CountryAcresOct.pdf

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A Supplement to the Mid-Minnesota Shopper Sunday, October 20, 2013 • Edition 10

CountryAcres

Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment

Happy harvestpage 8

Nietfeld hog farmpage 14

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

By LIZ VOSStaff writer

By BRYAN ZOLLMANStaff writer

A harvest for their hero

Thousands of pumpkins carry on the memory of one little boy

Albany-Carving pump-kins for Halloween was one of Nicholas Koenig’s favorite things to do. He looked on in adoration as his dad created faces and designs as unique and special as their relation-ship. Nicholas’ eyes sparkled with amazement, as the final touch, the candle, was lowered into the carved pumpkin, giv-ing it a magical orange glow. “Nicholas’ look of amaze-

ment when the project was complete is still vivid in my mind,” said his mom, Shannon Koenig. His love of Halloween stemmed from his interest in Disney’s Pirates of the Ca-ribbean movies, explained his dad, Erik Koenig. “Skeletons were a large part of the series and naturally, he linked them with Halloween,” Erik said. This year, two years af-ter losing his two-and-a-half-

PHOTO BY KOENIG FAMILYSix-month-old Nicholas Koenig carves his first pumpkin with his dad, Erik, in 2007.

HARVESTcontinued on page 4

DIRKEScontinued on page 6

PHOTOS BY BRYAN ZOLLMANJamie Dirkes sits in his duck blind on his 180-acre property in Osakis. Dirkes is an avid hunter and taxidermist who enjoys teaching children how to hunt.

A hunter at heartDirkes is passing on hunting

traditions to the next generation

Osakis-When most peo-ple go hunting they load up their pickup, fill their tank with gas, hit the highway and head north. But Jamie Dirkes simply walks out his back door. Just behind the Osakis home he shares with his moth-er, Sue, are rows of corn, tall trees, and a substantially-sized pond. The corn is great habitat for pheasants and deer, the woods for all kinds of crea-tures, and the pond for a wide variety of duck and geese. “That’s the nice thing about growing up out here,” said Dirkes. “You walk 30

yards out the back door and you are right in the thick of it.” Dirkes learned to hunt when he was 11. His father, Jerry, who passed away a de-cade ago, taught him the tricks of the trade, and he fell in love with it immediately. These days he bow hunts for deer four to five times a week and then duck hunts Fri-day through Sunday. He works in quality control during the day at Lind-Rite Precision Company in Osakis. But once he punches out, it’s usually off to the deer stand. Because he works four 10-to-12-hour days he gets Fridays off. That’s when he rises early and heads

Page 2 • Country Acres - October 20, 2013

Country BusinessPublished by Star

PublicationsCopyright 2013

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CountryAcres

By HERMAN LENSINGStaff writer

Mary SauererJulie Bogard Jennifer Komis Kevin Johnson Betty Fischer Jan HerzogAnita Borgerding

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Avon–A sure sign of au-tumn is the annual 4R Ranch Pumpkin Days three weekends in mid-October. For 14 years, LeRoy and Eileen Ritter have opened their farm, about three-and-a-half miles south of Avon, to guests. Those attending have a chance, rain or shine, to enjoy an afternoon of activities. “It started 14 years ago when we had a lot of pump-kins. We picked them all and had them for sale,” said Le-Roy. The next year they de-cided to encourage visitors to pick their own pumpkins. From that idea came the con-cept of various activities. Today, a horse and wagon

shuttle service brings people from a parking lot to the activ-ity area. Once there, visitors find games for children, with some of them challenging for even adults. A corn maze is cut into an 80-acre cornfield. “If you go through with-out hitting any dead ends, it’s a three-quarter-mile walk,” said LeRoy. “If you hit all the dead ends, it’s a three-mile walk.” Other activities include a petting zoo, where people can view farm animals close up, a hay bale maze for young-er children, a lunch counter, pony rides, games and a hay-ride through the woods. The latter features interesting char-acters. “Nothing really frighten-ing,” said LeRoy, “but there is a wolf and a witch.” There is also a pumpkin patch, where people can select their pumpkins for carving, decorating or baking. This

year, because of the spring and summer weather extremes, the pumpkins were smaller then usual, but visitors still appre-ciated the chance to pick their own.

4R Ran h

PHOTOS BY HERMAN LENSINGFor 14 years, LeRoy Ritter has greeted people as they attend Pumpkins Days at the 4R ranch.

Eileen Ritter checks the guest list from the day. They have kept the book for a number of years. In 2012 over 400 visited in one day.

A swamp monster appeared along the trail as visitors took a hayride.

Pumpkin Days Pumpkin Days usually attracts between 275 and 300 people each day. In 2012, there was one day with 450 guests. Visitors are not necessari-ly just local residents. “They come from Alex-andria, Glenwood, Melrose, St. Cloud, even some from Norway and Germany,” Eileen said, checking the guest regis-ter book. While LeRoy keeps tabs on outdoor activities, Eileen monitors events in a store, which also serves as a pick-up and drop-off point for wagon rides to the activities area. In-side, visitors can find home-made goods for sale, a guess-ing contest, the guest book and refreshments. A popular item on cooler days is hot choco-late. Pumpkins Days gives peo-ple a chance to enjoy an after-noon in rural central Minneso-ta. Eileen said putting it to-gether also shows another at-tribute of the area. “We couldn’t do it with-out the help of our friends and family,” she said. “They are a big help.

October 20, 2013 - Country Acres • Page 3

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year battle with leukemia, Nicholas’ love for pumpkins and Halloween has inspired a pumpkin patch to be grown in his honor on his grandfather’s farm south of Albany. The 1.25-acre plot has been aptly named Nicholas Paul’s Pirate Pumpkin Patch. The patch includes 1,100 feet of irrigation lines and has yielded an estimated 4,000 pumpkins this season. “With this year’s chal-lenging climate, it was import-ant that we had the irrigation system in place,” said Nicho-las’ grandfather, Bill Koenig. “Pumpkins demand a lot of water.” Bill and his wife, Cheri, have been checking on the patch nearly every day since the seeds were planted in June. “It was something we re-ally looked forward to,” said Cheri of the daily pumpkin patch checks. A purpose for the pumpkins Nicholas passed away peacefully on Aug. 16, 2011. Upon losing their son, Erik and Shannon decided to carry on his unmistakable love of life by creating a foundation in his memory. The NPK H.E.R.O. Foun-dation was formed, bringing together a committee of fam-ily and friends, eager to help others dealing with pediatric cancer. “H.E.R.O. stands for help and encouragement on rough oceans,” explained Shan-non. “Nicholas always gave encouragement even on his roughest days and we want to

HARVEST continued from front

Members of the NPK H.E.R.O. Foundation carefully spray and scrub a load of pumpkins. The pumpkins will be sold at this year’s Autumn HERO Festival on Oct. 25.

