From the Executive Director: Back in a Big Way

The month of March has been action-packed for SFA, and a great start to our 2022 programming year. Our Midwest Soil Health Summit at Oliver Kelley Farm was well attended and featured a solid line-up of practical soil health education specifically tailored for fruit and vegetable growers on day one, and crop and livestock farmers on day two – the first time we’ve held the event this way.  If you were among those who joined us at the Summit, we welcome your feedback and suggestions for future presentation topics.

The Summit was followed by our Annual Conference, a sold-out showcase to the power of farmer-led education and of reconnecting in-person with friends and colleagues.  Looking back on these two major SFA events, I am so impressed by the professionalism of the presentations I attended, the practical value of the information being shared, and the positive energy and enthusiasm I felt coming my way from everyone I met. We really are back, and in a big way.

As SFA has grown, so has the need for an accounting lead to keep us organized and financially on track with our many vendors and partners. Please join me in welcoming Lauren Barry, our new Finance and Grants Administrator to SFA.  Lauren and her partner operate Dancing Gnome Farm in Wabasha, where they grow organic vegetables for market through their CSA.  Lauren has a B.A. in Ecology and solid nonprofit accounting experience, working most recently at the National Eagle Center in Wabasha.  If you’d like to send her a note of welcome, her email is lauren@sfa-mn.org.

I’m looking forward to meeting many of you during the coming spring and summer months. If you want to connect with me directly, send me an email at lucinda@sfa-mn.org.