Annual Conference

Annual-Conference-Logo

Saturday, February 11, 2023
Gorecki Conference Center
College of Saint Benedict, St. Joseph

Early bird registration is now open!

$50 for current SFA members, $75 for nonmembers.  Ends December 31, 2022. Prices go up by $25 on January 1, 2023!
Emerging Farmers:  Free

Children's program (ages 5-12): $10

Lunch ticket in St. Ben's excellent cafeteria: $15.  (You may also do lunch on your own.)

Register HERE.

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dayna_burtness_barn

With topics including:

  • Fruit & Vegetable Soil Health and Profitability
  • Grazing Strategies
  • "Burn the Box" Changing Ag Paradigms
  • Beekeeping
  • Farm Profitability
  • Emerging Farmer Resources
  • Climate Adaptability
  • New Cooperative Marketing Models
  • and more!

Full schedule coming soon.

Sponsor and Exhibitor Opportunities

Please consider partnering with us on SFA's flagship event for farmer-to-farmer education and networking.

More information and an application form are HERE.

Our 2023 Sponsors

BLOOM SPONSORS

Afternoon Social Sponsor

Lakewinds Co-op

A community owned grocery store with 3 locations in the Twin Cities Metro area, Lakewinds' mission is to promote sustainable agriculture, support local makers. and nourish our community. No membership required to shop, and all are welcome!

Opening Plenary Session Sponsor

Compeer

SAPLING SPONSORS

MAWQCP

A voluntary opportunity for farmers and ag landowners to take the lead in conservation practices that protect our water while obtaining regulatory certainty for 10 years.

MN Department of Agriculture

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture mission is to enhance all Minnesotans' quality of life by equitably ensuring the integrity of our food supply, the health of our environment and the strength and resilience of our agricultural community.

SEED SPONSORS

Solar Farm LLC

Solar Electric (PV) design, sales and installation.

A look back at our 2022 conference:
Why attend our Annual Conference? Take it from these farmers:

Our Blog

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Luhman: Lightening the Load

By jluhman | Nov 5, 2021 | Comments Off on Luhman: Lightening the Load

So often people fear that in order to improve their soil health and regenerate their soil it will come at the expense of their profitability and the success of their farming business. And while it is true that adopting regenerative farming practices can be a learning experience, and sometimes that comes with yield hits or…

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From the Executive Director: Our Strength is in Our Staff

By lwinter | Nov 4, 2021 | Comments Off on From the Executive Director: Our Strength is in Our Staff

In the two months since I joined the SFA staff as incoming Executive Director, I’ve taken every opportunity I can to attend field days, workshops, chapter meetings and events. One of my top priorities is to observe and understand the work we do alongside our partners and get to know some members. The events I’ve…

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“Virtual Roundtables” are a Great Place to Learn

By awalter | Oct 29, 2021 | Comments Off on “Virtual Roundtables” are a Great Place to Learn

Did you know that if you are a Mentor or Apprentice in the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship program that you have access to our monthly webinars called Virtual Roundtables? The webinars are on the first Monday of each month at 11:30 and last for one hour. Each month has a new topic to learn about. The…

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Beyond Your Backyard: Liking the Lichen

By mbenage | Oct 26, 2021 | Comments Off on Beyond Your Backyard: Liking the Lichen

Wondering how you can possibly top last years costume of being one of the clam fam and dressing as a Minnesota mollusk? Well I’ve got just the thing for you this Halloween. But first, a persuasive introduction… I’ve been listening to Braiding Sweetgrass on the recommendation of your very own Katie Feterl. It’s been on…

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Dirt Rich: Building Relationships and Telling Your Story

By kfeterl | Oct 22, 2021 | Comments Off on Dirt Rich: Building Relationships and Telling Your Story

Connecting with others and meeting new people has always been important to John Beaton, and it’s this flair for relationship building that is at the heart of his farm story. John and Emily Beaton operate Fairhaven Farm just north of Duluth, Minnesota, and are members of SFA’s Lake Superior Chapter. John got his start on a…

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Luhman: A Soil Health Survey

By jluhman | Oct 18, 2021 | Comments Off on Luhman: A Soil Health Survey

Below is a message from the Minnesota Office for Soil Health about a new survey on how soil health impacts farmers’ ability to get in the field sooner and manage crops. Timing is everything for farmers working in Minnesota’s short growing season. Getting into the field during a window of good weather to plant, spray, or…

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Beyond Your Backyard: Tiny green torpedoes

By mbenage | Oct 12, 2021 | Comments Off on Beyond Your Backyard: Tiny green torpedoes

I recently crashed a motorized mini bike at my grandma’s farm and suffered a concussion. My cousin’s response was to congratulate me on passing the “test” and becoming a true Indiana redneck. I’m not sure about that, but it did make me chuckle. To pass the time in recovery, I’ve been observing three male hummingbirds…

