Recycled News
The New news is that kind souls viewing my photography at viewbug have granted me approximately 147 awards since the 2020’s.
4 20 2012: 2nd hometown paper does 2nd article about my Granny & me, finally after about 30 years we recycle an article.
If this all seems confusing to you, try following me around for a day or 2 to see reality from a different perspective.
Those newspaper people have some things to say about us.
Front Page News, Local News, News
Posted Mar 20, 2012
Inspiration for painting and other arts comes from Grandma Alice and Cedar Hill Farm
By Jennie Zeitler, Staff Writer
Inspiration for painting and other arts comes from Grandma Alice and Cedar Hill Farm
“My first paint job was the side of my mom and dad’s red brick house,” said Jill Johnson. “My more recent paintings have been more in demand and have sold at farmers’ markets.”
It was Johnson’s grandma, Alice Pantzke, who got her started. “She did oil painting. She loved to do murals, so the fuel oil tank and the garage door were painted,” Johnson said.
“She was very instrumental in making sure I painted,” said Johnson. “She gave me supplies when I was about 12, and showed me techniques.”
“I also had really good art teachers, Ren Holland and Dennis Bellig; they were very encouraging,” Johnson said. “I went in during study hall and they would provide anything necessary for anything I wanted to work on.”
Johnson’s cousin Lynette Gessell drew some comparisons between Johnson and their grandma Alice. “They both have an artist’s flair and a uniqueness,” Gessell said. “They both have a genuine spirit, personality and live a life true to who they are.”
Johnson majored in art education at St. Cloud State University. She has used that training in a number of ways. “I have had a long and varied career, working in graphic arts in different places,” said Johnson.
“One year Jill sent out hand-painted Christmas cards,” said Gessell. “They were very nice.”
Cousin Steve Pantzke said, “Jill is an artist like Grandma, with a similar style.”
Johnson takes much of her inspiration from nature at Cedar Hill Farm. “I like to work outside whenever possible,” said Johnson.
Gourds that she raises lend themselves to a variety of applications. “The markings on them suggest what might be painted,” Johnson said. “Some might be painted, some might have macrame on the gourd openings and others might have poems and writings burned into them.”
In addition to painting, Johnson spends much more of her time in her gardens. That too is part of her heritage. “Grandma was an avid gardener,” Gessell said. “Jill definitely inherited her green thumb.”
Johnson raises berries for making jellies and preserves to sell at market since she came to Cedar Hill in about 2003. “I started with Nanking cherry bushes and then added strawberries,” she said. “We’re constantly starting berry plants and fruit trees. We now have strawberries, cherries, elderberries, chokecherries, melons, apples, peaches, plums and currants.”
In 2006, Cedar Hill Farm was chosen as finalist in three categories of the first Gallo Family Vineyards Gold Medal Award Program, according to a company press release. This program honors and promotes artisanal excellence of small family farm food production in the United States. The three winning categories were: 1) outstanding fruit or vegetable for Gourmet Filet Pickled Baby Beans; 2) outstanding oils and vinegars for Gourmet Aged Parsley Infused Vinegar; and 3) outstanding condiment for Gourmet Husk Cherry Preserves.
Ninety percent of the produce that are raised are heirloom varieties of vegetables, from which they harvest the seed. “We select produce according to good taste and hardiness for our area,” said Johnson. “These have more flavor than hybrids.”
In addition to jellies, preserves, and heirloom seed packets, Johnson also offers hand-crafted essential oils and handmade soaps. “There was interest at market in St. Joseph, so I have been putting oils into some of the soaps,” Johnson said.
Cedar Hill Farm will have products for sale at both the St. Joseph and Cold Spring Farmers’ Markets this year (2012). Examples of Johnson’s artwork and heirloom seed varieties available can be found online at: www.cedar-hill-farm-minnesota.com, jilljj.com, and localharvest.org/store/M9122
Now meet the ever-affable Alice Pantzke…….
Rites of passage: Hero goes the wrong direction……..
As a sixth-grader I was quite fortunate to have a teacher like Mr. Gunderson. He was progressive, learned, informed, well, just plain smart. One of his favored statements was “if you stop learning, you stop living.” One of his favorite subjects was nature. “The ecosystem is a very delicate balance, if any one item in this system is destroyed, the balance of the entire system can collapse”, he said. These pearls of wisdom became words to live by for me.
In a unit on recycling to lessen human impact on this fragile world, we were asked to present reports along with demonstrations of our knowledge of this subject. I was all too happy to oblige. Granny Pantzke had just shown me how to make a rocking chair sculpture out of an empty beer can. I went home and requested the large cans so I could practice. Now I should probably let you know this was way back in the era of bottles. Cans were a relatively new item in stores everywhere. A can large enough to practice with had to be a big Budweiser can more specifically. I did find a can in the trash though, and went right to work cutting & rolling it the rocking chair form Granny showed me. For a novice beer can sculptor, Granny said my artwork came out pretty good, and it was functional. It actually rocked.
A penchant for writing would help with the oral part of this report. I had that too, even though I was usually so shy I refused to speak. The whole report was good and I knew it. I looked forward to giving a great presentation and sharing my beer can technique with my classmates.
Having enough confidence in the subject at hand, I aced this baby. The whole class was dead silent as I explained the process, but they seemed interested and happy.
Within a few weeks I noticed I was being asked to participate in some of the so-called cool-kids groups. I was being invited to slumber parties more. The class bully left me alone, and the class genius asked me to be his girlfriend (I was to shy to say yes).
I stuck with my original friends. Science classes went on. One day a few weeks later, several kids were missing from class, and we all found out they had been suspended for having a beer party. The class genius was the brains behind the party. I missed out, but made up for the drinking later on when I could but did not get away with it.
Now I realize there were a few people who thought I had some kind of underground access to beer, thus my instantaneous popularity. I did not. And I do not recommend any sixth-grade attempts at this report unless you have the same Mr. Gunderson as a teacher.
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