country acres may 2013 edition

Look inside and meet the people from our rural community...

ALee Photographypage 2

www.melrosebeacon.com • www.albanyenterprise.com • www.saukherald.com

A Supplement to the Mid-Minnesota Shopper Sunday, May 19, 2013 • Edition 5

CountryCCountryountryountryountryountryountryCCountryountryountryountryCCCCountryountryountryountryountryCCountryountryountryAcres

Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment

Spring plantingpage 12

Kalthoffs family farmingpage 15

PRSRT STDECR

U.S. POSTAGEPAIDMID-

MINNESOTASHOPPER

522 SinclairLewis Ave.

Sauk Centre,MN 56378

Tomorrow’s Deals In Today’s Paper

“Committed to being the eyes and ears of our communities.”

BeaconMelrose Sauk CentreSauk CentreSauk CentreHeraldPRSRT STDECR

U.S. POSTAGEPAIDMID-

MINNESOTASHOPPER

522 SinclairLewis Ave.

Sauk Centre,MN 56378

Tomorrow’s Deals In Today’s Paper EnterpriseThe Albany-Avon-Holdingford

By BRYAN ZOLLMANStaff writer

By RANDY OLSONStaff writer

CANCeRcontinued on page 6

HOMe continued on page 4

Al Fuechtmann seeds barley and alfalfa May 1 for his son, Tom, near New Munich. Tom milks 100 cows.

The comforts of home

Cold spring - Take one step out the door of Rich and Eileen Froehle’s home and it’s easily apparent that the very diffi cult work of building their own home was worth it. At any hour of the day or night, all you’ll hear is the chirping and singing of birds, crickets, frogs or any other creature enjoying the solitude and peacefulness of country living. The Froehles took a long road full of hard work but no regrets as it took years to custom build their own house in rural Cold Spring beginning in 1974. “We were looking forever for a house, for roughly fi ve years after we got married,” said Rich about their early search for

Rich Froehle of Cold Spring stands in front of the house he built from the ground up starting in 1974. The rock chimney is an example of the many results from hard work put in by him, his wife, Eileen, and many friends and neighbors to fi nish the home.

PHOTO BY RANDY OLSON

Norb Odegard of Sauk Centre was diagnosed with cancer in 2004 but it didn't slow him down much. He still farms 160 acres and has spent the past week spending up to 15 hours a day in the tractor planting this year's crops.

PHOTO BY BRYAN ZOLLMAN

a place to settle down and raise a family. After failing to fi nd something in their price range in a suitable location, Rich had a unique thought: he’d try to build a house from the ground up. “Money entered into the discussion,” Eileen said. “We weren’t happy with what we were fi nding and didn’t want to go into a lot of debt. We found this land of 10 acres and fell in love. I liked that it’s not far from St. Cloud or Cold Spring, but we knew all along we wanted to live in the country.” Soon after he married Eileen in 1969, Rich took an adult education class in St. Cloud about building household items like chairs or tables. It was then

sauk Centre - It was the fall of 2004 and Norb Odegard was doing what he loved — driving a tractor out in the fi eld.

He was in the combine for up to 10 hours a day harvesting corn when he started to feel uncomfort-able in his groin area.

“I fi gured it was from sitting in the combine for so long,” he said. “I never really thought anything of it.”

A few weeks later friends no-ticed a spot near his forehead and told him he should have it checked out, that it might be skin cancer. When wife, Judy, made the appoint-ment for him, she asked the doctor to check his prostate as well. That simple request probably saved Ode-gard’s life.

About two seconds into the pros-tate exam, his doctor told Odegard it didn’t feel too good.

Cancer can’t keep Odegard down“I told him, you’re right, it

doesn’t feel too good,” he joked.He can joke about it now, because

it’s been eight years since his cancer diagnosis. Shortly after his diagno-sis he had surgery to remove his prostate in Feb. 2005. He followed that up with radiation treatments and a Lupron shot to help fi ght the testosterone in his body, which was helping the cancer grow.

“It’s basically a female hor-mone,” Odegard said.

It took some getting used to for Odegard after he heard the word cancer.

“A person thinks it’s never going to happen to them, but then when you hear the words you get fright-ened a little bit,” he said. “Then once reality sets in you get ready to fi ght.”

Froehle custom builds home near Cold Spring

• Country Acres - May 19, 2013

Country BusinessPublished by Star

PublicationsCopyright 2013

522 Sinclair Lewis Avenue

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Fax: 320-3525647

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Deadlines:Country Acres will be

published the third Sunday of every month

and inserted to rural customers with the

Mid-Minnesota Shopper.Deadline for news

and advertising is the Friday before

publication.

extra Copies available at the

Albany enterprise, Melrose Beacon and sauk Centre Herald

offices.

CountryCCountryountryountryountryountryountryountryountryCCountryountryountryCCCCountryountryountryountryountryountryCCountryountryountryountryAAAAAcres

By CAROL MOORMANStaff writer

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The proof is in the pictures at ALee PhotographyBarn wood/steel-feel studio great for picture-perfect photos

Melrose — Profes-sional photographer Amy Terres has the best of both worlds. With her new ALee Photography studio in the basement of the rural Melrose home she and husband, Nathan, moved to last July, she is able to be a stay-at-home mother for their two sons, Ed-die, 3, and Abe, 1, while working at home in a ca-reer she loves. To top it off, her stu-dio has the touch of the rural St. Rosa farm life where she grew up, the daughter of Mary Kay and Mike Herkenhoff, with barn wood and steel lending an old feel, sur-rounded by photos she and her fulltime employ-ee, Brittany Bueckers, have taken. Amy has vi-sions of using the outside landscape, where trees, plants and fl owers are plentiful, as a backdrop for photos. “I can’t wait to use all of this,” Amy said re-cently, sitting in an old chair inside her studio, Abe climbing all over her, while Eddie is taking a nap.

Making a career of photography

Amy remembers tak-ing her fi rst photos when she was in about fourth grade and would play with her mom's camera. She even set up back-grounds. One of her fi rst posed pictures was taken of her younger sister, Melanie, dressed in her

Professional photographer Amy Terres takes photos of Gavin Meyer and his parents, Kayla and Eric, while assistant Brittany Bueckers gets Gavin to laugh, during a May 8 photo shoot in Amy's ALee Photography studio in the basement of her and husband Nathan's rural Melrose home. Barn wood and steel lend a farm feel, which is right up Amy's alley, since she was raised on a rural St. Rosa farm.

PHOTOS BY CAROL MOORMAN

Brittany Bueckers enjoys doing touchup work on photos she and Amy Terres take.

