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A quarterly publication of the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota
Corn
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spring 2006number 49
Speed. Price. Quality. Pick two.
ByMaryJoForbord
“Ilikewhatyouaretryingtodo,butIthinkit’simpossible,becauseAmericansjustwantasmuchastheycanpossiblyget,asfastandascheapastheycanpossiblygetit.”Thesewords,spokenbyaUniversityofMinnesotasenior,still resonate inmyhead,monthsafterheproclaimedthem. Theclassof50marketingstudents,mostlydestinedforjobsin“Fortune500”companies,wasjustbeginningtodiscussthepresentationI’ddelivered,describing themissionandgoalsofSFA, taking them“inside”sustainable farmingsystemsthrough description and picture, and highlighting the benefits of eating a diverse selection of foods, produced locallyandminimallyprocessed--foodsashighonthenutri-tionscaleastheyarelowonthe‘milestraveled’meter.
A number of students quickly took exception to theirclassmate’sproclamation.TheymadethecasethatAmeri-cansareindeedgettingasmuchastheycanpossiblyget,ascheapandasfastastheycangetit,andintheprocess,runningupanenormoustabforfuturegenerations.Alongwithde-tailingthesubstantialenvironmentaltab,theclassroomtalkturnedtothehealthconsequencesoftheall-Americanwayof“getting”.Highbloodpressure,hardeningofthearteries,type2diabetes,nonalcoholicfattyliverdisease,polycysticovarydisorder,anddisorderedbreathingduringsleepisalistofdiseasesonceknownonlyamongadults,butnowincreas-inglyfoundamongchildren.Thenumberofchildrenwhoareoverweightorobesehasdoubled,from15percentinthe1970stonearly30percenttoday,andchildhoodobesityhastripledfrom5to15percent.Theclasswaswellawarethatfor the first time in history, their generation is destined to have a shorter lifespan than their parents.
Why are our children at such great risk? Instead of finding a single cause, a myriad of complex, inter-twinedfactorsisatworkinourfast-pacedsociety.Americanslive,workandeatdifferentlythanagenerationago.Increaseddemandsonfamilyschedules,moretimespentontheroad,andtheavailabilityofmanymorepre-packagedfoodsandrestaurantshaveresultedinmorefoodeatenawayfromhome(theterm“dashboarddining”wascoinedtodescribeeatingdrive-throughfareonthego).Familymealsarebecomingrare,thoughresearchshowsthatchildrenthateatonemealadaywiththeirfamiliesdobetterinschool,makebetterlifechoicesandenjoymorepositivefamilyrelationships. Childrenviewanaverageof40,000TVadsayear,oftenfeaturingcandy,sugaredcereal,andfastfood.Thecostsoftreatingobesity-relatedhealthproblemsareapproachingthecostsofsmoking.It’sapparentthatasingle,high-techsolutionisnotforthcomingtosolvetheproblemofwhywearenotfeedingouryounginwaysthatpromotegoodhealth.Adarkcloudindeed…butisthereasilverlining?
Yes!Themajorityofthestudentshadintentionstobemoreconscious,knowledgeableconsumers.Manyunderstood the importanceofconnectingwith local, sustainable farmerswhoprovidediverse selectionofminimallyprocessed,minimallytransportedfoods—thecornerstoneofgoodhealth.AsAmericans,maybewecan’thaveitall,andprobablydon’twantitall,especiallywhenwecan’tseemtoextricatethetime-savingeaseofeatingtoomuchjunkontherunfromthedirehealthconsequencesofdoingso.Thestudentsbroughttomindwhatawisecarpentertaughtmesomeyearsago.Iconsideritoneofmylife’sbestlessons.Heshowedmehisbusinesscard.Itsimplysaid,“Speed.Price.Quality.Picktwo.”
The University of Minnesota marketing class that offered suggestions on how the SFA of MN could market itself and its message.
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Spring 2006
publisherSustainable Farming Association
of Minnesota_______________
executive directorMary Jo Forbord_______________
editing, design, & layoutAnne Borgendale_______________
printingWest End Printing Company
5180 W. 6th St. Winona, MN 55987
The CornerPost newsletter is published quarterly. For editorial submissions
or advertisements, contact Anne Borgendale, Communications
Consultant, at the address below.
Articles, ideas, and information published in the CornerPost do not indicate a consensus among the members of the Sustainable Farming Asso-ciation of Minnesota. For editorial submissions, questions, and comments, please contact: Anne Borgendale, Communications Consul-tant, Sustainable Farming Association of Min-nesota, 1045 23rd Ave SE Apt 2, Minneapolis, MN 55414, phone: 320-226-6318; email: [email protected]; www.sfa-mn.org.
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BeforerecyclingtheCornerPost,pleaseleaveyourcopyatyourchurch,inadoctor’swaitingroom,yourworkplace,yourco-op,aplaceofbusiness,orwithafriendorrelative.Beapartofspreadingthegoodnewsaboutsustinableagri-culturewhilehelpingtoconserveourresources.Thankyou!
Do you need to renew?Membership in the Sustainable FarmingAssociation of
MinnesotaentitlesyoutoreceivetheCornerPostNewsletter.Usetheformon page7 orgotowww.sfa-mn.organdjoinorrenewyourmembershiptoday!
‘Greener Pastures’ Report Released
‘Greener Pastures’ is an extensive report that exploreshowgrass-fedbeefandmilkcontributetohealthyeating,andcombinesanalysesonthenutrition,environmental,andpub-lic health benefits of grass-based farming techniques. “When you eat grass-fed meat, you’re getting beef with benefits,” said report author Dr. Kate Clancy, a nutritionist and senior sci-entistintheFoodandEnvironmentProgramattheUnionofConcernedScientists.“Therearenolosersinproducingcattleentirelyonpasture.Farmerswin,consumerswin,theenviron-mentwins,andeventhecattlewin.”
