Business

Bemidji Business Rebuild Program launched in wake of storm

Pioneer Staff Report — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 15:41:31 GMT

BEMIDJI — In response to the devastating storms that swept through the Bemidji region on June 21, local economic development partners have launched the Bemidji Business Rebuild Program.

The program is a rapid-response loan initiative designed to help small businesses recover, rebuild, and remain open.

Greater Bemidji, the Northwest Minnesota Foundation (NMF), the Headwaters Regional Development Commission (HRDC), the Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Bemidji collectively have created the initiative.

The program provides 0% interest loans up to $10,000 with no payments required in the first year, a release noted.

These funds are intended to cover urgent needs such as insurance payments, cleanup, inventory replacement, temporary relocation, and equipment costs not covered by insurance.

Businesses with greater financial needs may be eligible for larger funding amounts through related programs, the release said.

"This is about helping our local businesses bridge the gap between insurance claims and real recovery," Dave Hengel, Executive Director at Greater Bemidji, said in the release. "We want businesses to know: you're not alone — we're here to help you get back on your feet.

"I am especially grateful to our partners at the City, NWMF, HRDC and the Chamber for their rapid response in supporting our local businesses."

Businesses interested in applying should contact Greater Bemidji at (218) 444-5757, or by email at dhengel@greaterbemidji.com.

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Strawberry season is slower but just as sweet at Country Blossom Farm

Michael Johnson — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 12:45:00 GMT

ALEXANDRIA, Minn. — Opening day of strawberry picking came on June 20 for Country Blossom Farm in Alexandria.

Aside from some early-season frost and a June hailstorm, the plants have recovered well and are producing an abundance for u-pick customers. Troy Heald, who owns and operates the farm with his wife, Tracy, and son, Taylor, said that the damage that was incurred has passed, and more varieties are showing good yield.

“The good news is the berries that are left, that aren't frosted, they’ll get a little bigger then. So it hasn’t really affected our total crop that I can tell, yet. But until we’re done, we won’t know,” Heald said.

Berry ripening has been slow. Inconsistent weather patterns from cold to extreme heat have made picking less consistent. This means they could not remain open daily in the first week as they were quickly picked out. Wide rows and plenty of straw mean picking is comfortable and enjoyable on the farm.

Heald said future weather looks more consistent.

“It looks like next week’s all upper 70s, low 80s (degrees), which is perfect,” Heald said.

While the public can pick in the mornings, staff were picking from 4 acres of strawberries on Tuesday, June 24. They pick for those who would rather not pick their own. They also pick to fulfill their bakery needs at their kitchen and retail space on the farm.

The season typically lasts two to three weeks, but it’s highly dependent on weather. This is the eighth season of strawberry picking on the farm.

“We didn't intend on getting into them, but everyone kept asking,” Heald said. As other area berry farms closed up, they filled in. At their peak, they had 6 acres.

They hope to be picking until about the second week of July. Fourth of July is typically peak strawberry picking for them.

Heald said strawberries have helped the farm build diversity in times when other crops are hurt.

“So you've got to have all these things to really help the farm go,” Heald said. “Otherwise, if you just did apples it would be really hard.”

Apples are the main crop and attraction for Country Blossom Farm, but hail damaged close to 50% of their crop this year. While that could be devastating for some orchards, the fact that the damaged apples can be used in their farm cidery means little will be lost. The cider house will be busy.

Other crops grown and available for picking on the farm include honeyberries, aronia berries, raspberries, pumpkins and a variety of other produce.

Country Blossom Farm is located along Interstate 94 at 1951 Englund Rd SW Alexandria. Visit countryblossomfarm.com or call 320-334-1620 for more information on events throughout the year.

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Bemidji Chamber Ambassadors congratulate Something New Salon

Pioneer Staff Report — Sun, 29 Jun 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Bemidji Chamber Ambassadors recently congratulated Sheila Dopp on the opening of her new business, Something New Salon LLC.

Located at 1900 Division St. W No. 3, "Something New Salon is your new go-to spot for expert hair care and personal style," a release said.

