River Valley Woman September 2019

She Knew She Had a Choice

She Chose OrthoEdge for Joint Replacement Surgery.

She got quality care close to home. The OrthoEdge Joint Replacement Program features two of the most experienced orthopaedic care providers in the area, The Orthopaedic & Fracture Clinic and River’s Edge Hospital.

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Getting the care you deserve and trust, close to home, makes OrthoEdge the right choice for joint replacement surgery.

Learn more at OrthoEdgeMN.com

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BY EILEEN MADSEN Editor

on this before but did you know that nearly all roads lead to agriculture? Take a gravel road, county road, city street, or freeway and you’ll end up in a cornfield, at a restaurant, at a hog facility, a farmers market, or maybe your neighbor’s garden. Even carp has to be harvested before you can eat it, so maybe my ag nagging is a form of agriculture in itself.

Ag means food and where there’s food there just might be wine (we can only hope). And where there is wine you will find our cover feature Heather Javens of Javens Vineyard and Winery. She, along with her sister-in-law Karmen Javens, are a heady blend of talents and perseverance. Their success in the face of personal tragedy and challenges deserves a toast.

Mmmm…toast. That’s not possible either without farmers. In fact, pretty much nothing is possible without the agtivities that allow us to have meals (see our EATS pages), wear groovy clothes (see our LOOK pages, then thank a cotton farmer), live in our homes (see our SPACES pages, think tree growers), or even toss a football around… Oops, didn’t mean to nag again. I’ll have a nice glass of Javens Vineyard La Crescent white wine and relax. I hear it goes well with feta cheese. Which is made from goats’ milk. Speaking of which…

Ag also means livestock. And where there are noxious weeds, there are goats from Amanda and Jake Langeslag’s Goat Dispatch farm. These eco-friendly, living lawnmowers are rented by homeowners, businesses and parks to devour weeds and what-have-you from where you don’t want them, allowing the good stuff to thrive. If buckthorn and garlic mustard’s got your goat, so do the Langeslags.

I read somewhere that there is a certain unreasonable percentage of people who think chocolate milk comes from brown cows. A percentage that adds up to about 16 million people—not under the age of 4, mind you. Also a study showed that 1 in 5 adults didn’t know that hamburgers were made from beef. What are kids learning in school, I wanna know?

Ag educator and innovator, Beth Sletta, can tell us. This 2019 National Excellence in Teaching Agriculture Award recipient is educating her students on not only the basics (um, hamburger isn’t ham) but to be critical thinkers and problem solvers. Creating a pollinator-friendly garden was just the beginning of the growth for the plants as well as the kids. Almost makes we wish I was in school again. Almost.

Are you familiar with the term “umami”? It’s an elusive category unto itself in the food flavor profile that is most akin to savory, kind of meaty, but not sweet nor bitter, and translates literally to mean “deliciousness,” which is almost impossible to say without salivation spewage and causing your dining mates to duck in self-defense.

Mushrooms top the list for that umami experience. Amazingly enough, the river valley has a mushroom farm just outside of Kasota. Jessica and Efraim Cadriel decided that what they hoped to find, but didn’t on their rural property, they would grow themselves. Through dedication and education the couple launched EJ Mushrooms, and now have the potential to produce 100 pounds of umami a week.

Some country roads take you home where you belong. Such is the case with Kari and Trent Wadd, who’s field of dreams transformed their property into a far out farm on our SPACES pages. Building a home on Trent’s grandparents’ land, then mixing vintage finds, family heirlooms and modern finishes, they found their rural roots.

We are hoping this issue will inspire you to take the road, street, or highway less traveled and see a farmer in what you eat, drink, wear, live in, and read (ink can be made from soybeans). And know you can continue to count on me for nagriculture.

Karmen Javens (left) & Heather Javens (right)

By GRACE BRANDT

eather Javens clearly remembers the first blended wine she created for Javens Family Vineyard and Winery.

She hadn’t had any wine making experience before her husband Jeff’s family decided to open a winery on their property outside Mankato, right along the Le Sueur River. Her father-in-law, Duane Javens, planted the first vines in 2010, which meant they were ready for harvest in 2012. While Heather had avoided chemistry in school, she surprised herself by saying “Yes” when Duane asked her if she wanted to become the family’s official winemaker.

So one summer day, she found herself on her mother-in-law’s patio, surrounded by family and friends as she gave them different blends to try. After an afternoon of voting, one wine stood out—a semi-sweet white wine blend of Frontenac Gris and Brianna grapes. The family decided to name it New Traditions.

It’s a fitting name for the winery’s first blended wine—and it’s a fitting name for the winery as a whole. Heather Javens—along with the entire Javens family—is constantly creating new traditions, sometimes full of hope for the future, sometimes in the wake of tragedy. But they stand together with their own blend of love, adaptability, and hardiness, and the end result is something as fine as the wine in their cellar.

An unexpected start

Heather Javens never planned to go into the wine industry before she met Jeff. The South Dakota native came to Minnesota to study social work at MSU-Mankato and met Jeff—a mechanical engineering major—in 1994. By 1996, the two were married, and they stayed in the area since Jeff began working for the family business, Javens Mechanical Contracting, Co. Eventually, their two-person family expanded to six—Avery, Fletcher, Cole

and Nora (and dogs Charlie and Cooper).

It was through Jeff that Heather met Karmen Javens, Jeff’s sister. Karmen had grown up in the Mankato area with the rest of her family and worked at the family business as well, along with her father, her mother, and eventually her daughter, Moriah.

Duane Javens eventually retired from the contracting business and decided to plant grapes on their farmland in 2010.

“He said that he was going back to his roots, and that he was going to teach his grandchildren about his background and his heritage,” Karmen said.

But it wasn’t quite as simple as that, and both women knew it. So neither one was surprised when Duane Javens announced that he wanted to start a winery—and that he expected the rest of the family to join him.

“That’s the way my dad is,” Karmen said with a laugh. “He gets lots of really great ideas and runs with them—and then after he gets started with them, he’s like, ‘All right, you need to help. Come on out here and let’s figure this out.’ We’re very family-oriented that way. We do a lot of things as a family. If we have a project that needs to get done, we pitch in and get it done. So it was no surprise when he planted the vineyard and then had ulterior motives.”

Heather agreed. “We were all sitting back and going, ‘Okay, wait… just wait for it.’”

Grapes take about three years to fully mature, so the family’s first harvest was in 2012. That’s when Duane approached Heather about becoming the family winemaker. She had been staying at home with her children while her husband worked full-time, often traveling to the Cities, but she wouldn’t be as busy when the kids started the school year. 

PHOTOS BY RHONDA MILBRETT PHOTOGRAPHY

While the Javens family doesn’t produce all the grapes needed for their wines on their own land, they’re committed to using only local growers. They work with four area grape growers, with the farthest away being in Wells.

“We’re very proud of the fact that we’re all local,” Karmen said. “We don’t bring in any juice from out of state. We really [value] supporting local Minnesota growers and our economy.”

She said that one goal is to be self-sufficient someday, but not yet.

“We’ve got to get our process down a little bit,” she explained. “We need to be a little more efficient in our vineyard.”

Heather added that, eventually, they would like to offer food from local businesses—such as cheese from the Faribault Cheese Caves—but they need more space and a big enough refrigerator first. For now, they only offer a few prepackaged cheese and cracker trays, which they purchase from Mankato Hy-Vee.

 Heather recalled, “My father-in-law came and said, ‘When all the kids are ready to go back to school, what do you think you’re going to do?’[He] asked if I wanted to learn how to make wine. I figured, ‘What the heck, I’ll give it a shot.’”

A learning curve

As Karmen explained, the first few years were focused on building an inventory, since wineries need enough wine for their tasting rooms so that they don’t run out mid-season. Duane did all the farming—though it was all hands on deck during harvest, especially in the early years when the family had to hand-pick their grapes.

Meanwhile, Heather taught herself the art of winemaking by asking questions of area experts and taking online winemaking classes through the University of California—Davis.

“It was pretty stressful the first few years,” Heather admitted. “Our first harvest, one of our growers had been doing it awhile, and he was a huge help to me that year. Honestly, in this industry, everybody’s helpful. Whenever I have a question, I can call any of the local wineries or winemakers and ask them, or the U of M. I always have books and computers, looking things up. I’m finally feeling like, ‘Okay, I might know what I’m doing, or at least have an idea of the process.’”

Heather noted that at the beginning, it was more difficult because they were still figuring out what equipment they needed. The whole family would put in “very long hours” on the weekend, harvesting grapes, destemming them, crushing them, and pressing the white grapes right away, while the reds were left longer to ferment on the skin. Now, they have more specialized equipment, which means they need fewer hands and can finish more quickly.

The Javens vineyard contains 10 varieties of grapes, growing on about 6,000 vines spread across seven acres of land. From those varieties, Heather has made 10 varieties of wine—seven white and three red. She’s also working on another one now.

“I’m not interested in having 20 or 30 different wines,” she said. “I like the

number that we have right now. We want to get an established set of wines, and maybe have one or two that are different every year.”

Heather explained that wines get their flavor from the grapes used to make them, so the only real difference comes from mixing different varieties together to create new blends. Another slight way to affect a wine’s taste is the way it is aged. The Javens’ winery utilizes “toasted” oak barrels, which are oak barrels that had a fire started in them before they were sold. These barrels can have a heavier or lighter toast, resulting in an oaky or smoky finish to reds after they’ve aged. Some people enjoy this added flavor, but some don’t, which is why the Javens family also ages some of their red wines in stainless steel barrels, which don’t add anything to the flavor. Either way, the reds are aged about a year.

In the handful of years that she has been making wine, Heather has already won several awards for different blends, including a medal for New Traditions at the 2014 International Cold Climate Wine Competition in St. Paul. She said her proudest win might have come from her Marquette, which earned recognition in 2013 even though she had had trouble with it that year.

“I thought I screwed something up major on it when I was adding something,” she said. “I thought it was a goner. I made some phone calls, and they’re like, ‘No, you can do it!’ So I sent it in and got an award. Even though I think I screw up, it sometimes it turns out ok.”

Karmen added, “We tell her, ‘No, it’s good!’ She needs a little encouragement. I’m usually the one who says, ‘Did you get those wines sent in?’”

Still, despite the success Heather has found with her wines, she admitted that it’s still a little intimidating every year when she introduces a new flavor to customers.

“Every year I bring out the vintage, I’m always terrified that it’s terrible,” she said. “It’s nerve-racking. I know not everybody’s going to like everything you make, and you screw up. I’ve made plenty of mistakes. Jeff was always very encouraging to me. He’d ask, ‘Did you learn something from it?’”

Karmen said that was always the Javens family motto growing up.

“We were just taught when we were brought up that there’s no right or wrong—everything is a learning experience,” she explained. “You make choices, and you make decisions, and you go with them, and then you evaluate them and decide if you’re going to continue on that way or how you’re going to adapt and move forward. With a lot of things that we’ve had to deal with just in getting going and the different aspects, we’re very good at adapting and re-evaluating and moving forward.”

Stronger together

The Javens family had to draw on that tenacity when two tragedies affected the family within almost a year of each other. First, Heather’s husband, Jeff, died suddenly at of a heart attack at 44 in January 2017. Almost a year and a month later, Duane also died unexpectedly.

Both men left a huge void in the family and at the winery. Jeff had been one of the driving forces behind creating the tasting room, and he and Heather had run it together. When he died, leaving her with four children to take care of, she wasn’t even sure if she wanted to continue at the winery.

“I was pretty sure that was it,” she said. “I wasn’t going to do it.”

Karmen and the rest of the family were instrumental in helping her mourn and move past her loss.

“We got to a point where we had to think about whether we were going to open [for the season],” Heather said. “And I remember [Karmen] saying, ‘You don’t need to come. We’ll do this.’ That was huge for me. It was always Jeff and I in the tasting room, so with him not there, it was obviously very different, and difficult. [But] our customers would come in and give us all hugs and talk to us about it. I learned that was one of the best things, when people come in and go, ‘I remember coming and [seeing] you and Jeff…’ I love it when people come in and can still tell me that.”

Karmen said something similar happened when her father passed away, 

 with customers sharing their memories of him with her.

“People talk about my dad sitting out here [on the patio], and he was in his glory,” she said. “He loved being out here. He’d just sit out here, and customers would come and talk about the grapes…. He was just in heaven.”

When Duane passed away, Karmen was the one who stepped into his very big shoes. Duane had done all the farming, so it was a steep learning curve. Before that, Karmen had often helped in the tasting room but wasn’t as involved in day-today operations. Now, she had to learn how to run equipment, become an expert in everything about grapes and manage the winery—while still working full-time at the other family business.

“Last year was a lot of learning, and a lot of trial and error,” Karmen said. “This year, it seems like Heather and I have gotten into this groove…. We just work really well together.”

Heather agreed, “It’s been a learning process for the two of us.” The winery has five part-time employees and one full-time, along with the many family members who pitch in when necessary.

“It’s the two of us,” Karmen said. “I’m in charge of the farm, and she’s in charge of the winemaking. But it’s not just the two of us. It really is Javens Family Vineyard and Winery. And it always has been. My dad started that, and we all just pitch in.” 

VINEYARD

One of the biggest challenges in any vineyard is protecting it from pests, from birds to bugs. To scare off birds that want to feast on just-ripened grapes, the Javens family utilizes two tricks (or three, if you count their friendly guard dogs). First, they have kites that look like birds of prey, which they set up around their vineyard to trick other birds into avoiding it. Second, they have a sound system that includes a distressed bird call and a gunshot cannon. Every so many minutes, the bird call will go off, making other birds think a bird is being attacked. On off minutes, the cannon will fire, further scaring birds away.

“Our customers have gotten used to it,” Karmen said with a laugh.

Another challenge? Bad weather. Between a cold winter and a wet spring, it was difficult for the Javens family to get out and tend to their fields. The winery would have had a new grape this year—petite pearl—but they were unable to make it into a new wine thanks to the polar vortex that ripped through Minnesota this January. The family lost an entire field of grapes—including most of their petite pearls—during the cold spell.

“The winter was not nice to us,” Karmen said. “We were hit pretty hard down here, because it’s a low-lying area. We lost basically a whole vineyard in that we have to start over from the ground up. The root system isn’t dead, but we had to cut all the trunks off and train up new trunks. We won’t have a crop down here this year. Mother Nature can be a real pain in our neck. You just have to be watching all the time and then reacting based on what’s going on.”

GETTING TO KNOW

One of the biggest challenges in any vineyard is protecting it from pests, from birds to bugs. To scare off birds that want to feast on just-ripened grapes, the Javens family utilizes two tricks (or three, if you count their friendly guard dogs).

From: Beresford, South Dakota

Studied: Social work at MSU-Mankato

Family: Avery, 20; Fletcher, 16; Cole, 14; Nora, 11; Dogs Charlie and Cooper

Favorite wine: Marquette

First, they have kites that look like birds of prey, which they set up around their vineyard to trick other birds into avoiding it. Second, they have a sound system that includes a distressed bird call and a gunshot cannon. Every so many minutes, the bird call will go off, making other birds think a bird is being attacked. On off minutes, the cannon will fire, further scaring birds away.

Namesake wine: Vera’s Vino. As Karmen explained, “When Jeff and she first started dating, he always talked about this girlfriend of his, but he never brought her around. So we just started calling her Vera, like Norm and Vera on ‘Cheers.’ You always heard about her, but you never got to see her.”

