Country Acres - October 7, 2023

Full Circle Farm raises, grinds, mills, bakes on site

BY SARAH COLBURN STAFF WRITER

STARBUCK — The sourdough breads baking in the farmhouse kitchen of Full Circle Farm wrap a warmth around the space. The smell of yeast and fermentation hang heavy in the air as the hand-kneaded mixture rises and puffs, creating the perfect artisanal loaf.

Full Circle Farm specializes in sourdough, all kinds of sourdough — from sourdough breads to baguettes, focaccia, bagels and ciabatta. The breads are made from

fresh-milled flour that is grown, ground and milled on the farm near Starbuck.

It is a passion project for Roscoe Fowler and Jenny Bredeken. It’s a company they started in Honolulu, Hawaii, Fowler’s hometown, and now are bringing to Bredeken’s hometown in Minnesota.

The couple made a full-time career out of baking bread in Honolulu, selling 200 loaves a weekend — bread made from pallets of Starbuck-grown wheat they regularly shipped to the island.

“I want the farm to reach its highest potential, and I want it to nourish people on many levels

— physically, emotionally and spiritually,” Bredeken said. “Bread is one of the most primal foods really; it’s such an old food.”

Bredeken’s family has farmed the land for more than 100 years. However, until Fowler baked that first loaf of bread using the family’s grain, Bredeken’s grandfather had never tasted the product he spent 60 years planting, raising and harvesting.

“Food is a way that people show their love for one another, and growing up on a grain farm the way I did, it’s kind of ironic … even though people are growing

Fowler/Bredeken page 2

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Sourdough baguettes rest on a rack to be sold from Full Circle Farm. Owners Roscoe Fowler and Jenny Bredeken sell the breads, along with other varieties, at farmers markets and pop-up stands as well as through partnerships with local businesses.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BERKELEY FOWLER Jenny Bredeken and Roscoe Fowler founded Full Circle Farm on land near Starbuck that has been in Bredeken’s family for more than 100 years. The couple began their artisanal bread-making business in Hawaii, using Starbuckgrown wheat.

grown wheat.

CAountry cres

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

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Natasha Barber, Writer natasha@saukherald.com

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Alex Christen, Intern Writer

Story ideas send to: sarah.c@star-pub.com

SALES STAFF

Robin Burnette, 320-351-7837 robin@saukherald.com

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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

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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

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so much food, there’s kind of this missing link.”

The food, she said, is often shipped off to commodity markets, and instead, the couple is taking the opportunity to make something from their harvest right in their own kitchen, with a cottage food license.

Fowler and Bredeken are just ramping up production in Minnesota, and they’re selling their bread at farmers markets and pop-up events. They’ve partnered with local businesses, such as the MN Olive Oil Co in Glenwood to do feature pairings of their sourdough with the company’s oils and balsamic. This fall, they’re also offering a six-week bread subscription for customers from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve. Customers will receive a loaf of bread a week as well as a secondary smaller bread such as a baguette or bagels. The subscriptions can be picked up on the farm or delivered to local pick-up sites.

The couple has had a lot of interest from people who learn they’re milling their own flour. Their goal is to be able to mill enough grain and produce enough flour to create their breads exclusively with flour from the farm.

R“It’s so important for many reasons,” Bredeken said. “I feel my roots here, generationally.”

The goal, they said is to continue to inspire people with good food and inspire other farmers to consider creating an end product.

“I think good food can really truly happen when every-

thing is localized,” Bredeken said.

The couple aims to implement more organic farming practices in the future, and they want to farm in a way that is sustainable.

“We feel everything is connected — the food we eat and the way we farm, the way we feel in our bodies — it’s all connected,” she said.

Fowler and Bredeken took over the family farm in 2020 and began fixing up the house and the kitchen where they make the bread. Her grandparents grew grains and beans on the land and had some pigs, but mostly crop farmed. Her father worked alongside her grandfather from the time he got out of high school.

