(Right) This quilt by Sandra Borgschatz features butterflies and a farm in the distance. The quilt judging certification process that Borgschatz is going through requires submitted paperwork and presenting before a panel of judges.
PHOTO BY AMY KYLLO
(Below) Sandra Borgschatz inspects the edge of a quilt as she judges at the Dodge County Free Fair July 16 at the Dodge County Fairgrounds in Kasson. Borgschatz is going through a fiveyear certification program to become a quilt judge.
Sandra Borgschatz runs her hands over a quilt while judging at the Dodge County Free Fair July 16 at the Dodge County Fairgrounds in Kasson. Borgschatz is in charge of all the quilt organizing at the Goodhue County Fair.
Borgschatz works toward judging certification through the fair
BY HAILEY HOKANSON | STAFF WRITER
BY H AI L
PINE ISLAND — Throughout the summer, county and state fairs are alive with food, games, crafts and animals for all fairgoers to admire and enjoy. But, behind the scenes, there is much more that needs to be done to ensure a smooth week of activity.
Among the backstage crew are judges, used for their expertise and specificity to enable craftsmen to stay on their toes when it comes to creations.
Sandra Borgschatz is a quilter turned program organizer who is on her way to becoming a part of the judging aspect of the fair.
Currently, Borgschatz is the quilt superintendent at the Goodhue County Fair, where she oversees the process of quilts coming in, getting judged and being presented, a job she has handled for the last eight years.
“I find the judge to judge our quilts at the fair, arrange for helpers to scribe, make sure all of the entries and categories are there, then hang the quilts with a team of superb helpers after the judge goes through everything,” Borgschatz said. “I like the process of it and organizing and helping to get it ready for everybody to see.”
Borgschatz page 2
PHOTO BY AMY KYLLO
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Borgschatz from front
SOUTH
Published by Star Publications
Copyright 2024
522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378
Phone: 320-352-6577 | Fax: 320-352-5647
NEWS STAFF
Mark Klaphake, General Manager, mark.k@dairystar.com
Country Acres South will be published the first Saturday of every month. Deadline for news and advertising is the Friday a week before publication.
After years of quilting and learning about the craft, Borgschatz decided to try out something new that ties in with her history working at the fair — judging.
“At a quilt show in 2018, I volunteered to help in the judging room, (writing) comments for the judge,” she said. “I just loved the way (the judge) phrased her comments and how she said them, and I thought I could do this, and so I took a closer look into it and kind of went from there.”
Borgschatz discovered the National Association of Certified Quilt Judges and sent in her application for the five-year certification program, taking the first steps toward a future as a quilt judge.
rewarding.”
During the program, Borgschatz is required to submit paperwork about what she has learned about quilting. After submitting it, certified judges will determine whether the quilter has passed and can go on to the next round. Then, quilters have an hour-long panel interview where they judge quilts and answer questions from the judges. If successful, they are certified as a quilt judge.
It s to an ependent rse, ow lting ign,” s rk mately
“It’s similar to an independent study college course, and you have to know everything about quilting techniques and design,” Borgschatz said. “It’s quite time consuming and you can put in as much work as you want, but it’s ultimately very
“I am just finishing up year three, and I’m turning in my paperwork next month so I’m keeping my fingers crossed hoping that I pass,” she said. “Since there’s five years to finish the program, there’s just certain things you have to accomplish in that time span and you have to keep at your own pace.”
more about the
Once completing the process, Borgschatz will be available to judge quilts at any quilting event, from county fairs to state fairs to quilt shows.
ST R Publications bli ti
“Committed to being the eyes and ears of our communities.”
Sandra Borgschatz shares about her Minnesota State Fair winning Quilt On-A-Stick July 16 at the Dodge County Fairgrounds in Kasson. Borgschatz used to submit her quilts for judging before becoming the quilt superintendent of the Goodhue County Fair.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Three butterflies fly on the scene of a quilt by Sandra Borgschatz. She
Borgschatz page 3
PHOTO BY AMY KYLLO
Borgschatz from page 2
“Right now, there’s 45 active judges in the U.S. in this program, so you can be called to go anywhere in the U.S. or, even possibly, overseas to judge,” Borgschatz said.” One of my goals as a ed judge is to be able to judge at the Minnesota State Fair — what an honor that would be.”
