Country Acres - December 17, 2021 by Star Publications

ountry C

Friday, December 17, 2021

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Volume 8, Edition 35

Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment

A Christmas

Warzechas grow trees for every type of customer BY CHRISTINE BEHNEN STAFF WRITER

OYALTON – Christmas trees are as alike to each other as one person’s Christmas is alike to another’s. They are alike in spirit, and yet, they are each entirely unique. A Christmas tree is not just a tree. It is special because of what it represents. Rick and Rosie Warzecha of Wee Trees near Royalton

ST R

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

sell Christmas trees. They have been growing them for coming toward 40 years. Their farm is full of row after row of green trees. There are thousands of trees on their 50 acres. There are new seedlings barely surfacing above the snow, and there are grand old trees towering high. There are trees, and more trees, and more trees. They may have at one time, long ago in the beginning, imagined that one Christmas tree might do as well as anoth-

This month in the

experience

er, but today they think otherwise. Way back in the beginning, Rick got the idea to grow Christmas trees. His father had owned a farm by Rice and planted thousands of trees as windbreaks. Around 1969, Rick asked his father about growing some of the trees as Christmas trees. “Then it was more about just getting Christmas trees,” Rick said. But it wasn’t until 1983

COUNTRY: Watch for the next edition of Country Acres on Jan. 15, 2022

Short days, long winter evenings Diane Leukam column

“We led two lives” Cyrus

that Rick and Rosie planted the first trees of what was to eventually become Wee Trees. The land that is now covered in trees had been a cornfield. Then, it looked nothing like what it would come to be. In 1989, they build their house and moved to their soon-to-be evergreen farm. In 1991, 2,000 fir trees took to the earth, establishing what is currently the bough

PHOTO COURTESY OF RULE CREATIVE CO.

The Warzecha family of Wee Trees has been growing Christmas trees since 1983 on their farm near Royalton. Pictured are Rosie and Rick Warzecha (from left), Lucas Barber, Natasha Barber, Neil Maidl and Ryan Warzecha.

Warzechas page 2

12 Christmas Q&As With our Advertisers

23 Polly Vaughn Nancy Leasman column

14 Kayaking the mighty Mississippi Paynesville

24 Life on the Euerle farm Litchfield

19 Coming full circle Grove City

25 Country cooking Albany

Page 2 • Country Acres | Friday, December 17, 2021

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 Christine Behnen 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

Warzechas from front field. The green boughs from those original trees are now made into wreaths, garlands, porch pots, and other adornments. It takes commitment and perseverance to grow trees. Trees cannot be grown and harvested from one season to the next. Scotch pines, for example, grow seven to eight years before they can be harvested. “It’s a long long process to get to the point of selling that tree for the enjoyment of the family that’s coming to buy it from you,” Rick said. Rick and Rosie’s children, Ryan and Natasha, grew up with the trees. When the Warzechas started, their children were small, but they quickly learned all about the trees. They soon knew well the many kinds of trees that can be made to be Christmas trees. The list of varieties is long, and the recitation of their names is like an arboreal poem: Black Hills spruce, Scotch pine, balsam fir, the Norways, Fraser fir, Canaan fir, Meyer spruce, white pine, Korean fir … There are so very many. The trees have their smell, their texture of needles, their brilliance of green or tinge of blue, their branches thickly dense or sparse and strong. Why grow so many kinds of Christmas trees? “We have so many differ-

PHOTO BY CHRISTINE BEHNEN

Evergreen trees of all sizes stand silently in this wintry scene as twilight falls Dec. 8 at the Warzecha farm near Royalton.

ent types of people,” Rick said. “Everybody likes a different tree. There’s a reason for everything and why we grow all of the different varieties.” These are people from different places, different intentions and different traditions as Rick and Rosie elaborated. Central Minnesotans might tend to be more familiar with Scotch pines or balsam firs, but someone who was transplanted to Minnesota from the East Coast might be looking for the Fraser fir that they grew up with as a kid. A family

from Montana has a tradition of getting a large Norway, cutting the top off, and then fitting all of the presents into the tree itself, amongst the branches instead of under them. A customer looking for a tree that can resist the attentions of cats might want a Colorado blue spruce because of its stiff and sharp needles. The Korean fir has its own temperament and grows in its own direction, which is what some people are looking for.” “There are people that really do love Charlie Brown

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. p

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“Committed to being the eyes and ears of our communities.”

trees,” Rick said. “It’s what they grew up with, or something special happened in their life that that tree represents. And, that’s what they’re shooting for, to remember that Christmas.” What is that particular Christmas that has imprinted in memory? “I can remember the Christmas that my Dad took me to a little fix-it shop in Sauk Rapids and bought me a model train,” Rick said. “The train was built right before World War II, and it was a special train because Marx was one of the first to make automatic couplers. I still have it. It still runs. We used to jump the train from bed to bed. That’s the Christmas I’ll remember. I’ll never forget.” It is precisely because the Christmas tree carries more than just the weight of its ornaments that buying one is not a stock and standard exchange of green bills for green boughs. Just as Christmas is an experience worth cultivating, so too is the experience of buying the tree. Rick and Rosie are certainly cultivating experiences for their holiday visitors.

PHOTO BY NATASHA BARBER

Rosie Warzecha, Lucas Barber and Rick Warzecha plant young trees in spring 2019 at the Warzecha farm near Royalton.

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Warzechas page 3

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Country Acres

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

Happy

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PHOTO BY NATASHA BARBER

A sleigh parked among evergreen trees indicates fun times ahead when Christmas comes to Wee Trees in Royalton.

Warzechas from page 2

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Warzechas page 4

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Porch pots, wreaths, and other creations turn the farm itself into a visual celebration. A wreath big enough to leap through has its place amongst the younger trees. Strategically placed photos opportunities in a cutter sleigh, hot cocoa stand and a large carved log bench allow ample room for families to take memorable photos while visiting. A plan is in the works to put in a garden train system for the children to watch. Some attractions at the farm have lasted for generations. “On a warm day, a lot of kids get out of the vehicle and head straight south to the sheep,” Rosie said, laughing. “We have parents that were little kids when they came here with their parents, and the ﬁrst place they PHOTO BY CHRISTINE BEHNEN went is to see the sheep.” Rick Warzecha wraps a Christmas tree Dec. 8 at the farm

Page 4 • Country Acres | Friday, December 17, 2021

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Rick and Rosie Warzecha work in their Christmas shop on their farm near Royalton, where they have been growing Christmas trees since 1983. Wreaths often are made from boughs of trees planted in 1991.