carry that on.” The foundation has estab-lished its primary fundraiser as the Autumn HERO Festival, which will be held at the end of October, annually. Along with Bill and Cheri’s careful watch over the patch, Erik and Shannon and the committee members of the foundation have stepped in to assist. Rock picking, planting and weekly weeding kept the committee of over 20 mem-bers busy. Hot days, mosqui-tos and busy schedules did not get in the way of a successful yield. “It never would have turned out this way without

the extra help,” said Cheri. “The fact that so many people are pouring their hearts into the success of the pump-kin patch gives me peace that Shannon and I are not alone,” said Erik. On a sunny afternoon in late September, the committee gathered to start the first round of the pumpkin harvest. They picked, washed and stored nearly 1,800 Connecticut field pumpkins along with squash, gourds and miniature pump-kins. “Our specialty pumpkins like blues, whites and super freaks will need a little more time,” explained Bill. As they work in the pump-

kin patch with their family and friends, Erik and Shannon think of their son often. “There are tears when I work in the patch,” said Shan-non. “But it reminds me that we are helping children and their families through their fight…a fight Erik and I know far too well.” They recall their son’s contagiously funny personal-ity and his love of life. Traits they carry on by smiling and laughing through the hard work demanded by the patch. Harvesting the pumpkins and connecting them with chil-dren and adults is a priceless transaction for the committee, who strive to keep prices low, so everyone can afford to en-joy pumpkins like Nicholas

did. This year’s Autumn HERO Festival will be held from 4 to 9 p.m., Friday, Oct. 25, at The Great Blue Her-on in Cold Spring. The event features dinner, live music, kids activities, a Jack Sparrow impersonator, a silent auction and more. “We find that people feel good about buying a pump-kin knowing it is for a good cause,” said Shannon. “That makes the foundation proud.” The tradition of pumpkin carving in the Koenig home still carries on year after year with Nicholas’ three-and-a-half-year-old sister Maggie, who, like Nicholas, loves to make people laugh. Seven-month-old Andrew,

PHOTOS BY LIZ VOSWill Vos (left) chats with his cousin, Maggie Koenig, about their miniature pumpkins and gourds.

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we can custom blend per your soil sample results.Shannon Koenig tosses a Connecticut field pumpkin to her husband, Erik, on Sept.

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whose smile beams like Nicholas’ did, will experience his first carving this Hal-loween. The 2013 harvest of nearly 4,000 pumpkins brings a sense of fun and pur-pose to the foundation and to the family as they remember their hero. “We would not be doing what we are doing without having had Nicholas,” said Erik.

Bill and Cheri Koenig tend to the remaining pumpkins in the 1.25-acre patch on their farm south of Albany.

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Jamie Dirkes likes to take his beagles, Norm and Dag, out into the woods where they track shed antlers.

When he isn’t hunting or working, Dirkes spends his time as a taxidermist, creating displays like the duck shown above.

to the duck blind. If he hears the pheasants cack-ling, he’ll grab his shot-gun and walk the corn-stalks. “It’s been a great year so far for ducks,” he said. “We’ve seen more ducks around here than we have in the last three years. When we get that strong northwest wind it kind of blows them this way from the Dakotas. But the pheasants are slow. I think the spring was hard on them so it will probably be a dismal year. But when the corn is cut it might be better.” Dirkes certainly knows a lot about wild-life habitat. He received an undergraduate degree in Wildlife Management from the University of Crookston, but af-ter graduating returned home and went to work at Lind-Rite. “I was looking at jobs and decided I didn’t want to work during hunting season,” he said. “But I still use my degree every day.” He has become somewhat of an expert on the woods, at least his woods. He rides his 4-wheeler through a self-made trail that leads him around the cornfield to his duck blind. On his way back, he checks his deer stand and his trail cameras, often switching out memory cards so he

can see what is lurking through his food plot when he is not there. When he isn’t hunt-ing or working, he does taxidermy work in his garage, putting the fin-ishing touches on a deer or pintail, or even a rac-coon or a fox. “I hung my shingle in 2002, but did my own stuff for years before that,” he said. Northern Redneck Taxidermy is a home-

based business. Inside his home, which sits on 180 acres, he has several deer mounted, including 140-inch 10-pointer that was his first bow kill. When asked where he got his prized buck, he said, “right out back.” His garage is full of shedded antlers he and his two beagles, Norm and Dag, discover in their walks through the woods. The home also features several birds

and a fox balancing on a log, looking as though it is on the prowl for food. He learned the trade from attending a 3-month class, and en-joys working with fellow hunters who appreciate their trophy kills. “I enjoy it when they pick their animals up and they just can’t take their eyes off it,” he said. “Or when a kid picks up his first duck. The smile on their face makes it all worth it.” A duck takes him 10 hours and a deer about six. He likes the detail involved in the duck work. “For all the trou-ble they are, they are the most rewarding,” he said. Dirkes said when he first started hunting he was gung-ho on limiting out. Then it was about the trophy kill. But after hunting for more than 30 years, the 41-year-old says today he enjoys the social aspect of hunting and getting together with friends on a yearly basis. He has been on trips to Nebraska to hunt mule deer and many trips to South Dakota to hunt pheasants. “It’s always been about outsmarting the animal,” he said. “To see the ‘oh crap’ look on their face.” He also enjoys pass-

ing on the hunting tra-dition to the next gen-eration. He teaches gun safety classes in Osakis and enjoys taking young kids hunting. “Every kid should take gun safety,” he said. “Even if they don’t plan on hunting.” On a recent morning he took the daughter of a co-worker to the duck blind where she shot her first duck. He is happy to see that 50 percent of those taking gun safe-ty courses in Osakis are girls. “There is so much crap in the world,” he said. “Hunting instills values the rest of the world needs to figure

out. I enjoy getting kids into it.” It is the same values that have helped shape him as a man ever since he went on that first trip with his dad when he was 11 years old. It is an appreciation for the land and the creatures that in-habit it. It’s a calling to a simpler time. “I enjoy the peace and quiet,” he said. “I can turn the phone off and just sit there with na-ture. It’s therapeutic.” And he only has to walk out his back door to find that perfect place. “I don’t have to trav-el far,” he said. “I defi-nitely live in the right place.”


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Melrose–Ask Chad Zirbes if he likes drinking wine, and he smiles. “We used to sit around and drink beer. Now we drink wine,” he said Sunday, Oct. 6, as he clipped a clump of pur-ple Marquette grapes from a vine – his and wife, Bobbi’s – vine. Four years ago, the Zirbeses planted 816 grape plants on 3 1⁄2 acres of land near their home northwest of Melrose. This year they har-vested their first crop. Seven rows of Marquette grapes were picked as a light mist turned into a heavy rain, but it didn’t dampen the spirits of pickers, who ranged in age from youngsters to the young at heart. Among the pickers were Bobbi and Chad, excit-ed to pick their first crop of grapes.

A happy harvestZirbeses pick first crop of grapes,

with help from family, friends

PHOTOS BY CAROL MOORMANNetting prevented birds from eating the grapes. Here, Mike Zirbes holds grapes he picked. Vonnie Zirbes hauls a container of grapes. “Last year the birds got our grapes, so this is our first year,” said Chad.

