Country Acres Tab - July edition

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A Supplement to the Mid-Minnesota Shopper Sunday, July 21, 2013 Edition 7

CountryAcrescresFocusing on Todays Rural Environment

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By RANDY OLSONStaff writer

By MISSY MUSSMANStaff writer

WEBERScontinued on page 4

SHEIERLcontinued on page 6

The Webers have raised and sold sheep, mostly as feeders, on a commercial levelsince 2005 on their farm in rural Sauk Centre after starting with two "pet" sheep in 2002. Left to right: Ashley Weber, Roger Weber, Kim Weber, Casey Weber.

PHOTO BY RANDY OLSON

Father LeRoy Scheierl built a log cabin on his home farm near Paynesville. Construction on the cabin began in 2007 and was fi nished in 2011.

PHOTOS BY MISSY MUSSMAN

SAUK CENTREWhat started out as a simple pet hobby has grown much bigger at the Roger and Kim We-ber farm in Sauk Centre. After starting with two bottlefed pet sheep named Muffi n and Tin-kerbell, the Webers now have a fl ock of a few dozen sheep, mostly feeders, raised for mar-ket with hopes of mak-ing a profi t year to year.

PAYNESVILLEAs a priest, Father LeRoy Scheierl be-lieves God speaks the loudest in silence. When you plant a seed, it grows in silence, and when you have a cut, it heals in silence, Scheierl said. In silence, God does some of his greatest work. In a life with cell phones and computers, we need to get away to our own personal sanctuary to help us grow. That need for solitude gave Scheierl inspiration to build his own personal sanctuary in the form of a log cabin. Scheierl grew up on a farm near Paynesville where he farmed with his father and brothers. In 1980, the family sold the farm but still own nearly 500

Connected to the landWebers diversify crop farming with sheep

The Webers origi-nally bought two young lambs from Larry Lund in 2002, mostly to give their young children something fun to do. At the time, their son, Casey, was 6 years old and daughter, Ashley, was 3 years old. They were Suf-folks, a black-faced, open-faced mix, said Roger. The phrase open-faced refers to sheep whose faces are not cov-ered by wool.

We got really at-tached to them, said Kim. We had little lamb leads to walk them around the yard. The bottlefed lambs are very tame. Muffi n and Tinker-bell were enough sheep for a year, but then the Webers bought three more and started lamb-ing them. Lambing re-fers to the act of a sheep giving birth.

Creating his own personal sanctuaryScheierl balances priest responsibilities, builds log cabin on home farm

acres of land and the home site. So after their father passed away, Scheierl took the opportunity to purchase the 9.5-acre farm site and build his own private get-away. I have always wanted a log cabin, Scheierl said. At fi rst, Scheierl was plan-ning to one-day build a log cabin near a lake, but decided that home was where it belonged. My brothers and mom still own land around the farm and they like to hunt. It was a good fi t, Scheierl said. I wanted to build it as a place to get away to, but to also invite family and friends over. I always have fam-ily around. There was a contractor Schei-erl knew in one of his parishes he worked with, and understood this was his opportunity to build his log cabin. I had been making my own designs for a place like this for seven years, Scheierl said. I fi gured here was my chance. By 2007, the process was un-derway. Scheierl decided to use 12- to 14-inch diameter logs of

nearly 100-year-old Lodge Pole pine trees from British Colum-bia in a Swedish Cope log cabin design, with the logs carved spe-cifi cally to fi t the log below and perpendicular to it. Scheierl didnt want to sit on the sidelines while someone else built the cabin. When you grow up on a farm, you become a jack-of-all-trades, Scheierl said. We helped dad build the buildings that are still here by hand. I have a lot of experience to draw back on. Scheierl made sure he had his hand in the process every step of the way. He worked with debark-ing, shaving, carving, varnish-ing, siding, roof work, trim work, painting and chinking. I like the sense of accom-plishment when you do some-thing yourself. Thats why I dont buy things I can make. God has blessed me with a lot of things and to be able to fi gure something out and tackle it, Scheierl said.

Country Acres - July 21, 2013

Country BusinessCountry BusinessPublished by Star

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By CAROL MOORMANStaff writer

Peace and tranquilityOlive Branch Retreat is a rural Grey Eagle destination

GREY EAGLESer-endipity. Thats what Mar-la Waseka and Jessica Town-Gunderson fi gure brought them together. Thats what also landed them at the Ol-ive Branch, co-owners of this retreat destination on Fuller Lake in rural Grey Eagle where guests can roast marshmallows down by what was once a chick-en barn. They can walk through the woods, enjoy-ing nature on many of the walking paths, take a ride in a vintage pontoon or go fi shing. They can sit in a small cozy room reading a book pulled from a library shelf, play a board game found in a closet or try on wedding dresses. Once you get here, its a place where you can relax and enjoy yourself, Marla said one recent Thursday, sitting around the living room table of the seven-bedroom house with Jessica, as they pre-pare for new guests to arrive for an onsite wed-ding. We like to care of you. We even stack the wood and have gas in the boat, said Jessica. This energetic duo is dedicated to creating a unique and peaceful ex-perience with unexpected surprises. Olive Branch endeavor