Warzechas from page 3

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Some visitors have been visiting for generations. They come from near, and they also come from as far as Park Rapids, Brainerd, Stillwater and the Twin Cities metro area. They come every year, no matter how strange or unusual the year itself may has been. Even the previous holiday season, the year of the pandemic, they came without fail, and even, perhaps with extra joy. “Last year, we have never seen so many families bring so many kids because it was someplace to go out and enjoy themselves,” Rick said. “There was laughing all of the time, with little kids running here and little kids running there.” If the children of today are having the same

Rosie Warzecha demonstrates a homemade bow Dec. 8 in the Christmas shop.

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

Comedy in the country

Short days, long winter evenings

With the winter setting in and the all ages, and both men and women. Hey, just new year just around the corner, it seems trying to help out! like a great time to indulge in some sort Learn a new game and, if you are alone, of pastime. It just so happens that farmers find someone to play it with. For example, and ranchers sometimes forgo hobbies I’m not sure how I reached my current age for, you guessed it, more work. without knowing how to play the board That was always the case for Paul game Sequence, but my husband, Don, and Zimny of Cyrus – unless you call a winter I played this last week while visiting famcareer a hobby, that is. It was such a pleaily. It’s like tic-tac-toe on steroids, with sure visiting with Paul and Carol about cards and longer sequences. We didn’t win their lives together, and honestly, there Random Reflections every game but, with a little aggressive deby Diane Leukam was so much to the story that had to be termination, we took the match against our left out due to lack of space. much-younger foes. Not that age really has The Zimnys farmed during the summers in North anything to do with it, but still, it was fun beating Dakota, and in winter, Paul was a full-time aviation them. mechanic for many years. After they moved to their Speaking of aggression, have you ever tried Carcurrent farm in Minnesota, they continued to farm in bles, Rummikub or Catan? There are limitless numthe summer, and Paul built airplanes in his spare time bers of board and card games out there. as a hobby. Mind you, he is 95 years old and just sold Speaking of speaking, how about learning a new his last plane a couple months ago. He bought it at language? Try Duolingo, an app where you can spend age 92 and restored it before marketing it to a young as little as five minutes a day – or however long you man from Colorado. wish – learning almost any language you wish. In our It wasn’t that Paul didn’t have time for other area, some of the more popular ones to try might be hobbies, like painting (he did a portrait of his father) Spanish (27 million learners on the app currently), and building model airplanes. Together, he and Car- German (9 million) and Norwegian (1 million), but ol shared wonderful adventures, like flying together you could step out of the box and go for Russian, in an ultralight plane he built or spending time with Yiddish, Navajo or even Klingon. family and their many friends, both here and in AriI signed up for the Spanish not too long ago. It zona. is helping me brush up on the classes I had in high I don’t know about you, but whenever I meet school; dusting off might be a better description. I someone like this, it tends to make me wonder what I have no idea how long I will keep it up, but it’s kind do with all my time. But, it also gives me great hope; of fun. at age 61, if I were to have the longevity of Paul (CarOther hobby options might be taking an online ol is much younger at age 82), I would have at least class, baking bread, cooking, woodworking, bowlanother three and a half decades to get things done. ing, listening to old vinyl records or feeding the birds. Imagine that. Another one I personally enjoy is taking one room We are not all made the same way and we’re not each winter and giving it a facelift. all going to be doing those things in our mid-90s; it’s The sky is the limit, and each of us could find just not very realistic. God willing, though, we can something interesting to get us through the short days all enjoy today. and long winter evenings. If you have any hobbies I did a little research into some hobbies that could you would like to share with our readers, just send keep us busy during the long cold winter evenings. them my way at diane@saukherald.com. The search garnered some fairly interesting results. We’ll see you in a month, when we will welcome These suggestions are quite varied and include some new readers in three more counties to the west. personal experiences; they might appeal to people of Merry Christmas!

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Friday, December 17, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 9

“We led two lives” Zimnys balanced careers in farming, aviation BY DIANE LEUKAM STAFF WRITER

CYRUS – Sitting in their farmhouse kitchen south of Cyrus, Paul and Carol Zimny told the story of their lives together, featuring two distinct careers woven together in an unlikely fabric bound by farming on one side and aviation mechanics on the other. “We led two lives,” Paul said on Nov. 24. “We were farmers in North Dakota; in September we packed our suitcase and were available wherever.” “Wherever” was just that. After each summer of farming 2,000 acres of rented cropland near Minot, Paul would spend winters working as an aircraft mechanic. From places like Wichita, Kansas to San Francisco and Phoenix, his experiences are etched in his mind, with details of planes, the work done on them and the excitement of it all. Paul, 95, speaks eloquently, without pause about those days – or, these days. A couple months ago he sold his latest plane, having bought it at age 92 and restored it to its former glory. After graduation from high school at age 16, Paul studied aviation mechanics at the State School of Science in Wahpeton, North Dakota. From then on, the sky was the limit. He chuckled as he told the story of his employment in Wichita. “I worked for Boeing and I set a record: I quit five times to go back to the farm in the spring,” he said. “That last year, the foreman who hired me said, ‘we’ll never hire you again. Will you quit again in the spring?’ and I said, “Well yes, I have a farm to run!’” At Boeing in the mid-1940s, Paul worked on building the first B47 bomber, just before the B52s were built. He worked his way up in the company. “That last year I worked there, the Air Force was right across the road from the factory,” he said. “I was like the head guy; just before the Air Force would buy the airplane from us, we’d have

PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM

Carol and Paul Zimny stand in the living room of their farmhouse Nov. 24 near Cyrus. For many years in North Dakota, the two farmed in the summer and Paul worked as an aviation mechanic during the winter; Paul painted the portrait of his father, and his mother is pictured below.