He explained the idea to grow grapes came from his sister, Paula Chapulis. “Chad had the farming knowledge and some of the equipment,” said Paula, also picking on this day. In 2007, Chad and his brother, Eric, were looking at buying land. Paula said the land would be perfect for growing grapes. “We laughed it off,” said Chad. But the grape-growing seed had been planted. “When the land purchase fell through, we thought ‘we have a couple of acres, so why not grow grapes here,’” said Chad. So what was once a Zirbes family farm, where Bobbi and Chad live, became a vineyard, giving Chad another way to work off the land, which he has always loved doing. Chad’s brother, Brian, graduated from Melrose High School with John Thull, who is the vineyard manager at

By CAROL MOORMANStaff writer

the University of Minnesota Horticultural Research Cen-ter. Thull and wife, Jenny, and his parents, Marian and Dick Thull, grow grapes on their property south of Melrose. Chad talked to John Thull, who shared his knowledge to help this new grape grower join what is becoming a grow-ing niche in Minnesota. Now Chad is doing the same with other grape growers who have questions. “The camaraderie be-tween grape growers is super,” said Chad, adding, “We appre-ciate all the help we got from the Thulls.” In fact, the camaraderie is such that the weekend be-fore the Zirbeses picked their grapes, they were at the Thulls’ helping them pick grapes – also with rain falling, at times heavily.

Grape growing While the Zirbeses are in their fourth year of grape growing, the Thulls are in their seventh year. “Half of the grape plants are seven years and the other half are six years. Your peak production plateaus out at about 10 years, so it’s cool to see how nice the grapes are setting on the vines,” said John Thull, adding, “It’s a lot of fun from planting to harvesting.” The Zirbeses are finding that out. In 2009 Chad and Bobbi planted grape plants by hand—Marquette, Fronte-nac Gris, Frontenac Blanc and LaCrescent. This year they planted another 1,500 plants. “It’s a nice variety,” said Chad. Raising grapes is a year-long process that includes pruning in January, February

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Chad and Bobbi Zirbes were excited to have this group of people picking their first crop of grapes on Sunday, Oct. 6. Picking were (standing from left) Brandon LeClaire, Butch Neussendorfer, Roger and Sommer Althaus, Doreen Wenker, Sara Luebesmier, Eric Zirbes, Mike Zirbes, John Neussendorfer, Joanie Tegals, Jordan Zirbes, Dick Tegals, Tanya Middendorf, Jason and Julie Rausch, Rebecca Zirbes, Kyle Kampa, Vonnie Zirbes, Vinnie Zirbes, Austin Pundsack, Kathy Imdieke and Jacob Lebens; (kneeling) Paula Chapulis, Jada Rausch and Chad and Bobbi Zirbes.


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Chad Zirbes (right) and Jason Rausch check out a clump of grapes, making sure it’s ok to harvest.

Kyle Kampa found kneeling worked well to pick the grapes, which hung on the vines.

Camaraderie is a common occurrence for grape growers. Bobbi Zirbes picked grapes at the Thull vineyard the weekend before the Zirbeses harvested their grapes.

Marian Thull and daughter-in-law Jenny Thull made sangria on Sept. 28 for their wine pickers. Jenny holds her and husband John’s son Mason.

and March. Last fall, they were anxious to pick their first grapes, but birds dam-aged the fruit and there was no harvesting. To ensure that didn’t happen again, they put netting on the plants. This year, purple clumps of grapes hung from the vines.

Grape picking A crew of family and friends arrived before 9 a.m. on Oct. 6, when picking of Marquette grapes started. Bright yellow containers were placed in rows for pick-ers to place grapes. Chad explained how to pick the grapes and what to look for, includ-ing bugs. “We look for quality not quantity,” said Chad. With grape leaves thick on the plants, all that could often be seen were the legs of the grape pickers, with voices of those visiting indicat-ing where they were in the grape patch. Pickers were served chili, which helped warm them up on this rain-soaking day. Grape harvesting is a dream come true for the Zirbeses. “It’s been four years of a lot of work, and it’s taken a lot of volunteers, which we really appreci-ate,” said Chad. The grape picking had to be completed by early evening so that Chad could deliver their product to Carlos Creek Winery, where their grapes will be processed into wine. Chad and Bobbi planned to do a toast once all the grapes were picked. Learning what he has about grape growing has given Chad a better appreciation for the art of wine drinking. “I’ve never been much of a wine drinker,” said Chad, smiling. “But I am now.”


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While “farming” and “Superbowl” are not usu-ally words paired togeth-er in a typical conversa-tion, Doug Kerfeld can put them together while describing his family’s 110-cow dairy farm in rural Albany. Kerfeld’s haylage entry in the World For-age Analysis Superbowl brought home the ti-tle of “Grand Champi-on Forage Producer” due to its high “milk per ton” rating of 3,957 pounds. This Superbowl competition took place during the 2013 World

PHOTOS BY RANDY OLSONDoug Kerfeld holds a mock check presented to him after his haylage entry won Grand Champion honors in a World Dairy Expo competition on Oct. 1.

The Kerfelds use four silos plus a few plastic ag bags to store silage and haylage for use through the winter and following summer months.

By RANDY OLSONStaff writer

Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis., on Oct. 2 and was sponsored by Mycogen Seeds. Dairy samples were judged on lab analysis (60 percent), visual judg-ing (30 percent), and cal-culated milk per ton (10 percent). Visual judging consists of analyzing the color, texture, maturity and leafiness, depending on the category. Dairy-land Laboratories, locat-ed in DePere, Wis., test-ed the samples. Doug and his wife, Sandy, were presented a $2,500 check for the win as recognition for being part of the top-quality forage entries in the an-nual contest. Producers submitted 321 entries in seven forage categories from 17 states. Haylage is derived from the legume crop of alfalfa, used mostly by the dairy industry as a feed stock. The variety grown by Kerfeld for the competition was N Dairyland 2420 and had a stellar relative forage

quality (RFQ) rating of 298. The RFQ is a new industry measurement to measure alfalfa quality, replacing Relative Feed Value (RFV), which was a good tool in ranking forages for sale, invento-rying or assigning forage to animal groups accord-ing to their quality needs,

as stated in the Hoard’s Dairyman. RFQ is calculated from neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and fiber digestibility known spe-cifically as neutral de-tergent fiber digestibility (NDFD). The RFQ value estimates energy content for grass-legume mix-es using the summative


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Kerfeld Dairy wins “Superbowl” competition

Youngstock have a variety of feed sources on the Kerfeld farm, ranging from silage or haylage (shown) to large square alfalfa hay, mixed ration feed as well as three different pastures.

