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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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 MoreToday 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 MoreOnly 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 MoreIt’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 MoreBy 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 MoreAs 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? 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? 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? 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 MoreFor more than 30 years the Sustainable Farming Association has brought together Minnesotans interested in improving soil health, growing healthy food, and revitalizing rural communities. Our “Farmer-to-Farmer” network continues to bring together farmers, ranchers, researchers, advocates, ag professionals, and eaters to transform agriculture, one farm at a time. Become a member during SFA’s fall new member drive…
Read MoreOur Blog
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Dirt Rich: The Value of Pasture Plant Diversity
“We want a vast array of solar collectors out there.” Kent Solberg and Doug Voss are striving to get as much plant diversity in their pastures as possible. The benefits for animal performance, soil microbes, profitability, resiliency, and the function of the ecosystem as a whole are exponential. In fact, “increase diversity” is the third…
Read MoreWatch TC Growers Spotlight with Lakisha Witter
Lakisha Witter of Live Organically, Oak Grove, shared her farm journey in the TC Grower’s most recent “Grower Spotlight.” Witter, who purchased her farm in 2018, detailed the challenges and successes of her first two seasons, as well as her plans for the future including soil health and organic matter building, expanding markets, and a…
Read MorePasture Renovation Ideas from Kent & Doug
When Kent Solberg and his wife first got started where they farm today, the soil biology had been so degraded that there were corn stalks on the ground from six years before, unable to decompose. You might say he has a bit of first-hand experience with land renovation! Kent and Doug Voss give an overview…
Read MoreBeyond Your Backyard: Mussel Mania
As the weather gets crisp, I find myself thinking of Halloween and what great costumes I could make with a bucket of papier-mâché and a will to create. Even though Halloween will likely be different this year as everything has been, that’s no reason not to come up with a stellar costume. And what better…
Read MoreLuhman: Ways to Keep Your Soil Covered
In a past Connect Newsletter, I shared how important it is to keep your soil covered in hot times. Sunshine and heat can kill your soil biology fast, not to mention the erosion that can come when your soil is not protected. Today I will share a few simple ideas for how to keep your…
Read MoreFrom the Executive Director: ‘Agriculture, done well, heals’ at the Heart of Membership
This afternoon I ran an errand to Mankato and was amazed at the bountiful crops ready to be harvested, and the abundant farmers market offerings. This, coupled with glorious fall colors, buoyed my spirits. What really keeps me optimistic is the innovative work being done in local food production and processing by SFA members, and…
Read MoreZimmerli: Grants Help Farms Become More Profitable, Sustainable
SFA is working with several partners to host webinars on how to effectively apply for some of the various grants that are out there. Grants can be an excellent way to inject a little extra cash into an initiative on your farm that can help you to be more profitable, sustainable or both. On my…
Read MorePlanting Minnesota Garlic on Dirt Rich
“Minnesotans don’t like that garlic. They don’t eat that spicy stuff, dontcha know?” Jerry and Sunny and their sold-out-by-August harvest beg to differ! It’s just about time to get next year’s crop in the ground. Our resident garlic guru, Jerry Ford, takes some time to compare notes and philosophies with fellow organic garlic grower Sunny Ruthchild as…
Read MoreMeet the Regenerative Grazier: Tyler Carlson
This interview with Tyler Carlson originally appeared in the Silvopasture Learning Network’s first e-newsletter. The Silvopasture Learning Network is a project to research effective silvopasture practices and innovations, and educate farmers, agricultural and natural resource professionals and conservationists throughout the state on silvopasture and oak savanna restoration principles and practices. SLN is a partnership among…
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