This past year as the couple made their own impact on the land, they planted their biggest small grain harvest, 33 acres to use solely for their breadmaking.

The bread/farm dream first began when Fowler made a loaf of bread as an extension of his interest in fermentation. He was working his way through the book “The Art of Fermentation” when he came to sourdough and got the idea to use the wheat from the family farm. He milled it in a countertop mill.

“Fermentation is just something that I’m naturally attracted to,” Fowler said. “There are so many foods that are fermented that a lot of people don’t even know are fermented.”

Though he said perfecting the bread has been a learning experience, the jump to quitting their full-time jobs was an

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BERKELEY FOWLER Sourdough loaves are left to ferment and rise at Full Circle Farm. The farm, located near Starbuck, sells artisanal loaves of bread made from wheat and other ingredients grown on the farm.

Roscoe Fowler transfers fresh-baked ciabatta bread available through Full Circle Farm. Ciabatta is one of the many bread varieties available through the farm.

Fowler/Bredeken page 3

Fowler/ Bredeken from front

Fowler/ Bredeken

from page 2

easy one.

“We both imagined ourselves doing something (together); we didn’t know what it was until it jumped in our face,” he said. “We couldn’t not do it now.”

Their business first began as Roscoe’s Sourdough as Fowler baked bread and gave it away to friends and family who were soon asking to purchase it. The business expanded from there, and in 2019, they began spending half the time in Minnesota and the other in Hawaii and shipping the wheat in pallets to Honolulu, 40 bags at a time. They’d transport the wheat in a friend’s pickup truck to a mini grain box humidifier Fowler constructed himself to protect it from the Hawaiian humidity. The grain was cleaned and shipped from Falk’s Seed Farm in Murdock.

Now, Fowler and Bredeken are growing it, harvesting it and milling it all on site.

Bredeken said they’re adamant about creating a life they don’t have to escape from.

“I love having not only the time freedom but the creative freedom, to utilize our strengths and put together something that will be long lasting versus doing something day to day that might just make us money,” Bredeken said. “There’s so much more value than just the money.”

As they expand their product line, they’re experimenting with other ingredients on the farm to create things like their pumpkin spice sourdough, a garden tomato rosemary bread and a rhubarb Hawaiian honey

focaccia.

This fall Fowler and Bredeken are converting a 40-foot shipping container to be used as a space for milling and grain storage.

In the coming years, they said, they’d like to upgrade to a commercial kitchen that would allow them to provide goods for wholesale accounts and make it possible to ship their flour nationwide.

In the shorter term, they’re working toward hosting on-farm events. In addition to breads, they offer a cut flower field and their goal for next year is to open the land to pick-your-own customers. Additionally, they’d like to host farmto-table dinners on site as well as wellness events including yoga.

“(We want to host) events and gatherings that bring people together,” Bredeken said.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Roscoe Fowler and Jenny Bredeken began their business in Hawaii as Roscoe’s Sourdough, and now they’re bringing the business to Minnesota. In the beginning, the couple shipped Starbuck-grown wheat to the island to make the bread.

Roscoe Fowler harvests rye at Full Circle Farm near Starbuck. Fowler and his wife, Jenny Bredeken, craft artisanal bread using ingredients grown on the farm.

(Top) Roscoe Fowler and Jenny Bredeken grow rye at Full Circle Farm near Starbuck. The farmland has been in Bredeken’s family for more than 100 years. (Bottom) Roscoe Fowler and Jenny Bredeken first used a small countertop mill to process the family’s grain for breadmaking. The couple has since expanded their enterprise and hopes someday to be able to operate out of a commercial kitchen.

Juaires

from page 9

today. Their excitement for trying new designs never wanes.

“Sometimes on weekends, I want to sleep in, but I can’t because my head is spinning with ideas and things to get done,” Tim said.

