DASSEL — Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph are typically what people think of when they hear “reindeer.” The Lundin family think of the ones living in their barn.
DMDK Reindeer near Dassel owns eight reindeer: Lunar, Dozer, Jingles, Sprinkles, Sparkles, Maple, Glitter and Sugar.
Karla and Daren Lundin joined forces with their son, Deven, and his wife, Michelle, nearly two years ago to open DMDK Reindeer.
“People don’t think reindeer are real; they think it’s a storybook thing,” Deven said. “It’s fun to watch them see reindeer for the first time.”
The deer are brought to around 30 events from mid-No-
vember to the end of the year. Michelle, an elementary school teacher, and the rest of the DMDK Reindeer crew educate the public on the unique deer breed.
The family teaches visitors who attend their events about how reindeer are managed, what they eat, how their antlers work and how their fur feels.
“We set up a whole educational table,” Karla said. “We bring different sets of antlers so people can feel them with the velvet versus without.”
Reindeer, like white-tail deer, lose their antlers in the winter. They grow back with a velvety smooth covering. Reindeer enter the rut, their natural breeding season, when the weather cools, and scratch their antlers on trees or anything they can to remove the velvet and expose the hard bone underneath. The shedding of velvet is the first clue that the rut is approaching.
“Males that are castrated don’t always naturally scratch their velvet off, because they don’t have the hormonal response to entering the rut,” Karla said. “If it isn’t removed, it causes issues with their antlers in the future, so we help them scratch it off.”
Similar to most livestock species, male reindeer are castrated as a management practice to prevent them from breeding females. Castrated males are also less aggressive during the rut, which keeps both them and their human caretakers safe.
Though they are similar to white-tail deer in some ways, reindeer are extremely different in other aspects.
“Their antlers grow exponentially
A reindeer grazes Oct. 17 at DMDK Reindeer near Dassel. Reindeer are extremely sensitive to environmental stressors.
faster than a white-tail,” Deven said. “Both male and female reindeer have antlers, and they start growing almost immediately after they’re born.”
Lunar, DMDK’s castrated male reindeer, is a prime example of just how fast their antlers can grow. Lunar is 18 months old and has grown his second set of antlers. Last year, Lunar’s antlers were small spikes sticking straight out of his head around 12
inches high. This year, Lunar’s antlers reach closer to 36 inches and have several different tines.
Reindeer also differ from other deer breeds when it comes to their temperament.
“They’re not flighty like deer — they’re way more docile, almost like a cow,” Karla said.
Lundin page 2
PHOTO BY RAE LANZRATH
Deven (left) and Karla Lundin smile Nov. 18 at DMDK Reindeer near Dassel. The DMDK Reindeer crew brings reindeer to approximately 30 events per year.
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Lundin from
front
Reindeer are typically very calm and friendly animals, which is what makes them appropriate for events with a lot of people. The events take place at different locations, from corporate events to shopping malls to Christmas light displays, so it’s important the reindeer are calm in all atmospheres.
DMDK Reindeer brings two reindeer to each event because they are a herd animal and get anxious if they are alone. They also try to rotate which animals go to events, so they do not get over-worked.
“Realistically, they work six weeks out of the year, and then the rest of the time they’re just regular animals,” Deven said. “We don’t want them stressed during those six weeks, so we do everything we can to avoid that.”
Even though the reindeer are friendly and calm around people, visitors at the events are not allowed to pet or feed the animals.
“It keeps the people safe, but it keeps the animals safe, too,” Karla said. “They’re not a typical animal; they’re very sensitive to environmental factors.”
The reindeer must be on a very specific diet to stay healthy. The animals eat beet pulp, corn and oats as well as other supplements that mimic what they would be consuming in the wild.
Besides their diet, the animals must be protected from diseases. Tuberculosis, brucellosis and chronic wasting disease are three diseases of concern for reindeer.
ment of Agriculture and the Minnesota Board of Animal Health to ensure they are following all rules and regulations. Because of the increase in CWD in deer populations, there are many more rules deer farms must follow, especially when it comes to crossing state lines with the animals.
“We can’t get animals from certain states, and we have to have adequate documentation for any animals that cross state lines,” Deven said.
Lundin page 3
“The USDA and Board of Animal Health make sure they’re getting vaccinated and are free of disease,” Deven said.
Publications bli ti “The newspaper of today is the history of tomorrow.”
DMDK Reindeer works closely with both the United States Depart-
PHOTO BY RAE LANZRATH
Evergreens near Morris. The Lesmeister family owns and operates the business.
