Bill and Carol Mantel have taken up their cross — and left its footprint around the world.
For the past 17 years, the Cambridge couple and their Christian Cross Ministries team have installed hundreds of crosses, from the Mantel’s home state of Minnesota to the other side of the globe.
“It’s a joy to get another one up,” Carol said. “It’s like, ‘Wow, God, who would dream that, at our age, you’d ask us to put up crosses?’”
Today, there are over 700 CCM crosses worldwide, including in Africa,
Mantels, ministry team install over 700 crosses worldwide
Asia, Israel, South America, Slovakia, the Philippines and, of course, the United States. They stand at homes, businesses, mountains and all kinds of locations.
“The stories are amazing of how God has used (the crosses) and is still using them,” Carol said. “I could go on and on and on about different testimonies. … Some break your heart, some are joyous, some are in church, some aren’t. They’re all extreme.”
The crosses are made of wood, steel or aluminum, depending on the request and what is locally available. Crosses in the Philippines, for instance, are made of stainless steel to prevent salt corrosion. In Minnesota, a friend of the Mantels, John Bones, has welded hundreds of aluminum
crosses for CCM and is continuing to do so.
CCM planted 75 crosses in 2024, one of them going to Jodi Niblett in Nelson.
After her friend, Connie Spanswick, got one for her yard, Niblett had a CCM cross placed behind the barn at her home in memory of her husband, Edward “Ed”, who passed away in 2020. The cross stands 25 feet tall and overlooks the Niblett family farm.
“He went to heaven,” Niblett said. “The cross itself is a reminder we lost somebody very special. It’s (also) a reminder every day to be a good Christian, … and we should try hard to be better people.”
Niblett eventually wants to put lighting on the cross, and she will soon be adding a flower garden and a bench there.
“I think (the Mantels) have an incredibly good mission,” Niblett said. “They were so nice to work with (and) were a blessing to me.”
The crosses would not likely be where they are today were it not for a car crash in 1994.
That day, Bill was stopped at a red light in Cleveland, Ohio. He was in the area to make a sales call, but, at the time, was headed to dinner with an aunt and uncle he had not seen in a decade.
His plans — all of them — changed when a truck rear-ended his vehicle, breaking his neck.
Bill was rushed to the hospital and had to be resuscitated when his heart stopped. He had a successful surgery about a week later, preventing him from being paralyzed. However, his brain was affected by its time without oxygen, resulting in short-term memory loss, dyslexia and impaired mathematical ability.
Mantel page 2
PHOTO BY BEN SONNEK (Top, left) Bill and Carol Mantel stand in front of a collage of the first crosses they installed April 8 at their home in Cambridge. Christian Cross Ministries was founded by the Mantels after Bill was cured of chronic neck and back pain and painkiller addiction in 2006.
PHOTO BY RAE LANZRATH A cross stands April 14 at the Niblett home in rural Nelson. The cross is a memorial to Ed Niblett, who passed away in 2020.
Saturday, April 19, 2025
Mantel from front
cres
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Perhaps the worst side effect, though, was the chronic, excruciating pain in Bill’s neck and back, and he became addicted to painkilling medication. The Mantels had just bought the original 1888 Ordway mansion in St. Paul, planning to fix it up days before the accident, but Bill lost his job and fell into depression.
Then, 12-and-a-half years later, Bill’s friend, Glen Huff, told him God wanted them to go to South Africa. Bill had been there several times before, and although he was in poor traveling condition, Huff offered to take care of everything, including the baggage and driving.
While there, they met with author and evangelist Angus Buchan. The day was Jan. 18, 2006, and as Buchan prayed over Bill, it began to rain outside like he had never seen before.
“I felt a release, … (and Buchan) said, ‘There’s your sign,’” Bill said.
That day, Bill threw away all his pills. Carol could not believe it until he returned home and did not have any medication on him. The doctor who examined Bill was more astonished by the lack of addiction than he was about
Bill’s cured chronic pain.
“(The doctor) said to me, … ‘You don’t get off (painkillers) in a day after that long; you have all kinds of withdrawals, and nothing happened to the guy,’” Carol said. “That was a confirmation, and we’ll always be grateful.”
Bill wanted to do something in gratitude for his healing, so, in September 2008, with the help of family and friends, he put up a 24-foottall wood cross at the intersection of Highway 65 and County Road 2, five miles south of Mora, near the home where he and Carol had raised their four children. He also started writing daily devotions online, and, when his readership started growing to the 6,300-plus people it has today, he got a group together and had the idea to found CCM and put up more crosses to declare the glory of God.