Sleeping in on a Saturday would be welcome since both Tim and Kris have full-time jobs. Crafting and selling is done on evenings and weekends.

The Juaires have also come a long way in their processes and with equipment. That first metal flower Tim made was fashioned the oldstyle way with tin snips to cut the various metal pieces. Then he used a chainsaw to cut a curved mold out of a log so that he could place the petal and leaf pieces into it and hammer them to make them curved and more three-dimensional before finally welding the pieces together. The flower got Kris’s creative mojo flowing.

“Then, I kind of wanted to make butterflies at the time and more flowers,” Kris said. Tim bought a portable plasma cutter from his brother to make cutting the metal easier

and more precise.

The Juaires started making Jack-o’-lantern cutout canisters as well, and Juaire Crafts quickly drew customers.

For the canisters, Tim and Kris take empty, old refrigerant containers, which are round and about 11 inches tall. The Juaires release the air, then puncture a hole in the bottom, chisel the tops off, cut the design into it, grind off any rough spots or loose paint, clean them, prime them, and finally paint them.

“There are people who create pumpkins like this, but they leave the hole (at the top of) the canister and don’t paint them,” Kris said.

The Juaires finish off their canisters by creating decorative tops. The tops of their Jack-o’lanterns look like stems and have metal leaves hanging from them.

Details like that, which create a more realistic look, are important to the Juaires.

“We both want a good product; if we’re not satisfied with it, we don’t want to put it out there,” Tim said. “I think that’s the strong point of our items — we don’t take shortcuts.”

When the canisters are finished, the Juaires place solar lighting disks in them to shine through the designs at night. The

disks also have a port so that customers can plug them in instead.

The Juaires have branched out from Jack-o’-lantern cutouts to include other themes such as sports teams, deer hunting, fishing and more. They can make a design for anyone’s interest.

For all their items, the couple likes to use repurposed materials when possible. Many of the flowers they have made were fashioned with a rusty-looking metal called corten that had been part of the roof for 45 years on Apollo High School in St. Cloud. When the roof was being replaced, Tim happened to be on the roofing crew at the time.

A few years ago, they bought a CNC (computer numerical control) plasma cutter, which allows them to program in designs that the machine will cut into the metal placed on its large surface. Their son Zach helped them set up the machine since he was trained to use one like it in his post-secondary studies.

The machine’s computer can direct consistent, accurate cuts made by using power, water, compressed air, and a ground rod to produce an accelerated jet of hot Juaires page 11

Kris and Tim Juaire stand by some examples of metal solar-lit canisters Sept. 5 at their home near St. Joseph. The items, made from old refrigerant canisters, are one of the many products they create and sell through their business, Juaire Crafts.

(Right) Decorative furniture adds a creative touch Sept. 5 outside the craft shop of Tim and Kris Juaire near St. Joseph. The Juaires create a wide variety of artwork from metal and wood that they sell through their business, Juaire Crafts.

A sheshed stands on the Juaire family’s lawn Sept. 5 near St. Joseph. It is one of the many lawn accessories made by Tim and Kris Juaire, owners of Juaire Crafts.

PHOTOS BY JAN LEFE B VRE

An old pickup and traffic

Juaires

from page 10

plasma at the material being cut. Because the material being cut must be electrically conductive to react to the ionized gas coming from the torch, non-conductive materials such as wood, glass, or low-conductive metals cannot be processed with plasma cutting.

It’s a picky process to perfect, the kind of thing the Juaires thrive on. Both said they love being busy and having many projects going on. They seldom sit still.

Full-time jobs and a thriving side business do not get in the way of their many other pursuits. Tim deer hunts and collects antlers as well as old Tonka toys, and the couple has a large garden and cans almost anything from pickles, salsa and sauerkraut to venison and stew. They also process their own bacon, brats and sausage. Recently, they started drying herbs and making their own seasonings.

They both laugh when they talk about how willing they are to try almost anything and jump into it head first.

