Farm & Garden

TODAY’S

FARM & GARDEN

Stories about, and relevant to, the Perham area

Supplement to the Sunday, March 30, 2014 Contact

Page 2 | Farm and Garden

Considering alternative crops ‘Small-market crops’ hold appeal, risk for farmers beans are considered a relatively safe, easy crop to grow.

Matt Flikkema, who farms near Manhattan, Mont., in the southwest part of the state, says several farmers in his area are considering planting soybeans.

“We just haven’t seen soybeans here” because of the climate, he says.

Area wheat officials, including Randy Englund, executive director of the South Dakota Wheat Commission, are optimistic that more wheat will be planted this year.

They also say it’s too soon to estimate how big the increase might be.

Jonathan Knutson Forum News Service

You might think Tim Courneya is pleased that area farmers are interested in planting more dry edible beans this spring.

After all, he’s the executive vice president of the Frazee-based Northarvest Bean Growers Association, North America’s largest supplier of dry beans.

But he’s ambivalent about the possibility.

“Well, there’s both good and bad,” he says.

The good: more acres should mean a more reliable supply for dry bean buyers.

The bad: too many acres could lead to excess production of the crop, causing dry bean prices to tumble.

“Overproduction is a concern,” he says.

The dry bean situation is part of a major agricultural trend in the Upper Midwest.

Sagging crop prices, particularly corn prices, have farmers looking into other crops, including dry beans and other “small-market crops” that normally don’t get much attention.

“Guys are taking a closer look at alternatives,” says Frayne Olson, a crop economic and marketing specialist with the North Dakota State University Extension Service.

That’s particularly true in northern North Dakota, western South Dakota, northwest Minnesota and northeast Montana. Farmers there typically grow a wider range of crops than producers to the south and east, who generally focus on corn and soybeans.

For instance, farmers in both Montana and western North Dakota are showing more interest in green peas, says Justin Flaten, with JM Grain, which has offices in Great Falls, Mont., and Garrison, N.D. Durum acres could rally, too, says Doug Opland, a Des Lac, N.D., farmer and president of the U.S. Durum Growers Association.

Olson and other experts say the interest in alternatives is good, but only to a point.

Demand for many of the options, such as dry beans, is limited, and planting too much of the crop could swamp the market with excess production.

Some options, particularly canola and sunflowers, don’t appear to be at risk of overproduction, officials say.

U.S. demand for canola is strong, and farmers almost certainly will plant more of it this spring, says Neil Juhnke, president and chief operating officer of Fargo, N.D.-

How much of a hit?

Kim Swenson, a Lakota, N.D., farmer who’s active in the state Corn Growers Association, says corn acreage likely will decline in the northern part of the state.

But the decline is less likely in parts of southern North Dakota where the crop is well established, he says.

As Swenson and others say, many farmers have invested in equipment and buildings, such as additional grain storage, needed to raise corn. That investment could make producers less willing to scale back on corn.

The world supply-and-demand outlook could change by planting, potentially boosting corn prices and encouraging farmers to grow more of it, Swenson says.

Forum News Service

Winter still grips the Midwest, but spring will arrive soon and bring with it another round of planting.

based Northstar Agri Industries, which operates a canola processing plant in Hallock, Minn.

Relatively attractive prices indicate a favorable supply-and-demand outlook for both oil and confection sunflowers, says John Sandbakken, executive director of the National Sunflower Association in Mandan, N.D. His organization wants to encourage farmers new to the crop, or who haven’t grown it in a while, to plant it this spring.

Soybeans, wheat There’s also more interest in soybeans and wheat, which along with corn are the

region’s three major crops.

Soybeans are expected to gain acres, particularly in parts of South Dakota and Minnesota where farmers grow corn and soybeans almost exclusively.

In the past few years, high corn prices encouraged farmers to grow corn on corn, planting it on the same field year after year.

This spring, however, some fields that otherwise would be replanted to corn will be planted to soybeans, Keith Alverson says.

He farms near Chester, S.D., where corn and soybeans dominate.

