Published six times a year, Agriculture Now is the go-to source for everything agriculture in Southeastern Manitoba. This is your chance to stand out in front of a highly engaged audience that lives and breathes farming and agri-business.
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OCTOBER 8, 2026
FEATURE STORY Got beer? No more milk for dairy turned brewery See story on page 2
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026
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Agriculture Now
GREG VANDERMEULEN THE CARILLON
Milt Olfert stands with some of the equipment used in the beer making process.
From dairy to brewery, Blumstein Brewing Co. finds niche
by GREG VANDERMEULEN R ecreate a disused milking par- lour, find a dedicated brewmas- ter who loves to come up with new recipes and add a pinch of Men- nonite satire, and you have a recipe for success. That’s what Milt Olfert and Mark Von Riesen are finding out after nearly two years of operating Blumstein Brewery Co. in the RM of Stanley between Mor- den and Winkler. Their dedication to unique flavours and penchant for making light-heart- ed fun of Mennonite stereotypes have resulted in a line of beers rapidly gain- ing traction on Manitoba’s craft beer scene. After all, according to their website, at the end of the day they’re “just a cou- ple of Menno boys making beer.” Even the name of the brewery is a homage to the history of the area. Blumstein was the name given to a rural school district established in 1887. That’s where the Olferts began their dairy farm. “It is here where a dairy farm was built the Mennonite way – up at dawn, chores to do, cows to milk and feed, followed by more chores, and final- ly at the end of a hard day’s work one would open the secret cellar and crack open a cold beer, so long as no one else was looking,” the website states. “You wouldn’t dare get caught drinking or dancing on a Mennonite farm. Today, this dairy operation is now a craft beer brewing operation, no more hiding – unless of course you want to. Your se- cret’s safe with us.” Because “blum” translates to flower and “stein” to stone, partners Olfert and Von Riesen chose a skull of a dairy cow inset with flowers as their logo. “The dairy is dead,” Olfert said. “Now we have new flowers growing in the stone of the skull, bringing to life Blumstein Brewing Company.” “The flowers on our skull and some of our cans were very common flowers that the Mennonites would often paint
GREG VANDERMEULEN THE CARILLON
The waste product generated by the process can still be used for animal feed.
ers”. Frintshauft Zitsung Session IPA translates to a social hangout or sit- down with friends, and they describe that experience “like sharing some easy-drinking IPA with the cousins be- tween harvest loads while Onkel Jakob isn’t looking.”
in Mexico,” the description reads. That beer is brewed with corn, cit- rus-forward hops and cactya, also known as soursop, a fruit native to Mexico. Beeren Pflucker is the other most popular beer, described as a saskatoon pale ale. The name translates to “berry pick-
of satire,” he said. That’s made obvious by the first beer they brewed, and one of their top sell- ers called Zumma Dach, described as a Mexican cream ale with cactya. Translating to “summer day”, Zumma Dach “evokes the feeling of a hot day in Manitoba, and even hotter in Chihua- hua, where some Mennonites settled
or stencil on their floors because they couldn’t afford flooring,” he said. While their various flavours often offer satirical references to the Men- nonite way of life, Olfert said they also wanted to educate. “Both myself and Mark, being Men- nonite boys, wanted to put our Menno- nite heritage into our brand with a lot
See ‘Slow and steady’ on 3C
GREG VANDERMEULEN THE CARILLON
GREG VANDERMEULEN THE CARILLON An homage to the school district established in 1887, Blumstein Brewery Co. honours local history.
Blumstein Brewery offers a selection of beers.
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Agriculture Now Slow and steady as brewery faces growth Continued from page 2C
“Some mild maltiness and grassy stone fruit hop flavours make this ses- sion IPA something you’ll want to keep going to back to, even against Tante Martha’s wishes,” the description con- cludes. Additional flavours include the Brommtopp Braun Honey Brown Ale and the Menno Light Easy-drinking Lager. The lager is described as “light, crisp and easier to swallow than a sermon on modesty.” “Menno light won’t make you a Mennonite, but after a can or two, suspenders might start to seem prac- tical and you’ll begin to wonder how to grow cucumbers in your condo,” it reads on the can. Olfert made the decision to get out of the dairy business, but a brewery wasn’t on his mind at first. “I struggled for a while wondering what to do with this barn,” he said. A mutual friend suggested he get to- gether with Von Riesen who was one of the founders of Rendezvous Brewing, who had recently sold his shares. The two put their heads together and came up with the brewery concept. And while the physical changes were challenging, they paled in comparison to the complicated steps they had to go through to get their licence and ap- provals from various agencies. Still, 11 months after beginning the process they were ready to begin. Von Riesen is the brewmaster while Olfert said he focuses on the marketing and other tasks. The pair tested their product on the Pembina Valley market, first having people over to the brewery and then starting sales in Winkler, Morden, Mi- ami and Plum Coulee. They’ve expanded since then to 17 locations, including Steinbach, St. Malo and Niverville in the Southeast as well as locations in Winnipeg, Wasag- aming, and Onanole. “If we stay under 20 locations we can choose where we go,” Olfert said. “Once we go over 20 locations we have to open up to the whole province and we don’t have enough production right now to do that.” Olfert said they carefully choose lo- cations where they expect to get repeat sales, where people will recognize and love the brand. Considered small by micro-brewery standards, Olfert said they’re pleased with that status. “That has kind of been our growth
GREG VANDERMEULEN THE CARILLON
The old milking parlour has an entirely different look in its new incarnation.