LASER GRADING
BY RAE LANZRATH STAFF WRITER
MORRIS — This time of year, most families spend holidays decorating their homes, gathering with extended family and making memories. For the Lesmeister family, these days are spent on the greenery that helps to create memorable moments for others.
Wayne and Jean Lesmeister own and operate Wayne-N-Jeans Evergreens near Morris with the help of their son, Lloyd, and their daughter-in-law, Courtney. WayneN-Jeans Evergreens sells trees for the holiday season as well as garlands, porch pots and wreaths.
“We make the garland and wreaths,” Wayne said. “The quality is much better than you’ll find in the store because it’s handmade.”
Courtney also teaches classes so
customers can build their own porch pots.
“Groups of people get together, and she helps them make their porch pots,” Wayne said. “It’s a fun activity for everyone involved.”
When it comes to Christmas trees, customers can pick from a wide selection of pre-cut Christmas trees in a cold storage shed attached to their gift shop. Customers who would like the experience of cutting their own can also do so from several different fields on the farm.
“Every family wants something different,” Wayne said. “We have different sizes and kinds, so people can get what they want.”
Wayne-N-Jeans Evergreens opens the weekend before Thanksgiving and continues daily until Christmas Eve. Tree selection is a full experience as the farm also includes photo areas and activities for kids.
“We’re a small family business, and we spend the entire holiday season working,” Wayne said. “We are very fortunate to have family and friends who share their talents and hard work during the season.”
Lesmeister page 9
PHOTO SUBMITTED
The Lesmeisters — Wayne (from left), Jean, Lloyd holding Cade and Courtney holding Ellary — gather Nov. 30 at Wayne-N-Jean’s
A baking tradition
Anyone who knows me knows I love to bake. I had the recipe for a basic chocolate chip cookie memorized by the time I was 8.
Chocolate chip cookies are still my favorite to bake and eat. But baking in general is fun and relaxing — usually — and the result is delicious — usually. Because of all the baking, Christmas is one of my favorite times. After all, it is not Christmas without Christmas cookies.
By Tiffany Klaphake
My mom, my brother, Greg, and I start baking the weekend after Thanksgiving. Greg farms with my parents and lives next door, so he comes over to Mom’s when we are there. He and Mom also bake as time allows between chores. Sometimes I join them, sometimes Mom and Greg come to my house, and we determine who will bring the special ingredients and then we get started.
Within minutes, the counter is full of mixing bowls, flour, sugar, sprinkles, cookie cutters and chocolate. We have a system for the one big day that we bake, and then the following weekends in December, we make other treats such as chocolate bonbons, spritz cookies, fudge and Oreo balls.
On the big baking day, we start making dough for the cut-out cookies. Our recipe calls for sour cream, so they stay soft even after being fully cooled. Once the dough is mixed up, we place it in the refrigerator to chill for a couple of hours while we make chocolate-covered pretzels.
While the chocolate pretzels set, we get the dough out and start rolling out the cookies and selecting the cookie cutters. Now that Greg and I have kids of our own, we let the little ones pick out the cookie cutter and help them press it into the dough. The recipe for these cookies makes 8-10 dozen cookies depending on the size of the shapes we use. We use this recipe throughout the year and cut the
recipe in half; but for Christmas, we make the whole thing.
Once the cut-out cookies are all baked, we make peanut butter blossoms while the cut-out cookies cool off. Usually, someone starts mixing up the peanut butter cookie dough while we are finishing up cutting out the cookies so as soon as the cut-out cookies are done, we can put a pan of peanut butter blossoms in the oven.
Once these cookies are done, the cut-out cookies are cool enough to be decorated. For those of you who have never decorated cookies with four children all under the age of 4, it is something else. I am pretty sure a 3-year old’s method of decorating is the more sprinkles, the better. The color of the frosting and sprinkles is irrelevant to the shape of the cookie. If you think about it, they are all going to taste the same no matter the shape of the cookie or the color of the frosting. It took some getting used to, since, prior to having kids, my mom, brothers and I would get piping bags and meticulously arrange the sprinkles to be ornaments on the tree or the face of an angel.
Back when we all lived at home, we would take two days for these cookies — one day to bake them and allow them to cool overnight and the next day to decorate them. This task alone would take an entire afternoon. Back then, after all the baking we did, we would have cookies to last through January.
Today, we still get together and do some baking, but we have also incorporated a cookie exchange as part of our Christmas tradition. That way, we all still get to have some of our favorites and try something new each year.
