Uncategorized
New Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP)
The Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP) is a new program from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that will provide financial assistance to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination by the USDA in USDA’s farm lending prior to 2021. Section 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act provides $2.2 billion in assistance for…
Read MoreNow Hiring: Grants Manager
July 17 Update: Thank you for helping us spread the word! The application window is closed. We’re hiring! SFA is seeking a part time, remote Grants Manager residing in Minnesota. We are looking for a high-energy, proactive, and talented professional with the experience required to quickly make a positive impact on our organization. The hourly…
Read MoreMN Ag Water Quality Certified farmers are more profitable!
By Angie Walter • Agricultural Water Quality Certification Project Outreach Coordinator For the fourth year in a row, data analysis shows that farmers who are Ag Water Quality Certified are more profitable than farmers who are not certified. This data comes from the farm financials of farmers enrolled in Farm Business Management. Details on the economic studies…
Read MoreDGA Mentor Roundtable May 1
Angie Walter and the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship are hosting a free dairy roundtable in Albany, Minn. on Monday, May 1. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., aspiring and established dairy producers are invited to meet at Hillcrest Family Restaurant for lunch and discussion. The discussion will focus on how soil and plant health are related,…
Read MoreTake Time for Wellness this Season
By Dan Zimmerli, Community Organizer and Outreach Coordinator My social media feeds are taken up with farmers filling up their greenhouses and getting excited for the growing season. On my farm, we’re doing the same. During this time of year it’s easy to get excited for all the things to come over the growing season:…
Read MoreLocal Foods Survey Data Recap!
By Dan Zimmerli • Community Organizer and Outreach Coordinator In February, the Minnesota Department of Ag in partnership with the Statewide Cooperative Partnership hosted a “Data Party Workshop” to go over data gathered from a survey sent out to farmers, consumers, and supply chain folks about local foods. SFA was invited to the table and…
Read MoreFrom the Executive Director: A Climate Hero, Farm Kid
In honor of Earth Day, I thought I’d share an article from the New Yorker magazine written in 2009. “The Climate Expert Who Delivered News No One Wanted To Hear” is a profile of James Hansen, a NASA scientist who created one of the world’s first climate models, nicknamed Model Zero, 43 years ago. Hansen grew up in…
Read MoreQuick Cover Crops Guide
Last month, Dan Zimmerli wrote about incorporating cover crops on market farms and the benefits he’s seen in his own operation. You might consider using the Quick Cover Crops Guide for ideas as you plan for the growing season ahead. Dan also welcomes questions at dan@sfa-mn.org.
Read MoreFour DIY Soil Health Tests
Sarah Lindblom returned to our Dirt Rich podcast this month to share four soil health tests that you can do at home to gain insight on the soil’s physical, chemical, and biological function. These tests can be valuable to gardeners and farmers at any scale, and can be done using simple materials from your recycling…
Read MoreEsperanza in Agriculture
Every year from September 15th to October 15th the nation celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month. This year’s theme, Esperanza, invites us to celebrate Hispanic heritage and encourages us to reflect on the contributions Hispanic and Latinx people have made in the past and will continue to make in the future. Fresh fruits and vegetables, meat,…
Read More