“I think we’re con-

sidered weird,” Tim said.

Kris nodded in agreement.

“We never do anything small,” she said. “We always go big.”

Each adventure brings different gifts. Their craft business, they said, has brought the gift of meeting wonderful people.

“To me, it’s just seeing people with our stuff, being fascinated with what we’ve created and then getting to enjoy it,” Tim said. “One couple who have bought stuff from us came by on their (motorcycle). They bought some (metal) butterflies from us and were packing them into their Harley. I thought, ‘Well, that’s the first time

for that!”

Someday when they retire, the Juaires said they would consider running their craft business full time, maybe even building a storefront in their home shop. For now, they are satisfied selling items off of their Facebook site, by word of mouth, during craft fairs, or by simply setting things out on the lawn in spring and fall to draw in passersby. They want to make sure they keep their crafting enjoyable, not something that causes stress or becomes a chore.

“If we’re not having fun with it, we’re not going to do it,” Tim said.

PHOTO S BY JAN LEFE B VRE

signal shine their lights Sept. 5 at the home of Tim and Kris Juaire near St. Joseph. Every space of the Juaires’ expansive lawn has pleasing sights to see, including metal flowers made by the couple, some seen here in the forefront.

All Aluminum/Stainless Steel Welding Aluminum/Stainless and Metal Sales. We also provided Portable Welding

Tim Juaire sits on one of his furniture creations Sept. 5 at his home near St. Joseph. The bench, made of metal and wood, also incorporates the tailgate of a Dodge pickup once owned by his father-in-law.

Creative convergence

Bjorklund enjoys variety of art

BY ALEX MIDDENDORF CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ALEXANDRIA—

Naomi Bjorklund, more commonly known as Noni, may have discovered her passion for art later in life, but that has not held her back from pursuing it at full force. After having friends dabble in the world of art and painting, Bjorklund took classes and immersed herself in the world of art after she had already started a family and she was raising her children.

“I didn’t start art when I was a kid,” Bjorklund said. “I was almost 40 at that time. I had space in my life to pursue art, and that’s what I did.”

Bjorklund followed her passion and is now a full-time artist operating her business, Handcrafted by Noni, near Alexandria, where she paints, creates jewelry and explores other various crafts.

“I fell in love with art and being able to make beautiful things,” Bjorklund said. “I enjoy getting to share my art with people around me.”

Although she began her artistic journey

in 2007, Bjorklund didn’t have a shop space until years later when she purchased retail space in Alexandria in 2018. There, she sold artwork for almost three years until selling both the shop space and her family’s home in 2020 and relocating everything to their new home south of Alexandria.

“I have enough space now

to keep my painting corner set up with my beads and jewelry-making supplies in another corner,” Bjorklund said. “I am able to bounce back and forth in whatever direction I feel at the moment.”

The space allows Bjorklund to explore a variety of different forms, types and mediums of art.

“I am an artist who likes variety,” Bjorklund said. “I also enamel on copper, which is kind of a niche I fell in love with working with the hot metal and glass.”

Bjorklund’s experience with making jewelry goes back to the early 2000’s.

Bjorklund page 14

Ritchie Ca t t l e Fountains

Naomi Bjorklund creates and sells herjewelry and other artworks.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Naomi Bjorklund’s hand-crafted jewelry sits on display. Bjorklund creates enameled jewelry using pieces she pulls fresh out of the kiln.

(Right) A portrait of Bjorklund’s daughter Charis sits on display. Portraits are among Bjorklund’s favorite art pieces to create.

Bjorklund

She started with buying beads and simple jewelry supplies from JOANN. From there, it has only evolved and grown.

“I’ve always loved jewelry,” Bjorklund said. “I started with simply stringing beads, and now I focus on using enamel such as sterling silver and semi-precious beads.”

While her business has consistently grown, Bjorklund finds herself currently at just the right size. She is available for customers by appointment and during two main weekends of the year, the Art Detour and the Arts and Crafters Tour.