First Communion dress and holding a rosary and Bible. After graduat-ing from Melrose High School in 2001, Amy fi rst thought interior design would be her career, but she changed to photogra-phy and attended Ridge-water College in Will-mar, graduating in 2003. It’s the same school her employee, Brittany, at-tended. Amy interned at Lane Studio in Glen-wood, where she said she learned a lot from Lane Olson. Later, she did pho-tography computer work

at Unique Portrait Design in St. Cloud. In 2004, she started her professional photog-raphy business, under the name ALee Photography, while working part-time at Applebees. She also took sales and manage-ment classes at St. Cloud Technical College to in-crease her skills in these areas. Amy smiles when re-calling her fi rst studio set up in her parent's base-ment family room before she married. Then, the lower level of the Terres' home was a photography studio, complete with ap-propriate lighting. The minute Amy saw the rural Melrose prop-erty, owned at the time by Mary and Harry Krae-

mer, she knew it would be picture-perfect for her family. Not only is the basement perfect for her studio, but there is plenty of room to roam for the boys. On Jan. 1 they started remodeling the basement

into what Amy said was a “make it up as you go,” studio. Today, you would never know it’s the same basement. They added a large window, through which the backyard will soon come alive with colorful plants, trees and fl owers, during all four Minnesota seasons. “It’s beautiful during the winter,” said Amy. The waiting room walls are fi lled with pho-tos taken by Amy and Brittany. There’s a separate room for taking pho-to shoots, containing shelves fi lled with photo props, built by her dad and brother, Isaac. On a nearby coun-ter is where photo books are completed. It’s also where Brittany enjoys doing touchup work. “She is so good at that,” said Amy. A sliding door sepa-rates the two rooms; but not just any door--a homemade door made out of barn wood and steel. Amy smiles when admitting she has always envisioned her work-space having a hint of an old farm place. “The barn wood was torn off a barn in St. Rosa and we pulled all the nails out,” she said.

Aleecontinued on page 3

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Kayla and Eric Meyer lift son, Gavin, during the photo shoot. A large variety of shots were taken during the photo appointment.

Amy Terres found Gavin Meyer to be the perfect photo subject, with a little coaxing to smile from his mother, Kayla.

The "we" was Nathan’s dad, Rick, Amy’s dad, Mike, and Amy. With every day getting closer to completion of her stu-dio, she grew more excited—and impatient. “Nate had to tell me to calm down,” she said, adding, “He keeps me grounded.” This from a guy who, for years, has played baseball with the Spring Hill Chargers. She is happy with the end product. She realizes it really can be a work in progress, with the changing of photos on the walls. “It really came to life,” she said. After four months of work, she knows one thing for sure. “The next time I move, it will be in a coffin,” she said kiddingly. Amy has a number of digi-tal Canon cameras and lenses. Unlike years ago, when film needed to be developed, Amy and Brittany do photograph imaging work on the com-puter, before emailing the fi-nal images to a company that makes professional prints and products. Once the photo prod-ucts return, they double check them, add the ALee Photogra-phy logo stickers and packag-ing and contact the clients for pickup. Amy said there are so many different uses of photos, these days. On a counter in her waiting room sits a large square box with graduation photos she took for a client. A smaller box

with photos she took of their boys sits on her desk. On her wall are oversized wedding photos on canvas. “It’s almost unimaginable what can be done with pho-tos,” she said.

Photo fondness It’s the variety that Amy enjoys. Her own wedding is proof that she is more of a "photo journalist," opting for non-formal photos, like of the bride and groom getting ready for the wedding. When Amy married Na-than on Dec. 30, 2006, Amy lined up her own wedding par-ty for photos. More of a traditionalist, Amy didn't want Nathan to see her in her wedding dress before the wedding. They worked it out that the Herkenhoff fam-ily photos were taken starting

around 11 a.m. at the farm. In fact, one photo shows Amy's sister, Melanie, the last one out of the house after fixing the last head of hair, running through the snow-covered farmyard in tall boots with her long gown pulled up to her knees, heading behind the barn, where the rest of her family was waiting to take a photo in front of round bales. Meanwhile, the Brenda and Rick Terres family was photographed at Nathan's and Amy's Freeport home. Amy and her attendants gathered at the farm, and Na-than and his attendants walked across the road to the Black Sox baseball park for photos that had a baseball theme. At 2 p.m., it was with much anticipation that Nathan stood near the front of the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in St. Rosa, waiting to see his bride for the first time. Amy

will never forget the look and smile on Nathan's face when he saw her in her wedding dress for the first time, as she walked down the aisle, on the arm of her proud dad. And, thanks to Amy's as-sistant, who was in the church balcony taking photos, the newlyweds have a photo of Nathan leaning towards Amy, whispering the words, "You look beautiful," as he met her at the altar. "It was a lot of fun. I was excited for the photos," said Amy. She estimates over 1,200 photos were taken of her wed-ding. One of those was a family group hug. Amy has a fond-ness for big group hugs, when, to get people to loosen up, she tells them, "I want the most surprised look." Her favorite photos are of people, although she does have

Aleecontinued on page 3

Alee continued from page 2

experience taking commer-cial photos. She drives down country roads to find unique backgrounds for photos and will drive to a pre-determined location for a photo shoot or to make a photo more personal. This year she celebrates 10 years as a professional photog-rapher. That’s easy to remem-ber because she turned 30 in January and was 20 when she started her career. And what did she do on her 30th birthday? “I booked a wedding,” she said, smiling. That was right up her alley. “I like working with peo-ple and making images, and when you can get an image to look exactly the way you want it, it’s gorgeous,” she said. For her, the proof is in the pictures. And now many of those photos can be taken in her pic-ture-perfect studio.


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HOMe continued from page 1

An old-fashioned potbelly stove, purchased at an antique store in Cold Spring, provides ample extra heat in the winter months at the Froehles' home.


when he started pondering the idea of building a house. “I asked the instructor what a good book would be to read if I built my own house,” said Rich. “The textbook he gave me had everything in it. I’d get so far in the book and wonder ‘what do I do next?’ and everything was in there.” The first step was acquiring a permit from the forestry department in Pillager to cut a number of pine trees in the Brainerd area. “I couldn’t find a local mill in the St. Cloud area, so I found a farmer by Deer River who had a diesel-powered mill,” said Rich. “Once we got some trees cleared for the site, we started hauling down the lumber and preparing the foundation.” While he had no experience laying brick, the difficulty of finding masons to help with the foundation led him to learn the trade on his own.

“During the first winter (1974-75) after we started work on the site we still lived in St. Cloud,” he said. The Froehles initially lived in their basement for a few years as the upper levels were finished. Rich laments how tough building their house was on his wife in the early years. “She put up with a lot of sawdust and tools around the house,” he said. Much of the foundation, framing and other construction work was done with the help of many friends and neighbors. “One of our neighbors helped build our cabinets,” he said. “It’s definitely been a group effort.” As soon as the kitchen was completed, they began cooking on the main level and continued finishing out one room at a time. One unique characteristic of the house is the inclusion of brick veneer in a handful of rooms on the main floor, including the living room and kitchen. “The bricks are from two places, the old Aitkin High School and from one of the oldest houses at the

time in Cold Spring,” Rich noted. A native of Aitkin, Rich happened to be in town visiting his mother while they were tearing down an old school building in lieu of building. Although the demolition site was marked off by police tape, Rich knew the local cop at the time. “I drove up to where he was parked and asked him if there was any way I could get brick out of the site,” said Rich. “The cop said ‘I have to take a half hour break, so while I’m gone, be my guest’, which is just what I did.” The brick from Cold Spring came from an old house formerly owned by his aunt. The new owners