“People would way rather talk about beer than milk,” he said. “For me, that’s kind of life-giving. We’ve been doing it for almost two years now and I haven’t got tired of telling our story yet.” Olfert said they have no grand de- signs on becoming a large brewery but want to simply grow into the market. “We want to make consistently good beer and just stick to our brand,” he said. “I think that’s important.” For more information go to blum- steinbrewing.com.
es anything about the dairy business, upon reflection Olfert said he did miss the interactions with employees. At one time he had up to nine high school or university students helping to milk his cows. “I miss teaching them and having them work for me and seeing a lot of them excel from not liking or being scared of cows to becoming really good workers and loving cows,” he said. He still gets his chance to meet with people but now he’s marketing his product, giving brewery tours or just talking about the industry.
“This area, with our fertile soil, is hard to grow good malt barley,” he said. “You need a little bit more mar- ginal land.” That’s why they were pleased to dis- cover Scythe Malting Co. in Spring- stein. The best hops must come from over- seas, but other ingredients are found on the same section. Two berry farms and a honey farm are located near their brewery and Olf- ert said they add the flavour they need to some of their brews. Although he’s quick to deny he miss-
pattern, slow and steady,” he said. “Sometimes scarcity can be a good marketing tool too.” One brew equals about 2,200 litres of beer, something they try to do two or three times a month. “Ultimately we’d like to get to four times a month, then we’d be at full ca- pacity with our system,” he said. Being small also gives them flexibili- ty and the company often experiments with small batches or custom orders. While he still farms about 600 acres, Olfert said not all their ingredients can be purchased or grown locally.
GREG VANDERMEULEN THE CARILLON
GREG VANDERMEULEN THE CARILLON
Milt Olfert stands with beer awaiting its destination.
Rusted milk cans located outside the dairy barn turned brewery stand as a reminder of former times.
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Agriculture Now
SUPPLIED
Dr. Andrew McKenzie-Gopsill tested various natural projectile materials to control problematic weeds in potatoes.
Weed hunters reloaded: scientists targeting troublesome weeds with grit and innovation
ing and cost of projectile materials remain an obstacle for farmers. The team notes that farmers who grow high value crops like vineyard grapes or or- ganic crops that have limited herbicide options could benefit most from using projectile weed control. Traditional herbicides can’t be used in organic crop production, and or- ganic farmers rely on hand weeding which is costly and time consuming. Pairing projectile weed control with an organic bioherbicide provides these farmers with another option in their weed-fighting toolbox. It could even help reduce agricultur- al waste. “Some projectile materials like corn cob grit can be acquired from proces- sors that have it as a waste product,” he said. “This can reduce costs for farmers as well as divert materials that might have been bound for the landfill.” Weed hunters like Dr. McKenzie-Go- psill have shown that blasting weeds with grit and natural products can work. Like many innovations in agri- culture, success depends on where and how it’s used. For now, this approach is best suited to specialized, high-value crop production systems. With further innovation, it could one day become a more common sight in Canadian fields. Until then, the hunt continues. Brett van Heyningen is a communi- cations advisor for the public affairs branch, east region of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. duction, value-added processing, ap- plied research, and industry-academia partnerships. Through this framework, EIT Food and Manitoba Agriculture will ex- plore opportunities for joint research and innovation, knowledge exchange, startup development and internation- al market access to support the growth and competitiveness of Manitoba’s agri-food sector. The measure is part of the Sustain- able Canadian Agricultural Partner- ship, a five-year $3.5 billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen the com- petitiveness, innovation and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri-food and agri-based products sector. This in- cludes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5 billion com- mitment that is cost-shared 60 percent federally and 40 percent provincially/ territorially for programs that are de- signed and delivered by provinces and territories.
