Saturday, December 16, 2023 | Country Acres • Page 1
Country Acres Saturday, December 16, 2023
PRSRT STD ECR U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #861 Sauk Rapids, MN 2 Second Ave S Suite 135 Sauk Rapids MN 56379
Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment
Volume 10, Edition 18
Walking
wonderland
PHOTO BY EMILY BRETH
The Dancer family lights a trail for others to enjoy came to enjoy the scenery. However, when the coronavirus pandemic hit, the couple ROYALTON — While decided to expand and get the he was growing up, Andrew word out through their FaceDancer and his family always book page, Dancer Winter had lights up for Christmas, Wonderland. even if only a few. Now, he “From there, it just got and his wife Kayla string up bigger and bigger,” Kayla 160,000 lights for visitors to said. enjoy. Today, the family es“In 2017 we moved (to timates they receive a few a rural area), thousand visitors each year. and we The Dancers added a started the scavenger hunt to their light followshow to create more family ing year fun. There are multiple items putting hidden throughout the trail up more for everyone to find. Another lights,” addition to the light show Kayla said. is found after a short walk The first along the trail where there is two years the now a remake of Whoville Dancers had with the favorite classic lights lining their characters. trail, it was mainly “Andrew and his friend family and friends who projected the images onto BY EMILY BRETH STAFF WRITER
plywood and cut them out,” Kayla said. “I started to paint them one of the weekends over hunting (season). I had a lot of helpers.” After two weeks of cutting and painting, Whoville was complete in time for Dancer Winter Wonderland’s opening the day after Thanksgiving. The display remains up until the end of December. “My husband starts to fix the lights in October and starts setting up around deer hunting,” Kayla said. “Weekends are full days of setting up, and most evenings after work are too.” The day they open the light show to the public, Andrew 4
Telling a story through a different lens Albany
7
Hallmark movies Tiffany Klaphake column
This month in the Publications bli ti The newspaper of today is the history of tomorrow.
COUNTRY: Watch for the next edition of Country Acres on January 20, 2024
double checks all the lights and ensures all the plugins are clear and safe. Although more than 100,000 lights need to be checked, the couple said it’s well worth it. “My favorite part is sitting and talking to people by the fire (after they walk through the trail),” Andrew said. “The community and talking to the visitors are what pushes us to keep going.” Kayla agreed. “We get to see a lot of people we don’t get to see very often,” Kayla said. “We appreciate everyone coming and all the positivity we hear from it.” The Dancers also give credit to others for helping them grow their light and display 9
From dream to reality Paynesville
14 The first frost 17 Distilling a dream Alexandria 21 Country cooking Albany
(Back) A wooden Nativity scene stands ready for the Christmas season Nov. 29 at Dancer Winter Wonderland near Royalton. The manger scene was donated to the Dancer family for the display. (Above)Andrew (from left), Landon, Adeline, Lillian and Kayla Dancer gather at the end of the trail Nov. 29 at Dancer Winter Wonderland near Royalton. The Dancer family has a bonfire each night their display is open so that guests can warm up and talk with each other.
collection. There are many people who have donated old lights or Christmas decorations they didn’t want any more or thought were broken. Andrew takes the time to clean
Dancers page 2 22 The Christmas tree Nancy Packard Leasman column 23 Away in a manger Darwin 26 Milking goats Albany
Page 2 • Country Acres | Saturday, December 16, 2023
Country Acres
PHOTO BY EMILY BRETH
Strings of lights create arches and trees shine bright Nov. 29 at Dancer Winter Wonderland near Royalton. Over 160,000 lights are used to create the images.
Published by Star Publications Copyright 2023 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Phone: 320-352-6577 Fax: 320-352-5647 NEWS STAFF Sarah Colburn, Editor sarah.c@star-pub.com Tiffany Klaphake, Assistant Editor tiffany.k@dairystar.com Jan Lefebvre, Writer jan.l@star-pub.com Herman Lensing, Writer herman@melrosebeacon.com Carol Moorman, Writer carol@melrosebeacon.com Natasha Barber, Writer natasha@saukherald.com Ben Sonnek, Writer ben.s@saukherald.com Hans Lammeman, Writer hans.l@star-pubs.com Alex Middendorf, Contributing Writer
Story ideas send to: sarah.c@star-pub.com SALES STAFF Robin Brunette, 320-293-5911 robin@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 Neil Maidl, 320-292-4454 neil.m@star-pub.com Jaime Ostendorf, 320-309-1988 jaime@star-pub.com Bob Leukam, 320-260-1248 bob.l@star-pub.com
PRODUCTION STAFF Amanda Thooft Nancy Powell Maddy Peterson Cheyenne Carlson Karen Knoblach Annika Gunderson Nadiia Zalitach
Dancers from front and fix the donated decorations and displays them, such as he did with the manger scene that can be found along the trail.