Whatever your Christmas tradition is, I hope you get to enjoy it with family and friends. Merry Christmas.
What is your involvement in FFA? I sell fruit, and I have judged general livestock and horses. In my junior year and my first year of judging, we went to state for horses.
What has FFA taught you so far? It has taught me how to come out of my shell bit by bit and helped me meet new people. It has also taught me how to be a good leader and have fun.
How do you intend to stay involved in agriculture after your FFA career? I plan on growing crops and raising livestock.
What are you involved in outside of FFA? I am involved in softball and volleyball and I am a part of a riding club in Long Prairie.
What is something people need to know about agriculture? It’s not all about raising animals, growing crops and the richness of the soil. It is also something very fun to be a part of, and I would recommend it to anyone to try out.
Wreaths wait to be sold Nov. 26 at Wayne-N-Jean’s Evergreens near Morris. Wayne-NJean’s Evergreens sells trees, porch pots, wreaths and garlands.
A truck is parked Nov. 26 at Wayne-NJean’s Evergreens near Morris. The farm started with eight acres of trees and has expanded to over 60.
Pre-cut trees are displayed Nov. 26 at Wayne-N-Jean’s Evergreens near Morris. The business sells a variety of different kinds of trees.
The business offers a variety of trees, but not all of them are traditional holiday evergreens. The family also sells landscaping evergreens, deciduous trees and shrubs outside the holidays. The business uses four spade trucks to transplant trees, which makes for safer moves and a higher survival rate. It also enables bigger trees to be moved and planted. Some of the trees that get transported weigh well over 1,000 pounds and can be 20 feet tall, Wayne said.
“It’s always fun driving around and seeing a tree that we grew growing in someone’s yard,” Wayne said.
The Lesmeisters have been growing trees since 1997 when Wayne and Jean planted eight acres of evergreen trees. Five years later, Wayne decided to start
selling the trees. At the time, Wayne worked full time for the University of Minnesota-Morris and grew the trees as a hobby.
“My hobby turned into a business,” Wayne said.
The farm has grown from its original eight acres to 65 acres, which is planted with dozens of different varieties of deciduous and evergreen trees.
“The biggest challenge is having enough trees,” Wayne said. “We can plant more, but you can only make them grow so fast.”
Different trees grow at different rates.
“It takes between 8-10 years for a Christmas tree to grow to the point that it can be sold,” Wayne said. “Deciduous trees grow faster, but it still takes multiple years.”
Not only does growing trees take time, but it takes a lot of knowledge about soil and different kinds of trees.
“Not every tree grows well everywhere; some don’t grow well with the high pH that’s in our soil,” Wayne said. “We learn a lot from our mistakes.”
Wayne-N-Jeans Evergreens are
always trying different and new varieties of trees so their customers have more options to pick from. Providing more options allows the customers to choose a tree that fits well in their soil type and their landscape.
After nearly 30 years of growing trees, the Lesmeisters have become extremely familiar with how to grow trees and want to continue improving their craft.
“We’re always expanding the trees,” Wayne said. “Once the 65 acres are fully planted, we’ll plant more.”
Prior to running the tree business, Wayne and Jean had a hog barn where they raised feeder pigs. Since the family no longer raises hogs, they are in the beginning stages of converting the barn into a garden center.
“We want to sell more trees, flowers and plants,” Wayne said. “We’re always excited to see what else we can do, where we can expand.”
As the Lesmiesters plan to expand their business, they will continue to offer customers high-quality trees and shrubs during the growing season, as well as some holiday spirit when Christmas tree season rolls around.
FT Sales Counter
Duties
oriented. Must be able to work Monday-Friday 8-4:30 and every other Saturday 8-noon. Agriculture background preferred but not required
COR VET TES CORVETTESCrazy for
Anderson restores, races classic cars
BY RAE LANZRATH STAFF WRITER
ST. STEPHEN — People collect all sorts of different things because they value those objects for their monetary or sentimental value. While many collect refrigerator magnets or keychains, Mike Anderson collects cars.
Anderson has been a car buff since he was a child. His dad and three brothers enjoyed cars, and he followed in their footsteps, learning the ins and outs of repairing cars.
“We just started working on cars together, and I never stopped,” Anderson said.
After high school, he worked for Ray Hilsgen at Lakeland Bakery in St. Cloud as a truck mechanic. Though Hilsgen taught Anderson about being a mechanic, the lessons Anderson took away from that experience far exceeded the shop.
“I still think about him
from time to time,” Anderson said. “He taught me so much about work ethic and being a good employee, and he was always willing to chew me out when I needed it.”
