Looking for a sign?
THE LAND, APRIL 4, 2014
2
P.O. Box 3169 418 South Second St. Mankato, MN 56002 (800) 657-4665 Vol. XXXIII ❖ No. VII 40 pages
www.TheLandOnline.com facebook.com/TheLandOnline twitter.com/TheLandOnline
Cover photo by Richard Siemers
COLUMNS Opinion Farm and Food File Calendar In the Garden The Outdoors Cookbook Corner The Back Porch Marketing Mielke Market Weekly Auctions/Classifieds Back Roads
2-5 4 6 18 19 20 21 22-25 24 26-39 40
“Where Farm and Family Meet”
<< www.TheLandOnline.com >>
STAFF
Publisher: Jim Santori: jsantori@cnhi.com General Manager: Kathleen Connelly: kconnelly@TheLandOnline.com Editor: Kevin Schulz: editor@TheLandOnline.com Assistant Editor: Tom Royer: troyer@TheLandOnline.com Staff Writer: Dick Hagen: dickhagen@mvtvwireless.com Advertising Representatives: Kim Henrickson: khenrickson@TheLandOnline.com Mike Schafer: mike.schafer2@gmail.com Danny Storlie: theland@TheLandOnline.com Office/Advertising Assistants: Vail Belgard: vbelgard@TheLandOnline.com Joan Compart: theland@TheLandOnline.com Ad Production: Brad Hardt: lndcomp@mankatofreepress.com For Customer Service Concerns: (507) 345-4523, (800) 657-4665, theland@TheLandOnline.com Fax: (507) 345-1027 For Editorial Concerns or Story Ideas: (507) 344-6342, (800) 657-4665, editor@TheLandOnline.com National Sales Representative: Bock & Associates Inc., 7650 Executive Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55344-3677. (952) 905-3251. Because of the nature of articles appearing in The Land, product or business names may be included to provide clarity. This does not constitute an endorsement of any product or business. Opinions and viewpoints expressed in editorials or by news sources are not necessarily those of the management. The Publisher shall not be liable for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value of an advertisement. The Publisher’s liability for other errors or omissions in connection with an advertisement is strictly limited to publication of the advertisement in any subsequent issue or the refund of any monies paid for the advertisement. Classified Advertising: $17.70 for seven (7) lines for a private classified, each additional line is $1.33; $23.46 for business classifieds, each additional line is $1.33. Classified ads accepted by mail or by phone with VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express. Classified ads can also be sent by e-mail to theland@TheLandOnline.com. Mail classified ads to The Land, P.O. Box 3169, Mankato, MN 56002. Please include credit card number, expiration date and your postal address with ads sent on either mail version. Classified ads may also be called into (800) 657-4665. Deadline for classified ads is noon on the Monday prior to publication date, with holiday exceptions. Distributed to farmers in all Minnesota counties and northern Iowa, as well as on The Land’s website. Each classified ad is separately copyrighted by The Land. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited. Subscription and Distribution: Free to farmers and agribusinesses in Minnesota and northern Iowa. $24 per year for non-farmers and people outside the service area. The Land (ISSN 0279-1633) is published Fridays and is a division of The Free Press Media (part of Community Newspaper Holdings Inc.), 418 S. Second St., Mankato MN 56001. Periodicals postage paid at Mankato, Minn. Postmaster and Change of Address: Address all letters and change of address notices to The Land, P.O. Box 3169, Mankato, MN 56002; call (507) 345-4523 or e-mail to theland@TheLandOnline.com.
