Posts by SFA of MN
Five Summer Festivals
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 MoreFarm Day Growers & Makers Markets
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 MoreLearn how to raise your own meat chickens this summer!
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 MoreExpanding our perspectives, addressing pressing issues at the Midwest Grazing & Soil Health Summit
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 MoreMember Spotlight: Caroline Hegstrom & Growing Organic Farming
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 MoreNew Member Discount with Red Wing Shoes
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 MoreNew year, new dues, and a new member benefit!
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 MoreHistory
Sharing the Wisdom of the Community: The Evolution of a Network Click here for “A New Dawn of Farming” (SFA history spanning 1990-1998) By Kelsey Wulf Being tasked with writing a brief history of the Sustainable Farming Association was both a joy and something of a burden. How can a person possibly capture the history of…
Read MoreBeginning Grazier Handbook
Download a PDF version of the handbook here. . Contents Introduction Training and Technical Assistance Production Resources Farm Business Planning Additional Education Resources Funding: Loans and Grants Appendices Introduction Designed to assist the beginning grazier in designing and implementing a grazing system, this handbook is a starting place for you to quickly and easily find…
Read MoreFinancial Resources for Beginning Vegetable & Fruit Growers
This is meant only as a reference point in your search for ways to begin or increase your farm enterprise, and is not meant to be a complete listing. I have not personally vetted these programs.– Jerry Ford, SFA Network Coordinator, jerry@sfa-mn.org I have put together this page based on correspondence with these Extension personnel. They…
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