Soil Health
Luhman: Drought
I wanted to take a moment to share a little bit of information that may be helpful during this drought we are experiencing in 2021. Forage and hay is in short supply and when it can be found it is expensive. If you are in need of forage, there are a few places that you…
Read MoreFrom the Executive Director: Field Day Series Previews Soil Data Project Findings
The first three in a series of five field days to discuss soil health research featured farmer-led programs at the Michael Larson Farm in Stephen, Doubting Thomas Farm near Moorhead with Noreen Thomas, the Pfarr farm near Lamberton with Brain and Bill Pfarr and Grant & Dawn Breitkreutz’s Stoney Creek Farm near Redwood Falls. The…
Read MoreDirt Rich: Silvopasture Library Revisited
In anticipation of our trio of silvopasture field days and workshops next week, we wanted to highlight the five episodes we’ve made that cover this management approach with ecological and indigenous origins: Episode 9: “Silvopasture in Minnesota” with SFA’s Tyler Carlson and Jared Luhman. Episode 10: “Implementing Silvopasture” with SFA’s Tyler Carlson and Jared Luhman.…
Read MoreDirt Rich: The Potential of Perennial Crops & Kernza
“I’m so heartened by the work that our farmers are doing, that our researchers are doing, to create these really sustainable crops–they’re actually regenerative crops–that are not only delicious on the plate, but really good for the land.” Beth Dooley shares the excitement for Minnesota perennial crops and Kernza that she, Jacob Jungers, and Peter…
Read MoreDGA Update: Take the lead in protecting water
SFA has partnered with NRCS to promote the MN Ag Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP). This program is supported by the Natural Resource Conservation Service’s Resource Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). There are currently 1,085 farms certified in the MAWQCP making up 780,000 acres. The MAWQCP is a voluntary opportunity for farmers and agricultural landowners to…
Read MoreTwin Cities Metro Growers Network Tours Holistic Health Farms
The heat didn’t stop Twin Cities Metro Growers Network from enjoying our very first live, in-person event of 2021! About 20 metro growers gathered for a tour at Holistic Health Farms in St. Paul to learn about creative crop cultivation in small spaces. Tim Page and Cherry Flowers showed us the ginger, garlic, turmeric, tomatoes, galangal, herb…
Read MoreLuhman: New Soil Health for Fruit and Vegetable Growers Resources
Soil Health is an incredible concept but can be difficult to implement because how we create soil health can be different on every single farm. A practice that works in one area may not work in another, and practices that work in one type of production system may not work in another production system. The important…
Read MoreBeyond your backyard: Getting back to your roots
This is the first June I can remember living in Minnesota that my grass is already brown and dead in the boulevard (yes, I am one of those people who refuses to water unless you’re a newly planted native plant—then you get VIP treatment). I’m not one bit mad about it because mowing is high on…
Read MoreDirt Rich: A Chat with Gabe Brown
On the latest episode of Dirt Rich, Gabe Brown shares his ranch story and his 25+ years of learning about regenerative agriculture practices with host Jared Luhman. Before “soil health” concepts entered the mainstream, a few hail storms in the ‘90s, financial challenges, connections made with soil experts, and some serendipity prodded Gabe to try…
Read MoreSpring Grazing Management on ‘Dirt Rich’
When is the best time to turn the cows out? On Episode 31 of Dirt Rich, 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 we see green, but Kent illustrates how letting…
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