Bockfest: An Annual Blast

From thought to

Ian Laird Ian is a Lighting Specialist and designer at The Design Element, located in the Mankato Design Center. He can help you with all your lighting and design needs from planning to product selection.

Megan Rolloff Megan is a designer at The Design Element in the Mankato Design Center. She can help you with all your design needs from planning to product selection.

Bringing intangible concepts to visual life is the primary focus of a designer. This includes both abstract and concrete ideas. Creat- ing visual aids to excite the customer about their project also excites the designer and proves to both parties that the design can, indeed, become a reality. Establishing trust with the client is one of the most important aspects of custom home design. Tailoring finishes and furnishings to someone’s specific tastes requires extensive communication between the client and designer. Overtime, a rela- tionship of ideas develops and establishes this trust as the project progresses. One ma- jor reason to hire a designer is that they can fully realize an image in their minds from using samples, textures, photos, colors, etc. – before the space has become reality. But, the challenge still lies in conveying this mental image to the customer - which is where drawings, renderings, floor plans, and product documents come into play. At The Design Element we have a multitude of resources to accom- plish this goal. W e start with our existing samples of the actual prod - ucts and, depending on the scale of the job, we may order in other options to assist the client in making final decisions. It’s not uncommon for drafters to add in details to plans when necessary using the selec- tions specified by our designers. Oftentimes, a collaboration amongst multiple individuals is necessary to create accurate illustrations and truly bring a vision to life. Knowledge of building products, standards, codes, room functions, space planning, and current design trends all come into play. On the job experience is what allows a designer to cre- ate in real-time and bring form and function together for each project. The internet can also be a helpful source of information but is both a blessing and a curse. This statement could apply to a variety of situations in life, but it’s especially true for the design industry. In many ways it helps our jobs as designers. Our clients can see images of the latest interiors in every style and color imaginable. Bringing these images to your designer can be helpful to determine your likes and dis- likes faster than ever before. On the negative side, many room designs are not feasible for your actual space or can be beyond the budget allowed. This is where someone with experience can assist in adapting your favorite images to the place you live. Applying personal taste to an interior can be a therapeutic process – often determining subcon- scious likes and dislikes as your designer dissects your pinned, tagged, dropped, emailed, texted, or linked digital photographs. Connecting similarities between seemingly disparate room scenes is not always a simple task and is time-consuming. Each client’s project is a puzzle that takes both an analytical and empathetic eye – deriving assumed func- tion and meaning from your preferred visual style.

As I mentioned above, establishing a good, open working relation - ship between a client and designer is the most important design tool. It is the nature of the business that you will be sharing some private and sometimes intimate information about your life with your designer. He or she needs to know how you live and what you love in order to make your house your home. Don’t be afraid to share your thoughts and to be honest. An experienced designer has undoubtedly heard it all before. It is also important to be flexible and open to new ideas and new ways of doing things. It is safe to assume that if you are under- going a remodel or building a new home that you are not wanting a carbon copy of your existing dwelling. Sometimes change can be hard, but it can also be exciting and an improvement to your life. Keep in mind that your designer has gone through this process many times with different personalities. They may have ideas that have never oc- curred to you before. Being open to suggestion and putting some trust in your designer can allow for an outcome you never thought possible. Chances are that vision and experience are the tools you are looking for in a designer. Every project is a group effort. Each member of the team must work together in order to organize all the moving parts that is construction. Open communication and putting some trust in each other, homeown- ers and professionals, is the best way for everyone to reach the com- mon goal of a beautifully built and designed home. SPONSORED BY The Design Element 1711 Premier Drive Mankato, MN 507.345.8708

Fresh, local produce can seem scarce in the winter. Though many farmers markets close in the winter months, some markets will continue to operate even after the growing seasons have ended. Winter farmers markets not only bring fresh food to the communities they serve, but they also allow farmers to continue building rapport with their customers.

Farmers markets are about people who love food, growers and eaters alike. If this seems broad, it should. Those abundant tables bearing fresh fruits and veggies are the bridge between farm and fork, and you should cross it whenever you can!