“After selling my retail space in town, I knew I didn’t want a full-time retail space,” Bjorklund said. “I just wanted space for my studio and a mini gallery

from page 13 Bjorklund page 15

to showcase my work.”

Prospective customers are able to contact Bjorklund if interested in purchasing her art, and she works with them to show them her gallery and set them up with the perfect fit for them.

“I’m happy to open up my shop and meet people,” Bjorklund said. In addition to being an artist, Bjorklund is also a mother and grand-

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Naomi Bjorklund sorts individual jewelry pieces by color throughout the enameling process. The pieces are each handcrafted and used throughout Bjorklund’s four jewelry collections.

Enamel powders sit waiting to be applied in Naomi Bjorklund’s studio. The studio is open by appointment on weekends.

RECIPES SUBMITTED BY PAM THROENER | Swanville, Morrison County

Antipasto squares

• 2 cans crescent rolls

• 1/4 pound of thinly sliced ham

• 1/4 pound salami

• 1/4 pound pepperoni

• 1/4 pound provolone cheese

• 1/4 pound Swiss cheese

Mostaccioli salad

• 1 12-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and cut into strips

• 2 eggs

• 3 tablespoons

Parmesan cheese

• 1 tablespoon basil pesto

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unroll 1 can of crescent rolls and press into 9-by-13 greased glass baking dish. Layer ham, Swiss, salami, provolone, pepperoni on the dough and top with red pepper slices. Unroll the other can of crescent rolls and place over the peppers; press seams. Whisk eggs, Parmesan cheese and pesto and pour over dish. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes; uncover and bake 15 to 20 minutes longer.

Sausage-stuffed mushrooms

• 12 to 15 large fresh mushrooms

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 tablespoons chopped onion

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 4 ounces Italian sausage

• 2 tablespoon dry bread crumbs

• 2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Remove stems from mushrooms; set caps aside. Finely chop stems; place on paper towel and squeeze to remove any liquid. In a skillet, heat 4 1/2 teaspoons butter; saute stems and onion until tender. Add lemon juice, basil, salt and pepper. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Cool. Add sausage and parsley. Stuff into the mushroom caps. Combine bread crumbs and cheese. Sprinkle over stuffed mushrooms. Dot with remaining butter. Bake at 350 degrees until they are cooked through, about 30 minutes.

• 1 1-pound box mostaccioli

• 2 cucumbers

• 1 green pepper

• 1 red pepper

• 6 Roma tomatoes

• 1 bunch green onion

• Parsley to taste

• Dressing:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

• 1/2 cup vinegar

Zucchini bars

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 teaspoon ground pepper

• 1 teaspoon Accent seasoning

• 2 teaspoons dry mustard

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed

Cook pasta according to directions on package. Mix dressing with whisk. Add veggies to cooked pasta; stir. Combine with dressing prior to serving.

Creamy berry goodness

• Frozen mixed berries

• 1 tub Cool Whip

• 1 large container of vanilla yogurt

• 1 small package of cheesecake pudding mix

Pour berries into large bowl. Add Cool Whip and yogurt and then sprinkle on the pudding mix. Stir together really well until it is all combined. Chill before serving.

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cup oil

• 2 cups flour

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

• 4 eggs

• 2 cups zucchini

• Frosting:

• 3/4 cup butter

• 8-ounce package cream cheese

• 4 cups powdered sugar

• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix together sugar, oils, flour, soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, eggs and zucchini. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely; then frost with cream cheese frosting. Frosting: mix all ingredients together.

Smarter than a woodchuck

I may be smarter than a woodchuck. Maybe not.

How do you outsmart a relatively large rodent that is determined to chow down on your squash crop before you have a chance to harvest it?

