Talent in the GreenSeam

The Land Correspondent

“Minnesota Place Names: A Geographic Encyclopedia,” which weighs in at 718 pages (including a 67-page index of place names), was first written by Warren Upham in 1920 under the title “Minnesota geographic names: their origin and historic significance”. The Minnesota Historical Society published it and then put out revised and expanded editions in 1969 and again in 2001. The ’69 edition contained 15,000 separate entries of names and researchers bumped that up to 20,000 for the 2001 edition.

Among those 20,000 entries are the names, and the stories behind the names, of every township and county in the state. For example, if you live in Cottonwood County, you likely know your county is named after the river of that name. What you may not know is Cottonwood is the English translation for the Dakota word waraju, which is what those first peoples called the river. The French called it by the same name; only they said it in their language, Riviera aux Liards.

There is more to the story of the history of the name of the place called Cottonwood County and there are similar stories for the other 86 Minnesota county names. What’s important to remember is this book is not a history of Chisago County, for example, but simply a history of its name. It’s worth noting that Chisago is two syllables of a three-syllable Ojibway word (Ki-chisago) which is what those first people called that area’s largest lake. The book is organized alphabetically by county. Within each county are all its townships, which total 2,275 of them statewide. Goodhue County, for example, has 21 townships. Goodhue County’s Featherstone Township, to give another example, “derived its name from William Featherstone who, with a large family settled there in 1855,” the Encyclopedia writes. “A post office was located there in 1858 - 63,” the book continues.

The Encyclopedia catalogues hundreds, if not thousands, of these shortlived post offices sprinkled across Minnesota in places that continue today as small villages or crossroads with a house or two. But some of these places have disappeared altogether and their names may only be remembered by a few elders or forgotten entirely - except in the historical record of the Encyclopedia. There was, for example, a post office in a place called Harlin in Jackson County from 1892 to 1900. The place was in sections one and two, and was even platted in 1888. Does anyone in Jackson County remember anything about this place?

Some of the post offices, such as Elm in Enterprise Township in Jackson County, are just referred to as farmers post offices. The Elm post office was open from 1894 - 1901.

The Farm Resource Guide for 2022 is now available at many University of Minnesota Extension county offices across the state. The resource guide includes a variety of farm business management information. Topics include custom rates: what to charge for planting, etc.; average farmland rental rates by county; flexible rental agreements; lease forms for cash rent and share rent arrangements; farmland sales information; charges for custom feeding, commodity storage, leasing buildings and various bin rental rates, including leasing a dairy barn and machine storage; pasture rental rates and tree timber values; marketing information, along with recent cost trends for Minnesota; and feedlot rules and information on manure agreements and easements.

The Farm Resource Guide is available via e-mail for $25 plus sales tax; on a CD for $29 plus sales tax and postage; and hard copy format for $3 plus tax and postage. Contact your local Extension office for details.

This article was submitted by University of Minnesota Extension. v

Elm is lucky in that the record indicates roughly where it was. Egly, in Todd County, served as a post office from 1880 to ’84. But neither Upham nor the researchers that followed him could determine where Egly was. There is a hint in Todd County’s Streams and Lakes section (each county has one) because there is an Egly Creek in the north central townships of the county.

So, what is this 102-year-old book for? In my case, I learned more about my township and county by reading the sections dedicated to them. Knowing the names of places — even those that no longer exist — makes me more at home here. But the book has historical and research value as well. According to the Minnesota Historical Society it is “… a rich reference for historians, linguists, geographers, folklorists, genealogists, and those interested in the origins of place names.”

Several years ago, Erik Moore, the head of the University of Minnesota Archives, was cataloguing the Department of Botany’s photographs of the flora of Minnesota which were taken between 1899-1903; and the Bell Museum of Natural History glass plate negatives, the first portion of which is dated 1898-1900. He found that a number of the photographs were described as having been taken at places no longer on current maps. He gives Holmes Station as an example. It’s not on the maps, but Upham has it in Polk County in the Red River Valley.

