Bees bring good things to our lives By JASON SORENSEN Right: Paul Harris of Harris Honey shows off a summer beekeeping suit during a recent CREST speaking engagement in Trimont. The summer suit differs from a full body suit, which is used to harvest honey at a time when bees are more aggressive. Below: Harris also shared various items with listeners such as a bee hive, candles, soap, honeycomb and honey.
Jason Sorensen
Sentinel Staff Writer Trimont
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aul Harris of Harris Honey in St. James recently gave a presentation on all things bees during a CREST-sponsored speaking event in Trimont. In 1968, Paul’s father rented the Salzman apple orchard in Trimont. As part of orchard farming, bees are a critical component in the pollinating of the apple trees for a good apple harvest in the fall. Paul took over the beekeeping operation from his father in 1980, and it has been part of his life ever since. “I have been doing this for 40 years, so I must like it,” he said. “I have six locations of bee hives in the Martin County and Watonwan [County] area. We sell honey in the area, both wholesale and retail, and in addition to honey we sell things like candles, bath bombs and soap.” Harris discussed various aspects of beekeeping, including the difference between raw and liquid honey. “Raw honey is the most natural honey you can get,” he said. “It’s straight from the hive and nothing has really been done to it. You filter it lightly by letting the impurities float to the top and skim those off. “Otherwise liquid honey is warmed up to about 100 degrees and strained through a filter. When you warm up honey like that, it slows down the granulation process. If you do have honey that granulates, just put it in a warm water bath on extremely low heat and it will liquefy and be just fine.” Harris also touched on
the importance of bees when it comes to pollination. “Bees are extremely important as pollinators, and there’s a lot of concern right now that we’re losing bees,” he said. “Since 2006, there’s been a dropoff in numbers and we don’t know all of the reasons why. But two of the reasons are insecticide use and then there’s a mite that’s been infesting the bees that makes them weak and they can’t survive the winter. “Bees are responsible for one third of the food supply in the world,” he said. “One of the things that amazes me is that we wouldn’t have almonds if it wasn’t for bees. Half the bees in the United States are taken to California in the spring to pollinate almonds. “There are some migratory beekeepers that mainly pollinate, and honey is kind of a nuisance,” he continued. “Pollination fees are real lucrative for them and they pollinate things like blueberries, all kinds of melons, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocados, fruit trees and even coffee. “Bees are a keystone species, which means that other animals rely on them. Other animals would become extinct and we would become extinct if we didn’t have bees. “Albert Einstein said that if bees disappeared we would have four years to live. We’d have less flowering plants, we’d have less fruit, our grasslands and forests wouldn’t be as colorful. So something as small as a bee can have a big impact on our ecology and ecosystem, and it’s amazing what a little insect like that can do.”
Page 10 - Friday, September 27, 2019 - Sentinel - Fairmont, MN
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Orchard offers food, festivities added that allows Timberlake to produce its own baked goods. “We have apple pies, of Fairmont course, and other fruit pies like blueberry, raspberry, and a good imberlake Orchard, lo- one is apple cranberry. I have my cated at 176 200th Ave. own apple crisp recipe,� said in rural Fairmont, offers Jodi Zeitz. “We also have many activities and food treats turnovers and we use our own for families throughout the week pressed cider to make apple cider each fall. donuts.� Timberlake first opened in Timberlake has more than 1989 and had been owned by 3,000 apple trees of about 18 difEric and Sue Luetgers. Five sea- ferent varieties. There are also sons ago, the orchard was purpear, cherry and peach trees. chased by Josh and Al Zeitz, and A store on site sells home Brian Kudlo. decor items, as well as soup and Under the new ownership, the dip mixes, caramel sauce, canorchard has expanded. Several dies, speciality coffees and kettle years ago, a full kitchen was and caramel corn. Apple cider, By BROOKE WOHLRABE Sentinel Staff Writer
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apples and baked goods can all be purchased as well. Zeitz said people can place custom orders for baked good ahead of time by calling (507) 235-2648 or messaging through the orchard’s Facebook page. “We just added a deck on the north side,� Zeitz noted. The deck allows for additional seating and will serve as a stage for Timberlake’s second annual Cider Fest, which will take place from 1-10 p.m. Saturday. “We’re bringing back some bands that haven’t played for a long time,� Zeitz said. Musical performances by DJ Lange, Foolish Mortals, Sundance and Mudd Brothers will go
Fairmont gets ready for free leaf pickup â?? No changes in guidelines for residents putting their leaves out. By JUDY BRYAN Sentinel Staff Writer
FAIRMONT — The city of Fairmont will offer its free annual curbside leaf pickup again in 2019. The project will start the week of Oct. 28 and run through Nov. 15, with crews covering one-third of the city in each of those three weeks. The sections run as follows: Oct. 28 to Nov. 1 — Properties south of Lair Road/Cardinal Street. Nov. 4-8 — Properties north of Blue Earth Avenue/Lake Avenue. Nov. 11-15 — Properties south of Blue Earth Avenue/Lake Avenue and north of Lair Road/Cardinal Street.
