Country Acres 2019 - October 18 edition

Country

Friday, October 18, 2019

cres A

Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment

Volume 7, Edition 15

t n e l l e c x e n A

p i h s er n part

Florence Griffin, 96 (front), is a business partner with Daniel and Linda Jenniges of Glenwood. Since 1981, they have raised sheep together gether on both of their properties and have become like family.

In the background a flock of Rambouillet sheep graze in the pasture asture at Florence Griffin’s farm Sept. 27 near Glenwood.

Griffin, Jennigeses tell story of love, fun and family

By DIANE LEUKAM Staff Writer

GLENWOOD – The soft rustling of a late September breeze whispered in the tall pines. There, a small stone house stood, sturdy as the day it was built. Never used as a home but more for adventure, on the inside, a fireplace blackened by years of use sat empty, like the bunks that lined the wall. One could almost hear the echoing of children’s laughter long ago.

Nearby, partially hidden by the short grass of a pasture beginning to turn brown with the season, the footstone of a grave. The special place whispers the story of a relationship that blossomed throughout a lifetime, leaving a legacy for generations to come.

Richard “Doc” Griffin passed away in 2010, is buried on the rolling hills of lakeside property that will remain un-

developed forever. His beloved bride, Florence, is now 96. She and two of their 11 children visited in a larger home on the property where Florence and Doc spent their retirement, but long before that was a summer retreat for their busy family. With them, Dan and Linda Jenniges, friends and neighbors and to this day, business partners with Florence in a sheep-raising operation. They said the words aloud that seemed to be whispering in the pines. First, they told of a love story.

“Mom and Dad met in medical school in Iowa,” Irene Jensen said.

Jensen smiled as she looked over at her mother, who was happily interacting with her tiniest granddaughter who happens to bear her name. Little Florence and her dad, Jim Griffin, the youngest sibling, were visiting from Cold Spring.

Doc and Florence raised their family in Benson, where he was a family practitioner. The two had known each

other for a year and a half before they that would result in an exceptional marbegan to date. As a registered nurse riage and family, and even carry over working alongside him, she found a into a unique farming partnership.

In 1957, the couple purchased a good reason to choose him.

“I picked him because he was good to the patients,” Florence said.

GRIFFIN continued on page 2 It turned out, she made the choice

4

Plowing through a test of marriage Diane Leukam Column

5

Brothers rally together at Poortvliet Dairy Prinsburg

This month in the

COUNTRY

PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM

This stone house was built by the Griffin children as a place for adventure among the pine trees on the property near Glenwood. Their father, Doc Griffin, is buried just beyond.

8

Hot air, or climate change – PHAT wants to know Herman Lensing Column

10 Vino from the vine Stearns County

13 The taming of wild rice Aitkin 16 Country Cooking

19 Welding sticks in one hand, pom-poms in the other Melrose 21 Cow recognition Roger Strom Column

Page 2 • Country Acres - Friday, October 18, 2019

Country Acres

Published by Star Publications Copyright 2014 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Phone: 320-352-6577 Fax: 320-352-5647 NEWS STAFF

Diane Leukam, Editor diane@saukherald.com Ben Sonnek, Writer ben.s@saukherald.com Herman Lensing, Writer herman@melrosebeacon.com Jennifer Coyne, Writer jenn@dairystar.com Danna Sabolik, Writer danna.s@dairystar.com Carol Moorman, Writer carol@melrosebeacon.com

Story ideas send to: diane@saukherald.com SALES STAFF Jeff Weyer, 320-260-8505 jeff.w@dairystar.com Kayla Hunstiger, 320-247-2728 kayla@saukherald.com Missy Traeger, 320-291-9899 missy@saukherald.com Tim Vos, 320-845-2700 tim@albanyenterprise.com Mike Schafer, 320-894-7825 mike.s@dairystar.com Warren Stone, 320-249-9182 warren@star-pub.com Jaime Ostendorf, 320-309-1988 Jaime@star-pub.com

PRODUCTION STAFF Pat Turner Amanda Thooft Nancy Powell Brian Dingmann Maddy Peterson

Janelle Westerman Deadlines: Country Acres will be published the first Fridays of April, May, June, September, October and November, and the third Friday of every month. Deadline for news and advertising is the Thursday before publication.

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GRIFFIN continued from front 280-acre property south of Glenwood tucked in between two small lakes, Linka and Gilchrist. An old white farmhouse was there, along with a barn and other outbuildings.

Just 18 miles from Benson, the family spent a lot of time there, busy with all sorts of outdoor activities.

“Those years it always looked like a family gathering every weekend because they would all come over,” Dan said.

“Whenever you came to check sheep there was always a tribe of people.”

Immediately though, Doc had a vision to reforest the property and set it aside in perpetuity.

Thousands of evergreen trees were planted but with that came another concern.

Looking at Florence, Dan said, “There were tens of thousands of volunteer box elder and ash.

You and Doc cross-country skied across the lake and asked if I would con-

sider having sheep with you guys to keep the volunteer trees down. That was the winter of ’81.”

There began a partnership that has lasted nearly 40 years.

At the peak of the ewe market at the time, 90 ewes were purchased not only to raise lambs but to control the volunteer trees and weeds on the property. Each spring, lambing was done at the Jenniges farm and after weaning, the ewes moved to the Griffins’ until snowfall.

Still working in Benson, it was not until Doc’s retirement in 1982 that he and Florence moved out to the farm. In the previous couple of years the family had converted the old barn into a beautiful retirement home.

As the flock of sheep grew, so did the friendship between the Griffins and Dan, who loved to visit them any chance he got. Throughout difficult times in life, they were

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Doc and Florence Griffin cross-country ski during a snowy winter. Outdoor activities and adventure were an important part of their lives together while raising their family of 11 children.

there for one another.

Time passed and in 1997 Dan met Linda, and the two married in 2000.

“The first time I met Doc and Florence, Doc took me out in the truck and was showing me the pasture,” Linda said.

“He had a new truck at that time and he was going under branches that were scraping it and we were just trucking along.

He said, ‘I call this I-93; it’s not quite as good as I-94!’”

Florence and Linda quickly became fast friends. Up until then, Dan and the Griffins had worked together but soon it was Florence and Linda who were managing the sheep business together.

“I learned a lot from Linda,” Florence said.

“She was caring and a good teacher. She knew the sheep needed a lot of tender loving care.”

