Education
Dirt Rich: Fundamentals of Adaptive Grazing
In the latest episode of Dirt Rich, you’ll hear a presentation that our Soil Health Specialist Jonathan Kilpatrick gave on adaptive grazing at a recent field day. He’ll bring you through the fundamentals, always keeping in mind the importance of context in grazing management. Jonathan believes that grazing is one of the most powerful forces we…
Read MoreDirt Rich: Get to Know Jonathan Kilpatrick
In the latest episode of our podcast series, Dirt Rich, Jared Luhman sits down with our new Soil Health Specialist, Jonathan Kilpatrick. Jonathan comes to Minnesota after several years in several states, where he built a diverse background in agricultural work. He grew up farming with his family, eventually building up a 250-300 member CSA…
Read MoreLuhman: Value Added Marketing
In a past Connect I discussed how in this region, according to University of Minnesota FINBIN data, the average cow/calf producer in Minnesota lost $275 in 2021. We talked briefly about some of the ways that you can reduce your cost to raise a calf, but for some, perhaps the question ought to be “should…
Read MoreBeyond Your Backyard: Meet the camouflaged looper
I recently read a blog post by Chris Helzer about the camouflaged looper caterpillar (Synchlora aerata) and I am obsessed! I cannot believe that nature just got even cooler! Camouflaged loopers are caterpillars that decorate themselves with bits of flowers and pieces of plants to disguise themselves while they’re foraging on flowers in the prairie!…
Read MoreTC Growers Visit St. Paul; Minneapolis
The Twin Cities Metro Growers Network was busy in June, fitting in two farm visits in a week! A small but mighty group of growers and local foods supporters gathered to explore Prairie Smoke Gardens in St. Paul on June 3. Katie and Madrone Kubovcik led us through the “neighborhood supported agriculture” operation on a…
Read MoreGoats at Work in Theodore Wirth Park
Enjoy this clip of the herd resting after what must have been an *exhausting* morning of eating. Diversity Landworks and Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board are working together to restore ecological health to neglected, graze-obligate lands with livestock. The Ecological Service Livestock Network (ESLN) paid a visit to Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis for a tour…
Read MoreMatch Made in Heaven: Livestock + Crops
Green Lands Blue Waters recently released a new infographic depicting the integration of livestock and crops at a glance. This image was developed by and for farmers and service providers, in collaboration with the design firm Background Stories as part of the SARE grant project “Match Made In Heaven: Livestock + Crops.” SFA’s Jared Luhman was one…
Read MoreStudy Confirms Higher Profits for Ag Water Quality Certified Farms
For the third year in a row, a study done by the Minnesota State Agricultural Centers of Excellence has shown that farms certified in the MN Ag Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP) have higher profits than farms that are not certified. As a farmer myself, this makes me glad that our farm is certified and makes…
Read MoreRestoring Oak Savanna
As we approach our big field day at the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge that will demonstrate targeted grazing to restore oak savanna, we thought it would be a good time to revisit this episode with Tyler Carlson and Stephen Thomforde we released last February. Tyler and Stephen pick up their conversation on oak savanna from Episode…
Read MoreBeyond Your Backyard: the Barred Owl
Last night I was woken up by an owl hooting outside my window. Ok, let’s be real, I was actually woken up by my cat wiping her fluffy tail across my face (gross, I know). But after I awoke, I heard the hooting so it’s six in one, half dozen in another. I have to…
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