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were going to haul all the brick to a land fill. “I talked to the new owner and got what I could from them,” said Rich. At first the house was heated by a wood furnace, which was useful while being on land with ample access to downed trees for fuel. “A few years ago I broke my leg skiing, so instead of continuing with wood heat we went to geothermal,” Rich said. “As our electric bill went up, we decided to buy another source of heat on the main floor.” The result was purchasing an antique potbelly stove powered by wood heat that was in good working order. “Now we can turn the thermostat down to 63 degrees and use the wood heat stove in our kitchen,” said Rich. On the south end of the house, they’ve built a sun room that has in-floor heat tied to the geothermal unit. Altogether, five lines circulate underground and join to form one line coming into the house with geothermal heat. The system was installed two winters ago. The Froehles’ house’s first set of shingles were cedar shakes, all split and added one by one by Rich walking on the roof with nail-cleated shoes. “That took forever and ever, but they lasted 35 years before we recently put on traditional shingles,” he said. Currently Rich’s efforts have moved from their house to finishing off a two-story shop building that doubles as a garage. “It started out as a one-level garage, and it sat idle for many years,” said Rich. “My friend, Jack, suggested to add

a second floor as a work area, but back then I was working full-time and didn’t have time to finish it.” Today Rich is retired from a long career at St. John’s University, where he worked on the grounds maintenance crew. Prior to that, he spent 10 years working with children in St. Cloud. Eileen grew up on a farm in the Litchfield area, while Rich was raised on a range turkey farm and hatchery near Aitkin. The Froehles have two adult sons, Luke and Jake, who both live in the Twin Cities. Luke is married to Carla, and they have a son and daughter, Bishop and Nora. Rich and Eileen have a distinct appreciation for the natural beauty of the outdoors. Case in point: the shop area Rich is finishing has tongue-and-grooved pine boards on the walls. “I can’t stand sheet rock,” Rich said. “It is just too plain for my taste.” While it took a great deal of sacrifice and hard work to accomplish, building their own house has paid off in many ways for the Froehles. While most people think nothing of having blinds or shades on most or all windows in their home, the Froehles only need blinds on the one side of the house facing the sun. “We have no need for shades in other parts of the house,” Eileen said. “You look out those windows, and all you see is trees and the outdoors. We don’t need privacy from the birds or squirrels.” Such a feature illustrates the uniqueness of the Froehles’ house, a house that anyone would love to call home.


Rich Froehle stands next to a truckload of sawed, planed wood he's using to finish the interior of a shop he built next to his family's home. PHOTOS BY RANDY OLSON

Shown is part of the shop that is finished, with a view of the Froehles' home through the window. Every strip of wood has been personally tongued and grooved by Rich. The shop, which is well-insulated, will be heated by a fuel furnace (gas) to provide a year-round location for Rich to work on his projects.


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CANCeR continued from page 1

CANCeR continued on page 7

Norb Odegard farms with his son, Roger. He grew up on the farm he still lives on, moving there with his parents Ole and Rose Odegard, when he was a baby. Above, he takes a break from planting corn.

And fight he did.The first of his 39 radiation treatments began the day

after his 40th wedding anniversary. In addition to side effects from radiation, his doctor told him he would likely have side effects from the shot, one of which was hot flashes.

“I figured ‘heck, this won’t bother me any,’” said Odegard.

Until one day he was back in his tractor and the hot flashes hit like gangbusters.

“One day I’m out cutting hay and sitting in an air conditioned tractor and the sweat just starts dripping off me,” he said. “Then I started waking up at night drenched in sweat.”

His doctor offered him another shot that would help with the hot flashes and Odegard didn’t hesitate.

His doctor eventually took him off the estrogen shot, but his numbers began to climb back up, so he went back on the Lupron shot. He has since opted out of the shot that helped cure the hot flashes.

“They get more bearable, but I sympathize with the ladies,” he said. “It’s no fun.”

Born a country boyOdegard was a baby when his parents, Rose and

Ole, moved onto the farm in Sauk Centre where he still resides. He took over the 240-acre farm in 1966 and over the next four decades doubled it to 480 acres. His son, Roger, has since purchased 320 acres as well as the dairy operation, but Odegard still owns and operates about 160 acres of cropland.

“I go down every morning and help Roger with the chores and do all the crop planting,” he said.

He plants corn, soybeans, wheat and alfalfa.Odegard is the youngest of five children to Ole and

Rose Odegard. By the time he was 13, it was just him and his parents on the farm. He dropped out of high school in 9th grade because he already knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.

“I was going to farm,” he said.He also drove a canned milk truck for Villard Cream-

ery and in his late teens played guitar in Johnny Wol-beck’s concertina band.

“We would play dances at the old Sauk Centre Coli-seum,” he said. “But I gave that up after I got married.”

Odegard and Judy were united in marriage on Oct. 9, 1965. They had five children (Roger, Sheila, Rosanne, Laurie and Marcia) and now have nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren. They have lived on the

farm ever since where Odegard continues to work the fields while Judy enjoys working at Holiday Super Stop in Sauk Centre.

For Odegard, working the land is all he has ever wanted to do.

“There’s something to do every day and I like being my own boss,” he said. “The only thing I am finding out as I get older is these tractors nowadays are so comput-erized. I don’t know what the heck I’m doing in them. You push the wrong button and you stop.”

When he’s not working the land, Odegard is restor-ing antique tractors. So far he has restored seven and is working on his eighth.

“My grandson said the other day, ‘Grandpa is an an-tique like that tractor he is always working on,’” said Odegard. “I said ‘wait a minute, now. Us old people

aren’t antiques. We’re collectibles’It is his wit and a positive outlook on life that keeps

Odegard plugging along strong at 72 years old. His ex-perience with cancer wasn’t his first brush with health issues. In 2001 he was involved in a car accident that broke his sternum.

“A gal ran a stop sign and clobbered me,” he said. “If I didn’t have my seat belt on I wouldn’t be here today.”

He also had double knee replacement surgery. About two weeks after his surgery he was having pain in his side prompting him to go to the doctor. They gave him an X-ray, which revealed two blood clots in his lung.

“Had I went anyplace else, I probably wouldn’t have made it,” he said.


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CANCeR continued from page 6

Having had his share of health issues, Odegard is living proof that it takes more than a car accident, blood clot or cancer to keep a true country boy down.

“They say a cat has nine lives,” he said. “Well, I’m on my fourth one.”

Ever since he was diagnosed with cancer he takes part in the annual Stearns County Relay For Life walk. The walk helps raise money for cancer research and awareness.

“I’ve been out there every year since 2005 doing the survivor walk,” he said. “It’s a very good fundraiser and it gives us a chance to socialize with people who have gone through it and remember people who have lost their battle.”

Odegard said he is surprised how many people are affected by cancer, something he wasn’t aware of until he was diagnosed himself. He strongly urges all men to get checked for prostate cancer.

My doctor told me that with prostate cancer for men

its almost not a matter of if but a matter of when,” said Odegard. “He also told me if you are going to get cancer that’s the one you want to get because its highly treat-able if detected early.”

Had Odegard not gotten checked when he did, he wouldn’t be enjoying watching the sun rise and set from the confi nes of his tractor. There is no place he’d rather be than on the farm, doing what he loves. And early de-tection is the reason why he is able to do it.

“I listen to BOB 105 on the radio because I like the old country music,” he said. “I heard a saying on there the other day that really hit me. It said ‘we all have two sets of plans for our life. We have our plan and then there is God’s plan. And our plan doesn’t count.’”

An old country boy who has grown country strong, Odegard rides along, thankful that God’s plan allows him to still be in his tractor, planting yet another year’s worth of crops.

Odegard expanded his original farm from 240 acres to 480. He now farms 160 while his son owns the other 320.

Norb Odegard hasn't let cancer slow him down or keep him out of his favorite spot — inside a tractor.

Norb Odegard riding his tractor is a common sight west of Sauk Centre on his farm.