“Our customers have gotten used to it,” Karmen said with a laugh.

Another challenge? Bad weather. Between a cold winter and a wet spring, it was difficult for the Javens family to get out and tend to their fields. The winery would have had a new grape this year—petite pearl—but they were unable to make it into a new wine thanks to the polar vortex that ripped through Minnesota this January. The family lost an entire field of grapes—including most of their petite pearls—during the cold spell.

From: Mankato

Day job: President of Javens Mechanical Contracting, Co.

Family: Daughter Moriah, 23; Son Luke, 21

Favorite wine: Frontenac

“The winter was not nice to us,” Karmen said. “We were hit pretty hard down here, because it’s a low-lying area. We lost basically a whole vineyard in that we have to start over from the ground up. The root system isn’t dead, but we had to cut all the trunks off and train up new trunks. We won’t have a crop down here this year. Mother Nature can be a real pain in our neck. You just have to be watching all the time and then reacting based on what’s going on.”

Heather Javens

This spring, Heather, Karmen and three other family members traveled to Italy for 10 days to learn more about wine and the wine making process. They visited Venice, Florence and Tuscany, touring barrel rooms and talking to area experts.

“It was great to be able to see the way that they grow grapes and make wine there,” Karmen said. “A lot of processes are the same, but then there are some things that are different.”

Heather added that since the process is largely the same wherever you go, a lot of a winery’s offerings come down to “winemaker’s choice.” That is, winemakers tend to focus on what they themselves enjoy.

At Javens Family Vineyard and Winery, that tends to be semi-dry wine.

“We don’t do a lot of sweet,” Heather said. “It’s just who we are. Each winery, based on the winemaker, you get a little niche.”

That being said, Heather said she does want to offer more red wines and a few more sweet wines, as well as trying new styles such as port wines and fortified wines.

If you want to try the wines she does have, but can’t make it out to the winery, Javens wines are also available at the Hilltop Hy-Vee in Mankato.

 Something for everyone

The winery’s season runs April to Christmas, with live music on Fridays and Saturdays. The Javens encourage customers to bring their own food or even order delivery from Marco’s Pizza in Mankato.

“Some of them have gotten to be almost kind of family with us,” Karmen said. “We have a couple that we love, [who] were coming here when they first got married, and they always brought Noodles & Company with them. Now they have a baby and come back with their baby and Noodles & Company.”

While the plan is to someday add more seating, for now, space can get cramped on the winery’s little patio—but Karmen said that doesn’t really matter.

“If you have a table set up, they see that somebody comes up on the patio and doesn’t have a spot to sit, and they’re like, ‘Oh, you can sit with us,’” she said.

To that, Heather added, “We’ve had more people say, ‘Oh, we’ve just met… We’ve made new friends at the winery.’”

The winery’s customers run the gamut from wine connoisseurs to people who aren’t even sure they like wine—but the Javens family is happy to help find something for them.

“We have a very backyard feel, and we love that,” she said. “People come in, and almost the first thing any of us asks is, ‘Have you been here before?’ Some people are like, ‘Yep, and I know I like….’ Other people, if they say “No,” then we just take them aside and talk with them and do a lot of explaining. All of us are very knowledgeable about our wines. It’s fun to be a little bit smaller and take that extra time.”

Heather added, “We don’t want them to be intimidated by wine. We always tell people, ‘You drink wine like you want to.’ There’s no judging. We’re just here to hang out and have fun.” RVW

Karmen Javens

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By GRACE BRANDT

hen Jessica Cadriel and husband Efraim purchased a few acres of wooded land outside of Kasota, they both hoped that it might come with a few mushrooms. Mushrooms are a favorite for both of them, so they started hiking around their property in search of morel mushrooms or anything else they could find. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a whole lot to be found.

“We spent four hours in the woods, walking around, trying to find morels, but we didn’t find a single morel on our property,” Jessica said.

So Efraim looked up ways to grow their own mushrooms. First, he had to create a slurry—a mixture of wood chips, molasses, and grain. To do this, he “borrowed” Jessica’s blender to grind up the wood chips and make the slushy mix.

“There’s no bitterness there,” Jessica joked.

Once Efraim had his supplies, he set up beds in different locations across their property, continually going out to see if the fungus had grown. It was slow going, though, as the couple had to deal with Minnesota’s unpredictable weather. Eventually, Jessica suggested diving into the hobby a little more seriously, and Efraim converted an unattached garage into their very own mushroom farm.

As owners of EJ Mushrooms, LLC, Jessica and Efraim now grow three types of mushrooms and hope to branch out to more in the future.

A winding path

Jessica Cadriel grew up on a cattle farm in Farmington and headed to Wisconsin after high school graduation. She attended the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire to study psychology, with a minor in biology, though it took her a few semesters to settle on her plan.

“I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, so I took a lot of classes,” she explained.

Jessica loved biology—even briefly changing majors to focus on it—but eventually changed back to psychology, with a biology minor, so that

she could graduate more quickly. By that time, she was married to her ex-husband and had a daughter, so wanted to finish school as quickly as possible.

After graduating, Jessica worked at a battered women’s shelter in Faribault, but she didn’t feel it was a good choice for her. Around that time, though, she started talking to someone who worked as a nurse, and the job sounded like it could be a better fit. By that time, she had two daughters and “couldn’t even afford daycare,” but was determined to pursue this new career.

She first earned an associate degree at Riverland Community College in Owatonna, then moved on to a bachelor’s degree at MSU-Mankato. Finally, she earned a Master of Nursing at the University of South Dakota.

In the middle of her academic journey, Jessica’s first marriage ended and she met Efraim. At the time, she was working as a nurse at the Mayo Health Clinic System in Mankato, while Efraim was working as an x-ray technician four floors below her—as well as serving in the U.S. Army.

“I saw him there and thought, ‘Oh, he’s cute,’” Jessica recalled. Because he was wearing a wedding ring, she didn’t pursue anything.

Not long after, Efraim disappeared from work for more than a year.

“I didn’t know what happened,” Jessica said. “It turned out that he’d been deployed to Afghanistan.”

When Efraim returned after a year, he approached her—single this time— to ask if she wanted to go running. She turned him down the first time because she was scheduled for a 12-hour shift at the hospital, but they eventually started running together, then dating more seriously. They married in 2013, blending their families together.

Once Jessica earned her master’s degree, the family moved to their current home outside of Kasota.

Jessica explained that they came out to look at another piece of property that was for sale and stumbled across their current home in the process.

“We were actually looking at a piece of land on this road that was 

Efraim Cadriel grew up in San Antonio, Texas, and enlisted in the Army when he was 17. He was still a junior in high school, so he went through basic training in the summer between his junior and senior years and finished high school while serving in the reserves. Once he graduated, he trained to become a legal specialist before transferring jobs to become a combat medic instead, training as a nuclear medicine technologist (x-ray tech). He served for 19 years and rose to the rank of Sergeant First Class before medically retiring.

Efraim wasn’t sure what to do when he retired, and Jessica was instrumental in helping him find a new passion in his life while recovering from the PTSD that lingered after his deployment. She was the one who noticed how much he loved to garden and suggested he take it further.

“We grew a garden out there one day, and he really liked it,” she said. “He would always come outside and look at the plants. And I said, ‘Why don’t you do something with that?’”

While Efraim does more of the dayto-day work on the mushroom farm, he is insistent that his wife is just as important to the operations.

“She’s more important than she realizes,” he said. “And I mean that. With her working full time, and having a family, and carrying the majority of the weight when I was disabled from the military…she really is the strength. She’s the one that encourages. That’s what makes her so special. She’s a very hard worker. She doesn’t let anything get in her way. And she’s very focused. So, I do a lot of the mushroom stuff, but she’s the motivation.”

Efraim calls himself a “big nerd,” since he likes to invent things and make new things work—like “the toilet” and the other inventions filling their garage. He added that he especially enjoys discussing the scientific processes behind mushroom gardening with his wife, since they can both understand them thanks to their medical backgrounds.

“It’s really cool that we can talk about that stuff,” he said. “We get to be nerds together.”

 for sale at the time, and this lady with two kids came walking past, and she was like, ‘Well, my house is for sale. Do you want to look?’”

Jessica remembered. “And I [thought], ‘Not really…’ but then I was like, ‘Well, ok….’ Then we looked, and we were like, ‘We love this place.’”

The house came with a few acres of woods, along with a detached garage and some other buildings.

“That detached garage used to be a sauna,” Jessica said. “I was a little sad when [Efraim] took it apart. Now it is a mushroom farm. And here we are.”

A new passion

The Cadriels began seriously pursuing their mushroom farm dream about two years ago. They had to come up with pretty much everything by themselves—sometimes with great creativity—such as using an air conditioning unit to dehydrate the mushrooms.

“It’s really fairly easy to get started,” Jessica said. “You don’t need a lot of room. The only issue is that you’re always trying to make sure [the mushrooms] aren’t contaminated.”

Spraying harsh insecticides isn’t an option for growing mushrooms, so the Cadriels wipe down the walls of their building with a mild dish soap and bleach mixture. They have to do it every day to ensure nothing becomes contaminated, since a single mold spore can destroy whole blocks of mushrooms.

Efraim Cadriel invented many of the devices they use or will use—such as “the toilet,” a giant wooden funnel where they hope to make their own slurry by pouring in wood pellets and soybean shells. The toilet has a small opening on the bottom where they can fasten a plastic bag to be filled with slurry, and it also has a tube that pours water into the bag as well.

“He was pretty proud of that,” she said.

The garage includes a “grow room”—full of hand-built racks of maturing mushrooms—and a lab where the Cadriels sterilize their mushrooms. Jessica said it took about a year for Efraim to build the shop, with her helping as she could around her work schedule.

From: Farmington, Minnesota

Lives in: Kasota.

Day job: Nurse practitioner at the St. Peter Regional Treatment Center

Family: Husband Efraim; kids Olivia, 20; Paige, 19; Adalee, 18; and Gabe, 16; dogs Beau, Ebony and Penelope

Hobbies: Gardening

Favorite mushroom: Pio Pino What she’d recommend for nonmushroom lovers: The oyster mushroom, which she says has a “nutty” flavor to it. “They’re better tasting than the types you can buy at the grocery store.”

sterilized, and inoculated with the fungus before getting packaged and sent out. There are 10 packaged blocks in one box, and the Cadriels’ back storage room in their garage is packed full of about 150 boxes. The Cadriels hope to eventually make their own blocks—because blocks can cost between $7.50-15.00 when ordered but cost less than a dollar to make.

One other problem with using blocks of inoculated fungus is that the fungus will start growing as soon as it’s exposed to air, even if that air comes from a rip in the packaging. Jessica said they have discovered mushrooms growing out of the boxes in their storage room—and that leads to contamination.

“We’re just going to use those [alreadyordered boxes] up, and hopefully by then we’ll have a process down so we can make our own,” she said.

Cadriel said their mushrooms mature at different rates, with oyster mushrooms growing in about a week and a half while lion’s mane mushrooms take about two weeks to fully mature. Each bag of substrate can produce about three “flushes” of mushrooms, though flushes tend to get smaller and take longer each cycle.

“It’s really neat, because [with] the little ones, you can go out tomorrow, and you’ll be able to see a difference,” she said. “It takes a while to start, but once they start, it goes very fast.”

The Cadriels plan to grow their mushrooms year-round, which is possible since the fungus is protected from the elements. Cadriel said this summer’s hot spell was a bit difficult as they tried to maintain the right temperature, but that was the only real challenge, weather-wise.

The couple began growing mushrooms about six months ago. At this point, they grow three kinds of mushrooms—oyster mushrooms (in pink, yellow and blue varieties), lion’s mane, and chestnut mushrooms. Based on the demand they’ve seen, they plan to stop selling the chestnut and instead add pio pino mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms.

In order to become an official mushroom farm, the Cadriels were required to attend a mushroom foraging class together through a local mycology group. Even though the Cadriels don’t intend to ever forage for mushrooms on their land, since that would be a lost cause, they were still required to earn a certification as part of the farm process.

“It was fun, though,” Jessica said. “We just walked through the woods and learned which ones we could take and sell, and which ones we can’t.”

Running the farm

Right now, the Cadriels order blocks of fungus from Mississippi Mushrooms in Minneapolis and Earth Angel in Missouri. The blocks are packed with substrate (the layer of materials where a mushroom grows),

At this point, the Cadriels sell their mushrooms to Chankaska Creek Ranch and Winery, as well as to a few area restaurants. They also work with individual orders when people contact them about purchases. In the future, they hope to expand their presence and also sell at area farmers’ markets. In addition, they host tours of the farm, mostly for local school classes.

“We’re working on slowly getting the word out to the community,” Jessica said.

Jessica noted that the couple would like to someday expand their operations into another building to produce more mushrooms, depending on the demand. They currently have the potential to produce about 100 pounds of mushrooms a week, but they only produce about 10 pounds a week now.

She said one of their main focuses right now is to just figure out a process that works well for them and take it from there.

“We’re trying to figure out how long it takes until they’re ready to go and minimize waste,” she said. “We’ve had rotting mushrooms, and that causes contamination. That’s just wasteful. We’re trying to figure out how many we’re going to need.” RVW

By MARY LEWIS

Eco friendly goats work around bird nest. This kildeer nest was still successful after goats worked around it.

might be surprising to see a herd of goats in a city park, but it may soon become a common sight.

Goats are known for being adorable and mischievous—and for eating anything and everything. The fact that they are like garbage disposals is a big benefit for people who need to remove invasive plants and weeds from their properties. Goat rental has become a leading method for land management and brush removal.

Amanda Langeslag and her husband Jake, of Faribault, are capitalizing on this eco-friendly trend.

If you ask Amanda if she ever thought she’d be in the goat rental business, her answer is “Never!”

It wasn’t even on her radar, but she and Jake started Goat Dispatch about seven years ago with 20 goats. They had borrowed some goats from a neighbor and were impressed with how quickly their land was cleared. Then they bought some goats of their own, and soon they were renting them to farmers, private homeowners, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Amanda is a registered nurse and mom of three children, ages six years, five years, and seven months. She handles the administration of Goat Dispatch, along with the health and wellness of the herd. Amanda’s medical background is important to the well-being of the herd.

“Veterinarians aren’t really trained in caring for goats,” Amanda said. “And there aren’t any specific dosages for goats when it comes to medicines. There is a lot to keeping them alive and healthy.”

The busiest time of year is spring when baby goats are born.

“Our herd almost doubled this year, because the majority of our does

birthed twins,” Amanda said.

The herd now numbers more than 700 goats.

Langeslag lets her children help with the goats, feeding them and tagging their ears.

“They liked the tagging job so much, they lined up their stuffed animals and tagged their ears, too,” she said, laughing.

Amanda also reaps the rewards of raising goats in fun ways. She brought a bunch of baby goats to a homeschooling event and the kids had a blast.

She commented, “Who doesn’t love watching kids and ‘kids’ playing together?”

In May 2017, the City of St. Paul, rented a herd of about three dozen goats from Goat Dispatch and put them to work clearing buckthorn and garlic mustard at Indian Mounds Regional Park. Buckthorn and garlic mustard are both classified as restricted noxious weeds in Minnesota. They are in direct competition with native plants for nutrients, light, and moisture, and they threaten the future of forests, wetlands, prairies, and other natural habitats. Goats eat three to five percent of their body weight daily. Thus, a larger goat weighing 100 pounds will likely consume three to five pounds of plants. So, 36 goats could remove up to 180 pounds of unwanted weeds in one day.