Linda also credits Doc for teaching her many things about the PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM Florence Griffin, 96, demonstrates how to make a braided rug. She sheep. Between the three, they managed the sheep is accomplished in many different creative activites.

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while Dan focused more on cattle and crop farming. He laughed when describing a portion of the sheep business with Florence.

“At first we tried to keep track of the ewes,” he said.

Florence laughed.

“Forget that,” she said.

The bookwork got a little overwhelming.

“Doc used to just leave when we’d have our business meeting at the end of the year – it would take hours,” Dan said. “One day we came to our senses and said we’d do a 50-50 split.

Later when Linda started, Florence was much more pleased with her bookkeeping!”

Currently, the operation has 250 ewes with 80 on pasture at Florence’s farm. Others are on other pastures including near Lowry, as part of a five-year project with the United States Fish and Wildlife Services in an effort to control wild parsnips.

“It is in year four now and it is going very well,” Dan said.

Another Swift Falls, S.D. grazing project was done to control leafy spurge, as part of a multi-species grazing approach.

For Linda, spring is always a time she looks forward to.

“My favorite time is lambing season,” Linda said.

That season can get quite busy, with so many lambs being born. Mainly Rambouillet ewes are raised, bred to Suffolk rams.

Even into her late 80s, Florence was highly involved in day-to-day operations. Later, Florence and Linda have remained inseparable.

“I like stopping over to visit Florence,” Linda said. “Sometimes she would go along and we’d check the sheep together and feed the mineral and salt I really enjoyed GRIFFIN continued on page 3

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Friday, October 18, 2019 - Country Acres • Page 3 GRIFFIN continued from page 2 that.”

Loving fun “Doc and Florence could find fun and humor in so many things, it was always fun to be around them,” Dan said. “It still is with Florence.”

And they were active. They worked with their church in Glenwood teaching marriage courses for many years, Florence was a Girl Scout leader for 15 years and the president of the Mill in Terrace for 18. Florence was an avid cook, canner, mushroom hunter, and pie maker.

“The only problem with Mom’s pies, to this day, is that no one else’s pies come close,” Irene said.

Her cooking was something Dan always looked forward to, whenever the opportunity arose.

“You don’t miss the opportunity to eat her

cooking that’s for sure,” he said. “They used to go fishing in the morning a lot and you’d come here at noon and you’d get fresh fried sunfish sandwiches with tomatoes on top.”

Florence was also a seamstress, rug maker, horseback rider, fisherwoman and sailor. In her 80s she bought her last new sailboat. And, the lake served another purpose. For decades, she took an early-morning skinny dip to wake up.

“I always said I could never run for office,” she said, grinning.

She did all the repairs in the home while the kids were growing up and Doc was working long hours.

Jim said the girls all took after their dad, going into medicine, while the boys took after their mother, being in construction.

On the floor in the living room is a large braided

wool rug, made of course,

by Florence. She taught others to make them in earlier years. She also encouraged Doc to learn wood carving, which became a favorite pastime in retirement.

Dan recalled the day Doc passed away at 93.

“When Doc died they called,” he said. “Me and Linda went and said our goodbyes, and just like that he was gone.”

He and Linda still love these friends and business partners dearly.

To them, they more than that – they are family.

“The chance of meeting two people like them in a lifetime would have to be pretty slim,” Dan said.

Across the yard, through the pasture gate and up the hill near an old stone house, the breezes whisper softly in agreePHOTO SUBMITTED ment.

Some of Doc and Florence Griffin’s grandchildren visit the sheep on the their farm near Glenwood in 1989.

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and her temper hotter. he harvest season is upon us, and it He wanted her to turn the other way could get interesting. With the conwhen she reached the end of the row so tinual rain, it might be a good idea they could plow another section, but she to walk softly around the topic – at least kept going the same direction each time. with farmers.

Patience wore thinner on both ends of I have not been known to walk softly in many cases, so here goes. the chain as they made their way across the For those of you with good marriages, field. Finally, on one round when Hilda got this harvest season could be a test. Here is to the end she had had enough. Knowing one story I heard about another wet fall; full well what would happen, she took a the names have been changed to protect sharp left which sent Hans bouncing sideby Diane Leukam the innocent. This is necessary because it ways across the furrows. happened decades ago and even today remains a sore There. subject between two lovebirds. Hopefully, they won’t Around 2 a.m., they were finally finished the field. recognize themselves in the details and open the wound Hans and Hilda made it through their trials that fall, yet again. and even laugh through the retelling of it – sometimes.

It was 1986 and it had been a wet year much like If you look closely, there might still be a slight edginess, this year, and Hans and Hilda were having a rough fall. but they really are good.

Fieldwork was not going well. Plowing was taking forThey celebrated their 42nd anniversary this month. ever and there were limits to their patience. The weath- Hans often tells people that out of all their years of marer was getting colder too, and the mud was starting to riage they had five good ones. People’s jaws will drop freeze up. Hans figured they had better get this job done. and they will look at Hilda, waiting for her reaction.

He was always told a poor job in the fall is better than a Then Hans smiles at her and says, “the rest have been good job in the spring. great!”

One particular evening after milking, Hans needed Those five good years, Hans remembers, were from Hilda to come out in the field and help pull him to get 1981-86 when there was a succession of wet years that through the low ground. Their baby went to Grandma’s made farming the most challenging. He swears they had and they had all night. to use log chains for everything they did, and at the end Hilda was to drive in front of Hans in the smaller of the year they “couldn’t even roll up the log chain but tractor. A chain from her tractor was hooked to a tire, pushed it like a stick. After all the uses, the links were with another chain that was hooked to Hans’s tractor. so stretched out you could stand the chain in the corner.”

She had no cab and it was cold. He had a cab and They even needed counseling occasionally, which he was not so cold. All night long, Hilda tried to follow they received by friends at the local pub. To be fair, their Hans’s instructions the best she could, but she had trou- veterinarian had advised them in advance that if they ble figuring out what all his signals meant. Every time were going to plow together, it would test their marriage. she looked back there he was, waving his arms in the air They have withstood the test. at her. He knew what he meant, but she didn’t.

Hans and Hilda are still involved in farming to a “The hand signals, what does that mean, look at the lesser degree, and weather like this makes Hilda keep beautiful moon up above!” she said. farmers in mind.