Both smile when asked what actually

brought them together. Marla, originally from Sebeka, explains how she went back to school for architectural design after she was laid off from Fin-gerhut. As her intended program choice was full, Marla opted to take a year of training in small busi-ness ownership fi rst. Jes-sica, from St. Cloud, was her teacher. Their love of vintage items led them to restore historic houses, as MoXie Ladies, LLC. Serendipity is also what they say brought them to this property southwest of Grey Eagle, owned by the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, who would retreat here during the summer. The same month we purchased the fi rst house to restore, a friend invited us to partner at the Olive Branch, said Marla, who had earlier been hired to

do the exterior work on the retreat. When I fi rst saw it, it was functional but not pretty, and Im into pret-ty, said Marla. Jessica was hooked when she visited the beau-tifi ed site. In 2008 it was pur-chased from the nuns, and in 2012 it was sold solely to Marla and Jessica, who continue to offer it to the public for use as their own

private destination. They gave it the name the Olive Branch in 2008. An olive branch is a symbol of peace, said Jessica. This was a qui-et, tranquil place and we kept it that way. We are paying hom-age to what it was in the past, while making it a place for families and others, said Marla. The Olive Branch has been renovated and re-

stored into a cozy, upscale retreat. It includes light-fi lled rooms, incredible views and vintage furni-ture, wrapped into a cozy old world aesthetic. They have preserved the character of the home, updating it for modern comfort. The nuns' cha-pel, named after Bishop Peter W. Bartholome, re-mains a place for quiet refl ection. My 10-year-old calls it the God room, said Jessica. The original footprint of the home remains, with a large social gathering space with a fi replace, bedrooms and meditating spaces. Outdoor dining and entertaining can be done on the patio, over-looking the lake. The nuns chicken barn has been renovated into an entertainment area, with a wet bar, fi re pit and a wood burning stove. Their newest addition is a screened-in gazebo. This year they also renovated a two-stall garage into an entertainment area, large enough to be used as part of wedding receptions. Nature is abundant, with walking trails and large yard for play and

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Olive Branch co-owners Marla Waseka (right) and Jessica Town-Gunderson are excited to welcome people to their retreat destination in rural Grey Eagle. They stand in their courtyard area, which is alive with plants, chairs and decorative items.

PHOTO BY CAROL MOORMAN

Jessica Town-Gunderson stands inside a bedroom where there are wedding dressesguests can have fun trying on. PHOTO BY CAROL MOORMAN

OLIVE BRANCHcontinued on page 3

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relaxation. The lake in-vites guests to experience loon watching in a canoe, trophy bass and pan fi sh-ing from the boat, leisure-ly cruising on the pontoon and a quick swim off the diving dock.

Olive Branch events The Olive Branch is ideal for large and small gatherings. Since open-ing in 2008, it has hosted family reunions and va-cations, spiritual retreats, group vision building, in-timate weddings, couples retreats, girlfriend week-ends, grief renewal and so much more. We average three weddings a year, said Marla. We had a Tai Chi group here from China, said Jessica. They can accommodate

up to 22 overnight; bed-rooms given appropriate names like the Lake View Suite, and Ritas Room, named after a nun who visited the house. Its a nice place for families. They can play games together, cook to-

gether, but there is space for peace and tranquility, said Marla. Its also a place for healing and personal growth, Jessica added. On June 8, they held their fi rst Summer Moon Festival, with seminars,

OLIVE BRANCH continued from page 2_______________________________________________________________________________________________

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Marla Waseka enjoys reading a book from a library in a room at the Olive Branch.

PHOTO BY CAROL MOORMAN

A fi re pit, near what was once the nuns' chicken barn that has been renovated into an entertainment area, overlooks Fuller Lake. PHOTO SUBMITTED

music, food, massage and more. Jessica talked about how two ladies came, fi g-uring theyd spend 20 minutes here and ended up staying three hours. We would like to see this health and wellness festival grow, said Mar-la. Ideas continue to form in their heads about events they would like to hold winter, spring, sum-mer and fall. Its beautiful out here in the winter. Its like a cocoon under a blanket of stars! Jessica said. If you would like in-formation on the Olive Branch call (320) 393-7212 or email at [email protected] As co-owners Marla and Jessica, personally ensure it is ready for their

next guests. Other than food and personal items, most supplies needed are on site. Guests are encour-aged to leave notes when they leave. And many do. Reading those notes, Marla and Jessica know

what they are doing here is meant to be. The Olive Branch isstaying true to its mean-ing-that of lending peaceto all who enter. And that makes Marlaand Jessica happy.