Soybeans also could gain acres in areas where they’re rarely grown. The crop’s price has held up relatively well, and soy-

Why corn has lost appeal The price of just about every crop grown in the Upper Midwest has slumped in the past year. But corn’s decline has been especially steep.

Corn is relatively expensive to raise.

The cost of seed and fertilizer, among other things, is substantially higher with corn than most other crops. But corn also yields more than other crops.

When corn prices are high, the value of those additional bushels offsets the higher expenses. When corn prices are low, the value of the additional bushels declines and doesn’t necessarily offset the higher expenses.

Geography plays a role, too.

Northern North Dakota is part of what Olson describes as “a transition zone” for corn. Farmers there grow the crop when the market wants corn and pays a high price for it, but switch to other crops when the market continued on PAGE 3

Farm and Garden | Page 3 alternative crops continued from PAGE 2

wants less corn and pays a lower price for it.

In contrast, farmers to the south and east generally are locked in to corn, Olson says.

Projections make the point Estimates from the annual NDSU Extension Projected Crop Budgets illustrate how much lower corn prices affect potential profitability in north-central North Dakota.

In 2014, assuming an average sales price of $4 per bushel, per-acre market income of $368 is projected — barely enough to cover the estimated per-acre expenses of $365.87.

A projected per-acre profit of $2.13 is left.

In 2013, assuming an average sales price of $5.57 per bushel, per-acre market income of $501.50 was projected — much more than the estimated per-acre expense of $374.83. A per-acre profit of $126.47 was projected.

In other words, a drop of about $1.50 per bushel takes corn from strong profitability to barely breaking even.

Contrast that with the NDSU projections for soybeans in north-central North Dakota.

In 2013, assuming an average sales price of $12.35 per bushel, per-acre market income of $345.80 and per-acre expenses of $232.26 were projected. That left a projected per-acre profit of $113.43 — good, but

less than corn’s projected per-acre profit of $126.47.

In 2014, assuming an average sales price of $10.85 per bushel of soybeans, per-acre market income of $314.65 and per-acre expenses of $232.55 are expected. That leaves a projected per-acre profit of $82.10 — less than the $113.43 per-acre profit projected a year later, but far better than the projected per-acre profit of $2.13 for corn this year.

Weather, prices Price fluctuations and planting conditions this spring, of course, will influence what farmers end up planting. If prices and weather don’t cooperate, small-market crops might not gain as many acres as expected now, experts say.

For now, though, small-market crops hold both appeal and risk.

If you’re interested in planting a smallmarket crop, “Be careful,” Olson says.

More will be known about planting intentions on March 31, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service releases its Prospective Plantings report.

The widely watched report will give USDA’s best guess on how many acres of both large- and small-market crops will be planted this spring.

This article originally appeared in AgWeek, a Forum Communications Co. publication.

Forum News Service

Peas are among the small-market crops that could see an acreage increase this spring.

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Page 4 | Farm and Garden

Colony collapse disorder a game-changer for beekeepers Local beekeeper, Dan Whitney, says he’s been fortunate but still has frustrations Marie Johnson editor@perhamfocus.com

Dan Whitney, a beekeeper in Ottertail, used to spend about 50 hours a week caring for his bees.

It was always more than a full-time gig, but it’s gotten even busier in recent years.

Today, Whitney’s work weeks stretch up into the 70-to-80-hour range.

And while he used to spend about 10 weeks a year with his bees in Texas, where they’re wintered, now he’s there for a full five months.

“That extra time is all geared toward just keeping the bees alive,” he said in a recent interview. “Feeding them vitamins, pollen substitutes, essential oils...babying them, basically.”

Even with these extra efforts, honey production isn’t what it used to be.

In the past, Whitney’s bees would pro-

duce honey for five to six weeks every summer. Now, the production window has slimmed down to two to three weeks. Last summer, because of the drought, the bees made honey for only 10 days.

He’s also recording higher percentages of weak or dead hives throughout the year, losing as many as 25 percent of his bees.

That’s still well below the national average of 35-40 percent, he said, but 20 years ago beekeepers would usually lose 15 percent at the most.