This has helped her with her quilting research as well.
“The NACQJ is not a teaching program, so you are required to learn what you can on your own,” she said.
“It requires a lot of reading, but you can also go to shows to shadow or assist the judges, and that helps you learn a lot.”
Quilt judges are used to encourage quilters and to suggest areas that could be improved upon in their quilts.
no in the U.S. in possi sa certified Minnesota judg and to u a t proce
Borgschatz is a little over halfway through the program and will become completely certified once she passes.
Aside from focusing on judging quilts and running the program at the Goodhue County Fair, she said she enjoys many other county fair aspects.
“Judges are supposed to be able to recognize techniques and different patterns,” she said. “Everything in the judging process is geared towards being helpful, being precise and being kind.”
While Borgschatz no longer competes in quilting competitions at the county fair level, she still keeps with the craft, and her certification training has helped her learn more about how to excel in her own work.
While Bo quilti lev helped he o “Everythi gro quilt-making
“Everything I’ve learned has also helped me grow with my quilt-making skills and change the way I look at quilt-making,” she said. “Just listening to the judges at different events has helped me learn, too.”
As she continues the certification process, Borgschatz has been scribing for current judges at events. Scribers are in charge of writing down the judges’ comments while they go through quilts.
“I like to play bingo when I’m at the county fair,” she said. “When I’m at the Minnesota State Fair, I like getting there early with a cup of coffee to enjoy the quietness and openness of the fairgrounds before everyone arrives.”
While she continues her journey toward quilt judge certification, Borgschatz will continue to be the county’s quilt superintendent and enjoy all that the fairs have to offer.
“I thought I knew a lot before I started the program but, it turns out, I only know the tip of the iceberg,” she said. “As a future judge, I just want to encourage other quilt-makers and give them feedback on an art form that they love.”
PHOTO SUBMITTED
A tree silhouettes against the sunset on a quilt done by Sandra Borgschatz. Borgschatz has learned more about her own quilting skills through the quilt judging certification program.
PHOTO BY AMY KYLLO
Sandy Gochnauer (left) and Sandra Borgschatz go over logistics for quilt judging at the Dodge County Free Fair July 16 at the Dodge County Fairgrounds in Kasson. Gochnauer was assisting Borgschatz as she judged the quilts.
heritage pork, beef and a full selection of plants in their greenhouse.
A closed system
The Kreidermacher family — Daniel, Ella, Eric, Ann, Nicole and Caleb — gather June 21 at Pork & Plants near Altura.
(Right) The Pork & Plants sign stands June 21 near Altura. The business is owned and operated by the Kreidermacher family.
Kreidermachers work to create low-input farm focused on health
BY AMY KYLLO | STAFF WRITER
ALTURA — The Kreidermachers’ farm operates on a system focused on low external inputs.
“Pretty much everything that we raise on the land is fed back through the animals,” Eric Kreidermacher said. “One of our philosophies is kind of a closed-loop system. ... We’d like to raise ... almost everything we can here that we’re going to use on the farm.”
SKID RESISTANT
Eric and his wife, Ann, own Pork & Plants LLC, which they operate alongside their children, Gabrielle, who is off the farm, Nicole, Daniel, Ella and Caleb. Their rural Altura direct market farm has a full greenhouse, heritage pork and beef, and eggs.
Kreidermachers page 7
Unlike standard concrete floors, this floor coating will not be slippery, even when wet, and it’s easy on your feet.
LOW MAINTENANCE
Our coatings are easy to keep clean because they are non-porous and impermeable to liquids, oil, and other harmful substances.
DURABLE
Our floor coatings are 10 times stronger than the epoxy alternative, protecting your slab for many years.
