Education
“Virtual Roundtables” are a Great Place to Learn
Did you know that if you are a Mentor or Apprentice in the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship program that you have access to our monthly webinars called Virtual Roundtables? The webinars are on the first Monday of each month at 11:30 and last for one hour. Each month has a new topic to learn about. The…
Read MoreBeyond Your Backyard: Liking the Lichen
Wondering how you can possibly top last years costume of being one of the clam fam and dressing as a Minnesota mollusk? Well I’ve got just the thing for you this Halloween. But first, a persuasive introduction… I’ve been listening to Braiding Sweetgrass on the recommendation of your very own Katie Feterl. It’s been on…
Read MoreDirt Rich: Building Relationships and Telling Your Story
Connecting with others and meeting new people has always been important to John Beaton, and it’s this flair for relationship building that is at the heart of his farm story. John and Emily Beaton operate Fairhaven Farm just north of Duluth, Minnesota, and are members of SFA’s Lake Superior Chapter. John got his start on a…
Read MoreLuhman: A Soil Health Survey
Below is a message from the Minnesota Office for Soil Health about a new survey on how soil health impacts farmers’ ability to get in the field sooner and manage crops. Timing is everything for farmers working in Minnesota’s short growing season. Getting into the field during a window of good weather to plant, spray, or…
Read MoreJerry Ford on “Grow with KARE”
Our own Jerry Ford was featured on Kare 11’s “Grow with KARE” over the weekend. He talked about garlic, of course! Watch the clip for three foundational tips on growing your own garlic this season: “the right stuff, at the right place, at the right time.” And if you’d like to learn more, find further…
Read MoreDirt Rich: Planting Minnesota Garlic
It’s that time of year again! Garlic growers in Minnesota are preparing for planting. We’re bringing this episode of Dirt Rich back into your feed to help you get ready to plant with advice from two seasoned garlic growers: Jerry Ford and Sunny Ruthchild. Jerry and Sunny are longtime friends in Minnesota garlic and organic…
Read MoreDirt Rich: Getting Water Quality Certified
“It’s hard to find a Minnesotan that’s not proud of the fact that we’ve got so many wonderful lakes in our region and we’re the source for the Mississippi River…We have a lot of pride for our natural resources in this state and we have a lot of pride for our operations.” –Jennifer Wagner-Lahr The…
Read MoreDGA Update: Ag Water Certified Farms Show Higher Profits
A new study by the Minnesota State Agricultural Centers of Excellence shows that farmers enrolled in the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP) had higher profits than non-certified farms. The MN Ag Water Quality Certification Program is a voluntary program for farmers and landowners that protects the state’s water resources by putting farmers in…
Read MoreQuick Cover Crops Guide and other New Soil Health Resources
A few new soil health resources for growers have been added to our website in the past few months, created by Conservation Connector Sarah Lindblom. The newest is a Quick Cover Crops Guide that can help you identify your needs in the context of the land you’re working with, and the cover crops that may…
Read MoreDGA Update: Fair Season Celebrates Farmers
It’s fair season in MN! Next week is the start of the Minnesota State Fair. The first Minnesota State Fair was held in 1859 near what became downtown Minneapolis. This was a year after Minnesota was granted statehood. During the fair’s early years, the site of the exposition changed annually with stops in Minneapolis, St.…
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