Country Acres - September 17, 2021 by Star Publications

ountry C Friday, September 17, 2021

cres A Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment

Volume 8, Edition 30

PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM

Chris and Jeff Siemers, with assistance from their St. Bernard, Oxnard, are happy to support one another in their hobbies on their farm near Little Falls.

His & Hers

Creations

Siemers support each other’s extensive pastimes

farthing bicycle which is tricky to ride; Jeff Siemers built this penny penny-farthing he tried it once, but it did not go well.

ST R

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

This month in the

ITTLE FALLS – Driving down a gravel road near Little Falls, passersby come across a neatly manicured farm site where one side of the yard – the house side – is filled to the brim with flower beds and gardens of every kind. “That’s gotta be the place,” they might say to themselves. The barn side is equally neat, although there are no flowers. Often, people will slow down and take pictures; once in a while they will come in for a tour. They could choose to tour the horticultural side, where Morrison County Master Gardener Chris Siemers has her life’s work on full display. Or, they might choose to tour the mechanical, adventurous

COUNTRY:

Watch for the next edition of Country Acres on Oct. 1

BY DIANE LEUKAM | STAFF WRITER

creations of Jeff Siemer’s iron and wood collection. Either way, the Siemers are excited to share their unique stories, in full support of one another. Each is proud of the other and happy to participate in either conversation. Jeff’s creations Jeff says he “kind of” buys horse machinery and collects it a little. One shed on the farm site is filled with large carts and wagons. He has about 20 wood-wheel wagons and buggies and that will be enough for quite a while. As a kid, they had a team of ponies and a team of draft horses and his

They’re not all cows Diane Leukam column

16 Super bee business Parkers Prairie

Correction

21 Country cooking Royalton

10 Threshing provides lessons in family history Osakis

23 FFA

Siemers page 2

B1-B12

Special Section

Farm Families of the Year

Page 2 • Country Acres | Friday, September 17, 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

Deadlines: Country Acres will be published the first Fridays of April, May, June, September, October and November, and the third Friday of every month. Deadline for news and advertising is the Thursday before publication.

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Siemers from front dad raised Belgian horses. “Once it gets in your blood you kind of can’t quit,” he said Aug. 7 on the farm as he gave a tour of his collection. “Once you have two, you have a collection and you have to keep going.” Keep going he does. Inside another shed is probably the biggest conversation piece of the collection – literally. “I don’t make just small stuff, I make bigger stuff, too,” he said. Standing about 10 feet tall is a 2x scale model of a horsedrawn wagon. It sits on top of its own custom-built trailer with metal wheels. Jeff ﬁgured since he already had a 1/4, a 1/2 and a regular size model, he would like one twice as big. The wagon took him a couple years to build. “The next winter I thought, ‘well, I should make a big sleigh to go with the big buggy,’ so I made that,” Jeff said. One year, the Swanville 4-H club rode in the wagon in a parade, pulled by a tractor. Another year, it was in the Flensburg parade. With hundreds of items to choose from, Jeff’s favorite would probably be a fully functional vintage road grader he built to scale. It won ﬁrst place and grand champion ribbons at the Morrison County Fair, where he exhibits one piece a year. The grader is a model of the full-sized machine that was manufactured in Randall, which Jeff found intriguing. He now has his eye on another locally made machine. “I’d like to get a Hountsman plow and make a miniature one; they were made in Long Prairie,” he said. The Hountsman plows were made for horses, with two wheels in front and one in the back; they were low to the ground and built with springs. “It wasn’t an automatic reset, but if you hit a rock it could move a little bit, where a regular Sulky plow is solid; if you hit a rock it’s going to tip over and something’s going to

PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM

A handcrafted metal buzzard keeps watch in the Siemers’ old dairy barn.

break,” Jeff said. “This could move a little bit.” The old dairy barn where the Siemers once milked cows is ﬁlled with more of Jeff’s collection of both purchased carts and wagons, along with cus-

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tom-built creations like a circus wagon complete with a lion and tiger to scale; tarps protect intricate pieces while others are neatly displayed on shelves. Miniature pieces like a scale model of an antique milk cart with its own cans are at home with whimsical pieces like buzzards, or a cowboy lounging under a cactus. Chris is visibly proud of her husband and happy to help share tidbits about his work. His inspiration can come from anywhere. “I happen to see something and think, ‘I can build that,’ and I go to work on it and start building,” he said. “Every once in a while you do something