Greener Pastures is the first report to:•Reviewtheenvironmental,animalhealth,andnutrition benefits of pasture-raised beef and milk. •ConductacomprehensiveanalysisofallthestudiesinEnglishthatcomparedtheamountsofseveralnutritionallyimportantfatsinconventionalandgrass-fedbeefandmilk.•Compileandsummarizethelevelsoffatsin25studiescomparingfatsinproductsfromconventionallyraisedandgrass-fedcattle.•Calculateamountsoffatsonaper-servingbasisthatallowsanalysisofthepotentialforlabelingandadvertisingclaims.
The potential environmental benefits of carefully managed grazing utilizing permanent pastures are:
•Areductioninheat-trappinggasesthatcontributetoglobalwarming.•Decreasedfueluse.•Decreasedsoilerosion.•Improvedwaterquality.• Reduced fish kill. •Restorationofwildlifehabitats.•Improvedairquality.•Reductionofantibioticresiduesinwatersupplies.•Improvedbiodiversity.
ThereportwasreleasedonMarch7thinChicago.Follow-ingremarksbyDr.ClancyandDr.MargaretMellon,directorofUCS’sFoodandEnvironmentProgram,MaryJoForbord,SFA Executive Director, spoke at a press conference aboutherexperiencesasaproducerofgrass-fedbeef. Next, tele-vision journalist and formernewsanchorBillKurtis spoke,advising themedia thathehas added ‘cattle rancher’ tohisresume.KurtisownsasoutheastKansasranchwherehepro-ducesgrass-fedTallgrassbeef.TallgrassBeefisservedattwoChicagorestaurants,HarryCaray’sandthePrairieGrassCafe.Linktofullreport:http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environ-ment/sustainable_food/greener-pastures.html
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the CornerPostSustainable Farming Association of Minnesota Chapters .... there’s one near you!Chaptersareactiveinmanyinterestingeventsyearround.Callthechaptercontactformoreinformation,orvisitourwebsiteatwww.sfa-mn.org.
cannon river/ hiawatha valleyKathy Zeman11539E.200thSt.Kenyon,MN55946Phone:(507)[email protected]
centralSue PetersonBox34Foley,MN56329Phone:(320)[email protected]
coteau ridgeBob Schelhaas358180thAveEdgerton,MN56128Phone:(507)[email protected]
crow riverGreg Reynolds5405CalderAveSEDelano,MN55328Phone:(763)[email protected]
lake agassizBill Langlois16330260thStSWCrookston,MN56716Phone:(218)281-6881
lake superiorJean SramekPOBox307Carlton,MN55718Phone:(218)[email protected]
south centralJulie Ackland26154StateHwy13AlbertLea,MN56007Phone:(507)[email protected]
southeastEdgar Hansgen18158CoRd39St.Charles,MN55972Phone:(507)[email protected]
westernWendy Lange809540thStNWMilan,MN56262Phone:(320)[email protected]
statewideChuck KniermState Board Chairman7073NickelRdBreezyPoint,MN56472Phone:(218)[email protected]
Mary Jo ForbordExecutive Director29731302ndStStarbuck,MN56381(320)760-8732(866)[email protected]
executive state board:
Chuck Knierm, [email protected]
Phone:(218)389-3306
Joel Rosen, [email protected]
Phone:(218)389-3306
Mary Hanks,[email protected]
Phone:(651)296-1277
Chris Barnier,[email protected]
Phone:320845-6321
Chapter Updates
Cannon River/Hiawatha Valley ChapterByMaryEllenFrame
Welcometoallournewmembers!Ourannualmeeting,heldonFebruary11th,centered
on connecting local farmers to local food buyers. Themorningsessionwasapanelofmostlybuyers.
Bill Poynton talked about his first year of growing and marketingvegetables.Asaformerrestaurateur,hewasfa-miliarwith theneedsofTwinCitiesrestaurants,andwasabletosellallhisproducedtothem.Priortoourmeeting,he’ddoneasurveyofelevenupscalerestaurants,towhichhe’dgottensix responses. What those restaurantownersvalue is quality, locally grown, consistency, promptnessandreliability.Theypreferbuyingfromthecoordinatorofagroupoffarmers,butwillacceptindividualproducers.
HayesAtkinsisthefoodbuyerforBonApetit,thefoodservice of St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. He said that sustainabilityispartof thecompany’smissionstatement.Theybuyagoodportionof theirbeef,pork, liquiddairyproducts and pasta from farms within the region. Theywouldliketobuymorerootvegetables,driedlegumes,andnon-artisancheeses.Healsostressedquality,quantity,andreliability.Oftheproductstheybuylocally,hesaid,“Thequalityoftheproductsisamazing.”Helikesworkingwithan umbrella organization, such as Southeast MinnesotaFoodAlliance.Suchagroupcanhelpwithinsurance.
Sodexho,theCarletonCollegefoodservice,wasrep-resentedbyJoeWinegardnerandLorelSnyder.Theysaidthatbuying locallyproducedfoodisa“phenomenonthatwill continue to grow.” They work with FoodAllianceMidwest to provide third-party verification of sustainabil-ity.AtCarleton,theyprovide16,000to17,000mealsperweek.Theircriteriaincludequantity,qualityandprice.
ThemeatbuyerforJustFoodCo-op,HortenseMcLeod,talkedaboutJustFood’sexperiencebuyingnotonlymeat,butotheritemsfromlocalproducers.We’reveryopentosmallerproducers—anythingthat’slocallygrown.Weliketohavefarmtours,andhaveproducersgivesamplesatthestore.
CannonRiver/HiawathaValleycontinuedonpage4
Spring 2006
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CannonRiver/HiawathaValleycontinuedfrompage3Todd Churchill ownsThousand Hills Cattle Company.