ONE DAY INSTALLATION
The application of our coatings won’t disrupt your daily life. We’ll prep the floor and apply the coating all in one day.
These flooring options are also a great solution for butcher shops and meat lockers. We offer many concrete solutions even for some of the most damaged floors, offering a repair solution that can make the concrete look new again.
Our polyurea basecoat is flexible, binding to the concrete and moving with the concrete and the polyaspartic topcoat protects your concrete for many years to come. These floors are both durable and safe, allowing for slip resistance in areas, even when wet, chemical resistant and a 100% antibacterial/ antimicrobial surface that is USDA and FDA compliant. We not only bring the best concrete coating products in the industry, but also expert owner/ installers, with a combined 50+ years of experience with concrete.
PHOTO BY AMY KYLLO
The Kreidermachers own a direct market farm selling
Kriedermacher from page 6
Kriedermacher said they feel blessed to raise their family on a farm.
“I want a happy family,” Kreidermacher said. “Everything we do is to try to keep my family happy.”
Their beef cattle are entirely grass fed and finished, and their pigs receive small grains.
“I want to be able to raise the crops on my farm, keep them on my farm, keep them in my animals and not have to ship it on and off,” Kreidermacher said.
Their soybean-free pork has been a drawing point but, originally, it came about because Kreidermacher knew he would not be able to both
grow and process his own soybeans for the pigs.
“We have a pretty good handful of homeowners that specifically come to me because of that,” Kreidermacher said. “They can’t eat pork, chicken, whatever, if it’s conventional organic, because they have all these other reactions to it.”
The Kreidermachers also stopped raising or feeding corn about four years ago.
To feed their animals, the Kreidermachers raise winter wheat, triticale, winter rye and, this year, have tried winter barley. They use their own seed on their fields as much as possible.
“The theory of that is over time we get seed that is acclimated to my farm, to my zone to ... the way we farm,” Kreidermacher said.
Across the farm, the Kreidermachers work on a low external input system.
“I would much rather be a farmer that grosses $50,000 and nets $40,000 of it, versus a farmer that grosses a million and only nets $10,000,” Kreidermacher said. He said
he had always known that God intended for him to farm and raise a family, even though the vision of what that looks like has changed.
“I’ve been on all sides of agriculture,” Kreidermacher said. “I grew up conventional, got into organic. So, I’ve seen the good, the bad, the ugly of all of it.”
Kriedermacher page 8
PHOTO SUMBITTED Red wattle pigs stand on straw at Pork & Plants near Altura. The pigs are fed a diet with no corn or soybeans.
PHOTO BY AMY KYLLO
Eric Kreidermacher (left) and his son, Daniel, work on fencing June 21 at Pork & Plants near Altura. In the winter, the Kreidermachers bale graze their herd.
PHOTOS BY AMY KYLLO
An American Milking Devon pauses from grazing June 21 at Pork & Plants near Altura. The Kreidermachers line breed their beef herd.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Tractors trail one after another down the road during a past Pine Island Lions Club Tractor Drive. The largest turnout of tractors the ride has ever had was 178.
Larry Berg smiles near one of his antique tractors July 16 at his farm near Pine Island. Berg has helped plan the Pine Island Lions Club Tractor Drive every year.
Pine Island Lions Tractor Drive takes enthusiasts on the road
BY AMY KYLLO | STAFF WRITER
PINE ISLAND — The 18th Pine Island Lions Tractor Drive is helping the community get their tractors out for a spin and connect with fellow enthusiasts.
“Every tractor has a story,” Larry Berg said. “I want to get yours out of the shed.” Berg, who lives outside Pine Island, directs the planning committee for the Pine Island Lions Tractor Drive. The event is held on the third Sunday of August.
The drive, which began in 2006, was started by a group of greater Pine Island locals and Berg has been part of planning from the beginning.
“We all had old tractors, or tractors that we don’t use much anymore, that kind of sat in the shed,” Berg said. “Rather than just let them sit there and nobody sees them, we said, ‘Let’s go for a tractor drive.’”
