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Press release: KLN Family Brands

KLN Family Brands and Tuffy’s Pet Foods, Inc. announced today that its new Tuffy’s Treat Company manufacturing facility in Delano, MN is now operating and producing pet treats for four-legged family members. Construction on the 174,000-square-foot plant began in August, 2019.

The plant currently employs 40 and is expected to reach 100-125 employees when operating at full capacity. It contains an on-site warehouse and shell space for future capability expansion. The facility was constructed by Kansas City, Missouri-based CRB, a global consulting, design and construction services firm. The facility is designed to achieve Green Globe Certification for sustainability.

The plant features two extrusion lines producing 9,000 pounds of semi-moist pet treats each hour and six packaging lines producing stand-up re-sealable pouches. Tuffy’s Treat Company’s new plant will help fill the growing demand for pet treats. Already a nearly $7 billion market in the U.S., the pet treat industry is expected grow at a compound annual growth rate of 2.8 percent through 2023.

“Since 1964, Tuffy’s has been committed to producing great products for our beloved four-legged family members,” said Charlie Nelson, President and CEO of Tuffy’s Pet Foods parent company KLN Family Brands. “The new plant will allow us to expand our offerings and meet consumer demand for healthy treats that are made lovingly and produced safely. The City of Delano and its business community have been incredibly welcoming to us. We are committed to adding to the quality of life in Delano and the surrounding area.”

“We couldn’t be more thrilled that Tuffy’s Pet Foods chose Delano for its new plant,” said Delano Mayor Dale Graunke. “The company has an unparalleled reputation for quality, community service and employee benefits. Their commitment is a vote of confidence in Delano and a great win for our residents.”

The ultramodern facility will provide the safest environment for pet food safety, efficiency and flexibility. The facility is designed to meet and exceed the stringent requirements of today’s pet food market using sustainable operations that reduce the plant’s environmental footprint and waste.

Tuffy’s Treat Company specializes in the manufacturing of dry and semi-moist dog and cat treats. Tuffy’s Treat Company operates a state-of-the-art facility in Delano, Minnesota, that is dedicated solely to the making of high quality pet treats. Tuffy’s Treat Company along with sister company Tuffy’s Pet Foods is family-owned and operated — and has been since it was founded in 1964. With a continued focus on delivering the highest quality, Tuffy’s is best known for the production of NutriSource products. Tuffy’s Treat Company operates as a subsidiary of KLN Enterprises, Inc.

The national labor shortage is also impacting Minnesota apple orchards. An orchard in Delano is down about 50 employees.

DELANO, Minnesota — It's been a busy season so far at Apple Jack Orchards in Delano.

Owner Mary Kahler said last season they had maybe half as many customers due to the pandemic.

"Everybody has time to come out to the orchard. That's wonderful, but we have no employees," Kahler said.

In the past, the orchard has always had extra people available that they can call last-minute. This year, Kahler said they could use 50 more employees.

Wages vary, but a teenager starting out makes about $13 per hour and it can quickly rise to $16 or $17.

"No matter what we would offer in wages, which of course we keep raising our wages all the time, people just don't even apply," Kahler said.

Kahler said it means their cow train, which typically runs on the weekends, isn't always available because they won't have anyone available to drive it. The same goes for their apple cannon.

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"Literally peoples' aunts and uncles and one of my manager's grandfathers is doing the cow train. Out of the kindness of peoples' hearts they're helping out," she said.

Shifts are also impacted by COVID-19.

"The kids are wonderful that can show up, but then when their school says, 'Oh, everybody is going to quarantine for however long because of COVID,' they are good kids so they call and say, 'We can't come to work either.' Even though none of them have COVID, they can't come to work. So it's a constant scramble," Kahler said.

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Employee Marlis Doboszenski was getting apples ready for pies and crisp on Tuesday afternoon. She said a job meant for five or six is now being done by two.

"It's 12:30 and I'm still working on this where this should've been done yesterday," Doboszenski said.

Besides a labor shortage, they're dealing with supply chain issues.

"All the packaging... can't get it. We can't get our pop and water so I run to Costco twice a week," Kahler said.

Some orchards are also facing apple shortages because of drought.