Angie Tillges, Great River Passage Fellow, in conjunction with the City of Saint Paul, sees the project as successful on several fronts. The goats are built for climbing the bluffs along the Mississippi River— but machines and people aren’t quite so agile. And the goats are a draw for the public. Signs near the goats’ grazing area explained why they were there.

“Goat Dispatch provided a powerful tool for educating the public about eco-friendly solutions to land development problems. It was a fantastic experience to work with them,” said Angie. You may wonder how well goat land management works. Eco-friendly or not, results matter. Through the University of Minnesota, a cross-disciplinary team—led by Tiffany Wolf of the Department of Veterinary Population Studies and Dan Larkin of the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology—is working the case from all angles. Their work will measure the impact of goat-grazing on buckthorn and native plant growth.

Post-doctoral researcher Katie Marchetto has looked into site management and tracking the goats’ impact on buckthorn growth. Goat Dispatch has been an essential partner in multiple aspects of this research. Amanda and Jake have allowed access to their herd and facilitated communication with their customers for additional research field sites. The jury is still out, but the research study is scheduled to end in 2022. So far, the goats do their job, and the study continues.

Goats are unusual in that they have special enzymes in their gut that allow them to eat plants that are poisonous to other animals. They also have narrow, strong mouths designed for stripping individual leaves and chewing branches. They prefer broad-leafed plants, so brush and invading field vegetation is eaten first while grass is normally left alone. There are more than 300 distinct breeds of goats. Amanda and Jake are partial to Spanish goats, a meat and brushclearing type found widely in the United States. Also referred to as the brush goat or scrub goat, Spanish goats originally came from Spain, through Mexico, to the United States. The Spanish goat can breed out of season, and they are very hardy, able to survive and thrive under extreme weather conditions. They tolerate Minnesota’s summer 

Amanda Langeslag

Goats work near the MSP Airport.

Goats naturally fertilize the ground as they graze. Goats can eat poisonous plants like Poison Ivy.

Using goats to clear land and woody areas is much more cost effective than many traditional methods.

Goats are one of the oldest domesticated species of animal. Goats usually live 15 to 18 years.

Goat cheese, made from goat milk, is called chèvre. Female goats are called does or nannies.

Male goats are called bucks.

Castrated male goats are called wethers. Juvenile goats are called kids.

 heat waves and winter cold snaps admirably.

Goats don’t take the winter off. During the cold and snowy months, goats eat the bark of trees. This weakens the tree and it dies, making the removal process much easier later in the year.

Five years ago, Goat Dispatch teamed up with the city of Faribault to recycle Christmas trees.

Amanda explained, “About once a week we bring a trailer and load up the trees and bring them back to our farm. Christmas trees are a welcome winter treat for our goat herd.”

Feeding the trees to the goats keeps the trees out of the landfill, puts them to good use as browse for the goats during the plantfree months, and uses the goats’ natural digestive processes to “recycle” the trees. Amanda and Jake hope to collect more Christmas trees this year.

There is a process to follow if a person wishes to rent goats for their property. A request form and phone or email interview to collect information are the first steps. Next an onsite consultation will confirm density of vegetation, fencing lanes, water and electric supplies as well as site access and other factors. When the goats arrive to a property, the job can take as little as a few days or sometimes a landowner has enough property to sustain goats for the duration of the grazing season. Goat routes are typically scheduled in February and March prior to the grazing season. RVW

MOM OPERATED. KID APPROVED.

Kaaren Mom of 1

Trisha Mom of 2

AG EDUCATION INNOVATOR

By RUTH KLOSSNER

When she graduated from New Ulm High School (NUHS), Beth Sletta had no plans of staying around New Ulm and/or becoming a teacher. But life sometimes has other plans—and both of those “nevers” happened over time.

After teaching for a year in Iowa, Beth, who came home to teach at Jefferson Elementary in 1987, and has been there ever since. It’s a job she loves, especially being the school’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) teacher. Going into her fourth year in that position, she is more enthusiastic than ever.

Although Beth says her students’ interest in gardening and the feedback she gets from them is her real reward, state and national organizations have also recognized her efforts in another way. This year Beth received the 2019 National Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture Award for her innovative use of agriculture in the classroom.

Through the STEM program, Beth teaches her students how to be problem solvers—working through the process by identifying a problem, asking questions, making a plan, doing research, devising a prototype, testing, revisiting…and sometimes going through the circle again.

“We’re teaching kids how to solve problems in their own lives,” she said. “We do it in groups most of the time. Another emphasis in the STEM lab is how to work with other people. We use words like collaboration, communication, and critical thinking.”

As a STEM teacher, she works with all 650 first through fourth graders at Jefferson Elementary, for an hour a week, and ties her lessons into what students are learning in science or math—or what they’re reading about in language arts.

Beth’s subject matter took a turn about two years ago when she asked people with careers in various areas of science to speak to her classes. After a beekeeper talked about the plight of pollinators, three of her students expressed their concerns that the school didn’t have any

plantings that were pollinator friendly.

That resulted in a small planting of pollinator friendly plants.

“When students become excited about something, it’s hard for an educator to rein it in,” Beth said with a laugh. “Their enthusiasm was contagious. Our plantings grew and grew. We worked together to find grants, we had a contest, we raised quite a bit of money so we could have a garden with pollinator friendly flowers, vegetables, and herbs.”

That first year, the garden had six raised beds, an elevated bed accessible to all, and 10 fabric beds donated by the Minnesota State Horticultural Society. The society also provided the fill, seedlings, and seeds. A grant from the University of Minnesota Pollinators provided plants and other grants helped to get things going.

Beth started the first garden in the spring of 2017. As the program grew, so did support from other organizations.

SHIP (Minnesota State Health Insurance Assistance Program) partnered with a health initiative to expand the healthy parts of growing and eating food. Allina provided a grant to purchase a smoothie maker, dehydrator, mini pizza oven, and cooking equipment so students could make healthy foods.

Sletta focuses on ag-related lessons in her classrooms, often working with Ann Vote of Minnesota Ag in the Classroom. “Ann is a great resource,” Beth said.

“I am determined to tie the garden and agriculture into lessons throughout the school year. I think everybody should know where 

“I AM DETERMINED TO TIE THE GARDEN AND AGRICULTURE INTO LESSONS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR.

I THINK EVERYBODY SHOULD KNOW WHERE OUR FOOD COMES FROM, WHERE OUR CLOTHES COME FROM, WHERE OUR ENERGY COMES FROM”

SLETTA RECEIVED STATE AND NATIONAL

Beth Sletta received the Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC) 2019 Outstanding Teacher Award, presented annually to a Minnesota K-12 teacher who exemplifies excellence in the classroom and a passion for teaching agriculture. Beth was selected for her efforts in immersing her 650 elementary students in agriculture through their STEM lab and schoolyard garden. She received a $500 stipend and up to $1,500 in expenses to attend the 2019 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas in June.

Beth and five other Minnesotans joined a group of 500 educators from across the US at the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference June 18-21. There she received the 2019 National Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture Award for her innovative use of agriculture in the classroom.

“One of the main speakers was Temple Grandin, a renowned expert on cattle and on autism,” Beth said. “She spoke on how important it is for the younger generation to know about agriculture and to expand the horizons of young people.”

Breakout sessions and networking with colleagues from across the country were other highlights of the conference.

 our food comes from,” she explained, “where our clothes come from, where our energy comes from,” Beth stressed.

She went on, “Kids don’t understand where their food comes from, so we gathered seeds, dried them, packaged them, and sent them home with the kids to plant in spring. Some of the kids have encouraged their parents to start gardens at home or in the community garden (where Putting Green was). We also encourage the kids to come to the (school) garden with their families anytime to pick weeds, pick a bouquet of flowers or fruits or vegetables. Parents often send me photos of the kids visiting the garden.”

It’s not only students and parents who stop by the garden, but Beth’s father, Roger Norman. “He grew up on a truck farm near Chicago. He’s 90 now but comes down to talk to the kids,” she said.

Sletta is always looking for and finding new ways to help her students learn. For one lesson, she had them dissect a school lunch, talking about where the food came from and why pollinators were important. At first, students didn’t recognize the importance of pollinators in producing milk, but soon tied it back to pollinators when they thought about what cows eat.

“I have an extensive ag library. Before we do a lesson, I try to read a story and tie it to a challenge for the students,” she said.

Sletta’s program also continues during the summer with the school’s on-site childcare, Kids Connection. Sletta works with the program’s 100 summer care kids almost every Friday, helping them learn how to weed, take care of plants, and harvest. They enjoy a nutritious snack after every harvest.

Through her STEM work, Sletta has also been involved in starting a garden at Southview Living Center in Gibbon where her mother-in-law lives.

“Some of my students have family members there and wanted to start a garden. They help out by weeding and watering. This is a way to 

Beth Sletta, left, received the 2019 National Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture Award at the national convention in Little Rock, Arkansas in June. She’s pictured with Sue Knott, Minnesota Ag in the Classroom Education Specialist.

Beth Sletta was excited to “drive” a combine on the 2019 summer Ag in the Classroom teacher tour that was organized by regional curriculum specialist Ann Vote.

GET TO KNOW

For Beth (Norman) Sletta, life has come full circle. She’s back in her hometown, teaching in the school district she attended, and living in the house that was her home since seventh grade.

After graduating from New Ulm High School in 1982, Beth was off to Century College in Pella, Iowa, the same school her parents and grandparents attended. Her mother grew up near there and her family had a farm in the area. “It was a natural place to go to college,” she said.

Beth started as a pre-med major, then tried a variety of majors before “falling into teaching.” Switching to education late resulted in her having to work quickly to get classes in after dabbling in so many other majors.

She related, “To be honest, I did not choose teaching as a profession, teaching chose me! I was determined to stay away from the education department in college, but my advisor wisely suggested I give it a try. Here I am, 32 years later, still teaching and loving it!”

After teaching in the Hampton Dumont district in Iowa for a year, Beth learned

that an elementary position was open in New Ulm.

“When I left high school, I said I was never coming back to this town, but here I am, living in the house I grew up in, and the high school I went to,” she said with a laugh.

She joined the District 88 staff in 1987 and held a variety of positions— teaching first, second, and third grade; working with the Title I Intervention Program for reading; and being the technology teacher at Jefferson— before jumping into the STEM position in 2016. That came about when the principal saw the success of a Maker Space program Beth did after school— opting to make it available to all students as part of the curriculum.

Beth married fellow NUHS grad Laine Sletta in 1992.

“He was a senior when I was a high school freshman, so we didn’t know each other then,” she said. “Laine was a hog/corn/beans farmer. His brother was on the home place but their facilities were all destroyed in the 1998 tornado and not rebuilt.”

After losing an entire planting of beets, photo diagrams of weeds were created. Students now use them to identify weeds when working in the garden.

REGIONAL SPECIALISTS SUPPORT

Classroom teachers such as Beth Sletta have the support of Minnesota Ag in the Classroom regional curriculum specialists. One of those specialists is Ann Vote of New Ulm.

The specialists serve specific areas in the state—with Vote’s personal region being Redwood, Renville, and Brown Counties. That doesn’t stop her from offering a hand to any teacher wanting assistance, however. Recently, while at a coffee shop in Mankato, Vote overheard teachers talking about classroom plans and soon joined their conversation. An hour later, the teachers had lots of ideas on how to implement ag-based lessons.

“My job is to connect educators to our resources to help teach their state standards with agricultural topics. We have lesson plans for grades K-12 that are highly interactive and meet education standards. All of our resources are found on our website www.mnagclassroom.org and are FREE to use,” Vote said. “We also connect K-6 classrooms with our AgMag Series which is a set of magazines that come out three times a year that students can interact with.”

Vote works both with school administrators and with teachers. “I meet with administrators to set up a teacher in-service to educate all of a teaching staff about our resources or I meet one-on-one with educators to highlight how they can use our resources in their classroom,” she explained. “Our mission is increasing ag literacy among Minnesota students in grades K-12. It is my goal to help educators utilize our lessons and take away any financial roadblocks, i.e. teachers buying all of their own supplies.”

MAITC is a nonprofit that is funded by sponsors and AgVocates, supporters of agriculture. Ag in the Classroom recently received local dollars from the New Ulm Farm-City Hub Club to help decrease financial roadblocks for educators. Vote did not come from an ag-focused background—but has embraced ag whole-

Regional Curriculum Specialist

Ann Vote led a summer teachers’ tour through Redwood and Renville Counties this past summer.

heartedly. She was a social studies teacher at Cedar Mountain High School for more than 10 years.

“Living in a rural area instantly connected me to the agricultural community,” she said.

Husband Brian Vote manages Pigmaker Inc. near Lafayette. Ann and Brian recently moved to New Ulm with their two children.

 infuse ag in other areas,” she said. “We’ve had a couple harvests there—peppers, rhubarb, beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions. Many of the residents grew up on farms…it’s special to them.”

As she looks to the future, Beth said, “Now my goal is to get other educators to use more ag-related topics in their classrooms. I encourage them to go to the National Ag in the Classroom website for curriculums for their classrooms.”

To make the lessons more hands-on, she had the NUHS Trades Class, led by Kevin Briggs, build an outdoor classroom near the garden. The classroom has seating and standing space for at least 30 people.

“It makes the area more accessible for other teachers—more teachers are taking their classes out there for lessons,” Beth noted.

It’s not only the students who learn through the lessons, but Beth herself. She grew up in town and admitted to knowing little about agriculture.

“From not knowing anything about ag, I know a lot more now,” she said. “This is one of the most fulfilling parts of my career as an educator. I believe that using ag-related lessons has revitalized me as a teacher. I am so excited to share things I have learned, and I am eager to try new ideas with my students. Ag related lessons encompass all parts of STEM and are a perfect match.” RVW

Sletta helped a student collect seeds from a seed head harvested from the school garden. The seeds were dried and packaged so that families could plant their own flowers at home.

Your support of Greater Mankato Area United Way directly contributes to improving the lives of those in need throughout our region. Thank you!

Your support of Greater Mankato Area United Way directly contributes to improving the lives of those in need throughout our region. Thank you!

Please join us as we work to ensure the well-being, stability and self-sufficiency of individuals of all ages. By focusing on the areas of Basic Needs, Health and Education, we can keep our region strong now and for years to come.

Please join us as we work to ensure the well-being, stability and self-sufficiency of individuals of all ages. By focusing on the areas of Basic Needs,

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WHAT IS YOUR FARMERS' MARKET AND HOW DO YOU USE IT?

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DENISE: Love my CSA so I try new things. But I’d say their lettuces are so good! The taste is so much better for salads.

BECKY: Maple syrup—in cobbler and on pancakes.

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LAKES ON 1ST: My favorite farmers market item is the fresh cut flowers! A quick way to brighten someone’s day or your kitchen table. 120391

Most of us would probably agree that men and women frequently behave differently, and these differences often show up in professional, family and social situations. Of course, this certainly doesn’t mean either gender has an advantage in these areas. However, here’s an interesting question: Do women possess attributes that may make them better investors?

