SUSTAINABLE FARMING ASSOCIATION OF MINNESOTA

Programs: Sfa soil health network program: sfa is advancing soil health as a key component for addressing economic, social and environmental challenges on the agricultural landscape. These solutions are grounded in the fact that soil biological activity is largely influenced by agricultural production practices such as tillage, use of fertilizers, chemicals and herbicides and tiling. Productive, regenerative agriculture is based on a healthy soil resource, something that sfa's program prioritizes. Healthy soils function well. Soil function is the ability of soil to capture and store water and cycle nutrients. Soil microbial populations mediate 85-90% of soil function. Sfa's soil health education program is founded on 5 key principles, 4 of which are adopted by the natural resource conservation service 1) minimize soil disturbances, 2) keep health roots in the soil, 3) increase cropland and pastureland plant diversity, 4) keep the soil covered and 5) integrate livestock. Sfa's program features a premier workshop in the region, the midwest soil health summit, attended this year by producers, ag professionals and business people, researchers and educators; the "dirt rich" field days which are cutting edge on-site field demonstrations; on-farm consultations and farm mentoring; presentations and public meetings emphasizing livestock management, crop rotations, nutrient cycling and farmland productivity and profitability from a soil health-based production model. Farming operations that have employed soil health practices routinely discover new economic opportunities that bring producers into rural communities. In the last year, over 400 producers took part in one or more of sfa's programs. Several media stories were also generated by this project. Sfa's soil health work also includes research with 4 cooperating farmers through the pasture project, to measure the impact on the soil, water and pocketbook of applying various soil health practices, including grazing livestock. This research is wrapping up its 3rd year and a report will be finalized and presented in early 2018. In its 3rd year, the sfa soil health network has expanded both the number of participants (1,095), and content. It includes an information-rich web-based portal with studies, videos, how-to's, an events calendar and sign up for consultations. This service is used by both sustainable ag producers, conventional farmers, researchers and educators as a "go to" for soil health information. Sfa partners with the minnesota institute of sustainable agriculture, mn farmers union, university of minnesota extension, nrcs and swcd, the minnesota department of agriculture, land stewardship project and a host of other groups to ensure diverse participation in, and maximum reach of its soil health education work.

sfa sustainable agriculture "professional development program (pdp): related to the sfa soil health network program, the professional development program recruits, trains and supports agricultural professionals such as natural resource conservation service and soil and water conservation district personnel, farmers and ranchers, ag business people and educators and researchers to be able to train farmers on how to engage in soil health practices. Sfa is wrapping up the 2nd year of this project. The project featured scholarships offered to the trainees to attend sfa's annual "midwest soil health summit and its popular "dirt rich" soil health field day. In follow up, the trainees each convene their own workshop, meeting, webinar or field day in their local area to engage and educate more farmers on soil health practices. Sfa also provided advertising, electronic communication and earned and paid media services as well as registration and organizing services to the trainees as they hold their follow up events. Sfa has trained 53 individuals through this program, who have in turn held 22 follow up events, with more scheduled.

farmer and rancher development: this program builds sfa's farmer to farmer network, and houses sfa's deep roots farm beginnings program. It relies on hands-on training, formal classroom and seminar training, and follow-up mentoring. Approximately 40 people attended various deep roots workshops which focus on foundational principles of agroecology and farm skills for new producers. Sfa also works with mdi, the minnesota dairy institute, providing a regional coordinator to assist several dairy farmers on a range of milk production and grazing and livestock management issues. Sfa's popular annual conference provides a variety of member-driven sessions on a wide variety of topics including humane animal handling, livestock fencing, marketing, farm transitions, ag processing and deep winter greenhouse creation and management. Sfa partners with misa, the regional sustainable development partnership, the minnesota department of agriculture and a range of other groups working to put farmers and ranchers on the land. A core component of sfa's farmer and rancher development program is its chapters' activities, which include local workshops, demonstrations, field tours, meals and support for locally grown and marketed food. Sfa's work with local growers on marketing and food safety is expanding as a result of this facet of our work. Sfa also has conducted extensive outreach in many rural communities to link producers with consumers, highlighting the benefits of sustainable food production with local business people, and to advocate support of producers to succeed as income generators and residents of these communities.

specialty crops, herbs: sfa is wrapping up the 2nd year of a specialty crop research and education program in which the objective is to advance the production, processing and marketing of herbs on farms as a means to increase income and soil health benefits. Sfa held a series of workshops, on-farm demonstrations and generated educational materials as part of this project, which concluded with a popular "know your herb" game at the sfa crow river chapter's annual garlic festival. Information generated by this project is housed on sfa's web site. Sfa is launching another specialty crop program as an outgrowth of this work.