Spring Burn at Sapsucker Farm | Minnesota Bound

Añadido: 2026-05-27

[00:00:00]or we'll kind of just watch it.

[00:00:02]>> On today's show, motans use fire to take land back in time. Today, we explain.

[00:00:11]>> Fly tires unite to hook new anglers on fly fishing.

[00:00:16]>> We can eat these.

[00:00:17]>> And we're in the kitchen cooking up the sweetest of spring treats born out of a non-native Minnesota plant.

[00:00:24]>> Okay, more strawberry.

[00:00:26]>> Strawberry.

[00:00:44]Minnesota bound presented by Connecticut Water Treatment Systems.

[00:00:51]>> Hi everybody, Bill Millie and I welcome you to today's episode. You know, this first story is a little near and dear to my heart. Conservationists often use fire to knock back invasive plants and reintroduce native species.

[00:01:05]>> And that's exactly what's happening at a place called Sapsucker.

[00:01:10]>> Spring on the farm, a time of winter weathered gray and not so much color.

[00:01:17]Well, except for a few birds.

[00:01:21]>> We have a farm. We call it Sapsucker Farms.

[00:01:25]Yeah, we kind of ran a muck here about a few years ago. It just didn't know when to stop.

[00:01:32]>> Sapsucker, a rural settlement of syrup and cider and certified organics.

[00:01:38]>> There's a lot going on and it's just all about the outdoors, >> including the prairie project.

[00:01:45]>> We thought, well, we don't want to just be hanging this thing all the time. So, we thought, well, let's just transition it into native prairie. And it's just gotten better every year. It's just it's wonderful.

[00:01:58]>> With a little habitat help, no chemicals allowed, but Jim Morrison never shied away from another hot resource.

[00:02:11]It keeps us busy.

[00:02:12]>> Hey K, Charlie, are we ready? But we'll kind of just watch it.

[00:02:17]We we'll try not to bite off more than what we can chew.

[00:02:25]And it it's one of the last things I think that we can do in our society that really seem like this is crazy that we can still do this. I don't mind it burning right up to the road there. I mean, it's it's on the verge of, you know, you have a measure of fear and excitement that it it's it's real. I mean, this is real energy being expended by nature and you feel the intensity like a lot of this willow in here. I'm hoping that this will really put a herd on it >> and I think we'll want to really watch it when it gets to the corner by the fence there.

[00:03:04]>> Jim burned part of the prey. All right.

[00:03:08]You want to hang back there, Nick?

[00:03:11]>> Along with a few friends.

[00:03:14]>> Hey, I'm going to be doing a burn.

[00:03:15]They're like, I'll be there. You just say when.

[00:03:21]>> This whole thing is like really awesome.

[00:03:23]Like we're just we're burning a field to renew it.

[00:03:28]>> Fire knocks back the non-native and invasive plants. So, if we can if we can uh set back the cool season invasives, then that gives the native the warm season natives a better start for the seasons. Once we get about to there, it's then it's off to the races. There we go.

[00:03:50]Woo.

[00:03:53]>> In a matter of minutes, it just the fire's out.

[00:03:58]>> Awesome.

[00:03:59]>> Very cool. It's like textbook. That was then. This is now.

[00:04:03]>> It was entirely torched, completely hot dog charroiled. You know what I mean?

[00:04:09]Just black all the way down. And in I guess it's been what, three, four months since then.

[00:04:18]>> The prairie looks incredible. It's uh night and day isn't even different enough to describe to you how the prairie looks since day one of when I saw it. which is why people consider Sapsucker a summer destination.

[00:04:30]>> Today, what do we have? We have a wonderful food truck. We've got a musician tonight. We're going to be doing a little walk through the prairie and just see what there is to see. We'll all have our phones out with our various apps to like what kind of what kind of butterfly is this? What kind of flower is this? Which is a lot of fun and it's very educational.