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A news release a couple weeks ago caught my attention. Stearns County commissioners vot-ed unanimously to allow people to raise chick-ens on their property if they have at least one acre of land. If you have one acre, you can raise 12 chickens. If you have five acres, you can have 31. I’m very curious as to how that will work. My first thought was how would this work in town, un-til I realized that it doesn’t apply to cities – only areas under county jurisdiction. I had imagined chickens being raised in the developments on the outskirts of town, and everything that would entail. Then I thought of being awakened before dawn by an energetic rooster, but that idea fell through when I realized the ordinance doesn’t al-low them. I wasn’t totally against that thought per-sonally. One of the sounds I remember most from a trip to Kenya was that of the roosters at the very, very early hours of the morning. It was a country sound in the middle of a city…I kind of liked it. Everyone used to have chickens. They were raised to help feed the family, supplying both eggs and meat. I imagine the manure was used to fertilize gardens in the fall. Butchering was a family affair, not that I remember doing much of it myself. We had some chickens on the farm when I was young, but not after that. But I’ve heard the stories. I do remember once, though, when mom was cleaning and luckily, only a couple days after butchering, found a stash of chicken feet in the bottom drawer of my little sister’s dresser. Not sure what she was saving them for… In the last 70 years, the vast majority of peo-ple have moved off the farm. Now, though, many people are going back to raising a few chickens. The reasons vary from giving the kids a few extra responsibilities to having a fresh supply of meat and eggs that they’ve grown themselves. Kids

Back to their roots?By DIANE SCHMIESING

can also learn where their food comes from, and how to be more self-sufficient. According to staff at farm stores in the area, the most popular breeds are Cornish Broilers for meat and White Leg-horns for laying eggs. Nationally, the most popu-lar ones include the Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red, Leghorn, Jersey Giant and Ameracaunas. This last one, the Ameracauna-similar to the Ar-aucana-would be the one I’d try if I were to ever raise chickens. They are beautiful animals, are supposed to make great pets, and to top it off, they lay eggs of many soft shades of blue, green and brown, hence the nickname Easter Egg Chicken. I recognized the name when I saw it on the list, because years ago, before she fell from grace, Martha Stewart designed an entire line of paint colors around the colors of the eggs she got from her Araucana chickens, which she herself raised. I thought the colors were beautiful then, and I still do. There’s something nostalgic for me about chickens. These weird, funny animals just used to be a part of everyday life. I have a black and white photo hanging on my wall of my mom and her twin brother playing in the chicken yard when they were only two or three. It would have been taken around 1935. I also have a figurine of a rooster on my kitchen table. I couldn’t resist buying it, because even though I know it’s not hand carved, it appears to be a work of art carved out of wood. But that’s as far as my chicken decorating goes. Seriously. I’m not sure of all the details, but if the county commissioners spent several weeks debating the is-sue of raising chickens, there’s a reason. Maybe it’s because many of those who own even a small slice of the country want this opportunity to return to their roots.

ROOtscontinued on page 9

One of my favorite photos of mom and her twin brother, taken in about 1935. To me, it’s simple and beautiful.


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These eggs from the Ameracaunas, or Easter Egg Chickens, (below) make it obvious why they got their nickname.

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They arrive at the farm. The aroma of breakfast and the laughter of children greet them. Every-thing looks per-fect. Hundreds of people enjoy their meals and

the tour of the farm and all of the other activities. What most visitors don't see are the hundreds of hours of preparation necessary to make a breakfast on the farm happen. I've been lucky enough to be a member of the Stearns County Break-fast on the Farm planning committee since the very beginning, six years ago. Here's a look at what happens be-hind the scenes of a breakfast on the farm. Everything starts with our plan-ning committee. Every member of the volunteer committee is driven by a shared desire to showcase Stearns County agriculture and give consum-ers an opportunity to connect with farmers. Our planning meetings start in January. We meet monthly until the event in June, which is always held the fi rst Saturday in June. And while those six months of hard core planning are fi lled with communicating and coordi-nating and decision making, we spend the other half of the year thinking about how we can make next year's event better. We line up our host farms 15 months in advance so that they can

Stearns County Breakfast on the Farm: Behind the scenes

visit a breakfast and have a year to think about how they'll accommodate 2,000 to 3,000 people on their farm. Every year, our host farms far exceed our expectations. This year, Steve and Lisa Groetsch and their family are hosting the Stea-rns County Breakfast on the Farm. Their farm, near Albany, gives us a new challenge and opportunity: to show visitors how robotic milkers work. They also have an automatic calf feeder and robotic feed pusher that we'll be featuring. Three thousand people. That's how many visitors we need to plan for. We need to pray for sunshine and a record turnout, but plan for rain. We have to plan to run out of food, but be prepared to make 500 extra meals so that every visitor can enjoy a delicious breakfast of Swany Cakes, French toast, eggs, sausage, juice, coffee and milk. Everything we do as a committee is done with our visitors in mind. How can we ensure that visitors will leave the farm with a positive lasting impression of modern farm-ing? We provide guided tours of the farm, made possible by dozens of vol-unteer tour guides. We incorporate the farm's nutritionist, veterinarian, crop consultant and others to make the tour as informative as possible. How can we make sure our visi-tors have fun, too? We organize a farm animal petting zoo, an obstacle course for children with Vikings cheer-leaders, a photo booth, horse-drawn

By Sadie FrericksStaff writer

BReAKFAstcontinued on page 11

BReAKFAst continued from page 10


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wagon rides, and dairy treats with the Stearns County Dairy Princesses. Princess Kay of the Milky Way will visit with guests. Radio show hosts from KCLD and WILD Country will provide entertainment as well. How can we keep visitors safe and comfortable? We rent coach buses so visitors have a place to put their strollers and gear for the ride out to the farm. We staff the parking lot with volunteers so that parking is as effortless as possible. (Parking is at the Albany Public School this year.) We provide portable toilets and hand-washing stations. This year, we'll have an ambulance and paramedics on site, in addition to the mounted patrol. How do we spread the word about Breakfast on the Farm? We send out press releases, put up bill-boards in St. Cloud, and run ads on local radio stations. We have a web-site (www.stearnsfarmbreakfast.com) and a Facebook page and a YouTube channel. We send an invitation home to almost every family with a child en-rolled in a Stearns County elementary school. We are constantly trying to adapt to our visitors' preferred meth-ods of communication.

the stearns County Breakfast on the Farm will be held saturday, June 1, at

Groetsch Dairy near Albany. Visit www.stearnsfarmbreakfast.com for

directions and more information.

BReAKFAst continued from page 10 How do we fund an event of this magnitude? We rely on the tremen-dous support of our sponsors. The five dollars we charge per plate for break-fast only covers our food expenses. We also need to pay for transportation, ad-vertising, and other expenses. Break-fast on the farm would not be possible without donations of money, supplies and services. We are incredibly con-scious of using sponsors' donations as effectively as possible. We also have to work with advertising, budgets and regulations. This year, because of the size of our event last year, we were required to obtain a large gathering permit from the county. Our food preparers, the Kimball Lions, must be also licensed. Every year we get better and better at meeting these challenges. We learn from our mistakes and build on our successes. And every year, when the farm fills up with visitors of all ages, we take a look around and marvel at what we've put together. Our hearts fill with pride and excitement. That pride and excitement will carry us through the next 12 months of planning for the next breakfast on the farm.


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Spring planting season is here!

Randy Middendorf (left) and his father, Art Middendorf, seed a fi eld of corn near Sauk Centre on May 13. PHOTOS BY RANDY OLSON

This farmer digs soybean stubble to prepare for corn planting south of Sauk Centre on May 11.