The Dancers welcome visitors to the display with candy canes for each guest to enjoy. “We guess how many people come (based on) the candy canes,” Andrew said. “We probably had around 3,000 visitors last year.” While the Christmas light season is only a month long, Andrew said he never stops thinking of new ideas for their trail. In addition to the trail lights, the
family began spreading the Christmas cheer further by hosting a Christmas party for their children’s classes. They invite roughly 80 kids each year to run around and have fun in the light display. “It’s nice to see people get out,” Andrew said. As the season goes on, the Dancers said, they never tire of talking with the people who walk through the lights and then sit by the toasty fire afterwards. “If it wasn’t for the fire, we probably wouldn’t do as much,” Andrew said.
Being able to bring the community together and hearing all the kind words and positivity from those who visit always makes them smile, the couple said. The Dancers don’t charge their visitors anything; however, they do have a donation bin. “We always try to give back a portion of the donated money to a local cause,” Kayla said. “The last few years, we have given back to the school.” Getting people together and having a good time in the cold winter months is payment enough for the Dancer family. Starting with just a string of roof and deck lights, the glowing and sparkling trail has come a long way. “We are forever grateful to all the wonderful people who come and enjoy the lights and spread kind words to others,” Kayla said.
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. ISSN: Print 2834-6440 Online 2834-6459
ST R
PHOTO BY EMILY BRETH
Lights arranged into a horse and sleigh design shine on a trail pointing guests in the right direction Nov. 29 at Dancer Winter Wonderland near Royalton. Andrew and Kayla Dancer have put lights up at their current house since 2018 and opened their display to the public in 2020.
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Page 4 • Country Acres | Saturday, December 16, 2023
PHOTO BY TIFFANY KLAPHAKE
Leah Brix holds a copy of her book, “St. Joseph’s Hammer,” Dec. 5 in her home near Albany. Brix was able to publish the book, her first, earlier this year.
Telling a story through a different lens
Brix authors book BY TIFFANY KLAPHAKE STAFF WRITER
ALBANY – Leah Brix does not get time as a writer to sit quietly, reflecting for hours and taking time in solitude to perfect each sentence. Instead, the children’s book author and her husband Adam, have eight children — the youngest a month old — and live on a farm where they grow 215 acres of corn and
soybeans. They also raise a few turkeys, ducks, quails and chickens for the kids, who are active in 4-H. Adam also maintains a full-time job in town. For Brix, writing must be squeezed into a hectic schedule. “I homeschool my kids and six of my kids are in sports, but writing gets me excited,” Brix said. “Since embracing my love for writing, it has been my goal to be a published author. Brix achieved her goal earlier this year, when her first book, St. Joseph’s Hammer, was completed and printed. Most people, including Brix, only knew that St. Joseph was a carpenter and was the earthly father
of Jesus. In 2021, Brix participated in a study group through her church that focused on St. Joseph. “In my mind (at the time), St. Joseph was a boring old man,” Brix said. “But while reading this book through our church, it opened my eyes to how young, strong and involved in Christ’s life he was.” Brix’s creative mind started flowing, and the more she learned about St. Joseph, the more she wanted to share with others what she had learned. She decided to write a children’s book about St. Joseph in a fun way for children to understand more about him. “My vison was to use St. Joseph’s ham-
Brix page 5
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Saturday, December 16, 2023 | Country Acres • Page 7
Hallmark movies
I must confess that I love a good Hallmark mov- ties. I went to the tree lighting ceremony in Sauk ie. I also like to watch the Great American Family Centre a couple of weeks ago, and sure enough, just and Lifetime channels for their Christmas like in the movies, there were hayrides, movies. Great American Family centers hot chocolate, caroling, bonfires and chiltheir movies more directly on faith and dren waiting in line to see Santa. family. Speaking of family, the other lesson However, now that I have two todthe main character learns throughout the dlers, I do not get to watch these channels movie is the importance of family. The very often, but when I get a chance, those character moved to the big city to chase