Paul Zimny shows a model of the Interceptor, one of the airplanes he worked with at Minot Air Force Base as an employee of Lockheed Martin.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Paul and Carol Zimny are pictured at their farm in Cyrus in a two-place Chinook ultralight airplane, one of many built by Paul throughout his years farming in Minnesota.

to run a complete inspection. They had the plane jacked up and I’d sit up in the cockpit with a headset on and Air Force base personnel and the Boeing inspector would be down below and they would talk to me and say, ‘retract the landing gear, run through all of the procedures, run the flaps up and down, the Bombay doors open and closed.’” It was critical that everything worked perfectly. “When the Air Force inspector approved it, it was considered sold to the Air Force,” he said. “That was my first job.” But, it was the last he would work for Boeing, as the farm called him home each spring. His next aviation

work was with United Airlines each winter. He worked at the maintenance base, sometimes in San Francisco, sometimes in Phoenix. The work at United was interesting. “We would get a call go to the terminal to fix an airplane because of a bird strike or something,” he said. “We would fix it so they could continue, and away they’d go to Hawaii with it. It was interesting work.” The work also allowed him free flights to Minneapolis to visit his sweetheart, as Carol was working there for Honeywell. The two had met years earlier through her older brother, Derald Husmann. He and Paul had rented farmland separate-

ly in North Dakota and were good friends. When Derald visited his home farm in Blackduck one summer, Paul went along

and he and Carol met. “We were making hay at the time and I was hooking up the slings [to transfer hay to the haybarn],” Carol said. “He came out and helped me, which was nice. My dad had cows and they did some logging and grew wheat and oats.” Many years later, the two were married, the children came along and things got a little more

complicated, but still manageable. They adopted two boys, in 1968 and 1970, and one biological son and two daughters were born in the following years. There was less travel as the family grew, but the winter work was no less interesting or challenging. They lived in Glenburn, North Dakota, about 15 miles from the Minot Air Force Base, where Paul worked next for Lockheed Air Service, a researcher and developer off advanced d d airc aircraft i systems. Each yyear, the harvest was finished fairly early for Paul. Pau “I’d bbe done farming iin September aand call up u Lockheed h and say, sa ‘I’m available for work,’” Paul said. “They’d say, ‘We got one in Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix, or Dover or Sacramento,’ All these places we could work.” Somewhere warm was the obvious choice for the couple. “Sacramento was nice,” Carol, 82, said. “We were in Phoenix, too – every winter was different.” Paul showed a model of the Interceptor, one of the airplanes he worked on. “At Minot Air Force Base, we had 22 of these,” he said. “We were told to put in-flight fueling in them so these KC135 tankers could fly above them; they’d run down

Zimmy page 10

PHOTO SUBMITTED

it in the yard of the North a, sits A d, an Aeronc The first plane Paul Zimny ever owned is to the room where window s Dakota home where he grew up. He noted the upstair old. years 5 was he when died mother his he was born, and that

Friday, December 17, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 11

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Paul Zimny combines wheat in North Dakota, where the Zimnys farmed 2,000 acres of grain and Paul worked as an aviation mechanic each off-season.

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“He built one-seaters for a long time and then finally a two-seater so I could go up with him,” Carol said. After he flew the plane for a while, he would sell it and build another in his workshop on the farm. The last plane he bought was a Piper Apache four-place, purchased several years ago when a neighbor died and left his plane behind. “I worked on it and advertised in Aviation magazine,” Paul said. “It ended up a 25-year-old kid from Colorado bought it; that was just about two months ago. So, that was my last airplane.” It was his last, but not his favorite. That honor belongs to a 1936 Aeronca, the first plane he ever bought, at a cost of $200. He found it in “TradeA-Plane,” a magazine he read while in college. He wrote a letter to the owner and said he would purchase it if it could be delivered. Paul finished college and was home for just a month and the plane was delivered. His dad was not impressed. “He didn’t think much of it, he was the old-fashioned type, keep your feet on the ground,” Paul said, laughing. “That’s my favorite airplane – I flew it so much, I went everywhere with that thing.”

plane and ask the saint to keep him safe. “I clipped it inside the cockpit and it went through all of this, even a gravel pit for 15 years,” Paul said. “I get this call from a guy in Washington State who was rebuilding the plane and found the St. Christopher medal. I forgot about it!” At a celebration of Sr. Agnes’ 100th birthday about five years ago, he brought the medal and showed it to her. Today, the Zimnys keep a busy schedule, visiting with neighbors, playing cards and traveling to visit their children in Minneapolis and North and South Dakota. One son lives in Oregon. In summer, they will once again take care of the yard and garden. The Zimnys also spend time in Arizona, where they share the driving, although Carol often prefers Paul to be behind the wheel. “Almost everyone is snowbirds down there,” Paul said. “So, you have to be very careful.”

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The Aeronca comes with an involved story including a fire that burned its fabric covering; the intrigue of its disappearance from the barn where it was stored; Paul’s father’s prayer that the plane would be found; its being found in a gravel pit 15 years later; Paul restoring it and selling it to the highest bidder at auction to a guy from Los Angeles; and another guy calling Paul just a few years ago to see if he might be the owner of a St. Christopher medal he had found in the plane. The medal was dear to Paul. His mother passed away when he was just 5 years old and his father raised seven children on the farm during the Great Depression. Eventually, the youngest children were sent to a boarding school where Paul’s oldest sister, Adaline (Sr. Agnes), was a nun and a teacher. When he bought the Aeronca, he flew the plane to see her, and she suggested he have a St. Christopher medal in the

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Zimmy

Friday, December 17, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 13

Laura Spooner

& Happy New Year

Vice President, Koronis Tire Inc., Paynesville Thanksgiving, normally Thanksgiving evening we put up the Christmas tree. We have three Christmas trees in my mom’s house, she does hand towels, dishes, pillows, 20 nativities around the house. I guess it’s just the feel once you see it, she does a wonderful job decorating, it just kind of brings the spirit of Christmas alive.

What are your favorite Christmas traditions? On my husband’s side, his mom always makes a Chinese meal for Christmas. Spooner Chinese is always a treat. All the boys, three boys, always enjoyed Chinese food. She’s 100 percent Irish but she makes Kung Pao chicken, beef and broccoli, egg rolls that are to die for, cream cheese wontons.

What’s your favorite Christmas soundtrack and why? Classic Mariah Carey, “All I want for Christmas is You.” Everyone loves that song, you can dance to it, you can scream it from the top of your lungs, it’s a fun one.

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What is the best Christmas gift you’ve ever given someone and how did you choose it for them? It’s probably an experience. My husband and I are whale nerds, it’s very odd but we went whale watching in San Juan Island, Washington. We gift it to each other for Christmas and then we go in June. I think that it’s very unique and it’s very uniquely ours. Trips and experiences I think, just the memories you can hang onto. Experiences and memories are much more important and valuable.