Last fall, the Mantels had to go buy concrete on a Sunday for an installation because it had been forgotten. They did not want to be shopping on the Lord’s
Day, but, when they reached the store, they met a man whose wife had died the previous year, leaving him with a 3-month-old baby and four other children under 10 years old. He noticed the crosses on the trailer and, when he learned about CCM, had his own cross installed the next day.
“I cried the whole
day,” Carol said. “It was a divine appointment on a Sunday in a parking lot.”
CCM has a goal of planting a cross in every state in the U.S. As of now, the East Coast, West Coast and Hawaii do not have crosses.
Another blessing for the Mantels is the cross planted at the Cambridge Christian School in Cambridge. When CCM facilitated its installation, the Mantels thought it would be closer to the
Mantel page 3
R T
Publications bli ti “The newspaper of today is the history of tomorrow.”
Bork Lumber & Steel is a lumber company and building center located in Central Minnesota.
Our Mission is to provide our customers with the best service, lumber and building materials available to meet their residential, commercial and agricultural needs.
PHOTO SUBMITTED A cross is installed in 2024 overlooking Lebanon. Cross locations include Africa, Asia, Israel, South America, Slovakia, the Philippines and the United States.
Mantel from page 2
it would be closer to the school’s main sign. Instead, when Carol sits in front of her TV, she can see the illuminated cross through the narrow front window.
“That gave me great joy,” Carol said. “This is probably our last house. … God blessed me by making me able to see it.”
The crosses are planted for free, and the Mantels encourage anyone who wants a cross to contact them through christiancrossministries.org. They also accept donations in support of the CCM mission.
As more crosses go up around the world, the Mantels are eager to see the
enthusiasm of their team and the lives touched by these simple reminders of God’s love.
“One thing I’ve learned at my age is that, if it’s God’s idea, it happens,” Carol said. “It gets me excited to see how God moves on a ministry.”
(Right) A plaque with a Bible verse from Philippians is attached to the cross April 8 at Redemption Hill in Isle. The Christian Cross Ministries crosses are placed at homes, businesses, mountains and all kinds of locations.
GROUNDBREAKING DEALS. UNLEASH
*Offer ends 6/30/2025. Available at participating and eligible dealers only. Offer may vary by product type, series, model and select units in dealer’s current inventory. Must take delivery from dealer stock by 6/30/2025. Offers available on new equipment in US and Canada only. Some restrictions apply. Length of contract and rate may vary. Monthly payment subject to change. Prior purchases not eligible. See dealer for details. Financing provided on approval of credit by authorized Bobcat finance providers to well-qualified buyers. All finance programs and rates are subject to final approval by the applicable Bobcat finance provider and are subject to change at any time without notice. Administrative fees may apply. Offer not available to government accounts, national accounts and municipal/utility bid customers. Bobcat Company reserves the right to extend or discontinue any of these programs at any time without prior notice.
Sprouts Littles
Parkers use aeroponics for year-round produce
BY RAE LANZRATH | STAFF WRITER
SEDAN — After traveling the Midwest doing custom farming for years, Josh and Kimberly Parker have moved their operation to rural Pope County.
The Parkers have transitioned into owning and operating Specialized Diesel and Trucking alongside Littles Sprouts. Littles Sprouts provides fresh produce for their family, local customers and stores by using an aeroponic growing system.
“We travelled too much, and we just couldn’t keep up with an in-ground garden,” Kimberly said.
The couple purchased Tower Garden vertical growing systems as an alternative way to continue growing their own produce, and they now own and operate Littles Sprouts farm. The aeroponic growing systems use a constant flow of water and nutrients to grow.
“It’s extremely easy to manage, and there are no weeds that grow,” Kimberly said.
The Parkers grow different varieties of herbs, lettuce and kale in their Tower Garden systems. They started out with one tower and have expanded to 24 towers.
Kimberly said any vegetable that grows above ground can be grown in the towers. Tomatoes, green beans and cucumbers are a few that she has tried to grow over the years. Each vegetable grows differently, and some do really well in the towers while others do not.
Parker page 6
PHOTO BY RAE LANZRATH
Kimberly Parker harvests lettuce April 7 at her home in rural Sedan. The produce is grown in Tower Garden units.