After four years of working with Hilsgen, Anderson bought a piece of land near St. Stephen. In 1984, Thunder Valley Classic Cars opened. Since then, Anderson has been spending countless hours working on cars. He restores, repairs and maintains classic cars.
“We specialize in Corvettes, but we work on all classic cars,” Anderson said.
Anderson offers services of all kinds. From tune-ups to full rebuilds, he can do it.
“My favorite thing to do is rebuild engines,” Anderson
said. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s my favorite repair we do.”
Anderson has spent 40 years stocking his shop with the equipment he needs to be successful at his job. His
Anderson page 12
PHOTO BY RAE LANZRATH
Luke (left) and Mike Anderson stand with a car Nov. 14 at Thunder Valley Classic Cars near St. Stephen. The business has been open since 1984.
Happy Holidays
Anderson
from page 11
“We machine and build all types of engines, from an 80 horsepower 1951 Studebaker flat head with a 6 cylinder to a naturally aspirated 867 horsepower 414 cubic inch small block Chevy, and everything in between,” Anderson said.
Anderson works closely with his son, Luke, in the shop.
“I taught Luke how to completely re-machine and rebuild engines,” Anderson said. “He is very meticulous and can do all the machining and assembly on engines himself at 24 years old.”
For years, Luke has been working alongside his dad, learning every detail of repairing, rebuilding and maintaining vehicles.
“It’s hard to take the time to teach
someone when you’re in a hurry, but it pays off in the long run because now he knows how to do it on his own,” Anderson said. “And I love teaching him about cars.”
Whether they are biologically related or not, everyone around him is family to Anderson. Luke is the sole employee at the shop today, but Anderson credits many of his predecessors for the business’s success.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without them,” Anderson said. “My brother, Pete, Scott Jasczak, Mike Stodolka and Jenn Boots are some of the people who worked so hard to help me, and I can’t thank them enough.”
Anderson’s significant other, Laura Sandstrom, has nurtured his passion and the business.
“She has been by my side for a long time, and she never complains that I work too much,” Anderson said.
Along with repair, restoration and mechanical work, Anderson offers storage of classic cars for the winter Anderson page 13
14 at Thunder Valley Classic Cars near St. Stephen. Anderson completely rebuilds cars.
Cars are stored Nov. 14 at Thunder Valley Classic Cars near St. Stephen. Mike Anderson stores cars for customers over the winter months.
together Learning the business
BY RAE LANZRATH STAFF WRITER
OSAKIS — Kris and Kendra Massmann took the saying, “Like mother, like daughter,” quite literally when they started their business, Double K’s Goat Milk Products.
Kris and her daughter, Kendra, make and sell products using goat milk from their own herd. Whether taking care of the goats or working at a vendor show, the Massmanns are side by side.
The Massmann family has raised goats for years, and Kendra showed them in 4-H from the time she was in third grade until she graduated from high school. In 2019, the local 4-H club wanted someone to demonstrate how goat milk products are made, so they reached out to Kris and Kendra, who had goats, and a local teenager, who knew how to make the products. The rest is history.
“She (the teenager) ended up going to college out of state, but we just kept her recipes and started doing it ourselves,” Kendra said.
Double K’s Goat Milk Products product line includes 13 varieties of lotions, 15 soaps, 12 lip balms and four shampoo bars.
“The hardest part is that you never know what people want or like, and what is going to sell,” Kris said. “Sometimes you don’t sell any of a certain scent, and then the next show you go to, you sell every single one of that same scent.”
Selling their products is not the only benefit that the Massmanns find from attending the markets.
“You make friends with the other vendors and repeat customers,” Kris said. “They tell you about other shows, and then we end up going to those, too.”
Massmann page 16
BIG SAVINGS
Schedule a time to compose 2025 farm plan!
PHOTO BY RAE LANZRATH Kendra (left) and Kris Massmann mix soap
Nov. 12 at their home near Osakis. The mother and daughter sell their products at farmers markets and vendor shows.
Massmann from page 15
Kris and Kendra regularly attend the Holmes City Farmers Market, and they can also be found in at vendor shows in Parkers Prairie, Osakis, New Ulm, and occasionally St. Cloud or the Twin Cities. Double K’s Goat Milk Products are also available at the Rose City Consignment Barn, the Flourish Boutique in Osakis and the Signature Salon in Alexandria.
“We have some (shows) we go to no matter what, but we’re always open to trying new shows,” Kris said.
