The SFA Annual Conference returns in 2026 on the 1st Saturday in Feburary.  This gathering of out sustainable farming community brings farmers, educators and supporters together for a day of fellowship, networking and learning. Registration and programming will be announced in the summer of 2025. Please mark your calendars and watch for more news as the…

Join Derek Schmitz and Doug Voss at Grassrich Dairy for a pasture walk focused on using diverse cover crops to extend the grazing season and enhance soil health. Owned and operated by Derek and Taylor Schmitz, Grassrich Dairy is a low-input, forage-based organic dairy where cattle are managed to harvest as much of their own…

Join us on Saturday, November 2nd, from 1-4 PM at Luverne and MJ Forbord’s Prairie Horizons Farm located between Benson and Starbuck, Minnesota! Explore how the Forbords prepare their operation for winter with strategies like stockpiling, bale grazing, and wintering their livestock. With over 20 years of experience in grass-fed beef genetic selection and direct marketing, they…

This is a 201 level event. Join us for an engaging and informative event focused on reducing winter feed costs, reclaiming hybrid poplar land, and using technology to make intensive grazing less work. This tour will cover various aspects of livestock and land management with a focus on soil health and livestock integration onto crop…

This is a 101 level workshop. Are you intrigued by the thought of building your own fences? Or, have you tried and need a refresher on how to do it? Fence building is both an art and a science, and properly built fences make for years of happy neighbors and livestock success. Learn the ropes…

Graziers, land managers, and interested members of the public are invited to Lebanon Hills Regional Park in Eagan to take a look at the techniques and considerations for using goats to control buckthorn. Tyler Carlson will co-present this field day with Brad Gordon and Alex Bahr of Great River Greening, park staff, and Kyle Johnson with Diversity…

The University of Minnesota Extension will host a sheep and goat webinar on Monday, November 20 starting at 7:30pm CT. Jonathan Kilpatrick, SFA’s Farmer Education Director, will discuss different types of fencing options for small ruminants and grazing management strategies to get the most out of your pastures. Jonathan has many years of fencing and grazing experience with numerous…

In 2018, Tom and Amanda Murphy purchased an old farm in Aitkin, MN. Once the land was used to graze sheep, dairy cows, and cattle but was left to naturalize after the farmer retired. Weeds and trees grew in the pasture and the fences were no longer functional. Tom & Amanda designed a multi-species grazing…

Interested in sheep or goats but intimidated by their fencing requirements? Come spend an afternoon learning from experienced graziers how to manage the fencing needs of small ruminants. We will cover the basics of electric fencing, geared towards small ruminant producers, but anyone using electric fencing will benefit. This is a great experience for folks…

Are you intimidated by the thought of building your own fences? Or, have you tried and need a refresher on how to do it? Join Kent Solberg and Jonathan Kilpatrick, along with members of the Crow Wing River Basin Forage Council, for a day in the field learning about and building permanent fence systems. For…