PHOTO SUBMITTEDThe Kerfeld family gathered in a stand of alfalfa hay (back from left): Leo Kerfeld, Cody Kerfeld, Brittany Kerfeld, Doug Kerfeld, Sandy Kerfeld, Darrin Fussy (Tiffiny’s boyfriend), Tiffiny Kerfeld. In front is Haley Kerfeld.

equations for total di-gestible nutrients recom-mended by the National Research Council. The next-highest scored alfalfa in the for-age Superbowl had an RFQ of 275. Kerfeld also submit-ted to the competition in 2011 and finished in sixth place. While his seed sup-plier and nutritionist both begged him to at-tend the World Dairy Expo this year, Kerfeld commented that the tim-ing was difficult. “We were right in the middle of getting our soybeans out, and the late growing season pushed back corn silage harvest as well,” he said. “After the competi-tion was over, my seed dealer called and told me I won as Grand Cham-pion. I thought he was pulling a prank.” When a woman representing the World Dairy Expo called to talk to him, it sunk in that the win was for real. “It’s a nice hon-or. Just as any farmer

would, I know our cows and the milk they pro-duce is only as good as what we feed them,” he added. In a typical year the Kerfelds raise 65 to 69 acres of alfalfa, but in-stead of seeding 25 acres of new alfalfa this spring they planted 46 acres. “We’ll be up to 115 acres of alfalfa next year. The high hay price is too good to ignore. Right now it is worth more than double what corn brings.” Kerfeld admits that having alfalfa as a cash crop is a big gamble, be-cause the threat of rain and cool weather during hay harvest time can dra-matically cut into quality and consequently profits. Crop farmers are seeing the value of corn vary-ing widely throughout a year, as its most recent price hovers around $4 a bushel compared to around $7 just a year ago. No two dairy farm-ers raise or harvest al-falfa in exactly the same fashion, but Kerfeld

places a high emphasis on how he seeds, raises and harvests new alfalfa. It starts with the nurse crop, with a seeding of oats or barley along with the alfalfa to prevent erosion and provide a cover as the young alfal-fa plants grow. Kerfeld seeds be-tween three-quarters to one bushel of barley per acre. “I generally plant a nurse crop with my alfal-fa that has only one-third the population as what most do. I figure, why rob the alfalfa?” he said. Once the barley is heading out at maturi-ty, Kerfeld cuts it off for heifer feed. A sec-ond crop is harvested off the new seeding, by then mostly alfalfa, by mid-August as the third crop of alfalfa is put up. The alfalfa fields stand for four years in Kerfeld’s crop rotation, including the first year of new seeding. This ro-tation has worked best with his dairy herd’s need for corn and corn silage.

“By plowing the al-falfa after three full years of haying it, I get the most bang nitrogen-wise for my corn.” As a legume, alfalfa takes nitrogen out of the air and deposits it in the soil through its root sys-tem. Beyond that, much of the corn’s need for nutrients is satisfied by the dairy cow manure pit. His corn ground gets an application of 15,000 gallons per acre from the pit. The great amount of work done every day on the Kerfeld farm is split up between Kerfeld, his wife, their five children and hired man of 12 years, Loren Sabrowsky. The Kerfeld’s old-est, Tiffiny, is now in college, but her two younger brothers and two younger sisters have plenty to keep busy with on the farm.

Leo is a junior, Cody is a sophomore, Brittany is 12 years old and Haley is nine. “Half the work on this farm wouldn’t get done without our kids’ help,” he noted. The success of the Kerfeld farm relies on

both their hard work as well as the know-how to produce high-quality feed for their cattle. “For a farmer to get a thick, rich stand of al-falfa, it’s an art. This sys-tem has worked best for us through the years,” he concluded.


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The craziness of the fall harvest is in full swing, and so are the hitters on local volley-ball teams. As the leaves turn, it reminds me of the days when my five daugh-ters played vol-leyball. Farming and volleyball went hand in hand, although it’s more accurate to say that one hand didn’t always care for what the other was doing. When my oldest daughter, Melissa, got her farm permit, it was like having an extra hand around to help. (It was also the time when I started saying lots of prayers for kids on the road.) She may not have been on true farm er-rands, but without that permit, I couldn’t get everything done. Before that, with daughters in seventh, eighth and ninth grade and all in volley-ball, there was never a moment to spare. I re-member many, many ag-onizing minutes sitting in the parking lot outside the school waiting for

by Diane Schmiesing

Crazy days of fall

PHOTO SUBMITTEDBalancing volleyball and the fall harvest was always a challenge, but well worth it. And it didn’t end with high school. Above, five of us at a tournament at Concordia College in Moorhead in 2002, where Danielle played for four years. Shanna played at UND in Grand Forks for one year before becoming an assistant coach there. From left: daughters Melissa (22 at the time, a senior at Moorhead State University), Shanna (14 – 8th grade), Danielle (19 – sophomore at Concordia)and Melanie Schmiesing (16 – junior), with me on the right. My other daughter, Amy Schmiesing (20 – 2nd year, St. Cloud Tech), was unable to attend the event.

the kids to get done with practice.

With practice scheduled to be over at 5:00, I’d leave home at 4:45, with sup-per as ready as possible, hoping they’d get out on time. Sitting there waiting for them to come out, by 5:15 I’d

be thinking, “there goes

that little extra I planned to do for supper.” By 5:30 it was “there goes eating supper togeth-er”… by 5:45 it was “there goes supper...and now I’m going to be late for milking,” with pres-sure and anxiety building by the minute. It wasn’t like that every day, but often enough. And as the girls got different sched-ules, it was even more interesting. One week I

counted 27 trips to town – a half-hour round trip – not counting waiting or errands. When it came to ju-nior high games, I often missed them altogether, or watched as much as I could and raced home, coming back later to pick them up. Away games were not even an option. To be honest, in those first years, I hadn’t real-ized there were actually

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parents that went to all of their kids’ games. Not coming from a sports family, it was all new to me. I’m so sorry, Melissa and Amy! Once I knew that, it was even hard-er to not be there. I was a little envious of those parents to say the least. But with no outside hired help, what comes first – farming or sports? You guessed it. And I totally understand that. As the years went by and the younger three daughters – Danielle, Melanie and Shanna – played varsity, there was a new dairy built on the farm, with staff on hand to do most of the milking. It was infinitely easier to get to games, though not always. I clearly re-member one year when there was a big game at our rival, Albany. Try as I might, I could not get anyone to take the evening milking shift for me. I also couldn’t get the game to come in on the radio in the par-lor. After an agonizing evening, I found out we won it in five games, and Danielle had 21 kills. I’ve regretted missing that game ever since. Fall harvest takes on a whole new meaning for farmers with kids in sports. There’s always a balancing act with kids, cows, chopping corn and combining beans, or whatever it is you do

– and it doesn’t always balance just right. It’s not really unique to farming, either. There are plenty of you who live in the country farther away from the action. Or work those hours when your kids are involved in games. During the years when my kids were in sports, there was nothing I’d rather be doing than watching them play. But you learn to do your best and take things in stride. And you realize it’s im-portant, but after all, it’s “just a game.” After a tough, sea-son-ending playoff loss during Shanna’s junior year, I almost didn’t want to go home. She was so competitive I thought she’d be devastated. She beat me home that night, and had already put it in perspective. When I walked in she was sitting with her feet up on the counter. “How do you like my new basketball shoes?” she said. You’re sad when it’s over, and then you move on, whether it’s basket-ball the next Monday or something else. Sports were always, always in opposition to farming, but to me the balancing act was worth the effort. I hope you have the time to enjoy it all, and remember to be safe!