Pray fast give
Ahhh, spring is finally here. The birds are chirping, the snow is finally gone and the weather is getting warmer instead of colder. Another reason I look forward to spring is Easter.
Easter is my favorite holiday. Christmas is good, too, but it is a bit commercialized for me. Every Easter, I look forward to coloring eggs, decorating cookies and finding my Easter basket. Yes, even as an adult, my mom hides our Easter baskets and eggs when we do our family Easter, as does my grandma, Dorothy, for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I, for one, enjoy activities such as egg hunts, scavenger hunts and puzzles in general, so I still get a kick out of looking for my basket, helping siblings and cousins find theirs and going through the contents. I enjoyed going to Easter egg hunts as a kid, and now, I enjoy taking my kids to them equally as much. Not every year, but sometimes, my mom would make matching dresses for the two of us for Easter.
By Tiffany Klaphake
Whether we get together with Jason’s family or my family for any given holiday, on average, there are about 40 people there. Any excuse to get together with family is a good excuse, but holidays are extra fun. Trying all the delicious food and visiting with family is something to look forward to on any holiday.
Easter is my favorite holiday for more than the fun and fanfare. Celebrating that Jesus gave his life for us is truly worth celebrating. As Lent comes to a close and we celebrate Easter, I reflect on my Lenten devotion.
Like many people, I used to always give up candy or ice cream and call it good. I learned that
giving something up for a while makes you enjoy and appreciate it that much more when you get to have it back. However, as I got older, I realized Lent is not meant to be a second-chance New Year’s resolution.
A few years ago, we had a priest one Sunday give a homily about Lenten obligations. His message was about choosing something that makes you a better Christian and how many people give up a food item. He challenged us to add something to our daily lives — such as volunteering, saying an extra prayer or reading a Christian book or the Bible — instead of taking something away.
Ever since, I have challenged myself to go the extra step and add something to my daily routine, like reading from the Bible every day or praying the rosary every day. Now, with kids, it certainly is a challenge, but I feel I have a much stronger faith and connection than I did before. I am not perfect during Lent — none of us are — but that is why we need to make the effort to make room in our lives for Jesus, during Lent and all year long.
Another reason Easter feels so special is the special Masses during Holy Week that lead up to Easter; the traditions at each Mass really make it feel like something special is about to happen. They are rather somber and longer than a typical Mass, but it is all leading up the joyful Easter Mass on Sunday. I also find it fun to see everyone all dressed up for the Easter Sunday Mass.
Now, I get to put together baskets for my kids. Watching their faces Easter morning brings me such joy. I look forward to starting and continuing Easter traditions with them and sharing the message of Jesus.
we care about
community. because it’s
Town: Watkins | Grade: 12
Parents: Kandace Nienaber
Kimball FFA Chapter
What is your involvement in FFA? I am the secretary of the Kimball FFA Chapter. I help run meetings and keep count of members who participate in each meeting and activity that we host. I am also a part of the food science career development event. I have a great coach; she helps us practice and prepare for all the competitions. I occasionally join the state FFA choir that performs at the state competition. This has been a great experience for me and many others.
What has FFA taught you so far? The big thing is you don’t have to be a farmer to join FFA. I have zero experience on a farm, and I have gotten into FFA. I am going to be sad when I don’t see my team every day during lunch just to practice. FFA has taught me that I can be anything. I have the opportunity to go into agriculture, but nobody pressures you to go into it if you don’t want to. I have also created many friendships. FFA has given me this opportunity to make new friends and good connections with different companies.
How do you intend to stay involved in agriculture after your FFA career? I intend to stay involved in agriculture by creating my business and including different aspects of agriculture into it. I don’t know what my company will be, but I look forward to taking that step in life.
What are you involved in outside of FFA? I am involved in a great number of things outside of FFA. One big thing is being in the musicals that my school offers. This fall, we are performing “The Music Man.” I look forward to performing this musical because I love to sing. Continuing on that topic, I use any spare time I have to sing any song. I love to sing to anything Disney, and I have learned each song to the point where I can name any of the songs in the first couple of notes.
What is something people need to know about agriculture? People need to know that they don’t need to be a farmer to join FFA. They simply need to be involved in an ag class and show up for meetings that your chapter provides. The involvement of agriculture is all around us, from the food we eat to the people who grow the food, all the way to the people who work with that food. Another thing to know is that agriculture can be fun, and it can lead to many different opportunities in the future. We are all here to have fun, are we not?