by BRETT VAN HEYNINGEN W hat if a simple kitchen staple like baking soda could help Canadian farmers tackle stubborn weeds? Agriculture and Agri- Food Canada (AAFC) research scien- tist, Dr. Andrew McKenzie-Gopsill re- cently completed innovative research that explored an alternative method for controlling weeds. This “weed hunter,” investigated a technique called abrasive or projec- tile weed control. Using a sandblaster, Dr. McKenzie-Gopsill “shot” natural materials like corn cob grit and baking soda at weeds and found that they can knock back even the most stubborn plants, like lamb’s quarters and wild buckwheat, without damaging potato plants or reducing potato yields. This provides farmers with new tools for fighting invasive weeds in high value crops where herbicides are becoming less effective due to resistance. Next generation weed control Early research for the project com- bined abrasive grits, like corn cob, with reduced herbicide rates. The sim- ple idea was to weaken weeds with a “blast” of grit, then finish them off with herbicide. It worked, but results came with a catch. Using lower herbicide rates can actually encourage herbicide resistance. That’s a risk that Canadian farmers and weed scientists have spent decades trying to avoid. In the second phase, they dropped reduced-rate herbicides and instead paired the projectile materials with a bioherbicide, an all-natural weed con-
SUPPLIED Researchers targeting weeds in a potato field with baking soda and a conventional sandblaster at the AAFC Harrington Research Farm.
A practical solution for high-value crops While the innovative weed control method has shown promise, the sourc-
baking soda emerging as the most ef- fective projectile material. “We saw good control on problem- atic weeds with baking soda without any yield loss or damage to the potato plants,” McKenzie-Gopsill said.
trol product, applied with a hooded sprayer that shields the crop while tar- geting weeds beneath the crop canopy. Dr. McKenzie-Gopsill found that both corn cob grit and baking soda, when combined with a bioherbicide, controlled weeds like lamb’s quarters and wild buckwheat quite well, with
Province formalizes five-year plan to strengthen connection to European food chain by SVJETLANA MLINAREVIC T he Government of Manitoba has formalized a five-year strategic framework to strengthen agri- cultural and agri-food innovation with Europe.
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Agriculture Now
RUTH BONNEVILLE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES Manitoba Minister of Agriculture Ron Kostyshyn said the government is taking action to support farmers impacted by flooding.
WES ANDERSON Water flows at the corner of Provincial Road 579 and Municipal Road 112 North in the Municipality of Russell Binscarth.
The governments of Canada, Manitoba help farmers with changes to AgriStability
important AgriStability and AgriInvest deadlines. These changes provide flex- ibility through existing business risk management programs and help farm- ers access support without the need for new programming. AgriStability protects Canadian producers against large declines in farming income for reasons such as production loss, increased costs and market conditions. It is one of the Busi- ness Risk Management programs un- der the Sustainable Canadian Agricul- tural Partnership.
regions, and our government is taking action to ensure farmers have access to the support they need as they re- cover,” said Manitoba Minister of Agri- culture Ron Kostyshyn. “By enhancing AgriStability supports, we are help- ing producers manage the impacts of flooding, maintain their operations and continue contributing to Manito- ba’s strong agricultural sector.” The flooding that occurred across Manitoba in June and July affect- ed producers at a critical time in the growing season and coincided with
application forms. Farmers who have already received interim payments will automatically receive a top-up to the 75 percent level. Manitoba has also implemented late participation for the 2026 AgriStability program year, allowing farmers who did not enroll by the April 30 deadline to still participate in the program, albe- it with a reduced benefit. These farm- ers will have to pay an upfront fee be- fore submitting their 2026 application. “Flooding has created significant challenges for producers in impacted
late filings for AgriStability insurance. Farmers who live outside of those ar- eas who missed the filing deadline be- cause of flooding impacts can appeal for a waiver. The governments are also increas- ing the maximum interim payment available to farmers enrolled in the 2026 AgriStability program year from 50 percent to 75 percent of the estimat- ed final payment. This change will im- prove cash flow for farmers by allowing them to receive a larger interim pay- ment within weeks of completing their
by SVJETLANA MLINAREVIC T he governments of Canada and Manitoba have made changes to the AgriStability program in order to make it easier and faster for farmers to get support for flood dam- age. Farmers in municipalities and res- idents in First Nations communities who live in areas that declared a state of emergency for the June and July 2026 flooding, will not be penalized for
4.8 m
BROOK JONES WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES Federal Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald makes an agriculture announcement in Winnipeg on Sept. 7, 2025. Government of Canada invests up to $2 million to develop sustainable fertilizer technology by SVJETLANA MLINAREVIC T he federal government is investing up to $1.98 million to develop sustainable fertiliz- er technology to reduce emissions and mi-
Working in the fields?