Brian Hale, who has also participated in the event from the beginning, agreed.
“We hadn’t farmed for a while, and we had old tractors,” Hale said. “We just wanted an excuse to take them for a ride.”
The first year saw 47 tractors participate. By the third year, they had over 100 tractors participating. Their biggest turnout was 174 tractors. Last year, 128 participated.
The group assembles in Pine Island in the morning, beginning with a drivers’ meeting. Each year, they drive one
of four rotating routes. A local minister gives a blessing over the drive before it begins.
Hale said the drive has become a family event for him. Usually, he has five or six of the tractors in his collection driven each year by family and friends.
“It’s the one time a year when everybody kind of comes to enjoy grandpa’s tractors,” he said.
Each year, Berg drives his Case 300 which he named Pretty Boy. His dad purchased the tractor in 1956 when he was a young boy. It is one of eight antique tractors Berg owns.
“Tractors are like potato chips: You can’t have just one,” Berg said.
Any tractor that has a slow-moving Berg page 11
PHOTO BY AMY KYLLO
vehicle sign and can operate at 12 mph is allowed in the drive. The oldest tractor they have had participate was a 1939 Farmall M. However, new tractors are also welcome and do participate.
“We want every driver to feel welcome,” Berg said. “Some of them are from out of town, so you kind of don’t know who’s who.”
The tractors come in all colors and conditions.
“Sometimes, they’re old (and) in
Berg from page 10 Berg page 13
their work clothes,” Berg said. “Sometimes, they’re restored and are perfect, and look shinier than the day that they were manufactured because of the paint.”
The drive is on paved roads to prevent the tractors from getting dirty.
Berg said drivers can smell fresh air and look at the crops, and the slow speed allows them to see the countryside better than a drive in a car.
MARINE
MONDAY
8:00 am Overnight market cows/bulls 10:00 am Fed cattle, followed by day-delivered market cows & bulls
1:00 pm Dairy cattle, stock cows & breeding bulls followed by feeder cattle
4:00 pm Baby calves, arena 2
TUESDAY
8:00 amSheep and goats
11:00 am Feeder pigs
WEDNESDAY
10:00 am Hog/Sow/Boar Auction 2:00 pm Fed cattle, followed by market cows and bulls
THURSDAY
10:00 am Special feeder cattle auctions, September - April
FRIDAY
Closed Office open 8:00 am – Noon
YARD HOURS
Sunday Noon – 10pm
Monday 6am – 10pm
Tuesday 6am – 10pm
Wednesday 6am – 4pm (Open until 10pm, preceding special Thursday sales ONLY)
Thursday 6am – 4pm
Friday 6am – Noon
Saturday By Appointment
* Annual Percentage Yield (APY) effective 07/22/24. CDs offered by Edward Jones are bank-issued and FDIC-insured up to $250,000 (principal and interest accrued but not yet paid) per depositor, per insured depository institution, for each account ownership category. Please visit www.fdic.gov or contact your financial advisor for additional information. Subject to availability and price change. CD values are subject to interest rate risk such that when interest rates rise, the prices of CDs can decrease. If CDs are sold prior to maturity, the investor can lose principal value. FDIC insurance does not cover losses in market value. Early withdrawal may not be permitted. Yields quoted are net of all commissions. CDs require the distribution of interest and do not allow interest to compound. CDs offered through Edward Jones are issued by banks and thrifts nationwide. All
“It’s really quiet,” Berg said. “You’ll hear your own tractor maybe.”
The coordinators encourage the drivers to sign up in advance, although they accept drive-ups. They plan the lineup and make a lineup sheet with the names of the preregistered drivers and the type of tractor they are driving, which helps facilitate conversation.
The route begins with driving about an hour before making a stop for donuts, coffee and conversation.
Hale said the chance to visit is important.
“We’ve always tried to keep it as much social time,” Hale said. “(It) gives you a chance to show off the tractor restored that year, one you bought, visit about it and ask somebody else about their projects. ... I see people on this tractor drive once a year that you really don’t see them any other time.”
