Who are SFA members? Meet Tom Barthel.
Who are SFA members? We call ourselves the “farmer-to-farmer network,” but our ecosystem is far wider. We attract and partner with people and organizations interested in shifting the agricultural paradigm from an extractive model to a regenerative one. Our 1,300 members include both seasoned and new farmers and ranchers, as well as agricultural educators, agency staff, local food advocates, homesteaders, eaters, and conservationists.
During our Fall New Member Drive, “meet” some of our members and see how they’ve benefited from joining SFA, in their own words. Our first member we’d like to introduce you to is…
Tom Barthel
Tom Barthel is a longtime SFA member and owner/operator at Snake River Farm in Becker, MN. Growing up on a dairy farm instilled a love of agriculture in Tom, and he went on to found Snake River Farm in 1969. In the 70s he farmed as many as 700 acres of corn. After realizing his operation was not sustainable, Tom shifted to a pasture-based operation and focused on his electrical engineering career.
In the late 90s, he developed a grass-based production system and began to build his direct-to-customer sales enterprise. He now raises grass-fed bison, beef, lamb, and pastured hogs. Snake River Farm sells direct to over 500 Minnesota families and supplies USDA inspected, grass-fed meat to schools. The Farm is in the fourth year of a multi-year plan to transfer the business and knowledge to the next generation.
“SFA has provided me with terrifically useful scientific knowledge and practical know-how for two decades. The Soil Health Summits have been a particularly rich source of both scientific and practical knowledge. The Summits are a wonderful opportunity to speak directly with leading scientists and farm experts about soil regeneration.
Tom Barthel, Snake River farm
SFA has been a crucial source of information as we have transitioned our farm from irrigated row crops to 100% grazing. Our 30-year switch to sustainable farming has made our farm business far more profitable, far more durable, far more environmentally friendly, and far more satisfying.”
East Central Chapter of SFA
Become a member during our fall member drive to tap into diverse programming, educational events, and networking opportunities powered by our network. The first 50 new members to join will get some sweet SFA swag for free: an SFA fleece-lined knit cap! Click here to learn more about membership benefits, or join here now.