Some evidence suggests this may indeed be the case. Consider the following:

• Long-term focus – Women seem to focus more on long-term goals, according to some studies, whereas men may concentrate more on shortterm track records of potential investments. Generally speaking, taking a long-term approach to investing is a good strategy because it can help you maintain discipline and avoid subjecting yourself to the dangers of overreacting to market swings. One such danger is selling an investment whose price may have dropped but may still have strong fundamentals and good prospects.

• Less frequent trading – A well-known study from the University of California found that men traded investments 45% more frequently than women. Other, more recent studies have produced somewhat different results, but the overall picture does seem to show that women do significantly less buying and selling than men. This tendency is important because frequent trading can undercut a long-term, cohesive investment strategy. If you’re constantly buying and selling, you won’t give some investments a chance to achieve their full growth potential, and you might disrupt the diversification necessary for long-term success.

• More thoughtful decisions and more receptiveness to professional advice – Women take more time to make investment decisions than men, and more readily accept investment recommendations from financial professionals, according to a survey from InvestmentNews. And women are more likely to consult a professional financial advisor in the first place, according to a study from the Spectrem Group, a financial research firm. Given the number of factors involved in successful investing – setting long-term goals, evaluating risk tolerance, navigating volatile financial markets, diversifying investment portfolios, and so on – it’s important to get solid financial and investment advice from trained, experienced professionals.

• Greater risk aversion – When it comes to savings and investing, women are generally more risk averse than men, according to a large-scale survey by BlackRock, a global investment management firm, and supported by numerous other surveys and studies. Having a greater risk aversion can help women investors reduce the likelihood of incurring short-term losses from highly volatile or speculative investments. Nonetheless, it’s not really possible to avoid all investment risk – and it’s probably not even desirable.

Are Women Better Investors Than Men?

In fact, there may well be a flip side to women’s risk avoidance, in that an overly conservative portfolio won’t produce the growth potential needed to achieve long-term goals. And this indeed is a danger to which women investors should be alert. Generally speaking, neither excessive risk nor excessive caution will serve investors well.

A long-term perspective, avoidance of excess trading, willingness to take advice from professionals, and careful risk management – these characteristics of women investors can be of value to everyone. Consider putting them to work for yourself.

CATE GRINNEY CFP ® Financial Advisor Edward Jones

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY RUTH KLOSSNER AND MARK EHLEN

An old-fashioned front porch welcomes visitors to the Wadd home.

ince earning an associate’s degree in interior design, Kari (Rosin) Wadd has only designed one project but, oh, what a project it is! It’s the two-story farmhouse that she, husband Trent, and children Kloe and Mason live in, north of Waseca.

“I’ve known forever that I wanted a four-square white farmhouse,” Kari said.

When the couple decided to move from one set of Trent’s grandparents farm to the other, Kari’s creative mind went into high gear. There was a small house on the property, but they opted to build new, rather than try to renovate the old house.

While Kari’s original plans did not include an attached garage, Trent “won that battle” and the garage on the old house was saved.

Kari got a trade-off, however. She wanted a windmill but there was none on the property, “Trent got the attached garage and I got my windmill,” Kari said. “Our house was built with a windmill inside. It’s missing a fin but I say, ‘Our family isn’t perfect, either.’” 

From the entry door, one first notices the openness of the plan—looking through the living room to the kitchen. The white barn doors, on the track, hide the TV, as Kari didn’t want the distraction of a TV on the main floor. “We can go back to old-fashioned conversation this way,” she said. Cowhide rugs and the cow skull came from a neighbor who does skulls.

Kari’s windmill decorates the high wall over the kitchen.

Kari Wadd designed the family’s four-square white farmhouse. Although she didn’t plan on an attached garage, husband Trent prevailed and the garage from his grandparents’ old house was saved and attached.

wanted to copy the big white farmhouse ceramic sink that had been in her maternal grandmother’s house and found one online.

The etched glass door from the old farmhouse was saved and is now the entry to Kari’s pantry.

The bedroom light fixture reflects Kari’s funky creative side. She especially loves the old light bulbs.

This 300-pound table came from the Nicollet County Courthouse. Kari’s dad Rick bought it when the county held an auction. It was in Rick’s garage until Kari brought it to Waseca.

A view from the open balcony of the second floor highlights items in the kitchen. An old chicken brooder, found on the farm, hangs over the island. Wording on its far side reads “A.R.Wood Radiant Brooder, Luverne, Minn.” Kari

The master bedroom.

An old ophthalmologist chair is used when Kari gives haircuts. The steam “shower that looks like a space ship” is a favorite. Closets and the main floor laundry are off this room to one side, with the bathroom tucked away on the other.

Family memorabilia, including photos of Trent’s greatgrandparents are displayed in the master bedroom.

The back bathroom—off the kitchen, garage, and Trent’s office—features corrugated metal from the roof of the old goat barn, an oldfashioned sink, and other farm memorabilia.

There’s a separate living space for the kids upstairs, just outside their bedrooms.

 Remembering other details from her mother and grandmother’s houses, Kari also incorporated other unique items—swinging cowboy half doors, an old-fashioned white ceramic kitchen sink, and more.

“My biggest design ‘must have’ was to be able to see the whole house from the kitchen island—the main floor area, the kids living space upstairs, and the farmyard outside. The island is the center point.”

The upstairs window design also allows the family to see all the surrounding farmland.

Kari first sketched out her ideas on paper, then took them to designer Matt Sommers.

“My brain could pop up things in 3D,” Wadd said. “Matt helped me put it on paper for the builder, Scott Hansen Construction, of Waseca.”

Construction was planned for a winter build but, when that didn’t happen, the family had to move to town for a year when their original house sold.

“We’re not town people,” Kari related, “But it was kind of fun for the kids.”

Construction started in the spring of 2014, with the family moving in that fall.

“It’s been amazing ever since,” Kari said.

Kari has masterfully combined family heirlooms with items she’s found in antique shops, on Craigslist, and from neighbors. Some items came from her family, others from Trent’s. Some of the flooring is original Douglas Fir from the old farmhouse, others are rustic barn wood. Wall coverings include wood and corrugated roof material from an old goat barn on the farm.

Moving to the farm site allowed the kids to have animals for 4-H. They have pigs, sheep, and beef. Kloe won a trip and showed a market lamb at this year’s state fair. Kloe is a freshman and Mason a seventh grader at Waseca High School this fall.

In addition to farming, Trent is the operations’ manager in agronomy at Crystal Valley in Janesville. Kari worked with Trent’s mom Marita in landscaping work for 13 years and is now a para-professional at Waseca High School. RVW

The Wadds’ backyard includes a fire pit—made from an old tractor tire rim.

Kloe’s love of sports dominates one wall of her room; the other side has a display of 4-H ribbons. The quilt on the foot of the bed is one that Kari received as a graduation gift 20 years ago.

Mason’s eclectic bedroom.

RIVERFRONT

410 S. Riverfront Dr. Mankato, MN 507-625-1107

HILLTOP

2010 Adams St. Mankato, MN 507-625-9070

FLU SEASON IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!

Your Hy-Vee pharmacists would like to remind you that it is time to start thinking about flu vaccines. We offer fast and convenient service in a comfortable, private atmosphere. Any time that the pharmacy is open, you are welcome to come in and receive a flu vaccine; no

appointment necessary. We accept most insurance plans and offer a 20¢ fuel saver with each flu vaccine. We will have both the injection and nasal spray vaccine available; ask your Hy-Vee pharmacist for details. Let your Hy-Vee pharmacy help protect you from the flu this flu season.

115060

September 24th is recognized as National Family Day to recognize the importance of eating together as a family. Families who eat meals together between five and seven times per week show improved academic performance and selfesteem, lower rates of obesity and eating disorders and lower incidences of substance abuse and teen pregnancy. An easy way to gather everyone to the table is with a fun food station. This could happen at the evening meal or even breakfast; the important thing is that everyone is present and eats together.

Keep meal planning simple. Aim to make half your plate a fruit or vegetable, a quarter lean protein, and a quarter as whole grain (and don’t forget the serving of dairy).

Food stations are a great way to let each person decide on their add-ins (no more fretting about who dislikes onions, or prefers chicken). Have your family brainstorm ideas on toppings they like, remembering to include fruits and vegetables within the choices. Here are some of my favorite food stations.

• Oatmeal Bar – Topping ideas: fresh fruits, thawed frozen fruit, nuts, dried fruit, cinnamon, maple syrup, flax seed, chia seed, granola and vanilla yogurt.

• Spud Bar – Utilize the frozen Steam n’ Mash potatoes or pre-bake some baked potatoes and have the following toppings available: broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, tomatoes, salsa, green onions, black beans, cheese, rotisserie chicken or diced ham.

• Nacho – Top whole grain corn chips with chicken, black beans, salsa, tomatoes, avocado, lettuce, pre-cooked brown rice (find it in the freezer section), crumbled cooked lean hamburger, corn, peppers, plain Greek yogurt, cheese. Bake it in the oven for 5-10 minutes until cheese melts.

• Pasta – Precook whole grain pasta and top with a variety of sauces: low-fat Alfredo, pesto, marinara, steamed vegetables, cooked shrimp, cooked chicken, reduced-fat meatballs, fresh basil, cheeses, fresh baked bread.

• Pizza – Whole grain pita crusts or whole grain tortillas with toppings: cheeses, pesto sauce, pizza sauce, cooked broccoli, diced peppers, canned pineapple tidbits, olives, mushrooms, diced ham, turkey pepperoni, cooked chicken, fresh herbs.

Main Dish

Greek Sheet Pan Chicken

ALL YOU NEED

SHEET PAN CHICKEN

2 tbsp. Gustare Vita olive oil

2 clove(s) garlic, minced

1 tbsp. fresh oregano, finely chopped

1 tsp. lemon zest

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. Hy-Vee ground black pepper

4 (8-oz. ea.) Hy-Vee True boneless skinless chicken breasts

GREEK SHEET-PAN VEGGIES AND CHICKEN

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 c. Hy-Vee Short Cuts cauliflower florets

2 c. Hy-Vee Short Cuts zucchini and/or summer squash, cut in half

1/2 red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tbsp. Gustare Vita olive oil

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Hy-Vee ground black pepper, to taste

2 Sheet Pan Chicken Breasts, cooked

2 oz. Soirée feta cheese crumbles

1/2 c. Culinary Tours tzatziki sauce

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a 15x10x1-inch sheet pan with nonstick spray; set aside.

2 3

1 4

Combine olive oil, garlic, oregano, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Rub mixture all over chicken breasts. Place chicken on prepared sheet pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until done (165 degrees). Cool 10 minutes. Remove chicken from sheet pan and set aside.

Toss together red bell pepper, cauliflower florets, zucchini and/or summer squash, red onion, olive oil, lemon juice, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Place vegetables onto prepared sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes. Turn vegetables and add 2 cooked chicken breasts to pan. Bake 10 minutes more until chicken is heated through and vegetables are roasted. Sprinkle feta cheese over vegetables. Serve with lemon wedges and tzatziki sauce.

Nutrition Facts per Serving: 410 calories per serving, 29g Total Fat, 4.5g Saturated Fat, 0g Trans Fat, 70mg Cholesterol, 720mg Sodium, 10g Total Carbohydrates, 3g Dietary Fiber, 5g Total Sugars, 0g Added Sugars, 31g Protein.

When many of us hear the phrase “self-care,” we picture pedicures, bubble baths, shopping, or a massage. While these luxuries can certainly be a part of self-care, incorporating a practice of wellness and care into your life is more than “treating yourself.”

Over the last several years, self-care culture has exploded and become widely recognized as ways we cope with our ever increasingly stressful lives. There are countless books devoted to the subject and—in the name of self-care—companies sell bath bombs and face masks. Our ideas of self-care are often quite gendered, as self-care products are mostly marketed toward women. Men may be reluctant to take a bubble bath, but also need to practice self-care to cope with the demands of life. Furthermore, while these products and activities are certainly enjoyable—only taking a bubble bath rarely gets to the root cause of the stressors and anxieties we struggle with.

At CADA, among the staff and the people we serve, we often have conversations about what is and what is not self-care. First and foremost, self-care is not selfish. Self-care is not indulgent, but essential to our overall well being. However, not every activity that feels good is necessarily helpful.

Several months ago, I was dealing with an abnormal amount of stress and anxiety. I found myself engaging in activities that weren’t healthy self-care or addressing the underlying stressors of life. I found myself zoning out in front of the TV, snacking mindlessly, and isolating myself by canceling plans with friends. When talking to others about unhealthy self-care, they have pointed to similar unhelpful activities like overspending for retail therapy, sleeping too much, having too much to drink, or avoiding the gym because they deserve a break. Sometimes, our selfcare becomes self-sabotage. Just because something feels good doesn’t mean it is working. Furthermore, self-care doesn’t always feel good in the moment.

For example, going to the doctor or working out won’t always feel great or sound like fun but these choices will benefit your overall wellness in the long run.

Self-care is an intentional choice to actively engage in practices and cultivate habits that contribute to our overall wellness. Self-care activities are deliberate actions we do to care for our mental, emotional, and physical health. One way to tell if something is healthy self-care is to ask yourself, “Did this make me feel better or worse?” Are we practicing self-care or merely self-soothing? When we find our self-care turning into

avoiding or disengaging, it is time to pause and reflect. Sometimes, when we practice unhealthy self-care, it can mean we are distracting ourselves from stressors rather than confronting deeper issues head on.

One simple way to think about it is to think about three key aspects of self-care—awareness, balance, and connection—or the “ABCs of selfcare.”

Awareness

Awareness is an important piece of self-care. We need to be aware of how we act and feel when we are starting to feel over-burdened and are approaching our stress limit. Knowing our triggers and capacity is important so we can adjust our self-care practices as necessary. It is also important to have an awareness of what kinds of self-care activities will help in that moment. If I am stressed because I’m hosting a family holiday, spending more time with friends isn’t the self-care activity I need, but perhaps some meditative yoga is what’s in order. Oftentimes we act and react without true understanding and this can lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms that drain us rather than refuel us.

Balance

Part of healthy self-care is striving for balance in our daily lives. Maintaining a good balance of work, play, and rest is one way to avoid burnout. Maintaining healthy boundaries is also crucial—whether finding a healthy work-life balance or having healthy boundaries with our friends and family—boundaries are crucial to living a balanced life and avoiding feeling over-burdened.

Connection

Self-care is often promoted as a solitary practice, and many self-care activities are solitary. However, it is important to remember that one aspect of self-care is connecting with others and to something larger than ourselves. This can be connecting with loved ones, with nature, or through therapy. Maintaining healthy connections is a crucial part of a self-care practice.

Finding time for self-care can be overwhelming. Our schedules are jam packed and the thought of carving out more time to go to the gym, spend time with loved ones, meditate, or read a book can seem daunting. By incorporating awareness, balance, and connection into our daily lives, we can continuously practice self-care rather than trying to fit in extra activities when we are already feeling maxed out. All of us are unique individuals and our self-care should reflect that. Do what works best for you and make your wellness a priority!

KRISTEN WALTERS Development & Volunteer Manager CADA, Mankato

QI’ve been told I need to get 10,000 steps every day. But I don’t think this number is realistic for me. How do I know if I am reaching my activity goals?

ASitting is the new smoking, friends. Sedentary lifestyles have been shown to have deleterious effects on cardiovascular health and mental fitness over the long term. Emotional well-being is affected by regular movement, as anyone who has been trapped on a long flight with a toddler can attest. Short bursts of activity can have a dramatic impact over time, and “mini-breaks” can actually make you more productive. The 10,000-step standard is simply a guideline, and the intention is to get you moving a little more every day.