ThousandHillsbuysbeeffromsmallproducerswhodonotmarketdirectly toconsumers. Thesefarmstypicallyhave50to100cows.ThousandHillsworksateducatingpeopleabout why to buy local, grass-fed beef. Churchill com-mented,“It’snotenoughtobegoodforyou;italsohastotaste good. Genetics are very important in the quality ofgrass-fedbeef.Mostcattleinthiscountrydesperatelyneedafeedlottotastegood;they’regrass-fedbydefault.”
Aroundnoonwebrokeforapotlucklunch,afterwhichtherewasapaneloflocalgrowerstalkingabouttheirexpe-riencesindirectmarketing.
EricKleinofHiddenStreamFarmsellspasturedpork,beefandchicken.HestarteddirectmarketingattheRoch-esterfarmersmarket.However,tokeepsellingafterthesea-son,hedevelopedahomedeliveryservice,whichisworkingwellforhim.HealsosellstosomeTwinCitiesrestaurants,ThousandHills,andisstartinginwithBonApetit.
BillPoyntonspokeagain,abouthisplansforthecom-ingseason;he’llplantabouthalfstaplevegetablesandhalfspecialty.He’llalsobethecoordinatorforhisfarmandtwoothers,sellingtorestaurants.
DanFrenchsaid,“Thewhole industryrestsonhealthysoil.Getaneducationaboutgrowinghealthysoil.Every-bodyshouldgotofarmersmarketforawhile;youneedthefeedback.”
RoseanneSteenhoekispartownerofaCommunitySup-portedFarmthattriestogetpeopleinvolvedintheproduc-tionoftheirfoodsotheyknowwhereitcomesfrom.Shelovessoil,food,cooking,peopleandcommunity.Shesaid,“We’reallconnectedbythefoodonourtables.”
OnMarch11thwehadaworkshoponFarmFinances.Inthemorning,JimChristensenfromKenyonFarmBusinessManagement led us through the basics of financials; what it takestogetpreparedforlenders.Hesaidthebalancesheetis the foundation of financial planning. He emphasized that “roughly”isnotconsideredgoodenoughbylenders.Pres-ently, the financial establishment and farm management peopledonothavealotofexperiencewithorinformationaboutnon-conventionalfarmingbutthat’schangingfast.
After lunch,EricKlein talkedabouthis farmplanandenterprise analysis. Creating the plan should include allpartners. “Don’t hire your plan written. Only you knowwhat’sinyourhead.”
RalphLentztalkedaboutmakingdecisionsonthebasisofsomethingmorethanmoney;yourqualityoflifeisim-portant.Hesaid,“Nootherfarmislikeyours;theexpertsareonlytohelpyouout.”
RaeRusnaktalkedabouthowtheuniquefeaturesofherfarm -- the hilliness and hardwood forest -- influence her choiceofenterprises.Shesellstimberandmaplesyrupaswellaseggs,broilers,turkeysandproduce.
Mike Noble said it’s necessary to include the whole
family in planning new enterprises. At this point they’rethinkingofgettingoutofporkproductionandgraduallyintosheepandgoats.Theynowsellbeef,pork,poultryandeggs,directfromtheirtrucks.Hesaidsomestudieshaveshownthatwhenfarmersincreasethesizeoftheirenterprise,some-timestheper-unitcostsgoup—lessTLCisavailable.MikeandLindaaredrivenbycustomerdesiresandknowledge;there’snowaninterestin“nutrientdense”foods.
Central ChapterBy Sue Peterson
The Central Chapter board met on March 13th and set chairs for the following committees: Kevin Happke - Facili-ties Chair; Kevin Happke - Windy River Fair Chair; Civic En-gagement Chair - TBD; Becky Sheets - Financial Chair; and Kent Solberg - Activities Chair. Please contact Sue Peterson at (320) 355-2980 or [email protected] for more details on the committees.
We are re-evaluating and revising the Coloring Books that were made several years ago. We are also starting a project with Lakeland Public TV to have several short videos made about sustainable agriculture.
We are working with the Hunt Utilities Group to coordi-nate their Eco2 Fair, which will be held at the Cass County Fairgrounds the same weekend as the Windy River Fair.
A permaculture guild is being planned for the Morrison County fairgrounds, to be started this summer. They are look-ing for plants. Please conact Sue Peterson if you have the following and might be willing to donate them: apple or cra-bapple tree, cherry tree, alpine strawberries, daylilies (Stella D’oro or old fashioned), chives, daffodils, wild indigo, herbs (e.g. sage, thyme, chamomile), coreopsis, veronica, cone-flower, liatris, or creeping thyme.
Bonnie Austin of Hill and Vale Farm, Wykoff, talks with Joe Winegardner, manager of Sodexho, the
food service of Carleton College, Northfield.
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the CornerPosttourofDanandBecky’sMarketonSaturday,April8th.Theyhaveopenedanatural foodmarket inCokato. Inaddition tocarrying organic food, they try to buy as much from localfarmsastheycan,includingmeat,milk,herbs,garlic,andpro-duce(inseason).InJune,aSaturdaydairytourhasyettobefinalized.
OnSaturday,the1stofJuly,therewillbeatourofSenatorSteve Dille’s sheep farm. The first tour will be at 10:30 am. At noonwewillbreakforlunch(potluck-bringsomethinghome-made,dessertsarealwayspopular).From1:00pmto2:30pmtherewillbeapublicforum,moderatedbyourveryownMaryJoForbord.Therewillbeasecondtourat3:00pmforthosewhohavechoresinthemorning.
OnSaturday,August12th,beinHowardLakefortheFirstAnnualMinnesotaGarlicFestival.Itwillbeacelebrationoflocalfood,music,culture,andgarlic.ThemusicheadlinerwillbePoppaJohnKohlstad,buttherewillbemusicandentertain-mentallday.Wearelookingforsponsors,foodvenders,andexhibitors.Ifyouwanttoreserveaspace,orknowsomebodywithafatcheckbook,contactJerryFord(320-543-3394).Formoreinformationonanyofourevents,giveJerryacall.