are the ones I turn to. I never watched her dream job in hopes of making it big, the Hallmark channel until I married. My leaving all her family and friends back family never had cable when I was growhome. When she returns home for a few ing up, and I never got cable when I was days around the holidays, she realizes how Faith, family, farming living on my own. much she missed her family and discovers Many people say all Hallmark movies By Tiffany Klaphake what is lacking in her life. She comes to are the same — an independent, successthe conclusion that life is better spent with ful young woman returns to her small, charming those you love than working countless hours trying hometown where she meets a guy and falls in love. to get that promotion. There are some unique ones with time travel and Money does not buy happiness. I was told in some that take place abroad, paving the way for high school that I needed to go to college, get a demany plot twists. There is one called “Christmas A gree and work, work, work until I became manager La Mode” that takes place on a dairy farm. Overall, or some fancy title where I would make boatloads of I would agree there is a general reoccurring theme, money. but they are labeled as romantic dramas after all. I went to college and earned my four-year deThere are countless movie plots where a young gree, and after entering the workforce, I too realized woman returns to her hometown after being away that there is more to life than a career making lots of Personalize your ride! for several years to achieve a career in the big city. money. Having a family was more important to me. She thinks she has life all figured out and is living Being surrounded by those I love and being there her dream, only to spend some time with family and for them is what matters. friends and meet a dashing bachelor along the way. The movies on Great American Family have an Then she learns what happiness really is. added benefit of also highlighting the real reason for One of the things I love about these feel-good the season, the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas movies is that they highlight life in small This Christmas, I plan to spend as much time towns and rural living. The main character realizes with family as I can. It is the little moments with by the end of the movie that living in a small town family that end up creating the longest lasting is way better than the big city. In small towns people memories. Whether it is making cookies together, and businesses care about each other. Small town decorating the tree or watching Christmas movies festivals in the summer or in the winter are where together; time with family is always time well spent. cherished memories are made. Annual tree lightHave a merry Christmas, and I hope you are ing ceremonies are not only a good way to spread able to spend time being surrounded by those you Christmas cheer, but also to spend time with familove this holiday season. ly — without the need for any electronics or fancy technology — and they are right in our communi-
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Saturday, December 16, 2023 | Country Acres • Page 9
From dream to reality
PHOTOS BY TIFFANY KLAPHAKE
A herd of bison roam Nov. 22 at Horseshoe Grove Bison Ranch near Paynesville. The ranch is home to 70 bison.
Hesses BY TIFFANY KLAPHAKE | STAFF WRITER raise PAYNESVILLE — After living and working in the Twin Cities for 45 years, Ken and Lynnae Hess moved to central grass-fed Minnesota to start a bison farm. At first, they envisioned welcoming 10 to 15 of the 1,000- to 2,000-pound anbison imals to their newly launched farm. But soon after, they expanded the herd to 75. “At first, everybody told us we were crazy,” Lynnae said. “It’s been a learning experience for us, but now it’s been a decade with these beautiful animals.” Currently, the Hesses raise 70 bison on their rural Paynesville farm, Horseshoe Grove Bison Ranch, where Lynnae grew up. Their herd is certified grass-fed, and while the farm is not certified organic, the Hesses utilize organic practices. Conservation and preservation practices are continually incorporated into every aspect of their 160-acre farm.
Hesses page 10
Ken and Lynnae Hess stand Nov. 22 at their farm, Horseshoe Grove Bison Ranch, near Paynesville. The couple started the ranch in 2013 after they retired.
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Page 10 • Country Acres | Saturday, December 16, 2023
A sign featuring their farm name, Horseshoe Grove Bison Ranch, is displayed Nov. 22 at the farm of Ken and Lynnae Hess near Paynesville. The Hesses use conservation and preservation practices on the farm’s 160 acres.
