Archive for April 2022
Minnesota Now Features Local Farm Incubator
Moses Momanyi was recently featured on MPR’s Minnesota Now. Listen to him talk with Cathy Wurzer about Kilimo Minnesota, his family’s farm incubator in Cambridge serving fellow farmers of African descent here. Momanyi is a Conservation Connector and a member of SFA’s East Central Chapter.
Read MoreDirt Rich: Transferring a Land Ethic Legacy Farm
Jerry Ford and Mariénne Kreitlow are the fourth generation on a farm with a legacy in conservation. Living Song Farm sits on highly erodible land near Minnesota’s Crow River, but the practices introduced in the 1940’s by Mariénne’s father, Willard Kreitlow, have generated topsoil for decades. Jerry and Mariénne share Willard’s land ethic, and have…
Read MoreSo You Wanna Be a Cowboy
Most of us who are interested in making a living off of our land by grazing look first at cow/calf pairs. It’s not surprising, cows are enjoyable, easy to manage, hardy, and I think there is a little bit of all of us that like the idea of being cowboys or cattlewomen. But we do…
Read MoreNext in the Queue: Part 2 of our Farm Succession Miniseries
This week on Dirt Rich: Part 2 of our Farm Succession Miniseries. On April 27, look for our episode with Jerry Ford on transferring a farm with a legacy in conservation. Ford will describe his and his wife’s goals for succession (including living on the farm even after retirement) and his experience with both family and…
Read MoreFrom the Executive Director: A Climate Hero, Farm Kid
In honor of Earth Day, I thought I’d share an article from the New Yorker magazine written in 2009. “The Climate Expert Who Delivered News No One Wanted To Hear” is a profile of James Hansen, a NASA scientist who created one of the world’s first climate models, nicknamed Model Zero, 43 years ago. Hansen grew up in…
Read MoreDirt Rich: Farm Succession Miniseries Launches
Today we released the first of a three-part miniseries on farm succession. This first episode features a conversation with Megan Roberts, Executive Director of the Southern Agricultural Center of Excellence. Roberts has experienced many farm transitions: as a non-farm heir to her family dairy farm, as an in-law in a family farm transition, and as…
Read MoreDid you haul feed or livestock to graze during the drought? Check out ELAP.
Due to the persistent drought conditions in the Great Plains and West, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is offering additional relief through the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) to help ranchers cover above normal costs of hauling livestock to forage or other grazing acres. This policy enhancement complements previously…
Read MoreQuick Cover Crops Guide
Last month, Dan Zimmerli wrote about incorporating cover crops on market farms and the benefits he’s seen in his own operation. You might consider using the Quick Cover Crops Guide for ideas as you plan for the growing season ahead. Dan also welcomes questions at dan@sfa-mn.org.
Read MoreTwo Years In, Strides Made in Silvopasture
Every once in a while, I stop and realize how incredible the level of support and interest in silvopasture is here in Minnesota and across the country. Just a few years ago I don’t think there were more than a few dozen people in the state who knew enough about it to not give me…
Read MoreDirt Rich: Grazing Cattle to Restore Oak Savanna in the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge
Using livestock to restore landscapes may seem like a contradiction, but oak savannas thrive with disturbance. Grazier Doug Voss and PhD candidate Austin Yantes are involved in a project at the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, studying the results of carefully managed cattle grazing, tree thinning, and burning in striving to meet Sherburne’s ecological goals. The…
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