Southeast ChapterByEdgarHansgen
Well,it’sHowdy-Dutytimeagain!Ibelieveourannualmeeting inFebruarygotus started
onaveryexcitingandrewardingnewyear.WemustextendanotherroundofthankstoKimOlson,MaryJoForbord,andFredKirshenmannfortheirmeaningfulcontributionstoit.
KimOlsonofferedherenergy,andawholebunchofothergoodthingstoourchapter,whensheaccepted(railroadjob)the office of chapter secretary. She has already started a young farmerprogram.MaryJoForbordagainbroughtherpositiveandenergeticmessagetoourmeeting,andgaveusalead-intooneoftheprojectsforthisyear,“involvingyouth,ourfuture,insustainableagriculture.” FredKirshenmann,ourkeynotespeaker,wasasgreatasweexpected.Healsocontributedtothethemeofourmeeting,“RebirthofRuralAmerica.”Readthe excellent article on Fred’s presentation in this issue ofCornerPost,writtenbyGaryHolthaus.Thanksmuch,Gary;youreffortswereandaregreatlyappreciated.
AnothergreathitatourmeetingwasthevideofromNatu-ralOvens,“TheImpactofFresh,HealthyFoodonLearningandBehavior”.Wewouldliketohaveavideomadeforouryoungpeoplein4-H,FFA,andwhoeverelse,explainingtheimportanceofsustainingandpromotingtheobjectivesoftheSFA.ErinTegtmeierofTheExperimentinRuralCooperationhasexpressedinterestinthevideoproject.Therefore,MaryJosuggestedthatwemightwanttomakeitaSFAstateproject.Wewillbringthisupthatatournextstateboardmeeting.Alsofromourmeeting,wewillbelookingforwardtoparticipating
Southeastcontinuedonpage6
Western ChapterByWendyLange
TheWesternChapteroftheSFAofMNheldtheirAnnualMeetingonMarch9,2006,at theUniversityofMinnesota’sWest Central Research and Outreach Center. The morningincludedasessiononAGR-LiteInsurancepresentedbyGaryHachfeld.MaryJoForbordgaveapresentationon“SFATo-dayandTomorrow”. Theafternoon sessionwas ledby JimVanDerPolwithdiscussioncenteringaround“Visioning” forourWesternChapter.ItisthehopetoseerevitalizationoftheWesternChapter!
Elections were held and offices were filled as follows: Chairman–JimVanDerPol;Vice-Chairman–JohnSluss;Sec-retary/Treasurer – Linda Maus; State Board Representative(for1year)–JohnSluss;Coordinator–WendyLange.
TheWesternChapterhelda follow-upmeetingonSatur-day,March25,2006,attheLuverne&MaryJoForbordhome.It was a potluck brunch and action planning session for thecomingyear.YoucanreadmoredetailsaboutthismeetinginthesummereditionoftheCornerPost.
A Meat and Dairy GoatWorkshop was held in MarshallonMarch18,2006.Anumberoforganizations,includingtheSFA,sponsoredtheworkshop.Itwasverywellattendedwith68peoplepresent.Therewereavarietyofspeakersandpanel-istsforagreatdayofeducationandnetworking!!
Crow River ChapterByGregReynolds
OnMarch11th,theCrowRiverChapteroftheSFAofMN(CRSFA) had our Spring Social at Three Crows in Delano.In addition tohangingaround, eating,drinking, and talking,we listened toapresentationbyIreneBenderonherexperi-encewithHeiferProjectInternational. IrenevisitedvillagesinPeruwhereearlierlivestockrecipientswerepassingalongsomeoftheiryoungstocktonewrecipients.Shesaidthatboththecountry’ssceneryandthepovertywerebreathtaking.Weraised$160fortheHeiferProject.
JerryFordandMarySchmidthavebeenbusymeetingwithlocal4H leaders inaneffort to connect4Hwith sustainablefarmingpractices.Thelatestefforthasbeentosponsoralive-stockprojectwithMcLeodCounty4H.SuePetersonfromtheCentralChapterhasalsoofferedsomehelpwiththis.
ThelocalFFAchapterbroughtamobofteenagerstoourChapterWinterMeeting. UnderthedirectionofLauraBihl,the students helped with the set up and clean up of lunch.We them many thanks.When Jerry Ford tried to meet withthestatewideFFA,theydidnotseemtohaveanyinterest insustainableagriculture. It seemskindofodd,butmaybetheydon’tthinkthatfarminghasanyfuture....Whocanbeagainstsustainingagriculture?
Ourplannedevents for the springand summer includea
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Spring 2006
Southeastcontinuedfrompage5inaFoodFairlaterintheyear.
WehadameetingonApril6th,inStCharlesentitled,“SoilNutrient Interactions.” It provided us with a basic knowl-edgeofsoilchemistry,sothatwecanbuildonthisatfuturemeetings.LaurenceMayhewfromMidwestBio-Agwasthepresenter.ReadmoreaboutthisinthesummereditionoftheCornerPost.WellI’mall“dutied”outandI’mgoingtocatchashort“whateverYOUcallit”!
Lake Superior ChapterByJeanSramek
It’s official: we’re no longer the Northeast Chapter, but the LakeSuperiorChapter.AtourannualmeetingonJanuary28,we voted to change our chapter name to reflect the makeup of ourchaptermembership,whichincludesmanyproducersandconsumersfromnorthwesternWisconsin.Newboardmemberswere elected and some were re-elected.They include: MarkThell (president), John-FisherMerritt (vice-president),KellySmith(secretary),DebShubat(treasurer),GeneDutkin,PhilThieling,PhillArnold,JanakiFisher-Merritt,JeniferBuckley,andJoelRosen.