Knowing Hilda was having trouble seeing him be“Once a farmer always a farmer,” she said. cause his headlights were shining on her, Hans wonLet us keep our farming friends in mind as they condered how to communicate with her. He figure stepping tinue through the harvest and fall fieldwork. on the clutch would work. What really happened was it Remember, safety first, and may you plow through made Hilda’s wheels spin in the mud as she grew colder – without chains!

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Friday, October 18, 2019 - Country Acres • Page 5

Brothers rally together at Poortvliet Dairy Farming is family business for Kandiyohi County kin

By MARK KLAPHAKE & DANNA SABOLIK Staff Writers

PRINSBURG – The brothers at Poortvliet Dairy each have their own responsibilities, but together, they make the farm run smoothly.

Don, Ken and Tim are the third generation of Poortvliets to dairy farm.

They milk 600 cows and run 1,000 acres of alfalfa, soybeans and corn in Kandiyohi County near Prinsburg.

“We all get along fine and all have our own areas and stay out of each other’s way for the most part,” Don said.

A typical day starts with a hired hand beginning milking at 4:30 a.m. and a second milker arriving at 6. The Poortvliets milk twice a day in a double-12 parallel parlor.

Ken is usually the first of the brothers on the farm. He lives at the farmstead with their parents, John and Ruth. He is in the barns by 6:30

a.m. to check for fresh cows, scrape alleys and help where he is needed.

He is also responsible for the breeding program on the farm, which has shifted to breeding the bottom one-third of producing cows to Angus semen and breeding the top part of the herd with sexed dairy semen.

The cows are housed on waterbeds or mattresses bedded with wood shavings, and the heifers are on corn stalks.

Don arrives at 7 a.m. and begins mixing 13 batches of TMR (total mixed ration). On the farm, Don is in charge of feeding all the cattle.

Of the 13 batches Don mixes, four are for the high group cows (giving the most milk), one is for the low group, one is for the post-fresh group, two are for the dry cows or close-up dry cows, three are for the heifers and two are for the steers.

“I like the variety,” Don said. “No day is the same as the one before.”

As for ingredients,

PHOTO BY MARK KLAPHAKE

Brothers Don (from left), Tim and Ken Poortvliet operate Poortvliet Dairy near Prinsburg. They milk 600 cows in Kandiyohi County.

beet pulp is something unique to their ration.

“It’s pretty reasonably priced, and it’s pretty consistent,” Don said. “We don’t have enough land to raise what we feed, so we get it from Southern Minnesota Sugarbeets in Renville. The cows love it. They always go for that first.”

Because of the late planting and wet harvest season, the Poortvliet brothers were running short of feed before they could make a strong push for fall harvest.

“We’ve been putting sweet corn silage in the ration from Glencoe,” Don said. “Our corn is just getting so late.”

Tim, the crop and field expert for the dairy, arrives at the farm by 7:30 most mornings. He heads straight to the shop to work on daily projects. During this time of year, Tim spends a lot of time maintaining harvest equipment.

In the last weekend of September, Tim had to

prepare the self-propelled chopper for chopping corn silage. The brothers needed to chop 200 acres of corn silage to use in the ration.

“We were running out of silage for our cows,” Tim said.

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Page 6 • Country Acres - Friday, October 18, 2019 POORTVLIET continued from page 5

That weekend, the corn tested at 72% moisture, so the brothers chopped six loads to get them by until the moisture lowered and the rest of the corn could be chopped.

Tim ran the chopper while Brian Meech, who

helps once a week, hauled boxes for the brothers.

Once the crop was home, Ken bladed and packed the silage. Then, all three brothers and Meech POORTVLIET continued on page 7

PHOTOS BY MARK KLAPHAKE

above: Don Poortvliet feeds TMR to heifers on Poortvliet Dairy.

Don mixes 13 batches of TMR daily. left: Don Poortvliet cuts twine from a bale while feeding cattle on the farm. right: Don Poortvliet throws tires on the silage pile late in the afternoon Sept. 28. The brothers chopped six loads to get them through until the corn was dry.

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Friday, October 18, 2019 - Country Acres • Page 7 POORTVLIET continued from page 6 pulled plastic over and threw tires on top.

Once the small pile of silage was complete, the brothers split up and went about their individual duties again.

John is still involved on the farm, too. He pushes up feed for the heifers and steers at Tim’s farm site.

John worked in a partnership with his sons for

three years before selling the farm to them in 1993.

All three brothers enjoy the freedom farming offers. And, the opportunity to work together as a family and each of their skills has only been beneficial for Poortvliet Dairy.

“We listen to each other’s opinions, and I think that’s important,” Don said.

PHOTOS BY MARK KLAPHAKE

above: John Poortvliet pushes up feed for heifers and steers that are housed at Tim Poortvliet’s place, which is a mile from the farm. above left: Employee Andrew Makela feeds calves. left: Tim Poortvliet chops silage during the afternoon of Sept. 28.

This was the first chopping the dairy did because the fields and the corn were too wet.

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Hot air, or climate change – PHAT wants to know not uncomfortable air, and football game where coffee and hot chocolate are as warming as a home team touchdown.

The cold snap again called up the debates of climate change and how different it is over the past decades.

The debates quickly evolved into views of uncomfortable truths, fake science, pre-determined outcomes, etc. being touted (and sometimes shouted) as reasons of non-validity of one view or another.

There is another view -

by HERMAN LENSING

one the will not be accepted by any political group.

It’s called the political hot air theory (PHAT). The premise it is politicians, not policies or agenda, are to be blamed for the weather.

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In the PHAT view, 21st Century elections campaigns have less about policies or facts, and more about getting using information to indicate some reason to not vote for an opponent. Those views are repeated over and over, and then attacked just as often and defended over and over. Political organizers have encouraged their followers to use the same tactics. The results is that there is an increased in political hot air – and that is were the PHAT sees the problem.

PHAT supporters point out that following an election in the United States, the temperatures start to drop. The theory is that exhausted and supporters their backers want a break to either rejoice in a win or reflect on a loss, and the political hot-air (and the operative word is hot) is reduced.

When it is pointed out that the was not a quick temperature drop following the 2016 election, PHAT supporters point out that celebrations by the winners and the cries of anguish by the runners-up were much louder and went on longer and delayed the PHAT ef-

fect.