Services include haircuts and hairstyles, highlights and balayage, waxing and more. Call or text (218) 766-3956 to book an appointment.

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Chamber Ambassadors congratulate Up North Canvas Company

Pioneer Staff Report — Sat, 28 Jun 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Bemidji Chamber Ambassadors congratulated Up North Canvas Company on its new location at 46841 County 45 in Laporte.

The business has doubled its space and expanded its services to better serve its customers, a release said.

Up North Canvas specializes in custom canvas repair and fabrication, from boat covers and upholstery to awnings, tarps and more.

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Check out the portable solar station that powers tractors and shades cows

Michael Johnson — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 13:00:00 GMT

MORRIS, Minn. — The cows at West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris don't seem to care that they are part of multi-million-dollar research that may change the way agriculture and energy work together. They are just happy to have a cool place to rest while out on pasture.

That cool place is under the mobile solar array that’s on the move across the grazing fields on the University of Minnesota property this summer. The campus already has solar panels fixed in place throughout the pastures that are producing energy and providing shade, but the idea came along that they could create a trailer unit that could move along with the cattle from pasture to pasture. In this way, the benefits of shade would never be lost regardless of the location.

Eric Buchanan, director of renewable energy at WCROC, shared the capabilities of the device, which they call the Solar Shade Power Station, with Agweek this summer. To get to the mobile solar charging trailer, Buchanan drove the university’s electric truck, a Ford Lightning. Parking next to the trailer, Pete Kennedy pressed a button that began to fold and then unfold the bi-fold wings of the array. This place is truly abuzz with electrical research.

Currently, the portable solar array is pulled by an electric tractor, which Kennedy also demonstrated. The compact tractor from Monarch arrived in winter 2023 and has seen increased use around the research farm. It gets its power from batteries that are charged by the batteries on the solar array, which gets its energy from the sun striking the solar panels attached to a former combine head trailer that was chopped and rebuilt by a local shop. The solar trailer has a capacity of 60 kW hours and its panels are equivalent to about 18 kW.

“So when you’re pulling this through the pasture, obviously you’re not tied to the grid, so you need to be able to discharge it someplace and that’s what the electric tractor or other electric vehicles are used for,” said UMN West Central Research and Outreach Center director of operations Mike Reese.

The solar array folds up into itself into a slimmer profile, under 12 feet, that allows it to travel down the road for educational purposes, such as a trip to FarmFest in Morgan, Minnesota, last summer. It’s likely to make a return visit there this year. When it’s fully engaged out on pasture, it opens up like a bird ready to take flight.

“This is really a summer collector,” Buchanan said. The panels open horizontally to the ground rather than at an angle like permanent solar arrays.

The size of the array was based on what was feasible to carry on a trailer, with the most shade production. This setup can easily shade about 20 cows. It sports rear-wheel steering, which was important to be able to maneuver the roughly 40-foot trailer through gates in the rotationally grazed pastures.

The solar array soaks up the sun, leaving a large shaded area below where the cows can stay cool. Research into the benefits of shaded cows vs. non-shaded cows was previously done on the campus. It indicates that those who have shade tend to have lower body temperatures, meaning less stress on the herd. Less stress can mean more milk production, higher fertility rates and the potential for longer life.

Just how else the portable solar array will be used is being researched, but for now it can charge the tractor in the field. The university got the tractor thanks to a grant in order to pull the solar trailer. Buchanan said they could use it for powering irrigation systems or electric fences in the summer. In the winter, the array is parked near the maintenance buildings where it can be used to charge electric vehicles or power a building.

“Brad (Heins) is planning on using it in the dairy pastures all summer,” Buchanan said. Research will be done throughout the summer by graduate students to track forage growth and its effects on the cows.

Heins, associate professor of organic dairy management in the Department of Animal Science, is leading much of the research behind how energy and agriculture can work together.

Their solar systems started out small in 2017 but have gradually grown to explore the capabilities of solar on small and larger scales for residential, commercial and farm applications.