By RANDY OLSONStaff writer

In spite of the unusually late start to the planting season, farmers in general across this area are in good shape. "The weather fi nally straightened out for us," said Randy Middendorf as he drove his Deutz tractor down the fi eld, seeding corn with his four-row planter. "A week ago it was looking a little tough, especially with the cold weather, but this week looks promising." Middendorf, who raises around 110 acres of corn this year for his 50-cow dairy farm in rural Melrose, was joined by his father, Art, on a sunny, breezy afternoon on May 14, enjoying the 2013 spring planting season. About planting conditions,

Middendorf said, "The ground moisture has come back after we had such a dry year last year. We'll need rain starting in June, but for now we'll take some dry weather to get the crops in." Southwest of Sauk Centre, Kevin Schirmers was preparing his Case tractor for trips with a digger through chiseled corn stubble on his crop and beef farm on May 14. The stubble was being prepared for soybeans. "Farmers are having a very good week, with the wind of the last few days drying out the low spots and getting fi elds in shape to fi nish up," said Schirmers, who plants about 240 acres of corn and just wrapped up his corn planting the day prior. At Prairie Lakes Coop in Elrosa, agronomist Michael Kragenbring reported that

farmers in their trade area are making excellent progress on corn. "I'd say around 80 percent of the corn is in around here," he said. "Quite a few soybeans are already going in. For the most part, farmers are going to beat that magical May 20 date." The date of May 20 refers to the point where yield begins to suffer due to a shorter growing season if corn is not planted before then. "We have adequate moisture to get the crops going," Kragenbring said. He added, "The alfalfa is behind quite a bit, as it took longer than normal to come out of dormancy. Other than that, farmers are not too concerned about yields. We'll see how the rest of the growing season turns out."

A crop farmer was busy seeding corn along I-94 between Sauk Centre and Melrose on May 11.


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With large snow drifts still running through ditch banks across the landscape, workers at Malecha Dairy in rural Westport were busy on April 30 knifi ng in dairy manure on soybean stubble.

On a cold, blustery afternoon on May 11, a family gathered to pick rock on soybean stubble near Spring Hill.

Digging and harrowing plowed corn stubble south of Greenwald on May 11.

This operator was busy digging in hog manure on land operated by the Jim and John Anderson brothers near Belgrade on May 2.


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What do you plant in your garden? I plant vegetables, fl owers, herbs and fruits in my garden. The vegetables consist of lettuce, beans, peas, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, carrots, corn, potatoes, onions and more. Herbs are basil, thyme, French tarragon, Greek oregano, rose-mary and many more. Besides apple, plum and cherry trees, I grow rasp-berries, alpine strawber-ries, currants and elder-berries, and last year I added a contender peach tree. I grow both annual and perennial fl owers. Some of my favorite are daylilies, shrub roses and peonies for perenni-als. Annuals are zinnias, marigolds, Lion's Ears and Gazanias.

Is there anything new you are try-ing this year? This year I am trying several different tomatoes. The new for me heirlooms are Black and Aunt Ruby's German Green Tomato. I am also doing one plant each of Chianti Rose and Kobe Beefsteak. A new po-tato variety for me is German Butter-ball, and while I have grown Candy Hyb onions, this year I am doing Red Candy Apple Hyb onion also.

How do you control the weeds in your garden? I mulch everything I can with newspaper covered with hay or grass. I also use mulch from Missis-sippi Topsoil for the smaller plants. I also hand weed and last year started using corn gluten with the weeding and mulching. While it doesn't last a whole season, it does prevent weeds for a while and adds nutrients to the garden.

Local neighbors share their gardening experience

COUNtRY FACes continued on page 16

What do you plant in your garden? Every-thing – trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, vegetables and herbs.

Is there anything new you are trying this year? I’m trying a new variety of Reiger be-gonia, a new weigela and a new hydrangea. In my annual pots, I al-ways try new varieties to see what works and how they grow. Peren-nials are the same way. I haven’t fi gured out yet how many new varieties I will put in – depends on how much space I have after the plants start growing.

How do you control the weeds in your gar-den? Mostly by using wood mulch, chopped straw, grass clippings and cocoa bean huls. Hand-weeding most of the time and if I have perennial weeds such as quack grass, I will use a little spray.

How is the late spring affecting you? It isn’t. It just means that I don’t have to weed and water as much. We might have trouble getting some of the annual fl owers ready for the kids’ projects at the county fair, but we are adaptable. Nature rules at our house.

What do you enjoy most about garden-ing? The best thing is seeing the kids interact-ing and learning about the cycles of the plants, the critters, the birds and insects. I really en-joy sitting and watching the hummingbirds and bumblebees going from fl ower to fl ower. One year, we counted 40 Monarch caterpillars on our Asclepias. My kids and their cousins would come and check on the status of the caterpillars and hunt for the chrysa-lises. It was a lot of fun and really got them in-terested.

From left - staci Kalthoff and her family: lana, Noah, Nathan, Aaron and her husband, Roger - Albany (Farming Township)

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How is the late spring affecting you? Because I wait longer than some to plant my garden, it really has not slowed down the planting, though I am itching to plant lettuce and on-ions. I really lost time to clean the pe-rennial beds and other clean-up/land-scape type of chores, such as digging up the hops to get them under control and moving a shrub to a new, "better" area.

What do you enjoy most about gar-dening? I like all parts of gardening, even the weeding which is my quiet time with nature. Seeing the "fruits of my labor" is rewarding, as is chasing butterfl ies with my camera, fi nding frogs that think I can't see them, and showing my garden to others. Once it is growing I walk through the garden daily, just a relaxing walk to look, pull


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Albany - Greg Kalthoff continues the family farming tradition, but it is different than when he was growing up. What was once a dairy farm in rural Al-bany is now a farm where Holstein steers are raised. “We sold the dairy in 2002,” he said. “My dad, Robert, then raised Holstein steers until I purchased the farm in 2009.” Kalthoff, his wife Stacy and their eight-year-old daughter, Faith, live on the family farm raising steers, which al-lows them to work off the farm.

Kalthoffs continue tradition of family farmingBy HERMAN LENSING

Staff writer “There is more flex-ibility. We are still farm-ing, but it is a different way of farming,” said Greg. “There is not a set feeding time. You try to stay within a window but can have a little more flexibility than on a dairy farm.” Greg works at a commercial woodshop in Sauk Rapids. Stacy works at the Albany Eye Clinic. Faith attends Holy Family School in Albany. While there is flexibility, there is still an on-going farm routine. “I buy about 15 calves a month from a large dairy,” said Greg. “I try to sell between 10 and 15 each month.” The calves are pur-chased at 300 pounds. The target weight for

An overhead conveyor system brings feed to Holsteins in the barn.PHOTOS BY HERMAN LENSING

a finished calf is about 1,450 pounds. “I was told the idle dress weight (after butch-ering) is about 840,” he said.Holstein steers are moved through a series of pens from when they come to the farm to when they are sold. The animals are pen-fed. “They are all in the old dairy barn. We had slate filling and a lean-to for dairy, and we covered part of the feedlot,” said Greg. The Kalthoffs use a conveyer-belt system and TMR mixer and a hand-cart to feed the cattle.

KAltHOFFscontinued on page 18


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What do you plant in your garden? I grow raspberries, black raspberries and strawberries. I plant potatoes, corn, lettuce, beans, carrots, toma-toes, onions, kohlrabi, peppers, rad-ishes, zucchini and spaghetti squash, pumpkins and gourds.