“If I ever lost my reference copy of this book, or if the companion website ever became inaccessible, my work on the Exploring Minnesota’s Natural History grant would be extremely curtailed,” Moore wrote.

The web site is not currently available; but the hard cover book can be found in your public library, book stores, or the Minnesota Historical Society Press. v

The Land Staff Writer Emeritus

WINTHROP, Minn. — Anticipation of spring planting produced a great turnout at the March 24 annual banquet of the Nicollet/ Sibley County Corn and Soybean Growers at the AgQuest Activity Center in Winthrop, Minn. A super Brett Annexstad meal by Hahn’s Dining filled the room ahead of the 12:15 p.m. keynote speaker Lynn Ketelson — who certainly didn’t disappoint. If you’re looking for the latest on farming issues, ag politics or E-15 fuels, this 40-year voice of the Linder Farm Network delivers. Lynn not only informs farmers and consumers about what’s going on in the ag world, he also shares detailed and sometime humorous things (rushing into women’s outdoor potty at FarmFest) when telling the remarkable story about American agriculture.

A new acquaintance for me at this March 24 event was Brett Annexstad, 34 years of age and chairman of the Nicollet/Sibley Corn and Soybean Growers Association. He said because of fewer farmers on the Minnesota landscape each year, corn and soybean growers a few years back decided a merger into a single organization made sense. And today, Annextad chairs this organization and they are achievers indeed — handing out $10,050 in scholarships just the past two years.

The Annexstad farming operation sits in the St. Peter, Minn. area. Brett is a North Dakota State University graduate, loves the challenges of farming, and credits his dad, Grant, for much of his intestinal fortitude about the continual challenges in being an American farmer. “I grew up with my dad raising hogs in the ‘90s, plus of course corn and soybean crops … and that’s where our hearts still are,” Annexstad said. “Yes, farming has been financially solid the past couple of years; but we’ve also been through many difficult years. However, it certainly feels good to see $7 corn prices these days!”

Any particular concerns for this young achiever? Annexstad admits to anxieties about current trends in grain markets, saying, “Ultimately you’re going to price yourself out of market demand. So we have to recognize $7 corn is not here to last. We have to be ready for the ‘down times’ also — because we know they’re coming someday.”

Annexstad said he does some forward pricing of his corn and soybeans. “It’s difficult without having anything yet planted. Most important at this stage is having most of our inputs already covered so we’ve got a pretty good understanding of our production costs even before we plant. We’re about the same acres of each crop again this year. And thanks to years of conservation technologies, we pretty much know soil health field by field. Also, our hog operation greatly reduces purchases of commercial fertilizer.”

Yes, the Annexstadts are aggressive in corn production. Routine planting populations are now in the 35,000-36,000 plants per acre range.

I’ve known Grant Annexstad (Brett’s dad) for many years; so I was comfortable asking Brett about his thoughts on the upcoming elections in November. “As farmers, we watch elections closely,” he admitted. “Biofuels are very important to us and we’re weary how the current administration is handling this issue. Sure, we’re thinking this election could generate positive actions on biofuels. Yes, because of Ukranian issues — plus a growing interest in America again becoming self-sufficient on energy — I think E-15 mandated as the new standard for Minnesota and national fuels would be great. And that would also require education of the populace so everyone understands why E-15 is the greatest benefit for all.” v Extension training for dealing with loss

ROCHESTER, Minn. — University of Minnesota Extension will offer training to professionals who work with farm families experiencing stress, loss or tough decisions for their family or business.

The program is called “A changing way of life: Ambiguous loss and farming.” Trained facilitators will receive all the materials needed to provide the program and are asked to offer the program to three to five farm families by July 31.

Training will be offered at three locations: April 26 at the Extension regional office at 1961 Premier Drive, Sakatah Trail Room, Mankato, Minn.; April 28 at the Extension regional office at 3601 18th St. S., St Cloud, Minn.; and April 29 at the Clay County Family Service Center building, meeting room 4, 715 11 St. North, Moorhead, Minn.