The nuns' chapel, named after Bishop Peter W.Bartholome, remains a place for quiet refl ection at the Olive Branch Retreat. PHOTO SUBMITTED

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They all had names at fi rst, said Kim. By 2005 we bought 10 more ewes and have been growing from our own and keeping females since then, said Roger. Last year the Webers kept 16 females, or ewes. To make it worth the effort, we had to pen-cil out some money at the end, said Roger. I come from dairy cows and pigs, but sheep are a little different. They grow differently and eat differently. You have to be careful about over-eating. Sheep are members of the ruminant category of animals. Ruminants are marked by their four-chambered stomachs and cud-chewing behavior. Cud is a food mixture that is rechewed, regurgitated and reswallowed. Rumination takes place mostly when an animal is resting and not eating. Healthy, mature sheep will chew their cuds for several hours each day. Another trait of ru-minants is their foraging behavior as grazers and browsers or intermedi-ate grazers. Cattle are grazers who consume lower-quality grasses, while moose and deer are browsers who eat high-er-nutrition twigs and shrubs. Intermediates such as sheep, goats and white-tail deer have nutritional

WEBERS continued from front______________________________________

requirements between grazers and browsers. Sheep lean more towards being grazers. While Rogers home-town is Sauk Centre, Kim was raised in the Twin Cities and graduated from Bloomington Ken-nedy High School. Beyond farming land and raising sheep, Roger is a yardman at Felling Trailers, Inc. and drives milk truck part time. Kim is a paraprofessional in the Sauk Centre second-ary school and works part time in the offi ce for Kane Transport. Its fun being in the country and being able to have animals, said Kim. I dont get involved with the fi eld work or tractor work, but I was excited about having sheep. Roger grew up in a family that milked 30 to 60 cows. Their farm was not far from where they live today. The sheep herd gives the Webers

plenty to tend to in thesummer, especially with keeping up the fence.The thick wool on sheepsomewhat insulates them from an electric fence. In recent years, thevalue of sheep wool hasfallen dramatically. To-day, the cost of shear-ing is worth about twice what the wool is worth,according to Roger. The Webers shearer is fromLong Prairie. The shearer takesthe wool to his place af-ter we bag it up on ourfarm, he said. Once hehas a semi-load he sendsit down south to the wool mills. We get a check around Christmas time worth about half what wepaid the shearer. The sheep are allsold through Central Livestock in Albany, andgenerally they end up inanother herd of sheep

WEBERScontinued on page 5

The fl ock of Polypay sheep on the Weber farm enjoy grazing in their 8-acre pasture.


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WEBERScontinued from page 4

in central Minnesota as feeders. At times we feed them out ourselves for certain fl ocks, said Rog-er. Once the sheep are sold after being raised to maturity, they are sent to Iowa to a meat process-ing plant. A 70-pound sheep is currently worth around $1.05 a pound. The Webers live on a 38-acre plot that includes about 25 tillable acres. Roger started farming land near their farm in 2001. Shortly after that his father sold his dairy herd. Then we began rent-ing my dads farm land, and by then they were up to about 200 acres, said Roger. That same year they began feeding out Hol-stein steers in a small barn on their farm. They also had buffalo on their pasture for one year and hogs for a couple years before switching to only sheep. Today, they oper-ate 315 acres, of which 220 are tillable. Since about 2004, the Webers have been feed-ing out about 60 steers a year on what was Rogers dads farm. The Webers herd right now is Polypay sheep, a white, medium-sized sheep developed in the 1960s at the U.S. Sheep Experiment Sta-tion in Dubois, Idaho.

They are noted for being a highly prolifi c, dual-purpose (meat and wool) breed, according to Wiki-pedia. Weve found them to be hardier than Suf-folk, theyve been easier to raise, said Kim. Lambing time, which varies year to year, is busy for the Webers, as they often go out in the middle of the night to check for sheep having trouble birthing. Casey will take turns with me, said Rog-er. Hes been working at it since he was pretty young. He can pull baby lambs. Ashley checks on the newborn lambs and bottle feeds them.

Once they get used to it, its pretty easy. Theyre tough at fi rst, said Ashley. Because their fl ock is all white, it can be dif-fi cult to tell them apart when the sheep lamb. Casey uses a numbering system where he paints each ewe with a num-ber. Offspring from each sheep is marked with the same number. Raising sheep has worked out tremendously well for our family, said Roger. Parts of the fl ock herd are designated to both Casey and Ashley, who also stay active with school-related activities. Casey played bas-ketball as a junior last

year for the Sauk Centre Mainstreeters. Ashley, meanwhile, was a mem-ber of the swimming and diving team, and last year was in basketball and track and fi eld. Ashley is also a Go-pher Prairie 4-H club member and is looking forward to the Stearns County Fair, where shell show her photography, cake decorating work and art work. Our sheep herd has given our kids a nice side hobby that also gener-ates some income, and it keeps us active and con-nected to the land. Thats really what farming is all about, added Roger.