“10,000 steps” is arbitrary

In 1965, a Japanese pedometer company launched a product called the “10,000-step meter.” The number was thought to be chosen because the Japanese character for 10,000 looks a bit like a man walking. 10,000 steps is the equivalent of five miles, and is an excellent activity goal for a lot of people. Some people will need much more than this to feel calm and manage anxiety, while others may be limited by mobility and celebrate a smaller numerical daily achievement. The take-home message is to sit less, and move more.

22 minutes each day for adults

If counting steps isn’t your jam, shift your focus to active minutes. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, or about 22 minutes each day. Examples include brisk walking, dancing, biking, water aerobics, gardening, or mowing the lawn (use the push mower, Phyllis! I see you). Any amount of movement is better than none, and you can break it up into shorter intervals of activity throughout the day.

60 minutes each day for kids

Let them get those wiggles out. Physical activity in kids and adolescents promotes emotional well-being, enhances brain development, and builds strong bodies. At least 60 minutes of aerobic activity is required every day, and can be broken down into shorter intervals spread throughout the day. Soccer, biking, tag, swimming, martial arts, skateboarding, rock climbing, and paddle boarding are great options. Lead by example, and try to find physical fun that the family can enjoy together. How about a spirited game of full-contact mini golf?

Pump some iron

Resistance training, at least twice weekly, helps the body perform daily activities and protects the body from injury. Resistance training can be done with free weights, machines, household objects, or your own body weight.

Sit on the floor

The simple act of getting up and down from a seated position on the floor requires coordination of strength and flexibility. Three to five minutes of light stretching every day will improve overall mobility and help protect from injury. A consistent yoga practice will improve balance, flexibility, strength, and mindfulness.

There is no need to get hung up on the magic number of 10,000 steps. Just make a commitment to move more, with more intensity, and sit less throughout the day. So when your husband walks in on you benchpressing soup cans on your kitchen table, give him a fist-bump for heart health.

Have a beautiful day!

CORINNE JORDAN, MD, FACS General Surgery Physicians Group of New Ulm

Located

Just two generations ago, the average adult slept about nine hours per night—a stark contrast to the six hours or fewer than one-third of the population gets today. Moms with babies who aren’t yet sleeping through the night often get even less sleep.

Busier lifestyles—including managing our children’s hectic schedules— have stretched many women too thin, resulting in sleep deprivation, which can negatively affect physical and mental health on a daily basis.

Lack of sleep can cause unintentional daytime sleeping and drowsiness, clouded thinking, poor judgment, and a decrease in our “emotional resilience”—our ability to cope during stressful situations.

Sleep is the number one thing that can positively impact every aspect of a mother’s life, including relationships, performance, mood, physical health, and mental health. In fact, it’s easy to misjudge our abilities on anything less than eight hours of sleep.

How much sleep do we need?

Sleep repairs the body, clears the head, helps process adversity, and takes the edge off of emotionally painful experiences. The amount of sleep a person needs to tackle all of these daily experiences depends on age.

The average person needs:

• 11 to 13 hours for 3- to 5-year-olds

• 10 to 11 hours for 5- to 10-year-olds

• 8.5 to 9.5 hours for 10- to 17-year-olds

• 7 to 8 hours for adults

How moms can get the sleep they need

With so many stressors and responsibilities throughout the day, finding the time to get a good night’s rest can be challenging. Here are some things you can do to “add time” to your sleep schedule.

• Make sleep a top priority for you and your whole family.

• Try to get a four-hour block of sleep as often as possible, even if you’re not getting a full eight hours.

• Go to bed at the same time each night, and get up at the same time each day.

• Avoid making evenings the time to get things done so you’re not too stimulated at bedtime.

• Consider purchasing a dawn-simulating alarm clock, which slowly adds light to the room as your wake-up time approaches (setting your circadian rhythm to daytime).

• Replace white flour, white sugar, and other foods with poor nutritional content with high-protein foods, such as nuts, seeds, cheese, and lean meats.

• Avoid alcohol and caffeine.

• Enjoy moderate exercise daily, such as a 20- to 30-minute walk.

• Try lavender tea or lavender topical oil, which can help reduce sleep disturbances.

• Above all, give yourself permission to make a good night’s sleep a priority. It’s one of the most important things you can do for your health and for the health of your family.

LISA BROWN Certified nurse midwife Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato

Dr.

Q. What is hemp?

A. Hemp, sometimes also referred to as industrial hemp, is a strain of the Cannabis sativa plant. It is non-psychoactive and can be used for a variety of applications.

Q. What products are made from hemp?

A. Industrial hemp has many diverse applications. Hemp has been grown for thousands of years and across many cultures and continents. Hemp is used for everything from medicine to textiles. During the Colonial Era in the United States, Americans were legally bound to grow hemp, primarily for fiber, rope, and paper. There was also a large push for hemp cultivation during WWII when the USDA produced a film called, “Hemp for Victory”, encouraging farmers to grow hemp to support the war effort.

Q. Why are we just now seeing hemp cultivation return in the US?

A. Hemp has truly had a sordid and interesting history in the United States. In 1937, Congress passed the Marihuana Tax Act which began the slide to hemp prohibition as the taxes and licensing fees made hemp cultivation difficult for farmers. The US government recognized hemp as a separate species from marijuana up until the late 1960s. However, when the Controlled Substances Act was passed in 1970, hemp was lumped in with marijuana, which effectively made hemp cultivation illegal in the United States.

In the years since, many organizations and industries have worked tirelessly to effect a change to the Controlled Substances Act, to again distinguish hemp from marijuana. These efforts were finally realized with the passing of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, commonly referred to as the 2018 Farm Bill. After nearly seventy years of prohibition, the Farm Bill of 2018 has made hemp cultivation in the US, federally legal once again. Prior to this bill passing, the only hemp that was legally cultivated on US soil was through state pilot and university research programs.

Q. What is CBD?

A. CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of at least 113 identified phytocannabinoids found in the hemp plant. It is non-psychoactive and has been shown to have some medicinal promise. Through research, CBD has been attributed to have characteristics that reduce inflammation and pain, reduce anxiety, support sleep, regulate blood sugar, act as an anti-spasmodic and anti-epileptic, to name just a few. It should be noted that the FDA, has not issued a clear statement supporting these findings, but has approved Epidiolex which is a CBD pharmaceutical drug used for treating intractable epilepsy.

Q. Is CBD legal?

A. CBD is federally legal in all 50 states as long as the THC content is below .3%, but state laws vary greatly and should be researched on a state-bystate basis. CBD is considered legal in the state of Minnesota.

Q. How is hemp grown and cultivated?

A. Hemp is grown and cultivated in a variety of ways, as diverse as the plant’s uses. Growing and cultivation practices are determined by the

intended use for the hemp crop. Practices are extremely different when growing hemp for CBD oil production versus for fiber or seed. For example, hemp grown for CBD flower can only consist of female plants to prevent pollination which would then divert the plant’s energy into seed production rather than CBD oil production. Another distinguishing factor when growing for CBD is that organic growing practices must be employed to ensure a safe, consumable end product. Hemp grown for the purpose of seed or fiber is not limited to female plants as pollination is then acceptable and/or desirable.

Hemp can be grown both indoor and outdoor and is really determined by the grower’s preference, resources, and infrastructure. In Minnesota, we are seeing a mixture of indoor and outdoor cultivation, whether in a seed to soil model or by way of transplanting clones or starts.

Harvesting practices are also determined in many ways by the intended use for the crop. In the case of hemp for CBD, often times the preference is to hand harvest and hang dry to preserve the valuable resin. Equipment has been designed to mechanize hemp harvest, but the plant is notoriously hard on machinery due to it’s thick and fibrous stalk. Some of the equipment works similar to a corn or soybean combine in that it separates the various parts of the plant at the time of cutting. Other equipment designs separate the parts of the plant after it is has been cut.

While hemp is generally a hardy and resilient plant, it is also a very labor-intensive crop to produce a high quality product at the end of the season. There is a steep learning curve and anyone intending to grow hemp should have a clear plan and understanding of limiting factors such as infrastructure and access to equipment, finances, manpower, and time equity. Just because one has 100 acres available to plant hemp, it does not mean that this is a reasonable approach when considering crop quality, organic growing practices and labor needs for this crop.

Q. How does one market their hemp crop?

A. The market for a hemp crop is largely dependent on the type of hemp and purpose of the variety that has been grown. There are markets emerging for hemp seeds and fiber, but the most common market in MN for the 2019 season is hemp grown for CBD oil production.

As a Board of Director member of the Minnesota Hemp Association, we are already seeing some poor business practices emerge in the hemp CBD market, even though the industry is in its infancy. Farmers should absolutely do their due diligence and research different processing plants if they are growing hemp for CBD. Farmers should also be cautioned to not sign or be locked into long term or exclusive contracts with one processor. The hemp market is volatile and this puts the farmer/ grower at the mercy of the processor’s needs and pricing structure. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture website is a great resource for the farmer/grower looking to process their hemp crop and MN has many processing options across the state. This is a lucrative but “eyes wide open” industry and it is essential to research your options before ever putting a seed in the ground.

SARA KIETZER

Owner Journey Organics Hemp Farmer

Board Member MN Hemp Association

We live in a competitive world. Today’s women strive to be the perfect woman, daughter, wife, or mother, make a difference in their careers, volunteer, run marathons, and look good doing it all!

Competition can be healthy when it facilitates growth and we support one another to become better. Competition gives us goals. Ideally, it is positive and improves our productivity. Healthy competition at home and work is about using our imaginations and having our ideas heard. Healthy competition is when disagreements do not become interpersonal issues. Sometimes competition among women is intense. Researchers call this “female rivalry.” Overall, I believe female rivalry portrays a negative stereotype in our society. For instance, female rivalry is sometimes labeled as a “cat fight.” Female rivalry can also make it difficult to be happy for other women when they succeed. Research shows women are more likely to believe there are only so many spots for women to be successful in the workplace, especially in male-dominated fields.

Therefore, our competitors are more likely to be women.

Now let’s add social media (sigh) into the mix. As a therapist, I am as vulnerable as you are. We are constantly subjected to comparisons that can lead to resentment and judgment of yourself and others. It can lead to negative and distorted thinking like you are “not doing enough or aren’t good enough.” As a result we are, ultimately, putting ourselves at an increased risk of depression and anxiety to “do more.”

I invite women to be intentional when accessing social media. Every few minutes stop and ask yourself: “What am I noticing right now?” “What’s my internal experience?” “Is this helpful or unhelpful to me right now?” “Is this

interaction encouraging me to want to be a better person?” If not, close the application and take a break.

Here are more ways to cope with competition.

• Be mindful and intentional of who and how you talk about competition and conflicts to others in your workplace and community.

• If others are talking to you and it has a gossipy feel to it, be careful in your response. Put it back on them; reframe their comment when you notice they are exaggerating the issue.

• Encourage collaboration over competition. Let others know you are working on finding a solution together.

• Be kind, talk to everyone, not just a few. Find people’s strengths and skill sets unique to them and draw them out.

• Check your own gender bias. Are my reasons valid? Do a fact check. What evidence do I have to make me think or feel this way?

• Self-care. We live in a fast-paced world. Find what works for you to disconnect and refill your reserve tank. Be intentional. Ask for help when you need it.

We need every single woman’s voice in the arena. Let’s use our energy toward each other in a helpful fashion. Model this for our youth and get involved in community organizations that promote these values to ensure success for future generations of women.

I leave you with the words of a top female competitor: “Some people play best when they’re frustrated and mad. I play my best when I’m happy. I really, truly do.” Megan Rapinoe, 2019 U.S. Women’s Soccer Team cocaptain.

JONI STADTHERR, Licensed independent clinical social worker, Mankato Clinic Psychology Department

ulinary Herbs

Culinary herbs are aromatic, flavorful plants most commonly used to enhance food dishes. What are they, and how do we use them? While herbs are a staple ingredient in kitchens all over the world, the American kitchen often lacks the addition of these wonderful, easy to use plants. And for no good reason. Not only do herbs have the ability to transform the flavor of any dish, many are packed with essential vitamins and minerals. These include, but are not limited to, vitamins A, B, C, E, K, and minerals such as calcium, iron, and magnesium.

Admittedly, at first glance, they can be intimidating. But it can be as easy as substituting the lettuce on your next “BLT” for basil. Allow yourself to experiment, and start slow. Less can be more when it comes to some herbs. As a general rule of thumb, use approximately three times as much fresh herb as you would dried herb in any given recipe (example: 3 tablespoons fresh vs. 1 tablespoon dried). Feel free to blend any number of herbs as you become more comfortable with using them.

Basil – Best used fresh, added at the end of cooking to maintain its delicate flavor. Makes delicious pesto, often used as a sandwich spread or pasta sauce. Classic addition to any tomato or Italian dish.

Chives – Use in any way you would onions. Most commonly found in dips, as a topping on cooked vegetables, and in savory breads. Add fresh chive flowers to salads, marinades, and soups.

Dill – Seed heads are a well known ingredient in pickling recipes. The leaf pairs well with fish, eggs, potatoes, as a salad and soup garnish, and in sandwich spreads and dips.

Oregano – Compliments red meats and fish well, and can be added to any rub or breading recipe. It should also be considered essential when cooking tomato sauces.

Parsley – Adds a fresh, clean flavor to cooked potatoes, rice, and stews. A popular garnish.

Rosemary – Pairs wonderfully with meats such as lamb, pork, and chicken. Its smoky flavor is enhanced when used in barbecue recipes.

Sage – Often used in stuffings. Adds a robust flavor to red meats and roasted vegetables such as winter squash.

Herbs for Tea

The term “tea” traditionally refers to a beverage made from the leaves of the tea shrub (Camellia sinensis). Herbal tea, also known as a “tisane,” can be made from a wide variety of plant materials. This includes the leaves, roots, flowers, berries, seeds, and bark of plants.

Chamomile – Bright, airy flavor. Floral with a pleasant, apple-like sweetness. Add a touch of honey for a perfect evening treat.

Tulsi “Holy” Basil – Robust, slightly spicy with hints of clove, citrus and mint. Delicious served hot or over ice.

Mints – Sweet and refreshing. Peppermint has a sharp, menthol flavor. Spearmint offers a mild, sweet menthol flavor. Mint varieties like apple and chocolate add a unique twist to tea blends.

Lemon Balm – Bright and citrusy, with an earthy-mint undertone. Makes a classic herbal iced tea.

Anise Hyssop – Distinct anise or licorice flavor, without being overpowering. Offers a nice touch of floral sweetness.

BASIL MINT PESTO

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 c fresh basil leaves, packed

1/2 c fresh mint leaves, packed (Any mint will do.)

1/2 c Parmesan cheese, grated

1/3 c nuts (ex. sunflower seeds or pine nuts. Any will do.)

3 garlic cloves

1/2 t salt

1/8 t pepper

DIRECTIONS

Pulse basil, mint, and nuts in a food processor. Add grated Parmesan cheese and garlic cloves. Pulse until combined. Slowly stream in extra virgin olive oil while the food processor is running. Stop to scrape down sides occasionally. Add olive oil until desired consistency. Stores for up to one week in the refrigerator. If freezing, wait to add cheese until it is ready to be eaten. Substitute mint or part of the basil for other herbs such as cilantro and parsley.

