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Two Years In, Strides Made in Silvopasture
Every once in a while, I stop and realize how incredible the level of support and interest in silvopasture is here in Minnesota and across the country. Just a few years ago I don’t think there were more than a few dozen people in the state who knew enough about it to not give me…
Read MoreDirt Rich: Grazing Cattle to Restore Oak Savanna in the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge
Using livestock to restore landscapes may seem like a contradiction, but oak savannas thrive with disturbance. Grazier Doug Voss and PhD candidate Austin Yantes are involved in a project at the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, studying the results of carefully managed cattle grazing, tree thinning, and burning in striving to meet Sherburne’s ecological goals. The…
Read MoreBeyond Your Backyard: The First Signs of Spring
I always know it’s time for spring when the first fuzzy pasqueflowers emerge. For a wildflower—something we often think of as delicate—they are anything but. They continue to grow undeterred by wide weather fluctuations between 60 degrees and then 30. Their shoots and buds armored in a dense winter coat of fuzz. Doggedly determined to…
Read MoreDirt Rich: Managing Spring Grazing
With springtime around the corner, we’re revisiting our 2021 episode on managing spring grazing. When is the best time to turn the cows out? Kent Solberg and Jared Luhman dig into this decision that sets you up for the rest of the grazing season. It can be awful tempting to get started as soon as…
Read MoreThe 1000 Farms Initiative
On Thursday March 10, we hosted a soil health event in Ivanhoe, MN highlighting the research and work done by Dr. Jonathan Lundgren and his team at Ecdysis, as well as Grant and Dawn Breitkreutz and their inspiring story of success with soil health on their crop and livestock farm near Redwood Falls. If you…
Read MoreIncorporate cover crops on your market farm this year!
More hours of sunlight and warmer temperatures mean spring is on its way! If you are a produce farmer there’s a good chance you’ve already started your first seeds of the season or will do so in the very near future. It’s an exciting time of year! While we’re busy considering which cash crops to…
Read MoreA View from the Summit, Part 2
Read Part 1 here. Recently, I shared some moments from the first day of our Midwest Soil Health Summit. Our second day was more tailored to crop and livestock farmers, and it was a delight to see over half of our guests attend both days, regardless of their focus. There’s always something to learn. Featured…
Read MoreA View from the Summit, Part 1
What a simple joy it was to come together again for the Midwest Soil Health Summit! Fruit, vegetable, and perennial presentations kicked the Summit off on Tuesday, March 8. After a welcome from Commissioner Thom Petersen, Sarah Lindblom presented the opening plenary, encouraging attendees to apply a systems thinking approach to soil health. Lindblom also…
Read MoreFrom 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…
Read MoreLuhman: Connect with Your Cohort
I have heard more than once from farmers that it’s tough to find networks or resources related to the livestock that they raise. We wanted to create an opportunity for people to connect with others who are raising the same livestock in similar ways, and to ask questions and share ideas and information. To do…
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