All sessions will be from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and will include lunch. There is no cost to attend, but preregistration is required. Register by visiting z.umn. edu/ALtrainingreg. Registration is due four days prior to the scheduled training date.

Ambiguous loss is an unclear loss without closure. In its wake, people may not be able to address needs or problems. Loss of land, livestock, changing markets and even relationships can be ambiguous losses that lead many to feel “stuck.”

For more information, contact Emily Krekelberg at krek0033@umn.edu or (612) 756-3977.

This article was submitted by University of Minnesota Extension. v

By WHITNEY NESSE The Land Correspondent

HOWARD LAKE, Minn. — In Japan, the peony is known as the humble king of flowers and can be found throughout the country — not only in ornamental gardens but also displayed in traditional Japanese artwork.

Keith and Becky Swenson of Swenson Gardens in rural Howard Lake, Minn. share the same affinity towards peonies. You will find peonies in their decorative landscaping and interior design; but their love for peonies grows much deeper than that. Not only do Keith and Becky own and operate a fullyfunctioning peony wholesale and retail farm and website, but they are also cutting edge peony botanists who breed, hybridize and develop the historic, eyecatching blooms.

Keith Swenson is the son of a dairy farmer from Wisconsin and has always loved the agricultural industry. “[Keith’s] dad and grandma grew peonies and he’s always loved peonies,” shared Becky.

In 1998 Keith decided he wanted to grow peonies “but I don’t want pink, red and white like you see everywhere. I keep hearing rumors of purples, yellow, and coral.” Keith connected with Roger Anderson of Ft. Atkinson, Wis.

Anderson hybridized the world famous Bartzella peony and has been a mentor to Keith and Becky for many years now. It was Roger who encouraged Keith to start growing peonies commercially, noticing Keith had the desire and agricultural background that it takes to be successful, explained Becky. Swenson Gardens was born, and is now entering their 20th year of commercially growing peonies.

In 2002, Keith and Becky leased one and a half acres of land near Delano, Minn. and planted their first commercial, bare-root peonies. “As we saw that this business was growing, we knew that we wanted to have people on site. [The land in Delano] wasn’t a good fit,” Becky said. “So we started looking for a place where we could have peonies, the farm, and our home on the same spot.”

Through a series of events with land sales and splits, auctions and buyer fall-out, the Swensons were able to purchase a 40 acre farm near Howard Lake, Minn that was the perfect fit. “It was a total answer to prayer!” exclaimed

Photo submitted Becky and Keith Swenson sit in front of one of the farm’s five peony fields. The couple grows 150 varieties of the popular plant which they sell as bare-root stock.

Becky.

Swenson Gardens now has five fields where they grow 10,000 to 12,000 peonies in about 150 different varieties with five different bloom styles.

The Swensons began their farm chemical free and it remains so 20 years later. “We are the ones crawling through the fields on our hands and knees. Our kids were little, four and six, when we began and we didn’t want them handling chemicals. That’s just how we started and we kept it that way,” said Becky.

Swenson Gardens now employs about seven seasonal workers, usually teenagers, who help weed and tend the peony fields as well as assist in the harvesting or digging of the peony roots in the fall, splitting and washing the roots and shipping the bare roots to customers. “We really want these students to be better workers for a lifetime. We want to help them develop better work habits here. We want them to be successful,” Becky added.

June is one of the busiest months for Swenson Gardens. Not only is June the month peonies bloom and they host field days, but it is also the time Keith and Becky spend much time behind a camera. “[June] is the time that we are taking photos for the whole year because we actually have a product,” explained Becky.

The Swenson’s spend long days in the fields capturing photographs of the hundreds of varieties of peony blooms at each stage. Because Swenson Gardens only sells the bare root product, the photos of the blooms are imperative to their web-based business. Their website features photos of each variety at different bloom stages.