[00:04:48]>> It's just so gorgeous out here. In any glance, you'll see five different kinds of bumblebees, probably two or three butterflies, including monarchs, which are pretty special because they are really having a difficult time these days. But I am passionate about this and I enjoy sharing it with other people, but I think that it's created a more balanced ecosystem. We're seeing butterflies I'd never recognized before.

[00:05:16]>> Jim hopes his guests curiosity like the prairie Is this actually milk?

[00:05:23]>> Might blossom. This is uh this is big blue stem here. It's also called turkey foot. Everybody knows what this is, right?

[00:05:30]>> And now we're here like at the end of the summer and everything is just so big and you know grown and bloomed out and it's incredible.

[00:05:40]>> Is it a what?

[00:05:42]>> I think you are right. I think you are right. Good call, Bryce. You know a lot of these plants. I am impressed. I've seen it go from little seedlings to the spring flowers, all the pollinators you can imagine, those purple martins and all their babies and it just all that was happening while the prairie grew over our heads. Basically, everybody who comes here really experiences something and goes, "Wow, this is amazing." And is that is that farm life? Is that Minnesota life? Or is it just like some special mix that you're getting right here? I don't know. But it's happening.

[00:06:14]If they can be inspired, if they can uh go on and do something in their own way in whatever piece of property they have, I enjoy their enjoyment.

[00:06:31]Coming up, the art of the perfect fishing fly. The work of this longtime group.

[00:06:38]>> Minnesota Bound is brought to you by Kinetical Water Treatment Systems.

[00:06:44]Star Bank, Rapid Marine family of dealerships and by Crush City.

[00:06:55]Now, Travis, you're just house sitting.

[00:06:57]You can use my kinetical water for the plants, but that's all. And behave yourself.

[00:07:02]>> Have a great trip and catch some fish for me.

[00:07:07]>> It's so crystal clear.

[00:07:09]>> Oh, come on. Buy a bottle.

[00:07:11]>> Don't worry, girl. We'll get you all cleaned up.

[00:07:13]>> Travis, >> Ron, home so soon.

[00:07:17]>> Forgot my lucky lure. You simply can't leave my Kinetico alone, can you?

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[00:07:25]>> Ron Sher here. I've mentioned before that Starbank is our bank at Ron Shur Productions. Now, it's fair to ask why Star Bank. Let's count the ways. First, Starbank is owned by a Minnesota family with Minnesota employees. They know us, we know them. When you call StarBank, an employee answers, not a recording.

[00:07:44]Located in 11 Minnesota communities, Starbank provides all the services a bank should provide. So now you know why we chose Star Bank. We like a bank that cares. Member FDIC equal housing lender.

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[00:08:34]Top water bass fishing is is just an addiction. It's just what got me hooked on bass fishing.

[00:08:43]>> I've never been so excited to release a bait. This bait right here is so unique and it has such a unique action. Sad and it catches freaking B.

[00:09:01]Fly fishing is a little bit of a niche form of angling, but Travis Frank met a group trying to get more people involved.

[00:09:11]Every Wednesday night at 5:00 p.m., a crowd gathers at the American Legion Post 118 in Weisetta, Minnesota.

[00:09:19]>> Every Wednesday.

[00:09:20]>> All year long. Yep. Yep. They come for food, fellowship, fishing, and some laughter, too.

[00:09:28]>> We classify ourselves as an informal gathering of fly tying and fly fishing enthusiasts.

[00:09:35]>> The formal name for this not so formal group is classified as laughing trout.

[00:09:44]>> It's amazing.

[00:09:45]>> The name clearly fits.

[00:09:47]>> We wrap fur and feather around a hook to try to fool a fish.

[00:09:52]Tonight, Paul Johnson takes the role of the head fly tire.

[00:09:57]>> Right now, I'm tiny. Purple prince charming.

[00:10:00]>> Above a screen projects his moves to bring the purple prince to life.

[00:10:06]>> I just I enjoy it. I enjoy tying flies and I enjoy demonstrating my fly tying and teaching others about fly tying.