Hesses from page 9
“Our philosophy is that we want to return as much of this land as we can to the natural setting that God created it to be in the first place,” Ken said. “We want the soil to be free from chemicals and want the bison to be raised as naturally as possible. The grassfed way is the best way for us to do that.” When the Hesses were first launching their farm plan in 2012, they visited several other bison farms in Minnesota and started to attend meetings with the Min-
nesota Bison Association. They worked with the Kandiyohi County Natural Resource Conservation Services to convert some land that was up for renewal in the Conservation Resource Program to utilize it for grazing. “That land was all brome grass,” Ken said. “Our local NRCS told me to put the bison out there and the grass would naturally diversify. I didn’t believe him, but by golly, it came to life. Now there must be eight to 10 different
PHOTOS BY TIFFANY KLAPHAKE
A bison and her calf stand together Nov. 22 at Horseshoe Grove Ranch near Paynesville. Family units often stick together for life within the herd.
species of grasses out there.” In total, the Hesses have 14 paddocks to let the bison graze on throughout the year. In the summer, they let the bison stay in each paddock until the grass has been eaten down to 4-6 inches in height and then let each paddock rest for 40 days before letting the bison return to a paddock. In a drought year like this year, the
Hesses will bring the bison into the main corral to eat grass hay until another paddock is ready. In the winter, Ken sets out bales of grass hay in some of the various paddocks and has a heated waterer. All of the paddocks are connected by a series of gates. Therefore, when it comes time to move the animals, Ken simply opens the necessary gates so that the bi-
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son will see the fresh green grass and move themselves to the new paddock. Originally Ken and Lynnae were going to purchase 10 or 15 bison as a hobby and to supply meat to family and friends. Not long after starting the farm, two of the Hesses’ children, Tim and Jonathon, expressed interest in the farm, and soon the herd grew from 15 to 75. The
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brothers sold the farm’s bison meat at farmers markets in the Twin Cities. “Before long, we had people calling us, asking about the meat,” Ken said. “It just grew from there. Some people who call us have had their doctor tell them that, because of digestive or heart issues, they can’t have any red meat except bison because it is so lean.” Tim and Jonathan have since advanced in their careers and started families, and while they are not as hands-on with the farm as they once were, they still help out as needed, especially when it comes to roundup day. All four of the Hesses’ children, their spouses and a grandchild come home to help that day, which falls every autumn around Nov. 1. For roundup, all of the bison are brought into the corral where a veterinarian uses an ultrasound on the females to check how far along they are in their gestation and all animals are administered a health check.
Hesses page 13
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Saturday, December 16, 2023 | Country Acres • Page 13
Hesses
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Young bison huddle Nov. 22 at Horseshoe Grove Bison Ranch near Paynesville. Some of the bison are sold each fall to maintain the herd’s size.
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Ken Hess gives an adult female bison a treat Nov. 22 at Horseshoe Grove Bison Ranch near Paynesville. Each of the farm’s bison have a name.
Ken said. “We talk to them, but we want them to be as natural as possible.” Lynnae agreed. “They are just so majestic,” she said. “It has been a dream living out here with them. One that would not have been possible without our family, friends, fellow bison ranchers and God.”
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Generally, most of the females at Horseshoe Grove Bison Ranch have their calves in May and June, but there are a few that will calve sometime during summer or even September. According to Ken and Lynnae, the calves are 40 to 50 pounds when they are born and have an orange-colored coat for their first few months. Horseshoe Grove Bison Ranch will have 20 to 25 calves a year, and some of them will be sold in November to maintain herd size. “They all have names,” Lynnae said. “We have a Nelly, a Clementine, and our bull is Jeronimo.” Bison can run 35 to 40 mph and can jump 5 feet from a standing position. Because of this, all of the exterior fencing at Horseshoe Grove Bison Ranch is 6 feet tall. Although the Hesses are technically retired, they stay busy with their bison and quite often can be found outside with their animals, watching from a safe distance and talking to them. “We just let them do their thing,”
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Saturday, December 16, 2023 | Country Acres • Page 15
frost The first
The trees gleam white against the ground lining the edge of Lake Sylvia Dec. 4 near Melrose.
PHOTOS BY EMILY BRETH
Frosted trees line the edge of Lake Sylvia Dec. 4 near Melrose. The fresh layer of ice glimmered in the winter sun.
A horse eats hay Dec. 4 on the farm of Eric and Carla Zirbes near Melrose. The farm has been in the Zirbes family for over a century.
Standing tall, a fence line created a frosted border between the road and the woods Dec. 4 near Sauk Centre. The frozen brush beyond the fence made for a wintry scene.
Frost and ice cover everything around Cedar Lake Dec. 4 near Sauk Centre. The trees swayed in the wind, losing some of the crystals that covered them.