could allow farmers to use less fertilizer, reducing both greenhouse gas emissions and fertilizer costs. “Federal government funding gives Lucent Bio the opportunity to take the technology we have been developing and move it into a new area with significant potential in agriculture,” said Farah Nour, co-founder and chief science officer of Lu- cent BioSciences Inc. “We’re applying our biode- gradable biopolymer technology to controlled-re- lease nitrogen to help growers get more value from the nitrogen they apply while reducing nutrient losses to the environment. Support from the fed- eral government allows us to improve this work faster and brings us one step closer to putting a Canadian-developed solution into the hands of growers.” In 2022, Lucent Bio received up to $1.3 million under the ACT Program – research and innovation stream to develop this technology for use on seeds, known now as Nutreos. In this project, Lucent Bio is also partnering with A&L Canada Laboratories Inc, Bureau Veritas Can- ada, Simon Fraser University’s Chemistry Depart- ment and 4D LABs. This investment supports the Government of Canada’s commitment to helping the agriculture sector adopt clean technologies and adapt to cli- mate change. The ACT program is focused on three priority ar- eas: green energy and energy efficiency; precision agriculture; and bioeconomy solutions. To date, 535 projects have been announced under the ACT Program, totaling up to more than $314 million across Canada.
croplastics. Under the Agricultural Clean Technology (ACT) program in the research and innovation stream, Lucent BioSciences Inc. (Lucent Bio) will use the money to change the way that fertilizer coatings are made. “Canadian companies are developing innova- tive solutions that can help make agriculture more sustainable and resilient. Through the ACT – re- search and innovation stream, Lucent Bio is de- veloping technologies that could help farmers use nitrogen more efficiently while reducing fertilizer use, emissions, and microplastics. By supporting the development of clean technologies like this, our government is helping Canadian farmers re- duce costs, protect the environment and build a more sustainable agriculture sector,” said Cana- dian Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Heath MacDonald. Most controlled-release nitrogen fertilizers used in agriculture have a microplastic coating. With federal funding support, Lucent Bio will provide a more sustainable alternative by applying a bio- degradable coating to these fertilizers, made from surplus starch fertilizer, which can help plants use nitrogen more efficiently. The Burnaby-based company’s coating technol- ogy is designed to release nitrogen closer to when plants need it most during their growth cycle. This
Watch for power lines.
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026
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Agriculture Now
FLASHBACK
October 7, 2021
After more than a century Ungers are still feeding animals and people WES KEATING CARILLON ARCHIVES When this photo was taken in 2021, three generations of the Unger family were kept busy at Unger Meats and Unger Feeds, located on the family homestead, south of Mitchell. Taking time out from their duties to pose for a family picture are: Erna and Ben G. Unger (seated) and standing, left to right: Ty Unger, Aaron Unger, Wayne Unger, Trent Mehling, Kallyn Mehling, Kami Unger, Bev Unger and Ray Unger. (Ben Unger passed away in April of 2023.)
by WES KEATING T he Unger family knows how to feed animals, and the Un- ger family knows how to feed people. They have been doing just that for five generations and the tran- sition from Unger Farms to Unger Meats and Unger Feeds guarantees they will be doing that for another generation or two. The family homestead, south of Mitchell, became home for the Un- ger family in 1903, and since then, the family farm expanded with each generation and today is the location of a thriving agri-business, involv- ing meat processing, retail meat and meals sales, feed production and a well-stocked agricultural supply store. For more than a century, the Unger farm was very much a typical mixed family farm, growing crops, making feed, raising livestock, butchering a few hogs for sausages, and getting a bit larger with each succeeding gen- eration. The family decided to take the operation in a completely differ- ent direction 10 years ago. Ray Unger says before the transi- tion was complete in 2012, the farm had been a 400-farrow-to-finish hog operation, which was fairly big back in the day. The Ungers also raised beef with a 300-head cow/calf oper- ation and ran a small meat shop on the yard, and did some custom meat cutting, as well. “When we got out of livestock com- pletely, we emptied the hog barn and sold the cattle.” In 2021, the Unger Meats and Unger Feeds ownership group includes Ray, Wayne, Kami and Bev Unger. Each has a specif- ic role in the daily operation of the multi-faceted agri-business, but at times, jobs tend to overlap. Wayne is the meat cutter of the family, running the sausage and meat department. Bev Unger is customer service, Kami is administrative director and human resources manager, and Ray is feed production manager. Along with members of the next generation of the Unger family, they
WES KEATING CARILLON ARCHIVES Wayne Unger, the family meat-cutter, manages processing and custom cutting for Unger Meats.