2025 Spring Livestock Equipment Sale
Parker from page
“We have farmsize towers instead of the home-style units,” Kimberly said. “We wanted something that the kids could help with.”
The Parkers grow enough produce for their family, and they sell some as well.
Local customers can place orders through a text message chat for what kind of produce they want. Kadejan Market south of Alexandria also purchases produce from the family and sells it in their store.
“People love being able to have fresh produce,” Kimberly said. “We pick it, and it’s in their hands within a couple of days. You don’t get that with store-bought items.”
Because of their busy lifestyle, the Parkers found the Tower Garden systems to be easier to manage than in-ground gardens and enjoyed that they could use them all year.
6
“The growing season in Minnesota is so short,” Parker said. “Now, we can have fresh produce all year without having to go to the store.”
While having fresh, home-grown produce is the biggest perk for the Parkers, the financial aspect of growing their own food has also become a factor. The Parkers, now with seven children, are able to save significant amounts of money by growing their own food for their family rather than having to purchase from a grocery store. Kimberly grew up on a dairy farm near Westport and said she appreciates the lessons she learned growing up on a farm. She wants her children to have similar values and experiences.
“We work along-
grow April 7 at
The seedlings grow in trays of rockwool for the first few weeks of their life.
side our children because it’s important to teach them about working together and the importance of growing their own food,” Kimberly said. “We want them to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables and to understand why it’s important.”
(Above) Lettuce grows in trays April 7 at Littles Sprouts in rural
Once
are
are
(Left)
from Tower Garden systems April 7 at Littles Sprouts in rural Sedan. Lights, nutrients and water are all on timers in the towers.
PHOTOS BY RAE LANZRATH Seedlings
Littles Sprouts in rural Sedan.
Sedan.
they
large enough, the plants
moved to aeroponic towers.
Produce is harvested
Piekarski hand-makes lures, more
BY RAE LANZRATH STAFF WRITER
OSAKIS — As hundreds of cars travel on Highway 82 between Osakis and Alexandria each day, a small garage on the south side of the road probably goes unnoticed by most. The structure, just outside of Osakis, does not stick out or draw attention. However, inside its walls is an angler’s dream.
Chris Piekarski owns and operates IP Lures, a bait and tackle store. The nonchalant garage is filled with thousands of jigs, lures and
plastics, as well as rods, reels, bait and ice fishing equipment. Piekarski sells 60,000-80,000 handmade freestyle jigs per year.
Piekarski and his nephew began making lures in 2015 in his garage. As business grew, he sold bait as well.
“I was going through a few hundred (lures) a year just myself,” Piekarski said. “So, I thought, ‘If I make these, I have to save some money.’”
Each lure is made individually, by hand.
Piekarski has hooks in various sizes that he places into molds; each mold creates a different size lure. Then, he pours lead into the molds and a lure is formed.
“They come out a plain silver color,” Piekarski said. “I leave some plain because some people don’t like them painted, and I use the plain ones myself. Otherwise, I paint the rest.”
To paint the lures, Piekarski heats each one up with a heat gun for about 10 seconds.
paint and then reheats it. He dips the lure into as many colors as the customer wants. Once he is done painting it, he bakes the lures to set the paint.
Once it is warm, he dips it into a powder
After baking, the lures are ready for the water unless the Piekarski page 12
PHOTOS BY
RAE LANZRATH
Chris Piekarski smiles April 4 at IP Lures in rural Osakis. Piekarski began making lures in 2015.
Snow surrounds IP Lures April 4 in rural Osakis. The shop is located just outside of Osakis.
Piekarski from page 11
customer wants eyes on their lure, which Piekarski can add.
“Everyone has different preferences,” Piekarski said. “That’s why we do custom orders — because people are particular about colors and sizes.”
Piekarski has his preferences as a fisherman as well. For example, he does not use live bait when he fishes; instead, he uses plastics. He said he has figured out what works for him, and he does not enjoy using live bait.
Because he prefers plastics over minnows, Piekarski also has learned how to make those. He uses plastisol, a liquid that turns into a rubber-like material. Heat stabilizer is added to the plastisol to prevent burning, and color pigment is added to give it whatever color is desired. Similar to lures, molds are used to create the plastics.
Bred Cow, Bull & Slaughter Cattle Sales December - April
“The nice thing about the plastics is that they are reusable,” Piekarski said. “So, if someone brings one in that ripped or broke, I can melt it down and make more.”