After the break, they hit the road again for another approximately hour and a half and then stop for lunch. The Pine Island Lions Club provides a free-will donation, picnic style meal.
After lunch, the drive returns to Pine Island. Drivers arrive back by early midafternoon.
“We spend more time socializing than we do actually riding the tractors,” Hale said. “We’ve all been on tractors all day because we had to be, that’s the last thing we wanted to do on this.”
Each tractor driver must have a driver’s license. Riders are not allowed unless the tractor has a buddy seat. Many drivers have family or friends who want to join,
so several tractors pull wagons for people to ride in. Children riding on the wagons receive bubble soap to help keep entertained.
The drivers have a specific order. The group calls the lead tractor driver Moses, a nod to the Old Testament biblical leader.
Berg said the drive designates certain tractors as crossing guards and the local sheriff’s department helps with the busy intersections.
“They’re always glad to meet us there,” Berg said. “They say, ‘The only time we won’t be there is if there’s an emergency.’”
The drive provides a tractor hearse — a pickup with a trailer — as well as a mechanic.
Berg remembers one year a family chose to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their farm at the event. Together, the family drove, rode or came to the lunch wearing matching farm T-shirts.
“That was real memorable,” Berg said.
Looking to the future, Hale said he would like to see the event bring in more of the next generation.
“It’d be nice to get more young people involved,” Hale said. “(To) keep it going. It seems like we’re getting older every year, but so (are) our tractors, so it’s all right.”
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Tractors line up at a past Pine Island Lions Club Tractor Drive during the lunch hour held at the Goodhue County Fairgrounds in Zumbrota. The drive rotates each year through four different routes and stops.
“In Norway, people were starving,” Yvonne said. “The oldest son in the family got the farm there, so the rest of the children had to find their own way; that’s my understanding of the Norwegian history, anyway.”
For the next six decades, the Berquam and, later, Krogstad families grew corn, oats and alfalfa; they also raised dairy cows, beef cattle, hogs and chickens. Mervin’s parents, Elmer and Inga Krogstad, had hogs and dairy cows and, when Mervin took over, he brought back beef and got rid of dairy.
“My husband didn’t like milking cows,” Yvonne said. By the mid-1900s, the farm’s original cabin had deteriorated to the point where snow would get in during the winter, so when Elmer and Inga bought the farm from Inga’s father, Amund Berquam, they had a new farmhouse built in 1943. It started as a one-and-a-half-story house, and Mervin and Yvonne later took off the half story and expanded the building to the north and south.
The farm has lasted through the Civil War, two world wars, the Cold War and many other conflicts. Yvonne is not sure of the family’s entire military history, but she does know Mervin served in the Army during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.
“He was sent to Key West, and they got to string the barbed wire rolls on the beaches,” Yvonne said. “We were closer to war than most people think.”
PHOTO BY AMY KYLLO
President James Buchanan’s signature appears on a copy of a land document resting July 12 at Yvonne Krogstad’s farm near Spring Grove. Over the years, the farm has raised corn, oats, alfalfa, dairy cows, beef cattle, hogs and chickens.
The farm’s soil has aided its longevity. It has a lot of clay, but there is also much dark, rich soil that has aided plant growth. About half of the land is hilly, while the other half is fairly flat.
Even so, 80 acres was not enough for the Krogstads to make a living for themselves and their four children, so they often had to work off the farm in order to pay for it.
Berquam-Krogstad page 16
PHOTO BY AMY KYLLO
A land document entry rests on a table July 12 at Yvonne Krogstad’s farm near Spring Grove. The farm’s founder, Bottolf Bottolfsen Berquam, immigrated to Minnesota from Norway.
Yvonne Krogstad points out details on family history documents July 12 at her home near Spring Grove. The Berquam-Krogstad Family Farm was recently recognized as a Century Farm by the Minnesota Farm Bureau, although the farm is about 169 years old.