The first woodchuck that moved into our yard I named Willard. Willard was fun to watch. One day I even found one of Willard’s offspring up a tree. When I learned that it was Willard who was finding his dinner in the garden, he had to go. So did his progeny.

That was years ago and though there is a warren of woodchuck tunnels under the barn, we haven’t had a yearly resident. This year, we’ve had four. We’ve encouraged them to find other territories in a variety of ways and after number three there was a break of about two weeks.

There hadn’t been any fresh chewing on the butternut or butter cup squashes, nor the assorted gourds, and I thought maybe it was a combination of my repellant methods: a commercial spray that repels deer, rabbits and maybe woodchucks; spitting on the individual squash (they aren’t supposed to like human scent and of course I would wash the squash); covering each squash with a plastic plant pot; and positioning a live trap at the entrance to the latest tunnel under a brush pile. I had set the live trap, avoiding touching it without gloved hands, and liberally baited it with what is supposed to be the woodchuck’s favorite treat: muskmelon. The hornets loved the melon. Eventually mold took over. But not even a woodchuck hair was to be seen in, on or around the trap.

I was hopeful that the woodchuck had moved to greener pastures though it had apparently found this one to be pretty attractive.

And then one morning, on my early walk-about of the garden, I noticed one of the plant pots was no longer covering a butternut squash. The largest pumpkin had several tooth marks, and my biggest rutabagas exhibited fresh chew marks on what remained of them. Several were one-quarter eaten. Not only had the woodchuck’s culinary preference for my garden returned, it had expanded its dietary palette.

I retrieved the live trap where it had languished, untouched, by the brush pile. I positioned it near the remaining rutabagas. Since the woodchuck didn’t seem to care for musk melon, which I didn’t have any more of anyway, I cut up some honey dew melon. If it can go from squash to turnips, you’d think a small melon adjustment wouldn’t be too objectionable. I tossed the melon in the back of the live trap and set the spring-loaded door. Then I camouflaged the trap. I liberally positioned old mulch on the sides and decorated it with the ends of pumpkin vines and some hollyhock leaves. When I finished, the trap looked like an inviting tunnel with the irresistible aroma of honeydew. I didn’t worry too much about human aroma because I’ve touched the whole garden with one form of ministration or another and that has obviously NOT repelled the woodchuck.

And then I waited. And waited, and waited.

Nelson from page 16

combine that the Nelsons converted to allow for carrying people around on the front of it for a different version of a combine ride.

The newest attraction at Nelson Farm is the archeological dig.

“Our house was built in 1901, but the original house was right here — that one was from the 1800s,” Nelson said. “There were no garbage dumps back then, so everyone dumped their garbage behind the house.”

The site still has all sorts of old remnants from life back then. The Nelsons now place shovels near the site for anyone who wants to look for artifacts.

Nelson grew up on a farm, and he and Sonja bought their current farm in the early 1980s. The previous owner had already rented or sold off the land. Since Nelson had a background in agricultural education, he decided to put the farm to a new use and started hosting area elementary schools out to the farm to learn about agriculture and farm safety.

“We used to do a lot with farm safety,” Nelson said. “The message of farm safety is still important and needs to be shared.”

The Nelsons still

host field trips from area schools almost every day of the week in the fall, and they are open to the public on weekends from mid-September through October.

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the Nelsons also hosted schools in the spring and would visit elementary schools in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

“I’d bring in a pig in

the spring and a turkey in the fall, and Sonja would have a chicken and a goat,” Nelson said. “I absolutely loved doing that. We’ve talked with thousands and thousands of kids.”

Hosting field trips was how Nelson Farm Pumpkin Festival got started in the first place.

After Nelson taught about farm safety, he would let

the kids pick a pumpkin. Before long, he started having other people inquire about getting pumpkins from them, so Nelson started growing more and more pumpkins.

“I had a wagon I would give the kids rides on, and the neighbors would ask if they could have a ride out to our pumpkin patch,” Nelson said. “One thing led to another, and it just grew.”