When he is not busy making tackle, Piekarski finds himself fishing as much as he can. Along with the store, he offers services as a fishing guide. He said he brings customers for half or full days of fishing and offers free fishing days for children several times throughout the summer.
“I grew up very privileged in the fact that I got to fish all the time,” Piekarski said. “Now, fishing equipment is so expensive, and kids don’t have the same opportunities to get out and learn how to fish, so I just want to be able to give them the opportunity to do that.”
Piekarski page 13
PHOTOS BY RAE LANZRATH Plastics are laid to dry April 4 in rural Osakis. Plastisol is used to make plastics.
Lures wait to be finished April 4 in rural Osakis. Some lures have eyes painted on them, and some do not; it is the customers’ preference, Piekarski said. Lures are bagged April 4 in rural Osakis. Chris Piekarski said he personally uses uncolored lures when fishing.
Job
from page 15
Job was one of 11 children born and raised on the Job family farm. In the book, Job traces his ancestry to Andreas Job, who immigrated to the United States in 1861 from Germany. After serving in the Union Army, Andreas made his way to Stearns County and homesteaded. The book also includes tales of growing up on the farm, such as Job speaking German at home, as that was his parents’ first language; losing the barn to a fire; running a sawmill as part of the family operation; and purchasing
the family’s first combine.
“Money and food were not easy to come by in those days, and Mom and Dad did a very good job of supporting their family,” Job said. “Dad worked hard on the farm and in the sawmill, and Mom always had meals ready. My mom and dad always had a great partnership.”
Job said his mother kept a large garden and was diligent about preserving food for the winter.
“From that garden, she was able to feed our family, and if anyone from the sawing operation was there over lunch or dinner, they were fed, too,” Job said. “How she managed all that is a wonder to me.”
When the barn burned down, Job’s dad got a job in Freeport at Freeport Implement, which is now Freeport Farm Job page 17
PHOTO S U B MITTED
(Top) A crew works in the sawmill at the Job family farm near Freeport. The Job family ran the sawmill on their dairy farm until 1986.
PHOTO BY TIFFANY KLAPHAKE
(Bottom) The century farm sign hangs April 7 at the Job family farm near Freeport. The farm has been in the family since 1866.
Lange
from page 19
“We’re able to try new things together,” Lange said. “There’s so much new technology and products and everything, it’s nice to be able to see what works and what doesn’t.”
“You sell seed in the fall, and I was still in school at that point,” Lange said. “There were a lot of phone calls being made, that’s for sure.”
Lange attended the University of Minnesota Crookston, where he studied agronomy and agricultural business.
Because a seed salesman in the area was ready for retirement, Lange had the opportunity to take over his business. The duo worked together for a year to make the transition process easier, and, during his senior year of college, Lange balanced his
Once he graduated in May 2022, Lange returned to the area and began growing his customer base. He had already taken over some accounts from the previous salesman but needed to develop his own relationships with the customers.
“Getting to know people is the most important part of what I do,”
PHOTO SU B MITTED Adam Lange holds a tillage radish in the fall of 2024 in rural Douglas County. Lange works as a crop consultant during the summer.
What
will you plant this season?
Holding her daughter, Naomi Cyrus | Pope County
the Veronica Slabaugh
Tell me about yourself and your farm. My name is Veronica, and my husband is Moses. We just have a little farm. For our business, Twin Silos Farm, we grow plants on less than 1/8 of an acre. It is amazing how many flowers you can grow in a small space. We have some cows as well. We have two children, who keep us busy. They are 2 years old and 6 months old.
o s s Acres cres
What flowers will you plant this season? We have around 30 different varieties. Some of the main ones are snap dragons, stock, bells of Ireland — but that’s kind of difficult — zinnias, cosmos, dahlia tubers, sunflowers and other fillers.
When did you begin growing flowers and why? When I was a girl, I enjoyed working outside and, eventually, my mom turned over the flower beds to me. I grew up in Georgia, and then I married Moses. He is from Minnesota, so I moved here and thought that was a good way to continue.
What are some rules you like to follow with raising flowers? I do not use any chemicals. I use organic fertilizers, and I don’t grow any poisonous flowers because of the little kids around. I try to do things as sustainably as possible. We are not certified organic, but we try to keep it in mind.
