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Oct. 18, 2016 

SFA Welcomes Our Winter Sustainability Interns

SFA is proud to announce that Kassie Brown and Valerie McGoldrick have been chosen for our Winter Sustainability Conference Internships.

Additionally, Katie Feterl has assumed the role of Multimedia Intern.

Brown, who will work as with Communications Director Jason Walker, is a UW-Madison graduate whose interest in sustainable agriculture grew while studying for her degree in Community and Environmental Sociology. She has volunteered on a wide variety of small scale organic farms and is passionate about developing a more ecology-based agriculture.

McGoldrick, who will work as Events Intern with Interim Executive Director Jerry Ford, is a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville studying soil and crop science with a minor in social and environmental justice. Her previous work experience includes working on CSA farms in Minnesota and Ireland. She is excited to be interning with SFA.

Feterl, a past Communications Intern, is a recent graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College bent on understanding food systems, especially in terms of geography and sustainability. On those days when Netflix isn’t enough, Katie might be hiking, making travel plans, brewery hopping, or catching a show downtown.

We are excited to have Kassie, Valerie and Katie on board, and wish to thank all the other fine applicants for their interest.

New SFA Connect Feature: 'Solberg on Soil' 

Editor’s Note: SFA Livestock & Grazing Specialist Kent Solberg (right) is well-known for his depth and breadth of knowledge on all things related to soil health. This occasional column in SFA Connect will briefly describe what Kent is currently thinking about.

"Intensifying management to increase farm profits” – Don't dismiss this article because the research is being conducted in Texas. While some of the grasses and cover crops selected may change slightly on any given farm in Minnesota, the principles hold and are worthy of implementation on an farm seeking to increase the bottom line. Read it here.

Check Your Membership & More on SFA Homepage

Ever wonder whether your SFA membership is current? Want to make a sustaining tax-deductible contribution to SFA? Forget what upcoming SFA events for which you registered? Our website has a new login feature that can provide answers to these questions.

Create an account by clicking the login link at the upper right on our homepage. Then, once logged in, you can view your SFA membership, easily register for upcoming events, make a donation, and much more.

Click these links for how-to videos on creating an account and logging into your account. These and other videos are always available on our YouTube page.

Williams, Breitkreutz, Solberg Will Return to MSHS

Featuring an array of nationally renowed soil health experts and farmers, SFA’s two-day Midwest Soil Health Summit is THE place for advanced soil health training.

Registration is now open for the 2017 conference, set for Feb. 15-16 at Bigwood Event Center in Fergus Falls. The 2017 speaker slate is still in progress but already confirmed to appear are Dr. Allen Williams, Kent Solberg, Grant Breitkreutz, Doug Landblom, and Dr. Scott Wells. Click here to register.

Also, scholarships are available for ag professionals, agency employees, and crop consultants to attend the 2017 MSHS. To apply for a scholarship, click here.

More information, including 2017 Sponsor/Exhibitor Registration information, is available on our MSHS homepage and our Soil Health Portal

Garlic Festival Director Track Position Announced

SFA is seeking an Assistant Director for the Minnesota Garlic Festival. This is a part-time position in which the Assistant Director is a contractor with SFA. It is intended to be a three-year track:

  • Year One: The Assistant Director will assist the Festival Director, and will be involved in all aspects of managing the festival.
  • Year Two: The Assistant Director will co-direct with the Festival Director, taking on many of the duties.
  • Year Three: The Assistant Director will become the Festival Director, and the former Festival Director will serve in an advisory role.

The Assistant Director will be an independent contractor working for the Sustainable Farming Association, Crow River Chapter, and SFA will report the pay on the IRS 1099 form. Pay will begin at $1,000 in Year One and rise to $2,000 (Year Two) and $3,500 (Year Three). 

Info: Jerry Ford, Festival Director, jerry@sfa-mn.org, 763-244-6659.

In Memoriam: Marvin Bihl

SFA wishes to extend its heartfelt condolences to the family of longtime SFA member and Annual Conference fixture Marvin Bihl of Clearwater, who died Oct. 12, 2016. He was 90. Services for Marvin are 11 a.m. today, Oct. 18, at St. Luke’s Catholic Church in Clearwater.

Marvin (shown above at the 2012 SFA Conference) was born Dec. 19, 1925, in Hibbing to Oscar and Ida (Mills) Bihlaja. He grew up in Hibbing and entered the U.S. Navy during World War II. After his discharge, he attended and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He entered the U.S. Army and served until 1952. After his discharge, Marvin married Laura Elsen on Dec. 27, 1952, in St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Delano, MN. The couple moved to Minnetonka and Marvin began traveling the world as an electrical engineer for 3M International. In 1972, Marvin and Laura became pioneers in organic farming with their farm in Clearwater. Marvin retired from 3M in 1991 and the couple moved to Clearwater in 1992 where they continued their organic farming.

Marvin and Laura received the SFA Farmers Emeritus award in 2009.

Besides Laura, Marvin is survived by his children, Michael Bihl, Columbia, S.C.; Jeanne (Damon) Athey, Minnetonka; and Thomas Bihl, Annandale; sister, Peggy Kampen, Sacramento, Calif.; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Obituary courtesy of Miller-Carlin Funeral Homes.