A frost-covered plant sways in the breeze at Lake Sylvia Dec. 4 near Melrose. The frost created many icy spikes, which covered the plant and gave it a white glow.
A dock stands frozen Dec. 4 at Lake Sylvia near Melrose. In the summer, many people can be found fishing off this dock.
A group of frost-covered trees stands Dec. 4 near Sauk Centre. The frost lightly coated everything, creating a natural winter wonderland.
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Saturday, December 16, 2023 | Country Acres • Page 17
Distilling a dream
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Ida Graves uses land for inspiration BY SARAH COLBURN STAFF WRITER
ALEXANDRIA — At Ida Graves Distillery, inspiration comes from the surrounding 77 acres of land filled with pine, sumac, honey, black walnuts and red clover. Those natural flavors are at the core of some of the distillery’s single-batch products. Using a 150-gallon still, co-owners Brock Berglund and Anna Wilson forage from the land and use that harvest to create everything from their Amaro — which features honey, spruce tip and young pine cone — to their Aquavit, finished with dill and cumin. Their gin has a blend of five botanicals along with florals from the land, and their vodka is distilled
Brock Berglund and Anna Wilson co-own Ida Graves Distillery near Alexandria. The couple created the concept for their distillery over pizza one day in 2016.
limoncello. This is made with sumac and features a more earthy flavor than lemon peel. Each year, Berglund said, the offerings are different based on what the land provides. “It was a strange season,” he said. “It got dry right when things were
from honey made from bees right on the grounds near Lake Ida. “We were highly motivated by what’s around us and what was there on the property,” Berglund said. “We wanted something that would feel hyper-local, not just to the area, but to the property. We didn’t want to chase trends; we were going with what we felt like we enjoyed and ingredients that we felt went well together.” In addition to their main line products, the couple also puts out two forage releases each December. This year’s foraged line features a strawberry spruce liqueur with strawberries picked from Country Blossom farm and spruce tips from the Ida Graves grounds. The second is a sumacello, likened to a
Berglund/ Wilson page 18
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Ida Graves Distillery, of Alexandria, crafted this bottle of Aquavit. Each spirit made at Ida Graves Distillery is done so with regionally sourced ingredients that are organic and sustainably grown, whenever possible.
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Brock Berglund pours grain to make whiskey at Ida Graves Distillery in Alexandria. Moving forward, the owners are looking to work with a new farm in their area to acquire barley to produce a single malt whisky.
Berglund/Wilson from page 18 Minnesota. They also have an assistant distiller and will hire more staff when the cocktail room opens. In the past, Berglund said, they have partnered with farms in the southwest and southeast for their grains including rye and wheat. Additionally, their grain-neutral spirit is distilled in Benson, using Minnesota corn. Now, as they look to the future, they are heading in a new direction and working toward creating a relationship with a farm in the area to acquire barley for a single malt whisky. Additionally, they are hoping to work with the University of Minnesota to create a kernza-based product. In the distilling process for vodka, Berglund said the honey created by a beekeeper, who uses their land for aviary placement, is diluted with water to create a mead that is then fermented with yeast. Then, the mixture is placed in a pot, similar to a double boiler, that steam heats the mead inside the still. Once it reaches 171 degrees, the boiling point of alcohol, the steam goes through the top of the still, through a
column and down an arm off the still. Before it gets to that opening, Berglund puts cold water through a jacket in the cylinder, and when the steam hits the cold water, it condenses and turns into a liquid. He boils the mead until it evaporates the alcohol and then collects the alcohol at the other end. The process is completed a few times to create vodka. To create their gin, they take a neutral spirit like vodka, add botanicals including juniper, rosemary and lemon peel and let it steep in the pot overnight before repeating the same process in the still. The end result is a flavored spirit. While Berglund said they go into the distilling process each time with a plan, ever since their first product hit the market in 2019, they do allow for flexibility in the process and the flavors. “Different flavors and different botanicals can surprise you and you’ve got to be open to that surprise,” Berglund said. “They’re great, strong, flavorful spirits. They’re not reaching for or grasping to get certain flavors. They’re not going to get lost in a cocktail. They’re going to stand out.”