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Roger holds a young sheep, the only one in the fl ock identifi ed by a brown marking.


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SHEIERL continued from front________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A stained glass window from the old Catholic church in Paynesville hangs in the living room of the cabin as a memorial to Scheierls father, who had purchased the window and re-leaded it.

The loft is one of the rooms Scheierl designed specifi cally for his cabin. Scheierl made sure he was involved every step of the way. He worked with debarking, shaving, carving, varnishing, siding, roof work, trim work, painting and chinking.

Scheierl built a prayer tower from one of the buildings he tore down, which overlooksone of the two lakes on the property. Scheierl travels out there morning and night topray and do some bird watching.

I worked with every stage of it. I had a lot of good volunteers from my parish and friends that helped. Scheierl had nearly 30 volunteers helping him build the cabin when they had time. Although his duties at the church kept him busy, Scheierl took whatever time he had off to work on the cabin. For three years, I took every mo-ment I had off to work on this, Schei-erl said. I put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this place. With construction underway, Schei-erl wanted to make sure one specifi c item was incorporated into the cabin, a stained glass window his father pur-chased from the old Catholic church in Paynesville. His father had re-leaded the stained

glass window since it was in pieces, but never had a chance to re-paint it before he passed away. Scheierl fi nished the window with hopes of using it in his new cabin. I wanted to highlight that window as a memorial to my father, Scheierl said. By 2011, the cabin was basically fi nished. Scheierl tore down the original house on the property and a few of the other buildings on the farm. All I have left yet is the fl ooring in the cabin, Scheierl said. The cabin wasnt the only piece to make his private sanctuary complete. He had also built a prayer tower from one of the buildings he tore down, which overlooked one of the two lakes on their property. Scheierl travels out there morning and night to pray and does bird watching, which is one of his favorite pastimes. Scheierl and his brothers also put some of the land they still own into CRP and RIM programs. They use some of the land as food plots for the wildlife in the area and made some trails on their land as well. Some days I spend taking care of the food plots and managing the trails, Scheierl said. I am in community with nature. God called me through nature. The cabin site also has a small apple orchard that his sister runs and a 3.5-acre garden Scheierl and his brothers work with each year. When Scheierl is at the cabin, he goes kayaking on the Crow River that runs through their property and watches the fi refl ies light up the 70-acre lowland on their property at night. It is lit up like a Christmas tree, Scheierl said with a smile. With the cabin fi nished, Scheierl feels a sense of pride in all he has ac-complished. I know every square inch of these logs after all the time I worked with it, Scheierl said. It is a reward now that it is complete. There is nothing like it.


One of the benefi ts of living in the country is the natural beauty all around

us. If you drive through the country-side, you will likely see cornfi elds, hay-fi elds, silos, and once in awhile, a pasture with some grazing cows. When we see things every day, they become mundane and we stop paying atten-tion. When was the

last time you really looked to see the beauty around you? And it looks different every day, depending upon the light, the seasons and the atmosphere. Claude Monet, a French artist who painted in the 1800s and early 1900s, actually did a series of 25 paintings in late 1890-91 that was simply called Haystacks. Mundane subject, maybe, but he saw beauty in it, and the popularity of those paintings is still phenomenal. The painting you see in the photo, Haystacks, Last Rays of the Sun, sold in 2001 for $47.2 mil-lion. If you wanted to go out and buy one of the eight haystack originals still owned privately, it might cost you just as much, but it would probably be a good investment, because most of them in his time sold for under $2,000. If Monet were here today, hed be out there painting round bales instead of haystacks. Hed feel right at home, too, because the French countryside looks very similar to ours, as you will see in the photo of a painting I did called Monets Garden. A friend of mine visited Monets home in Giverny, and asked me to paint the gardens for her when she returned. Artists have been painting old barns and grazing cows for genera-tions. The images call to mind memo-ries of home for so many people who are nostalgic about growing up on a farm. In fact, just last week I got an email from a cousin of mine in New Orleans who wants a painting of a red barn to remind her of her childhood. As an artist, I have done many paintings of subjects from the country. Ive been commissioned to paint trac-tors, barns, farm scenes, farm familiesyou name it, and its always fun when theres nature involved. The beauty of everyday things in nature never ceases to amaze me. For example, after a recent storm I was helping a friend clean up the mess

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of branches. Lying on the lawn was a small piece of wood that had fallen from a tree. It had lichen on it, and a wide array of colors that I thought were gorgeous together. I took several photos of it, vowing someday to deco-rate a room with the colors I saw on the log (see photo). I fi gured if the good Lord saw fi t to use them together, who am I to argue? I have driven to Montana many times and I hear people saying its such a boring drive. I dont think I could ever be bored, because it always seems like a feast for the eyes. Driving through North Dakota? Love it. My ultimate test as to the beauty of some-thing is whether or not it chokes me up. Thats happened numerous times in the mountainsI particularly think

Natural beauty can be found in unexpected places, like this fallen branch after a recent storm.