[00:10:17]Paul's fly tying passion fits perfectly with the mission at Laughing Trout.

[00:10:23]>> We have tools and equipment available for people to use. Well, we welcome anybody and everybody.

[00:10:29]>> There's no application. There's no tryyouts.

[00:10:34]>> And it's been this way since Greg Olsen started these Wednesday night gatherings 30 years ago. I got the fly fishing bug severely and worked every Wednesday night at Burger Brothers, which is a sporting goods store here and I was the fly fishing expert and every Wednesday night people would come in and I would talk shop with them about fly fishing rods, reels.

[00:11:00]>> One night he taught a customer how to tie their own fly. Next week we did it again and again and again and pretty soon there were you know couples and children and grandparents and all all walks of life people sitting there tying flies with us and we kind of realized there was something there now 30 years later the group's expanded. I I don't know how many people are in it now.

[00:11:26]>> Invites to this club spread by word of mouth.

[00:11:29]>> This is my fourth session. Met a guy at Orvis, told me about the club, and >> so here I am.

[00:11:37]>> These lures will one day fool a fish.

[00:11:40]But here's the real catch.

[00:11:42]>> Normal year, we'll give away donate 2 to 3,000 of these. Mainly for kids, but for other people, too. Beginners.

[00:11:52]>> Randy Leage sorts flies for their bug bank, a pool of lures these fly tires give away.

[00:11:59]>> We've got about six patterns. They're all proven fish catchers for the kids.

[00:12:05]>> Fly packs from the bug bank support local organizations trying to hook the next generation on fishing.

[00:12:12]>> I don't need anymore uh flies for myself. We're trying to get kids out.

[00:12:19]>> And that's really the motivation for these baits.

[00:12:25]We're still looking for groups out there that we've not met yet that might be interested in uh getting some of these for their kids.

[00:12:36]>> A simple act of kindness from a bunch of anglers looking to give back. The joys of fishing, it's enough to keep this group tying flies. Every Wednesday night at 5:00 p.m. at American Legion Post 118.

[00:12:56]Still ahead, we explore the four corners of Minnesota.

[00:13:02]>> Gently pull those flowers right off like that.

[00:13:04]>> But first, Laura and Jim get busy cooking up a sweet spring dessert.

[00:13:11]Minnesota Bound is brought to you by Flow Docks and Lifts, Safe Basements of Minnesota, Neutrasource, and by Totem Resorts, the premier destination for worldclass fishing.

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[00:14:31]Hi, I'm Millie. Yep, that Millie. Star of the screen, queen of the field, and a state fair icon. Most days, my schedule's packed. Chasing birds in the morning, fan appearances in the afternoon, and did I mention I host my very own TV show. People love me. A schedule this glam takes some serious fuel. That's why I eat Neutrasaur. Their commitment to quality keeps me healthy, energized, and my coat softer and shinier than when I was a puppy. What's inside matters, and Neutriur keeps me feeling like the star I am.

[00:15:01]>> Are you seeing water issues in your basement or crawl space? Wet carpet, moisture coming through walls, a heaving basement floor, wet soil, or musty smells in your crawl space are all signs your home doesn't have proper moisture control and mitigation. And if these problems continue, they may lead to more serious foundation problems. Safe Basements, an award-winning, locally operated company, uses state-of-the-art drainage encapsulation systems and sump pumps to keep your home's basement or crawl space dry. Call Safe Basements today for a free estimate to solve your moisture issues for good.

[00:15:46]Hi everybody. Today we're getting wild in the kitchen with Chef Jim Kimberg from Stillwater Country Club. And Chef Jim, spring is in the air, the lillocks have bloomed, and from my understanding, we can eat these.

[00:15:57]>> You sure can.

[00:15:58]>> What are we making today with lilocks?

[00:15:59]>> We're going to do an infused syrup with the lillocks. Little blueberry, a little vanilla. It's absolutely delicious.