So far, their solar includes a 4kW display that helps power a guest house. A 20kW system powers a heat pump system designed to cool sows and provide heat for piglets. It provides about 70% more electricity than it uses at the farrowing barn. A 27kW array provides the power needed for the swine finishing barn. A 30kW display is located in a pasture to provide shade for a grazing dairy herd. This powers a fast charging station for electric vehicles and helps power the WCROC administration building. A 50kW system is used to electrify the dairy milking parlor. A 240kW array again provides shade in a portion of the pasture for a grazing dairy herd, which supports the university’s electric needs. A 500kW array in the dairy pasture was celebrated in summer 2024. This project, in partnership with UMN Morris, provides shade for dairy cows and generates energy for the campus. The campus is carbon neutral thanks to these advancements in energy production on site.

Ongoing work

While work on the dairy grazing research continues, the shop at the campus is also filled with other projects utilizing robotics. Electric weeders are being constructed and tested. Research is being done and improvements are being made along the way. It’s costly work to try to build these devices and develop them, but it’s work that can lead to a model that farmers may someday be able to buy and use in their operations. The university receives funding for these renewable energy projects largely through the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources, which is funded with Minnesota lottery proceeds.

“It’s like the electric truck. Not everybody wants to drive an electric truck right away either, until you do it a little bit,” Buchanan said.

But as more and more electric vehicles make their way onto the landscape, the need for more power ramps up as well. This has electric suppliers wanting to understand what’s coming. A tractor is as useful as what it can attach to, so this one already has a trailer to pull, a snowblower, tiller and mower. A road blade is next on the list, so the tractor sees use year-round.

The university is also tracking its energy use on this tractor as it takes on daily tasks and adds tasks throughout the year.

“We installed a bunch of monitoring equipment so as we go and do some of these tasks, we’re going to really closely monitor how much electricity we’re using, when we recharge it, how much is it using,” Buchanan said. The electric suppliers are interested in what effect it will have on the grid if more and more farmers add this equipment. This research will help inform what’s to come.

Getting here has taken time, and more time is needed to make sure these innovations find a place on the farm, but it’s exciting to see how it can all work together, according to Reese. The solar charger is charging a tractor now, but may soon be charging weeders out in the field and endless other possibilities to get where the grid doesn’t.

“There’s all these connection points and the whole system, I think that’s very unique. You know, we can produce green nitrogen fertilizer, we can have electric tractors out in the fields,” Reese said. “All of these renewable energy systems end up working together to improve the carbon intensity of agricultural products and, actually well beyond, through the production of sustainable aviation fuel, e-methanol, and green iron and steel. Since we will be relying on energy generated locally, the goal is that these energy systems will also improve profitability and generate wealth in rural communities."

Agrivoltaics field day

The West Central Research and Outreach Center is hosting an agrivoltaics field day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, June 27, at 46352 MN-329, in Morris, Minnesota. Learn about cattle and sheep grazing, solar site forages, grain crops under solar panels and solar developer perspectives. There is no cost to attend but registration is required by visiting the University of Minnesota Extension website or contacting Sabrina Florentino at slpflore@umn.edu.

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Chamber Ambassadors welcome Real Broker Bemidji

Pioneer Staff Report — Sat, 21 Jun 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Bemidji Chamber Ambassadors congratulated Team Cermak Real Estate Group, Hoover Group and Bailey Burnham on their new business, Real Broker Bemidji, located at 1425 Paul Bunyan Drive NW, Suite 4.

Real Brokerage is a technology-driven platform offering streamlined home buying and selling experiences. In Bemidji, it is heavily focused on video marketing on several real estate websites and social media to offer a better experience and results for home buyers and sellers.

The business sees its services as the best of both worlds, with a brick and mortar location and the latest online marketing all in one package, a release said.

Real Broker is home to over 26,000 agents across the U.S. and Canada, with 537 in Minnesota and eight serving Bemidji.

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Delta Dental moving its Bemidji operations to Mayflower Building

Dennis Doeden — Sat, 21 Jun 2025 13:30:00 GMT

BEMIDJI — Delta Dental was up and running in Bemidji when the COVID pandemic hit in 2020.