OurannualmeetingfeaturedkeynotespeakerAmyBaci-galupofromtheLandStewardshipProject’sFarmBeginningsprogram. She also led a breakout session on this topic, andmanyinterestedproducersandconsumerswereinattendance.TroySalzer,CarltonCountyextensionagent,ledaworkshopon the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), which wasalsowell-presentedandwell-attended.
Wejustheldourthirdannual“FarmersTaketheStage”thismonth, and it was just as much fun as the first two. It’s basical-lyatalentshowfeaturingSFAmembersandSFAsupporters,alongwithhomemadetreats,asilentauction,andsomegreatperformances—everything from music to poetry to (clean)jokes.AlsoinMarch,we’reholdingaworkshopcalled“Re-gainingControlofOurSeedSupply,”whichisopentofarm-ers, gardeners, producers, and consumers. Speakers for thisworkshopwill includegardeningexpertsandbiologistswhowillfacilitatediscussionontopicslikeseedsavingandgeneti-cally modified seeds.
Our13thannualHarvestFestivalwillbeheldonSaturday,September9thinBayfrontParkinDuluth.Lastyearwehadre-cordattendance(nearly9,000),partneredwiththeLakeSupe-riorRenewableEnergyFair,andwereluckytohaveabreezy,sunny,perfectlate-summerday.TheKiwanisofFriendlyDu-luthheldtheirannualFamilyKiteFlyinanotherareaofBay-frontPark,whichattractedevenmorevisitorstoourevent.Thefarmersmarket, educational exhibits, foodvendors featuringlocallymadeororganic food, activities for kids,music, anddemonstrationsoftraditionalskillsdrewcrowdsalldaylong.Thisyearit’s“lucky13”sowe’rehopingattendancetopsthe10,000mark.
South Central ChapterByJimTjepkemaandJulieAckland
On March 11th we held our chapter annual meeting inClarksGrove,MN.Weinvitedtwofarmers,JimVanDerPolandDanFrench,andUofMNeconomistKentOlsontoleadapaneldiscussiononthefutureofthemid-sizedfarm.Wealsoinvited three people to respond to the panel. These peoplewereaddedtotheprogramtogetinputfromsomepeopleinourareawhodonotusuallyattendourmeetings.Thepeopleinvitedwere:TomButleragrainfarmer,GenePaulwhoisac-tiveintheNationalFarmersOrganization,andHenryKalisafarmerandformermemberofthestatelegislature.
This was a two-hour long program with a long questionandanswerperiod.MuchofthediscussionpresentedbyDanandJimcenteredon theopportunities formid-sized farmerstododirectmarketingofhighqualityproductsproducedontheir farms. They indicated that there isagrowingdemandfromconsumers, mainly in theTwin Cities, for locallypro-ducedhighqualityfoodandthedemandcurrentlyexceedsthesupply.Otherinformationandcommentsthatweresharedre-latedtothefutureofmid-sizedfarms,includingthepassingoftheseexistingfarmstonewfarmers;theeconomicpositionofmid-sizedfarmscomparedtolargerandsmallerfarms;andtheeffectofgovernmentpoliciesonmid-sized farms, includingtheeffectofgovernmentcropsupportpaymentsonthefutureofmid-sizedfarms.
Therewasaconsensusthatmid-sizedfarmsdohaveoppor-tunitiestosurviveiftheycanmakechangestowardproducingmorehighqualityfoodforlocalconsumption,butthisrequiresabigchangeinhowmarketingisdone.Itwasalsogenerallyagreedthatabettersystemofagricultureisneededwherethereismoreemphasisputonhealthy foodandcommunitiesandsocialjustice.Theadditionoftheresponderstothediscussionaddedvoicesfromoutsideourorganizationthatseemedtobeinsupportofwhatwearedoing.However,atleastoneoftherespondersindicatedthathethoughtitwouldbeveryhardforhimandperhapsothermid-sizedfarmoperatorstoswitchtolocalmarketingandhigherqualityfoodproduction.
Another issue that theSouthCentralChapter iscurrentlyconcerned about is the National Animal Identification System (NAIS).PeopleneedtobecomeawareofhowtheNAISregu-lationsaregoingtoeffectfarmers. Theinformationonthiscanbedownloadedatwww.usda.gov/nais.
These regulationswould require two typesofmandatoryregistration. First,premisesregistrationwouldrequireeverypersonwhoownsevenonehorse,cow,oranyotherlivestockto register their home, and it will be keyed into Global Po-sitioningSystemcoordinatesinafederaldatabase.Second,individual animal identification will require owners to obtain a15digitIDnumber,foranyanimalthatleavesthepremisesofitsbirth.Evenifyouownahorse,andleaveyourhomeforatrailrideyouwillhavetohaveanIDforit. Theseanimal
SouthCentralcontinuedonpage7
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the CornerPostSouthCentralcontinuedfrompage6identifications devices would most likely be a tag or a microchip containingaradiofrequencydevicethatcanbereadfromadis-tance.
Timetablefortheseregulations:* July 2006 -TargetdateforDraftStrategicPlantoissueaproposedrule.* Fall of 2007 - The USDA plans to publish a final rule to establishtherequirementsofmandatoryNAIS.* July 2008 - Premises identification and animal identification wouldbecomemandatory* January 2009-Animaltrackingwouldbecomemandatoryincludingenforcementofthereportingofanimalmovements.
People are encouraged to look into these new proposedregulations.Ifyouarenotinfavorofthesenewrulespleasecontactyourfederalandstatelegislators.TheUSDAdoesnotplan to finalize these rules until the Summer of 2006.
SFA of MN Wants you!Membership & Sustaining Contributions
Becomeamember...orrenewyourmembership!Yoursustainingcontributionwillaccelerateourprogresstowardamoresustainablefoodandfarmingsystem.Whenyou
becomeamember,youwillreceivetheCornerPostquarterlynewsletterto“keepyouposted”aboutevents
andhappeningsinsustainableagriculture.