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What do you enjoy most about the Christmas season? I enjoy the Christmas music; I grew up enjoying music in church and different places. Christmas music is usually always happy and fun and brings a smile to my face and it’s easy to sing along with. It’s a sign of the season and makes the snow not so bad.

joy their time in school and their time with their friends. We keep it simple, try to get outside and make snowmen and make homemade crafts. Preparing for the season for me is not getting overwhelmed. It’s trying to purposefully take time to slow down and enjoy that family time as best you can.

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When does it officially feel like Christmas in your home? The Christmas tree that goes up after Thanksgiving, we go cut one with the kids every year.

What are your favorite Christmas traditions? We always make a point to read the story of Jesus’ birth on Christmas morning with our kids. That’s a huge thing for our family and kids. That’s our number one favorite thing we do. It’s not just about the gift giving but what we give to others and what was given to us and how it all started. We read it straight out of the Bible.

What’s your favorite Christmas soundtrack and why? I have a soft spot in my heart for the movie, “White Christmas,” so a lot of those songs I feel are just fun and bring back great memories of growing up as a kid watching that movie.

What do you do to prepare for the Christmas season? As little as possible. That sounds terrible but I’ve explained this to people before, I walk into some people’s homes and it’s this glorious scene of decorations and lights. Walk into my house and it’s a Christmas tree and a few things and that’s it, it’s very minimal but I just want my kids to en-

What is the best Christmas gift you’ve ever given someone and how did you choose it for them? A gift that stands out in my mind, when our oldest nephew graduated … a teenage boy who’s going out on his own, we bought him several packages of meat and a couple of recipes so he doesn’t have to go to the store and buy things.

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Page 14 • Country Acres | Friday, December 17, 2021

Kayaking the mighty Mississippi

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Kelly and Joe Speldrich set out on Sept. 4 to paddle the Mississippi River. The couple headed south, aiming for the Gulf of Mexico, but spent more time enjoying the journey than focusing on the end destination; in the background is the first lock and dam they encountered.

On Sept. 4, they launched their kayaks in the Bohemian Flats, just below St. Anthony Falls. Though they decided to work their way toward the Gulf of Mexico, it wasn’t really about the end destination, but rather the journey and the people they would encounter along the way. The two describe themselves as natural adventurers before kids. When the urge hit Joe to actually do the trip, Kelly put in for a three-month vacation from her desk job. Joe, who runs his own tree service, blocked off the time. Joe set out in a 17.5foot Storm GT and Kelly in a 12.5-foot Wilderness Pungo, which she said proved not to be long enough, and, without a rudder she had to work extra hard. “You can’t do enough paddling for the Mississippi,” Joe said. “We deﬁnitely didn’t practice enough.”

The Mississippi, which can garner 2- to 3-foot waves on a rough and windy day, and a wicked undercurrent near barges, also became a sanctuary for the two. Though they set off to ﬁnd adventure and have stories about people who helped them along the way, they talk mostly about the strength and determination they found in each other. Parents to three nowadult children in their 20s, the two began their own adulthoods journeying the country. In the early years, Joe got laid off from work and decided to pack his car with belongings and go to California, getting an idea and taking off. Kelly traveled around freely until she met and married Joe; she worked in Yellowstone for awhile and has always enjoyed the wilderness. Through the years, and the kids, Kelly said

Speldrich page 15

Friday, December 17, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 15

Speldrich from page 14

had his on the hood of his kayak. There were other times the river showed its wild side. “It’s the power of the river, when you get

into that faster current, he said. you’d be paddling along The sheer size of the and think you were going river at points also suraround an object and the prised them. river was pulling you this way and it was easier to go around the other way,” Speldrich page 16

PHOTO SUBMITTED

This picturesque land is one of the first camp sites Joe and Kelly Speldrich set up as they traveled the Mississippi River. The two often set up camp along the banks or the islands of the river.

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on her kayak cart, he grabbed a knife and a rope and ﬁxed it like it was nothing – something that wouldn’t have happened on a work day, she said. “He was calm and mellow, and in his element,” she said. “I just saw how happy he was out there.” The drought, and the low water levels on the river, made the journey a bit slower than they anticipated. They’d also occasionally get caught up on a wing dam, a pile of rocks that runs out along the river. They knew of them from watching YouTube videos and documentaries of people traveling the waterway. And, while they had heard of the undertow that comes from barges, they said they weren’t prepared for it. While boats rocked their kayaks with waves that crested in white caps, barges put out epically strong rollers. “Hitting that current would pull you underneath the barge,” Joe said. They paddled hard near barges and kept their distance. Kelly wore a lifejacket the whole trip and Joe

CA-Dec17-1B-WS

she’s developed a knack for planning a bit more while Joe still likes to jump right in. They came to a compromise this trip and found a group online called the Mississippi River Angels to aid in their travels when needed. They still marvel that they just set a date and did it. “I’ve been doing an ofﬁce job for a while and I was just ready for something different,” Kelly said. “Maybe to feel like a teenager or something again. Just to prove to myself that I’m not old, I guess.” For a couple from a small town, and avid watchers of the news, tired of politics and exhausted from talk of COVID-19, the two weren’t expecting much from society; they were admittedly a bit jaded. However, humanity surprised them and they told stories of the generosity and kindness they found along their journey. The ﬁrst night they camped in St. Paul by the High Bridge lookout and crossed paths with a homeless man named Mike. Mike approached them with a hatchet in his hand but as they talked to him for a bit, he left the hatchet next to a tree and visited. For the most part, they camped on sandbars and islands on the river where there wasn’t another soul. Thanks to the drought, it was also nearly mosquito-free. “It was quiet and fun, nobody else around, like you’re the only two people on Earth, it’s kind of cool,” Joe said. No running water, no showers, no bathrooms – truly roughing it. For Kelly, it was a new glimpse at the man she married. “It was just getting back in touch with Joe again, just how calm he can be and how he could just do anything,” she said. When a strap broke

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

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Joe Speldrich set out to kayak the Mississippi River with his wife, Kelly, after remembering a promise he made to himself as a teenager.

