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.

pullet_cover_web
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

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

New Funding to Support Our Farmer-to-Farmer Mission

By SFA of MN | Jun 4, 2025 |

By Jonathan Kilpatrick, Farmer Education Director SFA is excited to announce two new grant awards that will significantly strengthen our work of transforming agriculture, farmer-to-farmer consulting, and providing adaptive grazing support across the Upper Midwest. First, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has awarded SFA a $260,000 grant: “Expanding Regenerative Grazing in the Upper…

Read More

Facing Drought: Tough Decisions and Smart Solutions for Graziers

By SFA of MN | May 12, 2025 |

As we look at the weather forecast and study the drought monitor, it appears that we are in for another dry spring and summer in the upper Midwest. According to the drought monitor, about 75% of the state is experiencing abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions and it’s only the beginning of May. In a…

Read More

Preparing for Drought in the Pasture

By SFA of MN | May 7, 2025 |

By Kent Solberg • Senior Technical Advisor Even with pastures greening up fast, 2025 is shaping up to be another drought year.  Much of Minnesota (>74%) is still rated as Abnormally Dry or Moderate Drought according to the US Drought Monitor.  Most of Minnesota was dry last fall and the snowpack for much of the…

Read More

Five Summer Festivals

By SFA of MN | May 7, 2025 |

By Jerry Ford • Chapter & Events Coordinator Five SFA chapters host a local foods-centered festival each year, and they are all busily preparing for their 2025 events. Learn more about each one at www.sfa-mn.org/festivals. Here are a few ways you can get involved: ADMISSIONS:  Tickets are on sale or will be soon. BE A…

Read More

Farm Day Growers & Makers Markets

By SFA of MN | May 7, 2025 |

This summer, SFA and Lift Bridge Brewing Company are partnering to host a series of monthly local Growers & Makers markets! Every third Saturday from June through September, we will be showcasing the best in local produce, meat, cheese, pickled veggies, and hot sauce, as well as amazing talented artists, craftspeople, and vendors. Market Dates:…

Read More

Learn how to raise your own meat chickens this summer!

By SFA of MN | Apr 7, 2025 |

You’ve probably heard that chickens are the gateway into Homesteading life. There’s a reason! Raising your own chicken meat and eggs requires fairly minimal inputs and infrastructure to begin on your own.  With egg and meat prices on the rise, this summer sounds like a great time to begin raising your own! We’ll talk specifically about: This…

Read More

Expanding our perspectives, addressing pressing issues at the Midwest Grazing & Soil Health Summit

By SFA of MN | Mar 6, 2025 |

By Jonathan Kilpatrick  • Farmer Education Director It’s hard to believe that in just two weeks, we’ll be right in the middle of the inaugural Midwest Grazing & Soil Health Summit! Still on the fence (no pun intended) about attending? Let me give you a few reasons—beyond our all-star lineup of speakers—why you should reconsider. Beyond the session…

Read More

Member Spotlight: Caroline Hegstrom & Growing Organic Farming

By SFA of MN | Mar 6, 2025 |

By Katie Feterl • Communications Director Like all SFA farmers, Caroline Hegstrom wears many hats. She is a very active member of our Association Board, serving both as the delegate for the Lake Superior Chapter and the Board secretary. Out in the field, she runs The Boreal Farm in Duluth (organic vegetable and flower CSAs;…

Read More

New Member Discount with Red Wing Shoes

By SFA of MN | Mar 4, 2025 |

We’re excited to announce another great benefit to SFA membership, a 10% discount on Red Wing Shoes! This member-exclusive discount will save SFA members 10% on all IN STORE purchases of regularly priced Red Wing Brand footwear. When you visit a Red Wing retailer, you’ll be measured for an accurate fit to ensure maximum comfort…

Read More

New year, new dues, and a new member benefit!