____________________________________Name
____________________________________Farm/Business/OrganizationName
____________________________________Address
____________________________________City/State/ZipCode
____________________________________Phone
____________________________________EmailAddress
AnnualMembership$30*SustainingContribution$_________________Contributionsaretaxdeductible
TotalSFASupport:$_________________
*Idesignatethatmymembershipfeesgotothe_______________________________chapter.
Pleasesendacheckpayableto:SFAofMN,29731302ndSt,Starbuck,MN56381
Youcanalsobecomeamemberand/orgiveasustainingcontributiononlineatthe
SFAofMNwebsite:www.sfa-mn.org.
Thank you for your support!
Changes to sFa oF Mn state Board struCture
ByMaryHanks
AlothashappenedinagriculturesincetheSFAwasborn.The organization is being increasingly called upon to be aleader indiscussionsonthefutureof livestockintheState,onorganicagriculture,andotherimportantissues.Thestateboard has had to evolve as more leadership demands havebeenplacedontheorganization.Whiletheboardhasalwayshad a strong governing role, additional responsibilities andexpectationshavecausedustolookforwaystoimproveourability tomeet thesenewchallengesand takeadvantageofnew opportunities. A change in board structure and mem-bershipwasneeded. Afterboarddiscussions andbasedontherecommendationsofacommitteeoftheboard,theboardvotedtoamendtheby-lawsonFebruary17,2006tochangethemembershipofthestateboard.
BeginningwiththestateboardmeetingonApril7,eachchapterwillnowelectonechaptermember to serveon thestateboard.Thisisachangefromtworepresentativesandanalternatefromeachchapter.Theamendedby-lawsnowallowtheboardtoelectnomorethanfourboardmembersat-large.The purpose of this change is to allow the board to recruitpeoplewithexpertiseorknowledgethattheSFAneedssuchas financial, legal, or marketing expertise. These board mem-bersmustbeSFAmembers. Webelievethat thesechangeswillallowtheSFAtobettermeetournewresponsibilitiesandtakeadvantageofopportunitiestomovetowardamoresus-tainableagricultureinMinnesota.
AnnualMeetingcontinuedfrompage9centralMinnesotafarmers.TheconferencewassponsoredbyHuntUtilitiesGroup,USDA-NaturalResourceConservationServiceofMinnesota,MinnesotaNorthCentralRegionSus-tainableAgriculture Research and Education, Northland Or-ganicFoodsCooperative,LandStewardshipProject,MidwestOrganicServicesAssociation,MinnesotaDepartmentofAgri-culture,MinnesotaFarmersUnion,andMinnesotaInstituteforSustainableAgriculture.
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Spring 2006
“Why,” Fred asked, “have our ruralcommunities fallen into disrepair?” Hebelieves that, “If you are going to have ahealthy local economy, you have to havelocalcapital.”AdamSmithassumedlocalcapital;without it,his formulationswouldnot work. If the capital lay outside thecommunity, thecommunities thenbecamecoloniesforproduction.“Weputallourla-bor intoour rawmaterialswhichare thenshipped elsewhere. We then have to turnaroundandimportthosesamevalue-addedrawmaterials.”
Itdoesn’thave tobe thatway,hesaidandtoldaboutayoungmanataconferencesayingthathissuccesswas“notjustaboutmy farm; this is about our community.”Whenaskedhowthatwasso,hesaid that
the community had gotten together and decided they wouldalwaysgiveadvantage toour localcommunity. Theywouldpaymoreperunit,butwouldcreateamoreprosperouscom-munity.
A second reason Fred gave for his hope was that even fi-nancialinstitutionsarenowsayingthatwehavetoshiftfromwealthconcentrationtowealthexpansion.Evenifthecapitalisinthesmallcommunity,butislimitedtoafewpeople,theeconomywillnotbeahealthyone. Soheseesamovementto resist capital accumulation thatwillgrowandmergewiththehealthieraspectsofoursmalltownsandcreateanewandhopefulforceforchangerighthereathome.Wecanproducemorevalueonourfarmsandexpandwealthacrossabroaderspectrumofthesociety.
A thirdsignofhopeforKirschenmann lies inhowchangehappens.Wehavegreaterpowertochangethingsthanwemayrealize.“It’seasiertochangepoliciesratherthantochangeinsti-tutions,”heclaimed.Sowedon’twanttogiveuponchangingWashington,D.C.,butwedon’twanttoputtoomucheffortthereeither.Insteadwewantto,“whenwethinkofpolicy,wethinkofD.C.Butpolicyatthelocalismaybemoreimportant.”FredcitedMendacinoCounty inCalifornia. Theygot togetherandbannedGMOcropsfromthecounty.Thiskindoflocalpolicychangeisbeginningtohappenallaroundus.Anothercountyof-feredpropertytaxbreakstothosewhowerewillingtoshiftfromconventionaltoorganicfarming.We“needtolookatwhatwehavethepowertodo,andusesomeimaginationandinnovation,”Fredsaid.
Onesignthatthislocalcontrolisworkingisbecauseitisseenasdangerousbythosefromoutsidethecommunitywhowanttocontinuetotreatthecommunityasacolonyforraisingmassivenumbersofhogsorbeefordairycattle.Theassaultonlocalju-risdictionhasalreadybeguninIowa,Fredsaid,andthoseofusinMinnesotarecognizedtheissuebecauseitishappeningheretoo.
ByGaryHolthaus
ThehighlightoftheSoutheastMinne-sotaSustainableFarmingAssociation’sAnnual meeting was a presentation byDr. Fred Kirschenmann, DistinguishedFellow at the Leopold Center at IowaState University. Most of us found itinspiring, for Fred never seems to sur-render hope. When he moved fromteachinginhighereducationtotakeoverhis father’s farm, he was seen by hisacademic colleagues as a takinga stepbackward, a step toward failure. Thefolks in his hometown also thought hewasbackbecausehehadfailed.