PESTO DEVILED EGGS

INGREDIENTS

6 eggs hard boiled, preferably free range/pasture raised 1/4 c prepared pesto

2 T mayonnaise

1/2 tsp lemon juice (optional, to preserve color)

1-2 T Parmesan cheese, grated

DIRECTIONS

Crack and peel hard boiled eggs. Cut in half lengthwise and transfer yolks to a small mixing bowl. Arrange whites on a plate or shallow container. Add pesto, mayonnaise, and lemon juice to the yolks and mix well with a fork or hand held mixer. Spoon or pipe filling into egg whites and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

PARSLEY POTATOES

INGREDIENTS

4 large potatoes, or 6 medium

3 T fresh parsley, finely chopped or

1 T dried parsley

2-3 T butter or extra virgin olive

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

DIRECTIONS

Wash potatoes and chop into 1 – 1 ½ inch pieces. Boil or steam until fork tender, about 15 minutes. Drain water and transfer potatoes to a bowl, set aside. Return pan to medium heat and add butter or olive oil, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Heat for 1 minute until garlic and parsley are fragrant, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and return potatoes to the pan. Gently toss until potatoes are coated in herb mixture.

ALISE TORGUSEN

Under the Sun Herbs Madelia

ABOUT UNDER THE SUN HERB FARM

nder the Sun Herb Farm is owned and operated by Alise Torgusen and Bil Carda (pictured above), located in rural Madelia.

"Our mission is to grow high quality herbs for our community using diversified, regenerative systems without the use of synthetic chemicals. We offer a wide variety of fresh herbs (in season), herbal tea blends, dried culinary herbs, garlic, maple syrup, and more.

Established in the spring of 2017, we began our farming journey with an urban garden plot located in Mankato. Here, we were able to explore various farming techniques and experiment with growing a large variety of herbs, vegetables, and ornamental plants. In October 2018, we purchased a beautiful 10 acre farm site with the dream of growing our herb business, and to create a sustainable lifestyle for ourselves. We are currently growing a large personal vegetable garden, raising pastured poultry for eggs and meat, and would love to add pastured pork in the future.

With regeneration in mind, we have committed to following no-till practices on our farm. We have installed a series of permanent raised beds that, after the initial ground breaking, will not see another piece of tillage equipment. Through deep mulching techniques and cover crop rotations, we will focus on building the soil and supporting the life within it. We believe that healthy, living soil produces healthy, wholesome, more nutritious plants.

The ultimate goal is to enhance and support the overall ecosystem of the farm. We will continue to introduce a diverse range of perennial plant species to improve habitat for wildlife and livestock. Responsible stewardship of the land is the foundation of our operation." underthesunherbs.com, Facebook, Instagram, Mankato Farmers Market

by Blue Skye Mercantile

This Hawaiian Pulled Pork is so versatile. The photo shows it being served in a Hawaiian Sweet Roll as a slider, but would also be great as a pulled pork taco with pico and slaw, or even in a lettuce wrap. We have the Honey Ginger Balsamic Vinegar and the Toasted Sesame Ginger Garlic Olive Oil in the recipe here at Blue Skye Mercantile just waiting for you! - Lisa and Karina

Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pulled Pork

 1 (3.5- to 4-lb) boneless pork shoulder

 1 1/2 cups chicken stock

 1 cup pineapple juice

 2 tbsp Honey Ginger Balsamic Vinegar

 4 tbsp Toasted Sesame Ginger Garlic Oil

 1/2 cup ketchup

 1/4 cup brown sugar

 2 tbsp soy sauce

 2 tbsp minced garlic

 1 tbsp minced ginger

 1 tbsp cornstarch

 1 cup diced fresh pineapple

Trim the fat from the pork shoulder and place it in the slow cooker. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, Toasted Sesame Ginger Garlic Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, chicken stock, pineapple juice, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic and ginger. Pour the mixture into the slow cooker, cover and set to low for 8 hours or HIGH for 5 hours. Once the pork is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of at least 145°F, transfer it to a cutting board and let rest for a bit. Pour a little over half the liquid from the crock pot into a medium saucepan. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 3 tbsp water. Once the sauce has come to a boil, whisk in the cornstarch mixture and continue boiling it until it is thickened. Discard the remaining liquid from the crock pot. Using two forks, shred the pork shoulder. Place the shredded pork back in the crockpot or into a serving dish. Add the fresh pineapple and pour the sauce over the pork. Toss to combine.

Stiff, achy joints. Trouble getting off the couch or in and out of bed. Unfortunately, some of us know the symptoms of arthritis all too well. According to the Center for Disease Control, approximately 23 percent of humans in the United States have some form of arthritis. But did you know this a common disease affecting our furry friends as well? Arthritis is a degenerative condition that occurs when the cartilage that lines the joint is damaged by trauma or from general wear and tear over time resulting in chronic pain.

Since our pets can’t tell us when they’re feeling stiff and sore, we need to pay attention to the changes in their daily lives to know if they’re suffering. The number one sign of arthritis is simply that they’re slowing down and just don’t get around as well—especially getting up after laying down for an extended period. Moaning or groaning when moving, sensitivity, inability to climb stairs, get in and out of a vehicle, limping, changes in behavior, weight gain (from lack of activity), irritability, and not enjoying their favorite activities are other good indicators of arthritis in pets. If your dog no longer enjoys his walks or puts the brakes on after only going a few

EWENIQUE QUILT SHOW

October 12 & 13, 2019 ~ Admission $6

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Saturday (10:30am & 2:00pm) & Sunday (1:30pm) Guest Speaker Mike Ellingson ~ Quilt Designer

Featured Quilter Joan Miller

A long time, award winning quilter & guild member

blocks, arthritis may be the culprit. With cats, look for them going outside of the letterbox because climbing in and out may be painful.

The first step is calling your vet to schedule an appointment for an exam to rule out other injuries and fully evaluate their condition. They then can discuss what options are best for your pet, depending on their lifestyle and progression of the disease. They may recommend starting a glucosamine supplement or adding Omega-3 fatty acids to decrease inflammation. Both supplements are safe to use long term and can be effective in managing arthritis. In some cases, your doctor may prescribe a pain medication if the arthritis has progressed, compromising your pets’ quality of life.

Another option your vet may recommend is massage to loosen the muscles around stiff joints. This helps with range of motion, which will help with overall comfort and movement. Therapeutic laser can be done regularly to decrease inflammation and pain.

There are many non-medical ways to manage arthritis that involve a few easy lifestyle changes. The simplest way to help your pet is to make sure they have a healthy body weight. Obesity is a major problem in our pets, and the extra weight on compromised joints only exacerbates the problem. Make sure you’re measuring their food and keeping treats to a minimum. The sad looks and begging are hard to deal with at first, but know that you’re giving them a longer, healthier, and better quality of life by reducing excess body weight.

Low-impact exercise, such as short walks or swimming, are a good way to keep your pet limber and reduce stiffness from lack of movement. Avoid long hikes or high-impact activities to avoid straining the joints. Icing a sore joint for 10 to 20 minutes for up to three times a day can temporarily decrease pain and swelling.

Osteoarthritis is a common chronic geriatric condition that can be managed through a multi-faceted approach so that your pet doesn’t have to live in pain. A discussion with your vet can help find a treatment plan specific to your pet’s needs and lifestyle. This will allow them to live their fullest and most comfortable life, enjoying every minute with you!

RACHEL HILLESHEIM, CVT Minnesota Valley Pet Hospital

The kids shouldn’t be the only ones getting new clothes this time of year! Fall fashion is fantastic, but you don’t need to purchase a whole new wardrobe with the change of season. A few new autumnal pieces and simple upgrades can refresh your entire wardrobe.

BY SHARRY SWART Owner Vivian

DOES IT ALL TOP

The first day you feel that crisp air, you know that you will wish you had the perfect autumn jacket to complete your outfit. For a fun refresh, try a jacket in a new fall color, such as navy or mustard. Or, try a different silhouette.

Look for a top that can do multiple jobs. Can you wear it to work, a special occasion, dress it down? Never underestimate the power of an elegant, versatile piece. Bonus if it is in a beautiful jewel shade. You’ll reach for it over and over again.

Fall is a great time to take inventory of your denim. Look for a pair with great stretch, color, and fit. A dark denim, straight leg jean is an absolute wardrobe must-have.

A new handbag is necessary for a change of season. How about something with beautiful embroidery in rich colors? Or, try a durable cross-body bag that can carry just the necessities for your weekend adventures.

Every fall we fall for plaid. Plaid shirts can go casual, or pair them under jackets or cardigans to make them more office appropriate. If the more traditional plaid shirts aren’t your style, try a camisole. They are great for layering.

ACCESSORIES, PLEASE

Rose Boutique

LITTLE BLACK DRESS

BY SANDY REINKE Bailey Creek Boutique New Ulm

Spring mornings and evenings will be cool, so adding a jean jacket or a springy colored cardigan can convert your simple LBD to a casual but warmer style. If going with a casual look, add a cute pair of booties and colored tights!

Your LBD is more than adequate to handle the summer occasions without much fuss! Leave the jacket and hose at home but be sure to use statement jewelry and a cute clutch/purse to add a pop of color. A stylish pair of heals is sure to complete the look!

Back to cooler mornings and evenings, a nice cardigan is appropriate for the workplace or evening out. A cardigan that is the same length or slightly shorter than your LBD will add elegance and dimension to your look. As always, your chosen accessories will define your outfit as casual or dressy.

Implement a cute wrap or poncho to add warmth to your LBD for the winter! Tights with booties or over-the-knee boots will not only be fashionable but will also contribute to keeping you cozy while you’re out and about during those snowy months!

Boat hair, don’t care? Dirty hair, don’t care? Don’t think you can pull off a hat or headband? Here’s some super easy ways to wear some trendy hair accessories without having to struggle.

So many ways to wear with any length of hair. Emily is modeling a cute way to wear a scarf as a headband with a classic side knot. Check out your local vintage or thrift stores to find beautifully printed scarves on the cheap. To prep your piece for wearing, lay it on a flat surface, fold one corner in then continue to roll it until all is tucked in. Style your hair as needed. Then place scarf neatly and tie in small side knot. This look styles well with long hair in a top knot, high ponytail or beachy waves.

BY EMILY SCHOPER Co-Owner Fréy Salon and Spa

Floppy, boho, cowboy or baseball. Whatever your fancy, the hat can dress up a casual outfit, keep the sun out or cover up that three day dirty hair. Hats are a hot fall accessory! Emily is in a tan small floppy, perfect for the streets of Italy on a European vacay. Ashley likes a more Bohemian, felt and structured look. You may spot her wearing this at those many fall festivals as the chillier weather begins. Britt’s style is more feminine and floppy. She uses it so her hair doesn’t mess in the wind while she is out on a date night or the boat. All these neutral colors will transition you well into the fall.

The clip or bobby. HOT TREND ALERT!! Clippies and decorative bobby pins are back and better than ever. You can find an array of them for minimal cost at the drugstore or online in different shapes and prints. Works on chin length hair or below. Here, Ashley is showcasing how to use both types of clips to hold back your beachy, waved bob.

Face it. Glowing skin is always in.

Allumera The first in a new class of photodynamic cosmetic (PDC) procedures, Allumera® is a noninvasive, light-activated topical cream formulated to improve the overall appearance of your skin.

The Elleebana Lash Lift is for clients that are pleased with the length of their natural lashes but want a semi-permanent curled, enhanced mascara look.

SkinPen is a medical grade, state-of-the-art microneedling device designed to reverse years of sun damage, improve the appearance of scars, stretch marks, and hyperpigmentation.

BY CINDY HAUGLAND tidytightwads.com

Anyone who grew up on a farm knows it’s a special way of life. Even with technology leading the way on today’s farms, some things haven’t changed. Kids have wide open spaces to play. Families enjoy fresh air, nature, and animals. The sounds of vast open spaces, mixed with mooing cows, the occasional tractor or combine, and a solid dose of noises created by the wind blanket the wide open spaces of rural Minnesota.

There’s no doubt our great-grandparents had unimaginable hardships and spent endless energy just to meet basic daily needs. However, there are lessons we can learn from the strong and determined women who came before us and who mastered life on the farm with grace and efficiency.

We can stand to learn a few things from the daily habits of these women who could rival any modern-day farm heroine like Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond or gratitude-teaching guru like Rachel Hollis.

Lesson 1. Our previous generations understood and practiced gratitude constantly. They pitched in to help neighbors accomplish monumental tasks like harvesting hay or corn, cooked meals for everyone within line of sight, checked in on neighbors who were often miles away, and had a word of thanks readily on the tongue.

Lesson 2. Waste not, want not. Allegedly first recorded in 1772, it is a phase that is used to mean that if a person never wastes things, he or she will always have what is needed. Instead of focusing on fashion and trends, the generations before us made wise investments and made them last. Mending clothes, fixing things, and loaning possessions to others were all part of their lives. How long do you make things last before buying new? How long do you save and plan before making a purchase? We’d be wise to follow great-grandma’s lead and sometimes “make do without.” Think of the money we’d save and the clutter we’d avoid.

Lesson 3. Going to town was treated as an event. Errands were wellorganized in advance with each person knowing the part they needed to play. Shopping lists were made with precision so that the exact food and supplies were purchased. There was rarely a “quick run to the store.” Long before there was Aldi to curb our choices in brands, grocery stores carried fewer options. Therefore, great-grandma saved time lamenting over which

kind of jelly to buy. In fact, she probably shoved it back on the shelf and went home to make her own, which we all know tasted better anyway. The more organized we are and the more intentional we are with our money, the easier it is for us to avoid impulse purchases.

Lesson 4. Men and women took time for coffee and to “have a little lunch.” It was common to have bars, cake, cookies, and sandwiches readily available. It was not rude to drop in on family, friends, and neighbors for coffee. It was considered a blessing to stop work and enjoy conversations and friendships. They didn’t have phones to scroll for news, so they talked to each other. News of a neighbor needing help with planting, along with a remedy, was formed over a hot cup of coffee and something fresh baked from the oven. When your kids or grandkids want your attention, do you stop? It would be wonderful if we’d get back to sitting down for a cup of coffee and really listen. The ills of our world might even improve, don’t you think?

Lesson 5. Planning and teaching helped make life a little easier. Greatgrandma knew that if she cooked a large beef roast for supper on Sunday, she’d have sandwich meat to take to the field on Monday and Tuesday. A large garden meant plenty of food to can in order to make it through the long winter. Many rural mothers and grandmothers took the time to teach and apprentice skills such as baking bread, quilting, knitting, and canning. No amount of YouTube videos can take the place of true art forms passed down through generations. We need to all spend more time asking questions and learning from each other so we can keep art forms and cultural traditions alive. Do you know how to make lefse, Norwegian krumkaka, German kuchen, Chinese dumplings, French crepes, Mexican tres leches cake, or Indian fry bread that your older family members have memorized? If not, ask to learn. What a wonderful gift for yourself and future generations.

The role of women in agriculture and rural America has changed significantly over the decades. We owe previous generations our appreciation for all they did for our communities. Thank you to all women who work in the field of agriculture in and outside of the home today. May we all continue learning the best there is from each other and passing knowledge along to younger generations.

Justin Giefer

TO HAVE YOUR EVENT LISTED

E-mail Ruth Klossner at cowladyruth@gmail.com by the 10th of the month. Listings are generally for events that are free to the public, or are fundraisers. Listings will be published as space allows and at the discretion of the editor.