This miniature road grader was created to scale from the original implements that were manufactured in Randall.

wrong and you throw it out and start over.” Another specialty of his is bikes. Some of them he makes from scratch, others, he revamps. A penny-farthing is one of his more unique builds, a type of bicycle noted for its oversized front wheel and tiny back wheel. They were originally built between the 1860s to the 1880s and mostly ridden by the wealthy in Europe. Jeff has made three of them, including

Siemers page 3

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Friday, September 17, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 3

Siemers from page 2

his own and one for each of his sisters. His sister in California received a miniature due to the high cost of shipping. The bike is not ridden much, although Jeff tried it once. That didn’t go so well. “I went over frontwards,” he said. “I knew my knees hurt and after a while I looked and yeah, both of the knees on my pants were ripped and blood was running; I never climbed on it again.” He did try to ﬁx what he thought might be the problem. “After I wiped out on it, I moved the seat and handlebars back so maybe it wouldn’t be so bad now; maybe someday one of the grandkids will ride it,” he said. Another bike has offset spindles. “I took the spokes out and I offset the spindles two inches in the back and the front,” Jeff said. “See, it bounces, but after a while they get together and then you just go up and down. Kids just love that.” There is always something in the works for Jeff, who spends most of his free time creating. While he’s busy doing that, Chris is most likely working with her plants not far away. Chris’s pursuit of plants Chris is the president of her garden club and has been a master gardener for Morrison County for 10 years, during which time she has volunteered 25 volunteer hours a year in educating the public on various gardening topics. There are also eight hours a year of ongoing education required, so that she can keep up on new developments. People often call her with questions about plants and gardening. If there are things she doesn’t know, she will ﬁnd answers. In her own gardens, the focus is on perennials, although she admits to having a little bit of everything. Walking through the yard, she points out the more unique plants and can tell details of how they have performed over the years. There is no garden journal. “It’s in my head,” she said, smiling. There are plants of every shape, size and color. Along

PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM

Jeff Siemers stands with his custom-built, 10-foot-tall 2x scale model of a horse-drawn wagon, one of many creations he has made on the farm in Little Falls.

Small creations include miniatures and other original pieces. Jeff Siemers has not sold any of his collection.

with the perennials, there are annual ﬂowers, bulbs, shrubs, trees and potted plants galore. There are fairy gardens with features gifted to her by grandchildren, succulent gardens, a water garden with a pond, and alpine troughs. “These are actually Sty-

rofoam coolers,” Chris said, pointing to several gray boxlike gardens. “You cut them with a serrated knife, cut drain holes in the bottom, melt them with a heat gun and paint them with exterior paint. These have been here four years.” Nestled inside are numer-

ous plants that grow naturally in the Alps, given to her by a friend; she has plans to add to the collection. Her gardens sport two magnolia trees that have white, fragrant blossoms; magnolias are more typically grown in the South. Next year’s buds are

already set and visible on the branches. “They are striking because they bloom in the spring before leaves come on,” she said. “I tried pink but it didn’t survive.” There are fruit trees, grape vines and vegetable gardens – some in raised beds and others in the ground. The raised beds are thanks to their son, the result of him asking her what she wanted for Christmas last year. They still had feed bunks from when they had cattle, so he added boards of home-sawn cedar lumber around the top. They were reinforced and now are ﬁlled with green beans and other vegetables. Farther on, one potted plant stands out from the others. “I always plant one cherry tomato here because Jeff likes to come and eat a snack,” Chris said. Hardscape elements include a corncrib gazebo patio and a new concrete/block garden feature she built herself this spring; tin can ﬂowers and other metal décor make colorful additions. A wide variety of bird feeders are normally a part of the picture in the summer,

Siemers page 5

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Siemers from page 3

but not this year. They have all had to come down due to black bears destroying them. “We have a lot of feeders and I miss the birds,” Chris said. “We’ll put them back up in the winter.” For Chris, her love of plants runs deep, something she inherited from her mother. tSome of the plants in the gardens originated from her mother’s gardens, like an heirloom shrub rose and a special morning glory. “My mom used to like gardening a lot and she worked at the Little Falls greenhouse for a few years,” Chris said. “She died young, at 59. When she died, I got some seed from her morning glory and they’re growing all over now. I gave my brother, sister and daughter some.” Working in her gardens is therapeutic for Chris, and she even takes time to sit on the bench by her pond occasionally. “I like relaxing in the garden, especially in the spring when it’s cooler and there are no mosquitoes,” she said. “You gotta take a break once in a twhile.” Looking ahead The Siemers have been married for nearly 42 years, but have lived on their 200 acres for 34 years; they purchased the property in 1987. They milked 28 cows, had a herd of beef

