Odin Craft Mill kicks off 15th-annual Fall Show days
IT WAS A busy opening day for the Odin Craft Mill’s Fall Show on Thursday, October 9, with customers lined up and salivating to get in and take a look at all there is offered.
In days of yore, the phrase, “grist to the mill” meant that a farmer had brought wheat, oats, buckwheat or corn to the mill to be ground into flour.
In Odin these days, however, “grist to the mill” – the renovated 1923 Odin Feed Mill in particular – refers to the handcrafted items and foods brought to the Odin Craft Mill each fall for the past 15 years for the Fall Shows. Fall and winter goods – which includes specialties for the holidays of Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas – run from floor-to-ceiling rafters throughout the Mill. (There is also a run on “grist to the mill” each spring focusing on spring and summer novelties).
More than 120 consignors from five states are displaying yard art, jewelry, food goods and crafts. Items are spread throughout that authentic 1923 Odin Feed Mill, complete with the old grinding and mixing rooms (and the original equipment, including the over-head hoist and old warehouse – to the 1917 Montgomery Ward Home with its original floors, wallpaper and woodwork – to the 1927 Gordon Van Tine Barn with huge hayloft.
Additionally, lunch is available in the Feed Mill’s old warehouse.
The Odin Craft Mill was the brainchild of Nancy Olson of Butterfield. Olson manages the operation, and during show days, it is staffed by volunteers from the surrounding area.
Fall Shows days for 2014 began Thursday, October 9, and will continue throughout this weekend, as well as two more additional “added day” weekends. Show dates run through this Sunday, October 12 and then from Thursday, September 16 to Sunday, October 19 and the final weekend, Thursday, October 23 through Sunday, October 26. Show hours are Thursday, Friday and Saturday – 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday – 12 noon to 5 p.m.
NANCY OLSON-TO-Nancy Olson. Nancy Olson of Butterfield, left, owner of the Odin Craft Mill, was greeted on opening morning by Nancy Olson of Blue Earth, right, who always makes a point of attending the first day of any Odin Craft Mill show.
THE FRONT YARD and porch of the 1917 Montgomery Ward Home is filled with yard art.
ANOTHER VIEW OF the home and yard art, featuring stand-up metal Christmas trees.
SISTERS ROWING IN the same boat with similar oars. Harriette Bondhus, left, of Storden and Carol C. Harder, right, of Mountain Lake, show off their one-of-a-kind Karen Knigge-painted boat oars sporting differing Santa Claus figures.
A WIDE ANGLE view of some of the items displayed in the hayloft of the 1927 Gordon Van Tine Barn.
THE STEPS LEADING from the barn’s main floor up to the hayloft are also chock full of handcrafted merchandise, much to the delight of shopper Becky Cordie of Oronoco.
THERE ARE A lot of stairways in the Odin Craft Mill. This one leads from the upstairs of the home to its downstairs. Grayson Rempel seems awed by the arrangement of items on the walls of the stairway (almost as much as by the home-baked sugar cookies with frosting and sprinkles he is holding in his hand).
A FEW BRAVE men can be found finding treasures at the Odin Craft Mill – including this guy who was carefully holding Mary and Joseph nativity figurines as he and his wife make their way around the displays.
JOANN HAUGEN IS being carefully watched by the women in the background as she ladles up their bowls of chicken and wild rice soup to be savored in the dining hall – which was once the Feed Mill’s warehouse.
TEAMING UP TO prepare another roaster of meat for the hot chicken sandwiches are Vivian Helget, back and Bev Carlson, front.
EVEN THE WALLS and rafters of the Dining Hall/Warehouse are filled with an eclectic array of handcrafted merchandise so you can – shop while you eat.
TOAST OF THE dining tray clean-up is Dewey Winters.
SEVEN CHECKOUT CLERKS were kept hopping as they helped Mill shoppers ring up their specially-selected items – with additionally selections available with a look overhead.
CLERK JANICE HARRIES (all of the workers volunteer their time) assists a shopper.