RELATED: Minnesota leaves may not be as bright this year, but the best fall foliage may be right next door

KTTC reported that Northwoods Apple Orchard in Oronoco is only having customers purchase pre-packed apples because of the shortage.

"The quantity of apples is simply not there, and so to have apples available for folks to pick their own, there is just nothing there," Tom Eckdahl of Northwoods Orchard told KTTC.

Kahler said Apple Jack Orchards was able to avoid apple shortages thanks to their irrigation system.

Afton Apple Orchard in Hastings was also able to irrigate. They have some smaller apples but still a decent crop. The orchard is down about a dozen employees, and they have had to delay their corn maze opening because of it.

Applewood Orchard in Lakeville also told KARE 11 they're experiencing staffing shortages at this time.

Kahler said those interested in a job at Apple Jack Orchards can reach out to them via their website or Facebook.

When he'd go outside at recess, John Buettner would dream of learning the monkey-bars. The fifth-grader uses a wheelchair, so they aren't accessible to him—in fact, most of the playground at Glen Lake Elementary School isn't.

Meanwhile, Betsy Julien would look out from her classroom window as she ate lunch, at the students in their wheelchairs, and thought, "Our playground is not set up for everybody in the school to play and have fun."

Julien's own son is a third-grader at Glen Lake, in the Minneapolis suburb of Hopkins, and he uses a wheelchair, too. "So, this dream and passion of being able to have an accessible piece of equipment has been with me for a long time."

Now, thanks to this teacher and her students, that dream is about to come true in a bigger way than she ever imagined.

Last fall, Julien and a few of her colleagues applied for, and won, a grant for an accessible swing and merry-go-round. The grant fell $35,000 short of the amount the school needed, and so Julien came up with an idea: She asked her combined fifth- and sixth-grade class to help raise the rest.

Her students jumped at the idea, and took it a step further. "We were like, 'Why can't we make the whole playground accessible?' " says sixth-grader Hadley Mangan. "It was $300,000, which is a lot, but we knew we could do it." The next day, they launched a fundraiser online.

Then, the students got to work. They brainstormed ideas on how to raise money: door-knocking, partnering with restaurants, handing out flyers, and even cold-calling local businesses. "It takes a lot of work," says sixth-grader Raqiya Haji, "because you have to write a script and see if they wanted to donate to us."

The students say all that work has been worth it. "If this never happened," Mangan says, the students with disabilities "wouldn't enjoy recess as much, but I think they're going to be so happy because of our idea."

Julien's class reached their $300,000 goal in a matter of weeks, and have increased it twice since then. Now, they aim to raise $1 million so they can completely transform their playground. Anything they raise beyond their goal will go towards accessible equipment at neighboring schools, "because if they see us doing this, they're going to want a playground, too," says Haji.

Last week, Julien and Glen Lake Principal Jeff Radel loaded the students into two school buses for a field trip to tour the manufacturing plant that will make their playground a reality. They got to see how the equipment is built and even got to color in a blueprint of the playground design.

Fifth grader Caleigh Brace says she's most excited about the wheelchair-accessible zipline. Raqiya Haji can't wait to see the merry-go-round, which will be installed this summer along with a swing.

After the field trip, John Buettner says he can hardly believe how quickly an idea turned into reality. "I feel astonished," he says, getting emotional as he talks about the effort his classmates and the entire community have put into this project.

While he may not be able to use the monkey bars, he says the new playground will open up a world of possibilities: "All of this equipment is big enough for my friends and I to play on. I just feel some sense of capability."

Betsy Julien speaks through tears, too, when she reflects on the project and thinks about the playground's transformation when the work is done a year from now.

"As a teacher, and a parent, my heart just swells with pride," she says. "When you have a child who has special needs, you have so many hopes and dreams for their lives. You hope that the world is kind and accepting and inclusive for your child."

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Yes, it is ONLY Labor Day weekend, but that isn't stopping me from thinking about winter and starting to plan out some trips that we will want to take. One of the trips we are planning on taking this year will be to Delano to see this Ice Palace that is being planned at Fountain Hill Winery.

A post to the Facebook page 'Things to Do in Minnesota' gave me the idea to make plans to visit. The details on dates and times aren't released yet, but you can check back to the winery's website, which has an entire section on the upcoming ice palace, by going here.