What is the most difficult flower you grow? My difficult flowers are my new ones that I didn’t grow last year, including bells of Ireland, because I’ve heard they are hard to germinate. Dahlias are difficult as well; they are not hard to germinate but hard to manage.
What is your favorite flower to grow? This is very hard; it depends on the day. I love sunflowers; they’re just beautiful and cheery. I would have a hard time culling any of them, though.
What is your favorite part of spring? My favorite part is all the new life coming forth, the plants growing and baby animals. We just had a calf born on the farm, and it is just exciting to see all the new, fresh life.
Minnie Blair
Alexandria | Douglas County
Tell me about yourself and your farm. I’m 13, and my dad is a farmer. I have four brothers and a sister.
What flowers will you plant this season? Dahlias, snap dragons, lisianthus and some fillers.
When did you begin growing flowers, why? I started doing it on my own in 2021, but we always had flowers growing here. I just figured out I like arranging them and doing that part.
What are some rules you like to follow with raising flowers? I like to keep it as simple as I can. I don’t do anything specific but just stick with a few options.
What is the most difficult flower you grow? Dahlias because of all the bugs that get into them.
What is your favorite flower to grow? Lisianthus because they have a long vase life and people enjoy them.
What is your favorite part of spring? I don’t love the seed starting process, but my favorite part of spring is seeing the flowers grow and the progress.
Megan Fisher & Mallory Thompson
Murdock | Swift County
Tell me about yourself and your farm. We are twin sisters, and we both moved back to the area after college. Now, we live about 4 miles apart, and the main farm is at Megan’s farm. We are both married, and we each have three kids. Megan works for Dooley’s Petroleum in Willmar and Mallory works for a life insurance company. We began Blooming Creek Flower Farm in 2020.
What flowers will you plant this season? Our main focus is annuals. We do a lot of dahlias and cosmos. Some others are lisianthus, sunflowers and then a lot of “fillers” and greenery types. We probably have around 20 varieties.
When did you begin growing flowers and why? We both love growing our own gardens, our own flowers and things like that. In 2020 we just decided to add to the gardens we already had established, and then we just began marketing them for bouquets and flower subscriptions.
What are some rules you like to follow with raising flowers? We don’t classify ourselves as organic, but we try to limit the amount of anything we use on the plants. We try to sustain them with the earth and Mother Nature.
What is the most difficult flower you grow? The dahlias are probably the most finicky. They grow from a tuber, so they can only survive when it’s warm out, and in Minnesota, that’s usually pretty late. Most of the time, we don’t plant them until around May 20 or whenever the soil is around 60 degrees. And they take a lot of care, from staking them up to fighting off beetles because they’re susceptible to corn rootworms.
What is your favorite flower to grow? Megan’s is dahlias, with peonies being a close second and maybe zinnia’s as third. For Mallory, it’s dahlias and perennial irises and then cosmos as the third favorite.
What is your favorite part of spring? The weather warming up for sure, washing away the winter mess and getting back into the dirt. And then all the new life, the greenery and the flowers blooming are the best part. Seeing life come back around us.
rookston in 2022.
Lange from page 20
make the right decisions.”
Lange primarily sells seed for Golden Harvest Seeds; however, he can sell other seed options if customers want them. For the most part, Lange sells corn and soybean seed but has sold other commodities, such as wheat, rye and oats.
Most of his clients are within a 60-mile radius, Lange said, but he does have some outliers that are far-
ther away. His farthest client is near Devils Lake, North Dakota.
From October until January, Lange works with his customers to ensure they are ordering the correct seeds and correct amounts. He has begun selling liquid fertilizers as well. He also hand-delivers the seed to most of the farms he works with when it arrives.
Because selling seed is not an all-year job, Lange has found several other ways to keep himself busy during the off months.
“I have a bunch of random jobs,” Lange said. “I help my neigh-
bor with his cattle in the summer, I referee basketball, I do construction sometimes and I do crop consulting.”
During the summer, Lange is oftentimes found in fields throughout Douglas and Otter Tail counties. He works as a crop consultant for several operations. Each week, Lange evaluates fields for each of his producers and provides them with information on the development of their crops, gives advice and answers any questions they may have.
“I go through the field, circle around the edges of it and I just make sure I’m seeing as much as I can and really observing what’s going on,” Lange said.
Despite being younger than his average client, Lange can relate to his customers on a personal level because of his farming background.
“We’re all just doing our best to grow good crops,” Lange said.