PHOTO BY DIANE SCHMIESING This painting, Haystacks, Last Rays of the Sun by Claude Monet, sold at auction in 2001 for $47.2 million. If Monet was in central Minnesota today, hed be painting round bales.

Our landscape is much like that of the French countryside, shown here in a painting I did called Monets Garden.

of a warm and very rainy June in Yel-lowstone. Sorry Sedona. Youre beau-tiful but no tears. You dont need to be an artist to see beauty, and you dont have to take a trip to see it either. You just need to take another look. Next time youre out driving, take a look at whats going on in the ditch. Look at the variety of plants, the light and shadow, the shades of green. Watch the wind in the grass. On a hazy day or any day for that matter look at the way the trees fade

and turn slightly more bluish with each layer as they get closer to the horizon. Look at the relationship between the sky and the color of the water. Take a good look at the subtle color combina-tions you see in the landscape and the way they soften and change over the summer. If you are fortunate enough to live in the country, I hope you are making the most of it. And before you take that log and throw it in the woods, take an-other look.


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Patience. Minnesota gardeners usually have plenty of it because of our long win-ters; but, it has never been as truly needed as this year. I feel like it is a story about Goldi-lockstoo cold, too wet, too hot, too dryyou get the idea. Watering can be a challenge in a normal year so it is even more so this year. A general rule of thumb is one inch of water per week if you have clay soils; and - inch of water two times a week if you have sandy soils. Mother Na-ture doesnt usually fol-low this rule so we have to adjust accordingly. If you have heavier soil, make sure you are checking the soil mois-ture before watering. It is very easy to overwater and drooping leaves can either mean its too wet or too dry. Many areas in my garden that dont have as much compost have stayed fairly wet and cool. If this sounds familiar, try to work up some of the soil to aerate

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have to worry so much about compaction and fl ooding, but regular supple-mental watering may be neces-sary. Adding organic matter such as compost is a great way to create soils with

better water holding ca-pacity. Many gardeners have reported lost plants (annuals, perennials and shrubs) due to the wet spring and wash outs. If

you are replanting annu-als, check the maturity dates on seed packets. You may not want some-thing maturing in Oc-tober if you dont have a way of protecting it from frost. Most peren-nials should be up and growing. Gardeners with perennial hibiscus have had a long wait for plant growth with some rotting in the wet, cool soils. If you have had shrubs that had leaves turn brown and fall off due to fl ood-ing, dont despair. Once the soil dries out again, loosen the soil around the shrub and check mois-ture levels. I have had

some start to resprout. Branches that bend are still viable and require more patience, branches that snap and are dried out, require pruning. To reduce the amount of stress on plants, keep these ideas in mind: Mulch wherever possible. This keeps the soil cool and moist dur-ing the heat of summer, helps with weed suppres-sion and helps prevent large soil temperature fl uctuations in spring. Water plants well, but not as often. To help plants become more drought tolerant, water thoroughly and then let them get dry. This makes the roots reach down for moisture, creating a bet-ter root system. This is especially important for healthy lawns. If you have pots, make sure you water until it comes out the bottom. Water in the early morning. The leaves will have all day to dry out, which helps prevent dis-eases and less evapora-tion will occur resulting in more water for the plants. Watering at the base of the plant or using drip irrigation is also a

good idea. Annuals require more fertilizer than pe-rennials, trees or shrubs. But, make sure you do not fertilize during ex-treme hot, dry weather as this can cause burning on the leaves and/or roots. Compost, compost, compost. If nothing else, this year should have taught us the importance of rich, organic matter in soils. Organic matter in clay soils, helps loos-en and drain the heavy ground. Organic mat-ter in sandy soils helps with moisture retention.

Compost also has manynatural nutrients (fertil-izer) that our plants needto stay healthy. Our cool, wet springmay have been a chal-lenge; but, on the brightside, how often do youget to see peonies bloom-ing alongside roses inJuly? Who knows whatwell enjoy next. Visitingpublic gardens or goingon garden tours is a greatway to see different com-binations or varieties tofi ll in the holes left fromplants that didnt make itthrough the winter or wetspring. Happy weeding!