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Saturday, December 16, 2023 | Country Acres • Page 23
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Manger Ahlgrens host live Nativity BY TIFFANY KLAPHAKE STAFF WRITER
DARWIN — High in the hayloft of the barn, an angel will appear and bring good tidings to all who visit the live Nativity production at Ahlgren Dairy. Rick Ahlgren and his wife, Sarah, own and operate Ahlgren Dairy near Darwin, where they milk 160 cows with three robotic milking systems. “It’s unique how our live Nativity (scene is) set up,” Rick said. “It is a guided tour.” Sarah agreed. “It’s like you are stepping back in time,” she said. “Guests will be taken on a tour of Bethlehem.” The couple, along with Rick’s mother, Mary, worked with Sandy Burt of Highland Community Church to host the live walk-through Nativity production. Together they
decided to hold the event at Ahlgren Dairy from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Dec. 15-16. “I wanted the event to take place on a farm, and the Ahlgrens are such wonderful people,” Burt said. “This farm is gorgeous. It is the perfect place to host this event since (the Nativity) happened outside in an agricultural setting with livestock.” The guided walk-through play has eight stations at which guests will stop to watch a short scene. It will take groups about 30 minutes to walk through the production. Group leaders, who will be in costume to match the time period, will take groups of 20 to 25 through the stations and explain what is happening in each scene. “It will give some background as to what was happening at that time — why there were Roman soldiers around, why Mary and Joseph were going to Bethlehem,
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Guests take pictures of characters during the live Nativity production in 2020 held at Ahlgren Dairy near Darwin. Ahlgren Dairy will be hosting the live Nativity production again this year Dec. 15-16.
why there was no room for them at the inn — then finally ending with Jesus’ birth,” Burt said. Guests will visit the census bureau, a blacksmith shop, shepherds in the field, an angel scene, the inn, the stable, and finally a marketplace and bakery where refreshments will be served. There will also be Roman soldiers walking around to demonstrate the civil unrest at that time. Burt said there will be 32 people in costume, including all six of the Ahlgren children, and most of the char-
acters will have lines to say. Two groups of people will be serving the refreshments at the end, and another crew will handle parking. Visitors can park on-site, and the Ahlgrens designated a section of field directly across the road from the dairy for additional parking. The tour will take place outside but will end inside the heated utility room of the robot barn. There, guests will have a chance to warm up with coffee, hot chocolate, cookies and milk. Princess Kay of the Milky Way and Meeker County dairy royalty
will be on-site, along with live music. Rick and Sarah will be in the robot barn to answer questions about their dairy and the robots. The Ahlgrens already have the cattle and horses at their farm, and another family will bring in sheep. In addition to Burt, various volunteers through Highland Community Church are making the costumes, props and backgrounds for each scene.
Ahlgrens page 24
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The Ahlgren family – Norah (front, from left), Olivia and Henry; (back, from left) Phillip, Matthew, Rick, Sarah and Jacob – stand in their freestall barn Nov. 29 at Ahlgren Dairy near Darwin. The Ahlgrens will be hosting a live Nativity play Dec. 15-16.
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“God has really blessed us with talented people in our community,” Burt said. The Ahlgrens received comments of support for hosting the event. “When people give us praises, it’s not us,” Mary said. “We like to say, ‘For thine is the kingdom, the power and glory.’ All the credit belongs to God.” This is the second time the Ahlgrens will host the live Nativity production. The first was in 2020, six months after completing their robot barn. Because of the capacity limits during that year due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was not feasible to host a live Nativity event inside a church. “Sandy approached us about hosting the event in 2020, and she did most of the coordinating to put the event together,” Rick said. “Almost every year since, we have had people
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ask us if we are doing it again, and we haven’t until this year.” When the Ahlgrens first put in the robotic milking systems, they hosted an array of tour groups and events on their farm. “After a year, we kind of got burned out, so we wanted a break,” Rick said. “But then when Sandy asked earlier this year, we agreed that we were ready to host it again.” In 2020, Burt and the Ahlgrens only expected a couple hundred people to show up since they advertised through word of mouth. However, they had over 400 people in attendance, exceeding their expectations. “The first time we did this, we were blown away by the turnout and were so impressed with the unique way that Sandy and her team put this production together to tell the story in such a unique way and give visitors such an experience,” Rick said. “It’s a real production, and it’s been a joy to be a part of it.” This year, the Ahlgrens and Highland Community Church are prepared for a larger audience. Form-A-Feed Inc. has donated the cookies for the end of the tour and First District Association has donated milk. “We encourage people to dress warmly and come anytime during the time window,” Rick said. “We will have groups going through every five minutes.”
