we aren’t willing to do ourselves; there’s people that are better at certain things, but we can all get through the day if something happens.”

Panther Distillery page 5

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Panther Distillery from page 4

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Brett Grinager (left) and Tim Collins take a moment’s break Sept. 24 in the showroom at Panther Distillery in Osakis.

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“

Rebuilding

“My goal is to live life to the fullest. I love life. I enjoy life. You make life what it is. My life as a kid was a good life. You had to work w hard. I hope the younger g generation will have a life as good as w we’ve had, or better.”

history

PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE BEHNEN

Four vintage tractors – a 1954 McCormick Super W6-TA (from left), McCormick Super W-6, McCormick W-4, and a 1935 F-12 – are on display Sept. 26 at the Eldevik farm near Alexandria. (right) Rodney Eldevik is pictured with his rare 1954 McCormick Super W6-TA Sept. 26 in Alexandria.

Eldevik, Pioneer Power Club bring vintage tractors back to life BY CHRISTINE BEHNEN STAFF WRITER

ALEXANDRIA – A vintage tractor from the mid-1900s hails from a time where most families could live off of a small farm. Through Rodney Eldevik, these tractors are a testament to a life built, and then rebuilt again. The boy who grew up farming with his father’s tractors is now the man who can bring those tractors back to life. A boy’s hands upon the tractor became a man’s hands rebuilding and even re-forming the tractor. By these same capable hands, a motor gone silent, even for many years, may come roaring to life. Will the younger generation come to know the beauty and strength of these machines which have helped bring agriculture to where it is now? Eldevik, of Alexandria, has been Secretary of the Pioneer Power Club since he and nine others formed it. This first meeting took place at the former Flagship Restaurant (where Fleet Farm and a convenience store are now located). The Club has been together for 29 years and has grown to 80 members, two of whom are original charter members. The club is open to enthusiasts of tractors of all makes and models that are at least 20 years old. The Club holds

monthly meetings. Tractor rides are held in the summer. The 25th Anniversary Club tractor ride was around Lake Ida in Alexandria; there have also been rides including,, in 2020 around the Forada, Maple Lake and Union Lake areas, and more recently, a ride around Lake Osakis. Members enjoy bringing their vintage equipment to shows. They participate in the parades in Osakis, Hoffman, Glenwood, Garfield, Brandon and others. There are threshing days, plow days and other events, both local and sometimes with participation across state lines. Eldevik has rebuilt and restored a sizable collection of tractors and other vintage equipment. Parked along the grass were four examples of some of the tractors he has found and restored to parade-ready condition. The 1954 McCormick Super W6-TA is a more rare tractor. “The 1935 F-12 came about when a friend saw an ad on a grocery store bulletin board and called me,” Eldevik said. “They explained to me that it was their grandpa's tractor. I have an interest in tractors with wide fronts, so I was very interested in purchasing the tractor.” Eldevik has no trouble appreciating the equipment he finds. He

and his friend, Russell Johnson (one of the charter members of the Pioneer Power Club), found a threshing machinee near Willmar in a collapsed building. The threshing machine itself was not damaged, which was remarkable. “There were box elder trees growing around it, and the aprons were rusted.” Eldevik said. “Russ and I completely

- Rodney Eldevik restored the machine.” Eldevik doesn't recall having a threshing machine on his family's farm in North Dakota, but his father worked on threshing crews. In its day, the threshing machine was a godsend for farmers. A grain binder would cut

the grain and tie it with twine into a bundle. The bundles would need to be stacked up to dry out, not left laying down. The bundles would then be pitched into a wagon, which could be pulled by

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Page 10 • Country Acres | Friday, October 1, 2021

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Eldevik

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horses to the threshing machine, which ran on belts from the tractor. Into the unit the bundles would be thrown, where threshing knives would separate the grain from the straw. One chute would blow out the straw, which could be used for bedding for livestock; another chute would send the grain to be loaded into a wagon. Generally, threshing machines are not used today, although there are still opportunities to see a threshing machine at work. Sometimes a show will include a threshing day, which is open to the public to observe the machines in action. In preparation, three to four acres may be sown with oats or other small grains, and multiple threshing machines may participate in