Thurs.-Sat., Sept. 5-7

• Citywide Garage Sale, Fairmont. Info: 507-235-3303.

Fri., Sept. 6

• CASTLE Kickoff, Peichel Farm on the Fort Road, rural Fairfax, 1:30-3 pm. Info: 507-354-3212 or newulmseniors.org/castle.html.

• Lind House Pitchfork Fondue, Hermann Heights Park Shelter #1, New Ulm, 5-7 pm. Info: 507766-0725, lindhouse@newulmtel.net or lindhouse.org.

Fri.-Sat., Sept. 6-7

• City Wide Garage Sales, Lake Crystal. Info: lakecrystalchamber.com.

• Pro Auto N.Y.A. Bull Riding Event, Sibley County Fairgrounds, Arlington. 7 pm Fri, 6 pm Sat. Info: Facebook.

Sat., Sept. 7

• HermannFest, Hermann Heights & Harmon Park, New Ulm, 11:30 am-midnight. Info: 507-359-8347 or hermannmonument.com/hermannfest-2018.

• Walk to End Alzheimer’s, School Sisters of Notre Dame, 170 Good Counsel Drive, Mankato, 8:30 am-noon. Info: 507-9954443 or mkaardal@visitingangels.com

• Drew’s Crew Colorfest 5k Run/ Walk, Harmon Park, 2nd N & Garden St, New Ulm, 11 am-2 pm. Info: drewscrewbenefit@ gmail.com or drewscrew.org.

• German-Bohemian Heritage Society Picnic, Hermann Heights, New Ulm, 11 am-3 pm. Info: 507-317-7089, germanbohemian@gmail.com or germanbohemianheritagesociety.com.

• Monarch Tagging, Ney Nature Center, 28238 Nature Center Ln, Henderson, 10 am-noon. Info: 507-357-8580 or info@neycenter.org

• Minnesota State Pedal Pull, Community Center, 901 Cook St, Redwood Falls, 7 am-4 pm. Info: mnstatepedalpulls.com/? or 507-644-2333.

• Vesta Rib Fest, Community Center, 160 Front St E, Vesta,

GO. BE. DO. CON NECT.

2-8 pm, Info: 507-762-3140 or cityclerk@vestamn.us.

• Fall City-Wide Garage Sales, Hutchinson. Info: hutchinsonleader.com or 320-753-3635.

• Kasota Firemen’s Dance, 200 N Webster St, Kasota, 2 pm-12:30 am. Info: Facebook.

Sat., Sept. 7, 14 & 21

• An Evening Look at the Carvings, Jeffers Petroglyphs, 217160 Co Rd 2, Comfrey, 5-7 pm. Info: 507-628-5591.

Sat., Sept. 7 & Oct. 5

• New Ulm Bird & Small Animal Swap & Sale Day, Brown Co Fairgrounds, New Ulm, 8 am-noon. Info: 507-375-4716, 507-2105741 or 507-354-6448.

Sat.-Sun., Sept. 7-8

• Rock Bend Folk Festival, Minnesota Square Park, Hwy 169 S, St Peter. 12-10 pm Sat, 12-6 pm Sun. Info: 507-934-3400 or rockbend.org/.

• Fall Festival, Church of St. Anastasia, Hutchinson. 4:30 pm Sat to 3 pm Sun. Info: 320-587-6507 or stanastasia.net.

Sun., Sept. 8

• Harvest Festival, St. George Catholic Church, West Newton Twp, rural New Ulm, 8:30-4:30 pm. Info: stgeorge@holycrossafc.org.

• Lions Fly-In Pancake Breakfast, Municipal Airport, New Ulm, 7 am-12:30 pm. Info & advance tickets: bbschir@comcast.net or 507-354-8940.

• Fall Festival, Church of St. Catherine, 900 E. Flynn St, Redwood Falls, 10 am-4 pm. Info: 644-2278.

• Lions Fly-In/Drive-In Breakfast, Airport, Le Sueur, 8 am-noon.

• Grandparent’s Day, Harkin Store, 66250 Co Rd 21, New Ulm, 1-4 pm. Info: 507-354-8666 or harkinstore@mnhs.org

• Fall Extravaganza, Faith Lutheran Church, Hutchinson, 11 am. Info: faithlc.com/ or lauraw@ faithlc.com.

Mon., Sept. 9

• Pro-Am, Country Club, 1 Golf Dr, New Ulm, 11 am shotgun start. Info: 507-354-8896.

• MN Brain Injury Force ‘Brain Bash’ Fundraiser, Mankato Pizza Ranch, 5-8 pm. Info: 507-8680053, 507-228-8161 or www. mnbif.com

• Scramblefest 2019, Golf Course, Springfield, 10 am. Info: 507723-5888.

Tues., Sept. 10 & 17

• Henderson Classic Car Roll-In, downtown Henderson, 5-8 pm. Info: 507-248-3691.

Wed., Sept. 11

• Community Appreciation Picnic, First Lutheran School, 1015 14th Street E. Glencoe, 5-7 pm. Info: firstglencoe.org, 320-8645522 or office@firstglencoe.org

• Modenschau Boutique & Pub Crawl, Downtown, New Ulm. Info: 507-233-4300 or chamber@newulm.com

• German Supper, Fellowship Hall, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Springfield, 4:30-6:30 pm. Info: 723-5880.

Thurs., Sept. 12

• Aging Well Senior/Pre-Senior Fair, Best Western Plus, 12:304:30 pm. Info: keith@knuj.net

• The Brewery Comedy Tour, Starkeller Brewery, 2215 N Garden St, New Ulm, 7 pm. Info: 507-359-7827 or starkeller@ schellsbrewery.com

• Welcome to the Party—Turning Newcomers into Neighbors, Turner Hall, New Ulm, 5:307:30 pm. Info: 507-233-4300 or newulm.com.

Thurs., Sept. 12

• Cruisin’ on Pine & 99, downtown Nicollet. Info: nicollet.org/ crusin-on-pine-99.

Fri.-Sat., Sept. 13-14

• Arts & Crafts Festival/Taste of Hutchinson, Library Square Park, 2 Main St S, Hutchinson. 10 am-6 pm Fri, 9 am-4 pm Sat. Info: 320-587-5252 or info@ explorehutchinson.com.

Fri.-Sun., Sept. 13-15 and Thurs.-Sun., Sept. 19-22

• Disney Newsies the Broadway Musical, Paradise Center for the Arts, 321 Central Ave. N, Faribault. 7:30 pm 13th, 14th, 19th & 20th: 2 pm 15th, 21st & 22nd. Info: 507-332-7372 or info@ paradisecenterforthearts.org.

Sat., Sept. 14

• Gemutlichkeit in Goosetown, Riverside Park, New Ulm, 12-4 pm. Info: 507-354-2457, 507766-5770 or ajmiller@gmail. com

• Fall Fest, Farmamerica, 7367 360th Ave, Waseca. Info: 507835-2052 or info@farmamerica. org

• Nickle Dickle Day, Citywide, Waconia, 8 am-5 pm. Info: 952442-5812 or ksites@destinationwaconia.org

• Multicultural Fiesta, 505 1st Ave S, St James, 3-10 pm. Info: 507375-3333 or stjmnchamber@ gmail.com

• Dig It!, Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota, 224 Lamm Street, Mankato, 9 am-4 pm. Info: 507-386-0279 or info@ cmsouthernmn.org

• Grape Stomp & Vendor Show, Indian Island Winery, 18018 631st Ave, Janesville, 12 pm. Info: indianislandwinery.com, 507-317-7914 or indianislandwinery@yahoo.com.

• Winsted Beer Festival, Winstock Grounds, 3233 230th St, Winsted. Info: winstedbrewfest.com, 612-219-0074 or info@winstedbrewfest.com.

• SafeTALK, American Legion Post 132, 13 S Minnesota St, New Ulm, 8 am-noon. Info & registration: afsp.wufoo.com/ forms/z9avgtq0dzs2tz/.

• Minnesota State Public School for Dependents Children Fall Celebration, 540 West Hills Circle, Owatonna, 1-4 pm. Info: 507-774-7369 or museum@ ci.owatonna.mn.us.

• Murder Mystery, Grand Eagle Ballroom, 39375 Co Hwy 24, Jackpot Junction, Morton, 11 am & 5 pm. Info: jackpotjunction.com/promotions/murder-mystery-murder-in-morton.

• Fall Craft Show Fundraiser for Steele County Relay for Life, Four Seasons Centre, Fairgrounds, Owatonna, 9 am-3 pm. Info: 507-456-1220 or bhortop88@gmail.com.

Sat. & Sun., Sept. 14-15

• New Ulm Poultry Show & Dist 5 MN State (Orpington) Meet, Brown Co Fairgrounds, New Ulm, 7 am Sat to noon Sun. Info: 507-766-5171 or 507-354-6448.

• Motorcycle & ATV Flat Track Races, Flying Dutchmen grounds, 20153 110th Ave, New Ulm. Info: 507-354-2306.

Sun., Sept. 15

• Auto Restorers Club of Southern MN Car Show & Swap Meet, Nicollet Co Fairgrounds, 400 Union St, St Peter, 6 am-3:30 pm. Info: 507-720-8527 or clubs. hemmings.com/autorestorers.

• Snakes of the Minnesota River Valley, Harkin Store, 66250 Co Rd 21, New Ulm, 1-4 pm. Info: 507-354-8666 or harkinstore@ mnhs.org.

• Lions Pancake, Sausage & Egg Breakfast, The Village, Waterville, 8 am-12:30 pm. Info: Facebook.

Mon., Sept. 16

• Scramblefest 2019, Golf Course, Springfield, 10 am. Info: springfieldmnchamber.org.

Thurs., Sept. 19

• Free Household Hazardous Waste Recycling Collection, Brown Co Fairgrounds, 1201 N State St, New Ulm, 2-6 pm. Info: 507-233-6641.

• St. Peter Boomers & Beyond Senior Expo, Community Center Gym & Senior Center, 601 S 5th St, St. Peter. 2-5 pm. Info: stpeterchamber.com/events/.

• September Business Brews at Regus, 100 Warren St, suite 702, Mankato, 4:30-6 pm. Info & tickets: Facebook.

• Cruz ‘IN Lake Crystal, streets around Marston Park, Humphrey & Main St., 5-8 pm. Info: lakecrystalchamber.com.

• Night at the Museum—Brown Co Historical Society Gala, 2 N Broadway, New Ulm, 5:30-10 pm. Info: browncountyhistorymn.org or director@browncountyhistorymn.org

Thurs., Sept. 19 & Oct. 17

• Searles Senior Club, Bar & Grill, 13014 Main St, Searles, 12 pm. Info: 507-217-7886.

Fri., Sept. 20

• Classic Car Cruise, Main Street, New Prague, 6:30 pm. Info: 952758-4360 or info@newprague. com

• Downtown Car Cruise, Faribault, 6-9 pm. Info: 507-334-4381 or info@visitfaribault.com.

• Big Hitter Golf Classic, Country Club, Glencoe, 12 pm. Info: sally@glencoechamber.com.

Fri.-Sat., Sept. 20-21

• New Ulm Area Catholic Schools 100 Years Celebration, 514 N Washington St, New Ulm. Info: 507-354-2719 or nuacs.com.

Fri.-Sun., Sept. 20-22

• Mahkato Wacipi, Land of Memories Park, 100 Amos Owen Ln, Mankato. Info: 507-514-5088, 507-387-3572 or Mahkato.Wacipi@gmail.com

Sat., Sept. 21

• Mankato Beer Run 5k & .05k, Mankato Brewery, 1119 Center St, No Mankato, 10 am. Info: Facebook or runsignup.com.

• Bier on Belgrade, 7th Annual Oktoberfest, business district, No. Mankato, 12-10 pm. Info: 414events.com/mankatobeerrun.

• NUACS Hall of Fame Luncheon, NUACS, 514 N Washington, New Ulm, 11:30 am-1:30 pm. Info & tickets: nuacs.com.

• Dozinky Car Cruise, Main St, New Prague, 10 am-5 pm. Info: 952758-4360 or newprague.com.

• Two Worlds Historic Recreation, Lower Sioux Agency, 32469 Co Hwy 2, Morton, 12-4 pm. Info: 507-697-8673 or lowersioux@ mnhs.org.

Sun., Sept. 22

• Minnesota Welsh Hymn Festival, First Presbyterian Church, 220 E Hickory St, Mankato, 1:30 pm. Info: Facebook.

• Horses, Horseshoes & Leather, Harkin Store, 66250 Co Rd 21, New Ulm, 1-4 pm. Info: 507-3548666 or harkinstore@mnhs.org

• Tea for Ta-Ta’s, Country Club, New Ulm, 1-4 pm. Info: 507-2335747 or krueckert@farmersagent. com

• Watonwan Co. Entertainment Assn, Armstrong School Auditorium, St. James, 7-9 pm.

Mon., Sept. 23

• ‘WOW-Women Of War,’ Rice County Historical Society, 1814 2nd Ave NW, Faribault, 7-9 pm. Info: rchistory.org.

Tues., Sept. 24

• Nobel Concert, Bjorling Recital Hall, Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, 8 pm. Info: gustavus. edu/calendar/ or mara@gustavus.edu.

• Beer & Hymns, Main Street Sports Bar, Hutchinson, 6-8 pm. Info: riverofhopehutchinson.org or office@riverofhopehutchinson.org

Wed., Sept. 25

• Household Hazardous Waste Collection, Watonwan Co Hwy Shop, St. James, 3-6 pm.

Thurs., Sept. 26

• Turner Ladies Sauerkraut Supper, Turner Hall, 102 S State St, New Ulm, 4-7 pm. 507-276-5798 or cdsteinhaus@newulmtel.net

• Film Screening and Discussion of Homelessness in Brown County, Public Library, 17 N Broadway, New Ulm, 6-8 pm. Info: 507359-8331, aide@tds.lib.mn.us or newulmlibrary.org.

Thurs.-Sun., Sept. 26-29

• 1st Annual New Ulm Film Festival, Grand Center for Arts & Culture, 210 N Minnesota St, New Ulm. Info: newulmfilmsociety@ gmail.com.

Fri.-Sat., Sept. 27-28

• St. Peter Ambassadors Oktoberfest, Festgrounds, Minnesota Ave & Grace St, St. Peter. Info: 507-934-3400 or spchamb@ hickorytech.net.

Fri.-Sun., Sept. 27-29

• Edge of the Big Wood Art Wander, Artists’ Galleries, Waconia. Info: 952-442-4499 or info@ artwander.com.

Sat., Sept. 28

• Minneopa State Park Events, 5 mi W of Mankato off Hwy 68/169. Prairie Seed Collection, 12-2 pm; Harvest Fest, 4:30-7:30 pm. Info: 507-384-8890 or scott.kudelka@ state.mn.us

• Lions Diabetes Walk, Civic Center, 1212 N Franklin St, New Ulm, 8-10 am. Info: 507-354-8940 or bbschir@comcast.net

• White Goods, Hard Goods & Electronics Pick-Up, Hutchinson, 6 am. Info: ci.hutchinson.mn.us/refuse-recycling-organic-pick-ups/ garbage/, info@explorehutchinson.com or 800-246-7630.

• Hutchinson Grape Stomp, Crow River Winery, 14848 Hwy 7 E, Hutchinson, 2-11 pm. Info: crowriverwinery.com.