Speldrich from page 15 “The Mississippi is enormous from side to side,” he said. Though they encountered barges and recreational boaters and ﬁshermen along the way, there were also enormous expanses where it was just the two of them and the sound of the current and the wind. Mile after mile, they never had a time when they were scared on the trip. In fact, it was the opposite. “The people, in general, are so beautifully kind, it took my breath away,” Kelly said. “Being in a small town and watching the news you get this thing that everybody is terrible out there. There are so many nice people who are willing to go out of their way to help you. That was the biggest blessing of the trip.” On a particularly windy day when a storm was expected to come up, the couple stopped to look for a motel and someone in town suggested they go to the local café and talk to a woman there who’d set them up with a bed and breakfast.

A boat gets stuck on the Chain of Rocks near St. Louis.

Another day they were on Lake Pepin and the wind came up and the lake became choppy and wavy and impossible to pass. They messaged a “River Angel” who invited them into their home, fed them and provided them with a place to shower and sleep for the night. Another day, someone from the group, which helps paddlers get necessities on their trip, brought them some thread to make a repair. The rest of the time

though, it was the two of them. “It was just being out there – there were times I’d be out in the middle of the river, look around and no barges or [other] people for miles, just my wife,” he said. “I was just a little speck of dust out here.” He’d set up camp without a shirt or shoes on and have the realization of how natural the journey was.

Speldrich page 18

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

Taylors from page 19

PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE BEHNEN

Taylors Country Store opened three years ago along U.S. Highway 12 near Grove City. (left) Handcrafted hickory rocking chairs are examples of the work from talented artists whose creations are sold at the store.

Everything started into motion when Verlynn Yoder, their minister at the Beachy Amish Mennonite Church, suggested

that a country store would be well-placed there, if they were to return. “The church has been here since 1957, and they’ve never had a store here,” Steve explained. “There was a need for a small mom-and-pop type store. A lot of people here have to drive a distance to get the ingredients that they like to use. They might go as far as Indiana. Amish will go a long ways to stock up.” Things moved quickly after their conversation with Yoder. In 2017, they moved back to Minnesota and looked for a good

location. They found the property on Highway 12 with a house and space to build a store and parking lot. There were no similar stores within a 75-mile radius, and the location was along a prominent thoroughfare. “The timing was perfect; they were ready to sell, and we were ready to buy,” said Steve. Next came the real work of turning that small farm property into a site for the country store. They were fortunate not to have to work alone. The church had invited them and, now that they

Taylors page 21

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spent about eight years in South Dakota near Patty’s family. Steve had work welding, but he preferred working in his store.

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The Taylors already knew quite a bit about running a country store when they moved back to the area four years ago. For 12 years they had run a similar store in Somerset, Pennsylvania, just a three-hour drive from where Steve’s parents had returned from their mission. Country stores are quite common in that area, but less so in Minnesota. Country stores are often characterized as bulk stores. “My introduction to bulk food stores was in the 70s,” said Steve. “It was all natural foods. They bought big bags and repackaged it. I liked that idea right away. In that time it was practically unheard of. There was a company called Dutch Valley in Pennsylvania that saw an opportunity to cater to Amish families as a way to employ the whole family. It’s more labor intensive because you have to repackage everything, put price labels on it. They could get the basics easier that way. They could walk or take the buggy, without needing a ride.” Minnesota was where they had been living originally, but after leaving Pennsylvania, they

had returned, many people were ready to lend a hand. “The church really helped with a lot,” Patty recalled. “They removed trees. They came and helped set up shelving. Girls came, and we had assembly lines putting everything together. I don’t know what we would have done without them.” In December of 2018 they opened, just before Christmas. Between the support of the local community and the traffic along the Minneapolis-Willmar transit corridor where Grove City lies, the business grew. “When we opened we got a lot of feedback from customers that they were glad we were here,” Steve said. “Every year has been better than the previous year.” Steve and Patty’s prior experience running a store proved to be of great help this time around. They had better ideas, knew mistakes not to make, and had a bigger vision than just serving their church community. “Now, it’s not just the Amish who buy bulk,” Steve noted. “A lot of practical-thinking people want to buy that way, too. Other people are looking for an alternative.”

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

Taylors

Rachel Yoder demonstrates how bags are sealed.

from page 20 One kind of customer might be looking for the sorghum or special ingredients for recipes that they grew up with. Another might come only for the sweets, or the fresh Thursday pies. Work crews may come looking for a lunch sandwich during a respite from their labors. In the summer, the store has become a destination, especially for grandparents who treat children to ice creams, which they can enjoy at the bench swing or tables out back. Families and friends arrange group visits, and do all of their shopping together, coming from as far as Marshall, Granite Falls and the Dakotas. Some social clubs have even made the store a destination for a group outing, surprising members who had never before visited. “We have a lot of ladies that come in as groups,” Patty recounted. “There are quilters. Red Hats is the name of one of the groups.” Minnesota customers are different than Pennsylvania customers. Steve and Patty have found here a demand for things like Braunschweiger and, surprisingly, horseradish. “It is amazing,” Patty laughed. “Horserad-

This elderberry erry jelly is one of many any flavors found at the e store.

PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE BEHNEN

Rachel Yoder (left) and Konni Shrock demonstrate how bulk foods are repackaged for sale.

ish cheese. Horseradish pickles. Horseradish just plain. In Pennsylvania, we wouldn’t have sold it.” Locals can find their horseradish, but they can also find a market for their own products in the store. Steve and Patty have sold tomatoes, zucchini, rhubarb, corn and

Stop In!

other crops from their garden. A church member often stocks the store with eggs. Another brings firewood. The hickory rocking chairs are locally made. Beeswax candles, maple syrup, honey, jam, Wick’s Meat Shoppe, Cold Spring Bakery and even the very popular

Thursday pie day are all offerings from locals. “If I can get it local, I’ll prefer that over something from far away,” Steve said. “If I think it’s going to sell, I’ll make the space.” Bulk peanut brittle is ready to be to bagged.

Taylors page 22

Happy Holidays

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Careers Available! We still are hiring for various positions in our Long Prairie Convenience Store and a Propane Driver/Technician. Stop in for an application, apply online at www.northernstarcoop.com For more information on these positions, please email Lisa, store manager, at lpcstore@northernstarcoop.com

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Page 22 • Country Acres | Friday, December 17, 2021 Specials

Breakfast

1. Two Eggs and 2 Slices of Toast 2. Two Eggs, Choice of Meat, Toast 3. Two Eggs, Choice of Meat, Hash Browns and Toast (Meat Choices:

Date

4. Country Fried

Customer’s r Order Numbe

Sausage Patty,

3.75

Customer’s 6.00 r Order Numbe

5. Skillet - Hashbrowns,

Ham, Bacon, Sausage, Onion, Green Pepper, Cheese, 2 Eggs, Toast ON ACCT. - Egg, Cheese, Choice of Meat on English Muffi Muffin ffin or Bun

CHARGE

7. Eggs Benedict

C.O.D.