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processing the bundles unloaded from the bundle racks. It takes time to restore a vintage tractor or other equipment. Finding parts and putting together a project can take years. Mr. Eldevik has put together a showcase of International Harvester Company dairy equipment from the 1940s. It took seven to eight years of looking for the parts and pieces for him to put it together. It took him three years to find the right life-size model cows that were both historically accurate as well as having anatomically correct udders to fit the authentic equipment. Eldevik explained, “When Fleet Farm was remodeling, I asked if the cows were for sale and, much to my surprise, I was able to purchase two cows and two calves.” Getting the cows home made for a humor-

ous anecdote. On the trip home, a cow and calf were standing upright in the back of the pickup box, for all appearances alive and traveling calmly in this unusual manner. “The cow and calf were acquired from the Fleet Farm in Lakeville, so it was up I-35, I-494 and I-94 to Alexandria,” Eldevik said, laughing. “It was quite a sight; we made a lot of friends that day!” A collection of horse carriages takes up one building, and Rodney also laughed when recalling the trip home with the life-like model horse that he purchased from the Fleet Farm in Alexandria. The horse stood upright in a small trailer. “I placed a halter and a lead rope on the horse and tied him to the hitch of the trailer,” he said.

Eldevik page11

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Rodney Eldevik starts his 1935 F-12 with the crank, Sept. 26 near Alexandria.

Friday, October 1, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 11 PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE BEHNEN

Rodney Eldevik shows off his 1940s International Harvester dairy setup Sept. 26 at his farm near Alexandria.

This horse came home on a trailer after being tied to the hitch.

Eldevik

from page 10 “Another humorous afternoon!” Eldevik and the members of the Pioneer Power Club have made it possible to carry into today the tractors and equipment,

and hopefully the culture as well, of the time when they were such useful tools for himself and his family. “My goal is to live life to the fullest,” he said. “ I love life. I enjoy life. You make life what it is. My life as a kid was a good life. You had to work hard. I hope the younger

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generation will have a life as good as we've had, or better.” Hopefully, the work of Eldevik and the Pioneer Power Club can offer perspective on how both the history and the present of agriculture were built – and rebuilt – every day, by hand.

Rodney Eldevik explains the movement of grain through a threshing machine.

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One Tough Animal

Page 12 • Country Acres | Friday, October 1, 2021 PHOTO COURTESY OF ADAM HESTER, CHS INC

An aerial view of Rolling Forks Vineyards, where Joe and Melanie Cihlar have created their dream on the glacial hills near Glenwood.

American Dream on a

Cihlars landed on grapes, started a winery to find a way to come back to the area and work in agriculture, and when GLENWOOD – Joe the perfect property came and Melanie Cihlar al- up for sale, they soon ways knew they wanted called it home. They both grew up on family farms but lived in the Twin Cities. They began thinking of ways to diversify so they could farm something on smaller acreage. They landed on grapes. The vines were compact and didn’t take up much space. In 2010, they planted their own vines on two acres and have added an additional five acres since, to make up seven total on their home site, grown on a glacial hillside. Two of Joe’s uncles, Brian and Mark Cihlar, also farm seven acres of grapevines in John Vanderbeek Pope County, totaling 14 Agronomy Manager BY SARAH COLBURN STAFF WRITER

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Joe and Melanie Cihlar pose at Rolling Forks Vineyards.