Properties on dividing streets, such as the north side of Blue Earth Avenue, will be picked up the week of Nov. 4. Those living on the south side of Blue Earth Avenue will have their leaves picked up the week of Nov. 11. As in previous years, this free service is dependent on dry weather. There are no changes in guidelines from previous years. Property owners should adhere to the guidelines to ensure their leaves will be collected. â?? Crews will make only one pass down each street. They will not make a return trip if someone does not have their leaves ready. â?? All leaves should be ready for pickup by 7 a.m. on the Monday morning corresponding to a section’s scheduled week. Leaves in each section will be collected throughout the scheduled week so some leaves might not be picked up until
Friday of that week. â?? Leaves should be placed in a windrow on the boulevard, within 5 feet of the back of the curb. It is a violation of City Code to intentionally place leaves or grass clippings in the street. â?? Remove sticks, branches, rocks and other debris from leaf piles. â?? Bagged leaves will not be picked up. â?? Non-conforming or inaccessible leaf piles will not be picked up. â?? The schedule will be followed as weather conditions permit. Residents who miss the leaf pickup or have remaining leaves are encouraged to utilize the city’s leaf dump site located west of County Road 39 on Lair Road and 110th Street, past the tree dump site. Anyone with questions may call City Hall at (507) 238-9461. Information also will be posted on the city’s website, www.fairmont.org.
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on throughout the day. Zeitz said there will be more than eight vendors selling crafts. Two food trucks, S&B BBQ out of Mankato and AJ’s Onion Rings also will be there. Hot dogs, queen’s apples, kettle corn and caramel corn will be available. Green Mill will sell adult beverages. “We’re having a bouncy house and other kids games and prizes,� Zeitz said. Admission price is $7 for ages 12 and older and $3 for ages 611. Those age 5 and younger get in for free. Admission includes a raffle ticket for an adult prize and children’s prize. “The admission is only for
Cider Fest, otherwise we don’t charge,� Zeitz pointed out. In addition to Cider Fest, Timberlake will offer a few other special weekends this season as well. “The weekend before and after Halloween, we’re having a haunted orchard,� Zeitz noted. While the times are not yet set, they will soon be announced on the orchard’s Facebook page. Zeitz said they plan to have S’mores kits for sale and hot food available those weekends. Timberlake’s hours are 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday.
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‘Good enough’ may be just perfect By BARBARA MARQUAND NerdWallet Herndon, Va.