- Ham & Eggs on English smothered with T Muffi Muffin, ffin, HollandaiseAMOUN Sauce PRICE - With Hash Browns

CASH SOLD BY

- Country fried bacon, egg & country steak style gravy - 1/2 lb. Hamburger Steak, Hashbrowns, 2 eggs & Toast

on bread with

11.00 10.00

9. Steak & Eggs

Take Out -

Peppers P O Onions M Mushrooms Bl Black Olives Ta Taco

9.00

8. Sunrise Breakfast

DESCRIPTION QTY

Sides

full 7.00

Meat - Bacon, sausage patty, Links, or ham Hash Browns

50¢ 50¢ 50¢ 50¢ $1.00

Bacon Sausage Ham Pepperoni

Cheese Onions

2.00 or sour dough)

2.00 1 slice

Hot Tea (green,

black, peppermint)

Gravy Hollandaise sauce

Ice Tea - Freshly

50¢ 1.00

or uncooked meats, poultry or eggs your risk of food may increase borne illness.

Monday Closed

1.00

1.50 1.50

Milk (white or chocolate)

1.50

Lemonade 50¢ 50¢

* Con Consuming raw

1.00 3.50

Beverages

Coffee

$1.00 $1.00 $1.00 $1.00

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Ham) s Addres

- With Hash Browns

Biscuits & Gravy Biscuit French Toast - 3 Slices Pancakes Pancak

1 - 3.49 Blueberry Blueber Pancakes 2 - 5.99 1 - 4.99 Chocolate Chocola Chip 2 - 6.99 Pancakes 1 - 4.99 3 Eggs & Cheese 2 - 6.99 Omelet 5.50 w/Hasbrowns Ham & Cheese C 7.50 Omelet 6.50 w/Hasbrowns 8.50 SOLD Bacon & Cheese Omelet 6.50 w/Hasbrowns Sausage & Cheese 8.50 Omelet 6.50 10.00 w/Hasbrowns 8.50 Western O Omelet 8.50 w/Hasbrowns 10.50 4.50QTY ADDITIONAL

Links, Bacon, or

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Pop Juice (Orange, apple,

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1.50 or cranberry)

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Thank you for your business in 2021!

The country store is small enough to find things, but big enough to offer a broad variety of products.

Taylors from page 21

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A good portion of the bulk foods and supplies are brought in from warehouses in Ohio and Pennsylvania. While bulk food stores and country stores may vary greatly according to the community that surrounds them, they may also exhibit some consistencies in the stock on their shelves. Common distribution channels and common customer interests contribute to the creation of a special niche which the country store fills, in Grove City, in Somerset and beyond. The Taylors’ expertise helps their custom-

“We have a lot of ladies that come in as groups. There are quilters. Red Hats is the name of one of the groups.” - Patty Taylor

ers find items that cannot be found just anywhere, without having to travel too far, from people who know every item and its use and items that are particular to the people who live nearby. The artistry of a chair, the Thursday pie which always sells out, the horseradish which goes well with every-

thing, or the destination for a family outing, all create the flavors and the culture which makes this Minnesota locale unique. From Minnesota to Pennsylvania to South Dakota and back again, the Taylor family has returned full circle, bringing something from far, and something from home, to share with the community.

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Page 24 • Country Acres | Friday, December 17, 2021

Life on the Three generations share unique experiences

Euerle farm

BY CHRISTINE BEHNEN | STAFF WRITER

LITCHFIELD – When Vaughn and Joan Euerle had their youngest baby, they never could have imagined how relentlessly active and joyously ambitious she would be, or that 2020 and 2021 would see Anna as an FFA state officer, graduate from school during a pandemic, become Princess Kay of the Milky Way, and have incredible show experiences with her show cows. Having raised their family of Melissa, Alex, Emily and Anna on the farm, they may have imagined the possibility they would welcome new grandchildren, which certainly happened over these past two years and more. Vaughn, Joan and Anna, and Vaughn’s mother, Dorothy, gathered on their farm by Litchfield in early December to share stories, laugh, and express their gratitude for

the lives they live. The family life on their farm began in 1964 when Dorothy and William Euerle moved to the farm they had purchased. Along with William’s brother, they received some attention when they constructed an innovative free stall milking parlor in 1970. Instead of stanchions, this novel design utilized slatted floors and allowed the cows to be herded systematically in for milking, and then let out again. A clever system directed manure from pits below, through special doors and into a lagoon. People traveled from all over to see it, and the University of Minnesota would regularly visit to study its functioning. “After we had first started filling the lagoon outside, they would come out in their little boat and check the depths from time to time,” Dorothy

PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE BEHNEN

Vaughn (from left), Joan, Anna and Dorothy Euerle gather Dec. 10 to talk about life on their farm near Litchfield.

said. “It was sloped, so fields with the effluent the rain would help fill it that we pumped out twice up, too. We irrigated our a year.” Dorothy’s own father had been a dairy farmer and used stanchions. She happily remembered what it was like as a child when her father was milking cows. “My dad only had about 10-12 cows,” Dorothy recalled. “He’d squirt milk at us, and we’d naturally try to catch it with our mouths, which you don’t have time to do nowadays, because you don’t have that setup.” Generations later,

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Anna has grown up on this same dairy farm, expanding the learning that is her heritage. She’s been very active in acquiring additional experience with some very different dairy farms. In addition to helping out at home, last summer she interned at the 600-cow Ru-be Dairy by Grove City. She took care of the calves, and also the fresh cow and newborn calf protocols. “I’d never worked with a herd size that large before,” Anna described. “I got to learn a lot from

my boss and her family … You could give her a four-digit number of any cow, and she could tell you a personality trait or a physical trait about that cow. I’m glad I have those experiences.” Anna also became involved five years ago in another very unique farm, Corstar Farm, and started leasing and co-owning some animals with Cory and Kristen Salzl. This farm gave her experience with showing in

Euerle page 26

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Friday, December 17, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 25

COUNTRY COOKING RECIPES SUBMITTED BY KENN BURR | Albany, Stearns County Editor’s note: The following recipes are part of Kenn Burr’s Christmas menus. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie • 1 (9 inch) unbaked deep-dish pie crust, in deep-dish pie plate • 1/2 cup white sugar • 1/4 cup brown sugar • 1/2 tsp. salt • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon • 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

• • • •

1/2 tsp. nutmeg Dash of cloves 2 eggs 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin • 1 Tbsp. molasses • 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine sugars, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves in a small bowl. Beat egg lightly in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin, molasses and sugar and spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for two hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Do not freeze, as it will make the crust separate from the filling.