Also brought up are the 2018 elections. The weather was sort of balmy up through the election – and it was loud with a lot political hot air. So much so, in fact, according to PHAT, that took until almost January to dissipate.

Then the cold, wet weather came and stayed until sometime in June. Actually it never quit being wet this summer.

On the surface the PHAT is pretty much just that -a lot of hot air and should not be taken seriously. After all, November leads to December and winter. There is also history of weather being extreme. In the 1980s one article pointed the weather for past four decades, in Minnesota, had been mild, in that there were less extremes that in past.

The person wondered if extremes would return – maybe they have.

Then too there are the proponents of global change – and some of their arguments do sound valid.

Still after the cold snap of Oct 11 to 13, one must wonder if there is something to the PHAT theory.

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Donald Trump came to Minnesota for rally. Rallies are to tell supporters what they want to hear, and for supporters to cheer those views. In recent years they have become an art form in themselves. Equally loud are people opposed to that person and their policies.

At the rally both groups showed up. Both were loud and both were spewing a lot political hot air, and PHAT supporters have pointed that out.

Hot air rises. Is it possible that the accumulation of political hot air created such bubble of pressure that it overwhelmed the state, pushed cooler temperatures back for about 24 hours?

Is it just coincidence at when the rally ended, the political hot air diminished and the cold air rushed back into area with a vengeance that resulted in winter storm conditions.

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The area was really not ready for the cold, snow, and winter weather that hit this area Oct. 11 to 13. That prognostication of the weather had been out – but come, it was October, the month of nice fall color change, walks in brisk but

Friday, October 18, 2019 - Country Acres • Page 9

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Page 10 • Country Acres - Friday, October 18, 2019

Vino from the vine

By JENNIFER COYNE & DIANE LEUKAM Staff Writers

STEARNS COUNTY – The early months of fall have many farmers harvesting corn and soybeans, and even grapes.

Arlyn Wall and Katie Zimmer finished grape harvest Oct. 1 at their vineyard in Stearns County. The couple will use the grapes for winemaking as owners of Brookview Farm Winery in Milaca. “Owning a winery is a lot more than just serving wine in the tasting room,� Wall said.

Wall and Zimmer are in their fifth year as winemakers.

They grew 10 varieties of grapes in the vineyard, including UM Frontenac, Frontenac Gris, Brianna, La Crescent, Louise Swenson, St. Pepin, Sabrevois, Marquette and King of the North.

This year, the business partners also planted a new variety, the University of Minnesota’s Itasca.

A vine takes about five years to become established with mature

grapes, which makes growing grapes a longterm business strategy. “We had some wine from the university’s winemaker that was made from [Itasca],� Wall said. “We don’t have a single grape from it yet, but we’re taking a chance that it’s as good as they say.�

The business partners have chosen grape varieties they knew would withstand Minnesota’s growing conditions and the environment specific to their vineyard. “Classical varieties, like Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinots, won’t grow in Minnesota,� Wall said. “They’re not hardy enough.�

Wall’s vineyard has a south facing slope with the vines planted north to south for optimum air movement. The position of the vineyard also provides an equal amount of sun on both sides of the vine.

While Minnesota’s wine industry has established vineyards across the state, Wall said the grapes produce similar, yet different wines based on location of the vine-

Wall, Zimmer harvest grapes for winemaking

PHOTOS BY NATASHA BARBER

Katie Zimmer and Arlyn Wall are the owners of Brookview Farm Winery in Milaca. They use grapes harvested from a vineyard in Stearns County to make their line of Fat Little Heart wines.

yard. best go of it.� “Nobody is buying However, not all land land based on its poten- is viable for grape protial to grow grapes,� he duction. said. “It’s mostly the fact “You don’t want that people are planting a vineyard on land they al- BROOKVIEW FARM WINERY continued on page 11 ready have and make the

A cluster of ripe red grapes at Katie Zimmer and Arlyn Wall’s vineyard in Stearns County. As the fruit ripens, it goes through a process called veraison where the sugar content rises and acidic levels drop, causing the grapes to change in color.

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Friday, October 18, 2019 - Country Acres • Page 11 BROOKVIEW FARM WINERY continued from page 10 to plant any grapes in real low, wet soil. You need some decent high ground,” Wall said.

“Also, what grows corn and soybeans well probably won’t be the best vineyard location.”

Throughout Wall and Zimmer’s growing season, grapes formed in green clusters on the vine.

Then, the grapes ripened in a process called veraison. During this time, red varieties turned red and white varieties lightened as sugar content built and acidic levels dropped.

As the growing season neared its end in August, bird deterrents were put in place so the animals did not destroy the crop.

At this time, Wall and Zimmer also regularly tested sugar content and made a plan for harvest.

“Like other farmers, our harvest season

is definitely go time for us,” Wall said. “We put everything else aside for a month and focused on clipping grapes off the vine and everything else that went with it.”

The partners waited until a majority of the vines were ripe, then began harvest.

“Grape harvest isn’t like harvesting strawberries or green beans,” Wall said. “We didn’t revisit rows. We waited until on average the grapes were at a certain ripeness, and then walked down the row with the harvest totes and clipped all the grapes off.”

Wall and Zimmer used pruning shears to take the grapes off the vine. They then placed the grape clusters in BROOKVIEW FARM WINERY continued on page 12

PHOTOS BY NATASHA BARBER

Grow tubes protect young grapevines Aug. 16 at Brookview Farm Winery in Milaca. The vines will be trellised using a single highwire system.

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Page 12 • Country Acres - Friday, October 18, 2019 BROOKVIEW FARM WINERY continued from page 11 family to finish harvest quickly.

Once the grapes were off the vine, they used a new sorting system, which was purchased with funding from a Minnesota Department of Agriculture AGRI Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Grant.

The system carefully destemmed the grapes and removed underdeveloped berries, Asian beetles and other small debris before the grapes were prepped for crushing.

At the end of harvest, Wall and Zimmer were disappointed in this year’s yield.

“This year, our yield will be down because of the weather and the winter,” said Wall, who estimated the yield will be about 2 ton, down from 3.5 tons last year. “You can’t control the weather, so you take what you can.”

Fortunately, the partners supplemented their wine production from PHOTOS SUBMITTED grapes with a hard apple Clusters of white grapes are stored in stackable totes at Arlyn Wall cider product and fruit and Katie Zimmer’s vineyard in Stearns County. The partners use the totes to collect the grape clusters before further processing the fruit wines.