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Guests watch as the inn keeper explains why there was no room at the inn during the live Nativity production in 2020 at Ahlgren Dairy near Darwin. Over 400 people attended the event that year.
Page 26 • Country Acres | Saturday, December 16, 2023
PHOTO SUBMITTED
A group of goats stand in the bedding pack on the Gerads family’s farm near Albany. Besides milking goats, Tyler Gerads also milks cows.
Milking goats
150 acres and milks 75 cows, moment at the farm. This, Gerads he added 161 milking goats to however, does lead to a milking herd along with challenge for him, he said. adds a new the 135 yearlings that will join “It’s hard right now eventually. His herd of goats because all the goats I bought species is a mix of Alpines, Saanens, were always bred in the fall,” BY EMILY BRETH STAFF WRITER
PHOTO SUBMITTED
(back, from left) Tyler and Kianna (front, from left) and Aleena;y farm Dec. 8 near Albany. The dair r thei on Kendra Gerads gather milking cows and goats on the three girls help in the evenings with farm.
ALBANY — The sound of goats bleating and roaming around his farm, south of Albany, is something that Tyler Gerads has heard for nearly a year. “I got (the goats) in December,” Gerads said. “Then I started milking them in March.” Milking is not a foreign concept to Gerads; however, milking goats is. On the dairy, where Gerads farms about
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Lamanchas and a few Nubian mixes. Along with all of the chores that can be found around the farm, Gerads also does custom hoof trimming. To make everything work, Gerads relies on the help of his three children: Kendra, Aleena and Kianna. “The milking is just me in the morning. The girls help with the evening milking,” Gerads said. “When it comes to the kidding, everyone helps.” While most goat farmers would be getting ready to dry up their herd of goats for the winter, Gerads is not. Gerads has decided to do all-yearround freshening, meaning there will never be a dull
Gerads said. “I need to get the gestation period on track for an all-year breeding season.” In order to help the goats adjust to the new breeding schedule, Gerads had LED lights installed into the bedding pack where the goats spend their time when they are not being milked. Gerads said this helps make the goats cycle more regularly so that they are able to be bred yearround. “That helps me in winter so that I don’t have them all kidding at one time,” Gerads said. The road to get milking goats was complicated.
Gerads page 27
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Goat kids rest in a tub on the Gerads family’s farm south of Albany. Tyler Gerads also does custom hoof trimming when he is not busy in either the barns or the field. A goat wears a sweater at the Gerads family’s farm near Albany. The farm is home to 161 milking goats.
from page 26
Gerads toured farms and had long conversations about it. From the first mention of goats, it was a year before a herd of goats were welcomed to the farm. “It was something I was always interested in doing,” Gerads said. “Then I just took the step, started the construction — such as knocking out walls, building the pit, pouring cement — I built the parlor and milk room myself.” Along the way, Gerads always had help. “The biggest mentor I had was my nutritionist, Kate McAndrews, along with Brad Donnay and my field rep, Missy Isder,” Gerads said. The mentors helped Gerads make decisions and showed Gerads ways to keep his goats healthy. He figured out the differences between how to care for goats and how it varied from caring for cows. He learned how to take
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care of kids being born to the herd. Every day at 3:45 a.m., Gerads heads out to the barn to get everything rinsed and set up for the goats. While Gerads is milking, the goats are also fed their grain. Once the milking is done, the lines are washed and rinsed and everything gets cleaned again. The goats are milked again at 3:45 p.m. Gerads also milks his cows twice each day at 5:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Each of the four milkings takes about an hour as of now, but Gerads is going to be increasing his herd numbers soon. Just like cows, Gerads learned, goats also get mastitis, and milk fever can be treated the same way as cattle. This was one thing that helped ease the growing responsibility on the farm. Rather than having to take the time to learn what to watch for as to goat health, Gerads knew signs to look for already from his experiences with cows. That time savings is applied elsewhere, benefiting other areas on the farm. Through all the bumps and hiccups Gerads came across, he also experienced some bright spots. “The highlight for me was that I lucked out and ended up with good herds of goats,” Gerads said. “For not knowing a thing about goats when I went to go look at them, I still managed to start with nice, healthy animals.”
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