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
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
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 MoreAs 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 MoreBy 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 MoreBy 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 MoreThis 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 MoreYou’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 MoreBy 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 MoreBy 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 MoreWe’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 MoreIf 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 MoreOur Blog
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Midwest Soil Health Summit Speaker Spotlight: Burke Teichert
Experts from near and far will convene in Mankato for the 11th annual Midwest Soil Health Summit on March 13 & 14, 2024 to dig into “Managing for Profit: Soil Health Principles as a Profit Strategy.” Meet Burke Teichert Burke Teichert is one such expert who attendees will hear from during a keynote presentation, breakout session, and at our…
Read MoreLunch & Learn in Alexandria to kick off 2024
Join the Minnesota Dairy Initiative (MDI) and Sustainable Farming Association (SFA) on January 18th in Alexandria for a discussion on improving farm resiliency through alternative forages and forage management. Four area dairy farmers will be sharing strategies around forage selection and grazing management that they have seen increase the ability of their farm to weather the recent…
Read MoreWith eyes on 2024, Give to the Max!
This Thursday, November 16 marks Minnesota’s ‘biggest giving holiday.’ Early givers have already rounded up a total of $10,500 for our Give to the Max campaign! TWO Generous donors — one a Minnesota-based family foundation and the other a corporate community fund — are putting up a $20,000 match. Our lofty goal is to fully match…
Read MoreWe have a BIG Match!
We have exciting news! TWO Generous donors — one a Minnesota-based family foundation and the other a corporate community fund — are putting up a $20,000 match for our Give to the Max campaign. Our lofty goal is to fully match these funds, and raise a total of $40,000 for our 2024 programming. Early giving has begun,…
Read MoreAnnual Conference registration open
Come one, come all! Registration for the 2024 Annual Conference is open. We can’t wait to reconvene with hundreds of you farmers, ag professionals, aspiring growers, homesteaders, and local foods supporters. Join us at the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph on Saturday, February 10, 2024. Members can take advantage of a $25 Early Bird discount. Register…
Read MoreUrban Roots Farm Tour and Soil Discussion
Twin Cities Metro Growers Network event, September 11, 2023 Writing and photos by Lia Spaniolo, University of Minnesota Extension Educator “Prepping the beds” and “harvesting” are Nana’s and Malachi’s responses when asked about their favorite farming activity on the farm. They both are youth interns who work at Urban Roots, a non-profit organization based on…
Read MoreEnchanted Meadows Pasture Walk
Our last pasture walk of the season with Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship will be held Thursday, October 26, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. in La Crescent, Minn. Click here to register. Meet Angie Walter at Enchanted Meadows, an organic, pasture-based dairy in La Crescent. Chad & Melissa Crowley and Art & Jean Thicke milk Ayrshires here on the Mississippi…
Read MoreGranite Falls Café Chat
SFA is bringing a café chat to Granite Falls! Join us at Falls Cafe & Canoe on Tuesday, October 24 from 12:00-1:30 PM for lunch and a casual conversation featuring the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship Program as well as SFA’s popular On-Farm Consulting services. Come to this informal gathering for lunch during the busy harvest season and a chance to have a…
Read MoreMidwest Soil Health Summit 2024 Early Bird registration open
Early Birds get the deal! We’ve got some big news… Early Bird registration for the next Midwest Soil Health Summit is open! Our biggest soil health event of the year will be held at the Courtyard Marriott in Mankato on March 13 & 14, 2024. We’re excited to really dig into our theme: “Managing for Profit with the Soil Health…
Read More