Whitney is experiencing the same frustrations as other beekeepers around most parts of the world – he’s working more, for less.

But he’s one of the lucky ones.

Besides losing fewer bees, on average, than his peers, Whitney said he’s fortucontinued on PAGE 5

Submitted photo

Honeybee populations are dropping off worldwide, and the Perham area is not immune to the phenomenon of disappearing bees known as colony collapse disorder. Dan Whitney, owner of Dan’s Honey Co. in Ottertail, believes a mix of factors are to blame, including mites and viruses, a loss of forage areas for the bees, and some pesticides.

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Farm and Garden | Page 5 Honeybees continued from PAGE 4

nate to have extremely strong hives that each produce about 100 pounds of honey annually – a difficult target for beekeepers today to hit.

What’s behind all these frustrations?

Three words that beekeepers today hate to hear: colony collapse disorder.

Exactly what causes this disorder is still being debated, but what’s clear is that it’s bad news for beekeepers, as well as anyone else who relies on the pollination process – and that’s everyone.

An estimated one-third of all food and beverages for human consumption are made possible by pollination, mainly by honeybees, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Pollination is crucial to agriculture, contributing to crop production worth $20-30 billion annually.

Thus, colony collapse disorder is a serious threat to both the economy and the food supply.

Colony collapse disorder is a term used to describe mass bee die-offs or disappearances. It became a hot topic in 2006, when worker bees across the United States suddenly abandoned their hives, resulting in significant honey losses. Since then, onethird of all bees have disappeared from colony collapse disorder.

In Minnesota, Whitney said, the disorder has contributed to a loss of about 50,000 bee colonies, from 180,000 down to 130,000.

A May 2013 report on honeybee health, released by the USDA and Environmental Protection Agency, concluded that multiple factors play at least some sort of role in colony collapse disorder, including parasites like the Varroa mite, genetics, poor nutrition from insuffient forage, and pesticides.

National media reports have tended to focus on pesticides as the primary problem, but Whitney believes there’s more to it than that.

“There’s no smoking gun,” he said.

“There are a lot of problems with the bees throughout the course of a year. There are a lot of things that negatively impact them.

It’s not just mites and viruses. It’s not pesticides and fungicides. It’s not lack of forage.

It’s a combination of things.”

Whitney, who is the president of the Minnesota Honey Producers Association, spoke to the Focus on behalf of himself and not as a representative of the association.

Whitney has been a professional beekeeper since 1994. A Richville native, he graduated from Perham High School in 1990 and now lives in Ottertail with his wife, Jennifer, and their three children.

He got his first taste of beekeeping in high school, when he worked a summer job for beekeepers in Richville. He enjoyed the work, which he describes as “just another form of farming,” and at the age of 21 he branched off and started his own business,

Submitted photos

Above: Dan Whitney, owner of the Ottertailbased Dan’s Honey Company, wears a ‘beard’ of bees. Whitney runs about 1,200 hives in Otter Tail County and surrounding areas. Right: Dan’s Honey Co. hives, in Texas, where the bees are overwintered and the queen bees are raised.

Dan’s Honey Company. Perham area residents have probably seen his honey on local stores shelves, or passed his property on Highway 78, which has a small white shed out front with honey for sale.

Today, Whitney runs 1,200 hives, which are spread out among 45 different properties across Otter Tail, Becker, Clay and Hubbard counties. In the winter, the bees are taken to Texas, where Whitney cares for them and also raises queen bees. He’s one of only about 150 commercial beekeepers in the U.S. to raise queens, he said, though he’s among good company in Minnesota.

“We have very good commercial beekeepers in Minnesota,” he said. “Just about all of them raise their own queens, and that’s saying something.”

But those beekeepers are facing unprecedented challenges; one of the most preventable of which, in Whitney’s opinion, is the loss of forage area.

“Sixty-five to 70 percent of the bees in the nation spend their summers in the Upper Midwest,” he said, “and what’s happening there is the corn and the soybean varieties can be planted farther and farther north and west, and so the good bee pasture, the good forage, every year, is less and less, and row crops go in.”