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business. Wine seemed like the next logical step. Joe entered the amateur wine competition at the Minnesota State Fair a couple of years in the mid-2000s and came home with several ribbons, which gave them a boost of confidence in his wine-making abilities. In 2019, the couple decided to keep the fruit harvest for themselves and crafted their first batch of wine. The winery opened in July of 2020 and their first wine was released shortly after, in September. Joe enjoys studying the genetics of grapes. “Everything we grow is hybridized so it survives our harsh Minneso-

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acres of vines between the two sites. The vineyard offers tastings and hosts regular events, welcoming people in to enjoy the hilltop views, take in the vistas of growing grapevines, drink wine, listen to live music, eat good food and enjoy an evening bonfire. “The property is unique, it’s a very beautiful place, it’s a place we want people to come out and enjoy as well,” said Melanie. “We do events almost on a weekly basis at the winery to entice people to come out.” For the Cihlars, the wine came naturally. They had been growing commercial grapes since 2010, selling their fruit to local wineries in Minnesota and North Dakota, but soon realized they wanted to grow the

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Friday, October 1, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 13

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Page 14 • Country Acres | Friday, October 1, 2021

Rolling Forks Vineyard

AS K A B O U T

Ritchie Cattle Fountains Call or stop in today!

from page 12

Mondloch, Inc.

ta winters and we’re constantly looking for new varieties to make good wines,” he said. The winery offers 10 different wines right now. The Marquette is their premium wine and the grapes for that are grown on the estate on a south-facing glacial hill, making it unique, they said. They also just released a new wine, aptly named, “Catastrose,” which is made of fruit that survived a hail storm that wreaked havoc on the farm last July. “Each year is different due to weather and growing conditions,” Joe said. “It’s challenging at times, but gives us an opportunity to go by our own schedule and do the whole American dream thing.” Each year the wine varies based on the growing conditions from the previous year. The Cihlars pull fruits once a week for three or four weeks prior to harvest to check the sugar levels and acids of the grapes. Each variety has its own parameters that make that fruit into a good wine. When they get close to their target numbers, they harvest that variety. The better the grape, the easier it is to make

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF STACY KRON PHOTOGRAPHY

The Cihlars pose for a family photo in the production area of Rollings Forks Vineyards. Pictured are Vinny, 7 (from left), Joe, Oliver, 5, Melanie and Henry, 9.

good wine; the lesser the quality, the more creative the Cihlars need to be in the production. Though this year’s hot, dry summer was rough on other crops, it was a banner year for grapes. “The quality of the grapes was exceptional,” Joe said. Because the grapes thrived this year, the Cihlars let the LaCrescent grapes stay on the vines a couple weeks longer than

normal. Those will be used to create a late-harvest LaCrescent. “The flavors are more concentrated, the alcohol is higher, and there’s a little more residual sugar,” Joe said. “As the grapes stay on the vine, they produce more sugar and more flavor.” No two vintages are

Rolling Forks Vineyard page 15

Stay safe

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The production area at Rolling Forks Vineyards, is where all the fermentation happens. Each tank holds a different batch of wine.

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Page 18 • Country Acres | Friday, October 1, 2021

Coynes

from page 16 in February 2017, it had already gone through the barn-to-house conversion. The hayloft portion of the barn has a staircase leading to a deck and the living space. The lower level of the barn still has box stalls where livestock was housed back in the day; it is used primarily for storage and as Willie’s workplace. The original renovation took place in the early 2000s. “We knew after we were married that we wanted to try to find something out in t h e

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

The front door of the home is flanked by a mudroom on the left and a dining area on the right. (right) Bentley Coyne helps Grandpa Roger Janak (Jenn’s father) with the new staircase during renovation ovation at the Coynes’ property in Villard.

Coynes page 20

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country and this property came up for sale,” Jenn said. “It was in our budget, and it worked with what our needs were at the time; we were a young couple without a family.” Jenn works in Sauk Centre and Willie is self-employed traveling around central Minnesota as a hoof trimmer, so the home’s location fit their work lives. For the Coynes, a two-bedroom, one bath home worked both in functionality and affordability. Looking through a photo album from the previous owners, Jenn pointed out some of the areas in the original layout, like the bedrooms and bathroom, have stayed almost untouched. A little paint, and the use of decor have changed the look. The rest of the space has changed, though, in renovation projects the Coynes have done. The first couple years the Coynes lived in the house and planned. For them, renovations began in 2020 to accommodate their growing family. They now have two sons, Bentley, who will be 3 and Declan, who is 10 months. “When we found out we were expecting (Declan) in 2020, that pushed our need to change up a

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Friday, October 1, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 19

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Page 20 • Country Acres | Friday, October 1, 2021 A cozy dining area receives natural light from a nearby window.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

A mudroom area is defined using a half-wall, creating a space for the many items necessary for a growing family as they come and go from the home.