WES KEATING CARILLON ARCHIVES Ray Unger moves a pallet of feed across the yard at Unger Feeds.
WES KEATING CARILLON ARCHIVES Administrative director Kami Unger spends most of her time working in the office at the store and processing facility.
bacon and sausage, are also pro- duced by the Ungers. Kami Unger says almost everything in the store is processed there, except chicken and pizza. “We’re known for our farmer sau- sage and bacon. The farmer sausage is made from a recipe handed down to Ray from his dad, who got it from his dad.” While the location of Unger Meats and Unger Feeds is miles away from the Village of Mitchell and the City of Steinbach, the out-of-way loca- tion does not deter a steady stream of customers from dropping in on the Ungers. Frequent customers include the municipality’s grader operators, who roll onto the yard regularly to pick up snacks for their coffee break. This agricultural enterprise is in- deed the Ungers’ “Field of Dreams.” “If you build it, they will come.”
livestock, including beef, dairy, hogs, sheep, horses, chickens and rab- bits, as well as dog and cat food. “We look after customers the best way for them, supplying feed in 20 kg bags or in mini-bulk quantities for smaller operators and hobby farms.” Ungers feed their animals and later they will have them slaughtered and bring in the carcasses for processing by Unger Meats, Ray says. “In some cases, we become meat customers for our feed customers, buying carcasses from producers we supply with feed.” Other animals for custom cutting and processing at Unger Meats come from any one of three Manitoba kill- ing plants. Unger Meats processes a wide se- lection of beef and pork cuts, and produces ready-to-eat meals like la- sagna and fettucine. A wide range of beef and pork products, including sandwich meats, snack sticks, and
something needed to change, and processing meat had been taught from generations back, Ray said. Wayne Unger, the family’s meat cut- ter, was on hand and ready to take on an expanded role in that part of the new enterprise. “We were familiar with making feed as well and were quite comfortable to move to feeding people and feeding other people’s animals, instead of raising livestock.” Kami says she likes being self-em- ployed and wants to stay working on the homestead that has been in the family since 1903. It is great to be do- ing something on this yard, she adds. “We know how to feed people and we know how to feed animals.” The buildings on the yard have been repurposed for the feed com- pany and storage, and the empty hog barn was renovated to become the agriculture supply store, meat shop and meat processing facility, Ray ex- plains. The store sells quality feed for
operate what is described on their website as “a unique Manitoba coun- try store, located on the homestead where five generations of Ungers have produced the food their families and community were raised on.” It was Ray’s brother Ron, who was most instrumental in a mapping out a new direction for the Unger en- terprise, which moved from feeding livestock and producing meat, pro- cessed by others, to feeding livestock for others and processing the meat they produce on a custom basis or for sale in the Unger Meats store, south of Mitchell. Kami Unger says her husband, who died suddenly of a heart attack in 2019, was the visionary. Ron’s plan for the future of the family enterprise made the transition to Unger Meats and Unger Feeds seem like a very sensible move at the time, according to Ron’s older brother Ray. Market conditions had dictated
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Agriculture Now
FLASHBACK
October 7, 2021
WES KEATING CARILLON ARCHIVES
The 1948 Allis Chalmers Model D was put to work in the Ungers’ garden during the summer of 2021.
