A Supplement to the Star Shopper
Friday, January 20, 2017 • Edition 1
ountry C cres A
FFocusing on Today’s Rural Environment
A barn run by bachelors Stang brothers create partnership, dairy 26 years By JENNIFER COYNE Staff Writer BELGRADE – For three bachelors in central Minnesota, dairy farming is their livelihood. The Stang brothers at Triple S Farms – Chuck, 64, Roger, 61, and Paul, 57 – formed a partnership in 1991 after purchasing their father’s dairy near Lake Henry. For 26 years, they have approached the responsibility with humility and compassion. “Just like other farm families, we’ve dedicated our whole lives to dairying,” Paul said. “Dad milked almost 30 years before we started to take over for him.” Each day begins at 5 a.m. for the three brothers. While Chuck and Paul begin milking their 120 registered cows in a tiestall barn, Roger feeds the calves. “The milkhouse is a long ways away when I forget something,” said Paul, chuckling about the STANGS continued on page 4
PHOTO BY MARK KLAPHAKE
Roger (left) and Paul Stang milk 120 cows near Lake Henry. When school is not in session, the Stangs receive help from a neighbor, Matt Fuchs (back). Not pictured is Chuck Stang.
A bird’s eye view Schroeder attracts variety of animals to home By ELIZABETH BETHKE Staff Writer SAUK CENTRE – Bird watching is a hobby for some; but for Arlan Schroeder, it is a hobby that has enticed him to further his love for songbirds and other animals alike. When the Sauk Centre native bought five acres of land in 1985 he didn’t know he would be spending his retired time caring for songbirds, deer and turkeys. He also comes in contact with many other animals that find their way into his now 30-acre wooded backyard. “My wife, Marilyn, and I just like watching the birds and deer,” Schroeder said.
Schroeder saves money “There are always birds in my backyard but the deer come to when the animals clean up after each other. visit quite often to eat.” “I like when the deer come Schroeder’s backyard is equipped with three suet around because they clean up what the birds feeders, six bird throw out,” he feeders, which he said. switches out in Although the different seasons, animals are intwo turkey feedtriguing to look ers, a horse head at, the hobby is for squirrels to eat not cheap. Schroout of, a heated eder goes through water bath filled 40 pounds of with fresh clean songbird supreme water and in the in three weeks. warmer months, The finch feed and also jelly lasts a bit longer, feeders. Arlan Schroeder but the suet lasts He fills the only a couple of bird feeders with songbird supreme and thistle days. “In the winter the birds seed and sunflower chip mix for the gold finches and small- and deer come more often er birds. The suet feeders are and eat more because they are stocked with woodpecker suet burning more energy and then and peanut suet for the wood- they leave right away,” Schropeckers. He also provides 50 eder said. “When it is warmer pounds of corn for the turkey out I don’t go through as much food as quickly and the anifeeders, every other day. “Ironically enough, the mals seem to stay a bit longer turkeys don’t like eating out of the turkey feeders and eat the SCHROEDER food off of the ground that the continued on page 6 birds discard,” Schroeder said.
PHOTO BY ELIZABETH BETHKE
Birds come to eat off of Schroeder’s feeders. Schroeder switches out his feeders every so often to go with the season.