NEW TO

Coynes

from page 18

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little bit more,” Jenn said. One goal was to do renovations cost effectively. With a handyman husband and father, Jenn was confident the goal could be achieved. “We knew going into our project, whatever we wanted, it could be done pretty much by ourselves,” she said. Jenn’s father, Roger Janak, acted as the general contractor, and worked with them in developing realistic plans. He put together his own 2020 remodel book to show the progress. A new layout came into play in the kitchen. Appliances were shifted around and a dishwasher was installed. The sink was moved to a more centralized location. New cabinetry was purchased from a home in Edina, another way to save on costs. The cabinet pieces were then arranged to fit the Coynes’ space. Pulling the kitchen closer together allowed space for a dining room, now graced by a long dining table. Jenn’s mother-in-law, Lisa Coyne, has a knack for decorating and has helped with decor. She is familiar with home trends and her touch can be seen in the dining table and chairs, among other decorations throughout the house. Adding another bedroom is a further change. Walls were framed piece by piece, following the curve of the building. The new bedroom became the

PHOTO BY KATE MILLER

Jenn Coyne is at home in her kitchen Sept. 16 in Villard. The kitchen features cabinets she and her husband, Willie, purchased used and retrofitted to their space.

master bedroom, with intentions to put in a bathroom and closet toward the back corner by year’s end. An additional project involved enclosing the loft. Accessible by a new staircase, the loft has become a playroom that includes an office area and an extra bed for guests. This three-in-one space is a way to combat smaller spaces available throughout the house. Adding a short wall and bench near the front door to function as a mudroom was another way to create space within spaces. The mudroom has different flooring to separate it from the open design of the kitchen, living and dining area. With all the projects, Jenn has really seen the house transform into their home. Being able to plan around un-

conventional spaces is something the Coynes have done well, adapting the spaces for their lifestyle. “We’ve been really happy with it. We’ve been with this design, this layout for almost a year,” Jenn said. Future projects include redoing the deck and adding a fresh coat of paint to the outside of their home, in addition to landscaping. The Coynes’ hope is for the outside of the house to match more of what they have created on the inside. Then, it will be complete. “We are making this our home for the foreseeable future, it’s worked out very well for us so far,” Jenn said. “There’s a lot of character and we’ve really turned this house into a home we love.”

Friday, October 1, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 21

COUNTRY COOKING JEAN SCHOON | Hillman, Morrison County WANT YOUR FAVORITE RECIPES TO BE FEATURED IN COUNTRY ACRES?

Contact Diane at diane@saukherald.com

My Favorite Pie Crust • • • • •

3 cups flour 12 Tbsp. butter 2 Tbsp. coconut oil 1 tsp. salt 6-8 Tbsp. ice water

Blend flour, butter, coconut oil and salt in a food processor. Make sure fat is incorporated well, then blend in water a bit at a time. If you do it too fast, it will gum up at the base of the processor bowl.

Perfect Peach Pie • 2-1/2 pounds ripe peaches (6 large) • 1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling • 2 Tbsp. cornstarch • 1/2 tsp. grated orange zest • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter • All-purpose flour • 1 recipe unbaked Perfect Pie Crust – see above • 1 egg, beaten and mixed with 1 Tbsp. water, for egg wash

