Once upon a time...
Our Story
Kringle Farms founder Joe Berlage’s earliest Christmas memories included leaving treats for Santa’s reindeer on Christmas Eve. With the help of his mom and dad, Joe would leave corn and oats on the driveway of their family farm. On Christmas morning, the feed would be gone!
Christmas morning on a farm meant feeding and caring for the farm animals before opening presents or eating your own breakfast. However, Joe would notice during his early morning chores that some of the animals weren’t quite as hungry as usual, probably due to the excitement of the previous evening. Joe imagined it must have been quite a sight for the cows, pigs, sheep, and horses to see Santa’s reindeer land in the middle of their farm!
As feeding Santa’s reindeer became an annual tradition, Joe’s parents talked about packaging feed for other children to leave out for Santa’s reindeer, especially children who live in the city. Flying all over the world requires a lot of food and energy! Their idea was to enlist helpers of all abilities at the Worskshop, in picturesque Jo Daviess County, Illinois.
The Workshop
Although Joe’s parents passed on before ever being able to make this vision a reality, Kringle Farms is excited to launch this idea 40 years later. Kringle Farms is especially proud to have the help and support of Santa’s helpers at The Workshop, just as Joe’s parents always wished. Not only does Kringle Farms hire The Workshop to package its reindeer feed, but 10 percent of all profits will also be invested back into The Workshop. The Workshop has been an incredible partner in this project, and Kringle Farms values their dedication and hard work. We urge you to read about their story.
Christmas Eve
The most rewarding experience of this entire project is when a child (like my wonderful niece pictured here) tells us about putting out reindeer feed on Chirstmas Eve! Thank you to all who share their stories and pictures of their Christmas traditions. Keep them coming!
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Production
Our helpers at the workshop package all reindeer feed by hand. Team members from The Workshop hand-built a funnel system which they use to package the feed. First, team members from the Worskhop mix corn and oats to make the reindeer feed. Then, helpers use a measuring cup to pour corn and oats through the funnel into the bags. Last, they tie the bags off and box them up for delivery.
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Conservation
Kringle Farms plants corn using what is called "no-till planting." This is a conservation practice that involves planting directly into the soil without tilling it first. This reduces soil erosion from wind and rain runoff. In the picture above, corn is being planted into winter rye. Winter rye is a cover crop that can be used between growing seasons to reduce soil erosion, return nutrients back to the soil, and supress weeds. Of course, Kringle Farms only uses John Deere equipment to plant grains used in reindeer feed! The planter pictured above is a six-row planter, which is small by today's standards. However, it has been going strong in our family for more than two decades!
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Our Farm
Kringle Farms is tucked into the beautiful rolling hills of Jo Daviess County Illinois. Whether you are interested in outdoor adventure, lazy strolls, history, shopping, restaurants, wineries, or breweries, we invite you to visit our beautiful county and all it has to offer. From our farm to your home, Kringle Farm wishes you a Merry Christmas. Kringle Farms also encourages you to share the joy, spirit, and magic of the Christmas season with others, especially your children. Our world needs that now more than ever.