Partly because of changes to the landscape, Whitney said, Minnesota has gone from an average of 95 pounds of honey production per colony per year, down to 65 pounds. There are simply not enough nectar-secreting plants in bloom throughout the summer to support the needs of honeybees.

“Every year for the last five to six years,” Whitney said, “our national average, the honey yields... it seems like we’re always setting record lows.”

His fear? That “we’ll reach the tipping point and the industry won’t recover.

Scientists are saying that by 2035 all bees will be extinct, if this problem isn’t fixed.

It’s a big problem.”

Fortunately, a lot of people are working on it.

The USDA, EPA, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Natural Resource Conservation Service and many other agencies and stakeholders are invested in research into colony collapse disorder, and a steering committee has come up with a long-term plan to address it. This action plan will serve as a reference document for

policymakers and legislators as they try to coordinate a federal strategy in response to honeybee losses.

Meanwhile, public awareness of colony collapse disorder is on the rise, and some people are starting to take whatever action they can, starting with their own yards. The University of Minnesota Extension Service has information readily available on its website about bee-friendly plants and how to create bee-friendly yards and gardens, and bee-friendly seed mixes are getting easier to find.

“Even people without a lot of land can make a difference,” said Whitney. “Bees get their antibodies from the plants they visit... they need a wide variety of flowers. But it’s more than just growing the right plants; it’s also allowing them to bloom so they can secrete nectar.”

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Page 6 | Farm and Garden

Nasty virus threatens hog farming Pork prices hit record high; local farmer takes preventive precautions Elizabeth Huwe ehuwe@perhamfocus.com

A new virus is threatening hog farming in the United States, killing piglets and leading to record high pork prices.

The Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) virus has been fairly common in parts of Europe since the 1970s, and had also previously been found in Asia, but was not discovered in the U.S. until May of 2013. Since then, it has spread into Canada and Mexico.

According to a March 12 report from the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Animal Health Laboratory Network, 27 states including Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota have confirmed at least one case of PED. Symptoms of the viral infection are somewhat similar to human stomach flu (but not caused by the same virus): extreme diarrhea and vomiting, which can then lead to dehydration.

This dehydration is what ultimately kills almost all infected piglets less than one month old. Older animals generally have stronger immune systems and can bounce back from the illness, if secondary infections are avoided.

“The little pigs just get dehydrated (from the diarrhea) and can’t recover, no matter what you do,” said Mark Riestenberg, who has raised hogs near Perham since 1987.

Now, he raises weaned hogs as part of a larger cooperative.

While Riestenberg’s operation has not yet been affected by the virus, he said he has heard of farms that “have had 3 to 5 weeks of 100 percent death loss” once the virus gets onto a farm.

“People have said ‘It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.’ I hope that’s not the case,” said Riestenberg. “The main thing is not to get it… then we don’t have to worry about how to treat it.”

The PED virus is transmitted through the manure of an infected animal. Once a pig begins to show symptoms, the resulting mess can make containment especially difficult.

Something as average as a pair of barn boots or gloves could accidently transport infected manure from one barn or farm to another.

“It’s certainly made us a lot more paranoid,” said Riestenberg. “I’d been a little lax on my biosecurity.”

Now, an imaginary line is placed between the barn and possible sources of contamination. When a load of weaned piglets are brought from the co-op’s sow farm, the

FOCUS file photo

A virus that leads to severe dehydration in hogs, killing almost all infected piglets less than one month old, was first reported in the United States last May. The virus has resulted in a shortened supply of pork, bringing prices to a record high. It has not hit the Perham area directly, and at least one local hog farmer is taking serious precautions to prevent the virus’s spread.

trucker puts on a disposable over-suit and boot covers before starting to unload the animals. The trucker will not cross over or touch the chute going into the barn. Riestenberg will not go into or touch the trailer.

Riestenberg said a lot of the PED cases he has heard about probably happened after taking a load of animals to the packing plant and then immediately bringing the truck back to the farm.