"We know that winter can be brutal, but add glittering lights, beautiful ice formations, and a little bit of magic, and suddenly winter becomes our favorite! We are counting down the days until we are able to light up the night with our Ice Palace!"

One thing that we CAN be sure of with this Central Minnesota ice palace is that the winery plans on making it 'magical'.

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If you plan on taking in the ice palace, it probably goes without saying this, but dress warm, the general rule of thumb would be to dress like you were going skiing, so layers, and wearing boots would be a smart move too.

On top of the ice palace, the winery will also be offering food for visitors, ironically wood fired pizza will be an option, along with other vendors according to the ice palace website.

You can follow the ice palace on Facebook for updates for the upcoming season at Fountain Hill Winery.

10 Signs of a Long, Hard Winter on the Way

Winter Weather Might Be Here Sooner Than Expected

Soon enough this will be the scene outside. Here are some old sayings and wives tales that might prove to be an indicator of a colder, harder winter than we've had recently.

Thicker Than Normal Corn Husks

If the corn husk is thicker and tighter to the cob it could be an indicator of a cold winter ahead. It's like the corn cob wants to be as bundled up as possible.

Photo by Gary Bendig on Unsplash

Early Departure of Geese and Ducks

Canadian geese might have brains the size of a walnut, but when it comes to leaving a place before bad weather moves in, they know when to duck out. (Pun intended).

Photo by Chris Chow on Unsplash

Monarchs Leaving Early

Monarch butterflies move based on 'sun compasses' and the butterflies' molecular clocks. When days get shorter, it prompts them to return to southern regions to hibernate.

Photo by Jan Haerer on Unsplash

Lots of Heavy Fog in August

“For every fog in August, There will be a snowfall in winter." August 2022 has seen some fog in the middle of the month. I have never heard this saying before, but now I feel like I should start tracking it to see if it is accurate.

Photo by Torbjørn Helgesen on Unsplash

Spiders Spinning Larger Webs

Larger spider webs mean a colder winter is on the way. Another spider web predciton is, "Spiderwebs floating at autumn sunset; bring a night frost, on this you may bet."

Photo by Alexander Klarmann on Unsplash

Over Abundance of Acorns

that fall heavily means a cold winter is coming. Similarly, a large crop of walnuts means a snowy, cold season. Thick nutshells predict a severe winter.

Photo by Bee Safe on Unsplash

Hornet Nesting Locations

“See how high the hornet’s nest, ‘twill tell how high the snow will rest.” If you see a wasps nest built low to the ground, expect little snow. If you see one built high, expect a lot of snow.

Photo by Ryan Hyde on Unsplash

Squirrel Behavior

Notice how early squirrels start to stash away food for the winter, it could indicated it starting early. Their tail bushiness can also be an indicator of a cold fall and winter ahead.

Photo by Egor Myznik on Unsplash

Chickens Losing Their Feathers

“If the rooster moults before the hen, we’ll have winter thick and thin. If the hen moults before the cock, we’ll have winter hard as a rock.” Pay attention to which of your chickens are moulting first.

Photo by Timothy Dykes on Unsplash

Mushrooms Galore

"Mushrooms galore, much snow in store. No mushrooms at all, no snow will fall." I've noticed more mushrooms this past summer than I ever have before. I don't like where this old saying is heading.

With ice castles, ice mazes and ice carousels, Minnesota is a winter wonderland.

January 17, 2023 — 5:00am

Snow days and slick roads can make even a hardy Minnesotan feel like staying home, but there are some winter wonderland experiences you don't want to miss — exploring an ice castle, finding your way through an ice maze or stepping onto an ice carousel.

All you need to do to take part is bundle up, wear boots with good traction and buy tickets in advance, if you can.

Jeff Wheeler, Star Tribune file

Icemazing

Already, the Minnesota Ice Maze has proven to be a hot ticket.

At least 10,000 guests wearing parkas and puffy jackets visited the half-mile-long maze on its opening weekend, Jan. 6-8, according to CEO Robert Harrell.

The maze takes its theme from its location — in Eagan near the Minnesota Vikings headquarters. With its 14-foot-tall Vikings ship made out of ice and visits by ice princesses and live reindeer (Jan. 28-29), the maze is all Nordic, all the time.