Friday, September 17, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 5

“It’s just something you wake up in the middle of the night thinking of, and the next day you get started on it and pretty soon it’s like, OK that’s what it turned out to be. You kind of have a picture in your mind; you know what stuff is going to look like when you start,” - Jeff Siemers

cattle and fattened steers while also grain farming. About five years ago, they decided to rent the land out and sell the animals. Jeff works for CentraSota ota while Chris is self-employed yed cleaning homes, many off them for the elderly. They miss farming a little, but mostly, they keep themselves contented and busy with their favorite pastimes. Chris says Jeff sleeps well, but apparently, he has been lying awake at night contemplating new creations. “It’s just something you ou

PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM

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Siemers page 7

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Friday, September 17, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 7

PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM

A large border garden sports a variety of perennials, Aug. 7 on the Siemers’ property near Little Falls.

Siemers from page 5 wake up in the middle of the night thinking of, and the next day you get started on it and pretty soon it’s like, OK that’s what it turned out to be; you kind of have a picture in your mind, you know what stuff is going to look like when you start,” he said. Might his next creation be for his wife, per-

Siemers page 8

“

“I work out here four days out of the week, except for when it’s hot and muggy. I think I have about 15 gardens and all around the house. I clean one or two a night, and keep them full so the weeds don’t grow as much.” - Chris Siemers

Chris Siemers’ many gardens contain unique plants such as this magnolia tree. tree She gardens near Little Falls while her husband, Jeff, works on his iron and wood creations in the farm buildings nearby.

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Siemers from page 7 haps some new garden décor? “A guy should invent a good spinner,” he said. “The ones you buy, they’re junk; about every third day she brings me one and says, ‘can you weld this for me?’ They’re falling apart. A guy could come up with a good design, use good bearings … you know, they would last a long time.”

PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM EUKAM

A fairy garden gets a boost of color from farm décor cor rs gifted to Chris Siemers by her grandchildren.

(below) Alpine troughs are constructed of Styrofoam coolers.. ve These plants are native to the Alpine mountains ins in Europe.

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A re-purposed corncrib creates a patio shelter on the Jeff and Chris Siemers farm near Little Falls.

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Page 10 • Country Acres | Friday, September 17, 2021

Threshing provides lessons in

family history BY HERMAN LENSING STAFF WRITER

OSAKIS – Alden Johnson will finish his small grain harvest in early October this year. Much of his crop is already harvested and stored, but there will be one special day of harvest on Sunday, Oct. 3, at the Alden and Hilda Johnson farm near Osakis. They will thresh the final acres of the crop. “We threshed when I PHOTO BY HERMAN LENSING Alden Johnson is pictured with photograph books of the farm’s threshing event. The was younger,” said Johnson. “One of our neighbooks were made by his daughter, Bonnie Larson. bors had a threshing machine and he would bring it to farms,” said Johnson. “There were six farms he went to. Farmers came and helped each other with threshing.”

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Threshing machines were the grain harvest machine of the late 19th and early 20th Century. The Johnsons used a threshing machine on their farm until 1956 when he purchased a combine. “That ended my threshing,” he said. That is until 1999, when a threshing machine returned to the farm. Johnson decided to use the machine as a lesson in family history. That lesson has become an annual event; it recalls an era when threshing was a community event, actually a community season, in the area. Threshing bees, as they were called, went on for weeks. It was sometimes a month or more

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Threshing page 11

Alden Johnson, his friends and neighbors set up for the 2020 threshing show. The threshing has been a family tradition since 1996 at the Johnson farm.