Along with making and selling the products, Kris and Kendra care for their goat herd to ensure they are healthy and producing milk. They manage a herd of 15, with 4-6 milkers.
“We milked four this year, and I averaged about three gallons of milk per day,” Kris said.
Once the goats are milked, Kris filters the milk through two coffee filters. It is then pasteurized and put into glass jars and placed in the freezer to chill. Once it is cooled, the milk is poured into silicone ice cube trays and frozen.
Massmann page 17
PHOTOS BY RAE LANZRATH Kendra Massmann pours soap into molds Nov. 12 at her home near Osakis. Kendra mixes colors to make the soaps more colorful and interesting. to be used Nov. 12 at the Massmann home near Osakis. The Massmanns make 15 different kinds of soap.
Massmann
from page 16
“We used to freeze it in bags, but ice cube trays are easier because it just pops out, and the cubes are smaller than one big block from the bag,” Kris said.
The milk is thawed and used to make all the products, each with its own process. The soap is dyed in different colors, scents are added, and then it is poured into molds. Once hardened, the soap sits for around six weeks, to cure, before it can be sold.
“It used to take us hours for one batch; now we’ve got a routine, and it goes much quicker,” Kris said.
The mother-anddaughter team makes products several evenings of the week to build inventory. Since the soap has such a long waiting period before it can be sold, they try not to run out because it will be at least six weeks before they have more, Kris said.
“Kendra makes
A variety of products are showcased Nov. 12 at the Massmann home near Osakis.
Double K Goat Milk Products has been in business for nearly six years.
all the fancy soaps; she’s really good with color schemes and mixing them so they look pretty,” Kris said. “I can make the lotions or the soaps that are just one color.”
Even though they offer many different products, Kris and Kendra are always experimenting with new ones.
“We’ve tried other products, but it’s a lot of trial and error,” Kendra said. “We’ve tried bath bombs and body butter but haven’t quite mastered those.”
The Massmanns attend farmers markets and vendor shows nearly
every weekend. Along with making and selling the products, both Kris and Kendra have off-farm jobs that keep them busy.
“It’s a nice way for us to spend time together,” Kris said. “We don’t see each other much unless we’re doing this.”
Kris and Kendra have spent countless hours experimenting with different products and scents. Some scents are strong, while some are barely noticeable, Kris said. Determining how much scent to add was a learning curve for the team.
“We’ve had so many failures,” Kris said. “But that’s all part of learning.”
“We are in the land improvement
We do farm drainage, ag waste systems, site work for farm buildings and silage pads, plus miscellaneous work. We also do county, township, and watershed work,
PHOTO
UPCOMING
Nohl continues journey with succulents
Creating together creations
BY EMILY BRETH | STAFF WRITER
LOWRY —
year round using heating packs.
Through years of learning, Kristy Nohl grew Kristy’s Succulent Kreations into a blossoming business where she can share her joy of plants with others.
“It just started with selling my own arrangements,” Nohl said. “Now, I do more workshops for the public at (different venues). I go all over.”
Kristy’s Succulent Kreations offers a range of services and products, including public and private events and workshops, pre-made and custom arrangement sales and kits containing everything to “do it yourself.” Arrangements can be shipped
Nohl puts on many events and holds workshops with organizations such as FFA chapters too.
Nohl keeps her customers’ budgets in mind when she assembles her kits or prepares a workshop. She does this by adjusting the size of the kit or what is available during a workshop. Each kit varies in the number of succulents and accent props and the overall size of the pot.
Nohl page 20
(Left) Kristy Nohl smiles Nov. 25 at Kristy’s Succulent Kreations near Lowry. Nohl started her business in 2022.
(Right) A planter of succulents sits in the garage Nov. 25 at Kristy’s Succulent Kreations near Lowry. At a public venue, the workshops often are matched with a season or holiday and are generalized.
Wishing all of you
Happy Holidays
PHOTOS BY EMILY BRETH
Country Cooking
Danish puff
Cranberry wild rice bread
(makes 2 loaves)
• 3 teaspoons yeast
• 2 1/4 cups water, 100110 degrees
• 3-4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup butter
• 3 cups wild rice flour
• 3-4 cups white flour
• 1 cup cooked wild rice
• 1 cup dried cranberries
Whisk yeast, water and sugar in bowl. Let rise for 10 minutes until 3-4 inches of foam develops. Mix in salt and vegetable oil. Mix in wild rice flour. Mix in dried cranberries and wild rice. Incorporate white flour one cup at a time until dough is smooth and not sticky. Turn into a well-oiled bowl. Cover and let rise for 1 hour, or until double in size. Cover baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn onto well-floured surface. Divide into 2 halves. Shape into rounded loaves and place on parchment paper. Let rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 35-40 minutes until it sounds hollow when tapped.
