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A 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…
Read MorePodcast: Local Meats and Processing in Southeast Minnesota
Meat processing has long been a challenge for local food producers in Minnesota. In the latest episode of Dirt Rich, we discuss meat production and processing in the southeast part of the state with Eric Klein of Hidden Stream Farm and Dover Processing. Klein’s diverse array of businesses compliment each other, both improving soil health…
Read MoreDirt Rich Returns!
Dirt Rich is back, kicking off our third season with pasture-raised chickens by one of our own! When Jared and Valerie Luhmans’ customers started requesting soy- and corn-free chicken, they decided to try making some changes to the way they raised their flock on pasture in order to see how they might sustainably meet this…
Read MoreHeirloom Apples & Craft Cider
Mehgan Blair (Lake Superior Chapter) and Nate Watters (Cannon River Chapter) are two orchardists and hyper-local craft cidermakers in different Minnesota landscapes. Blair and her family steward a historic dairy farm with an heirloom orchard in Duluth: Canosia Grove. Icelandic sheep are their “land managers,” grazing and conditioning the soil to expand their orchard. Watters…
Read MoreWulf: SFA’s Annual Conference Can Jumpstart Your Farm
Why attend our 2022 Annual Conference? Take it from Lake Agassiz member Kelsey Wulf of West Mill Farm! Attending the Conference and networking with other farmers helped her family farm get going–check out her video. Whether you’re a farmer, ag professional, grower, homesteader, or local foods supporter, we hope you’ll join us on February 12 at…
Read MoreConventional to Kernza®: A Soil Health Journey
Kaleb Anderson is the third generation of his family farm in Goodhue, Minnesota, and grew up with a conventional ag background. Living in the Driftless region, soil degradation and erosion were always a big concern. Since moving back onto the farm in 2006, Anderson has adjusted practices and diversified the business. He would say that…
Read MoreLuhman: What do you want to know about livestock?
Agriculture is so incredibly broad and diverse! Within crop farming there are so many crops and grains that a farmer can produce. As a livestock farmer you can produce a handful of species options, either grazed, or in more conventional feedlot methods. You can market directly to consumers, or on a commodity market, or in…
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