What could be more appropriate during of the end of any nation? our Lenten season than to share a few creThink locally; what now? ative church billboards? We see them occaIt was my pleasure to participate in a sionally as we travel rural Minnesota. We recent Tatanka Bluffs Corridor to answer all like to believe we have our own knack for the “What does the future look like for your marketing and we engage in it every day, community?” You can well imagine the sizwherever and whenever opportunity arises. zling conversations — and great ideas. However when it comes to enticing and Participants provided a good cross-sechumorous commentary from church billtion from Redwood County commissionboards take a read on these. LAND MINDS ers, to farmers, a retired banker to retired ✝ Church Parking Only. Violators will be teachers, among others. By Dick Hagen Baptized Facilitator for the session was Kent ✝ Going the wrong way? God allows UGustafson, former University of MinTurns nesota Extension staff member, who now has his own business of assisting towns and ✝ Whoever is Praying 4 Snow, Please Stop. James areas embarking on a new look. 5:16 Gustafson challenged his crew with these questions. ✝ Our Lifeguard Walks on Water • What does change mean for your community? ✝ Forgive Your Enemies, It Messes With Their Heads Specifically Who’s moving In? Who’s moving out? ✝ Weather Forecast: The Son Is Always Shining • Why should someone come to your community? ✝ Let’s Meet At My House, Sunday Before The Are visitors even welcomed? Game. God • How do we alert your community to people? ✝ Live Simply, Love Generously, Care Deeply, The reality of rural Minnesota is simply this: PopulaSpeak Kindly, Leave The Rest to God tion continues to decline in virtually every county, and ✝ Pray Hard, Life Is Short — God what’s left is getting older. According to Jim Mulder, ✝ Lost? Try GPS. God’s Plan of Salvation, Acts 2:38 retired executive director of the Association of Minnesota Counties, “this crisis is gripping the vast majority ✝ Keep Using My Name In Vain, I’ll Make Rush of Minnesota’s smallest cities and counties, which are Hour Longer, God slowly withering and dying on the vine.” ✝ There Are Some Questions that Can’t Be Folks in attendance didn’t concentrate on the negatives. Answered By Google What emerged were a bunch of positives such as: Better ✝ Waiting For a Sign to Visit Our Church? This Is It quality of life; slower life pace; more family safety; lower ✝ What If You Woke Up Today With All The Things home costs; more accessible health services; stronger schools; more churches and service organizations (Lion’s That You Thanked God For Yesterday clubs, Kiwanis, etc.) with missions of building a better Short. Direct. And to the point. In view of the trou- community; even more fitness and recreational opportunibles constantly brewing around the world I’m wonties such as the Minnesota River Corridor flanked by Reddering if church billboards should be used to get into wood County and Renville County. the heads of more of our world leaders. Tatanka Bluffs Corridor is an all-volunteer group with Do you think world leaders ask for God’s advice? the singular mission of making the rest of Minnesota Seems like some GPS action could solve huge problems. aware of the unique and uncluttered beauty of the MinI sometimes argue with my own thoughts about God’s nesota River Valley between Granite Falls upstream Plan of Salvation. Spooky to realize he knows my every and New Ulm downstream. TBC says this hunk of geogword even before they are uttered. And I know my Lord raphy which has ideal canoeing, great fishing that keeps getting better, horse trails in six different county parks, offers forgiveness even when my thoughts and words and hiking and biking trails in the most undiscovered are unkind, like current trends of our nation. weekend vacation paradise in Minnesota. America is such a tremendous nation, yet ponder Stout words but get acquainted with this “Heart of the these words by someone far more intelligent: When half the people get the idea that they do not have to Minnesota River Valley” and you too may be wanting to take a peek. Check it out at www.tatankabluffs.com. work because the other half is going to take care of them; and when the other half gets the idea that it Dick Hagen is staff writer of The Land. He may be does no good to work because somebody else is going reached at dickhagen@mvtvwireless.com. ❖ to get what they work for; is that not the beginning
OPINION
INSIDE THE LAND’S GARDENING ISSUE: 9 — Research brings out the best in strawberries 12 — Jeffrey “Jesse” James puts the fun in gardening
14 — Breeding for a better Minnesota blueberry 16 — Care and patience required for beautiful glad gardens