Former tractor mechanic enjoyed retirement hobby
Chalmers 20-35 was the last green tractor Allis Chalmers manufactured before the company colors changed to orange in 1930, he explained. Ben said he spent more time on that tractor than any other resto- ration and parts were a challenge to obtain. He had his own welding equipment and a lathe, so he did not need to go to the local machine shops too often, because what he couldn’t buy, he could make. The most interesting tractor in the line is the 1948 Model D garden trac- tor, which was one of Ben’s first resto- rations in 2000. This just-like-new working mod- el was put to use in the Ungers’ own garden in 2021 and attachments include a plow, a cultivator, a corn planter and sickle mower. Unger never really thought about restoration of tractors until 2000. Before that, farming was a priori- ty that took up most of his time. He also spent 40 years as a pastor at the Rosengard EMC. While most of his spare time was taken up with restoration of his own equipment, on occasion Unger would help out the Mennonite Her- itage Village on one of their projects. The 2021 project was a horse- drawn sprayer, which would spray a seven-foot path. That sprayer operated on two horse power, while modern sprayers
gas model, so Unger would have to modify the frame of his gas model tractor to fit in the motor. One of the big challenges would be to find a new hood. He knew where he could get one for $800 Canadian, but hoped he did not need to go that route. “That’s one thing about restoring old tractors. You can always get any parts you need, if you have enough money.” It would not have been polite to ask Unger how much he had invested in his retirement hobby since 2000, and, in any event, it didn’t matter. For a farmer to be able to retire, and spend his leisure doing what he loves, is in- deed rare, and should not carry with it a price tag. Enjoying his retirement, Ben said he appreciated the family being close by. Whenever he voiced a concern about some restoration project he was working on, in no time at all, he got all the help he needed. The last week in September of 2021, 10 tractors were still lined up along the driveway. They had been brought out earlier for the annual tractor trek, which was cancelled due to COVID. Ben chuckled as he told The Caril- lon that the green one at the front of the line was not a John Deere that he snuck into the display by mistake. The green model is the oldest of Unger’s tractors, and the 1929 Allis
by WES KEATING S ix decades ago a young tractor mechanic spent 10 years work- ing on the latest Allis Chalmers models for a Steinbach implement dealer. Back then, the tractors were almost all brand new. In 2021, when Ben Unger finished working on one of those vintage orange tractors, it still looked like it had just rolled off the assembly line. Still active in his eighties, (two years before his death in 2023) Unger told The Carillon he expected some of the dozen tractors he still had in stor- age, awaiting his attention, may have to be restored by the next generation. In the meantime, he spoke enthusi- astically about his retirement hobby and his latest project. He was in the midst of converting a gas job into a diesel model, creating a hybrid restoration of the Allis Chalm- ers WD 45 that came out in 1956, with a choice of motors. The WD 45 gas model and WD 45 diesel models are virtually the same tractor, with the exception of the mo- tor, he explained. There were earlier diesel tractors at the time, but this may have been one of the first agricultural tractors to come in both engines. The Allis Chalmers WD 45 diesel engine was a little longer than the
WES KEATING CARILLON ARCHIVES In this 2021 photo, Ben stands next to the pride of his collection, a 1929 Allis Chalmers 25-35, the last green tractor the company manufactured, before switching to orange in 1930.
Ben hadn’t sold any of his restored tractors and said they still were not for sale. It may have been different if the family was not interested. He said Ray was very interested and the next generation may be interested as well.
are powered by more than 500 horse power. When Unger quit working as a mechanic, tractor sizes were in the 150-horsepower range. His 2021 collection included tractors ranging from 10 horsepower to 85 horsepow- er.
WES KEATING CARILLON ARCHIVES In 2021, Ben took some time away from his tractors to restore this horse- drawn sprayer for the Mennonite Heritage Village Museum.
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Carillon FAMILY
Use grasses, seed pods for fall crafts by DORIS PENNER O ne of the pleasures of fall is hiking along country roads looking for dried grasses, interesting seed heads and leaves that have turned var- ious shades of red, brown and gold. These natural objects keep the landscape interesting after flowers have faded and leaves are starting to drop, as well as supply the components of beautiful ar- rangements for the harvest table. Often you need look no fur- ther than your own back yard. Flax, wheat and oat stems left over after threshing, golden corn tassels, dried garden herbs and vegetable seeds lend themselves well to crafting decorative items. Items from nature can be craft- ed into napkin rings (using twine for example), arranged in bas- kets with candles for side tables or for the dinner table, and craft- ed into large and small wreaths. Take a walk among the au- tumn leaves with a bag or basket. Collect any interesting objects that catch your fancy. Look for contrasts in colour and texture. For example, think of a prickly burr put together with a golden wheat stem and a shiny oblong seed pod. Pull out natural objects you may have collected at other times and places such as pine cones, whole nuts or plumes of dried grasses or plants. You will enjoy the walk in crisp autumn weather and bring sea- sonal beauty into the home.
How should we celebrate Thanksgiving?