June is also the time of year plant breeding takes place. “When the buds are just starting to get soft, like marshmallow stage, our hybridizer, Dan Zabel, will peel the petals off, collect pollen, dry it for a little bit and then he’ll take those bags of pollen that he’s numbered and then go around and do the same thing on another variety,” shared Becky. Zabel takes the collected pollen and applies it to the carpel of another predetermined parent plant. In the fall, the seed pods of the bred plants are collected and the viable seeds are sorted and planted. “The rate at which those germinate is pretty low, so you start with a lot of seeds,” explained Becky. “The ones that actually grow and produce a bloom are even fewer.”

What Swenson Gardens is looking for in the new blooms are showstoppers. Becky said the common colors, like white, are discarded because there are so many of those on the market. They are looking for blooms with striking colors, different from what is already available. They are also hybridizing “peonies that don’t flop” Becky said chuckling. Almost all of their peonies are bred for stem strength so they do not need to be staked.

August through October are equally busy months. That time is spent cleaning up the fields, making sure they are weed free. It is also the time where they are digging, dividing and shipping bare root peonies. Using a tractor with a tree spade, peony roots which have been maturing for three to five years are extracted from the ground and transferred to a shed equipped with washing stations to clean the root systems. Then, the leathery peony roots are divided, carefully tagged for accuracy, and stored in peat. The bare roots are then shipped priority mail (because they are perishable) to buyers.

Planting also happens in October and all of the newly-planted root systems are covered with mulch or straw to protect them during the first winter. “Mature plants do not need mulching,” Becky said.

Interestingly, peonies cannot be

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By WHITNEY NESSE The Land Correspondent

GLENCOE, Minn. — Agriculture is a diverse, multifaceted industry with many avenues of interest. One can go from being a full time dairy farm one year to being a specialty cut flower farm two years later. Dawn Schauer would know — because that is precisely what she did. In 2019, two short years after Dawn and her husband said goodbye to their dairy herd, Milkhouse Flowers, a speciality cut flower farm, was birthed.

“In 2017, we decided to sell the cows and expand on our (heifer raising). So that left my day, morning and night, wide open,” said Dawn.

After a while of hemming and hawing, her interest in floristry led her to take classes in the Twin Cities for floral design. During one of her classes, Dawn struck up friendly conversation with a classmate. “She told me that she grew all of her own flowers and designed them,” added Dawn. Immediately, Dawn recalls having a lightbulb moment thinking, “I could do that!” Upon returning home, she shared the idea of growing and designing her own flowers with her husband Tim, who agreed that Dawn should try it. So in 2019, after finishing her classes, working part time for a florist for a year, and slowly beginning to grow her own flowers, the Schauers had an official beginning of Milkhouse Flowers.

As you may have already guessed, Dawn has set up shop in the milkhouse of their old dairy barn. Milkhouse Flowers offers over 50 different varieties of cut flowers every season. Dawn shared that of those flowers, 40 percent are perennials, 40 percent are annuals and 20 percent are tubers and bulbs like dahlias, gladiolus and tulips. “We start 90 percent (of our annuals) from seeds and the other 10 percent I order as plugs,” said Dawn. A plug is a young plant that comes in a three inch, cylinder shaped, plant growing medium.

Every one of the 20,000 or more seeds Dawn plants is germinated in the milkhouse using heat mats and a germination chamber. “I do rent greenhouse space north of town. So once the plants are up and established, they go over there to grow until I can bring them home, harden them off, and put them in the ground,” she added. Hardening plants started indoors is the process of preparing them for outdoor planting.

Planting begins in mid-February with perennials that can be started from seed. From there, Dawn said she starts snapdragons (which are slow to grow). “What we do is succession planting. Every three weeks we start snapdragons so we have fresh snapdragons all summer long. Sunflowers, we seed every week so we have a fresh supply of them. There are 10 varieties that we do succession with so that we always have a supply.” Succession planting lasts until mid-July. Dawn also said there are some varieties of flowers she does not plant in succession because of the length of time it takes them to grow or their lack of heat tolerance.

