Flower farm fight in St. Joseph pits budding entrepreneur against county commissioner

ST. JOSEPH, MINN. – Liz Fiedler Mergen opened her quaint flower farm after her husband died from a heart attack there five years ago.

She was determined to build a business she could pass on to her two daughters — the sixth generation to live on the farm. So she began planning for a retail store and small event space to host baby showers or classes where people create their own bouquets or wreaths.

But Fiedler Mergen, 36, has become the subject of increasing hostility in the six months since the Stearns County Board approved a permit allowing her to erect a new building on her farm north of St. Joseph. Neighbors have cursed at her, called her a liar and flipped her off on the road outside her house, she said.

She blames the controversy on one commissioner: Joe Perske, who says he doesn’t want the flower farm to cause the sorts of noise complaints he’s seen at another venue in his district.

“He’s gotten the neighborhood fixated that it is going to be something that it’s not. And over and over again, he keeps saying that it’s going to be WE Fest,” she said, referring to the three-day summer country music festival in Detroit Lakes that draws upward of 70,000 people each year.

Agritourism businesses, such as what Fiedler Mergen is proposing, are something area officials have been looking to support as farmland prices have soared to record highs in recent years. But Perske says he wants to make sure these new businesses aren’t affecting neighbors and the peaceful rural life they expect.

“I want to protect the peace and quiet they have there out in the countryside,” he said.

“I feel like we deserve better representation,” says cidery co-owner Peter Gillitzer. “The county commissioners are very powerful people in local politics [and] to just get slandered and sort of bullied like this, it feels outside the laws.”

Perske has repeatedly said the broader concerns of fairness to surrounding homes need to be addressed, and he plans to propose a separate ordinance to address noise concerns.

“These issues need to be resolved,” he said. “Does anybody want that in their backyard?”

After opening her Sunny Mary Meadow flower farm, Fiedler Mergen sold bouquets at a flower stand. That led to sold-out workshops at local breweries and “you-pick” events where a handful of patrons come to the farm to pluck flowers and craft bouquets.

She and her first husband, Josh, bought the 40-acre property from his parents in 2016, anticipating they would rent out the land for crops.

Now remarried, Fiedler Mergen tends to hundreds of peonies, as well as dahlias, ranunculus, cosmos and other popular flowers.

She also saw a need to host small gatherings — such as bridal showers or anniversary parties — when her clients would tell her where their events were being held.

“I identified that as a need for a small-space venue that’s a little bit more upscale than the community center,” she said.

She looked at remodeling a barn, but it was too costly to bring it up to code. Instead, she decided to build a 3,600-square-foot building with a store, walk-in cooler and gathering space to rent that fits about 75 people, she said.

“I am never just wide open to the public with like a pumpkin patch and 200 people coming on over,” she said.

After she described her plans at a January meeting, Perske said it sounded “wholesome.” But then he cautioned members of the county’s planning commission not to be vague about what is allowed at the business so she can’t host “a rock concert at 6 o’clock in the morning.”

Fiedler Mergen said she had no plans for large outdoor events with amplified music. But Perske said he’s also worried about what could happen if Fiedler Mergen sells her farm, because the permit stays with the land — and a new owner could have different plans.

“Some guy could say, ‘Gosh, you know, I can do these concerts and have rock and roll every weekend during the summer,’” he said.

The approved permit allows her business to be open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with outdoor music allowed until 8 p.m, along with a limited number of events annually that can end at 10 p.m..

“We’re nervous because when she originally applied for her [permit], it had no mention of outdoor music,” said Sue Counter, who lives on a farm next door.

In February, Perske brought forth a petition signed by about 20 neighbors in opposition to the permit, but the County Board voted against setting a second public hearing for residents to share their concerns. He then walked out of the meeting.

Since the permit was approved, Perske has continued to bring up the issue at meetings. He says he’s been told by county staff the permitting process was done correctly and it’s a moot point.

Meanwhile, Fiedler Mergen’s project is moving forward, with crews putting up the building’s walls this week.

Not wanting to get tangled in a public feud, she stayed mostly quiet until July, when she issued a formal complaint against Perske. The County Board hasn’t acted on the complaint.

“Perske’s false statements are fueling misguided anger and resentment from neighbors whom I’ve worked and lived peacefully next to for years,” the complaint states.

“It’s too loud when I can hear it in my house with my windows closed,” said cidery neighbor Mike Pflueger, who has complained to Perske repeatedly about the music.

Gillitzer said he has worked with the county from the beginning: in 2016 to allow farm wineries in the county, paving the way for the cidery, then again when they amended their permit to add an event space with a stage.

Gillitzer said they monitor decibel levels at events. The county has also conducted “spot checks” to test noise levels, and they’ve always been in compliance, he said.

“We’re just trying to run our businesses, trying to be good neighbors and trying to make a living — and trying to build something cool for the community,” Gillitzer said.