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Jordan Zirbes of Moonlight Vineyards east of Sauk Centre couldnt resist wearing his 4th of July getup one more time. Above, he was seen tucking Marquette grape vines into trellises on a beautiful summer day. His parents, Bobbi (in the background)and Chad Zirbes, grow four varieties of grapes in their vineyard. PHOTO BY DIANE SCHMIESING


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A full aft ernoon of fun featuring the Wild Creek Entertainers will help complete fi ve days of fun at the 2013 Stearns County Fair. Th ey per-form between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 4, the fi nal day of the fair. Wild Creek Enter-tainers, based in central Minnesota, works to provide family-oriented entertainment while pro-moting the era known as the Wild West dating back to the late 1800s to the early 1900s.

Wild Creek coming to Stearns County FairBy RANDY OLSON

Staff writer Adeline Boucher, whose family makes up one of the many families involved with the group, is excited about having Wild Creek Entertainers

Can-can girls entertain the audience.PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Luke Payne and friends pose for a picture. PHOTOS SUBMITTED

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performing at the Stearns County Fair. We have quite a few families involved in the show. We are hoping for a nice turnout for the fair.

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Wild Creek Entertain-ers goes back to the fi rst Wild West Show held fi ve years ago at the Dan and Terri Winters Bog Creek Ranch in rural Spring Hill. What then devel-oped is what we have today, and we were soon arranging for more ac-tivities, taking part in parades and doing shows at private events, said Boucher. Because of the rapid-ly growing interest, Wild Creek Entertainers out-

grew the Spring Hill loca-tion and relocated to ElRancho Maana Camp-ground and Riding Sta-bles in rural Richmond. We simply outgrewour space in Spring Hill,said Boucher. We had our annualbig show the third week-end of June. Th e campthere has more parkingand better arrangementsfor camping. We wantfamilies to come and staythere and enjoy it togeth-er.

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Keep kids healthy at the petting zoo

Deb Botzek-LinnUniversity of Minnesota Extension Summertime brings the opportu-nity for kids and families to visit pet-ting zoos, county fairs or farms. Chil-dren enjoy feeding the goats, petting a rabbit, holding a baby chick or rid-ing a pony. Unfortunately, in addition to the cute baby animals, petting zoos sometimes allow kids to meet critters with names like Salmonella or E. coli. These bacteria live in the intestinal tracts of some animals and are shed in the droppings. Animal fur, hair, skin and saliva can become contaminated with bacteria from the droppings and transmission may occur when kids pet, touch or are licked by animals. While petting zoos can be an ex-cellent educational and social event, unfortunately, many people become sick every year because of a visit to an animal exhibit. The human/animal contact can result in an uncomfortable bout of stomach and intestinal illness with dehydration or more serious ill-ness. At a higher risk for infection are children less than 5 years of age, preg-nant women and those with weakened immune systems. The good news is that your kids can have a fun time with the animals as the intervention to prevent illness is knownits called handwashing! Al-

ways wash hands after leaving the ani-mal facility and petting or holding the animals. In a 2012 Minnesota CountyFair Petting Zoo Study, 96% of the petting zoos provided hand hygiene fa-cilities but on average, only 25% of the visitors washed their hands after leav-ing the petting zoo (Schiffman, unpub-lished data 2012). Creating soap latherduring a 20-second handwashing afterleaving the zoo and before eating is signifi cantly protective. Avoid bringing items into the pet-ting area that would go into babies and childrens mouths, such as babybottles, pacifi ers, spill-proof cups,food, beverages and infant toys. These items can easily fall on the ground andbecome contaminated. If possible, park strollers outside of animal areas as the wheels get dirtyand contaminate the car and house, andkids play on and around strollers. The most important rules to fol-low when visiting the petting zoo are to wash your hands, make sure the animals dont kiss your face and keep childrens fi ngers out of their mouths.All children/animal contact should becarefully supervised by an adult. Have fun and stay healthy! Deb Botzek-Linn is a food safety educator with the University of Minne-sota Extension.

Over 96 percent of petting zoos in Minnesota, including Ericksons Petting Zoo in Osakis (shown above), provide hand sanitizer or washing facilities for use after petting the animals. PHOTO BY ERICKSON'S PETTING ZOO


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On Tuesday, June 25, at Midwest Machinery in Sauk Centre, Princess Kay of the Milky Way Christine Reitsma (above) was on hand to help with Cowabunga a cow bingo where you could buy a $10 ticket and win $1000. After a grid was painted on the grass, the cow was let loose to wander while attendees waited for her to, wellpoop. The lucky winner in the chamber event was Julie Meyer of Sauk Centre.

