Chairman Brian Pfarr’s Story
I started on my soil health journey in 2008 with the simple mission of someday offering my children the opportunity to be part of a healthy system that could be easily sustained. At the time, I had been farming roughly 600 acres consisting of corn, wheat and soybeans with my father since 1991 and our […]
Grants Available for Forestry
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative annually offers a grant opportunity to placing a priority on projects which measure, demonstrate, or establish methodologies to demonstrate, the conservation-related values of SFI-certified forestlands, or such values which result from application of the SFI Fiber Sourcing standard. Ideally such projects will be scalable to a regional, or bio-regional scale (e.g., Ponderosa […]
Penciling OUt Profitability
We’re all figuring ways to improve profitability, reducing inputs, increasing efficiency, while still maintaining excellent yields. A recent study shows that Minnesota Ag Water Quality Certified farms are more profitable than others. A new report from the Farm Business Management (FBM) program by AgCentric and the Minnesota State Agriculture Centers of Excellence compares data in the FBM database to […]
Emergency Livestock Mortality EQIP Sign UP
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is offering sign ups for the Emergency Livestock Mortality management including all livestock types to livestock producers for animal mortality disposal resulting from impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are several sign up periods to help with timing. The producer is responsible for the proper disposal of animal mortality […]
Timing is Everything
Spring is here, hopefully the last snow of the season has fallen, and we’re getting equipment ready. Looking at our fields tells us a lot about how we’re going to move forward. If we have covers growing this spring and we’re worried about growth, wanting to get it sprayed off right away, wait. We’ve learned […]
Garden Planning for 2020
Seed has been ordered, dreams of planting and tending to the garden are happening! While we patiently wait to get our gardens started this spring, it is a great time to solidify your plans. Are you planning on planting more this year to potentially combat low sources? Are you supplementing from sources such as farmers […]
What Spring Brings in the Woods
The sun is stronger than a month ago, birds are singing, critters are moving about, spring is here! Our shrubs and trees are waking up but that’s not the only vegetation ramping up in the woods! Minnesota has a variety of ecosystems including a variety of forest types. Each is unique and offers different opportunities. […]
Soil Monitoring, Could it Become a Thing?
In the land of 10,000 lakes (technically 11,842 lakes), it is obvious why water testing is so critical. Funds are spent annually to test surface and ground water quality with recommendations, impairment listings, regulations, and laws resulting from these studies. This testing is imperative to understanding the conditions to keep our citizens and biological communities […]
COVID-19 and Events
Due to the COVID-19 spread, events are being cancelled or postponed. If you are planning on attending an upcoming event, please contact the event organizer to determine if the event is still scheduled. Please follow precautions and best practices to keep yourself, family, and loved ones healthy.
Preparing Gardens While the Weather is Frightful
We’re in the dead of winter, temperatures are cold, the wind blows, and that lovely white stuff is blanketing our landscape. How is a gardener supposed to get their fix while improving conditions for the coming growing season? Snow seeding! You can snow seed different cover crops this winter so when temperatures start rising, you’ll […]