In the winter, cold weather freezes and essentially preserves the virus, Riestenberg said. So, in order to prevent spread of the virus, trailers are thoroughly pressure washed and left to dry for a week.

Most would consider this paranoia practical rather than overkill.

In January, South Dakota State University released an estimate suggesting 3 million pigs had been killed by the virus.

Other recent reports estimate a death total closer to 4 or 5 million. Exact numbers for pigs affected by the virus are not available.

Reporting of the disease is voluntary and ‘cases’ can be reported individually or as a whole farm.

“Hopefully, people that get it do report it, so that their neighbors can take action to prevent it,” Riestenberg said.

A quarterly USDA report on the nation’s hog numbers is expected to come out this month and should give a better idea of what has happened to the population.

In response to the shortened supply, pork prices have gone up about 40 percent this year and hit record highs, according to a March 14 Reuters report.

The report went on to state, “Wary of a sharp meat shortage in the summer, hog processors have bid up prices since the year began and retailers stocked up more than usual.”

If there is any good news when dealing with this virus, it is that the virus can only infect pigs – not other animals or humans – and it does not affect the safety of pork meat.

Also, Riestenberg said information has been relatively easy for farmers to access, thanks to the internet and the virus’s history in other continents.

Vaccines for PED have been developed in Japan, South Korea and China. But, according to the USDA, they have not been approved for use in North America.

Until a vaccine is available in the United States, herd immunity is the only real factor which can slow down infection, other than

total avoidance.

National Hog Farmer magazine recently published an article written by veterinarians suggesting that all sows and gilts (female hogs that have not had a litter of piglets) should be purposefully exposed and infected with the virus at the same time: preferably when none of them have young piglets or are close to farrowing.

The article explains that after the disease goes through a farm, the surviving animals should be immune to the virus. In theory, immunity can then be passed to piglets born later through their mother’s milk.

“Supposedly, they (the pigs) can recover from it,” said Riestenberg.

But, according to what he’s heard from a research group based in Morris, Minn., only 20 percent of the farms actually really recover from the virus.

“Some get another reoccurrence...and some have kind of a lagging problem. It’s something you definitely want to keep out,” he said.

Because of the possibility of exposure to infectious animals, Riestenberg said his children will most likely not show hogs at the county fair this year as they have in the past.

Farm and Garden | Page 7

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Page 8 | Farm and Garden

Dairy princesses visit local schools Elizabeth Huwe/FOCUS

Students at St. Henry’s Area School and St. Paul’s Lutheran School in Perham were visited by MarJenna McWilliam, the 60th Princess Kay of the Milky Way, and Katherine Wippler, East Otter Tail Dairy Princess of 2013, on March 19. After watching a video about dairy farming, the children had a chance to ask the princesses important questions about farm life, such as, “Do you wear your crown in the barn?” (They usually don’t, by the way.)

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Page 10 | Farm and Garden

Gardening gurus

Thousands of flowers pack the property of Wayne and Bobbi Sachs Lina Belar For the Focus

Master Gardeners, Wayne and Bobbi Sachs, live on a small rise of land overlooking Little Pine Lake, on a property that is jam-packed with flowers all summer long.

“There’s just enough lawn to put in the dock and boat lift,” Bobbi said in a recent interview.

That’s not an exaggeration. The property is filled from corner to corner with all manner of small gardens. There’s a gnome gar-

den, a waterfall and water garden, a shade garden, even a garden of nothing but miniatures.

Everywhere one looks, there are gardens – and of course, flowers.

Most of what Wayne and Bobbi grow are perennial flowers, which come up every year. At last count, the couple had 859 hostas, 200 daylilies, 100 Asiatic lilies, and nine varieties of Martagon lilies, one of Wayne’s favorites. continued on PAGE 11

Submitted photos

Above: Bobbi Sachs with her pride and joy from last summer, a delphinium called Purple Passion that grew well. Left: Wayne’s favorite for the season was a Hollyhock that grew to 12 feet.

Farm and Garden | Page 11 Gurus

The last Friday and Saturday of every June, Wayne and Bobbi Sachs hold a plant sale to share the treasures from their gardens. They are also part of the garden tour sponsored by Jean’s the Right Plant Place each July.