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onstructed from aspirational Instagram feeds and reality TV, the dream home floats in the imagination like a castle in the sky but dissolves in the rain of hard numbers. Chasing the dream can lure buyers to overextend themselves financially. Or the high prices can lead first-time homebuyers to delay a home purchase — and the opportunity to start building home equity. For many homebuyers, buying a “good enough” home can be a sounder strategy, particularly for those most eager to become homeowners. “I’d rather see people buy a good enough home versus buying a dream home and being cash-strapped over the next 20 years,” says Alyssa Lum, certified financial planner and founder of Luminate Financial Planning in Herndon, Virginia. Here’s the beauty of a good enough home. ESSENTIALS A good enough home may not have artisan tile or stainless steel appliances, but it has the essentials. Look for a home that’s well-maintained, has “good bones” and is in a good location, says Kelly Roth, a real estate agent with Pearson Smith Realty in Ashburn, Virginia. A well-maintained home in a good location will likely in-
AP
Above: A sign hangs outside a house for sale in Pittsburghʼs Lawrenceville neighborhood. crease in value and probably won’t be a money pit. Buyers tend to hone in on cosmetic upgrades, Roth says, but she advises focusing on basics, like windows, the roof, and the heating and air-conditioning system. Then you’re less likely to face surprise repairs just to make the house functional. If you can’t have it all — and most people can’t — list the features you want, and decide where you’re willing to compromise. Amber Miller, a certified financial planner with The Planning Center in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, bought her first home two years ago. It has features she wanted, such as hardwood floors and a separate dining area, but isn’t flawless. One of the bathrooms has outdated salmon-pink tile. “I thought, well, it’s not beautiful but it’s clean and functional,” she says. “This isn’t going to be the house I’m in
forever, but it’s good enough for now, and I love it.” LIFESTYLE Roth tells of a couple who fell in love with a home that looked like a dream. But the commute to work — 90 minutes each way — became a nightmare. “They bought it in August and sold it in March,” Roth says. “Good” is personal. A big yard could be a must for a family with a dog, but a pain if you hate yardwork. BUDGET A good enough home has a reasonable price for your budget. Lum recommends keeping your debt-to-income ratio under 30%. That’s the percentage of gross monthly income that goes toward debt payments, including the mortgage. Lenders will qualify buyers with considerably higher ratios. But that may not leave much for other expenses, says Trey Reed, a
loan officer with MVB Mortgage near Washington, D.C. “Maxing out (debt-to-income) is something I see people do, but not something I recommend,” Reed says. A good enough home leaves you with enough money for other priorities, such as saving for retirement and emergencies, and for all the costs of ownership besides the mortgage. That includes home insurance, property taxes, utilities and maintenance. Miller says to budget about 1% to 3% of the home’s value annually for maintenance. TRANSFORMED Over time, you can add dreamy features. When shopping for a home this year in Leesburg, Above: Itʼs beautiful, but what will it do to your debtVirginia, Jenny and Mike Virbickis found a beautifully to-income ratio? Experts say home-buyers should be sensible about their “dream home,” because it can beupgraded house priced come a financial nightmare. $75,000 more than they planned to spend. They kept looking and found a home that fit their budget. “I’d rather have a house Realtor® GRI, ASP, CRS, ABR, SFR my family can grow into and we can fix up to make it our own rather than something we can’t afford,” Jenny says. Their home has space for their toddler to play, is structurally sound and is in the neighborhood they wanted. Eventually, they’ll make home improvements. But for 507.399.9365 now, it’s perfect. After a Cinde.Andersen@C21NR.com block party in their cul-desac recently, Jenny says, “I came home and said, ‘This NORTHLAND is where we were meant to REALTY be.’”
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Above: This photo provided by Ana Carlson of Sill Appeal shows Carlson holding a variegated African violet in Santa Monica, Calif. Carlson owns Sill Appeal, an online store selling plant décor, and regularly posts houseplant photos on Instagram.
‘Influencers’ offer plant tips By TRACEE HERBAUGH Associated Press Writer New York
plant, according to Carlson, is the variegated croton.
Eliza Blank @thesill Followers: 564,000 ouseplants are a People pay more attenquick and easy way to dress your tion to their homes as summer turns to fall, says Blank, home in autumnal color. But with so many house- owner of the New York plant varieties, how’s a neo- City-based houseplant boutique The Sill. phyte to choose? If you are Her fall picks include: the new to the crazy, cool world philodendron, rubber trees of houseplants, don’t fear: and the visually interesting Instagram is here to help. alocasia. Like their counterparts from the world of pop culNick Pileggi ture, “plant influencers” gar@Phillyfoliage ner loyal followings in the Followers: 36,200 hundreds of thousands. Variegated plant varieties Some plant influencers’ sugare both interesting to look gestions for fall: at and wildly popular, says Ana Carlson @sillappeal Pileggi, the curator at Urban Jungle, an eclectic houseFollowers: About 8,900 plant shop in Philadelphia. The Los Angeles-based The pink princess philoowner of Sill Appeal, an ondendron is probably the most line store for plant decor, says houseplants brighten a coveted plant right now, he home in the throes of winter says. But the variegated monstera is close behind. darkness. “Plants that bloom in the One of these plants might fall are always a good choice cost up to $200. Growers for shorter days,” says Carl- haven’t yet cultivated them for the mass market. son, mentioning holiday The cissus discolor and a cacti and African violets as peperomia plant are among good choices. Another popular fall his fall picks.
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