Crab Spread • 1 (8-ounce) package artificial crab meat, flaked • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened • 1/4 cup mayonnaise • 1 rounded Tbsp. sour cream

• 1/2 tsp. Beau Monde or Bone Appetite Seasoning* • 3/4 tsp. dill weed • 1 Tbsp. parsley flakes • 1/4 cup minced green onion • 3/4 tsp. cider vinegar

Mix all ingredients together except crab meat. Stir in crab meat. Chill for a couple of hours and serve with crackers of your choice. *Beau Monde or Bone Appetite Seasoning can be substituted with mix of 1/4 tsp. celery salt and 1/4 tsp. onion powder

Bleu Cheese / Black Olive Cheese Ball • 2 (8-ounce) bricks cream cheese, softened • 1 (4- or 5-ounce) package bleu cheese, crumbled • 1/4 cup butter, softened • 3/4 cup black olives,

finely diced • 1 Tbsp. chives, chopped OR 1 heaping tsp. minced onion Toppings: • 3/4 cup walnuts – chopped, OR 1/2 cup parsley

Mix cheeses and butter well; stir in olives, chives or onion. Chill well and then shape into two balls. Roll balls in chopped walnuts or parsley; chill until ready to serve. Serve with favorite crackers. HINT: To roll cheese balls, chill mixture well and butter your hands heavily. The little extra added butter adds flavor to the cheese balls too.

Oven-Baked Caramel French Toast • • 1 cup brown sugar, packed • 1/2 cup butter • 2 Tbsp. light corn syrup • 8 to 12 slices French bread

• • • •

6 eggs 1-1/2 cups milk 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. ground cinnamon • 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg (optional) • 1/4 tsp. salt

In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until bubbling. Pour into a greased 13”x9” baking dish. Place slices of bread on top of the sauce, crowding if necessary. Combine eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt into blender. Pour evenly over bread. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours, or overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove dish 30 minutes prior to baking. Bake, uncovered, for 40 to 45 minutes or until puffy and light golden brown. To serve, invert slices of toast on serving plates.

Grandma Lydia’s Dinner Rolls • • • • •

2 cups scalded milk 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup butter 1 egg, beaten 2 packets dry yeast

• • • •

1/2 cup warm water 1 tsp. sugar 1-1/2 tsp. salt 5-1/2 to 6 cups of flour

Combine sugar and butter with hot milk. Allow to cool. Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Add 1 beaten egg to cooled milk mixture; mix egg into mixture when cool. Dissolve dry yeast and 1 tsp. sugar in 1/2 cup warm water. Mix milk mixture, yeast mixture, salt and 5-1/2 cups flour. Dough should be slightly sticky. Add additional flour if necessary. Let rise until doubled and punch down. Let rise again and shape into balls/ buns approximately the size of a purple plum. Let rise again. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.

Southern Pecan Pie • 2 Tbsp. butter, softened • 1 cup brown sugar • 2 Tbsp. flour • 1/2 tsp. salt • 3/4 cup maple syrup OR white syrup

• 4 eggs • 2 tsp. vanilla • 1 cup pecan pieces or halves, more to taste • 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat butter in a bowl until creamy. Add brown sugar, flour and salt. Mix well. Add syrup and eggs and beat until well mixed. Stir in pecans and vanilla. Pour into unbaked pie shell and bake 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, reduce head to 350 degrees and bake an additional 30 to 35 minutes, until filling is set and not runny. Allow to cool overnight; serve with Cool Whip or ice cream and for an extra treat, drizzle a little caramel sauce on top.

Recipe page 26

SUBMIT YOUR FAVORITE RECIPES!

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Holiday Stuffing • 1 bag unseasoned, dried bread cubes OR 24-ounce loaf of bread, cubed and dried • 1-1/2 pounds raw pork sausage • 1 large onion, diced

• • • • •

2 cups celery, chopped 1 tsp. thyme 1 tsp. oregano 3 eggs 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning • Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add enough water or chicken broth to moisten the bread cubes; do not have the mix too dry or too wet/soupy. Mix remaining ingredients and place in casserole dish. Bake for 1-1/2 hours or until done.

Cranberry pinwheels • 8 ounces whipped cream cheese • 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled • 1/4 cup green onion, diced, using most of

greens • 6 ounces dried cranberries • 4 (10-inch) flour tortillas

Mix together cream cheese, feta cheese, green onion and dried cranberries. Using a butter knife, spread 1/4 of the mixture onto a 10-inch tortilla. If the filling is difficult to spread, dip your knife into water, then try spreading the filling. Tightly roll up the tortilla. Repeat with remaining three tortillas. Wrap each tortilla into a plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Can be made one day in advance. Slice off the ends, about one inch off each side. Cut each roll into about 10 slices. If you cut them too thinly, they will fall apart. Makes about 40 pinwheels.

Drop in Company Cold Bean Salad This is a quick and easy cold salad that goes well with just about anything, as long as you like green beans and onions. This recipe came from my grandmother and was requested many times through the years for many occasions.

• 2 cans green beans, drained well OR cooked, cold, sliced beets • 1/4 cup minced onion

• 1/8 cup Miracle Whip (may need a little more to coat well) • Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together and serve.

Peach Salad • 1 large can sliced peach slices, drained well, reserve juice • 1 small box orange Jell-O • 1/3 cup mayonnaise

• 1/2 cup celery, finely diced • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts • 1 (8-ounce) tub Cool Whip, thawed

Measure peach juice into measuring cup and add enough water to measure one cup liquid. Heat one cup peach juice liquid with orange Jell-O until dissolved. Add mayonnaise and cool until syrupy. Add diced celery and nuts; fold in Cool Whip. Arrange peach slices in batter or Jell-O mold. Gently poor Jell-O mixture over slices OR chop peach slices and add to Jell-O and pour in serving bowl and refrigerate overnight.