“We have other plans for winemaking. stackable totes.

Just as traditional crop farmers have struggled with getting their fields cleared, so did Wall and Zimmer clearing their vineyard.

“The last few days of harvest were miserable,”

Wall said. “Last year, we were out in the vineyard sweating as we clipped grapes. This year, we were bundled up in rain gear because it was cold and wet.”

The partners garnered help from friends and

in place to allow us to have more things to sell than what we’re directly growing,” Wall said.

Growing grapes for wine is not a simple task.

Wall and Zimmer started dabbling in the trade six years ago and became a licensed farm winery in 2014.

They first purchased

the winery and vineyard as a retirement plan, but soon after delved head first into the business as a newfound career.

“We’ve taken care of the vineyard (in Stearns County) and helped revitalize it as we also develop a vineyard at the winery in Milaca,” Wall said.

As Wall and Zimmer

continue developing their business, they are eager to see how the market for locally grown grapes and homemade wines propagates in the state.

“I can see grape growing advancing over the next 10-20 years,” Wall said. “There are definitely great wines coming out of Minnesota.”

Katie Zimmer uses an automated sorting system to destem and clean the grapes from underdeveloped fruits, Asian beetles and other small debris before the grapes are prepped for crushing. The system was purchased with grant funding from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

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The taming of wild rice

Friday, October 18, 2019 - Country Acres • Page 13

ed before Minnesota’s disease for which there is Kosbau has fiHouse of Representatives no cure and if you’ve ever and the Senate on behalf farmed you know exactly It was the what I’m talking about.” farming in ofonlyWildrice. grain in the nation Kosbau farms 500 that had been transferred acres with 340 acres of his blood from a native wild crop to Wildrice this year, the rea farm-grown agricultural crop. Perpich was signing a proclamation to make Wildrice the state grain.

Harold’s grandson, Nathan Kosbau, has followed in his grandfather and great uncle’s footsteps and is now farming Wildrice north of Aitkin.

“I still had it in the blood, I couldn’t get rid of it,” Kosbau said. “It was this unending itch. I always say if you can imagine how bad this is, it’s the

maining rotated with soybeans. After a busy and challenging harvest, he talked about his heritage on the farm.

AITKIN – It was “My grandfather and 1977 and a big moment his brother were pioneers for Harold Kosbau. Rudy of the Wildrice industry,” Perpich was the governor he said. “They designed of Minnesota at the time many of the planting, and he was about sign a thinning, harvesting, proclamation that was a grading and processing crowning jewel for the techniques used today.” farmer from Aitkin.

In the early 1960s the Kosbau and his brothKosbau brothers were iner, Franklin, had testiterested in growing Wildrice as a field crop but there was a problem. No one knew how to do it.

They knew they needed paddies to grow it but couldn’t figure out how to harvest it. Until that time it had all been hand harvested.

With the support of Green Giant and Anheuser Busch, the Kosbaus went to work. They began by modifying a crawler dozer and built a reel Harold Kosbau of Aitkin shakes the hand of President Ronald Reagan on the front of it which after presenting him with a gift of Wildrice in the mid-1980s. Along would beat the rice off with them are Sen. Rudy Boschwitz (second from left) and R. Tretsvan the plants. The dozer was of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. able to float across the

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Judi, Nathan and Betty Kosbau stand in a Wildrice field at Nathan’s farm near Aitkin in late August.

bog. It became the spark to prove Wildrice farming could be done.

Further developments came with the modification of specialty combines used for white rice.

The combine heads have a seven-foot diameter reel on a modified grain table to get over the tall crop, and flotation is achieved through adding boards and lengthening of the tracks which replace the wheels on a typical combine.

“We bolt five-foot

white oak timbers on the tracks to help widen the stance and allow them to float,” Kosbau said. “The average human walks with 14-16 pounds of foot pressure per square inch on the ground. If you look at these combines, they are designed to be below 4 pounds per square inch.

You can do the math, they are built to float.”

Wildrice is harvested at 40% moisture, and creates a situation where it is much like combining silage, making other

modifications necessary to avoid plugging up the equipment.

Besides modifying equipment, in the late 60s the Kosbau brothers began the process of developing their own variety of Wildrice. Gradually, through naturally selecting the best plants each year, they introduced K2 in 1972, and continued their quest each year for the best non-shattering KOSBAU continued on page 14

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“They planted the grain that held on and continued to select the plants that became the backbone for most the varieties we have today,” Kosbau said.

“They achieved the industry standards of disease, insect and shattering resistance, along with standability of height.

Those things are all important when we think about the plant that was produced at that time.”

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Plants start to emerge and the first leaves start to float on the water. If stands are thicker and in their second or third year of production, air boats with knives attached to the back are used to thin the plants out to a net effective stand, or a thickness that will produce a good yield. Normally, this is done the first week of June.

The rice continues to grow and completes its upward growth at between 6-8 feet tall by the KOSBAU continued on page 15

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Friday, October 18, 2019 - Country Acres • Page 15 KOSBAU continued from page 14

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Harold Kosbau of Aitkin was a pioneer in the development of Wildrice as an agricultural crop.

first week of July when it begins to head out. It will finish flowering by the first week of August and takes another three to four weeks for the grain to start maturing.

Throughout the summer as the plants are growing, water is release slowly until about Aug. 1, when all of the water is drained to dry up the fields as much as possible for harvest.

Every few years, the fields are dried and planted with soybeans, which allows for leveling the fields again with a land plane and tractor, and to clean the ditches of sediment.

On Oct. 1, Kosbau and his team had just fin-

IS YOUR

ished the harvest that took 30 days, which was uncommonly long. With last year’s wet fall, it continued with an unusually wet and late spring this year and a harvest that was delayed. “It’s a complete oxymoron; this spring I had to wait for the fields to dry out to get my tillage and fertilizing done – just so we could flood them again,� Kosbau said.

With just his third harvest as owner of the farm, Kosbau has seen his share of challenges.

Last year much of his crop was wiped out by hail during an Aug. 31 storm, right at harvest time. “I had gone into the

fields – they were predicting rain and some strong storms and I made a few passes and said ‘we’ll go and take anything really close.’ The storm came, and in my 34 years of living I have never seen a more violent storm.