Photo submitted Dawn Schauer holds a few of the 20,000 seedlings which will make up the cut flower crop at Milkhouse Flowers.

“April gets busy!” Dawn exclaimed. Her time is spent potting and repotting plants which have outgrown their plugs before the ground is ready for planting; and splitting, dividing and potting Dahlia tubers. By mid-April, work begins outdoors on Milkhouse Flowers’ one and a half acres. “Where our annuals go, we till. We bought a small garden tiller that hooks up to a smaller garden tractor and that we do in spring and fall,” she said.

Landscape fabric is used as a weed barrier in the annual beds. Dawn said that she has a metal template laid out on top of the landscape fabric and heat is used to melt holes into the tarp where the plants will be put in. “We reuse that fabric,” Dawn continued, “once the holes are burned, we’re good. We roll it up in the fall and reuse it in the spring.” Milkhouse Flowers uses multiple templates with different spacing, depending on the flowers that will be planted and what they need. “We do go through and weed those little holes probably twice until there is a canopy.” Once the flowering plants canopy, there is less weed pressure.

In her perennial beds, she uses shredded corn stalks for walkways and weed barrier. Dawn added that using the landscape fabric and shredded corn stalks cuts down the time spent weeding immensely.

“We hope to have our first cuttings by the end of May or beginning of June, depending on how warm of a spring we have.” Dawn and her team of two seasonal employees — as well as her husband and sons (who she says are very helpful) — spend June through the first frost harvesting flowers, designing and delivering bouquets, and supplying local florists and grocery stores.

Harvesting blooms is more intricate than one may think. Between 6 and 7 a.m., the folks at Milkhouse Flowers are out in the field, looking for flowers on plants that have not yet bloomed, but are still closed. It is important to cut and harvest the flowers before they fully open, exposing their pollen; because once pollinated, their vase life is cut much shorter than flowers that are unpollinated. Once cut, the stems are submerged into a hydrating solution and brought inside of the milkhouse to cool down. Once cooled, the stems are placed into a holding solution and placed in a large walk-in cooler which is housed in the retired dairy barn. Dawn has a goal of getting her flowers out to her customers in two days or less.

“Probably 50 percent of my flowers are sold through our subscription and just locally. Typically mid-May through October we run a full time floral shop,” Dawn said.

Milkhouse Flowers offers a seasonal, cut flower subscription where the subscriber gets weekly or biweekly bouquets that include fresh, colorful blooms which can be either delivered or picked up at the farm. About 40 percent of the blooms are sold to floral shops within a 60 mile radius of Milkhouse Flowers. The last 10 percent is sold as grocery store bouquets. If there are any flowers remaining, Dawn makes small bouquets to take to area retirement facilities and the local food shelf.

After the first frost, Milkhouse Flowers begins their fall clean up. This includes rolling up landscape fabric, cleaning up perennial beds, any fall tillage that is needed and digging tubers.

Immediately following fall clean up, Milkhouse Flowers is preparing to host classes on spruce pot arranging and wreath making in November. Dawn said that she purchases specialty greens and spruce tips from a wholesaler for her classes. She then spends December making holiday table arrangements to sell using leftover greens from the spruce pot and wreath making classes. And finally, in January, Dawn takes a much needed rest and begins planning for the upcoming season.

The road is not always easy for Dawn. “Weather is our biggest challenge. We are subject to whatever comes.” Dawn added that the high temperatures of June and July are specifically hard on the new seedlings, as they dry out so quickly. Thankfully, Milkhouse Flowers is equipped with a drip irrigation line which helps protect her crop from drying out. The drip irrigation line is also infused with a 5-10-5 fertilizer which helps promote stem length and strength as well as bloom size.

Good soil health is vital for Dawn. She said that each fall she samples the soil in her field to get an accurate measurement of nutrient presence and deficiency. She also adds aged cattle manure to her field