The Sachs’ gardens are located at 45257 Jack Pine Drive, just north of Perham. Contact them at 346-6460.

continued from PAGE 10

Wayne is such a fan of the flower, in fact, that grower and seed hybridizer, Dennis Drew of Elk River, named one after him.

It’s called “Wayne’s World.”

Wayne and Bobbi have been Master Gardeners through the University of Minnesota Extension Service for 15 years.

They are also members of the Lady Slipper Garden Club in Perham.

The Sachs bought the lot on Little Pine Lake in 1974. At that time, it grew nothing but sand burrs.

At first, the couple had a motor home on the property. They built a house in 1985, but were still working in Minneapolis. Ten years later, they retired and moved to the lake full time, and that’s when things really started to happen.

They’d positioned their house on top of a hill so they could see the lake. But that meant that, from the road, they had to walk up the hill to get to the house. This required the installation of stairs. But the Sachs did more than just put in some steps – they terraced the stairway with gardens.

They brought in 14 pick-up loads of rock to do the south gardens, and on the west side they built tiered limestone walls.

Now, when a person walks from the road to the house, the uphill path is a journey through lush gardens of hostas, past a water-

Submitted photo

When a storm took down the pine trees to the south of this hosta garden, Wayne erected a pergola to protect the shade-loving plants, of which they have more than 800.

fall and even a working windmill. The water ends up in a small pond that holds goldfish and koi. The Sachs have a heated stock tank in the garage where they keep the fish all winter.

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some pine trees to the south of where many of Wayne and Bobbi’s hostas were planted.

To continue to protect the shade-loving plants, they erected a pergola.

In addition to the living plants themselves, the couple likes to create art and add

fanciful sculptures throughout their gardens.

Some paths are made of hand-cast stepping stones decorated with hosta leaves. The gnome garden is guarded by a metal sculpture.

Everywhere a person looks, there’s something interesting and beautiful to see.

And every year, something new is added.

With all the flowers the Sachs grow, there is always that one special thing that stands out for each of them.

Last year, it was a delphinium called Purple Passion that became Bobbi’s pride and joy; for Wayne, it was a 12-foot-tall Hollyhock that towered over him.

From spring until fall, their gardens are a delight to walk through, and the Sachs welcome visitors. Just call ahead for a guided tour. It’s an experience not soon forgotten.

Climb the hill, listen to the wind chimes, watch the birds at the feeders, stoop to say hello to the gnomes, but most of all, take a few minutes to stop and smell the flowers.

Page 12 | Farm and Garden

You might be a gardener if... though you have no space for Artist Claude Monet said them. At any given time, your his greatest masterpiece was vehicle trunk has remnants of his garden. Mark Twain was leaves and potting soil from more homespun when he sugprevious trips to the garden gested a cauliflower is nothing center. more than a cabbage with a You know you’re a serious college education. gardener if all visitors to your Much is said about gardenhome are treated to a tour of ing. Have you ever wondered if your plantings. other gardeners have thoughts You let your housework and idiosyncrasies similar to slide during summer because yours? the growing season is short and Maybe you’ve experienced you’ve got all winter to dust the old adage that the easiest and scrub indoors. Besides, way to make sure you are reyou’ll keep houseguests ocmoving a weed and not a valuby Don Kinzler cupied outdoors as you regale able plant is to pull on it. If it them with stories of when and comes out easily and unintenwhere you obtained specimen tionally, it’s the valuable plant.

Or you planted perennial flowers to elim- plants.

Have you ever had the urge to pull weeds inate work only to discover dandelions and quackgrass consider your perennial beds a from your neighbor’s flowerbed when they’re not looking? Maybe you’re tempted safe haven.

You know you’re a diehard gardener if to violate keep-off-the-grass signs at public you’ve grabbed non-blooming Easter lilies display gardens in attempts to get cuttings and poinsettias from your church as they for propagation. After all, you’re sure the were being thrown because they deserved do-not-pick signs refer to non-gardening a nice home, and you wanted to see if you people.