We had golf ball hail for about five minutes. Our eight-foot standing crop was down to 6 inches lying in the mud. As a beginning farmer it was overly depressing.�

He considers his reaction to be typical to the “Midwestern mentality� of making the best of it. “You smile and complain to anyone who will

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Details: The Adjacent 70 Deeded Acres (+-) which includes Approximately 47.07 Tillable Acres and 16.82 Acres of Pasture. CPI of the Tillable Land is 69.8.

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Details: Two BR Home w/Two Car Attached Garage, 40’ x 80’ Pole Shed, and Misc. Other Outbuildings, all on 10 Acres (+-). Property is located on CR #33 (Paved County Road) in the Scenic Rolling Hills of Northern Swift County.

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KOSBAU continued on page 17

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Dennis Plucker Estate, Owner Jesse Hughes ∙ #76 -24 ∙ Broker/Auctioneer Phone: 320 - 815 - 0460 Email: info@HughesRealEstate.net !GENTS ČŠ$UAINEČŠ&LANDERSČŠsČŠ$AVEČŠ7ELLERČŠ sČŠ$ALEČŠ:ACZKOWSKIČŠČŠsČŠ*ANELLČŠ7ELLINGČŠ sČŠ3HERRYČŠ-ATHIOWETZČŠsČŠ4ERRIČŠ'ARCIA

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Page 16 • Country Acres - Friday, October 18, 2019

COUNTRY COOKING

Whole Wild Rice Muffins • • • •

NATHAN KOSBAU

• • • • • • •

Wild Rice and Bacon 1 cup wild rice, raw • 1 tsp. salt 1/4 cup bacon, chopped • 1/4 tsp. pepper 1/4 cup celery, diced • 1 can cream of mushroom soup 2 medium onions, diced • Cream 2 medium carrots, grated Precook wild rice. Fry bacon crisp. Combine all ingredients in casserole. Set in pan of hot water, cover and bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Add cream if casserole dries out. Serves 4-6.

4 cups bread crumbs, moistened • 2 tsp. salt 1/3 cup shortening • 1/4 tsp. pepper 1/4 cup onion, diced • 1/2 cup wild rice, raw 1/2 cup celery, chopped • 1 tsp. herbs (use sage, thyme, etc., 1/2 cup raisins (optional) to suit taste) Precook wild rice. Melt shortening in large skillet. Add onions and celery; cook until yellow, stirring occasionally. Stir in half the bread crumbs. Heat and continue to stir to prevent excessive browning. Add remainder of bread crumbs, wild rice, herbs and raisins. Stuffs a six-pound fowl.

1/4 cup wild rice, raw or slivered almonds 1/2 tsp. salt • 1 Tbsp. parsley, chopped 3 cups cold water or chicken broth • 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary 1 medium onion, chopped fine • 1/4 tsp. marjoram 1/4 cup celery, minced • 1 1/2 Tbsp. butter or margarine 1/2 cup broken walnuts, pine nuts Wash wild rice in several waters and let soak in water an hour or so. Drain. Place in saucepan with salt and water or chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, until tender but not mushy. Drain and place in buttered casserole. Saute onions and celery in hot butter until tender. Add nuts and herbs and stir lightly into rice. Check seasoning and add salt if necessary. Cover and bake 15 minutes at 325 degrees. Stir with fork to release steam. Rice should be fluffy and somewhat moist. Serves 6-7.

Beef Stroganoff • • • • • • •

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COUPON

1/4 cup wild rice, raw 2 pounds beef steak 5 Tbsp. butter, divided 1 Tbsp. onion, minced 1 Tbsp. flour 1 Tbsp. V-8 juice or tomato juice 1 tsp. catsup

• 1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained • 1/3 cup dairy sour cream • 1 tsp. mustard • 2 cups beef broth, more as needed • 1 Tbsp. sherry

Precook wild rice; keep warm. Cube steak and season to taste. Brown in 2 Tbsp. butter, add onions and mushrooms; set aside. Melt 3 Tbsp. butter and mix with flour; add broth slowly, stirring constantly, until smooth and thickened. Add juice, catsup, mustard and sherry. Blend in sour cream and mix well. Add steak and cook until heated through. Place serving of wild rice on dish and top with hot stroganoff.

Serves 5.

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Dredge venison cubes in flour. Brown in butter over medium low heat. Add onion and garlic; continue cooking about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add remaining ingredients except rice and bring to a boil. Add raw well-washed rice and pour into a 2-quart casserole. Cover and bake for about one hour at 350 degrees, stirring twice while baking. Serves 6.

• • • • •

supplie

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Venison and Wild Rice Casserole

The following recipes were published in the second edition of “Kosbau’s Wild Rice Recipes,” in 1974, compiled by Harold and Betty Kosbau.

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Friday, October 18, 2019 - Country Acres • Page 17

WHAT'S THIS? This is a Model No. 200 Logan screw cutting and turret lathe, built by the Logan Engineering Co. in Chicago.

Turret lathes are used for machining metal pieces as one end holds and rotates the metal being shaped and the other end has a bit that is turned into the piece.

KOSBAU continued from page 15

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listen, and move on,” he said. “Then you figure out what you have to do to get going again.”

Like most crops, Wildrice yields can fluctuate drastically, typically averaging 1,000 pounds per acre; anything over 1,800 is considered a very good crop. The highest Kosbau has reached so far is 2,200 on some fields – though not on the whole farm.

PHOTO SUBMITTED Kosbau’s Wil- This airboat is used for thinning out drice is processed second-year stands of Wildrice each year and purchased by around the first week of June.

Rice River Processing located in Aitkin. because they are family, His Wildrice is packaged but for their legacy. He and sold to restaurants, grandparents, Harold and caterers and clubs lo- Betty, published “Koscated around the United bau’s Wild Rice Recipes” States under the Chieftain in 1974, with some of Wildrice Company label what are now Nathan’s as well as retail packag- favorite Wildrice dishes. ing under the Rice River Harold went on to Farms label. He also has write and publish “The a number of smaller re- Taming of Wild Rice” in tail accounts like Jitters 2005. In it is a photo of Java Café in Sauk Cen- Harold shaking the hand tre, where he lived for of President Ronald Reamore than 10 years while gan after presenting him working as a precision ag with a gift of Wildrice. specialist for CHS Prairie Along with them were Lakes (Elrosa) and lat- Sen. Rudy Boschwitz and er in a regional role for R. Tretsvan of the MinneCHS’s corporate office in sota Department of AgriSouth St. Paul. In January culture. he made the decision to “I have the phofarm full time. to now, a proofed copy He credits his mother from the White House,” for being his staunch sup- Kosbau said. “He was so porter throughout his life, proud of that, it was on and now, on his farm. his desk since I was a lit“She is such an tle kid.” amazing mom,” he said.