Pecan pie
Crust:
• 1/3 cup shortening or lard — I prefer half and half
• 1 cup flour — I recommend Gold Medal, it’s a soft wheat, which makes a flakier crust
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cold water
Filling:
• 3 eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 3/4 cup corn syrup
Mix salt and flour; cream in shortening/lard with pastry blender or fork if you don’t have a pastry blender. Work in cold water one spoonful at a time until incorporated but not sticky. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Form dough into a disc and place on well-floured surface. Roll out to 3/4-inch larger than pie pan. Sprinkle sugar on bottom of pie pan. Gently lift the pie dough and place it in the pan. Trim edges.
• 1/4 cup sorghum molasses
• Approximately 2 cups pecan halves
Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, beat all ingredients except nuts. Fill pie pan to 3/4 full of nuts. Pour syrup over nuts. Bake for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional 45 minutes. Let cool until set. Serve warm or cool.
Madge Strivers refrigerator fruit cake
• 1 pound graham cracker crumbs
• 1 pound raisins, approximately 3 1/2 cups
• 1 pound candied fruit
• 4 cups chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 bag marshmallows
Mix graham cracker crumbs, raisins, candied fruit and walnuts; set aside. Heat milk and marshmallows, stirring frequently to melt marshmallows. Pour over dry mixture and mix well. Dampen hands to press mixture into pan, or smaller pans, firmly. Refrigerate overnight. If wrapped and sealed well, this will keep in your refrigerator for months.
This recipe makes two long “puffs,” which yield 5-6 servings each
• 2 cups all-purpose flour — can substitute Bob’s Red Mill 1-2 gluten-free flour
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla or almond extract
• 1 cup and 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 3 eggs
• Sliced almonds
• 1-2 tablespoons warm water or warm milk/ cream
Turn oven on to 350 degrees. Cut 1/2 cup butter into 1 cup flour until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons water over flour mixture; mix. Gather pastry into a ball and divide into two equal parts. Pat/spread each half into a rectangle, approximately 12 inches by 3 inches, on ungreased cookie sheet. Place 3 inches apart.
Heat 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup water to rolling boil, remove from heat. Quickly stir in almond extract and 1 cup flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about one minute, remove from heat. Add eggs; beat until smooth and glossy. Spread half the topping over each rectangle. Bake until topping is crisp and light brown, about 45 minutes. Cool. Topping will shrink and fall, forming a custard-like top.
For powdered sugar glaze, combine the powdered sugar and vanilla or almond extract. Stir in warm water or warm milk/cream until glaze is desired consistency. Spread on puffs, and top with sliced almonds.
Almond bars
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 cups all-purpose flour — can substitute Bob’s Red Mill 1-2 gluten-free flour
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 egg, separated
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9- by 13-inch pan, or line with parchment paper. Using a mixer, cream butter, white and brown sugar and almond extract. Cream well. Sift and add flour to the mixture and mix well. Separate the egg; add the yolk to the dough and mix again. Spread into the pan and glaze some of the lightly beaten egg white. Don’t use all of it, just enough to cover dough surface; discard the rest. Sprinkle with sliced almonds. Bake approximately 20 minutes.
Blueberry cream pieFruitcake cookies
• 4 cups blueberries
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup cream
• 1 pie crust, can be store-bought or homemade
Mix blueberries, sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon and cream together and pour into unbaked crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 35-45 minutes. If using frozen berries, reduce temperature to 375 degrees and bake for 45-55 minutes.
(A.K.A. “clumps”)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg
• 2 cups flour, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup pecans
• 3/4 cup candied cherries, cut into halves
• 1 1/2 cups hazelnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix butter, brown sugar and egg. Add salt, baking soda, flour, vanilla extract and sour cream. Finally, add hazelnuts, pecans and candied cherries. Place dough on cookie sheet in approximately teaspoon-size balls. Bake for about 15 minutes. Place on wax paper to cool.
Puff :
Powdered sugar glaze:
Nelson | Douglas County
the Jeanette West
Who taught you how to bake? When? I had a lot of influential women in my life teach me how to bake. My grandma on my dad’s side baked a lot; she really inspired me. My great aunt, Mary, taught me how to make pie crust. My mom taught me to just have fun with it and to be creative. My mom’s mom taught me everything else.
