Sustainable Farming 2020: What does it look like? How do we get there?
Date: Saturday, February 20, 2010
Location: St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN
Mark your calendars for the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota's 19th Annual Conference on Saturday, February 20, 2010. The event is being held at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN.
Mark Ritchie serves as Minnesota's 21st Secretary of State.
As Secretary of State, Mark Ritchie partners with township, city, and county officials to organize elections on behalf of Minnesota's nearly 4 million eligible voters.
Ritchie also oversees a wide range of services provided by the Office of Secretary of State including business filings, the archiving of official documents, administering the appointments process for state-level commissions, and operating Minnesota's address confidentiality program. As an elected Constitutional Officer he sits on the state Executive Council, the State Board of Investment, and on the board of the Minnesota Historical Society.
In the 1980s, Ritchie worked for Governor Rudy Perpich in the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, addressing the economic crisis threatening family farmers and rural communities. From 1988 to 2006, he served as president of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.
In 2008 Secretary Ritchie was named the Most Valuable State Official in the United States by The Nation magazine and Politician of the Year by Politics in Minnesota, the state's leading non-partisan public affairs news service. In 2009, he received the Election Verification Network's national recognition award for his non-partisan leadership throughout the 2008 US Senate race recount.
Sustainable Farming Association Awards
SFA will present its annual Sustainable Farmer Emeritus and Distinguished Service Awards at the conference. Have you nominated your favorite farmer or person dedicated to the advancement of sustainable farming? You still can by visiting www.sfa-mn.org/discussion, look for the “SFA Awards” category. You can also email your nomination to Mary Hanks (Mary.Hanks@state.mn.us) or mail in your nomination form by Friday, January 29, 2010.
Breakout Sessions
The breakout sessions address at a variety of issues related to “Sustainable Farming 2020: What does it look like? How do we get there?” These sessions include the topics of climate change, peak oil and rising input costs, sustainable energy systems, farm to school, local food systems, direct marketing, grazing systems, sustainable careers in food systems, stories from beginning farmers, and new business models to invest in sustainability. These sessions will feature a variety of expert speakers from farmers and students to researchers and community organizers.
“Farming Forward,” a new Documentary Film on Sustainable Farming in Minnesota
The film “Farming Forward” is produced by Martin Lang and Ethan Marxhausen, Gustavus Adolphus College. This dynamic new film features your neighbors, including sustainable farmers Mary Jo and Luverne Forbord, Laura Frerichs, and Willard Kreitlow; as well as Jerry Ford of SFA, Glen Hill of the Minnesota Food Association, Margo O'Brien and Erik Larson of the St. Peter Food Co-op, urban farmer Susane Moua, and the student farmers at Gustavus’ Big Hill Farm. “Farming Forward” will be played during every breakout session block at the conference, and a different panel of the film's stars will accompany each showing.
Friday Night Fun
Join the SFA and St. Olaf students on the evening Friday, February 19 in Buntrock Commons. This will be an informal gathering that will include farmer, student and citizen interactions, multigenerational discussion and music. All are invited to attend. Visit SFA’s website www.sfa-mn.org for updates on this event!
Silver Sponsors
Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA)
Minnesota North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)
Bronze Sponsors
Lighthouse Farm, John Mesko
Mill City Farmers’ Market
Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA)
Minnesota State – Fergus Falls, Sue Wika
Prudential Insurance, Tom Zubrod
RW Farms, LLC
Exhibitors
Albert Lea Seed House
Crow River Chapter of SFA
Great Lakes Worm Watch (University of Minnesota, Duluth – The Natural Resources Research Institute)
Land Stewardship Project
Midwest Organic Services Association (MOSA)
Minnesota Crop Improvement Association (MCIA)
Prudential Financial
RuraLife Farm and Fjords
St. Olaf Bookstore
University Of Minnesota Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships
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