[00:16:04]>> And it looks like it's a strawberry shortcake kind of.

[00:16:06]>> Strawberry shortcake. One of the favorites of my family.

[00:16:09]>> All right, let's get started.

[00:16:10]>> Let's do it.

[00:16:13]>> I noticed our lilocks are soaking in water. Is this the first step?

[00:16:17]>> That is the first step. And you know why we do that?

[00:16:19]>> I'm assuming it's for little bugs.

[00:16:21]>> That you are correct. Just going to kind of gently pull those flowers right off like that.

[00:16:27]>> Okay.

[00:16:27]>> We'll make a little pile. We need approximately a a generous cup, we'll say. We're ready to start with the syrup. We're going to take one cup of water.

[00:16:39]>> Okay. Crank up that heat. Then we're going to dissolve one cup of sugar in there. Next, we're going to add some vanilla beans. We're going to add the blueberries to the syrup. So, we're going to do both zest and juice. If you want to start by just zesting one lemon, >> the whole thing.

[00:16:55]>> The whole thing.

[00:17:01]>> And now we wait.

[00:17:02]>> No. Last but not least, what are we forgetting?

[00:17:04]>> The lilacs.

[00:17:05]>> The lilacs. All right.

[00:17:11]>> Got a nice boil established. We've got our lemon juice, our lemon zest, blueberries, vanilla. Last but not least, star of the show, the lilacs. So, I'm going to turn off the heat. We're just going to dump those right in there.

[00:17:23]>> Okay.

[00:17:23]>> I'll bring the board over and I'll just kind of So, so now the last step, we're going to let this sit in the fridge overnight once it cools down.

[00:17:37]>> Okay. Do you stir it at all?

[00:17:39]>> You can stir it. That's fine. But it will naturally just kind of infuse and do its thing.

[00:17:43]>> So, it goes into the fridge for 24 hours.

[00:17:45]>> Overnight, 12 hours up to 24 hours.

[00:17:48]>> Okay.

[00:17:49]>> Into the fridge it goes.

[00:17:53]>> Our syrup has cooled down.

[00:17:55]>> We've let it rest in the fridge overnight.

[00:17:57]>> Look at that. Now, we're going to strain it.

[00:17:59]>> Now, we're going to strain it. So, this is a fine mesh strainer, which works really, really good. And look at the color on that.

[00:18:06]>> Beautiful. So, a lot of that comes from the blueberries, but the lilacs do add some hue to it, too.

[00:18:12]Let's pull this out.

[00:18:15]We'll let this cool down for a second.

[00:18:17]>> That smells divine.

[00:18:18]>> Yeah. And these cast irons work great for making these.

[00:18:23]Cut that in half.

[00:18:26]So, we're going to start off with a little strawberry compost.

[00:18:29]>> Okay.

[00:18:32]>> The strawberries are delicious this time of year as well.

[00:18:39]Next, some whipped cream.

[00:18:42]>> This is a fun project. Wow, this feels homemade.

[00:18:45]>> There you go.

[00:18:47]>> Okay, more strawberries.

[00:18:48]>> More strawberries.

[00:18:52]There you go. Perfect. Now, we're going to put a top on there.

[00:18:56]>> Beautiful.

[00:18:57]>> Now, we need the the syrup.

[00:18:58]>> We need the star of the show.

[00:19:01]Look at the colors on that dessert. Chef Jimmy, you don't judge yourself with this one.

[00:19:06]>> Thank you.

[00:19:06]>> Summer lillocks. They're beautiful to look at, incredible to smell, and delicious to taste.

[00:19:11]>> Let's do it.

[00:19:11]>> Let's do it. Here we go.

[00:19:13]>> All right.

[00:19:15]>> Oh boy.

[00:19:22]>> That's amazing.

[00:19:27]Very good.

[00:19:28]>> That's awesome.

