Editor's Note: This top story in SFA Connect has been hijacked by official Minnesota Garlic Festival publication "The Stinky News," variously described by its author, Jerry Ford, as "Negligibly Inimical," "Garrulous Gazette for Gormandizing Gourmands," and, our favorite, "Bloviating Bellwether." Consider yourself warned. The entire Stinky News archive is available on the sidebar on the Garlic Festival homepage.
Chef Scrambler Becomes a Reality, a Final Word on Pets, and Other Tidbits from The Stinky News
CHEF SCRAMBLER BECOMES A REALITY – Working with chefs, especially several of them at once, is no easy task. Just ask Mary Jane Miller, the Garlic Festival's Chef Wrangler. "It's not just herding cats, it's cats who've been into the catnip," Miller said.
Mixed metaphors aside, Ms. Miller has managed to minimize the mayhem: there are only two major changes to the already-announced lineup for Minnesota Garlic Festival, set for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. THIS SATURDAY, Aug. 13, at the McLeod County Fairgrounds in Hutchinson:
1. At noon, Surly Brewing chef Jorge Guzman will indeed take your questions at the pig roast site (see the map in the printed program, which should get you somewhere in the vicinity – otherwise, just follow your nose). But, concurrent with this, Phillip Becht will be on the Chef Demo Stage showing how to use the new hot sauce sensation, "The Widowmaker" for culinary and self-defense purposes.
2) It was previously announced that at 4 p.m., Paul Backer of Tilia and St. Genevieve would do a demonstration about "black garlic." Nope. Instead, Luke Almendinger, also of Tilia, will appear talk about a lobster recipe that uses some black garlic.
But, hey, what's the worst that could happen? You show up for a chef demo and it's not the one you expected but it's still great and you get free samples and admission was only $5.
PET POLICY – The pet policy is here on the website: The festival used to have a "no pets" policy, but dogs kept bringing their owners. So, just keep them on a leash, make sure they behave, and clean up after them (owners can be a messy lot).
OTHER TIDBITS – Growers from across the region will have the first of their fresh gourmet garlic crop at the festival to purchase – there are over 100 varieties of garlic grown here, all planted in the fall, harvested in July, and cured to perfection just in time for the festival.
The Garlic Festival is a perfect summer outing for the entire family, as activities include kite-flying, all-day kids programming, a funky parade, garlic ice cream, live music and more.
Admission is $5/adult and FREE for children 12 and under. Parking is $1/vehicle with proceeds going to a local boy scout troop. For more information on the festival, and to download a 2-for-1 ticket coupon, log on to sfa-mn.org/garlicfest.
'Dirt Rich: Building Soil Health Experts' is Aug. 16-17
SFA is hosting a two-day event featuring Dr. Allen Williams (right), “Dirt Rich: Building Soil Health Experts,” from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 16 in Redwood Falls and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 17 in Marshall. Spend time with soil health experts digging deeper into soil health opportunities, challenges, and monitoring.
The Aug. 16 program begins at the American Legion, 100 Industrial Dr, Redwood Falls, with a classroom portion followed by a trip to the award-winning Grant (lower right above) and Dawn Breitkreutz farm to view implementation of a complex cover crop blend and integration of livestock into a cropping system, as well as reviewing soil health monitoring tools and complex cover crop blend seeding.
The Aug. 17 program begins at Pizza Ranch, 1420 Boyer Dr, Marshall, with a classroom portion followed by a trip to the Allen Deutz farm reviewing his work with cover crops and livestock integration, as well as innovative fencing techniques to provide livestock access to crop land.
Cost is $30/day or $55 for both days; lunch included. Click here to register.
Info: Wayne Monsen, wayne@sfa-mn.org or 1.844.922.5573 Ext. 712.
Central Chapter Meeting, Harvest Dinner Upcoming
SFA Central Chapter is hosting its next meeting from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 16 at StoneBridge Beef, 26668 290th St, Long Prairie. All are welcome for this free event; a farm tour, potluck dinner and member meeting are planned. Bring your ideas for upcoming SFA programming you’d like to see in Central Chapter. Click here to RSVP.
Also, the chapter is co-sponsoring the 7th annual Lakes and Farm Harvest Dinner, set for 5 p.m. Aug. 27 at Sunup Ranch, 12316 County Rd 18 SW, Brainerd. This event includes a farmers market, social hour with cash bar, a local foods dinner, horse-drawn wagon rides, local beer and wine tastings, and more. Tickets are $25 adults and $10 under 15. Info: Cass County Farm Bureau at 218.587.4604 or Judy Wallschlaeger at 218.543.6257.
For more information on these events and SFA Central Chapter, visit its homepage or email central@sfa-mn.org.
