Annual Conference
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.
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
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
SAPLING SPONSORS
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.
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 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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My name is James Harren and I’m excited to announce the launch of the Local Producer Sustainability Project. I’ll be working on the project for this next year as a VISTA, or Volunteer in Service to America, hosted by the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF). SMIF has developed the project in partnership with the Minnesota…
Read MoreThink back to when you were a kid. You’re running. You can feel the wind on your cheeks. You’re running so fast, the world is a blur. You’re not worried if you’ll make it or if you can do it. Down the hill, past the trees, towards the endless waves of grass. You’re just running…
Read MoreThis week I wanted to share an opportunity for SFA farmers to transition the northwoods. Below is an article about the Forest Assisted Migration Project, authored by Joel Bransky, David Abazs, Gabrea Francis, and Leah Karmaker. -Jared The northwoods of Minnesota are steadily disappearing. Researchers predict the forests in northeastern Minnesota will continue to decline as grasslands move…
Read More“Agriculture is a capital intensive industry, regardless of the margins,” says Paul Peterson, farmer and Farm Loan Manager for the Farm Service Agency. For a farmer just starting out, financing a business can be daunting, especially for young folks. Today, Jared Luhman discusses financing options for other young and beginning farmers like himself with Paul…
Read MoreIf you’re like me, it can be really difficult to find time to get off the farm and get to some of these field days and workshops that are always being hosted all over the place. This is why we have created different options for you to continue to learn and grow. The first option…
Read MoreMy name is Zachary Paige, proprietor of North Circle Seeds, State and Lake Agassiz Chapter Board member for the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota (SFA of MN). I moved to Minnesota from New York in the Spring of 2012 to explore sustainable farming and seed saving in the great north. Almost immediately, I met farmers…
Read MoreA work friend reminded me it’s national gratitude month. And while it goes without saying that this year has changed so many things, it has not changed the fact that I have much to be thankful for. Last night in the second snow of the year, I seeded native wildflowers and sedges into my tiny…
Read MoreWinter can be the most expensive time to own a cow in the Midwest. As the season changes, five of our staff who also raise beef and dairy cows gathered to share the ways that they’ve found to reduce the cost (and labor) of wintering cattle on their unique operations. All five live in different…
Read MoreFinding ways to integrate livestock back on the landscape has the potential to significantly benefit farmers, the environment and rural communities. From creating opportunities for beginning farmers, to improving the soil, to helping make cover crops profitable, livestock are often a missing piece in Midwestern agricultural systems, where the grazing of vast herds of bison…
Read MoreI attended a talk at the Pollinator Summit last year where one of the speakers said something that really stuck in my head as a high drama moment: “It makes no sense. We rake up all of our leaves, bag them up, put them on the sidewalk, or throw them away, and then spend hundreds…
Read MoreOur Blog
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‘Give to the Max’ and help us transform agriculture
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…
Read MoreThursday is Give to the Max Day
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…
Read MoreYour impact doubled during Give to the Max!
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…
Read MoreSupport SFA this Give to the Max Day!
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…
Read MoreAn assuring blast from the past
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…
Read More“It’s one of the organizations I’m really proud to be a member of.”
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…
Read MoreWho are SFA members? Meet Bianca Goncalves Da Costa.
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 MoreWho are SFA members? Meet Dayna Burtness.
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 MoreWho are SFA members? Meet Tom Barthel.
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