Dirt Rich Episode 19: Family Dairies & Apprenticeships
My hope for dairy in the future…is trying to keep these small family farms alive.” Angie Walter runs an organic, grazing dairy farm with her family in central Minnesota. The family of four raises 100 Norwegian Red, Red Holstein, and Guernsey crosses on 370 acres. Angie is also the Central Minnesota Education Coordinator for the…
Read MoreDirt Rich Episode 9: “Silvopasture in Minnesota”
Silvopasture: “the intentional integration of trees, forage, and livestock into one intensively managed system.” New Dirt Rich voices Jared Luhman and Tyler Carlson give an intro to silvopasture practices, covering a little history, how silvopasture looks today, and the economic and biological benefits these systems can provide to Minnesota farmers. Stay tuned for next week’s…
Read MoreSoil Health Case Studies Vol. 3
SFA again has partnered with the U. of M. to offer a new set of Soil Health Case Studies featuring profiles of area farmers who are building soil health on their farm operations. These Case Studies were collected and written by SFA Soil Health Lead Jared Luhman and feature farmers in Southeast Minnesota, a prime location…
Read MorePaddock Move at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge
The Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge in Zimmerman, MN spans 30,700 acres on the Anoka Sandplain, and is largely oak savanna. The refuge is home to a wealth of wildlife diversity, including the sandhill crane, Blanding’s turtles, and wild turkeys. And, since 2013, sometimes cattle. For nearly three years, University of Minnesota researcher Austin Yantes, seasoned…
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