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Nietfelds have grown to love raising hogs

Lake Henry operation raises hogs from farrow to finishBy BRYAN ZOLLMAN

Staff writer

Lake Henry-Steve Nietfeld was just a ninth grader in high school when he started to take care of pigs on the family farm, located just west of Lake Henry on County Road 19. Now, almost 40 years later, he is still at it. Steve, 54, grew up on a dairy farm with his parents, Ray and Rita, who also live on the same 480-acre farm (and rent 200 acres) in a separate home. He had three siblings, but he was the one who stuck with the farm life. “I had about 20 sows when I first started,” he said on a recent rainy Monday morning while sitting at the kitchen table with his wife, Claudette (Brunner). “Dad took care of the cows and I took care of the hogs.” Claudette, 48, is also a second-gen-eration farmer, having grown up on her family’s dairy farm in Belgrade. But even though both grew up on dairy farms, they have developed a special love for farming hogs. “I just like pigs better,” said Clau-dette. “Maybe it’s because they don’t need to be milked at the same time twice a day. That always allowed me to go to the kids’ sporting events.” Steve and Claudette are parents to Aaron (28) , Kristi (26), Cory (25) and Nathan (23). All of them were standout high school athletes in the Paynesville School District. Like Claudette, Steve prefers to work with pigs as well. “Growing up, Dad had a few hogs and I just liked them better than the cows,” he said. “I could work with pigs all day.” By the time Claudette and Steve were married, Steve was up to a 40-hog operation. These days their hogs num-ber 275 and he raises them from farrow to finish (birth to slaughter-size). Hogs have a high reproduction rate and the Nietfelds have two farrowing barns with a total of 55 crates. This is where the newborn pigs (piglets) are born and spend their first 28 days with their mother. Shortly after birth, Clau-

PHOTOS BY BRYAN ZOLLMANSteve Nietfeld holds a baby pig in the nursery barn where the piglets go after they are weaned from their mother. Steve and Claudette raise about 275 hogs from farrow to finish on their 480-acre farm just west of Lake Henry.

dette clips the tails and teeth and at one week old, Steve castrates them. Then they are weaned from their mother and moved to a nursery barn, where they are fed by self-feeders until they are moved to finishing barns, where they grow to the ideal size of between 260-300 pounds. “Anything under 260 or over 300 we get docked by the processor,” said Steve. It takes pigs only six months to ma-ture to 270 pounds. About 200 pounds is processed into meat (ham, bacon, pork chops, etc.) and 70 of it is waste. Hog farmers currently receive approxi-mately 92 cents per pound of processed meat. Steve said the reason processers don’t like hogs over 300 pounds is because they prefer to keep a uniform size of chops and other items in the grocery stores. “Sometimes you have to ship a hog

a bit earlier than their ideal weight,” Steve explained. “When you put them in split pens they fight until they deter-mine their pecking order and they may kill one. So those that may be killed are shipped out earlier, otherwise you lose out on a pig.” While the hogs grown for slaugh-ter reach up to 300 pounds, sows used for breeding often grow to 600 pounds and usually produce an average of 10 litters before they are marketed. The sows are kept in gestation stalls until they are ready to be moved to the far-rowing crate, where they give birth and nurse their young. The average gesta-tion period is about four months. “They say three months, three weeks and three days,” said Claudette. “But I just say four months.” Each litter averages about a dozen piglets, meaning most sows average over 100 baby pigs in their life span. “Our biggest litter was 21,” said

Claudette, “But we have had some that only have two or three.” Most of the hogs in the operation are white, but Claudette wanted to add some color and bought some different breeds that are dark brown and black. Steve said even the darker hogs will produce mostly white pigs, which is good because white is what the pro-cessing plants prefer. Sometimes the Nietfelds must split up the larger litter in order to help the piglets survive. It’s because a mother can only handle feeding so many and sometimes will inadvertently lay on her young and smother them to death. By moving them to different crates, survival increases. The process is called cross-foster-ing and is a common farming practice where offspring are moved from bio-logical parents to surrogates. “If we don’t cross foster them, about half of them would die in those bigger litters,” Steve said. The Nietfelds pen breed their hogs and move them to the farrowing crates about three to four days before far-rowing. They use Yorkshire/Landrace sows for breeding and Duroc Boars. When the females are in heat they lock up and let the boars do the work. Once weaned from their mother, hogs are fed a mix of soybean meal and corn. The gestation sows are fed once a day and the farrowing crates re-ceive food twice a day. The finishing barns are self-fed through an automatic feeder that is filled manually with corn grown from 450 of the 480 acres of their farm. But they still need to buy some feed from outside sources. Like all livestock farmers, the drop in the corn prices has helped them run a more profitable operation. “The grain farmer wants higher prices, but the cattle industry wants lower corn prices,” said Steve. “I know a lot of dairy farmers who quit milking cows because they could make more money off corn than milk.” Growing their own feed helps them keep production costs at a minimum. They also grow alfalfa and oats. Once the hogs are ready to be


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Lake Henry operation raises hogs from farrow to finish

When the sows are pregnant, they spend their time in the gestation barn. They are placed in gestation stalls (“G” stalls) until three or four days before they are ready to give birth. Then they are moved to farrowing crates. Many of the sows grow to be 600 pounds.

Hogs grow to between 270-300 pounds before they are sent off to market. Sows that produce multiple litters sometimes grow up to 600 pounds.

shipped, they go to a John Morrell packing plant. The Nietfelds also send some hogs to Pep’s Pork and the Bel-grade Meat Center for processing for their own consumption. One of the biggest challenges the Nietfelds face is dealing with extreme heat. Because hogs can’t sweat, they must release body heat through their mouths. When temperatures climb, the hogs must be kept cool through the use of high-powered fans in the barns. Some of the hogs are let into outdoor pens where they can roam freely. “It can be dangerous when the temperature gets high,” said Steve. “Especially with the sows.” The Nietfelds ship about 100 hogs a week and produce about the same amount through breeding. Right now they are at capacity and don’t plan on expanding the operation. That would be up to their kids. Aaron is a full-time farmer on the Nietfeld farm, concentrating solely on the dairy operation. He gets help with morning chores from his grandpa, Ray. Kristi works at St. Cloud State Univer-sity but comes home on the weekends to drive tractor. Cory works at Prairie Lakes Coop in Elrosa, but helps with morning and evening chores when he’s not working. Nathan just finished col-lege, is working now as a landscaper in Willmar and also helps on the farm when he’s not working. Steve and Claudette have enjoyed growing their hog operation from a modest 20 hogs when he was 15 to its

current capacity of 275. They both en-joy the farm life they grew up living. “It’s nice to be your own boss,” he said. “The harder you work, the more successful you can be. In farming, you have a choice.” Steve said he doesn’t plan on slow-ing down anytime soon. When he does, he wants to enjoy his other favorite pastime. “It will get passed down to the boys,” he said. “Then I can do more hunting in the fall.”

Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Pork Chops and Potatoes

Claudette Nietfeld’s Favorite Pork Chop Recipe

4-6 pork chops 6-8 medium potatoes, cut into large pieces2 cans fat-free cream of chicken soup2 packages dry Ranch dressing mix 1 cup milk Spray your slow cooker with non-stick spray and put the potatoes on the bottom. Place the pork chops on top of the potatoes. Mix together the condensed soups, Ranch dressing mix and milk. Pour on top of the pork chops and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 4 hours. Use the extra sauce in the slow cooker as gravy for the potatoes and the pork chops. Sprinkle with dried parsley if you would like.


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Tim Schaefer, ElrosaElrosa Grain and Feed, Inc.Manager, 34 years of experience.How many soybeans have been harvested in your area? 85 percentWhat are the variations you’ve seen in moisture and bushels per acre?From the low 30s to the upper 40s. Have you tested any corn? What was the moisture content? Yes, 18-35 percent.Tell us about the most unique harvest you remember. The 2012 harvest, when most of the beans came in within about 5 days, plus it was an excellent yield.What do you enjoy most about the harvest? Seeing the smiling faces of the producers when the yields are good.Tell us about your business. We do buying and selling of grains, grinding of

feed and protein mixes, grain storage and grain banking of grains.

Brian Miller, Sauk CentreCentral Grain, Inc.Owner of Central Grain for 9 years, with 20-plus years of marketing experience.How many soybeans have been harvested in your area? 30 percent beans harvested – however some are done and some have not started. We are seeing 11-17 percent moisture and 20-50 bu/ac. Have you tested any corn? What was the moisture content? We have received new crop corn and are seeing 17-29 percent moisture.Tell us about the most unique harvest you remember. Last year was historical. With near record yields, phenomenal price and fantastic weather it will probably never be seen again in my lifetime.What do you enjoy most about the harvest? The rush of getting producers in

and out and back in the field as fast as possible, increasing farmers’ productivity is our goal.Tell us about your business. We are an ADM-affiliated full service elevator specializing in buying and selling corn, soybeans and wheat. We also offer transportation, drying and storage contracts. With our full line of trucks, we have the ability for on farm pickup and delivery and transporting feed and fertilizer products in the five-state area. With our team’s agriculture and transportation background we continue to grow and become more efficient to meet our customers’ daily needs.

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Nicholas Smeby, Long PrairieCHS Prairie Lakes CoopAgronomy Account Advisor for 5 years.How many soybeans have been harvested in your area? Maybe 25 percent complete.What are the variations you’ve seen in moisture and bushels per acre? Moistures have been adequate considering the weather we have experienced. For the most part, moisture has been under 13 percent but some up to 15 percent. Yields are also all over. Less than 10 bu. on lighter ground and over 50 on better fields. We have seen a lot of variability.Have you tested any corn? What was the moisture content? Corn has been pretty wet for the most part. We have seen a lot of samples around 30 percent moisture. Some of the early planted corn

is dry but has a light test weight.What do you enjoy most about the harvest? Harvest is the favorite time for a lot of farmers. It is fun to see the looks of accomplishment and satisfaction when they bring in their crop. Tell us about your business. We are a CHS service center and operate in agronomy with seed, fertilizer, chemical and Precision Ag. We just built a new grain facility this past year and moved a propane tank to Long Prairie. We have a complete energy department with propane, fuel and lubes. We also offer financing for input needs, crop insurance and have a heavy hardware department that builds Sukup bins and services dryers. Our locations are in Park Rapids, Long Prairie, Elrosa, Glenwood, Starbuck, Hoffman, Cyrus and Lowry.

Chris Ellering, GreenwaldGreenwald ElevatorCEO for 35 years.How many soybeans have been harvested in your area? Around 50 percentWhat are the variations you’ve seen in moisture and bushels per acre? Moisture range 11-14 percent. Yield range 18-50 with most in the 28-35 rangeHave you tested any corn? What was the moisture content? Moisture range 18-28 percent. Projected yield 125-135 averageTell us about the most unique harvest you remember. The year 2009, we dried corn throughout the whole winter. We dried from October to March. I have never had the drier running that long.What do you enjoy most about the

harvest? The smell of new corn and nice fall days.Tell us about your business. We purchase grain for feed production with our focus on dairy, swine and turkeys. Our staff aids in the planning of next year’s crops and forages with specialized genetic traits of seeds and soil management.

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St. Anthony-Saturday evenings were special for Ger-tie (Poxleitner) Cremers and her eight siblings as they grew up in the country in the 1920s; Saturday night was bath night. “We brought bars of soap and fresh clothes down to the river,” said Cremers, who now lives in St. Anthony. The river was a hundred feet away from the house, which was in rural Pittsville, Wis. Even in the cold of win-ter, the river continued to flow and they continued their bath-ing ritual. On the coldest winter days, the family would bring water from the river up to the house and heat it, explained Cremers. Although Cremers, who is now 92 years old, moved to central Minnesota at the age of six, some of her fondest mem-ories remain a state away. “There was no running water so we needed to make

By LIZ VOSStaff writer

Kids in the country

Gertie Cremers looks back fondly on life in the country with her siblings

Cherished memories from years past

do with what we had,” she said. The Poxleitner family kept a vast garden, canning fruits and vegetables, and butchered hogs and chickens for as long as Cremers could recall. “My mother made butter and deli-cious cottage cheese,” she said. “We ate what we grew and we knew what hard work was.” Cremers attributes her great appreciation for what she has to her life growing up in the coun-try.

“I have so many wonderful memories of those days,” she said. Besides their baths in the river, Cremers also looks back fondly on the rides she and sib-lings would take on their horse, Mud. “Mud was so tame, other-wise our parents wouldn’t have let us ride like that,” Cremers explained. “They would set us all up on the big horse and my brother, John, held the reigns.” The horse rides were com-mon and the children would

hold onto each other as Mud trotted down to the river, back to the house and around the sheds on the property in Pitts-ville. “That horse was enormous but we really enjoyed that time together,” said Cremers. Life on the countryside

of Wisconsin eventually tran-sitioned to Stearns County, where the nine siblings con-tinued to enjoy life on what is now Groetsch Dairy, north of Albany. “Those were good times,” she said with a smile. “We had such fun.”

PHOTO SUBMITTEDSitting atop their horse named “Mud” in 1922, the Poxleitner children hold on tight to each other. Pictured are: John (from left), Gertie, Mary, Theresa, Joseph, Cecelia and Raymond.

PHOTO BY LIZ VOSGertie Cremers sits in her dining room at her home in St. Anthony on Oct. 15. At age 92, Cremers treasures the memories she has of growing up in the country.