At first, Sonja would make popcorn balls, apple cider and coffee for guests. Now, the Nelsons own a mini-donut stand and a neighbor has a full-fledged food stand that offers hamburgers, hotdogs and corndogs that stays at Nelson Farm.

Nelson employs 12 people to help run all the activities during the fall season.

“Many of them have been with us since we started over 30 years ago,” Nelson said.

Throughout the summer, Nelson stays busy maintaining the property by cutting the grass and painting buildings and tires around the farm.

The barn on the site was built in 1900. The original farm site included a chicken coop and a granary building. All of the buildings except the house are used today as part of the Nelson Farm experience. Besides the original buildings, several more buildings have been brought in to enhance the experience and provide seating for visitors. Nel-

Nelson page 19

PHOTOS BY TIFFANY KLAPHAKE

Food stands wait for guests to arrive Sept. 25 at Nelson Farm near Litchfield. Prior to the food stands, Sonja Nelson would make food for guests such as popcorn balls and apple cider.

Giant tic-tac-toe is ready to go Sept. 25 at Nelson Farm near Litchfield. Tic-tac-toe is one of many interactive games families can play at Nelson Farm Pumpkin Patch Festival.

The start of corn cob golf is marked by this sign written in corn cobs Sept. 25 at Nelson Farm near Litchfield. Corn cob golf is a game invented by Don Nelson.

A mountain of tires awaits children Sept. 25 at Nelson Farm near Litchfield. The tower is complete with a slide.

Working out –outdoors, that is by Nancy Leasman

Each day | 10am - 6:30pm

MINI BRATS WILL BE SERVED - FOR ONLY $1.00

All sales will be donated to charity.

Wed, Oct 11th | 10am - 6:30pm

VENDOR PRODUCT SAMPLES

Product samplings from multiple vendors.

Wed, Oct 11th | 4pm - 6:30pm

STROLLING MUSICIAN, BILL K.

Accordionist

Thurs, Oct 12th | 10am - 6:30pm

VENDOR PRODUCT SAMPLES

Product samplings from multiple vendors.

Fri, Oct 13th | 9am - 5pm

VENDOR PRODUCT SAMPLES

Product samplings from multiple vendors.

L to R: Brittany Frank, Missy Stanley, Krista Lahr, Kayla Cromwell, Maggi Haines, Ruth Rothstein and Donna Coulter.

farming flowers flowers

BY LAURA GRIMM | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

PIERZ — This month Tom and Jenni Smude will begin transforming their fields of sunflowers into useable products including sunflower oil and sunflower meal.

The company, which operates on a farm just outside Pierz, distributes their Smude’s Sunflower Oil to local stores, co-ops throughout Minnesota, the shelves of major grocery chains in the country and online stores that ship to all 50 states.

Each week, the Smudes produce around 750 bottles of retail sunflower oil. They also sell bulk sunflower oil through their sister company, Midwest Processors, averaging a total of 1,000 gallons produced each day.

Their daughter Katelyn is the marketing manager for the Smudes’ various enterprises.

“Because our business revolves around an agricultural commodity — sunflowers — Mother Nature is oftentimes our biggest challenge,” Katelyn said. “As all farmers know, the best-laid plans hinge entirely upon the weather.”

This year’s drought has been very difficult even for a drought-tolerant crop like sunflowers. The Smudes are expecting the yield to be 75% lower this year than usual. This affects their output of product offerings and cattle feed, meaning they need to plan carefully for next year.

Smude page 22

Smude sunflower enterprise grows through challenges

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY KATELYN SMUDE

Tom (from left), Katelyn, Mitchell and Jenni Smude gather in their sunflower field on their farm outside Pierz. The family works together to grow, process and market sunflower oil products through their company, Smude’s Sunflower Oil.

Careful planning starts at the soil level.

According to Tom, they are proud of not only their products, but also of being good stewards of the land.