In view of the poor Doris Longacre in Living More With Less puts it this way: “God’s people should often gather to eat and be joy- ful, but in view of the poor and our so- ciety’s dissipation, simplicity must be the mark.” There should be a conscious effort to pare down the extravagance of the meal. A simple meal, well-pre- pared and served with care is a thing of beauty. Let Thanksgiving be the time you commit yourself to help create a world, as much as you are able, where the hungry are fed, the homeless provided with shelter and the unloved given care and compassion. Perhaps you might begin by inviting to your own dinner an individual or family who might be alone (or feel alone) on Thanksgiving Day. Another way to practically help those who might lack three meals a day, is to volunteer in a soup kitchen occasionally or on a regular basis. This could well open your eyes to what’s happening on the street and might lead to forming valuable relationships. Let this Thanksgiving be a time when you reflect on your theology of food— why you eat, why you eat as you do and how you can share.
and starving are too much with us. Television, Internet and magazine pic- tures and reports make us aware that millions of people in developing coun- tries are living stunted lives because of malnutrition which often ends in death. Let’s face it—thousands of people in our own country lack resources to provide a nutritionally adequate diet for their families. Children go to school hungry, and soup kitchens and food This is in sharp contrast to the abun- dance of food that the privileged enjoy. Since Thanksgiving revolves around the ritual of consumption, it is an ideal time to face the situation and decide what we can do about the stark prob- lem of hunger. banks abound. Sharp contrast First of all it must be recognized that harvest festivals have been celebrated since the beginning of history. With the crops safely in storage for the win- ter after a season of hard work, there was cause for a communal celebration performed in the spirit of thankfulness and merriment. There was always a deep recognition that the natural ele- ments of sun and rain and other forces beyond their control, made the harvest
possible.This was the very spirit that motivated the first “official” Thanks- giving in North America when the Pil- grims in the eastern states brought in their first abundant harvest. The gover- nor declared a three-day feast; indeed, it seemed appropriate to celebrate af- ter a year of scarcity. Celebrations to mark the passage of time are good—they nourish rela- tionships and the human spirit. Today as in the past, feasting—even in the poorest of countries—has always been part of milestone events that bring folk together on birthdays, weddings and holy days. To celebrate at Thanksgiving is prop- er. The question is: if celebrations give voice to the ideals by which we are trying to live, how should we observe Thanksgiving? There should be no guilt. Rather, it should be a day of true thankfulness. Thanksgiving is the time to “count our blessings” with deep gratitude—and to remember with great humility that the source of all goodness is God. It is also a fine thing to gather with family and friends on that day to fos- ter relationships and to introduce new members to traditions. And it is fine to eat together.
by DORIS PENNER T here are few of us who do not feel a tinge of guilt when we sit down at our tables on Thanksgiving Day and feast on an ample array of tur- key, stuffing, vegetables, breads and desserts. Why am I so blessed when thou- sands of people in the world go to bed hungry each night and wake up to face another day of scarcity in a cycle of malnutrition and starvation? Is it even right for me to eat until I am full—not to speak of overfull? This is a fleeting thought which usually vanishes five minutes into the meal as the soup course finishes. We manage to push the problems of world hunger into the back of our minds— how could we otherwise enjoy the cream-topped pumpkin pie or choco- late cheesecake? Perhaps we even feel somewhat smug—now that we’ve giv- en starving children our token thought for the day. After all, if we pursued our line of meditation, we might have to give up the Thanksgiving meal. And that would never do. But the problem doesn’t—and shouldn’t—so easily go away. The poor
Heritage dinner suitable for Thanksgiving festivity
Pumpkin harvest soup 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 large potato, peeled and chopped 1/4 cup finely chopped celery 2 tablespoons butter 4 1/2 cups chicken broth 2 cups pumpkin puree 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cup cream (half and half) Toasted pumpkin seeds and parsle for garnish Saute onions, potato and celery in butter in a saucepan over medi- um heat. Cook and stir until onions have softened, about 6 minutes. Add chicken broth and stir to blend. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 8 min- utes. Stir in pumpkin puree, then with immersion blender, puree soup un- til smooth. Add nutmeg, salt, pepper and cream and heat through (do not boil). To serve, garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds and a spring of parsley. Makes 6 servings. Greens with pear and lime dressing Mixed greens for 8 servings 1/4 cup chopped onion greens 4 red pears, sliced in thin wedges 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 cups seedless green and/or red grapes
Lime poppyseed dressing: 1/4 cup lime juice 3 tablespoons liquid honey 2 teaspoons poppyseeds 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil Line 8 salad plates with lettuce/ spinach greens and sprinkle on on- ion greens. Dip pear slices in lemon juice (to keep them from discolouring) and arrange on greens. Garnish with grapes as desired. Drizzle with dress- ing. To make dressing stir together lime juice, honey and poppyseeds in a small bowl. Pour in vegetable oil slow- ly, beating to incorporate. Dressing will thicken. Makes 8 servings. Note: The salad can be arranged on a platter instead of individual plates. Creamed onions and broccoli 16 small onions (or 8 medium) 4 cups broccoli flowerets 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
served. Corn, beans and squash in- cluding pumpkin were commonly cul- tivated although the strains have grad- ually improved to become much less tough and stringy. Pumpkin was com- monly served as a vegetable, while for Canadians today pumpkin at Thanks- giving comes in pie. Corn and beans (lima, navy or pea) were often combined to make a dish called succotash; alternately these vegetables as well as turnips were added to chunks of meat to make a hearty stew. Turnips were also includ- ed in soups or cooked separately and mashed. Other root crops important to the colonists were beets, both for their leaves and the root itself, as well as carrots which is one vegetable that has likely seen the most improvement from early times. Following is a Thanksgiving dinner menu that recalls the days of the set- tlers and yet celebrates our own har- vest. If you want to be more elaborate, add a wild rice dish and a squash cas- serole. Thanksgiving dinner menu Pumpkin harvest soup Roast turkey with mushroom bread stuffing Mashed potatoes with gravy Greens with pear and lime dressing Creamed onions and broccoli Cranberry sauce Apple crumb cheesecake Start your dinner with this light soup, and since it in- cludes pumpkin, it gives you an opportunity to include fall orchard fruit in the dessert.