Only a few months earlier, the company began operations in its $11 million, 38,000-square-foot building in the city’s technology park. It was expected to employ 150 call center representatives and financial staff members.

But like many companies throughout the nation, Delta’s business plan had to change as employees were forced to work remotely.

Fast forward five years, and Delta remains an important player in Bemidji’s economy, while its original building is set to house Sanford Bemidji’s Peak Center, which offers physical, occupational and speech therapy for all ages.

Meanwhile, Delta Dental is nearly finished remodeling the top floor of the downtown Mayflower Building, where it will soon welcome some of its 80-plus Bemidji-based employees, led by Assistant Vice President Luke Lundin.

Delta Dental of Minnesota is one of the largest providers of dental benefits in the upper Midwest, serving more than 7,000 Minnesota- and North Dakota-based purchasing groups and 4.5 million members nationwide. Founded in 1969, the company is an independent, nonprofit health service plan corporation.

“We're looking forward to moving in as soon as possible,” said Ben Wogsland, vice president of government relations and public affairs at Delta Dental of Minnesota. “The changes are kind of a win-win-win for us and for the community.

"It allows Sanford Health to move in and take over the previous space and to really expand its outpatient therapy department that's serving the community. It gives Delta Dental of Minnesota an opportunity to remain in the community with a space that's more right-sized for our team members who are coming in to work in person. And the space that we're moving into was previously unoccupied, so it brings more life and vitality to the downtown space."

Greater Bemidji, the region’s economic development organization, purchased the historic Mayflower Building in 2014. TEAM Industries engineers occupied the top floor under a 10-year lease, but moved out when it built its own engineering facility at its Bagley headquarters.

TEAM sublet its Mayflower space to Wanzek Construction and the Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce until the lease ended in February 2025. The Chamber has since moved down to the main floor.

Greater Bemidji Executive Director Dave Hengel said Delta’s decision to move to the Mayflower was ideal timing for both organizations.

“We are super excited to have them as a tenant, that they are staying in our community, and that they remain committed to the employees here,” Hengel said. “They’ve been remodeling the upper level, and it’s beautiful.”

Wogsland said Delta Dental was committed to staying in Bemidji despite the changing business model.

“The pandemic has just changed the nature of work for many Americans, including our team members' expectations about remote and hybrid work, work-life, balance and flexibility,” Wogsland said. “Like all health care companies, we've had to adapt to that.

"Our company has really come to embrace the community there, and we're going to continue to be engaged, both from a business operation standpoint, as well as philanthropically."

Wogsland pointed to projects like Smiles@��, a partnership with Bemidji area elementary schools to deliver oral health education and dental supplies to first graders, and Delta’s support of Northwest Technical College’s dental assistant program and the Northern Access Dental Clinic.

“We're really excited because we continue to be engaged in those kind of projects and also to stay in the community,” Wogsland said.

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Bemidji Chamber Ambassadors congratulate The Skin Bar

Pioneer Staff Report — Sat, 14 Jun 2025 17:30:00 GMT

Bemidji Chamber Ambassadors recently congratulated Danielle Relopez, owner of The Skin Bar, on her new location at 2520 Hannah Ave NW, inside the Salon Sashay building.

Relopez is an independent, licensed esthetician offering a range of expert services including therapeutic facials, brow laminations and lash lifts and tints.

"Whether you're looking to refresh your skin or enhance your natural beauty, The Skin Bar is your go-to spot for self-care in Bemidji," a release said.

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Bemidji Chamber Ambassadors welcome Midwest Mindset Clothing Co.

Pioneer Staff Report — Sat, 14 Jun 2025 15:30:00 GMT

Bemidji Chamber Ambassadors recently stopped by to welcome Midwest Mindset Clothing Co. to their new home at 301 Bemidji Ave. N.

"Founded in 2024 by Elena Marie, Midwest Mindset is all about small-town magic: comfy clothes, cozy vibes and a whole lot of Midwest personality," a release said. "Think of them as a cozy hug you can wear, with a side of good humor and local pride."