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Immerse the peaches for 15 seconds to 2 minutes, testing along the way, until skins peel off easily with a small knife; riper peaches will be done sooner. Transfer the peaches to a bowl of cool water to stop the cooking and peel. Cut one peach in 1/2 inch dice and set aside. Cut the remaining peached in 1/2-inch thick wedges and place them in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, whisk together the 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch, orange zest, orange juice and butter over medium heat and bring to a boil. Add only the diced peach (not the wedges), return to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is thickened and translucent. Combine the mixture with the wedged peaches and 1-3 Tbsp. of the flour, depending on the juiciness of the peaches (more flour if the peaches are juicier). Roll out half the pie dough on a floured board until it’s larger than a 9-inch pie plate. Ease the dough into the pie plate without stretching it at all. (If you stretch the dough, it will shrink back to the original size.) Cut off the excess dough around the edge of the pie plate with a small sharp knife. Pour the peach mixture into the pie shell. Brush the edge of the dough with the egg wash. Roll out remaining dough until it’s larger than the pie plate. Cut 1-inch strips of dough and weave them together on top of the pie. Cut off the excess dough at the edge and crimp the crusts together with a fork. Brush the crust with the remaining egg wash and sprinkle generously with sugar. Place the pie on the prepared sheet pan and back 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the filling is bubbly. Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

Cherry Pie • 4 cups fresh or frozen tart cherries • 1 to 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar • 4 Tbsp. cornstarch • 1/8 Tbsp. almond extract, optional

World’s Best Lemon Pie • Your favorite pie crust or pie dough recipe for a 2-crust pie • 1-1/2 Tbsp. butter, to dot • 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar, to sprinkle

Place cherries in medium saucepan and place over heat. Cover. After the cherries lose considerable juice, which may take a few minutes, remove from heat. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cornstarch together. Pour this mixture into the hot cherries and mix well. Add the almond extract, if desired, and mix. Return the mixture to the stove and cook over low heat until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let cool. If the filling is too thick, add a little water; too thin, add a little more cornstarch. Cool. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using your favorite pie dough recipe, prepare your crust. Divide in half. Roll out each piece large enough to fit into an 8- to 9-inch pan. Pour cooled cherry mixture into the crust; dot with butter. Moisten edge of bottom crust. Place top crust on and flute the edge of the pie. Make a slit in the middle of the crust for steam to escape. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake for about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool.

Perfect Pie Crust for One Two-crust 9-or 10-inch pie • 12 Tbsp. (1-1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter • 3 cups all-purpose flour • 1 tsp. kosher salt

• 1 Tbsp. sugar • 1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening • 1/2 cup ice water

Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8-12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (Don’t refrigerate dough longer or it will be difficult to roll out.) Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a wellfloured board into a circle, rolling from the center of the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the top crust. I prefer Crisco shortening, which I store in the refrigerator so it’s always cold to make pie crust.

SUBMIT YOUR FAVORITE RECIPES! CONTACT DIANE AT DIANE@SAUKHERALD.COM

Country cooking page 22

• 1 cup sugar • 1/4 cup cornstarch • 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour • 1/4 tsp. salt • 2 cups water • 3 large egg yolks, beaten • 1 Tbsp. butter

• 1/4 cup lemon juice • 1 tsp. grated lemon zest • 1 9-inch pastry shell, baked Meringue • 3 large egg whites • 1/4 tsp. salt • 1/2 cup sugar

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, flour and salt. Gradually stir in water. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Gradually stir 1 cup hot mixture into egg yolks; return all to saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the butter, lemon juice and zest until smooth. Pour into pastry shell. In a bowl, beat egg whites and salt until stiff but not dry peaks are formed. Gradually beat in sugar until soft peaks form. Spread over pie, sealing edges to pastry. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until meringue is golden. Cool. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Blueberry Pie with Frozen Blueberries • 6 cups frozen blueberries • 3/4 cup sugar • 1/4 cup cornstarch • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

• • • •

1/4 tsp. salt 1 tsp. lemon zest 1 Tbsp. lemon juice 1 rolled-out pie crusts (not frozen) • 1 egg for egg wash