Stir in carrots and heat through. Pour sauce over onions and broccoli. Makes 8 to 10 servings. This fine dessert showcases apples— an orchard fruit that does well on the prairies. Apple crumb cheesecake Crust: 2 cups flour 1/4 cup icing sugar 1 cup cold butter, cubed Filling: 3 packages (8-ounce) cream cheese, softened 2/3 cup sugar 1 cup sour cream 4 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla Topping – see below To make crust combine flour and icing sugar in a bowl and work in but- ter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press evenly into bottom and up the side of a 10-inch springform pan. Refrigerate for 1 hour, prick bot- tom crust all over with fork and bake at 350F until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool. For filling, beat cream cheese with sugar until fluffy. Next beat in sour cream, then eggs (one at a time) and vanilla until well combined. Pour into cooled crust and bake at 325F for 45 minutes or until set around edges (still jiggly in the middle). Ar- range prepared apples (see below) decoratively on crust, and sprinkle with crumb topping. Bake at 350F until topping is golden brown, 10 to 15 min- utes. Makes 12 servings. Apple crumb topping : combine 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1/3 cup oat- meal, 1/3 cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon . Cut in 3 tablespoons but- ter until mixture is crumbly. Set aside. Peel 3 large ap-
by DORIS PENNER N ot many of us would wish to du- plicate the exact conditions un- der which the Pilgrims cooked their first Thanksgiving dinner. Although the tiny farming com- munity of Plymouth had established a firm foothold in the new land evi- denced by full granaries, warm homes to shelter them from the elements and the friendship and trust of Indigenous neighbours, times were still difficult and would be for many years to come as they sought to survive. However, their hearts were filled with gratitude for the blessings that were theirs in the autumn of 1621, and this overflowed into a thanksgiving service of prayer, and concluded with a bountiful feast of foods gathered from the fields and forests. Today we also have full granaries, we have shelter and the blessing of love from family and friends. It is indeed appropriate for us to set aside a day for giving thanks as the Pilgrims did. Thanksgiving celebrations have, of course, been practised in Canada for hundreds of years, originating with a thanks offering by early settlers. It has since become a harvest festival which is marked by large family reunions and bountiful dinners. As we can’t duplicate the conditions of the first Thanksgiving, neither can we duplicate the feast. But it seems fit- ting to celebrate our own abundance, our freedom and our family ties with foods harvested from our farms and gardens, and indeed, to give a nod to tradition. Turkey was on the menu There is evidence that turkey was on the menu of the feast in 1621—the bird was wild of course, while ours is domesticated. Cranberries, too,
3 1/2 tablespoons flour Salt and pepper to taste 2 1/2 cups light cream or milk 2 cups shredded carrots
Boil whole onions in salted water. When almost tender add broccoli and boil until broccoli is tender-crisp. Drain well. Meanwhile melt butter in saucepan and stir in flour and season- ings. Cook over low heat until bubbly. Gradually stir in cream or milk; boil and stir until thickened.
ples and cut into slim wedges. In skillet melt 1 tablespoon butter and saute
are a heritage food which we normally serve in a sauce or salad. Although many of
apple wedges until slightly softened.
the vegetable vari- eties that existed in North America when Columbus first landed on our shores have become
extinct, we still enjoy some of the very vegeta- bles the colonists would have
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