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Jerry Ford on “Grow with KARE”

By SFA of MN | Oct 11, 2021 | Comments Off on Jerry Ford on “Grow with KARE”

Our own Jerry Ford was featured on Kare 11’s “Grow with KARE” over the weekend. He talked about garlic, of course! Watch the clip for three foundational tips on growing your own garlic this season: “the right stuff, at the right place, at the right time.” And if you’d like to learn more, find further…

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Dirt Rich: Planting Minnesota Garlic

By kfeterl | Oct 8, 2021 | Comments Off on Dirt Rich: Planting Minnesota Garlic

It’s that time of year again! Garlic growers in Minnesota are preparing for planting. We’re bringing this episode of Dirt Rich back into your feed to help you get ready to plant with advice from two seasoned garlic growers: Jerry Ford and Sunny Ruthchild. Jerry and Sunny are longtime friends in Minnesota garlic and organic…

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Esperanza in Agriculture

By SFA of MN | Oct 6, 2021 | Comments Off on Esperanza in Agriculture

Every year from September 15th to October 15th the nation celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month. This year’s theme, Esperanza, invites us to celebrate Hispanic heritage and encourages us to reflect on the contributions Hispanic and Latinx people have made in the past and will continue to make in the future. Fresh fruits and vegetables, meat,…

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Our Blog

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‘Give to the Max’ and help us transform agriculture

By SFA of MN | Nov 21, 2024

By: Lucinda Winter Executive Director Today is Give to the Max Day! Minnesota’s annual giving holiday is always a sure sign that the year is coming to a close. This has been a year of growth and evolution for SFA. Through our newly refined mission and strategic plan, we are focusing on what we do best: providing boot-on-the-ground…

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Thursday is Give to the Max Day

By SFA of MN | Nov 20, 2024

Today is the final day of early giving before Give to the Max Day! Give your gift to support our general fund today on our Give to the Max page or SFA’s website. Thanks to a generous match provided by board directors, staff, and members every donation up to $5,000 will be doubled! SFA has forged a reputation as a…

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Your impact doubled during Give to the Max!

By SFA of MN | Nov 18, 2024

Only three more days until Give to the Max Day! This year, we’re focusing our Give to the Max contributions on our vital general fund. SFA’s mission of transforming agriculture one farm at a time is driven by our dedicated team. We maintain a lean operating structure with four core staff members supplemented by role-specific…

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Support SFA this Give to the Max Day!

By SFA of MN | Nov 16, 2024

It’s nearly time for Minnesota’s state-wide giving holiday: Give to the Max! We are thrilled to share that a group of generous board directors, staff, and donors have put up $5,000 to match your donations, dollar for dollar. Click here to give. The official Give to the Max day is scheduled for November 21, but early giving…

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An assuring blast from the past

By SFA of MN | Nov 8, 2024

By Katie Feterl • Communications Director Throughout our Fall New Member Drive, we’ve been sharing member experiences, in their own words. By now you may have seen posts spotlighting folks like Tom Barthel, Dayna Burtness, and Bianca Goncalves Da Costa, among others who shared their reflections in video interviews. With members top of mind and a fresh mission…

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“It’s one of the organizations I’m really proud to be a member of.”

By SFA of MN | Oct 30, 2024

As our Fall New Member Drive continues, we wanted to highlight one of the lesser-known benefits of SFA membership: access to innovative research and shared learning! SFA is a leading regional partner in sustainable agriculture research, and our members receive priority in SFA research and education projects. Whether it’s soil health and silvopasture case studies, cultivation…

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Who are SFA members? Meet Bianca Goncalves Da Costa.

By SFA of MN | Oct 24, 2024

Who are SFA members? We call ourselves the “farmer-to-farmer network,” but our ecosystem is far wider. We attract and partner with people and organizations interested in shifting the agricultural paradigm from an extractive model to a regenerative one. Our 1,300 members include both seasoned and new farmers and ranchers, as well as agricultural educators, agency…

Read More

Who are SFA members? Meet Dayna Burtness.

By SFA of MN | Oct 24, 2024

Who are SFA members? We call ourselves the “farmer-to-farmer network,” but our ecosystem is far wider. We attract and partner with people and organizations interested in shifting the agricultural paradigm from an extractive model to a regenerative one. Our 1,300 members include both seasoned and new farmers and ranchers, as well as agricultural educators, agency…

Read More

Who are SFA members? Meet Tom Barthel.

By SFA of MN | Oct 23, 2024

Who are SFA members? We call ourselves the “farmer-to-farmer network,” but our ecosystem is far wider. We attract and partner with people and organizations interested in shifting the agricultural paradigm from an extractive model to a regenerative one. Our 1,300 members include both seasoned and new farmers and ranchers, as well as agricultural educators, agency…

Read More