What do you like about baking? It’s the combination of making things for people and getting the opportunity to be creative.
Acres cres
What are some of your favorite things to bake? Bread and pies. A lot of people make sourdough bread, but not many people make bread with yeast anymore. I have been baking pies my whole life, so it’s just part of who I am.
What are some of your golden rules when you bake? Always start with the recipe, make it a few times, and once you’re comfortable with that, then you start getting creative. Think about what you could do to make it better and use the original recipe as a guide — but maybe adjust the measurements if there is something you want to try differently. And never stop learning; even if you are an expert at something, you can always learn more.
What is the most difficult recipe you make? Gluten-free bread has been tough. I have a recipe, and it is OK. But I am trying different flours and trying to perfect it.
What are your favorite things to bake around Christmas? I have a book called “Treasury of Christmas Crafts and Cookies.” I make a lot of recipes from it. I also ask everyone what their favorite pie is, and then I make each of those flavors so everyone gets what they want. There is also a no-bake fruit cake that we make every year. I enjoy that because it is tradition. My grandma’s peanut brittle is also a classic.
Julia Dabbs
Morris | Stevens County
Who taught you to bake? When?
My earliest memory of baking was my sandbox bakery that I had as a kid. But my real baking experience was with my mom as I was growing up.
What do you like about baking? It is creative. I also feel like I am providing a service to someone because all my products are gluten-free. It is providing food that people probably could not find at the grocery store; it is not all just sweet treats.
What are some of your favorite things to bake? My gluten-free apple cider donuts are my favorite. When I went gluten-free, the thing I missed most was donuts, and these taste just as good as regular donuts.
What are some of your golden rules when you bake? Always double-check your recipe, even if you have made it a hundred times. Double-check your recipe.
What is the most difficult recipe you make? Gluten-free bread. I can do a gluten-free focaccia because it is flatter, but I really struggle with other bread. It takes so much time.
What are your favorite things to bake around Christmas? Danish puff. It is similar to a puff pastry. I make it gluten-free, and it is a family tradition that we do every holiday: Christmas, Easter, birthdays — basically any gathering.
Vicki Carver
New London Kandiyohi County
Who taught you to bake? When? I watched my grandma bake a lot when I was a kid, but the first time I baked something myself was in my high school home economics class. We had a competition where we came up with a recipe, and then the class would all try it and vote on whose recipe was the best. I won with some bars, and after that, I started baking a lot.
What do you like about baking? Eating it and sharing it with my family and seeing them enjoy it.
What are some of your favorite things to bake? Rhubarb torte and blueberry cream pie are the first things that come to my mind — and Christmas cookies. I got the torte and pie recipes from my mother-inlaw, and my entire family now bakes those things.
What are some of your golden rules when you bake? I don’t measure things exactly; I just scoop with the measuring cups. Some people level off the measuring cup to make sure it is exactly perfect. I do not do that.
What is the most difficult recipe you make? At Christmas, I make a fruit cake, and every year, it is extremely hard to get out of the loaf pan. I grease and flour the pan, but it is still a pain every time to try and get it out without some of it sticking to the bottom of the pan.
What are your favorite things to bake around Christmas? In my family, we call them “clumps.” They are actually candied fruit filbert cookies, but my son-in-law started calling them “clumps,” and that’s been their name ever since. I also make lefse, krumkake and a few hundred sugar cookies. I make other things too, but those are my favorites.
Hermann from page 25
As visitors continued to stroll down the street, they came across food stands and then the town hall. Within the town hall, there were many items displayed and different sections to read about the history of Forest City.
“We had to start a building so we (could) collect our own stuff that tells a story of what our operations are about,” Hermann said.
The town hall also features a small exhibit with a train set. Before the railroad was built in 1869, Forest City was the Meeker County seat. However, when the railroad was directed through Litchfield, many people moved their businesses near the tracks, and Litchfield became the county seat.
Down the street was the schoolhouse. Within it, volunteers made old-fashioned decorations for people to take home. Next, came the newspaper office, where an artist was sketching an image of the town.
“We then send (the image) away to have a wood printing deal made up,” Hermann said. “Then, we bring it back here, and in our old print shop, we print 120 copies. We pick out 100 that are really good and number them and put them up for sale.”
After gathering information from the newspaper, visitors could journey next door for a check-up at the doctor’s office. The volunteer in charge of the doctor’s office had a variety of plants, and he explained what they
were used for.
The town hotel and tavern was the next stop for visitors. Here, they could stop for snacks and refreshments and enjoy piano music as it would have been in the 1800s. This is also where the wagon rides started and ended.