“Proper crop rotation is critical to soil health, and sunflowers are the perfect complement to Minnesota’s two major crops: corn and soybeans,” Tom said. “By incorporating sunflowers into our crop rotation, we’re able to naturally optimize our soil health and minimize the need for fertilizer and other inputs.”

Another way the Smudes address challenges on the farm is by using a sustainable model, optimizing each bloom.

“We also pride ourselves on being a zero-waste farm and facility,” Tom said. “We use every single part of the sunflower.”

The Smudes have learned from previous challenges. In fact, drought is what started the company in the first place.

Tom and Jenni initially purchased the farm in 1998 and raised Black Angus beef cattle, growing crops to feed their animals. A decade later when they were faced with two years of drought-induced crop devastation, they looked for ways to diversify. In 2006, they planted 60 acres of drought-tolerant sunflowers. Initially they envisioned pressing the sunflower seeds into oil, using the resulting

sunflower meal as cattle feed and selling the byproduct sunflower oil in bulk. But, when bulk oil prices fell, they opted to pivot to retail-sized bottles.

Now, harvest begins every October, and they monitor for the right moisture content to maximize the oil produced.

First, they dehull the sunflower seeds to use for cattle bedding. Then the sunflower seeds are pressed, creating sunflower oil and sunflower meal. The sunflower meal is a high-quality source of protein and healthy fats, so it is fed to their herd of more than 300 beef cattle.

The sunflower oil is then filtered and bottled — or turned into one of Smude’s other products. Over the years, Smude’s Brand expanded its offerings. One of their biggest hits is micro-

wave popcorn, launched in 2017.

The Smude family and their customers enjoyed using the sunflower oil to make popcorn, but they were looking for a more convenient option. The Agricultural Utilization Research Institute provided the Smudes with an opportunity to attend Farmfest, and Jenni said it set them on the path toward microwave popcorn.

“While at Farmfest, we were fortunate to meet a group of engineers who said they could help us build a machine to make our own microwave popcorn — so we took the gamble!” Jenni said. “It was a real challenge because sunflower oil is a liquid, but we were able to figure it out.”

Not all of Smude’s products are edible, though. They also partner with B and B Farmco, a local company in Crosslake, to make health and beauty products with goat milk and Smude sunflower oil. The product line includes soap, lotion and lip balm.

In addition to establishing partnerships with local businesses, Katelyn said the Smude family engages with their customers to generate feedback for new ideas.

“Usually when we’re thinking of adding

a new flavor, we put it out on social media for our customers to let us know what they want,” Katelyn said. “We then use that as inspiration to see if we can develop it into a viable product that customers will be happy to buy.”

Smude’s Sunflower Oil is offered in nine different flavors as part of their infused line, Jenni’s favorite product line. Katelyn’s favorite flavor, Garlic Pepper, is one of their top sellers, along with their Mediterranean infused oil.

The Smudes also offer recipe ideas on their website for ways to use their products —

often with their popular infused oils.

“One of our favorite ways to add a ‘Smude flair’ to a recipe is by using one of our infused oils to add more flavor to the dish,” Katelyn said. “A particular favorite is to use our Mediterranean Infused Oil in place of butter when making grilled cheese sandwiches.”

According to Katelyn, Smude’s brand began from adversity. However, they’ve overcome all the challenges they’ve faced to provide all-natural products to their loyal customers — and they plan to continue doing so.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY KATELYN SMUDE

Smude’s Sunflower Oil started selling microwave popcorn in 2017, and they now carry three flavors. The popcorn bags contain sunflower oil as the popping agent.

The Smude family originally planned to sell bulk sunflower oil, but now they sell a full lineup of retail-sized bottles for customers. Sunflower oil is offered in nine different flavors as part of their infused line.

Tom and Jenni Smude stand in their sunflower field on their farm outside Pierz. The Smudes first started growing sunflowers in 2009 after two years of drought.