Urban 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…

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Enchanted 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…

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Granite 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…

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Midwest 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…

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Ag Water Quality Field Days coming to Ogilvie; Parkers Prairie

View two diverse farms, discuss soil health and find out what motivated them to get Ag Water Quality Certified at two field days this September. At each event, the farmers will be on hand to discuss their soil health practices as well as the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program certification process. Fri., Sept. 22 •…

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Adaptive Grazing Management in Drought Discussion Sept. 13 near Spicer

Are you suffering from drought over the past growing season(s)? Has drought forced you to make financial decisions that set your farm and goals back? Join SFA’s Soil Health Lead Jonathan Kilpatrick and Grazing Lead Doug Voss for a free event to discuss livestock management in drought from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Wed., Sept. 13,…

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DGA PaddockTrac Demo at Walter Farm is Sept. 7 in Villard

SFA’s Angie Walter is hosting a DGA Fall Pasture Walk and demonstration of the PaddockTrac system from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thurs., Sept. 7, at her Walter Organic Family Farm, 11034 110th St, Villard. The PaddockTrac device, which is in the prototype phase, mounts to the front of a UTV or 4-wheeler and uses…

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Dirt Rich: Grazing Management, Drought, & the NRCS

Jeff Duchene is a Grazing Specialist for the Minnesota NRCS, which offers both financial and technical assistance to producers to help them meet their land management goals and address their natural resource concerns. In conversation with host Jonathan Kilpatrick, Duchene shares how his formal education combined with years of learning directly from producers has been…

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New Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP)

The Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP) is a new program from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that will provide financial assistance to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination by the USDA in USDA’s farm lending prior to 2021. Section 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act provides $2.2 billion in assistance for…

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