[00:19:36]Hey everybody, Bill Sherk, the man about the woods. If you fly fish, odds are you collect a lot of reels and a lot of fly lines. Big reels for big fish, little reels for small fish. And over time, you start moving lines between reels and you can lose track of what your lines are and they're really expensive. So, it becomes frustrating. Nowadays, manufacturers are just starting to use lasers to write little marks so you understand what the lines are. But in my case, I had to come up with a system so I could remember what all my fly lines are. Let me show you how I do it. Take this pile. I pull this old line off and start pulling it out. I have no idea what this line is, but I came up with a system where I simply take a marker when I pull a line off and say this is a seven weight.

[00:20:29]I'm going to mark seven dots on the line with a little permanent marker. And that way I always will know this is a seven weight line.

[00:20:39]This random one here, I pull it off. You can see it's got marks. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. And I know this is a 10 weight for muskies and pike. Get into the practice of labeling your fly lines. It'll help save your investment and also help keep your gear all in order.

[00:20:59]>> Closed captioning provided by Premier Marine.

[00:21:11]Whether the Northshore or the western prairies, our state offers a little bit of something everywhere this time of year.

[00:21:19]>> That's exactly why Ron Sher visited some of his favorite springtime destinations.

[00:21:32]Sometimes it's been said we can't see the forest for the trees.

[00:21:37]If so, maybe sometimes we forget the theater of seasons. we have in this piece of earth called Minnesota. Maybe it's time to remember.

[00:21:46]Remember a place called Itasa, where the Mississippi River begins.

[00:21:52]Maybe America begins here, too.

[00:21:56]In the north of Minnesota, where the tall pines grow, there's a place called Itasa. From whence a river flows from a wilderness lake amid the trees, the water swift and clear. It's called the Mississippi. America starts here. That's the magic of Itasa. Land of pines and bound and deer. And the father of our waters. America starts here.

[00:22:25]This is Lansboro, Minnesota. A bit of Americana lingers here, but now folks ride bicycles on trails where steam trains once chugged. But the Root River still runs and flows around its many bands and anglers seek trout as they have for decades.

[00:22:43]>> Most rivers in this area or in any area are totally under utilize. Land of 10,000 lakes is what they call Minnesota, but they never talk about the rivers.

[00:22:54]>> To the western horizon, Minnesota has a different face. The face of rolling prairie and endless skies.

[00:23:01]A pioneer girl, Laura Ingles Wilder, roamed the banks of Plum Creek out west here. And Plum Creek still flows.

[00:23:10]>> The sky downturned a brazen bowl above me and clanging with the calls of the wild gray geese, winging their way into the distant southland to escape the coming storms in rest and peace.

[00:23:24]On the northshore, next to the largest in the lake in the world, we come to renew our roots with raw nature to hike its rugged granite along the superior trail and measure ourselves against the vastness of Gitchy.

[00:23:41]>> And best of all, um, you know, it's very common here not to see anyone at all when you're out fishing. There's not a lot of places left in North America where you can do that. In Minnesota's only national park, time seems to stand still. As the park's many waterways and islands seem so little changed, only we change. We enjoy voyagers with simple tents or fancy houseboats, but the 500 islands don't move a bit.

[00:24:12]What we have in Minnesota seems endless.

[00:24:15]So many lakes, so many giant tributes to wild catches and wild things.

[00:24:21]We also have more bald eagles soaring over the land, probably more than we've had in a half century. Our national emblem seems at home here. That alone ought to make us appreciate even more this place called Minnesota.

[00:24:43]>> Okay. What is your favorite spring spot?

[00:24:46]Any place where you could find a morel mushroom and a wild turkey or two.

[00:24:51]>> Sounds like a plan to me.

[00:24:53]>> Well, we've run out of time. We hope to see you back here next week.

[00:24:57]>> In the meantime, remember, introduce a kid to the great outdoors.

[00:25:05]>> Transportation provided by Premier Transportation. Call 1 8008997433 to get more Minnesota bound, including full episodes. Go to nnbound.com and follow us on Facebook to keep up with our latest adventures.