Meet the Speaker: Dr. Elaine Ingham

Dr. Elaine Ingham is just one of the soil health experts presenting at our 10th annual Midwest Soil Health Summit, “Pioneering the Future: The Soil Health Mavericks.” Learn more about Dr. Ingham and her decades of research in her bio below. The Summit will be held at the Holiday Inn of Alexandria, Minnesota on March 8th and 9th,…

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From the Executive Director: A New Website in the New Year

My first full year at SFA sped by in a blur of meeting members, attending events and forging relationships with our partners, allies and funders.  It was also the year we decided to take on the challenge of designing and a new SFA website, a team effort led by Laura Borgendale, with assistance from Katie…

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Slate of Experts to Convene at 2023 Midwest Soil Health Summit

Dave Brandt, Gene Goven, Dr. Elaine Ingham, and local experts including Anna Cates, PhD and our own Kent Solberg are among the presenters at the 2023 Midwest Soil Health Summit: Pioneering the Future: The Soil Health Mavericks. SFA’s premier soil health event will be held at the Holiday Inn in Alexandria, Minnesota on March 8 and…

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Season 3 Comes to a Close

Somehow we’ve already reached the end of our third season of Dirt Rich. This month we released two episodes with our staff, finishing out the year with some food for thought as folks plan for the next growing season. In Episode 61: What’s on your mind?, Jared Luhman, Doug Voss, Kent Solberg, and Jonathan Kilpatrick…

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Register for Free Wholesale Training in the New Year

Are you a farmer who sells produce? Are you considering selling wholesale? Have you tried selling wholesale and think it could work for you? Wholesale Readiness Training is a new and free opportunity in 2023! Sign up to join a regional farmer group with in-depth training, coaching, and one-on-one assistance to build skills and develop individual…

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Dairy Margin Coverage Deadline Extended

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has extended the deadline for producers to enroll in Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) and Supplemental Dairy Margin Coverage (SDMC) for program year 2023 to Jan. 31, 2023. DMC is a voluntary risk management program that offers protection to dairy producers when the difference between the all-milk price and the average feed…

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Consults & Conferences

In this episode of Dirt Rich, Katie Feterl and Jared Luhman discuss SFA’s on-farm consulting offering, Give to the Max and SFA membership, and highlight two big upcoming events: Annual Conference and Midwest Soil Health Summit. Listen to Dirt Rich anywhere you get your podcasts, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean, YouTube, and on the SFA website.…

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Caring for our Mental Health

At an event I attended before Thanksgiving, the topic came up about farmers and mental health. This is such an important topic and one that is not talked about enough! It is imperative that all farmers spend time taking care of their physical health and mental health. There has always been a stigma around this…

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Downpayment Assistance for New Farms

Are you looking to purchase your first farm? If so, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture has just announced a new Down Payment Assistance Grant. This grant will offer matching funds up to $15,000 for qualified farmers on the purchase of a farm. Funding is available on a first-come, first served application process. Applications open at…

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Pioneering the Future: The Soil Health Mavericks

SFA’s premier soil health event, the Midwest Soil Health Summit, will be held at the Holiday Inn in Alexandria, Minnesota on March 8 and 9, 2023. Join pioneering experts in the soil health world from near and far for our 10th annual Summit! Featured speakers include Dave Brandt, Gene Goven, Dr. Elaine Ingham, and local…

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