2017 Annual Conference Voting ENDS SOON

Registration is NOW OPEN for the SFA Annual Conference, which is set for Feb. 11, 2017, at the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, Minn. Click here to register for as little as $35 through Nov. 30!

Our online voting system will help select programming for the SFA Annual Conference Vote on the topics YOU want addressed – VOTE SOON as we will end the survey on Oct. 31 to begin crafting the schedule. The current top 10 vote-getters:

  • Year-Round Income Streams on 15 Acres or Fewer
  • Fencing Innovations: The Latest and Greatest
  • Time to Call the Butcher: What to Expect, Terminology, and How to Help Customers Navigate the Process of Custom-Ordering
  • Starting and Managing a Profitable Orchard
  • Soil Restoration
  • Farming and Soil Health Without Heavy Equipment
  • Deep Winter Greenhouse Design: Location, Location, Location
  • Wintering Livestock
  • Deep Winter Greenhouse Producton: Mastering the Three Winter Seasons
  • Tractor attachments for the small farmer

East Central Chapter Farm Tour, Meeting is Oct. 22

SFA East Central Chapter is hosting a farm tour and chapter meeting from 3-6 p.m. Oct. 22 at the Ferris Farm, 34338 Blackfoot St. NW, Cambridge. Attendees will tour the Jon & Jessica Ferris Farm where they raise turkeys, laying hens and pigs. Directly following the tour will be an East Central Chapter meeting to discuss chapter goals, event planning for 2017, and a meeting schedule. 

This event is free and open to all; no RSVP is required. Info: eastcentral@sfa-mn.org

Greater Mille Lacs Chicken Cull Event is Oct. 29

SFA Greater Mille Lacs Chapter is hosting a Chicken Cull Day from 8 a.m. to noon on Sat., Oct. 29, at Righteous Oaks Farm, 35372 295th Street, Aitkin. If you have laying hens or cockerels you need to cull this fall you are invited to bring them. A potluck lunch will follow. 

We are limiting the amount of birds to be processed to 200, so please RSVP to righteousoaksfarm@gmail.com or 218.927.1425 with the amount of birds you plan to bring. If desired, Righteous Oaks Farm will provide shrink-wrap packaging for $1/bird.

Cost is free for SFA members or $5 for non-members. Info: greatermillelacs@sfa-mn.org.

Central Chapter Meeting is Nov. 18 in Brainerd

SFA Central Chapter is hosting a meeting and potluck from 4 to 7 p.m. Nov. 18 at Sunup Ranch, 12316 County 18 SW, Brainerd. 

Hosted by Central Chapter board member Vickie Kettlewell, this event includes a potluck, farm tour and member meeting. Bring your ideas for upcoming SFA programming you’d like to see in the Central Chapter. Free for SFA members. Click here to RSVP.

Info: www.sfa-mn.org/Central or contact Lisa at 320.309.0746 or central@sfa-mn.org.

Just-Planted Covers on Display at Strip Trial Field Day

Becker SWCD highlighted its cover crop strip trial during a field day on Sept. 20 east of Lake Park, Minn. as part of SFA’s Soil Health Network event series.

According to event organizer Aaron Salo, approximately 20 people braved the rain to attend and were able to walk amongst the eight plots that were drilled and broadcast following wheat harvest in August.

For more soil health events, resources, videos, and much more, visit our Soil Health Portal.

Scholarship Opportunity for Rochester-Area Farmers

The Sustainable Agriculture & Forestry Scholarship Fund at the Rochester Area Foundation has announced a new scholarship for current practitioners interested in learning about sustainable ag or forestry. This scholarship could be used for registration at the SFA Annual Conference or Midwest Soil Health Summit, or for Deep Roots education. 

This scholarship is for current farm practitioners from Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, Wabasha and Winona counties. 
Deadline is Dec. 15. To apply and learn more, visit protectourresources.org.

Check This Out

  • A "Soil Health and Nutrient Management for Immigrant Farmers" workshop was offered in mid-September by the University of MN with support from a SARE Professional Development Project grant. The presentations are chock full of data, information and graphics that are extremely valuable for soil health beginners. These presentations are posted on our Soil Health Resources page.

  • In this column refuting claims from major commodity beef groups, Midwest Soil Health Summit speaker Dr. Allen Williams asks, “Can We Produce Grassfed Beef at Scale?” Then, he proceeds to give detailed proof that, yep, we sure can. Read it here.

  • More on wintering livestock, which is scoring well these days as a AC topic.

Annual Conference Photo Feature

Photographer extraordinaire Crystal Liepa once again documented our 2016 Annual Conference, held Feb. 13, 2016, at the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, Minn. To learn more about Crystal, visit her website.

 


 

 


 

        

 

  

   
       
       

    

     

 

 

    

 
 
 
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SFA Connect is your bi-weekly link to the Sustainable Farming Association

The Sustainable Farming Association is a chapter-based, statewide non-profit organization that supports the development and enhancement of sustainable farming systems through innovation, demonstration, education, and farmer-to-farmer networking. If you, your farm or organization has any upcoming events that you would like posted on the SFA Community Calendar, email info@sfa-mn.org.

Sustainable Farming Association (SFA)
4924 Upton Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55410
1.844.922.5573 • info@sfa-mn.org




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