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from the time the bundles of sheaves (the cut grain stalks) were created until threshing. The bundled sheaves when standing in fields were called shocks or stacks. The bees also required man- and originally, horsepower before tractors gradually replaced horses. “There were at least six to 10 people, often more,” said Johnson. “There were six drivers bringing in bundles. One person was at the separator (thresher), one at the engine (often a tractor) and two people bagging.” Others were needed as grain was bagged. Prior the use of elevators to put grain into granaries, the grain was bagged,

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Threshing from page 11 safety reasons. The engines were steam engines; water was boiled in them and converted to steam, which created the power to turn the wheels. The long belt was connected to the thresher and a fly wheel on the engine. “The engine was a big steam engine tractor,” said Johnson. “It was fueled with wood to heat the water which made the steam. There were also sparks and you wanted to keep them from the straw.” The straw, used for bedding, is blown onto a pile. When setting up the thresher, attempts are made to make sure a wind blows the chaff that comes with straw away from the machine. “You set it up, but sometimes the wind switches,” said Johnson. Today, a smaller tractor is used, but the belt, thresher and the interest in watching all of them remains. Those coming to the Oct. 3 showing will not see binding, which

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Workmen feed bundles into the thresher in 2020 during the Johnson threshing day. The bundles are run through the machine where the straw is separated from the grain. The straw is then blown onto a pile.

was finished the second week of August, but will get a chance to view the hauling of bundles, the threshing of the grain and piling of straw. Unlike some threshing shows, there is a chance for some to have hands-on experience. “The kids (the Johnsons’ grandchildren), get to help out,” said Bonnie Larson, Johnson’s daughter. “This year, my son rode the binder.”

The binding of the shocks was done after most of a 12-acre field was combined. Johnson left about two and onehalf acres for bundling. The bundles have been collected on three wagons for the threshing. In some ways, it was like the early days.

Threshing page 14

Alden Johnson moves a straw chute to a different location as the pile grows during the 2020 event. The chute can also be raised to a new height.

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Page 16 • Country Acres | Friday, September 17, 2021

business

Webers’ bees heading to California winter home BY SARAH COLBURN | STAFF WRITER

PARKERS PRAIRIE – Craig and Jennifer Weber knew from the time they were in college that they wanted to work with bees. The couple got married and put everything they owned into storage and moved to California to connect with almond growers to understand how their pollinators could stay busy during the Minnesota winter months. Today, the couple works with 3,000 hives and produces raw honey that’s unfiltered and unheated. Consuming honey y in its rawest form, Craig said, can reduce environmental envir allerPHOTOS SUBMITTED gies gie and strengthen Cordell Weber, the th immune sys10-year-old son of tem. Raw honey, te Craig and Jennifer he h said, contains Weber, feeds the more mo vitamins, minbees at Super Bee Honey LLC. erals eral and antioxidants and is lower on the gly-

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Honey from Super Bee Honey LLC sits ready to be harvested in August of 2021.

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Beekeeping page 17

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Page 18 • Country Acres | Friday, September 17, 2021

Beekeeping from page 17

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takes extra precautions to ensure the kids have good experiences with the bees. Then, every November, they load the hives onto flatbed semi-trucks. The hives are placed on pallets, four hives to a pallet; then, they’re netted and strapped down for transport. There’s an art to transporting live bees, Craig said. The air temperature inside the trucks is important and the warmer the air temperature, the more the trucks have to be moving to maintain the temperature. Once they arrive in California, the bees sit idle until January when they’re prepared to pollinate the almond fields. The Webers remain in Minnesota now, but when they were four-and-ahalf months into their marriage, they moved out there the first time to make connections for their bees. Craig was 23 and Jennifer was 21. A retired almond farmer in California helped the Webers get their start. He allowed them to live in a 20-foot trailer on his land while he introduced them to other working almond farmers. Craig’s family met the farmer a decade earlier, when he was only 13. The farmer knocked

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Beekeeper Tre Moore puts a queen into a Nuc.

on the door of his family home, explaining that his deceased wife’s family had homesteaded the land the Webers now own. The farmer gave Weber’s father a business card all those decades ago and Weber asked his father for the card as he and Jennifer

began to get serious about their business. The families hadn’t kept in touch, but the farmer readily invited the couple to California and introduced them to almond hullers in the region. In addition to providing them with living accommodations, he also offered for them to stage their bees on his land.

Beekeeping page 22

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Friday, September 17, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 19

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Page 20 • Country Acres | Friday, September 17, 2021

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Friday, September 17, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 21

COUNTRY COOKING ALICE NORDMANN |

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CONTINUED FROM SEPT. 3, 2021 COUNTRY ACRES

• • • • •

1/2 cup flour 1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 4 cups milk 1 pound Velveeta cheese, cut in 1/2 inch cubes OR 4 cups grated Cheddar cheese.