Page 26 • Country Acres | Friday, December 17, 2021

Recipe from page 25 KENN BURR Albany, Stearns County

Gina’s Sweet Potatoes • 2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes • 1 cup evaporated milk • 2 eggs, beaten • 1/2 cup sugar • 1/2 tsp. nutmeg • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon • 3/4 stick butter or

• • • •

margarine, melted Toppings: 3/4 cup crushed cornflakes or Rice Krispies 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1/2 stick margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix sweet potatoes, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and butter together with hand mixer. Pour into a round casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes until mostly set. Remove from oven and stir. Mix topping ingredients, sprinkle on sweet potatoes and bake for 1015 minutes, uncovered.

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Euerle

from page 24 addition to production, and with different breeds like Milking Shorthorns, Ayshires, Guernseys and Red and White Holsteins. “I fell way more in love with Milking Shorthorns,” Anna said. “It’s really fun understanding what goes into the care of a high-quality show animal. Cory and Kristen have been fabulous career mentors.” Christianna, the cow that Anna owns in partnership with Cory and Kristen, showed to immense success at the State Fair but, surprisingly, not with Anna. On the eve of the fair, Anna was crowned as Princess Kay of the Milky Way, and assuming this role meant she would be watching Christianna’s big moment in an unexpected way – in a dress and crown. “I was standing in the ring watching someone else show my cow,” Anna remembered. “I’m really the only one who’s ever shown her before that, since she was 2 months old, and now she’s a 3-year-old cow. I got to go out to her and give them the ribbon. I had a mask on, but Christianna recognized me and gave me a big kiss on the cheek!” Christianna was champion of her breed, production, and reserve champion for merit for 4-H, and intermediate champion Milking Shorthorn in the open class. Anna’s 4-H friends and community stepped up to make sure that the cow Anna had worked so hard to care for would show her best, and she did. Anna’s experience at the fair culminated a huge year, for herself as well as for Meeker County. Her head was sculpted in butter by Linda Christensen on the eve of Linda’s retirement, welcoming in Gerry Kulzer as the new butter sculptor, who happened to be from Litchfield. The Supreme

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Christianna, a champion Milking Shorthorn, kisses her owner, Anna Euerle, at the State Fair after winning a ribbon with handler Taylor Fester.

Champion cow, Lulu, was from Meeker County, and the showcase herd was also incredibly involved in Meeker County dairy on the county level. Anna even won a butter sculpting contest as part of the agrilympics, which included competitions such as animal calling, wool-packing (in a dress!), and hand-milking. “I was ringside during the Supreme Champion presentation when Lulu won,” Anna remembered. “They shut off all the lights, and had someone on spotlight. So, the cow is in the spotlight. It’s really graceful and really slow. While they are leading in, they talk about

the genetics and the accolades of that cow.” Anna went with Cory and Kristen to attend the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin, for the first time in October this year. She described it as the Olympics of cow shows, with cows from around the country and even internationally gathered to compete over 10 days. Christianna came in top five for Milking Shorthorns in her age division. Cory and Kristen’s cow, Lulu, was Reserve Grand Champion Milking Shorthorn. There are many significant events in Anna’s life, but even an everyday day is full of activity. Working in three barns,

there were days where she’d get up, spray down the barn, go to work, go walk calves, and then come home and go to bed. Her family has been right there, encouraging her and also marveling at her tirelessness. “We live it every day,” Joan remarked. “We never know if she’s coming or going.” They trust she has it all under control. “She knows what she’s doing,” Dorothy said with a laugh. Anna is now graduating from Ridgewater College with her Associate’s degree in Agribusiness.

Euerle page 29

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Friday, December 17, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 29

Every additional percentage of meter accuracy adds 1-2 more bushels per acre. That's why no matter who made them, no matter the type, EVERY METER SHOULD BE CALIBRATED EVERY YEAR. Meter calibration is the first step toward spacing perfection. Using the MeterMax® Ultra test stand, we can evaluate the performance of your meter, allowing for fine tuning to bring your accuracy where it should be. PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Anna Euerle poses with her butterhead carved at the Minnesota State Fair after she was crowned Princess Kay of the Milky Way.

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Euerle

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have happened in the last two years of a pandemic. Joan noted their family did not really experience many disruptions, as their farming life continued largely as it always had. For someone with as many goals in the works as Anna, though, things were different. For example, her high school grad-

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Euerle page 30

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In January, she will work towards her Bachelors in Food Science and Technology at the University of Wisconsin River Falls. She will continue to be closely involved at home and at Corstar over the summer. She will also continue a busy schedule as Princess Kay of the Milky Way, serving as an ambassador for the Minnesota dairy community at events all over the state, from industry-related to meeting children at school, or even Christmas light shows. For Anna, this is a way of life that she thrives upon, and she jokes about the problem of what she’ll do when her reign as Princess Kay ends. “I’m a little worried about next year,” she said. “Last year, I was an FFA State Ofﬁcer. This year I’m Princess Kay. Next year ... What am I going to do? I’m going to have so much free time.” All of these things

Page 30 • Country Acres | Friday, December 17, 2021

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Joy to the World!

PHOTO SUBMITTED

The Lord has come!

Anna Euerle (from left) is pictured with Cory and Kristen Salzl, along with their Reserve Grand Champion Milking Shorthorn, Lulu, in October at the World Fairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin.

Euerle from page 29

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that had happened from that chair. From that chair she had been named the FFA State Reporter, spent hundreds of hours at virtual events, and, yes, graduated. “The actual ceremony was in that chair,” Anna pointed out. “I was named a Princess Kay ﬁnalist sitting in that chair. I don’t

know if we can ever get rid of that chair, but it is on its last legs. It’s seen a lot of pretty cool things over the last two years of this pandemic.” The Euerle family is ﬁlled with stories of gratitude, positivity and humor, along with challenges and hard work. “It pushed her [Anna] to strive and reach her goals,” afﬁrmed Joan. “She reached her goals in a pandemic. She might have had to sit in the

chair, but she reached her goals. You always make the best of it. We always have a watch party. She accomplished everything she dreamed of.” It would seem that no bad turn cannot be turned to good for this family, and treated as though it were good all along. Certainly, the farm has been a good place during the pandemic and a good place for any trouble that

Euerle page 31

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Friday, December 17, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 31

MERRY CHRISTMAS From our family, to yours

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Country Acres - December 17, 2021

Articles inside

Life on the Euerle farm

Country cooking Albany

Short days, long winter