On hot, windy summer days, you water could coax them to re-bloom.

You enjoy houseplants in your windows, wilted patio flowerpots with the concern of so you don’t mind re-varnishing the win- a doctor trying to revive a patient on lifesupport. On chilly autumn nights, gardeners dowsills from any resulting water drips.

You’re a true gardener if the neighbors no are outdoors in the dark with a flashlight longer think it odd that you wander around covering planters, flowerbeds and gardens your yard on Saturday morning in your pa- with bed sheets and blankets because frost jamas with coffee cup in hand as you admire is forecast and maybe we can get a couple your plantings. And the first thing you do more days of bloom and a few more tomaupon returning from two weeks’ vacation is toes.

Dedicated gardeners go out with friends rush to the garden to see how the vegetables are growing. Your lawn shrinks each year as for a beer and find themselves deadheading you lose ground to your planting addiction. spent geranium blossoms from the beer garYou rationalize your plant purchases den planters while their friends are flirting because you don’t golf, smoke or gamble. with the wait staff.

While driving down the street, the sight And you excuse sky-rocketing summertime water bills because you don’t own a plane, a that turns one’s head is an attractive garden center. condo in Vale or a racehorse.

Although gardeners are a cheery bunch, You’ve purchased plants on sale even

Growing Together

FOCUS file photo

Diehard gardeners will understand the enormity of the decisions that go into planting a garden such as this one. we do have our annoyances. Like the garden hose that always kinks 100 feet from where I’m standing rather than within reach.

Raccoons never raid my sweet corn until the night before I’m planning to harvest. When I finally apply city water to the vegetable garden during dry spells, rain comes that night. When I plant radish seeds sparingly to avoid having to “thin” them out later, germination always seems poor, leaving a half-empty row. But if I plant thickly to compensate for possible poor germination, every seed sprouts into a crowded mess.

Gardeners have learned to take with a grain of salt the descriptions of plants in catalogs and sales brochures. Certain phrases cause our eyebrows to rise. “Zone 4 with protection” is a code phrase for Russian roulette played with plants. “Vigorous” means the plant has a compulsion for world domination. “Moisture-loving” means the

It’s time to think Spring!

Jean’s has everything you need to get your spring projects started.

Not sure where to start?

Stop in and talk to one of our knowledgeable staff members.

1052192

420 3rd Ave. SE (Hwy 78 & 4th St.) Perham, MN • 218-346-4051 www.rightplantplace.com

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plant is ideal if your backyard is a swamp.

“May require support” means you’ll spend a weekend trying to rig up a contraption to keep the plant from sprawling across your yard and the neighbors’.

Gardeners lead a simple existence. A major life question is whether to plant the same geraniums that performed so well last year, or do we throw caution to the wind and try a new planter assortment this spring? The matter will require careful consideration, as my wife Mary and I weigh the consequences, and fellow gardeners will understand the enormity of the decision.

Don Kinzler, a lifelong gardener, worked as a North Dakota State University Extension horticulturist and owned a greenhouse in Fargo, N.D. His column, “Growing Together,” is regularly published in The Forum newspaper, a Forum Communications Co. publication.

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Farm and Garden | Page 13

Minnesota National Farmers Organization re-elects officers State board includes local reps The Minnesota National Farmers Organization held its annual meeting and officer elections at its office in Sauk Centre on March 8.

All previous officers were re-elected or re-appointed to their posts.

Joe Neaton, of Watertown, was reelected state president of the organization.

Neaton and his wife, LuAnn, operate 450 acres of alfalfa, corn and soybeans and raise Holstein steers. They have two sons with separate farming operations and a third son has a maintenance business for horse owners. Their daughter, Kelly, is married and lives near Wausau, Wis. Harold Marthaler, of Sauk Centre, was re-elected vice president of the organization. Marthaler milks 72 cows and farms 1,000 acres of corn and soybeans with his parents. He is the father of six children and has been a township supervisor for 14 years.

Pam Henry-Neaton, of Watertown, was re-elected state secretary. She is a sister-inlaw to President Joe Neaton. She and her

husband also farm near Watertown.