Just across the way from the loading area, was a shoe and leather building that featured a wide array of gifts and trinkets.
Next, guests were welcomed to visit one of the newest additions, a sod house built four years ago. The house was built to show people what it would have been like to live in western Minnesota without trees.
“It was quite an undertaking, because nobody else around here really has one that is made up of sod,” Hermann said. “We cut the sod ourselves … and it was a trick to get a nice 6-inch piece of sod.”
Other buildings designed in an au-
thentic 1800s style included a chapel with live music, the livery or stable, a general store, a bakery, a blacksmith shop, the land office, a wood shop, the candle maker and the potter.
“The first (land office) west of the Twin Cities was in Forest City,” Hermann said. “We have had people come from Alexandria to Brooklyn Park to record where they homesteaded some ground.”
Throughout their tour, visitors had opportunities to indulge in traditional foods such as cream can stew, fried bread, homemade ice cream and lefse handmade by the volunteers.
“We are a group of people that want to see pioneer history live on,” Hermann said. “We raise our own money … and we donate everything we do on these 10 acres of land to the Meeker County park system.”
A row of hats is displayed on top of a piano Dec. 7 at the Forest City Stockade near Forest City. Sightseers could tour around 20 different buildings and exhibits.
(Above) A crowd of people gather inside the stockade walls around the cabin Dec. 7 at the Forest City Stockade near Forest City. Throughout their tour, visitors had opportunities to indulge in traditional foods such as cream can stew, fried bread, homemade ice cream and lefse.
PHOTOS BY EMILY BRETH
Printing supplies lay on the counter Dec. 7 at the Forest City Stockade near Forest City. The period portrayed during this event is the 1860s.
Daryl Sheetz (left) and Gaby Brennan wait as the horse-drawn wagon is loaded Dec. 7 at the Forest City Stockade near Forest City. Each year, a wagon or sleigh ride is available, depending on the weather.
One Stop Planter Shop Happy Holidays
Negen from page 29
facility was shut down due to retirement, so clients were looking for a new place to take their furry friends.
“It was just up the road, so it just made sense for me to take over their clients,” Negen said. “It just fell into place nicely.”
While Negen primarily runs the business, she gets help from her daughter, Jordie, and her son, Casen, who help fill food bowls and play with the dogs. Negen’s husband, Cory, helps with the business as well.
“It’s great that my kids get to grow up learning about all of this,” Negen said. “They get to learn about the dogs, but also running a business.”
Negen has been boarding dogs since Jan. 1, 2023, when Rolling Acres officially opened. A nearby boarding
Besides running Rolling Acres, Negen also works with certified therapy dogs. Her own dog, Brutus, visits patients on hospice and in nursing homes and students in schools. Brutus, a British Labrador Retriever, went through therapy dog training to become certified.
Negen page 31
PHOTOS BY RAE LANZRATH
Janelle (right) and Jordie Negen clean the kennel area Nov. 4 at Rolling Acres Retrievers and Pet Boarding near Miltona. The facility has 14 kennels.
Ribbons are displayed Nov. 4 at Rolling Acres Retrievers and Pet Boarding near Miltona. The business has been running for nearly two years.
Negen is the head trainer for the Hospice of Douglas County therapy dog program, which brings canines to facilities to visit hospice patients and their families.
“The volunteer coordinator and I assess if dogs will be a good fit for the program,” Negen said.
Negen ensures they are well-suited to the task by getting to know their personality and temperament. She also makes sure they have the correct training.
The dogs must have an American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen certification and be registered with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs.
When she started with the program in early 2024, Brutus was the only therapy dog in the program. Since then, six other therapy dogs have joined the pack.
“There are seven dogs that visit hospice patients,” Negen said. “It really brings a lot of joy and comfort.”
For nearly two years, Negen has been boarding dogs and working with therapy dogs, but her experience
Janelle Negen poses with her dog, Brutus, this August at Rolling Acres Retrievers and Pet Boarding near Miltona. Brutus is a certified therapy dog and visits schools, nursing homes and hospice patients.
dates back to childhood. When she was in sixth grade, she started cleaning kennels for a dog trainer near Elbow Lake.
“I started running hunt tests with him, and that’s where it all started,” Negen said. To further her knowledge of animals, Negen studied animal science and equine science at North Da-
kota State University. She continued working with dogs for nearly 10 years before opening her business.
Negen has dedicated her life to her canine counterparts and plans to continue to do so for years to come.
“I do it because I just really love dogs,” Negen said.