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll the bottom pie crust, place into a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie pan and poke small holes with a fork in the center and around the edge; set aside. In a large bowl, add the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt, lemon zest and lemon juice; mix well. Pour the blueberry pie filling into the crust, making sure the cornstarch is spread throughout. Roll the top crust out on the counter and cut the crust into at least 10 strips. For lattice pie top, lay five of the pie dough strips over the top of the pie, parallel to one another. Fold back two strips and lay a strip down the middle in the opposite direction. Replace the two strips. Fold back the other strips of the original five and place another strip on the pie in the opposite direction and continue until pie has five pieces going in each direction. Crimp off the ends of the pie strips and press against the edge of the crust. Add the egg to a small bowl and beat. Brush the egg on top of the lattice. Optional: Sprinkle some sugar on top of the lattice crust. Place the pie on a cookie sheet; cover with a pie shield and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the blueberry juices are bubbling up through the lattice, or over the edge of the pie. (Remove shield last 15 minutes.) Let the pie set up at room temperature for at least three hours. Notes: Homemade pie crust is going to taste so much better with this pie, however, you can purchase premade crust that rolls out. The premade crust usually comes in a package of two, so you will have a crust for the bottom and the lattice crust for the top. Be sure to put some tin foil on the cookie sheet because the blueberry juice will inevitably bubble over and it will make for easier cleanup. You will need a 9-inch pie plate for this recipe.

Friday, October 1, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 23

BELGRADE NURSING HOME

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*Limitations under Section 179 may apply. See a qualified tax professional for advice on your specific situation. © Kubota Tractor Corporation, 2021. $0 Down, 0% A.P.R. financing for up to 60 months on purchases of select new Kubota M7 Series equipment from participating dealers’ in-stock inventory is available to qualified purchasers through Kubota Credit Corporation, U.S.A.; subject to credit approval. Some exceptions apply. Example: 60 monthly payments of $16.67 per $1,000 financed. **$8,000 Loyalty discount on each new M7 purchased is available to retail customers who have purchased new Kubota serialized based units from 2011 or newer. Loyalty discount excludes National Accounts and cannot be combined with Competitive or High Profile discounts. Offer expires 9/30/21. Terms subject to change. This material is for descriptive purposes only. Kubota disclaims all representations and warranties, express or implied, or any liability from the use of this material. For complete warranty, disclaimer, safety, incentive offer and product information, consult your Dealer 1KBB03474_Sec179_M7_F1_Q3_0827.indd or KubotaUSA.com.

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You will work directly with the customers to schedule their repairs and talk through recommendations. We work on semi-trucks and trailers for both local customers and over the road clients. You will work with the Parts Manager to ensure the technicians have the parts needed along with maintaining accurate parts documentation for billing and stock. You will oversee warranty, work order completion, billing, and shop safety and compliance.

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Friday, October 1, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 25 Applewood signs on the end of each row of trees indicate the variety of tree planted in that row.

from page 24

closer the two get to retirement. Bob is an electrical engineer at Medtronic and Lori is a paraprofessional at McKinley Elementary School. The two currently live in Ham Lake and Bob is planning to move to part-time at his day job next year so he can devote more hours to the ever-growing orchard. The couple has three adult

the size of the tree, along with ability to withstand diseases, soil conditions and environmental conditions such as the drought this year. As they considered what type of root stock to plant, they considered their loamy soil. This year, their soil and root stalk, along with a drip irrigation system, were keys to handling the drought without placing as much stress on the trees; it helps that many of the trees weren’t yet of

apple-bearing age. There is also a need to keep the trees safe from predators like deer or bears, and from storms. They constructed a 9-foothigh fence that surrounds the apple trees to keep the deer and bears out of the orchard. The fence keeps out the deer but a bear did tear down a section for a night-time snack. To prevent damage during storms, the Harguths built a trellis system to secure the trees and prevent tree limbs from breaking or dropping fruit when high winds occur.

Harguth page 26

CK PA

SFACTION GU ATI

YEAR

NTEE ARA

30-DAY S

A 9-foot-high fence surrounds apple trees to keep deer and bears out of the orchard, although a bear did tear down a section for a night-time snack.

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sons, one of whom works at the orchard but as they grow, they know they’ll be adding more staff. Currently, about 30% of the Harguths’ apple trees are in full production. Through the years, they’ve planted mostly semi-dwarf trees which take roughly three to five years to produce apples. Apple trees are produced with different types of root systems called root stalks. The type of root stalk will determine

Winter is right around the corner.

