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Farm staple becomes 'Battle of the Bales' in Ellsworth

Lead Summary
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By
Mavis Fodness

Typically, round and square bales lend themselves to livestock feed or bedding, but in Ellsworth the rural staple became a fun holiday activity.
The inaugural “Battle of the Bales” wrapped up Saturday with first-, second- and third-place winners revealed.
Community members, organizations, church groups and the school were challenged to decorate round and/or square bales made of grass hay, corn or soybean stalks.
“We left it very open this first year,” said Mariah Schilling, who brought the idea of a battle to the Ellsworth Community Club.
Rules were simple: Keep decorations to good, clean, wholesome ideas. No vulgar or suggestive decorations.
Schilling kicked off the challenge by spray-painting a large round hay bale pink, decorating it as a pig.
Her promotion worked.
On Saturday, at the afternoon’s Halloween Carnival, 21 decorated bales lined Broadway Street, and the community members “judged” the entries by voting for their favorite.
“I was honestly blown away at the creativity of those who entered,” Schilling said. “It’s been an awesome turnout.”
The Gruis family’s 420 International tractor took the $100 first-place prize. The family used seven round corn stalk bales for their creation.
Second place and $60 was earned by the Jennigas family, who built a minion out of two large round hay bales.
A single round hay bale was used by the third-place winner, Zion Presbyterian Sunday School, for their camper design.
The community club is planning another Battle of the Bales for next October.
Current Battle entries will remain on display over the next couple of weeks.

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