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FREEPORTRon Gruber grew up on a farm near Lake Henry and never let the farm get far away from him. Since 1980, this Freeport man has helped area dairy farms improve, as a Dairy Herd Improvement Associa-tion (DHIA) fi eld representa-tive. Freeport was a new area for me. I grew up around Lake Henry, he said. When I started here, the DHIA board guaranteed me so much money a month and I had to get new herds. He discovered the Free-port area was a great location to grow the business and stay in touch with dairy farms. It was a good area and still is. I was able to stay pretty much in a 10-mile radius, he said. There are a few that are farther out. His work pretty much puts him on the same time schedule as a dairy farmer. It used to be most milked at about 5:30 or so twice a day, he said. Gruber would be at the farms once a month, taking samples of milk which were analyzed for somatic cell counts, mastitis, fat, protein,

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DHIA fi eld rep has seen changes while improving herds

By HERMAN LENSINGStaff writer

etc. as farmers tried to improve the volume and quality of milk. I started with 16 to 20 herds a month, he said. At one time when my wife, Dar-lene, helped me we had over a hundred herds. Today, there are fewer herds but more cows, and farmers are milking three times a day. The average herd size test-ed in Stearns County is 119, al-though there was one herd that was fi ve cows. Herd size is not the only change. Years ago, Gruber would draw a sample of milk just before it was put into a bulk tank and record the identity of the cow and the jar the sample was recorded in a notebook. Today, much of that informa-tion is recorded on a computer. Gruber and his wife, Dar-lene, were among the fi rst DHIA fi eld reps to use laptops in their work. We were on a pilot pro-gram to test the computers and get all the bugs out of the soft-ware. We used the DOS sys-tem. That was my introduction to computers. Now I wouldnt have it any other way, said Gruber. His quick adaption to com-puters is a reason he received the DHIA Career Service Award earlier this year. Technology has become more a part of his work. Al-most all of his sampling is done by meters connected to milk-ing systems. Electronic meters analyze and record much of the information, formerly done in labs, and is stored on zip

drives. Its amazing how much information can be stored on that drive. Now, I just back it up and Im on my way, he said. Usually, he is on his way to another farm. He still collects samples that are used to review herd

health. In recent years, tests and technology have allowed for pregnancy tests from milk samples. Cows can be tested as early as 35 days after breed-ing and 60 days after calving. That same sample can be used to test for Johnes and Leukosis diseases. Technology is also appar-

Freeport area proves to be a great location for Gruber

Milk samples are collected and measured in marked tubes. Samples of the milk are taken from the tubes for testing. PHOTOS BY HERMAN LENSING

ent in other areas. He works with herds that have roboticmilk machines. He fi nds the concept interesting but noticedit has not completely caught on in this area.

DHIAcontinued on page 15


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In Europe they have been around a long time, he said. But each robot can only milk 60 cows. The machines also need to be cali-brated regularly for fat, protein and mastitis. They are compatible with DHIA recordkeeping systems. Technology will become more and more integrated into dairy herd opera-tions, Gruber said. People use smart phones to access dairy records and check on herds, he said. Im considering getting one to access records. But providing records and fi nding ways to get the information to farmers quickly is only one part of the reason the area has developed some great dairy herds. The farms have turned into family corporations, he said. They are large dairies, but they work because they are

good operators. Gruber admires people who stay in the dairy business, particularly the suc-cessful small farmers. The base price for milk is $18.50 cwt. Feed costs run from $12 to $15 cwt. with quality hay costing over $300 a ton. Profi t margins are tight, Gruber said. There has been one request he does not see technology helping with. Ive had farmers ask if I could help create a fi ve-day cow so they can have weekends off, or at least a six-day cow so they can have Sunday off, he said with a laugh. Gruber enjoys his job as a DHIA fi eld rep, especially when he is able to visit with farmers he serves. Farming is a lifeline for them and for Gruber.

Using test meters,

computers and sample

bottles, Ron Gruber

helps farmers improve the

quality of their milk and milk

production.

DHIA continued from page 14


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By BRYAN ZOLLMANStaff writer

The backyard barbecue man

he said. And I didnt mind the cattle, but I didnt like milking. He remembers traveling with his siblings to an old abandoned house on the land where there was a pump to fill stock tanks. While the tanks were filling, they would check the fence and count the animals and then play in the abandoned house. But its a different sort of tank he fills these days-as in propane. He likes to cook using a gas grill, and that is exactly what hes doing on this particular night. It is where you can find him many nights after he returns from his job at Napa Auto Parts, where he has worked since March after deciding to sell Melrose Auto Body & Tire One, the business he has owned and operated for more than 28 years but hasnt sold yet. With the burners set, he begins placing the seasoned meat on the grill. Tonights menu includes cheddar brats, venison steaks and boneless chicken breasts. Inside, Peg and their daughters, Breanna and Abby, prepare the side dishes with their foreign exchange student Monica, and