Pork Chop Casserole • 6 pork chops • 1 box pork Stove Top Stuffing

• 1 can cream style corn • 1 small onion, diced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown and season pork chops and place in buttered baking dish. Prepare stuffing as directed on the box. Mix with corn and onion and spread over chops. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Tulip Cake Frosting • 1/4 cup butter, softened • 2 egg yolks • 1 cup powdered sugar • 1 small tub Cool Whip • Heath bits • Chocolate bits

• 1 white cake mix • 1 large package instant chocolate pudding • 2 eggs • 2 cups cold water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cake mix, pudding, eggs and water and spread in a 9x13 inch cake pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes; cool. For frosting, mix butter, egg yolks and powdered sugar together. Then, fold into Cool Whip. Spread on cake; sprinkle with Heath and chocolate bits.

One Cup Cookies • • • • • • •

1 cup white sugar 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup butter, melted 1 cup oil 1 egg 1 tsp. vanilla 3-1/2 cups flour

• • • • • •

1 tsp. cream of tartar 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. soda 1 cup Rice Krispies 1 cup oatmeal 1 cup coconut

• 1/4 tsp. garlic salt • 1 medium onion, chopped • 1/2 cup catsup • 2 Tbsp. brown sugar • 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix all ingredients and put in greased casserole dish. Bake 30 minutes.

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CASept17-1B-RB

In large saucepan, combine water, celery, carrots and onion. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Add cauliflower and cook another 4-5 minutes. Do not drain. Melt butter. Blend in flour, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in milk and cook until thickened. Stir in cheese until melted. Combine cheese sauce and vegetables. May add diced, cooked ham. May substitute broccoli for cauliflower.

• 1 pound bacon, fried and cut into small pieces • 1 pound ground beef, browned • 1 large can pork and beans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix chicken and 2 Tbsp. cheese. Unroll crescent rolls and put some chicken on each piece. Roll up. Place side by side on 9x13 inch greased pan. Bake 20 minutes. Heat soup, milk and rest of cheese. Pour over rolls and bake 10-15 minutes longer.

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Salted Peanut Chews • 1-1/2 cups flour • 1/2 cup brown sugar • 1/2 cup butter, softened • 3 cups miniature marshmallows • 2 cups peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, sugar and butter together and pat into 9x13 inch ungreased pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with marshmallows. Return to oven 3-5 minutes; set aside. In saucepan, stir chips, corn syrup, vanilla and butter. Cook until smooth; remove and stir in Rice Krispies and peanuts. Pour over marshmallows, spreading to cover.

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Page 22 • Country Acres | Friday, September 17, 2021

Beekeeping from page 18

“I was looking at all opportunities to try and pursue it,” Craig said. “It was a big step.” The bees make their journey back to Minnesota on trucks the first week of April. The Webers have to push snow around their property in order to make a place to set down the hives. “The bees handle dle the cold weather andd PHOTOS SUBMITTED the April snowstorms The bees are picked a lot better than the up in spring from the beekeeper does,” almond orchard in Craig said. California after this year’s bloom. When the bees return to their Minne-sota base, the Webers ers get busy making surplus plus hives, splitting their hives i to create what are called their own hive. “Nucs” in the business, They sell their honnucleus hives, that hob- ey and the nucs on their byists and sideline bee website and the honey is keepers can use to start also available in half a

dozen Minnesota stores. The Webers are looking to expand their sales through retail markets. They also sell their honey commercially, supplying it to wineries and breweries to make mead for their beverages. They’re moving away from selling

their goods to large-scale distributors/producers because they want their product to be used and sold in its purest form. Raw, unfiltered, unheated honey is a spreadable product that crystallizes inside the glass jar. It has a different viscosity than filtered honey and heated honey. Heating the honey not only reduces the enzymes, Craig said, it changes the color and the taste. “(We work with people who) want to find authentic, real products

Yellow-topped “Nucs,” as they are called, are ready to be picked up by bee enthusiasts hoping to start their own hives.

because it contributes to their end product having a quality ingredient,” Craig said. “(We want to) make

that connection with those people who are trying to better themselves by buying better honey.”