Is there anything new you are try-ing this year? A new kind of gourd will be planted.

How do you control the weeds in your garden? I use a small tiller and a hoe and pull a lot of weeds by hand.

How is the late spring affecting you? The garden always gets planted after the oats and the corn are in, so it's later this year.

What do you enjoy most about gar-dening? I enjoy eating the berries and having my granddaughters help eat berries, dig potatoes and carry gourds and pumpkins out of the gar-den.

COUNtRY FACes continued from page 14

Mike Hellermann - MelroseWhat do you plant in your garden? I plant tomatoes (34 varieties), pep-pers (19 varieties), eggplant (5 va-rieties), many different herbs, broc-coli, kohlrabi, beets, carrots, greens (lettuce, spinach, Asian kale, chard), peas, beans (fresh and dry), summer and winter squash, pumpkins, ground cherries, corn (sweet and dry), on-ions, potatoes, watermelons. Basi-cally, if it grows here, I'll try it!

Is there anything new you are try-ing this year? New this year - Lovage - I've never grown that before; plus a few new-to-me varieties of tomatoes, peppers, squash.

How do you control the weeds in your garden? I control the weeds by mulching, tilling, pulling, hoeing (weeping). No herbicides, but just about any other method.

How is the late spring affecting you? The last four years, I have been able to put our broccoli out no later than mid-April, with protection. Last year I put some tomatoes in plant pro-tectors in mid-April and I was plan-ning to do the same this year. So that got delayed, as well as all the other spring vegetables you normally plant early.

What do you enjoy most about gardening? I enjoy eating the fi rst beans, tomatoes, corn, and peas right in the garden, knowing exactly how they were grown (no pesticides, no herbicides) and how good they taste. You'll never get that from the grocery store. Walking barefoot in the warm soil is a close second.

Gilda Gieske - Rural Sauk Centre

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Trees provide many things for our communities and us: beauty; energy conservation from shading and wind protection; reduction of soil erosion; the filtering of air pollutants; trees raise property values, provide a home for wildlife, and a place to hang a swing. Trees are an integral part of our home landscapes and neighborhoods. Trees are a long term investment, mentally, physically and financially. Our first step to healthy trees is making sure they are planted

correctly. We are starting to see more trees fail due to poor planting practices, than to insects and disease pests. Planting a tree seems simple. Dig a hole the size of the root ball, place the tree in the hole, and water, right? Not entirely. Here are a few tips for success for you to practice correct tree planting. Remember, planting a tree is a long term investment, so the extra effort put into planting now, can alleviate headaches later. First off, take special care when transporting plants from the nursery. The proper vehicle, a truck or trailer, can reduce the possibility of injury from loading and unloading. Protect leaves and needles from the sun and wind by wrapping or covering while in transit. Cushion stems and branches from injury. Always tie the plants down securely and avoid high speed travel. Successful planting starts with proper site preparation. Digging the hole for a new plant is the first step. The hole should be at least 1-2 feet wider than the size of the root system (except for direct tree spade planted trees). A larger hole will allow better root growth, especially in poor soil. Roughen the sides of the hole with a shovel and make the hole as wide or wider at the bottom than at the top. When trees are purchased, there is often excess soil covering their root system, in particular, the root collar (the area where the roots meet the trunk identified by flare in the trunk). This is not the fault

Practice correct tree planting

of anyone, just an issue that is traced back to nursery practices. While cultivating between rows of planted trees, nurseries often build up soil around the trunk of the tree. If this soil is not removed at planting time, trees can “suffocate” from excess soil covering their root system, resulting in a disruption of water and nutrient uptake, which starts a downward spiral for the tree. Planting trees too deeply also hides issues with tree roots such as encircling roots that can also suffocate trees. To ensure your tree is not planted too deep, do not follow the common recommendation of planting the tree at the same soil level that was found in the purchased container or balled and burlaped tree. Search for trunk flare where the first set of roots are emerging from the trunk, then gently scrape away excess soil above this point to reveal the root collar. When planted at the proper depth, the root collar (trunk flare) should be visible. If the trunk enters the ground as straight as a telephone pole, the tree has been planted too deeply. Other things to keep in mind when planting trees: Dig the hole as deep as the root ball and no deeper so the soil under the root ball is undisturbed. This will prevent the tree from settling. Do not add soil amendments. Old recommendations for adding soil amendments such as peat moss have been discarded. Simply use the soil removed from the hole as backfill. Prune only broken or dead branches and roots at planting time. Removing live branches removes a source of stored energy important in overcoming planting stress. Start pruning for good

structure in a year or two once the tree is better established. Pruning for a strong tree framework goes a long way in preventing future problems. Stake trees only when needed as in windy or high traffic areas. Wire used for staking, even if protected with garden hose, can damage the trunk. Instead, use broad-banded materials. Check these stakes frequently and remove after one year. Wait a year to fertilize newly planted trees, and fertilize only if a soil test indicates the need for fertilization. Add 3 to 4 inches of organic mulch around tree roots, such as wood chips. Mulch should not contact the trunk. Mulch helps to conserve soil moisture, eliminates harmful competition from turf and keeps lawnmowers and weed whips from damaging the trunk. And, don’t forget the most important first step – selecting the proper tree. Avoid the “it’s so pretty” impulse purchase. Do your homework. Select a tree with the correct mature height and one that will easily adapt to the soil and planting site. Aftercare tips: Do not wrap trees during the growing season. Tree wrap can hold moisture next to the trunk and serve as a home for insects. If rodents are a problem, use wire mesh cylinders around the trunk. Newly planted trees have a reduced root system in a small soil volume that will dry out quickly. Specific advice for watering is difficult to give because of the variability of planting sites and soil types. The general rule is to keep the top 8-12 inches of soil of the root ball evenly moist. In most environments, this is equivalent to about 1 inch of rainfall every 7-10 days. Watering more than this will do more harm than good. Periodically check the soil by digging down a few inches, and water only when the soil appears dry. While the use of mulch around trees is suggested, and has gained in popularity, many people have gone overboard by heaping mulch “volcanoes” around trees. Instead of a “volcano”, make a “pancake”. Wood chip mulch should be 3 - 4 inches deep and care should be taken so that the mulch does not come in contact with the trunk. For more resources on planting trees and tips for selecting the right tree for the right tree for your location please visit: http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG3825.html

By Janelle DaberkowUniversity of MN

Extension Educator-Horticulture

Stearns and Benton Counties


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In recent years, the price for a finished ani-mal has gone up. Still, Kalthoff watches his ex-penses from start to fin-ish. “The market has a higher risk, with all prices (for corn and other feeds) being so high,” he said. “You get more on the top end, but you pay more on the bottom end.” There has been some decline in the amount of beef produced. Kalthoff

credits that to a drought in traditional beef rais-ing states, forcing some to sell off parts or reduce the size of herds. Besides raising steers, the Kalthoffs crop farm about 215 acres, 30 of which are rented. This year’s long win-ter kept Greg from the fields though early May, meaning he may go from sunrise to sunset to get all the planting done. “I’ll make arrange-

KAltHOFFs continued from page 15

From left, Stacy, Faith and Greg Kalthoff find their farm a great place to raise a family.

Faith Kalthoff reviewed the list of the cats she has named on their farm.