And Kosbau is proud “When I told her I want- of his heritage, and the ed to farm she could have special kind of determisaid ‘oh my gosh, why,’ nation he has seen both in but she didn’t. She was so his family and the farmers supportive to the overall he worked with for many beginning success of the years. operation. She provides “If this was easy evmeals for the crew and eryone would do it,” he makes parts runs. said. “Few people can He remembers his do what farmers do, and dad, (who passed away it takes a special kind of in 1987) his grandparents someone to be able to do and great uncle, not only that every day.”

Page 18 • Country Acres - Friday, October 18, 2019

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Friday, October 18, 2019 - Country Acres • Page 19

Welding sticks in one hand, pom-poms in the other Walker credits family for variety of interests

By HERMAN LENSING Staff Writers

MELROSE - Reggie Walker doesn’t exactly fit any mold as a teenager.

She loves to read classic literature – but is also the member her high school clay target shooting team.

Before you get the idea she is solitary, think again. The Melrose Area High School senior, who can be seen urging fans to get loud for her Dutchmen, also operates earth moving machinery. And then there is welding.

She is good at welding, and has an award to show for it.

“I’ve only been in one big welding contest, but I took third behind two tech school boys,” she said.

Walker, who lives with her family in the rural Grey Eagle area, credits her family with developing that interest. It was because she likes her family, that she got interested

in being a welder. Her father, Ben Wielenberg, introduced her to the craft.

“I wanted to spend more time with him,” she said. “One day a blade on our heavy equipment had a problem and I helped him weld it.”

Driving large vehicles and equipment is another connection she has with her family. Her mother, Mandy, is a commercial driver. Because of her father’s occupation, she grew up around big machines and wanted to operate them.

“My father works with Blombeck Construction in Eagle Bend,” she said. “We’ve had heavy machines, bulldozers, excavators, scrappers, since I was little. If dad didn’t have a guy around to help him run the machine, he taught me to do that job.”

She had visions of driving the equipment, but then hit a snag. She could not legally operate them until she was 17-years-old. Still it was

PHOTO BY HERMAN LENSING

Whether it is for building a trailer, or building spirit for a team, Reggie Walker is up to the challenge. An award-winning welder, the rural Grey Eagle teenager is a member of the cheerleading squad at Melrose Area High School.

the interest in operating them that led to welding.

“Dad said if I was going run them, I had to know how to take care of them,” she said. “If we had a problem with a bucket, dad would put down the first few beads

and then told me to give it a shot. Welding was easy.”

Welding also had a fascination for her.

“I like fire,” she said.

“I’m a fire baby. If I can light something on fire and do good with it, we’re

going to do it.”

Her father, and others who have overseen her welding – she works part time at Felling Trailers in Sauk Centre as a welder, saw she was good. She has been complimented on her steady hand when

putting down a bead. She also has learned to work at the skill.

She reads about welding, takes welding shop classes at Melrose Area WALKER continued on page 20

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Page 20 • Country Acres - Friday, October 18, 2019 WALKER continued from page 19 High School and attended a junior welding camp at Felling Trailers. The camp was held in 2018 twice a week for two months. She found that while she had a knack, she still had much to learn.

“The instructor said I wasn’t great, but I was willing to try,” she said.

“The more I showed up, the better the beads were getting. By the end of the camp I was welding some nice beads for a 16-yearold.”

She found she like both TIG and stick welding. TIG (tungsten inert gas) allow for very precise and clean welds. It is used for artwork, decorations, structures and in in high speed vehicles. Stick welding is more common and is the form most people use in home welding projects.

The camp also led to her part time job. It was in through school that she became involved in competitive welding. Her success last year has resulted in her looking for more competitions.

“This year Mr. Mike Schwartz, the shop teacher, has me line up for a few more competitions,” she said. “I’m looking at the Skills USA comple-

tion,’ she said. “That’s in April. It is a massive competition, with college kids, but Mr. Schwartz is completely on board.”

While she has won welding awards, most of the students and Melrose Area residents, see her name in a different program at the Melrose Area High School. On game nights she is on the sideline leading cheers for the Dutchmen or Lady Dutchmen teams.

“I have welding sticks in one hand, and a pom-pom in the other,” she said. “Actually the two require some of the same approaches. When you throw somebody up in a stunt, you have to focus on them. You have to pay attention to every little thing in both.”

It was properly executing stunt the led to her favorite moment as a cheerleader.

“When we competed at state in the basketball tournament last year. We did a big stunt on the floor and when we landed it everybody was cheering,” she said.

But it isn’t only in welding that her family has been a big influence.

She’s found her various pursuits have taken time

from one of favorite activities.

“I wish I had more time to read,” she said. “I really like to read.”

That interest is something she credits to her mother, who wanted her children to be reading.

“My mom has all sorts of degrees in English,” said Walker.

“When we were growing up there was no watching TV, we read books.”

And not just light reading. She has tackled JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, and lists Alexander Dumas The Count of Monte Cristo as her favorite book. While she was encouraged to read, there were some limits on what her mother let her read.

“She took away the Dante’s Divine Comedy when I was younger,” Walker said. “She said I could read it when I was older. I wish I had more time to sit down and read.”

The Divine Comedy has had more influence on current visions of hell that almost any other work of art.

She also credits her PHOTO BY HERMAN LENSING

WALKER continued on page 22

Patience, attention to detail and learning how to do a job well have led to awards and a employment as a welder for Reggie Walker. She is employed for after-school work at Felling Trailers in Sauk Centre.

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Friday, October 18, 2019 - Country Acres • Page 21

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animal. The data and anarop farmers aren’t lytics cost an additional $50 the only ones benThe per animal per year. efiting from highThe engineers will tech gadgetry. Animal Business come to your farm and agriculture is about to get of Farming spend a few days to install some really neat stuff, too. cameras. Then the computI know dairy farm- by ers go to work recording ers that who recognize Roger Strom each cow’s patterns and their cows and in small- Ag movements. After several er dairies they can even Columnist__________ __________ weeks of gathering inforcall them by name. They mation on each animal the know them by color pattern, body characteristics and often by the system will be able to identify each animal udder. But how many of them can identify and the individual patterns and movements of a specific cow to establish a benchmark. them by their face?