{Big Lake Winter Farmers Market} The Big Lake Farmers Market has been running for 10 years and Recreation Coordinator Corrie Scott has organized the market since 2016. This year, the event is inside of Big Lake City Hall (160 Lake Street North). The winter market runs from November to April, on the third Saturday of each month, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; with the exception of the March market, which will be in conjunction with the Big Lake Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Community Fair. The March market will take place at the Big Lake High School (501 Minnesota Ave East); from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.; and there will be a variety of free activities for all ages, including raffles and businesses handing out freebies in the gymnasium. The exact market dates are March 21 and April 18. Some of the vendors that have confirmed they will be attending in March and April are listed below. All of their farms and businesses are located in Minnesota: Cat Tail Farm; Grace’s Goodies; Jack’s Greens; Jewelry by Linda Lee; Katie’s Kitchen; LV Gardens; Marlys Baker; Matt’s Mushrooms and More; Mavki Produce; Oak Park Farm; The Softer Side of Bees; All products sold at the market are home-grown and hand-made in Minnesota. There are a variety of items at the winter market, including a selection of produce, microgreens, beef, chicken, eggs, baked goods, salsa, pickled goods, spaghetti sauce, jelly, jam, maple syrup, mushrooms, beeswax products, jewelry, hand carved wooden crafts, and crocheted items. Parking and admission are always free. “We feature live, acoustic musicians and free kids’ activities. And if you forgot to bring enough S tory by PA T GARRY Contributing Writer cash, stop by the information booth where debit/ credit cards are accepted,” said Scott. www.biglakemn.org/432/Winter-Farmers-Market {Faribault Winter Farmers Market} Tiffany Tripp is the market organizer and a vendor (owner of Graise Farm). The market is located at 321 N. Central Ave, Faribault (located inside the Paradise Center for the Arts in historic downtown Faribault); Saturday 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.; March 14 and April 11.

Farmers’ Market vendors for March and April: The Rardin’s (Faribault) - canned goods, fruit butters, house plants, succulents; CannonBelles Cheese (Cannon Falls) - cheese curds, cheddar, gouda cheeses; Cannon River Fiber Farm (Northfield) - Alpaca and mohair yarn, batt, roving, and felted products, wild flower honey; Cannon Valley Butcher’s Block (Cannon Falls) - pasture-raised

pork; Dresow Family Farm (Lonsdale) - Cormo sheep wool, roving, wool products; Eat Me Bakery (Minneapolis) - baked goods; Get Bentz Farm (Northfield) - Icelandic wool yarn, raw wool fiber, bedding, lamb skulls, and lamb meat; Graise Farm (Faribault)- chicken eggs, duck eggs, pork products; Jirik Family Farms (Kilkenny) - maple syrup, honey, beef cuts, beef sticks, frozen chicken, salmon fillets; Joseph Lee (Faribault) - homemade barbecue sauce, pizza sauce, relishes, homemade caramels; Lois Gehrke (Waterville) - canned vegetables, homemade jams, jellies; Lova Dora’s (New Prague) - Artisanal herb and spice

season.

Facebook: Faribault Winter Farmers’ Market {Maple Grove Winter Farmers Market} Kirsten Bansen Weigle is the primary organizer of the Maple Grove Farmers’ Market, located at the Maple Grove Community Center, 12951 Weaver Lake Road in Maple Grove.

blends, traditional jams; Medford Creek Natural Apiaries (Medford) - raw and infused honey, maple syrup, wax products; Ophelia’s Hope Alpacas (Faribault) - alpaca fiber yarn, hats, mittens; Peaceful Valley Pastures (Morristown) - 100% grass-fed beef; Rebecca’s Greek Kouzina (Faribault) - Greek-inspired baked goods; Regeneration Farms (Faribault) - Whole chickens and cut-up 8-piece chickens organically and pasture-raised; Santa Martha’s Cafe (Cannon Falls) - locally roasted fair trade coffee; The Greensted (Zumbrota) – microgreens; The Whole Oat (Lonsdale) - overnight oats, natural peanut butter; Whispering Creek Farm (Medford) - Goat milk bar soap, lotion, body cream, wash cloths, eggs; Ye Olde Farm (Cannon Falls) - canned goods and breads; The Faribault Winter Farmers’ Market creates a space for southern Minnesota residents to buy locally grown, homemade goods in the winter The market is open indoors on Thursday, March 19, Thursday, April 2, and Thursday, April 16, 2020. Hours are 3 to 6 p.m. Review the indoor vendor list here for more information: https:// www.maplegrovefarmersmarket.com/meet-ourvendors. “We expect about 21 vendors on each indoor market date in the spring of 2020,” said Weigle. The indoor market features a full-line of farmstead meats (beef, pork, lamb, chicken) and eggs, plus wild-caught Alaska salmon. In the spring, our vendors offer seasonal produce including microgreens, greenhouse-grown lettuce and spring mix, and storage crops including root vegetables and winter squash. Farmstead products include raw honey, maple syrup, goat’s-milk soap, pickles, preserves, jams, jellies, sauces and salsa. Finally, the market features a number of local food-makers, who offer unique products, including pierogis, artisan breads, olive salsa, baked beans, frozen ready-to-bake strudels, and more. The winter market is a great way to increase the amount of local foods in a family’s diet, even dur