Greg Kalthoff finishes between 10 and 15 Holstein steers monthly at his rural Albany farm.

ments at work to get some time off,” he said. “Dad will also help out.” Keeping a fam-ily connection to the farm is important to the Kalthoffs. Stacy, who admits to being city girl before marrying Greg, likes the farm as a place to raise a family. “I was born in St. Cloud, and we moved to Albany when I was 13, so I consider Albany my home,” she said. “This is a wonderful place. We have lots of animals here and Faith really likes it.” “There is a lot of space,” said Faith. Faith also enjoys the

cats on the farm. The Kalthoffs estimate there are always between eight to 10 cats around. “Faith names each one,” said Greg. “That’s one of her jobs.”Each cat’s name is re-corded in the barn; the same barn in which the Kalthoffs have raised Holsteins, whether for dairy or meat products. And they hope to car-ry on the Kalthoff fam-ily farming tradition for years to come.


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stearns County - Celebrate June Dairy Month by entering the 'I Dairyôu to Cook!' recipe contest. Enter an original recipe that includes your favorite dairy products including, milk, cheese, yogurt and/or ice cream. The three categories include main dish, snack/appetizer and dessert. Contestants can enter in a maximum of two categories and must include the recipe and a photo with each entry. Short video entries are also allowed, but not required. The entry form is online at the event organizer’s blog – Put A Fork In It, www.a4kinit.blogspot.com. Photos and videos should be sent to [email protected]. Three finalists will be chosen from each category to compete in the live championship tasting round to be hosted at the St. Cloud Area Farmer's Market on June 8, 2013. Their prepared recipes will be judged by a panel of area celebrity judges. There will also be a 'virtual' People's Choice championship round hosted online for those who do not live near the St. Cloud, MN area but wish to enter.

Winner of the People's Choice round will be announced June 30, 2013. Prizes will be awarded to a winner in each category at the live tasting event. An over-all champion will also

be chosen for the grand prize. Entries will be accepted at www.a4kinit.blogspot.com from May 1, 2013 until May 31, 2013. The I Dairyôu to

Cook recipe contest is organized by an individual who is a dairy farmer, cheese lover and blogger from central Minnesota. All prizes are donated by area sponsors, who will be showcased at the championship event.

First Ever ‘I Dairyôu to Cook!’ Recipe Contest Seeks Entries


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Food allergies can be one of the most uncomfortable conditions our dogs and cats experience. The most common symptom in dogs is intense itching of the face, neck, ears, armpits, groin, and perianal area. While you might expect gastrointestinal disturbances like vomiting, diarrhea, and gas, these symptom only occur in 20 – 30% of

cases. Cats tend to have itching and scabs primarily around the head and neck. This itching is not seasonal and often does not respond completely to prednisone or other cortisone like drugs. A myth that exists about food allergies is that they are associated with a recent diet change. Actually, it takes time and repeated exposure to the

offending substance to eventually cause the immune system to respond with a hypersensitivity reaction. Therefore, older dogs that have eaten the same food for years can develop food allergies. With the changes associated with the inflamed skin and then the secondary trauma due to itching, what you may see as a pet owner are bacterial and yeast infections of the skin which respond to treatment but continue to recur, chronic ear infections, skin that acquires dark pigment and gets thick, or recurrent “hot spots.” In some dogs the ONLY symptom is chronic ear infections. The challenge is that many other types of allergies, external parasites, and fungal infections can have the same symptoms. The only way to conclusively diagnose a food allergy in your pet is to do a hypoallergenic food trial. Although blood and intradermal allergy tests exist for food allergies, they are not reliable. Food allergies are generally caused by an immune system reaction to a protein particle found in either a meat or carbohydrate found in the food. It is possible, however, for an allergy to develop to dyes or preservatives found in commercial foods, making homemade diets the only answer to the problem. In cats, 80% of food allergies are caused by beef, dairy, or fish. In dogs, 68% are caused by beef, dairy, or wheat. A hypoallergenic food trial involves offering an alternative diet for a minimum of 10-12 weeks (sometimes longer). A true hypoallergenic diet will have one of two possible compositions. The first approach is to create a diet from novel protein and

Wendy Womack, DVM

carbohydrate sources that your pet’s immune system has never seen. Examples of novel proteins used in these diets are venison, duck, kangaroo, rabbit and fish. Examples of novel carbohydrates found in these diets are barley, oats, potato and rice. Many such diets can now be found over the counter but these are not held to the same consistency standards as “prescription” hypoallergenic diets available from your veterinarian. The “prescription” hypoallergenic diets from your vet usually also have a 100% money back guarantee if your pet doesn’t like the food and won’t eat it. The second type of hypoallergenic diet is created when the proteins are broken down into such small molecules that the immune system no longer reacts to them. These are known as hydrolyzed diets and can be purchased from your veterinarian. You can also safely feed a homemade novel protein/novel carb diet for the duration of a food trial. If the homemade diet works and you would like to use it long term, you will need to get it balanced for vitamins and minerals. A balanced recipe can be purchased through a website maintained by the American College of Veterinary Nutrition – www.balanceit.com. During the 3-4 months of the food trial, you pet cannot have anything else to eat. This includes table food, treats, edible chew toys like rawhides and flavored medications. No cheese or any other food product can be used to administer medications. If the itching and other skin problems resolve during the trial, your pet has a food allergy. If you desire to pinpoint the individual problem ingredient, you can add back one new ingredient every two weeks. The offending food will generally cause a return of symptoms within 7-10 days.

There are many ways to derail a hypoallergenic food trial so I will address some of the more common problems. You may have other pets in the house and it is important that the allergy suspect does not get into their food. If your dog is on the trial and you have cats, place the cat food in an elevated location the dog cannot reach. If you have multiple pets, do not “free feed” by leaving food out all the time. Meal feed and supervise feedings, even feeding the allergic pet in a separate room. Tell all visitors that your pet cannot have any table foods or treats or confine your allergic pet when company comes over. Explain to all members of the household how important it is to avoid treats and table foods. The pet on the food trial cannot be left loose outside unsupervised where they can access garbage, compost piles, or the neighbors’ pet foods. If you feel your pet cannot possibly go without treats, try dehydrating or baking the hypoallergenic food, if it comes in a canned version, to create your own treat. Keep a small bowl of the hypoallergenic kibble on the counter to offer as a treat, or here are two websites that offer hypoallergenic treats – www.snookdog.com and www.sitstay.com. Make sure fleas are controlled and secondary ear and skin infections are treated. Itchy pets can be a challenge, but if a food allergy is the cause of their itching and they can be helped simply by feeding a different food, this is a much better approach than a lifetime of medications.