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“Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you’re a thousand miles from the corn field.”

~Dwight D. Eisenhower

PHOTOS BY RANDY OLSONOn Oct. 10, Tom Herdering rolls up a final cutting of hay on his brother and sister-in-law, Steve and Pam Herdering’s, farm, North Oak Dairy in Freeport.

Dave Roering is shown chisel-plowing down dairy manure applied to his land in Freeport on Oct. 10.

Jackson Zenzen delivers another load of corn to run in the bin at his parents’, Jeff and Sandy Zenzen, dairy farm on Oct. 11 near Padua.

Paul Heinen of Spring Hill waits with the grain cart as Dustin Frieler of Greenwald unloads a hopper of corn on Oct. 16. The two were working on land operated by Spring Water Acres farm near Spring Hill. Farmers across the region were idled for days prior to that due to over two inches of rain falling in random rain showers. Although field conditions aren’t great after the rain, farmers generally don’t have time to wait for “great”.

Harvesting, haying and plowing...oh my


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Hunting season has started and hunt-ers and their faithful canine partners are in the field. This is a good time to discuss three causes of ca-nine collapse while working that occur in young, otherwise healthy, dogs. They are Exercise Induced Collapse (EIC), Hunt-ing Dog Hypoglyce-mia and Heatstroke. EIC is a genetic disease which was pre-viously thought to occur only in certain field trial lines of labrador retrievers. Now, thanks to genetic testing done at the University of Minnesota Veterinary College, this genetic mutation has been found widely in many lines of labs and other breeds, including Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, German Wirehaired Pointers, and many non-hunting breeds. First symptoms are usually seen in dogs five months to three years old who have very excitable temperaments. These dogs tolerate mild to moderate exercise, but within 5-20 minutes of intense exer-cise, especially with a lot of excitement, their hind legs become weak and they have trouble walking. This weakness can advance to all four legs with total collapse. A small number of dogs (under five percent) have progressed to seizures and death during an episode. Most dogs remain mentally alert, but about 10-25 percent appear confused. These dogs usually recover completely with rest within 5-25 minutes. Increased ambient temperature and humidity may increase the chance of collapse. As they age, these dogs seem to have fewer episodes

– possibly because they get less excited while working. There is no cure. Avoid-ing intense exercise and minimizing ex-citement are the only reliable ways to manage this disease. Nutritional supple-ments have been tried and there is some evidence that low doses of phenobarbi-tal may help (possibly by decreasing ex-citement). If you think your dog may be affected or you want to do genetic test-ing before breeding, you should talk to your veterinarian. Affected dogs should not be bred. Hunting Dog Hypoglycemia is when blood sugar levels fall below about 50 in a dog while it is working. This also happens more often in young, excitable dogs early in training when they lack sufficient conditioning. They may wear themselves out with excitement just on the truck ride to the hunt. As they work, their body’s demand for energy (glucose/sugar) exceeds the ability of their liver to convert stores of glycogen to glucose and the blood sugar levels drop. The dog will at first just seem tired. Tired progresses to weak and wobbly, then to trembling and can finally end in seizures, coma, and death. At the wobbly stage, it is im-portant to stop all activity and get some sugar in them. If they can still swallow, you can feed them a small amount. There are many energy bars and supplements that can be mixed in water on the market for hunting dogs. If they are too weak or unresponsive to swallow, sugar can be absorbed across their gums. Common items such as corn syrup, honey or fruit juice can be rubbed all over their gums to raise their blood sugar, but be careful to prevent these from pooling in the back of their throat causing choking. Once they

are more alert, feed them a small snack. If an episode of hypoglycemia oc-curs, hunting should be stopped for the day and the dog evaluated by a veteri-narian. To prevent low blood sugar epi-sodes, especially if they have had a prob-lem in the past, feed your dog a moderate meal a few hours before the hunt and of-fer small snacks every 3-5 hours during a hunt. Never feed a dog a heavy meal just before a hunt as this may cause bloating. Finally, heat stroke can cause an otherwise healthy, young dog to collapse while hunting. Most of our hunting breeds are very high energy dogs and absolute-ly love what they do. Because of this, they will often push beyond their limits and literally hunt themselves to death. With heat stroke, they may collapse with heavy panting, excessive drooling and have bright cherry red gums. You may see evidence of spontaneous bleeding in their saliva, vomit or as tiny bruises. Rectal temperatures will be above 105 degrees, though this can be seen in dogs working hard that are not experiencing heat stroke. You want to move your dog

to a cooler area and use cool water – not ice – in the armpits, groin and belly area to start lowering their body temperature. Ice will constrict the blood vessels at the surface of the skin and trap heat in the body rather than allowing the cooler blood to circulate. Stop cooling efforts when the rectal temperature is about 103 degrees as over-cooling can cause more complications. Always take a dog that has experienced heat stroke to a veteri-narian immediately after cooling. Unlike the other two conditions men-tioned above, where early intervention usually leads to complete recovery, very serious and even deadly consequences can occur after heat stroke even after the body temperature is returned to nor-mal. To prevent heat stroke, offer small amounts of water and rest throughout the hunt. Also consider limiting the duration of the hunt if ambient temperatures and humidity are higher than normal, espe-cially if there has been a sudden increase in temperatures after cooler weather.

by Wendy Womack, DVM

I’ve fallen and I can’t get up


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Schlenner Wenner & Co., is a regional independent CPA fi rm dedicated to serving clients with profes-sionalism and integrity. Th e fi rm’s professional staff ’s attention to detail and personal touch promote excellent working relationships with their clients. Schlenner Wenner & Co., a member of the McGladrey Alliance, has a signifi cant presence in Central Minnesota by maintaining offi ces in St. Cloud, Albany, Little Falls, Monticello and Maple Lake. Th e fi rm focuses on serving accounting, tax, payroll, QuickBooks, and business consulting needs of their business, individual, not-for-profi t, and governmental clients. Th e fi rm has been providing high quality, value-added professional services since 1964 to St. Cloud and the surrounding areas. Schlenner Wenner & Co. currently has 10 partners and 50 employees, including 27 Certifi ed Public Accountants. Th is allows them to off er a broad range of services to their clients. Industries served include agriculture, construction, transportation, telecommunications, retailers, wholesalers, printing, government agencies, dealerships, not-for-profi t organizations and manufacturing. Th e partners of the fi rm are Jim Schlenner, Mike Wenner, Bob Hengel, Steve Schueller, Molly Th ompson, Pat Plamann, Brian Bastian, Brian Mackinac, Cory Ritter and Bill Buckentine. Schlenner Wenner & Co. has local offi ces at 115 6th St. in Albany; 109 E Broadway in Little Falls; and 630 Roosevelt Rd. in St. Cloud.

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An Independently Owned Member, McGladrey Alliance

(From left) Aaron Smith, Trese Willenbring, Jamie Marien & Bob Hengel.