PHOTO
S U B MITTED
Adam Lange works with a producer in the fall of 2024 in rural Douglas County. Lange graduated from the University of Minnesota C
Pu ingWest
IN MIDWEST
Rugged Wrangler brings Western fashion to Minnesota
BY RAE LANZRATH STAFF WRITER
BLOMKEST — While Minnesota is in the heart of the Midwest, many people in the area are drawn to Western-style fashion. Jasmine and Breck Erickson are two of those people.
The Ericksons own and operate Rugged Wrangler, a clothing and leather store, out of their home in rural Blomkest.
“It’s something we enjoy doing, and it brings people so much joy,” Breck said.
Rugged Wrangler supplies customers with hats, clothing, wallets, bags and other leather products through an online store and pop-up shops.
Jasmine makes custom western-style hats for customers by burning designs into them and adding accessories.
“The hats come plain,” Jasmine said. “Then, I add whatever customers want to them. I burn designs into them to personalize them and add bows or ribbons.”
Jasmine carefully burns each hat with different designs, such as leaves or flowers, to ensure each customer gets a completely custom product. “They’re made by hand,” Jasmine said.
Erickson page 26
Breck Erickson works on leather March 18 in rural Blomkest. Erickson makes and sells hand-made wallets, bags, belts and other leather products.
PHOTOS SUBMITTED
Jasmine (left) and Breck holding Stetson Erickson gather fall 2024 in rural Blomkest. The Ericksons own and operate Rugged Wrangler.
Erickson
from page 25
“Each one is unique.”
Jasmine uses a hot piece of metal to burn the hats, carefully creating designs. If she burns the hat too much, it will be ruined.
Hewitt All-Terrain Staircase is the perfect solution for areas where construction of a permanent
would be too difficult or costly. The system’s unique design allows it to be adjusted to almost any terrain or slope, and we can customize steps or platforms to any specific length. There is no faster or easier way to add the convenience and safety of a durable stairway to your property.
Breck works as an insurance salesman by day, but in his free time, he is occupied by balancing his hobbies and farming. The Ericksons farm 230 acres of crops, and they have around a dozen registered Simmental beef cattle. Along with the farm, Breck makes and sells custom leather products through Rugged Wrangler.
“I figured out that I can do it myself,” Breck said. “So, I ordered some stuff online and it turned out to be the wrong stuff, so I tried again. You learn as you go.”
Breck makes belts, wallets and bags out of leather, all handmade.
“I don’t have a stockpile of products,” Breck said. “Each one is made to order for that specific customer.”
The reason for this is that Breck wants to ensure each customer is getting exactly what they want. He said if he has ready-to-buy stock items, the customers are unable to change or customize the product to fit their own needs and wants.
Breck receives plain leather products and then cuts, stamps and paints each piece to create a oneof-a-kind item. The leather comes from tanneries made from cattle hides. Breck said he did not have
by Rugged Wrangler is one-of-a-kind.
(Below) Breck Erickson stamps leather March 18 in rural Blomkest. Erickson learned how to make leather products through his own trial and error.
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any formal training to learn how to make the products, but learned as he went.
“I watched videos online, but that’s about it,” Breck said.
Rugged Wrangler also features several clothing items, such as dresses and tops. Jasmine purchases flannel button-down shirts or denim jackets and customizes them before reselling.
“I add a pattern to the back or a pocket on the front,” Jasmine said. “It adds a little something special to each item.”
The clothes are often thrifted and refurbished into something new. Jasmine said she enjoys being able to add her own flair to the items, and customers get a special product.
Jackets or button-down shirts are typically combined with a design from another shirt. Graphics from T-shirts are often cut out and sewn onto the back of the jackets, creating a unique look.
“No one else will have
that exact item,” Jasmine said. “It makes it pretty special.”
Rugged Wranglers items are primarily sold on their online store, ruggedwrangler.com. However, there is one place customers can purchase in person. At Smilin’ D Arena & Events between Belgrade and New
London, fans of western attire can find a small business shopping area featuring Rugged Wrangler.
“We had the opportunity to get in there, and we thought it was the perfect fit,” Breck said. “The items are all a western theme, and the people there are mostly there for rodeo-type events,
so they love it.” Besides working full time, farming and owning Rugged Wrangler, the couple also has a young son, Stetson. “We definitely have our
hands full,” Breck said. “But we wouldn’t have it any other way.”