Saturday, August 10th (live and online) Pre-Harvest Area Farmers Consignment Auction; Advertising deadline Tuesday, July 9th; Accepting consignments until Wednesday, August 7th (Not accepting consignments on Sundays) Bidding starts opening Saturday, August 10th at 8:30 am (Maring)
Tuesday, August 13th (online only) Dan and Cheri May Farm Retirement Auction; Well cared for and maintained collection of IH Tractors, shop and lawn and garden equipment. Bidding starts opening Saturday, August 3rd at 9 am and starts closing Tuesday, August 13th at 9 am. (Hamilton)
Saturday, August 17th (live & online) Clean Farm Retirement Auction for Gerald and Karen Puppe; Tractors, haying equipment, wagons, trailers, cultivators, livestock equipment and other farm support equipment. Bidding starts opening Saturday, August 17th at 9:30 am; Located near Goodhue (Maring)
Tuesday, August 20th (online only) Farm Retirement Auction for Jason Kruggel; Sprayer and spray tender equipment, manure tanker and pumps, grain dryer, semi, augers, tillage equipment and farm support equipment. Bidding starts opening Sunday, August 11th at 8 am and starts closing Tuesday, August 20th at 11 am. (Maring)
Tuesday, August 20th (online only) Farm Retirement Auction for Myron (Pete) and Nancy Danielson; John Deere and Ford tractors, cultivator, disk, mower, chisel plow and haybine. Bidding starts opening Friday, August 9th at 10 am and starts closing Tuesday, August 20th at 9 am. (Hamilton)
Monday, August 26th (online only) Firearms, Ammo, Decoys, Hunting and Beer Sign Collection Auction; 75+ firearms, 200+ lots of ammo, hunting related items, coins and paper money, 300+ lots of beer signs, memorabilia and much more. Bidding starts opening Friday, August 16th at 8 am and starts closing Monday, August 26th at 3 pm. (Maring)
Tuesday, August 27th (online only) Clean Farm Retirement Auction for Ronald Weyhrauch; International tractors and combine, corn and bean head, Brent wagon, stalk chopper, International planter, cultivator and chisel plow, fuel barrel, welder, tools and farm support equipment. Bidding starts opening Saturday, August 17th at 8 am and starts closing Tuesday, August 27th at 10 am. (Maring)
Wednesday, August 28th (online only) Inventory Reduction Auction for CHS Inc; Selling excess equipment including grain equipment and support equipment, semis, dry tender trucks and cab and chassis. Bidding starts opening Sunday, August 18th at 10 am and starts closing Wednesday, August 28th at 10 am. (Hamilton) Sunday, September 1st (online only) Annual Labor Day Auction; Hobby and antique farm equipment, attachments, shop tools, farm items, lumber and more. Bidding starts opening Friday, August 23rd at 10 am and starts closing Sunday, September 1st at 9 am (Hamilton) Monday, September 2nd (live & online) Annual Labor Day Auction; Farm machinery, construction equipment, semis, trucks, trailers, vehicles and more. Online bidding starts opening Friday, August 23rd 10 am and Live Auction starts Monday, September 2nd at 9 am (Hamilton)
Monday, September 9th (online only) Complete Commercial Woodwork Shop and Moving Auction for Landry. Selling woodworking tools, sanders, routing tables, table saws, drill press, hand tools, lumber, shop supplies, household items and lawn and garden equipment. Bidding starts closing, Tuesday, September 17th. (Maring)
Tuesday, September 17th (online only) Farm and Household Auction for Jim and Liz Foss; Tractors, skid loader, livestock and flatbed trailers, livestock feeders and gates, tools, collectibles, furniture and household items. Bidding starts opening Saturday, September 7th at 8 am and starts closing Tuesday, September 17th at 4 pm. (Maring)
Tuesday, October 8th (online only) Construction Retirement Auction for Tom and Sue Trnka; Mini excavator, enclosed trailer, construction materials, large assortment of power and hand tools, antiques and vintage items. Bidding starts opening Monday, September 30th at 8 am and starts closing Tuesday, October 8th at 10 am. (Maring)
Tuesday, October 15th (online only) Dispersal Auction for Brad Carlson; Chevy pickup, Allis Chalmers tractors, trailer, Polaris snowmobile, machinery manuals, dealership signs, toys and much more. Bidding starts opening Saturday, October 5th at 8 am and starts closing Tuesday, October 15th at 4 pm. (Maring)
PHOTO BY AMY KYLLO
PHOTO BY AMY KYLLO
Sunshine lights the top of the windmill July 12 on Yvonne Krogstad’s farm near Spring Grove. The windmill is the oldest remaining structure on the farm, possibly dating back to 1855.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
The windmill stands tall in 1970 at the barnyard of Yvonne Krogstad’s farm near Spring Grove. The current farmhouse was built in 1943.