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The Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) is partnering with the University of Minnesota Extension to bring you a captivating Cover Crops Field Day on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 1 p.m., near Roscoe. Cover crops are a great tool that growers can utilize to pro-tect and enhance their most valuable resource – productive soil. This is a unique opportunity to learn about the benefits and chal-lenges of cover crops. The field day will exhibit six different cover crop cocktail mixes and four different seeding methods of cereal rye. A soil pit will offer a rare look into soil structure and root growth. Experienced soil and cover crop experts will discuss cover crop spe-cies, benefits and seeding rates (Shannon Osborne, ARS and Jill Sackett, UMN Extension), soil health (Jodi DeJong-Hughes, UMN Extension), government assistance programs (Dave Rose, NRCS) and the challeng-es of growing late season cover crops (Dan Ley, dairy farmer). A wide range of cover crops will be displayed, and include purple top turnip, oilseed radish, forage peas, three types of vetch, red clover, buckwheat, lentils, millet, annual and cereal ryegrass, oats and flax. The field day is located four miles west of Richmond or 1 mile east of Roscoe on Hwy. 23. For more information, call or email Brad Wenz with the Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District at 320-251-7800 extension 0, or [email protected].

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Stearns County Cover Crop Field Day

Cover crops seeded following corn silage harvest, photographed Oct. 4, 2013.


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In this moment ...

Tator Tot Taco Bake1 lb ground beef1 small onion (diced)1 garlic clove (minced)1 small can black olives (sliced)1 (1 oz.) package taco seasoning mix1 (16 oz.) bag frozen corn1 (4 oz.) can green chilies (diced and drained)1 (12 oz.) can black beans (drained and rinsed)1 (16 oz.) bag shredded Mexican cheese blend1 (16 oz.) package frozen tater tots1 (10.5 oz) can enchilada sauce

Preheat the oven to 375º. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Heat a skillet to medium high heat. Add ground beef, garlic and onion and cook while breaking the meat apart with a spoon or spatula until the ground beef is completely browned. Drain off any excess fat. Add taco seasoning mix, green chilies, frozen corn and black beans to the ground beef. Cook until heated through. In a large bowl, combine ground beef mixture, 3/4 of the Mexican cheese blend and all of the tater tots. Stir well to combine. Pour about 1/3 of the enchila-da sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Add the tater tot mixture to the baking dish and lightly pat the mixture down into a solid, even layer. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the tater tots. Place into the oven and bake at 375º for 40 minutes. During the last few min-utes of baking, top the casserole with the remaining Mexican cheese blend and the sliced black olives. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Lemon Squares1 cup all-purpose flour1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. chopped pecans, divided8 Tbsp. (1 stick) butter, softened1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened1 cup confectioners’ sugar1 (8 oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided2 (3.4 oz.) packages lemon instant pudding mix2 2/3 cups milk

Preheat the oven to 375º. Combine flour, 1/2 cup pecans and butter in a medi-um bowl and mix well. Press onto the bottom of an 11 x 8-inch baking dish. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Let stand to cool. Place cream cheese in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer set at medium speed until fluffy. Add confectioners’ sugar and beat until mixture is light and fluffy. Add 1 cup whipped topping to cream cheese mixture and fold in gently. Spread over cooled crust. Combine pudding mix and milk in a medium bowl. Beat until thickened. Spread on top of cream cheese layer. Top with the remaining whipped topping. Sprinkle with remaining pecans. Chill, covered, for 1 hour. Store any leftovers in

Recipes Submitted bySharon SeilerC

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ARNOLD’S OF KIMBALL, INC.701 STATE HIGHWAY 55 EASTPO BOX 388KIMBALL, MN 55353320-398-3800www.arnoldsinc.com

Kimball320-398-3800

Willmar320-235-4898

Glencoe320-864-5531

St. Martin320-548-3285

No. Mankato507-387-5515

Alden507-874-3400

Pumpkin Cake1 box yellow cake mix (DO NOT follow box instructions–just mix as instructed in this recipe)1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk1 (8 oz.) tub cool whip½ bag heath bitsCaramel sundae sauce

In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix and pumpkin puree until a smooth batter forms. Pour batter into a greased 9×13 baking dish and bake at 350º, accord-ing to the directions on the cake mix box (approx 23-28 min).Remove cake from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes after baking. Using the end of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the top of the cake. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the cake. This should fill in the holes and soak into the cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove cake from refrigerator and spread cool whip over top of cake. Sprin-kle on the heath bits, and drizzle caramel over top. (I don’t think the cake needs a lot of caramel at this point, so I only use about ¼ of the jar. I thin it out first by heating it in the microwave.) Refrigerate for 3-4 hours, or overnight (best).

Cowboy Casserole1½ pounds ground beef (I used 80/20)1 medium onion, chopped3 cloves garlic, chopped1 can (15.25 oz) whole kernel corn, drained1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded, divided½ cup milk4 Tbsp. sour cream1 bag (30 oz) frozen tater tots (I used Ore-Ida Crispy Crowns)

Before I make this casserole, I let the Crispy Crowns sit on the counter to defrost for an hour or so. The original recipe uses still-frozen tater tots, but I feel they don’t cook as well if they are still frozen solid. In a large skillet, cook the onion until tender and translucent. Add the chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the beef and cook over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain the mixture and place into a large bowl and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the soup, milk and sour cream. Whisk until smooth. Add to hamburger mixture and stir to combine. Add corn and 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Gently mix to combine.

Cinnamon Apple Pie1 package Betty Crocker pie crust mix 1/3 cup cold water 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg 5 cups thinly sliced and peeled Delicious apples 1 Tbsp. butter Milk and additional sugar for topping

Heat oven to 425º. Make pie crust mix as directed for 9” two-crust pie, using 1/3 cup cold water. Trim overhanging edge of bottom pastry 1” from rim of plate. Stir together 1/2 cup sugar, the flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in large bowl. Add apples; toss. Spoon into pastry-lined pie plate. Dot with butter. Roll remaining pastry; cut into 5 strips, each about 1” wide. Place strips across filling in pie plate. I just put a second layer of strips over the others, but if you want to weave your strips, just fold back every other strip and lay the new strip down. Then when lattice is complete, trim the ends and fold trimmed edge of bottom crust over ends of strips, building up a high edge. Seal and flute edges. Bake 30-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown and juice is bubbly.

Chicken Spaghetti4 chicken breasts, cooked, boned, cut up2 cans cream of chicken soup2 cans cream of mushroom1 can cream of onion soup1-2 cans chopped green chilies1 1/2 tsp. chili powder (or more for taste)1 tsp. garlic powder2 cups chicken brothSalt and pepper to taste1 cup grated parmesan cheese 1 lb. spaghetti noodles

Mix chicken, soups, chilis and seasonings and heat. Cook and drain noodles. Combine sauce and noodles and place in two greased casserole dishes or two 9x13 pans. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake until bubbly and cheese is lightly browned (about 15 mins). Recipe can be cut in half for one 9x13” pan. Freezes well.


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