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Friday, September 17, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 23

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phone. 320-732-2819 fax. 320-732-2148 www.centralbi.com

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Page B6 • Country Acres | Farm Families of the Year | Friday, September 17, 2021

diversity in agriculture BY DIANE LEUKAM WITH KATE MILLER | STAFF WRITER

Each year since 1979, one family from each county across the state of Minnesota has been selected as the Farm Family of the Year. Families often come from traditional agricultural backgrounds such as beef, dairy and poultry. Throughout the state this year, though, there have been subtle changes. Kia Harries, Director of Statewide Operations for the University of Minnesota Extension Program, is involved with Farm Family of the Year and provides support for the committees who choose the families. “This year, horticulture seemed to be big,” she said. “Anything from families going to farmers markets or harvesting from their orchards or being involved in grain crop production includes horticulture.” And, while all the families selected are farmers, it is very likely they are doing much more. “It’s [often] the people who are also considering land conservation or other technologies who are the ones chosen for Farm Family of the Year; the families who farm and also use innovative farming methods stand out in their communities and are chosen by their neighbors,”

Harries said. Families are always chosen because, in a variety of ways, they are doing remarkable things for agriculture. They must be actively farming; be progressive or innovative, which often includes understanding and implementing new technology; and they must be involved in community. Counties differ in their selection processes. Sometimes, families are chosen by ballot, sometimes a neighbor might call in to marvel at processes their neighbors use, and sometimes

county commissioners have input. Ultimately, families are chosen by University of Minnesota County Extension committees, where a team of regional directors works with county Extension committees to make decisions and coordinate the program. The highlight of the program is the awards

Kia Harries

is Minnesota Extension Program Director of Statewide Operations for Farm Family of the Year. ceremony held each year at Minnesota Farmfest, which takes place around the first week of August. Farmfest takes place in Redwood County at the Gilfillan Estate near Redwood Falls. This year’s Farmfest was held Aug. 3-5 and ceremonies for Farm

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(above) PHOTO SUBMITTED In Douglas County, cattle graze on pasture at the Engelbrecht farm near Alexandria.

of their neighbors and other farmers across the state. “There is excitement in the air,” Harries said. “[This] comes from the values the farm families represent. Community is a key value, as are tradition, work ethic, time

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Family of the Year took place on Thursday, Aug. 5 at 1:15 p.m. in the Wick Buildings Farmfest Center. At the ceremony, families are recognized and presented with a plaque and a book of all the families from their year. Almost more importantly, farmers have a chance to network and appreciate the work

(top) PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM The Middendorf dairy farm is pictured Sept. 8 near Browerville in Todd County.

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Page B8 • Country Acres | Farm Families of the Year | Friday, September 17, 2021 PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM

In Pope County, Holstein steers lounge in the sunshine Sept. 6 at the Reichmann farm near Villard.

Diversity from page 6

“[This] comes from the values the farm families represent. Community is a key value, as are tradition, work ethic, time investment, innovation and continuing to grow and improve the industry. All are values the Farm Family of the Year families incorporate into their lives.”

investment, innovation and continuing to grow and improve the industry. All are values the Farm Family of the Year families incorporate into their lives.” Harries appreciates the family stories. Each family is unique in who they are; they are also unique in how they contribute to agriculture. “Agriculture is so diverse, and across the state of Minnesota, the diversity in agriculture is represented well,” she said. “Hopefully, the Farm Family of the Year program helps show the importance of the broad community in agriculture.” Lifelong connections are made through the Farm Family of the Year program. As families sit through the ceremony, they begin to

- Kia Harries, Director of Statewide Operations, Minnesota Extension Program for Farm Family of the Year

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Dairy cows graze Sept. 12 at the Frericks farm near Melrose in Stearns County.

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Page B10 • Country Acres | Farm Families of the Year | Friday, September 17, 2021

PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM

Christmas trees grow Sept. 7 on the Turck farm near Litchfield in Meeker County.

Diversity from page 8 recognize names of families and faces from around Farmfest and their own communities. The books families receive include the script used to introduce families on the ﬁnal day of Farmfest. With those books, connections are furthered. For more information on the families chosen as the 2021 Farm Family of the Year by county, visit University of Minnesota Extension at extension.umn.edu/ farm-families. Information is listed by name of farm or farm family or by county, along with a history highlighting family achievements, farm acreage and what agricultur-

al products are grown or raised. Past Farm Family of the Year information is also included. In addition to the University of Minnesota Extension, support for the Farm Family of the Year program is provided by College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences; College of Veterinary Medicine; Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station; and Farmfest.

PHOTO BY JENNIFER COYNE

Tammy Beumer beds calf pens Aug. 27 at the Beumer farm near Hillman in Morrison County.

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In Kandiyohi County, Heidi Brouwer pauses during her work on the Brouwer farm near Raymond.

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Page 12 • Country Acres | Farm Families of the Year | Friday, September 17, 2021

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