Made of 1 million pounds of ice, the maze is relatively easy to walk, but you can amp up the experience by trying to find all the ice sculptures hidden within the icy twists and turns.

After reaching the end, visitors can also take part in the adjacent "Winter SKOLstice" event, which includes curling, hockey and skating (weather-permitting) at Viking Lakes. There is also a warming haus with food and drink for purchase. That event is free.

The Minnesota Ice Maze, 2645 Vikings Circle, Eagan. Monday-Friday through at least Feb. 19. Tickets are $24.99 $12.99 for children younger than 15 years old and free for those ages 0-4. minnesotaicemaze.com. For more information on the SKOLstice event go to www.explorevikinglakes.com/winterskolstice.

AJ Mellor

Return to childhood

Making her way through the tunnels of Ice Castles in New Brighton made Jennifer Pat feel like a kid.

"When you get inside it feels like you're in a different world," said Pat, who was there with her two children. "My favorite part was getting inside the cave and I had to crawl. To feel like you're surrounded by ice — it brings back my childhood memories."

The castle, which comprises 25 million pounds of ice, features 20-foot-tall walls, an ice fountain and an ice slide. There also are fanciful ice sculptures. And, if you're lucky, you might see an ice sculptor chiseling away at blocks of ice.

Starting Jan. 19, visitors will be able to scan a QR code on their phones to play "Castle Quest," which will lead them to areas in the castle that are typically overlooked by visitors, said Chelsea Abbey, guest engagement manager.

"They will be tasked with finding puzzles in the chambers and when they solve all the puzzles they will win a prize," Abbey said. "There's no time limit — you can go at your own pace."

Ice Castles, Long Lake Regional Park, 1500 Old Hwy. 8, New Brighton. Open every day except Tuesdays through at least Feb. 20. Tickets range from $11 to $22. Children younger than 4 years old admitted free. For more information, go to icecastles.com/minnesota.

Carlos Gonzalez, Star Tribune

Fire and ice

The Ice Palace at Fountain Hill Winery in Delano combines two wintry treats: a cool ice structure and warm beverages.

Sitting on a sprawling two-acre site, the palace has 15-foot-tall walls and ice tunnels big enough for kids and adults to explore. It's lit with colorful lights at night and there's also a 12-foot-long ice bridge and costumed characters, from snowmen to ice princesses.

With 70 sprinklers spraying about 33,000 gallons of water a day making the walls higher and thicker, the palace will change and grow during its run, said Ice Palace CEO Brigham Youngstrom.

Fountain Hill Winery will be selling mulled wine, hot cocoa and other beverages. There also will be food trucks and plenty of outdoor seating with heat lamps. On the topic of heat, attendees can also watch fire performances throughout the evening and there are ample fire pits for warming up throughout the experience.

"We are excited to be able to bring in people from the surrounding areas to enjoy the ice palace," said Youngstrom. "The amazing arctic blue ice is out of this world as to how it looks. It's something different and new and something fun to get out of the house to enjoy."

The Ice Palace, 731 County Road 30 SE., Delano. Open through at least March 4. Hours are weather-dependent. Tickets range from $11 to $23. Children under 4 admitted free. www.theicepalacefhw.com.

Provided by Becca Ruegemer

An ice-go-round

Chuck Zwilling and his family are attempting to break a very specific world record — for the largest ice carousel within another ice carousel.

That should be a cinch, because they already hold a Guinness World Record for the ice carousel they created last year. The carousels are part of I.C.E. Fest 2023 in Little Falls, Minn., on Feb. 11-12.

Visitors will be able to watch as the crews use chainsaws to cut the massive circles of ice on Green Prairie Fish Lake. The circle will then be propelled into a slow rotation by motors inserted in holes in the ice.

"What we discovered over the years is that's what people like to see — the cutting and the getting it spinning," said Becca Ruegemer, director of marketing.

In addition to watching the ice cutting and riding on the carousels, visitors can try curling, dog-sledding, human foosball and bowling and, if the weather permits, airplane rides.

The free event (donations are encouraged) also includes food and beverages. All proceeds go to programs that help at-risk children.

www.MnIceFest.com.