CA-Oct1-1B-TV

PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM

A picturesque barn was built at the orchard for storage, as a workspace, and to welcome visitors during apple season.

Page 26 • Country Acres | Friday, October 1, 2021

from page 25

The Harguths have a variety of apples on their land, choosing many that were developed at the University of Minnesota. They have Zestar, Fireside, Honeygold, Honeycrisp, State Fair, Frostbite, SnowSweet, Fireside and Prairie Spy, as well as an heirloom Wolf River variety that wasn’t developed at the University but can get to be two pounds per apple. They also have Cortland, SnappyMac and WineCrisp. Lori grew up on a farm and has the farming work ethic as part of her upbringing. Bob grew up in Osakis and though he

PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM

Bob Harguth shows how large some of the varieties of apples can get.

family and friends through the years. They, together with friends and family, planted all the trees, put up the fence and trellis,

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KOLE BARTLETT Litchfield High SchoolSenior Parents: Ray and Shannon Bartlett Litchfield FFA Chapter Tell us about your FFA program and your involvement in it: Our FFA program is largely based on service, student involvement and leadership. I have been involved in Litchfield FFA since ninth grade, and I have gained leadership skills and service techniques throughout the years as a member and a twotime officer. The Litchfield FFA program helps the community of Litchfield as well as helping young kids learn about agriculture and valuable life lessons and skills to help them become leaders in their communities. I also participate in the Fish and Wildlife Contest and will serve as the team chair. What is the greatest benefit you have received from being involved in FFA? FFA has helped put me outside of my normal comfort zone and helped me with my public speaking skills. What other hobbies and interests do you have outside of FFA? My favorite hobby outside of FFA is hunting. I also enjoy fishing, spending time with family and friends, playing sports and shooting Trapshoot. What are your plans for the future? My plans for the future are to attend MN State University to become an electrician lineman.

hand-planted 40,000 asparagus crowns and helped prepare the orchard to welcome visitors each year. They also did most of the inside work on the barn themselves. The orchard is typically open mid-May to the end of June for asparagus and mid-August through October for apples but this year’s drought delayed the opening of apples until the beginning of September. The Harguths offer wagon ride tours through the orchard and in the future, Bob said, he would like to do a cider pressing for the public. “We want them to walk away thinking this is a great place and wanting to come back,” he said. The pressing is something the Harguths have done with their friends as a thank you for helping with the heavy lifting at

Honeygold apples ripen on a tree, Sept. 3 at Cider Time Orchard in Osakis.

the orchard. They’d like to expand it and allow people to press their own ciders, but COVID-19 restrictions have placed a damper on those plans for now. The pressing, he said, is just another way to get people invested in their food. “It’s important be-

cause when they go to a grocery store and pick it off the shelf, they may not appreciate the locally grown stuff and how much work we put into it,” he said. “There’s a lot of work, a lot of sacrifice, a lot of ups and downs to provide them food products for their satisfaction.”

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Harguth

was in town, he always loved farming and worked for farmers. His dad always had apple trees and he’s always considered himself an outdoorsman. As he researched for the farm, Bob said he wanted to be a good steward of the land. He relied on information from the University of Minnesota and other colleges as he researched how to keep diseases at bay, how to use the least amount of pesticide and fertilizer and still have optimal growth, how to manage pests in the most environmentally-friendly way possible and how to use drip irrigation to conserve water. The Harguths’ orchard dream has come with a lot of help from

Friday, October 1, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 27

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Page 28 • Country Acres | Friday, October 1, 2021

No Job Too Big Or Small, We Do Them All

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Litzau Farm Drainage and Directional Boring brings a skilled team and advanced equipment for a variety of excavation tasks. Whether you’re looking for grading, help with drainage, trenching, or excavation for a construction project, we are ready to meet your dirt working needs.

Country Acres - October 1, 2021

Articles inside

The Harguths’ retirement plan

A barn becomes a unique home