When food bites back

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For some livestock owners, it’s been a long win-ter of scrounging for hay – along with kicking snow around. As we look ahead to the 2013/14 feed sea-son, one of the ways to reduce the amount of hay

you might need to buy this fall and winter season is to review management practices with pas-tures and meadows for the 2013 growing season. Grazing and nutrient management are key for pastures. Fertilizer and nutrient man-agement can be just as impor-tant for pastures and meadows as for corn, soybeans and other fi eld crops, but nutrient manage-ment is equally important. A soil test will indicate what’s avail-

able in the soil for phosphorus and potassium - and what needs to be added for the pasture or meadow to be productive, durable, and more competitive with weeds. It’s important to consider realistic yield goals. Past experience counts. You might expect pastures or meadows to produce 4 tons of dry matter per acre where soils have good water holding capacity and grazing is managed correctly. Without irrigation on sandy soils with more limited moisture, you might get 2 tons per acre or less. Nitrogen is always important for grass. If a 4 ton yield is reasonable to expect, U of M guidelines suggest 120 pound of nitrogen per acre. With a rea-sonable yield goal of 3 tons per acre, 90 pounds of nitrogen per acre; and at 2 tons of yield per acre, 60 pounds of nitrogen per acre. Then it’s important to think about when the nitrogen is applied. With cool season grasses (most of our pastures and meadows), where the major share of the growth occurs in spring and early summer, most of the nitro-gen should be put on in early spring – usually as soon as the ground is dry and fi rm enough to get on with equipment without making ruts. At the 120 pound rate, apply 3/4 or about 90 pounds in the spring and 1/4 in late August. The August application helps to support fall growth and plant maintenance for winter. If it’s possible to predict a quarter or half inch rain, applying fertilizer ahead of a shower can be good. We’d like to avoid getting a gully washer that could wash a lot of fertilizer down the slopes. Split applications are also recommended on light-er soils where there is more risk for leaching loss. A 90 application might be split with 65 pounds early in the spring and 25 pounds in late summer. Your ex-perience on your own pastures and meadows is im-portant. Phosphorus and potassium should be applied with the early spring application. For warm season grass like switchgrass and big bluestem, a late spring fertilizer application is rec-ommended to support the dominant growth pattern in mid-summer.

For pasture and meadows with a grass/legume mix, watch the balance of grass and legumes to make nitrogen decisions. A rate of 60 pounds of nitrogen is suggested for a grass-legume mix. If the grass is crowding out the legumes, this might be a clue to re-duce nitrogen. If nitrogen rates are too low, the le-gumes might become more dominant. Sulfur should be applied at 25 pounds per acre on sandy or low or-ganic matter soils where alfalfa or red clover are part of a grass/legume mix. Spreading red clover or birdsfoot trefoil (BFT) seed over existing pastures and meadows early in the spring can be a good way to introduce or maintain a legume in the mix. This is sometimes called “frost-seeding.” Typically the goal is to spread seed after the snow melts while the ground is still frozen to support equipment. Freezing and thawing on the soil surface,

early spring rain (maybe snow) helps to provide soil seed contact for germination. One fi eld trial showed that 10% of the red clover seed and 13 to 20% of the BFT seed might become viable plants. Spreading 8 pounds of red clover per acre is 46 seeds per square foot and you might gain 5 plants per square foot. BFT develops more slow-ly. With 6 pounds of seed per acre in this trial, they had 3 plants per square foot the fi rst fall and 9 plants per square foot a year later. Perennial Ryegrass is the grass that will provide the most plants with frost seeding. Wisconsin Extension has a good article titled “Frost Seeding Legumes and Grasses into Pastures.” A website search should bring it up, or in Stearns, Benton and Morrison Counties, you’re welcome to give me a call at 968-5077 if a local call to Foley or 1-800-964-4929.

Make the best of pastures and meadows

By Dan MartensU of M Extension

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May 18 - Stearns County Master Gardener Plant Sale, 8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Riverside Park Shelter, St. Cloud

May 18 - 4-H Community Service Project, 2:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Ronald McDonald House, Minneapolis

May 20 - 4-H Federation Fair Kickoff Meeting, 7:30 p.m., Holy Family School, Albany

May 21 - Stearns County Master Gardener’s Library Seminar, “When Things Go Wrong”, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. St. Cloud Library, St. Cloud

May 22 - 4-H Livestock Project Development Committee

Meeting (PDC, 7:00 p.m. Hillcrest Restaurant, Albany

May 27 - Stearns County Extension Office Closed – Memorial Day Observance

June 1 - Stearns County Breakfast on the Farm, 8:00 a.m. – Noon, Groetsch Dairy Farm, Albany

June 2 - 4-H Softball Fun Day, Melrose Softball Fields, Melrose

June 2 - Jr. Leader Meeting, 2:00 p.m., Melrose Softball Fields, Melrose

June 10-12 - 4-H Summer Camp 1 (grades 3-5), Sand

Dunes State Park, Zimmerman/Big Lake

June 12-14 - 4-H Summer Camp 2 (grades 6-8), Sand Dunes State Park, Zimmerman/Big Lake

June 14 - 59th Annual Central Minnesota Youth Dairy Day Show, 10:00 a.m., Stearns County Fairgrounds, Sauk Centre

June 15 - Morrison County Breakfast on the Farm (tentative)

June 17 - Stearns County Extension Committee Meeting, 9:00 a.m., Midtown Office Complex, Room 108, St. Cloud

University of Minnesota Extension Stearns County Calendar


Chicken Rice Hotdish 1 chicken, cooked & deboned1 onion, chopped1/4 cup butter2 pkgs. frozen broccoli2 cans cream of chicken soup2 soup cans of broth from cooked chicken or bouillon1 small jar of Cheez Whiz1 cup minute rice1/4 cup milk Saute onions in butter; heat soup, broth and cheese until smooth. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients; stir until well mixed.

I made a few changes to this recipe that I got from a neighbor years ago. I usually use fresh broccoli, steamed; instead of Cheez Whiz (which isn’t a real dairy product), I use American cheese torn into small pieces for melting. I use brown rice for everything; its healthier...you just have to cook it longer.

With that in mind, bake at 350º for 1 1/2 hours, stirring often. I usually have to add more liquid.

Black Bean soup saute in 1 tbsp. olive oil:3/4 cup chopped celery1 medium onion, chopped3 cloves garlic, minced Add:2 cans chicken broth2 - 15 oz. cans black beans, rinsed & drained16 oz. jar favorite salsa (I use homemade)1 cup cooked chicken1 Tbsp. lime juice1 cup cooked rice (I use brown)1 tsp. cumin Stir together and heat through.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies Beat until fl uffy: 3/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup butterAdd: 1 egg 1 1/2 tsp. vanillaBlend in: 1 3/4 cup fl our 1 tsp. sodaMix in: 1 cup chocolate chips 1 cup oatmealBake at 350º for 10 1/2 min.

These are such a favorite, I have been known to quadruple the recipe! I keep the cookie dough in the fridge and bake fresh every day.

Recipes Submitted byKaren DetersC

OU

NTR

Y ACRES

CACountry Cookin'Country Cookin'Country Cookin'Country Cookin'Country Cookin'Country Cookin'Country Cookin'RE

CIP

ES FROM OUR REA

DERSCC

West Union

Raspberry Muffi ns In mixing bowl combine:1 cup milk1/2 cup oil (I use melted butter)2 eggs, beaten2 tsp. vanillaIn another bowl, stir together;3 cups fl our1 cup sugar4 tsp. baking powder3/4 tsp. salt (I omit; I never add salt to anything I bake)

Stir dry ingredients into liquid until moistened. Then fold in 2 cups frozen raspberries thawed & drained. Bake at 375º for 20 minutes.

I like this recipe because it’s very easy, the kids love them and I have raspberries in the garden so plenty make it to the freezer over the winter.

Most of these recipes call for dairy products of some sort because as dairy farmers we have milk, butter and cheese on hand all the time. Also I feel food in the basic form without added ingredients, is the healthiest. Dairy products have very little added to them. We also have beef and chicken in the freezer all the time as we raise these.

taco Puffs 1 lb. hamburger1/2 cup chopped onion1 small can unsalted tomato sauce1 envelope taco seasoning2 tubes lg. refrigerated biscuits (I use homemade; they don’t take much longer to make)8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded In a skillet, brown hamburger and onion; drain. Add taco seasoning and tomato sauce. Cool slightly. Put into greased 13 x 9 pan; top w/cheese then biscuits. Bake at 400º for 15 minutes.


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