As you might imagine, working with There are now several companies that are working to perfect animal facial rec- animals has had its challenges.

According to Cainthus president, ognition technology. The goal is to help dairy farmers lower their costs, increase David Hunt “Any way you can think that production and monitor animal health, all an animal with no hands could possibly part of a company strategy to expand the cause problems with a camera, the cows use of “digitization” and technology in did that” and the cows found “a whole bunch of other ways they could mess with food production.

Apparently cows, like humans, have the cameras that would never occur to any unique facial features and marks that make sane person ever.”

Cows have tried to hide, lick camerit possible to identify them and track their movement and behavior. By using barn as and untie equipment cables with their cameras, sensors and sophisticated imag- tongues.

My favorite story … One of the ing analysis they can tell if an animal isn’t moving around enough or has changed its technicians tried to photograph pigs. He typical eating or drinking patterns, all warn- thought feeding time would be a good ing signs of an illness that could impact milk way to get all the pigs together. Not a production, reproduction or overall health. good idea. He described trying to hide If a cow is having trouble, the system from 30 hungry pigs as they turned on sends an alert to the farmer’s computer or him. As he explained his ordeal, he demobile phone. For example, if she is calv- scribed how hey were biting and trying to ing in the middle of the night and is under tear off his clothes. He said he then slid stress, a farmer would know immediately and fell and “I had to throw out everyand have time to get to the barn and save thing I was wearing.”

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Page 22 • Country Acres - Friday, October 18, 2019 WALKER continued from page 20 family as helping her not be over- ally helped.” whelmed with growing into an adult. As Walker graduates this from high with most teenagers there have come school in the spring, put has plans to challenges of growing up, which can’t stay with welding for a few years. Next always be fixed by a fall she will be attendwelding, cheering or ing Alexandria Voreading. Walker sees Tech.

“I have welding sticks in herself as very lucky “Nothing is set in one hand, and a pom-pom stone, to have family to help but I plan to get in the other, actually the her – and one person in my basic certification particular. in Alexandria. After two require some of the “Grandfather, Berthat I want to go to Sesame approaches. When nie Wielenberg, he is attle and do underwater you throw somebody up my best friend,” she welding, or be suspendsaid. “All the drama at ed from a helicopter in a stunt, you have to the school, boy friend welding light towers,” focus on them. You have problems, sister probshe said. “If I go underto pay attention to every lems (she has one sister, water welding I have Harley), it all comes to be certified in scuba little thing in both.” out to grandpa.” diving.”

- Reggie Walker Bernie used to weld While she is interand run maintenance ested in doing well in while in the military and has proved her activities. She also knows when to to be a good and trusted friend. He also put them on hold. She recently had to has advice for her when life can become take a day off from work – it was for a bit overwhelming. family.

“He said if I am stressed out, I “We are having a wedding in the should work on beads,” Walker said. family,” she said. “I get to be the brides“We lost a family member a few years maid at my parents wedding.” and I was stressed about it. He had me put down a bunch of beads and that re-

On a farm, you don’t work 9 to 5.

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PHOTO BY HERMAN LENSING

A reader of classic literature, as well as an award-winning welder and cheerleader, Reggie Walker had no problem posing in a send-up of Michelangelo’s “Sybil” and a “Rosie the Riveter” poster.

Country Acres

320-252-6650 advantageoneins.com • ST. CLOUD

• HOLDINGFORD

864 Main Street Sauk Centre, MN 56378

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• SAUK CENTRE

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Please return this form along with check or money order for $35.00 payable to: COUNTRY ACRES 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378

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or Call 320-352-6577 or email missy@saukherald.com NO REFUNDS

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Missy Traeger • Office 320-352-6577 Cell: 320-291-9899 e-mail: missy@saukherald.com

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Friday, October 18, 2019 - Country Acres â&#x20AC;˘ Page 23

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Page 24 • Country Acres - Friday, October 18, 2019

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Blue Stem Flowers 480 North Grande Street, Paynesville | 320-243-2348 eauƟful cut Ňowers and unique arrangements are a trademark of Blue Stem Flowers located at 480 North Grande Street in Paynesville.

Lauri and Todd Lokken opened Blue Stem Flowers this spring, and are loving owning the Ňower shop, nursery and Ňower farm.

The full-service Ňoral shop does delivery and arrangements for weddings, everyday occasions and sympathy Ňowers including casket sprays and urn arrangements. The giŌ shop sells various gardening supplies, houseplants and unique giŌs.

Since its grand opening May 4 this year, Blue Stem is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Blue Stem Flowers grows their own annuals in a state-of-the-art nursery, as well as oīering trees, shrubs and perennials.

Seasonally they grow their own cut Ňowers to sell at Farmers Markets and in their Ňower shop.

B

Lauri used to work at a nursery in St. Cloud on weekends, which is where she got the idea to have her own Ňower shop.

“I enjoyed it there, and wanted to have something like that in Paynesville,” she said.

The greenhouse was bursƟng with annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs all spring and summer, but as the seasons change so does the pace of Blue Stem.

“We are open year-round,” Lauri said.

“We just shiŌ our focus. We have pumpkins and squash in our garden for fall, and will be selling wreaths and spruce pots throughout the holiday season.”

The Lokkens will also be hosƟng workshops this fall to make your own wreath or spruce pot.

“It will be a good Ɵme,” Lauri said. “We are going to have hot chocolate and cider and music.”

Flowers bloom in the garden behind Blue Stem Flowers floral shop Sept.

20. The Paynesville shop opened May 4 and will be open year-round.

www.bluestemŇowers.com

Blue Stem Flowers sells trees and shrubs from their nursery and floral shop in Paynesville.

Lauri and Todd Lokken opened Blue Stem Flowers May 4 in Paynesville.

Together they manage the floral shop, nursery and gardens as well as offer workshops.

Wreath and Spruce Pot Workshops November 2, 9, 10, 17 and 23 Wreath-making Sessions 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Spruce pot Sessions 2-4 p.m.

To register for a workshop call: 320ͳ243ͳ2348