By SFA of MN | Jan 22, 2025 |

If you haven’t met Suzanne Miller-McFeeley yet, allow me to introduce her!Suzanne joined our team of consultants in 2023 and was recently named our Development & Membership Manager. She is now our go-to person for all things membership, and has hit the ground running in implementing our new board-driven membership dues structure. A South Dakota…

Read More

Our Blog

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

New Staff Spotlight: Andrea Lynn

By SFA of MN | Mar 17, 2023

This month we welcomed Andrea Lynn to the team as our new Grant Administrator Specialist. Andrea lives in New Ulm with her three children, fifty-two chickens, and Australian Shepard/Husky mix puppy, Maui. Since 2019 she has owned and operated a regenerative specialty crop, free-range egg, and agritourism farm – Clear Lake Farms. Andrea has crafted…

Read More

Local Foods Survey Data Recap!

By SFA of MN | Mar 15, 2023

By Dan Zimmerli • Community Organizer and Outreach Coordinator In February, the Minnesota Department of Ag in partnership with the Statewide Cooperative Partnership hosted a “Data Party Workshop” to go over data gathered from a survey sent out to farmers, consumers, and supply chain folks about local foods. SFA was invited to the table and…

Read More

Kernza Ale Taste & Tour

By SFA of MN | Mar 15, 2023

Enjoy a brew and take a tour with your friends at the Twin Cities Metro Growers Network at Finnegans! Join the TC Growers on a brewery tour featuring Finnegans’ new Buckwheat Honey Brown Kernza Ale on Thursday, March 30, 4:30-7:30 PM. Minnesota farmers and researchers are at the forefront of developing Kernza, a perennial wheatgrass with…

Read More

Happy Hour Events: Sharing Funding Opportunities & Programs

By SFA of MN | Mar 14, 2023

The Sustainable Farming Association has teamed with Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation to bring emerging and established sustainable farmers a variety of opportunities for funding and programs that are available. You won’t want to miss these insightful events! See included flyers for specific event details and locations in March. Join us at EJ’s Bar on Wednesday, March 22 from 4:30-6…

Read More

$1k for ‘Climate Smart’ Farms

By SFA of MN | Mar 1, 2023

How does an extra $1,000 sound to you? How could that help your farm? What would you spend the $1,000 on? Maybe a new piece of equipment for your farming operation?  Maybe a vacation to escape the long MN winter? You can spend it on anything that you want! How do you get this extra…

Read More

Beyond Your Backyard: Better with Beavers

By SFA of MN | Mar 1, 2023

By Megan Benage I recently took a long winter break through January as I recovered from surgery. I wish I could share that I spent that time brushing up on my ecological knowledge and am now ready to share lots of cool and interesting facts about the natural world with all of you. Unfortunately, if…

Read More

Dirt Rich: Grazing Tech – Paddock Track

By SFA of MN | Feb 28, 2023

On the latest episode of Dirt Rich, Organic dairy grazier Angie Walter shares her experience using PaddockTrac, a grazing tool being developed by the University of Missouri. Angie’s family runs a 100-cow organic dairy in Villard, Minn., grazing 80-100 acres at any given time. Theirs and 12 other Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship farms are piloting the PaddockTrac…

Read More

Dig Deep at the Midwest Soil Health Summit

By SFA of MN | Feb 24, 2023

Our flagship soil health event in the region, the Midwest Soil Health Summit, is celebrating its 10th year of networking, sharing, and education on all things soil health and regenerative agriculture! This year we are bringing internationally acclaimed soil microbiologist Dr. Elaine Ingham, who nearly four decades ago discovered the soil food web, and has pioneered research and…

Read More

Annual Conference a Smash

By SFA of MN | Feb 17, 2023

“This year’s conference had such an amazing energy to it. With 17 sessions on a wide variety of topics, a number of first-time exhibitors, a book and apple scion wood swap, and a day-long opportunity to catch up with old friends over coffee and banana bread, I’m not sure how we’re going to top it next year.”

Read More