The best thing
they have done
Wingert family appreciates opportunities afforded by 4-H
BY AMY KYLLO | STAFF WRITER
HARMONY —
Madylan Wingert would rather be in 4-H than playing sports.
“It’s my favorite thing to do,” Madylan said. “I have nothing else I really like more than showing in 4-H even though show days get a little hectic and we all go crazy.”
Jim and Randi Wingert’s children — Coltin, Morgan, Claytin, Madylan, Maggie, Melony and Martina — have all been active in 4-H. Coltin and Morgan have graduated from 4-H, but the five youngest children continue to build a 4-H dairy legacy.
“All in all, it’s been one of the best things we’ve ever done for the kids,” Randi said.
The family milks 100 Holstein, Brown Swiss, Ayrshire and crossbred cows in a double-6, double step-up parlor. They also raise their own corn silage on 100 owned and rented acres.
The Wingert children are third-generation 4-H members through Jim’s side of the family. Randi did not grow up in 4-H.
for the cows’ eating and resting.
“We just spend 94% of our day with these cattle,” Madylan said. “It’s like an unbreakable bond.”
The efforts with their cattle are why 4-H is important to Maggie.
“It shows all of our hard work that we put in with our animals and that we know how to take care of them,” Maggie said.
Randi said Martina spends time with the young calves, making them friendly and easier to break.
Wingert page 18
The Wingerts specialize in dairy cows and heifers, this year, they took a string of 14 cows to the Fillmore County Fair.
Though most of their efforts center on dairy, they participate in other projects as well. Claytin works on woodworking, welding and metalworking projects. Maggie and Melony both take craft projects and Melony tried photography this year. Martina participates in fine arts and photography.
Each day in preparation for the fair, the heifers were walked one to two miles. They also walked the milk cows two to three days a week but try to balance the value of the walking against the time lost
makes
PHOTO BY AMY KYLLO
Martina Wingert leads a Brown Swiss calf June 13 at the Wingert family farm near Harmony. Wingert spends time with her family’s calves, which
them easier to break to lead.
PHOTOS SUBMITTED
The Wingert family — Randi (front, from left), Maggie, Madylan, Melony, Jim, Coltin, Morgan and Martina; (back) Claytin, — gather June 9 on their farm near Harmony.
All seven of the Wingert children have been involved in 4-H.
Martina Wingert naps with a Brown Swiss calf at the 2023 Fillmore County Fair in Preston. Besides for showing dairy through 4-H, Wingert also participates in fine arts and photography.
Drs. Rein, Collins, Hanson, Nash
Testimonial
Solar Panels for the Passive House: John & Nancy
After years of searching for the perfect home that fits their needs or would be excited to renovate, John and Nancy decided to build! Around that same time, they attended the Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center’s presentation about the Passive House movement – an exceptionally rigorous building standard that results in a home which, using the latest technologies, has the smallest carbon footprint currently possible.
The concept hit home. John says he doesn’t consider himself an “environmentalist” per se; he just believes in living within his means.
“We believe in energy conservation. We believe in protecting our valuable non-renewable resources. But we’re also big believers in electricity and living the lifestyle we’ve come to know within reason, but just to do it more efficiently and more economically.”
To see more testimonials visit us at www.solarconnectioninc.com