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Cold Bore Ranch brings rare, healthy wagyu beef to the Bemidji area

Leo Pomerenke — Sat, 14 Jun 2025 12:30:00 GMT

Jeff Roberts kneels down to pat one of the calves on Cold Bore Ranch, an 80-acre farm he runs with his wife, Lona Jean, that sits just 20 minutes west of Bemidji.

The calf is unfamiliar with Jeff, understandably so: it’s less than 24 hours old. The protective mother guides her calf away, needing a little more time with her newborn until she can trust Jeff and Lona Jean.

“We haven't had any trouble going up to these cows' calves,” Lona Jean said. “Just one cow, (we gave) her a little more time, and then she's all right. She was a little like, ‘I just had a baby! Stay away!’”

On the surface, you may not notice anything special about the Roberts’ cattle. However, they aren’t your run-of-the-mill Holstein or Angus cattle; they're wagyu, a Japanese cattle breed known for their high-quality beef.

“We looked at beef, and you know people have heart problems, and we looked at solutions for that and we learned about the magic of wagyu,” Jeff said.

Wagyu beef is full of heart-healthy fats, according to the National Library of Medicine. Once the Roberts’ learned more about wagyu and how rare it is to find in northern Minnesota, they had to have them.

Wagyu’s Japanese roots have made their genetics hard to come by, according to Lona Jean.

Eventually, they tracked them down and now the Roberts have a whole herd, one of the only farmers selling wagyu beef at farmers markets in the Bemidji and Bagley area.

“We’re the only ones we know,” Lona Jean said. “Except for the ones we sold to a couple (near us).”

“We're trying to get more people interested,” Jeff said.

What makes wagyu so special?

Wagyu in Japanese literally means “Japanese cow,” according to the American Wagyu Association. They’re known for their naturally high-marbled beef, which is intramuscular fat that leads to higher quality and tastier beef, according to Snake River Farms.

“Wagyu is genetically different than any other beef animal out there,” Jeff said.

Wagyu is one of the most expensive kinds of beef on the market, partly because of its high quality, but also because they’re smaller and slower to raise than other breeds, Jeff said.

“You can go to a restaurant in a metro and you can spend three, four hundred bucks for wagyu steaks,” he said.

That’s led to cross-breeding to get more meat out of the cow quicker. The Roberts have cross-bred wagyu and Charolais cows, commonly known as gyulais.

“You'll probably get a hundred pounds more animal at the same age because of the big growth characteristics of the charolais,” Jeff said. “So they're bigger animals … and it gives a real nice balance with fat and meat.”

Cold Bore Ranch

The Roberts have had Cold Bore Ranch for around 20 years. It’s now their main focus: a retirement ranch, of sorts. They split time between the Bemidji ranch and their horse ranch in Arizona, with “farm partners” taking care of the animals while they’re away. It's the Roberts' own kind of snowbirding, in a way.

“Well, we don't go down there in the summer,” Jeff said with a laugh when asked about their Arizona ranch. “We just ride horses in the mountains all winter long, because you can't ride much here, especially when there's snow on the ground.”

Selling meat has been a relatively new venture for the Roberts, who first introduced yak to their ranch seven years ago.

Since then, it's been a mission for the Roberts to offer things to the community that are healthy and unique. That’s exactly why they got with wagyu beef, and they’re trying to spread the word, Lona Jean said.

“You’ve got to have something unique, especially at farmers markets,” she said, “and up here, they don't know about wagyu very much because it's huge in Texas and Kansas, where people have bigger ranches and more money.”

Having a horse, yak and wagyu farm is rare to find anywhere in the country, let alone in Bemidji. It’s a unique venture, and one the Roberts find rewarding.

“It's a good thing, a fun thing, an interesting, creative, adventurous thing,” Jeff said. “And it helps people, and we're trying to share in our community here.”

To learn more about Cold Bore Ranch, visit coldboreranches.com, follow Cold Bore Ranch on Facebook or call (218) 766- 8193.

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