However, Fred pointed out that heishopefulabout thefutureandofferedthree reasons why he is hopeful. Thefirst had to do our small towns, even though they may seem stale or crumbling. Most of us in that room, he suggested,camefromaChristianbackground,andthatoneofthethingsChristiansbelieveisthatsalvationcomesfromunlikelyplaces–inabarnwhereteen-agedparentslivinginpovertywerehav-ing their first child. So, for Fred, change is most apt to come fromthefringes,fromfailedcommunities,notfromcentersofpower.Hecommentedthat,“thegreatestpotentialforchangeisnotfromWashington,D.C.,orfromourlandgrantuniversi-ties,butfromoursmallcommunities.”
FredcitedasurveyofSouthDakota,Minnesota,andwest-ernWisconsin that sought todeterminewhatpeople thoughtoftheirsmalltowns.Themostfrequentlyusedmetaphorwas,“this town is dead,” and that the residents left were simplywaitingforafuneral.Theothercommonimagewasthatthetownwasdyingandhopingthatabigfactorywouldmoveinandbreathenewlifeintotheplace.
“Weneedtochangeourviewofourtowns,”Kirschenmannurged.“Weneedtoseethemascentersofhope.Changewon’tcomefromthecentersofpowerbecausetheyarealreadysetandcomfortable and theydon’twant things to change. Thenewparadigmforthefuturecomesfromhere–andweareallapartofthat.”
Further,heremindedus,“Weneedtokeeptellingourselvesthatoneortwocanmakeadifference.Wedon’thavetohaveeveryone on board to change the direction of the food busi-ness,forexample.”Weallworryaboutglobalization,butFredpointedout thataCanadianphilosopherstudiedgreatmove-mentsanddiscoveredthattheyonlylastabout40years.Afterthat it takes force to sustain them. The Russian experimentlastedalittlelonger,butthatwasbecausetheyusedthearmy.Globalizationreallygotstartedinabout1970.Itstimeisaboutup.Acrosstheworlditisnowbeingforcedonpeople,asignthatitstimeisalreadywaning.
Kirschenmann shares his hope at SE Chapter Annual Meeting
Fred Kirschenmann addressing the Southeastern Chapter Annual Meeting
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the CornerPost
ByAnneBorgendale
OnthecoldestdayofthewinterSFAmembersfromacrossthestatebraved theweatherandcame togetheronSaturday,February18,forthe15thAnnualSFAConference“Cultivat-ingCommonGround:LinkingHealth andSustainableAgri-culture.”TheCentralChapteroftheSFAofMNplayedhosttotheeventthisyearatSt.FrancisCenterinLittleFalls,MN.
People startedcoming in from thecold by 8:00 am.They were wel-comed with warmsmiles and hot cof-fee. After greetingsfrom Lonny Dietz,2005 SFA StateBoard Chair, MaryJo Forbord, Execu-tive Director of theSFA,andRuthLent-ner, Franciscan Sis-ter and chair of theCentralChapterBoard,thecoreofthemeetinggotunderway.Dr.DavidWallinga,MD,thedirectoroftheFoodandHealthprogramattheInstituteforAgricultureandTradePolicy,gaveapresentationentitled, “Cultivating theCommonGroundofSustainableAgricultureandHealth.”Hebroughtupmanydif-ferentissuesconcerningagricultureandhealthincluding,anti-bioticresistance,omega-3fattyacids,grass-fedanimals,plas-tics,thegrowingobesityepidemic,etc.Theoverarchingthemeofthepresentationandsubsequentdiscussionwashowmakinghealth thecenterpieceofU.S.agriculturalpoliciesandprac-tices would result infoodproductionthatishealthierandmoresus-tainable, economicallysound, and sociallyjust. Dr. Wallinga’sPowerPoint presenta-tion can be found inPDF form on the SFAofMNwebsite:www.sfa-mn.org.
Following thekeynote address wasthe presenting of theSustainable FarmerEmeritusAwardtoJimand LeeAnn VanDer-PolandtheSFADistinguishedServiceAwardtoMaryHanks.These awards were decided “based on the qualifications of a highlevelofdedication,commitment,service,perseverance,
SFA Annual Conference Cultivates Connectionsachievement, andcontributions to theadvancementofSus-tainable Farming in Minnesota.” TheSFA Music andArtsExtravaganza,featuringJerryFordandMarienneKreitlowofLivingSongFarmnearHowardLake,MN,accompaniedtheawardsceremony.
TherewerethreegroupsofbreakoutsessionsduringthedaycoveringHealth,Farming,andtheConnectionbetweenthem.Thesessionsunder the“Health”categorywere:HealthCare
Without Harm, Health ofthe Organizational Kind:SFA’s Annual Check-up,and Avian Flu in Birdsand Humans: The Cause,The Threat, and The Fu-ture. The sessions underthe“Farm”categorywere:StrengtheningtheImmuneSystems of Animals onGrass,PlantCommunitiesDatabase and Diversify-ing Agro-Forestry Prac-tices,andGoats forMeatand Dairy. The sessions
under“TheConnection”categorywere:“FoodforFolkandCommunity Supported Agriculture, Meeting the Eat LocalChallengeontheWhiteEarthReservation,andTheFarmtoSchool Initiative: Connecting Local Foods to Children andCivicEngagementforCommunityHealthandProsperity.
Everyonethencametogetherforaclosingsession.SFAmemberslearnedalittlemoreaboutthefutureoftheConser-vationSecurityProgram(CSP)fromTimGieseke,afarmer,whoalsoworksforTheMinnesotaProject.ToendthedayGlenBorgerding,anindependentagconsultantwhoownsand
operates Ag ResourceConsultingandOrganicLandManagement,Inc.,presented on, “Soil:TheRealDirtonwhereHealthBegins.”
