Minnesota River
Welcome to the Minnesota River Chapter
The Minnesota River Chapter of SFA encompasses sustainable farmers, producers and like-minded consumers in south central Minnesota. Our chapter is focused on strengthening the local food system in our region, improving the water quality of the Minnesota River and building a farmer network to share knowledge that furthers sustainable farming practices.
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- Like the Minnesota River Chapter page on Facebook
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- Email mnriver@sfa-mn.org with any questions, or to connect!
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- Call us at 844.922.5573 Ext. 721
Sowing Seeds Festival Coordinators and Volunteers Needed ASAP!
When you decide to help please email Don Hermanson or Sabri Fair.
Upcoming Events
Homestead Gardening & Seed Starting for Beginners Webinar
Thursday, March 13 6:00PM—7:30PM
Zoom
You’ve seen the YouTube videos and listened to podcasts about living a simpler life and growing some, or more, of your own food. Perhaps you’re a loyal customer at the farmer’s market or a parent looking to show your kids where their food comes from.
Growing your own food is a lovely and beautiful thing, but ABILITY, TIME and SPACE make you worry how you could ever do it yourself.
Caroline Hegstrom of The Boreal Farm owns and operates a successful, diversified farming operation that features certified organic CSA shares, flowers and a farmstand near Lake Superior. Caroline is passionate about the homesteading movement and uses her knowledge and experience to help people to grow their own food, as well as build community. Recently, she started a business called Taiga Farm & Seed where she pairs gardeners with appropriate seed collections to maximize production, minimize mistakes and encourages you throughout the growing process ~ from seed to harvest.
This webinar will feature:
- Starting from scratch: Easing into Homestead Gardening
- Seed Starting and Troubleshooting 101
- What can I grow in a Northern climate?
Registration: It is free to participate. Advance registration is required to receive the Zoom link.
Info: Mary Fischer, mary@sfa-mn.org
Note: SFA is excited to announce a new campaign featuring Homesteading in 2025. A mixture of Zoom Meetings, In-person events and podcasts will be hosted to build community and re-learn traditional methods that create independence and stability. Be sure to follow along.
Region Nine Growers' Network: Climate Resilience and Agritourism
Thursday, April 17 5:30PM—7:30PM (Rescheduled from March 6)
The Wooden Spoon, Mankato
Climate Resilience and Agritourism: Hear from University of Minnesota Extension Educators on how Minnesota’s changing weather patterns are impacting farmers and how your farm can be proactive to reduce the impacts on your farm and customers.
The event will also feature a presentation from UMN Extension’s Agritourism Educator from St. Louis County.
A social hour will follow programming and will feature appetizers from 6:30 – 7:30.
Registration: Free event, no registration required.
Address: The Wooden Spoon, 515 N Riverfront Dr, Mankato, MN 56001
Make the most of your garden this summer: SUCCESSION Planting
May 29, 6:00PM—8:00PM
Alternative Roots Farm, Madelia
An in-person event in our Homesteading Series. Learn how to prolong your garden’s production from Alternative Roots Farm. More details to come.
Registration: Free. Registration requested, walkups welcome.
Address: Alternative Roots Farm, 11197 130th Street Madelia, MN 56062
Info: Mary Fischer, mary@sfa-mn.org
Managing a Family Milk Cow & Processing Milk Safely at Home
June 26, 6:00PM—8:00PM
Great Heritage Farm, Winthrop
Join Leah Matzke for a full milking on the farm and an inside look at keeping a family cow, from daily care to safely processing fresh dairy at home. We’ll hear about managing farm-direct sales and how her on-site farm store connects customers with pasture-raised beef, pork, lamb, and even cheese cultures. This event is part of SFA’s 2025 Homesteading Series.
Registration: It is free to participate. Registration requested, walkups welcome.
Address: Great Heritage Farm LLC, 57098 310th St. Winthrop, MN 55396
Presenter Bio: Leah is the owner of Great Heritage Farm LLC, a 40 acre regenerative farm in Winthrop, MN. Together with her husband, Benjamin, and their five children, she embraces a hands-on, sustainable lifestyle—including keeping milk cows. She loves all things dairy and makes yogurt, butter, cheese, kefir, sour cream, and ice cream from the fresh milk of her heritage-breed cows. Over the years, she has experimented with nearly every method of milking and dairy processing on a budget, continually refining her techniques and equipment.
Info: Mary Fischer, mary@sfa-mn.org
Sowing Seeds Festival
Date and Location to be announced soon.
Together let’s plant the seeds of a more sustainable and resilient future!
A fun and memorable afternoon that is all about celebrating local foods and rediscovering traditional self-sufficiency skills.
Grant and Scholarship Opportunities
Here are a couple of opportunities for SFA Members:
Region Nine Conference Scholarships
Region Nine is offering conference scholarships to local sustainable farmers in the region that will reimburse you for the full cost of attending:
- the SFA Annual Conference,
- the Midwest Grazing and Soil Health Summit,
- and 2/3 of the registration for the Marbleseed Conference (formerly MOSES).
If interested, email Sabri Fair requesting a conference scholarship form. Then complete the form and email it with your proof of registration/payment back to Sabri.
Region Nine can cover the cost of other conferences that may be more relevant to your farm, just ask before registering to make sure it is eligible.
Free Grant Support
Over the next 4 years Region Nine will have a staff member devoted to supporting a stronger local food system. An important part of their role is helping farmers and other food system stakeholders like grocers, schools, and meat processors secure additional funding to make access to locally grown and produced foods easier.
If you are interested in utilizing this support, please email Sabri Fair to schedule a conversation about your project goals. If you are looking for grant opportunities take a look at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture page to see what opportunities might interest you: https://www.mda.state.mn.us/
Become a Member
Renew or start your membership below.
Be sure to select "Minnesota River" as your chapter on the membership form.