• Fall Festival, Downtown, Redwood Falls, 9 am-3 pm. Info: 507637-2828, chamber@redwoodfalls.org or redwoodfalls.org/.

• Princess Camp, Redwood Falls, 10 am. Info: 507-637-2828, chamber@redwoodfalls.org or redwoodfalls.org/.

• New Ulm’s Tour of Homes, 10 am-1 pm. Info: Facebook (Route 1 Interiors).

Sat., Sept. 28, Oct. 5 & 12

• BCHS Popcorn Wagon, Brown Co Hist Soc, 2 N Broadway, New Ulm, 10 am-5 pm.

Sun., Sept. 29

• New Ulm Area Wedding Show, Civic Center, 1212 N Franklin St., New Ulm, 11 am-2 pm. Info: 888-463-9856, 507-233-4300 or chamber@newulm.com.

• Sheep, Wool & Quilts program, Harkin Store, 66250 County Road 21, New Ulm, 1-4 pm. Info: 507-354-8666 or harkinstore@ mnhs.org

• Hilltop Happenings, Hilltop Hall, 206 First St N, Montgomery, 4 pm. Info: wendyzaske@yahoo. com.

Thurs., Oct. 3

• Girls Night Out, participating businesses, St. Peter, 5-8 pm. Info: 507-934-3400 or spchamb@ hickorytech.net.

• Documentary Film Series—War of the Worlds, Treaty Site History Center, 1851 S Minnesota Ave St. Peter, 7 pm.

Fri.-Sat., Oct. 4-5 and 11-12

• Oktoberfest, Downtown, Best Western Plus & Schells Brewery. Info: newulm.com/Oktober-

fest, 507-233-4300, chamber@ newulm.com or schells@schellsbrewery.com.

Sat., Oct. 5

• 20th Annual Grape Stomp, Morgan Creek Vineyards, 23707 478th Ave, New Ulm, 11 am-9 pm. Info: 507-947-3547, martimcv@aol.com or morgancreekvineyards.com.

• KingsPath Senior Living hosts Fall Craft Fair, 125 Commerce Drive West, Belle Plaine, 10 am-2 pm. Info: 952-873-5800.

• Fall Festival & Trail Run, Ney Nature Center, 28238 Nature Center Ln, Henderson, 10 am-4 pm. Info & registration: 507-357-8580 or info@neycenter.org.

• Prairie Seed Collection, Fort Ridgely State Park, 72404 Co Rd 30, Fairfax, 12:30-2 pm. Info: 507-384-8890 or scott.kudelka@ state.mn.us

• Oktoberfest Waconia, Carver Co Fairgrounds, Waconia. Info: 952240-4747 or DanPrecht@hotmail. com.

• LureFest, 416 Main St, Madison Lake, 2 pm-12:45 am. Info: 507243-4343, 507-243-4145 or fun@ luckyluremadlake.com.

• Deep Valley Book Festival, 119 S Front St, Mankato, 10 am-4 pm. Info: 507-345-5566 or julie@

mnheritage.com

• Southern Minnesota Book and Art Festival, 514 Main St, Henderson, 10 am-6 pm. Info: arlingtonbookproject@gmail.com or 612-618-9092.

Sat.. Oct. 5 & 12

• Haunted Mansions Movie Series, State Street Theater Co, 1 N State St, New Ulm, 7-9 pm. Info: statestreettheater@gmail.com

Sun., Oct. 6

• St Peter & Paul Catholic Church Fall Festival, 105 N 5th St., Mankato, 10:30-3 pm. Info: sspeterandpaul.com.

• Preparing for Winter, Harkin Store, 66250 Co Rd 21, New Ulm, 1-4 pm. Info: 507-354-8666 or harkinstore@mnhs.org

• Showcase Concert, Christ Chapel, Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, 2-3:30 pm. Info: gustavus.edu/calendar/ or mara@ gustavus.edu.

• Dinner Festival, Church of St. Joseph, Henderson, 10 am-1 pm. Info: 507-248-3550 or stjos@ frontiernet.net.

• Mankato River Ramble, 100 Amos Owen Ln, Mankato, 7 am-3 pm. Info: 507-720-2039 or info@ bikemn.org.

Mon., Oct. 7

• Watonwan Co Entertainment Assn, Business, Arts & Rec Center, Windom, 7-9 pm.

Wed.-Sat., Oct. 9-12

• History Fest, McGowan’s Farm, 2001 Hawkeye Ln, Mankato. Info: mcgowansfarm@gmail.com or 507-625-2257.

Thurs.-Sun., Oct. 10-13, 17-20 and 24-27

• Odin Fall Art & Craft Show, Craft Mall, Odin, 10 am-5 pm. Info: odincraftmill.com or 507-7368235.

Fri.-Sat., Oct. 11-12

• Rocktoberfest, Green Mill, 2101 S Broadway St, New Ulm. Info: gm@greenmillnewulm.com.

• New & Emerging MN Music Showcase, Paradise Center for the Arts, 321 Central Ave N, Faribault. Info: 507-334-4381, 507-332-7372 or paradisecenterforthearts.org.

• Shadows at the Crossing—Spirits of Old Traverse des Sioux, Treaty Site History Center, St. Peter, 6:30 Fri-12 am Sat. Info: 507-934-2160, events@nchsmn.org or nchsmn. org.

Fri.-Sun., Oct. 11-13

• International Waterfowl Breeders Assn & American Bantum Assn Nat’l Show, Brown Co Fair-

grounds, New Ulm. Info: 715-3401261 or OfficialIWBA.com.

Sat., Oct. 12

• Maker Fair Minnesota, Fairgrounds, 400 W Union St, St. Peter, 9 am-4 pm. Info: makerfairmn.com/.

• Watonwan Entertainment Assn, Memorial Auditorium, Worthington, 7:30-9:30 pm.

• Revenge at the Ridge, Dacotah Ridge Golf Course, 31042 County Hwy 2, Morton, 10 am. Info: 800-WIN-CASH ext. 8007 or dacotahridge.com/index.html.

Sun., Oct. 13

• Three-Person Fall Classic, Country Club, 1 Golf Dr, New Ulm, 9 am. Info: 507-354-8896.

• West Newton Post Office Day, Harkin Store, 66250 Co Rd 21, New Ulm, 1-4 pm. Info: 507-3548666 or nchsmn.org.

• St. James Chapter of Watonwan Co Hist Soc Ice Cream Social, 2-4 pm. Info: 507-642-3247.

• Heritage Acres Fall Festival, 507 W Lake Ave, Fairmont, 9 am-5 pm. Info: 507-236-1257.

Tues., Oct. 15

• Women’s Quilt of Life Event, Kato Ballroom, 200 Chestnut St, Mankato, 5:30 pm. Info & registration: 507-625-5696 or kaylee. phelps@edwardjones.com

SeptemberMust

HAVES

1. Tall Leaves

Framed Prints

Contemporary in design, these botanical prints showcase a sea foam green and white color palette. Each print is surrounded by a reclaimed wood frame with a heavy taupe and gray glaze and is accented by a champagne silver inner lip. Each print is placed under protective glass. These pieces may be hung horizontal or vertical.

Nordaas American Homes

10091 State Hwy 22 Minnesota Lake, MN 56068 800-658-7076 nordaashomes.com

2. Basin Basin brings the relaxation of a spa to your home. With a refreshing line of sweetly scented bath bombs, scrubs and soaps that will help relieve your daily stresses. Scents range from Serenity or Electric lemonade and even Florida Sunshine, something to fit every mood. You can find Basin products at your Mankato Hy-Vee’s.

Hy-Vee Hilltop

2010 Adams St. Mankato, MN 56001

507.625.9070

Hy-Vee Riverfront 410 S. Riverfront Dr. Mankato, MN 56001 507.625.1107

3. Ready for Fall? It's that time of year to get your yard cleaned up and ready for fall. Be ready to get the job done with quality STIHL power equipment available at C&S Supply, where we not only sell the equipment we service it as well.

C&S Supply

1951 N. Riverfront Dr. Mankato, MN 56001 507.387.1171 or 800.879.1938

4. Relax. Renew. Repeat. Promote total calm and peaceful relaxation. Improve sleep, eliminate fatigue and jet lag, alleviate stress and energize your entire body. All it takes is 60 Minutes of Float Therapy. All new at Body Concepts. Call to schedule your appointment today!

Body Concepts LLC

1615 N. Riverfront Dr. Mankato, MN 56001 507.381.5467 bodyconceptsmankato. com

5. Key Largo Gas Fire Pit

A showcase of fire, the Key Largo Gas Fire Pit Table features a beautiful, glowing fire that dances atop a bed of fire glass. The focal point of the design is a striking12 x 24” Stainless Steel Crystal Fire Burner. This simple, modern design will look great in any outdoor living space.

Glowing Hearth & Home

241 St. Andrews Dr. Mankato, MN 56001

3.

6. Healthy, Vibrant Rejuvenated Skin Skin Essentials offers DERMALINFUSION®, an advanced skinresurfacing treatment that simultaneously exfoliates, extracts and infuses skin with condition-specific serums for an allinclusive treatment in one step to improve skin health, function and appearance with no downtime. Call Skin Essentials and schedule a free consultation to discover if DERMALINFUSION is right for you.

Skin Essentials, Mankato Clinic

1400 Madison Ave. Suite 400A Madison East Center Mankato, MN 56001 507.625.6599 skinessentialsmankato. com

7. Alwyndale Solid Wood Sofa Table

Bring a charming farmhouse feel to your home with this dining table and chair set, which features side chairs with upholstered seats for optimal comfort, and a wire-brushed finish throughout to give this set a slightly antiqued look.

Rooms and Rest

Furniture and Mattress

1760 Madison Ave. Mankato, MN 56001

1704 North State St. New Ulm, MN 56073 roomsandrest.com

8. The Sleek Belt A MUST HAVE for every wardrobe! Our Sleek Belts are a customer favorite 4 years running. This brilliant invention allows women to wear a belt with absolutely NO lines, buckles or seams. Truly SLEEK. They come in Champagne and Black and are sized 0/2, 4/6, 8/19, 12/14, 16/18, 20/22. These are the best fashion invention in years! Only $19.95. Bella Nova Boutique 521 N. Riverfront Dr. Mankato, MN 56001 507.779.7444

9. Run the distance in ultimate comfort

The game-changing Bondi is the most cushioned shoe in HOKA ONE ONE's road-shoe lineup. The Bondi 6 offers a smooth, balanced ride delivered by the full EVA midsole, the comfortable and breathable upper, and our Meta-Rocker technology. This delivers a consistent ride for all distances. The Bondi 6 will take you far and wide in comfort. Scheels River Hills Mall

1850 Adams St. Mankato, MN 56001 507.386.7767 scheels.com

10. 3D Eye Radiance Cream Technology-loaded treatment with extended performance. Visibly lifts, firms and smooths upper eyelids, fades dark circles and puffiness, smooths the appearance of crow’s feet and fine lines. A patent-protected metal applicator with Cooling Tip Technology fosters gentle “finger-free” application to help preserve the delicate skin around the eyes, providing a soothing and cooling sensation upon contact. Free from parables, fragrance, animal- and humanderived ingredients. Not tested on animals.

Complexions

1351 Madison Ave. Ste. 205 Mankato, MN 56001 612.462.0955

11. Our Traveling Showroom

Blinds & More travels to your home or office with custom samples. We offer window coverings and interior design services. Our team will travel within a 60-mile radius of Mankato. Schedule your free consultation today! Blinds & More Interior Design Group 507.380.5019

106764

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10.

It’s hard to imagine early spring right now. I’m sitting on my balcony listening to evening bird and cicada songs, absorbing the lingering heat as the sun sets late. Every plant in my garden is green, lush, and generally unruly.

But upon closing my eyes (and pinching my ears shut), I can envision an early spring morning. There’s brown all around me, empty branches in the sky. The air still has a biting chill, and frost brushes the ground until the morning sun arrives. I’m both hopeful and desperate at the same time, scanning my surroundings for a sign of new green life. At last! I spy tiny crocus leaves poking out of the ground. All is well; faith is restored!

Even if you’re not as dramatic as I am, we gardeners can all agree that there’s nothing better than the first spring plants that emerge after winter’s end. Bulbs are usually among the earliest to arrive, braving the cold temps and bursting with colorful blooms. Tulips, daffodils, alliums, crocuses, and hyacinths are some of the most common bulbs. Here in Minnesota, we plant bulbs during the fall in order to enjoy them the following spring.

Fall bulbs should be planted from late September to mid-October, after the ground has started to cool but at least six weeks before it freezes completely. Most garden centers will have bulbs available for purchase at close to the appropriate time, although they might put them out a little early. If you order them from catalogs (or online), reputable companies will mail them to you at the correct planting time. The bulbs will be dormant when you purchase them. They resemble little onions or garlic cloves: their fleshy storage tissues are wrapped in papery outer covers. Each type of bulb will require a different planting hole depth. A good rule of thumb is to plant each bulb in a hole that is as deep as one and a half times that bulb’s height. (You can also just read the packaging -- most bulb companies include detailed planting instructions with their products.)

Bulbs are best planted next to perennial plants that will fill in and cover the bulb’s dying foliage after they’ve bloomed. I like to plant them in groups of ten to twelve. Dig your holes and then place the bulbs rightside-up at the bottom of the hole. The bulb’s bottom will have tiny dried roots, also like an onion. Each individual bulb should be at least two inches from its neighbor.

Cover the bulbs with soil and then water the ground thoroughly. The bulbs will start growing as soon as they rehydrate. You won’t see any signs of life yet this year, but you should water your bulb patches as you would water any perennial plant. Consistent moisture until frost (with the ground drying out between waterings) will promote healthy strong roots, which will prepare the bulbs for their early spring debut.

Tulips are probably the most recognizable bulbs. These plants can be tricky, however, as they often only bloom the year directly after planting. Modern tulip bulbs come from Holland, where they are bred to produce one single perfect bloom. This is a lengthy process involving proper soil, temperature, moisture, and fertilization conditions, all of which are meant to mimic the environment of a tulip’s native habitat. After that first perfect bloom is spent, the bulb spends its summer growing in less-than-ideal conditions, which weaken the plant and sometimes halt blooming altogether. For this reason, many gardeners treat the classic tulips as annual plants, digging them up and replanting them each year. By the way, if you ever have a chance to view the annual tulip display at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska, you should go! It’s always spectacular.

Daffodils, alliums, hyacinths, crocuses, snowdrops, scilla, species tulips, and other fall bulbs are more reliably perennial. Over time, many of these plants will multiply, slowly colonizing your gardens with their cheery flowers. Depending on what you plant, bulbs will emerge and bloom over a long period of time, stretching from the earliest snowdrop in March to the latest allium in June. Planted together, these bulbs will bring color to your garden (and to your chilled early-spring spirit) year after year!

LAURA SCHWARZ

New Ulm native, Minneapolis-based horticulturist and writer

We Salute You!

LET’S TALK PELVIC HEALTH.

While you may find your pelvic health issues to be embarrassing, it might be helpful to know you are not alone. One in three women suffers from constipation, incontinence, prolapse or overactive bladder issues. Our OB-GYN experts, led by a board-certified urogynecologist, have heard it all and are here to provide personalized treatment options to fit your needs.

Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato Call 507-479-5595 to schedule an appointment. mayoclinichealthsystem.org