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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Beyond Your Backyard: Prairie Conferences
By Megan Benage The last week of June was the North American Prairie Conference in Altoona, Iowa. The conference kicked off with a trip to the Hayden Prairie Preserve. We learned that Hayden prairie is one of the largest Iowa remnants outside of the Loess Hills. It is a beautiful prairie filled with life and…
Read MoreNetworking Groups Welcome Lia Spaniolo
SFA is pleased to welcome Lia Spaniolo from the University of Minnesota Extension as our collaborator in coordinating two of our networking groups! Lia will work with us to co-lead the Twin Cities Metro Growers Network and Ecological Service Livestock Network. Keep a look out for events this fall with both networks. And, a special…
Read MoreSay ‘Hey’ to SFA at FarmFest
Will you be at FarmFest this year? Come say hello at the Soil Health Tent! We will be at the Redwood County event all three days, August 1-3, co-hosting the Soil Health Tent with Minnesota Soil Health Coalition and a whole crew of great partners. We’ll have rainfall demonstrations, cover crop and Kernza plots, live…
Read MoreWatering Systems for Livestock Workshop
Want to get some ideas for bringing your watering system to the next level? Come on out to Voss Farms in Paynesville on Friday, July 21, 1:00-5:00 PM! During this field day, Doug Voss and Jonathan Kilpatrick will be showcasing many options and opportunities for graziers to provide water to their livestock. You’ll see several elements…
Read MoreKernza: Grain, Grazing, or Both?
What are the possibilities around using Kernza® for both a forage and grain? View Kernza plots and how it can fit into a grazing system at a free field day from 2 to 5 p.m. July 14 at the U. of M. West Central Research and Outreach Center, 46352 State Hwy 329 Morris. Brad Heins,…
Read MoreNow Hiring: Grants Manager
July 17 Update: Thank you for helping us spread the word! The application window is closed. We’re hiring! SFA is seeking a part time, remote Grants Manager residing in Minnesota. We are looking for a high-energy, proactive, and talented professional with the experience required to quickly make a positive impact on our organization. The hourly…
Read MoreWorkshop: Is your soil functioning?
Join SFA’s Kent Solberg and Doug Voss along with Lake of the Woods Soil & Water Conservation District and Natural Resources Conservation Service staff for an afternoon in the field from noon to 3 p.m. Wed., July 5, in Williams, Minn. We will be looking at ways we can evaluate whether or not our soils…
Read MoreNew Case Studies Tell Hopeful Stories
A brand new volume of farm case studies are hot off the press. This time, the case studies highlight farms and their soil health practices who are certified through the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP). Angie Walter, the MAWQCP Outreach Coordinator with SFA, began working on this project in 2021 thanks to a boots-on-the-ground…
Read MoreBeyond Your Backyard: Bumble bee Buzz
By Megan Benage Well, was that a suspense builder or what? You might have even thought that I forgot about part 3 of this ode to nature series, but not so! Sometimes field season and surveying prairies is just very, very distracting in the best way. I’ve been enjoying visiting all of my prairie friends…
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