2017 Annual Conference Registration, Voting Now Open
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!
Once again, we are using this online voting system to select programming for the SFA Annual Conference Vote on the topics YOU want addressed at the 2017 SFA Annual Conference and enter your topic ideas! The current top 10 vote-getters:
- Year-Round Income Streams on 15 Acres or Fewer
- Time to Call the Butcher: What to Expect, Terminology, and How to Help Customers Navigate the Process of Custom-Ordering
- Fencing Innovations: The Latest and Greatest
- Starting and Managing a Profitable Orchard
- Farming and Soil Health Without Heavy Equipment
- Deep Winter Greenhouse Producton: Mastering the Three Winter Seasons
- Soil Restoration
- Silvopasture Without Ruining Your Woodlot
- Farming is Great, But I Need a BREAK!: Strategies and Tools for Dealing with Livestock When You Need to Get Away
- Wintering Livestock
'Grazing Economics' Workshop Aug. 13 in Viroqua
The Pasture Project is sponsoring an event, “Grazing Economics for Landowners and Livestock Producers,” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 13 in the American Legion, 120 N Rusk Ave, Viroqua, Wis.
Farm economists, grazing specialists and producers will be on hand to discuss how adding livestock and cover crops can boost profitability and soil health; a farm tour of a grazing operation with a recent EQIP fence project is also planned.
Cost is $15 and includes lunch; veterans may attend for free. RSVP to Rod Ofte at rofte@wisconsingrassfed.coop or 608.452.2861.
Soil Health Network Event: NEFGC Summer Tour, Sept. 8
Carlton County Extension is hosting its Northeast Minnesota Forage and Grassland Council summer tour from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sept. 8 at the Bob Durovec farm, 6833 McGonagle Rd in Meadowlands, Minn.
Durovec, a dairy producer, will showcase a milk parlor for 160 cows and discuss milk production from a number of forages featuring a variety of annuals and perennials for pasture and baleage. He will also highlight utilizing cover crops to help improve soil health.
This SFA Soil Health Network event is $5 in advance or $15 at the door and includes lunch. To register, click here.
Info: Troy Salzer, salze003@umn.edu.
Soil Health Network Event: Field Day, Sept. 22, Pine City
Wright County Extension, NRCS and Pine County SWCD are co-hosting a free Soil Health & Grazing Field Day from 5-7 p.m. Sept. 22 at Pinederosa, 11131 Lakeview Heights Rd, Pine City.
Walk the Pinederosa pastures and learn about best practices through presentations on diagnosing pasture problems, rotational grazing, soil health programs, and use of a no-till drill.
This SFA Soil Health Network event is free, but an RSVP is requested here.
Info: Rod Greder, gred0014@umn.edu or 763.682.7381.
Check This Out
- We already knew SFA stalwart member and all-around good guy Tom Barthel, but this article in the St. Cloud Times shares the story of Tom’s Snake River Farm and his bison with a broader audience: “Buffalo in Your Backyard: Bison Meat Healthy, Local.”
- Speaking of stalwart members and all-around good people, SFA Central Chapter coordinator Lisa Baker recently held a hugely successful “Dinner on the Farm” event at her Baker’s Acres, and the paper profiled it here.
- A Penn State ecologist recently completed a nine-year (!) research project on increasing forage production. He says, “… by improving soil conditions, specifically soil organic matter, the initial inclusion of multiple species had a long-lasting positive effect even after species differences had disappeared.” Read more here.
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.
Also Noted
GLCA Grazing Workshop is Aug. 26-27 in Grand Rapids – The Minnesota Grazing Lands Conservation Association (GLCA), in partnership with the University of Minnesota, is offering a two-day workshop for new or experienced livestock graziers who wish to learn more about the benefits of rotational grazing and management-intensive grazing on Aug. 26-27, 2016 at the U. of M. Extension North Central Research & Outreach Center in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Registration is online here and space is limited.
Agroforestry Institute Set to Teach Practical Farm Planning – The Minnesota Agroforestry Institute, a three-day training that includes classroom workshops and on-farm visits that teach the concepts integral to a practical farm plan, is Aug. 29-31 in Spicer, Minn. During the workshops, participants will work in small groups to gain hands-on practice in agroforestry design based on the needs of a working farm. Info: U. of M. Extension team homepage.
MDA Accepting Value-Added Grant Applications – The Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture is accepting applications for 2017 value-added grants, which can help farmers take the next step in their food safety or business plan. Value-added is the increase in value of an agricultural product through added processing, marketing, or manufacturing.
Grant applications are available for submission at the MDA Value Added website.
Info: Ann Kuzj, ann.kuzj@state.mn.us or 651.201.6028.
    |
||
|
|
||
   |
||
   |
||
|
|
||
.jpg)