Bruce Zeidler, of Eagle Bend, was reelected to his 17th year as state treasurer.

Zeidler and his wife, Cindy, have four children and operate a dairy and crop farm.

John Zschetzsche, of Mountain Lake, was re-appointed public relations director and editor of the Upper Midwest National Farmers Organization Newsletter.

Other state board members are Mark Rohr of Bluffton, a national director; Reed Christensen of Battle Lake, national director; Doug Suhr of Kasson, first district president; Steve Clarke of Fulda, second district president; Todd Steeke of Perham, seventh district president; and Steve Koering of Fort Ripley, eighth district president.

Trustees on the board are Bob Arndt, Echo; Don Koep, Clitherall; and Harold Marthaler, Sauk Centre.

This year’s state convention will be held Sept. 6 at Elmerz Restaurant and Event Center in Sauk Centre.

OPEN RED BARN HOUSE GREENHOUSE MAY 10 (218) 385-2934

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We custom plant your containers!

You’ve come to rely on electricity to power many types of equipment on your farm. Otter Tail Power Company reminds you to work safely around electricity, one of your most important farm tools.

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Offering a variety of Farm Supplies.

OPEN FOR BUSINESS BEGINNING MAY 3

Customer Appreciation Sale March 29th-April 5th Join us for Lunch April 5th 11am-2pm

HUGE SELECTION OF bedding plants hanging baskets vegetables & herbs deck & patio planters seed potatoes onion sets apple trees SUNFLOWER SEEDS FOR BIRDS, TOO!

Mark’s Fleet Supply 945 Market Street • Perham, MN 56573 Mon. – Fri.: 8:00 - 7:00; Sat.: 8:00 - 6:00; Sun.: 9:00 - 4:00 218-346-6275 • truevalue.com/marksfleetsupply

Page 14 | Farm and Garden Call Cutting Edge of Perham for all your Lawn Fertilizing & Weed Control needs.

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346-6401 Today for a FREE Estimate

Building & SAVE THIS HANDY DIRECTORY!

When business was good, he said he didn’t need to advertise.

When business was bad, he said he couldn’t afford to advertise.

For the life of us, we can’t remember his name.

Beauty for every room.

FIX ROCK CHIPS BEFORE THE COLD CRACKS THEM OUT.

The Clear ChoiCe for all Glass repair, replaCemenT & roCk Chips CLyDE & DOnnA, OwnERS

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Quality & Service at an affordable price!

Water Treatment Systems ~ Reverse Osmosis Bottled Water ~ Softener Salt

www.BenHolzerUnlimited.com

Call Ben, Char or Adam at 218-346-6445

Wallpaper & Borders, Ceramic Tile & Armstrong Linoleum, Shawmark Carpet & Mohawk Carpet Let our fine design staff create a new look for you!

145 Second Ave. SE Perham • 218-346-2924

615 Pinewood Lane Perham, MN 56573 218-346-5560

Call JC Electric for all your wiring needs

Serving the community for over 38 years.

General Contracting Work Free Estimates

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• 346-7062 • Perham, MN

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Call Hildie at 218.252.7667 Januszewski Plumbing Over 20 years Experience

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Custom items for residential and commercial projects

For Free estimates call miKe sanders 218-367-2224 “Where Custom Truly Means Custom” 94 Lake Avenue, South, PO Box 35, Ottertail, MN 56571-0035

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Farm and Garden | Page 15

Construction Remodeling Decks Roofing Pole Sheds Siding

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products

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phil’s plumbing countywide plumbing service specializing in new home plumbing repairs • remodeling water softeners & a complete line of fixtures 218-346-5977 46414 390th street perham, mn 56573

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Page 16 | Farm and Garden

We’ll help you get there. {With great operating & crop input loan rates.}

Our ag lending specialists will visit your farm to discuss your needs, contact us today!

888.330.8482 | myCMCU.org | facebook.com/mycmcu Subject to credit approval. Membership qualification required. Ask for details.

Federally Insured by NCUA