Abbys friend, Katelyn Becker. Rick and Pegs other daughter, Lindsay, is off doing her own thing on this night. Along with the smorgasbord of meat, Rick grills potatoes with peppers and onions. I like cooking, period, he said. It doesnt have to be grilling, but we grilled on the farm a lot growing up because we raised our own beef and chickens. I grew up with it. He is a meat and potatoes kind of guy. If there isnt meat it isnt a meal, he says. You have to survive the winters around here somehow! Hes never been big on

vegetables, although they have started a vegetable garden off to the side of their house. Me and my brother used to hide our vegetables under our napkins when we were kids, he said. We tried to get out into the barn before mom noticed. Hellermann is a natural on the grill. How else can he explain winning first-place ribbons in the only two grilling contests he has entered? The first time was in 2007 when he received a call from a friend saying they needed grillers for the Car Show and Cook-off for brain cancer research. The event has grown in popularity and is a staple of

Melrose summers now. Back then, though, it was new, and so was entering a cooking contest for Hellermann. But heand his son, Adam-who now lives in St. Joe-and his nephew Alex Brixius, obliged. When he received the call to grill in the cook-off contest,he wasnt sure he was up for the competitive side of cooking. I grilled a lot because I like to eat! he said. And Ionly did it in my backyard orat the office.

Rick Hellermann and his son, Adam and his nephew, Alex Brixius, hunt often together, and often themeat from the animals they hunt ends up on the grill, like the piece of venison he holds up here.

PHOTOS BY BRYAN ZOLLMAN

HELLERMANNcontinued on page 19

Rick Hellermann is an award winner when it comes to his grilling skills


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Grillers in the contest could cook chicken, brisket, ribs or turkey. Hellermann picked chicken. I played it safe, but I had never grilled chicken on the bone before, he said. He seasoned the chicken and rubbed it with a little olive oil-a little too much it turned out. We ended up with a grill fire, he said. So we had to cook it the rest of the way in a tinfoil pan and then put it back on the grill right at the end. And it worked! It turned out really, really good. He ended up winning fist place. So the next year when he entered he tried ribs. I had never done ribs before either, he said. But I won again, so the next year I just handed it off to Adam and Alex and let them do it. He, Adam and Alex had formed a great trio, both on the grilling field and in the killing field. They do a lot of hunting together, much of it on the land behind his home where 27 acres is supplied with tall standing trees where wildlife likes to roam. An 11-acre field to the east is for farming and is rented out to a neighbor. Last year alone they processed more than 400 pounds of meat. They do a lot of their own processing, toying with different recipes and casings. We have all our own equipment for a locker, but we need a grinder, he said. The processing has

become a hobby for him, his son and nephew, something they enjoy doing, something that is the cherry on top of their hunting trips. And something that keeps the grill burning most nights in the spring, summer and fall. Such as on this night. It is after 8 p.m. as the meat slowly cooks on his grill. He doesnt turn the meat often, letting the heat do its work. When it is done everyone sits down for the evening meal on the patio of their backyard. The girls help set the table and get the drinks, which consist of milk and soda. Everyone grabs

whichever meat they would like from the assortment of venison, pork or chicken and dig in. And its hard to tell which is better, the food, or the view. To the north is the stack of trees that gives the backyard a natural wall of seclusion. To the east a hill rises, revealing perfect rows of planted corn. The three dogs rustle in their kennels to the west, no doubt smelling the aroma of the freshly-cooked meat. A dirt road separates the home from another set of trees, but behind the house the Hellermanns and their guests are secluded, only

a few bothersome flies paying a visit during the meal. As the food gets eaten, conversation takes over. I like the solitude back here, says Peg. The quietness. I like to be able to do whatever you want to do and not worry about anyone else. As usual, Rick cooked more than enough meat. But the venison is tender and juicy, the chicken seasoned just right, and the cheddar brats a pure delight. When everyone is finished, the girls begin cleaning up the plates. Rick likes to cook and the girls get to do the dishes, says Peg with a smile. Its Ricks rule. As the girls head inside to clean up, Hellermann sits on his patio. A call from Monica inside asks if he would like some ice cream, and he does. Breanna appears from the sliding glass door with her own idea of dessert-a bag of Oreo cookies. My dad always said you have to top off a good meal with a little bit of sugar, says Rick, whose father passed away in 1992 of cancer. Its nearing the end of the night now, the mosquitoes ready to make their presence known. A steady wind has picked up and there is the smell of rain in the distance. The sun is setting, and it is here, at this moment where Rick Hellermann, his belly full of good food he himself pursued, killed and then grilled, is truly in a happy

e

N

HELLERMANN continued from page 18_______________________________________________________________________________________________

The Hellermanns love their little piece of heaven out in the country in rural Melrose. Pictured are (from left) Abby Hellermann, family friend Katelyn Becker, foreign exchange student Monica Da, Peg Hellermann and Rick Hellermann. At their feet is one of their three dogs, Sally.

place. He has a chocolate ice cream cone as he looks outover his 40 acres. Could it get any better? Whats not to enjoy about living out in thecountry? he says. Peace. Quiet. Solitude. The sun peaks through the treetops, shining rays of goldacross the rows of corn. This time of night right here, he says. This is the best. His

Country Acres Tab - July edition

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