There were over 25organizations,business-es,andfarmerswithta-blesattheSFAFarmers’Market and Exhibition.The small, yet diverseSilent Auction enticedpeopletobidthroughoutthe day on everythingfrom 25-lbs of organicgolden flax to sustain-
ablegiftbaskets to t-shirts. Anotherhighlightof thisyear’sconferencewasthedeliciousfood,whichwasmainlyraisedby
AnnualMeetingcontinuedonpage7
SFA State Board Members Jeremy Lanctot, Ray Nelson, Joel Rosen, and Marienne Kreitlow enjoy meal time at the SFA Annual Conference.
Blue grass musician Kristin Blann, Phil Husicker, Ross Duval, Glen Borgerding, and Mike Duval (Ross’ dad), playing at the
“Local Food & Tunes” Celebration on the eve of the conference.
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Spring 2006
ByAnneBorgendale
The first time I head about Jim VanDerPol was from my dad. Healways read Jim’s column inour localpaper andwasquitedisappointedwhen theystoppedrunning it. Jimalways seemed to write about some farm issue or musingonlife,whichmydadwouldbringupatthesuppertable.Ithinkwhatmydad really admiredwere Jim’s convictions:thatJimliveswhathewritesandthathecommunicatesittotherestofushumblesoulsinawaywecanallunderstand.AftermeetingJimandLeeAnn,hiswifeandfarmingpartner,Icouldtrulyseewhymydadsorespectedhim.JimandLee-Annareunafraidtosharetheiropinionsandraisethesome-timesunpopular,yetvalid,point. This isoneof themanyreasonswhytheywerechosenfor theSecondAnnualSus-tainable Farmer EmeritusAward. The Sustainable FarmerEmeritusAwardhonorsacurrentorretiredfarmerbasedonthe qualifications of a high level of dedication, commitment, service,perseverance,achievement,andcontributionstotheSustainableFarmingAssociationofMinnesota.
JimandLeeAnnfarmwiththeirsonanddaughter-in-law,JoshandCindyVanDerPol,southofKerkhoven,MN.Theirfarm, PasturesA’ Plenty (www.prairiefare.com/pastureshp.htm), is distinctive because it is a pasture based diversified operation. Halfof their farm isnowagreenoasisofpas-tureswithgrazingpigsanddairyheifers.Thisisinanareaof the state where wide, flat black fields are the norm in the springtime and where corn, soybeans, and sugar beets areking.Anotheruniqueaspectoftheirfarmisthattheymarkettheirpigsthemselves,withsomegoingtoNimanRanchandsomegoingdirectly toconsumers. They try tounify theirproductionandmarketingtomakethewholeoperationmorefinancially sound.
BothJimandLeeAnngrewuponfarms;however,peoplefromtheirgenerationwereusuallynotencouragedtostayonthe farm, especially if theywentoff to college.When Jimwenttocollege,hedidn’tknowwhatcareerorjobhewantedto have when he finished. He just wanted to learn what he could. Near the end of college was when Jim’s thoughtsstartedtoturnbacktothefarm.DuringhissenioryearattheUniversityofMinnesotahewenttooneofthejobfairsoncampus.Aftertalkingtotherecruiters,hestartedtorealizethatmostemployerswantedtoandwouldhavecontroloverwherehelivedandwhathedid. Jimknewthathedidnotgotocollegetohavethatkindoflife.ThissetinmotionthechainofeventsthatledhimandLeeAnnbacktothefarm.
Overthepast30yearstherurallandscapehaschangedinmanyways.Ofthesechanges,thelossofneighborshasbeenthemostnoticeabletoJimandLeeAnn.Theneighborhoodastheyoriginallyknewitdoesnotexistanymore,makingitalonelyplacesometimes.Increasingly,theirfarmbusiness
and interactions with other farmers now take place overthephoneandthroughinternetinsteadofinperson.How-ever,theyseetheMinnesotafarmscape30yearsinthefutureasafriendlierplacewheremoreofthelandisingrassandwherelivestockarevisibleonceagain.Astheylooktowardsthe next generation of farmers, they see a group that willhave to turn to low-input approaches to agriculture. Theyforeseethisastheonlywaytogetintotheprofession.Itwillbeimpossibleforyoungfarmerstostartacropfarmunlessithandedtothem.Tobesuccessful,youngbeginningfarmerswillneedtoconsideralternativeoperationssuchasanimalsraisedongrassoraCSA/marketgarden.
Sustainable agriculture is the only satisfactory way forthe VanDerPols to farm. In spite of the hard work, they find it endlessly interesting. In fact, Jim is still excited aboutwhathedoes everydayand feels like their farm ison thecuttingedge.Theydescribesustainableagricultureassome-thingthatcanberepeatedwithoutdamagingtheenvironmentorthepeoplethatsurroundit.Italsoneedstobesupportiveofthefamilyandcommunity.Theidealistobeabletofarmwithoutharm.Jimexplained,“Idon’tthinksustainabilityisastate.Instead,itisagoal,aneffort.Youjustgetascloseyoucan.”
Jim & LeeAnn VanDerPol: 2006 Sustainable Farmers Emeriti
LeeAnn & Jim VanDerPol
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the CornerPost
sfa of mn spring events calendarFor more details on sustainable farming and
living events visit: www.sfa-mn.org/calendar
If you would like to add an event to the SFA of MN calendar contact Anne
at [email protected] or (320) 226-6318.
April 10Planning a Managed Grazing System-Lewiston,MN.Participantswillbeguidedthroughtheprocessofdevel-opingamanagedrotationalgrazingplanontheirownfarm.ToregistercallHiawathaValleyRC&Dat507-281-1959ext.4.
April 17Strategies for Maximizing Forage Production-Lewiston,MN.Itisdesignedforproducerswhoarestrug-glingtogettheirgrazingsystemfunctioning.ToregistercallHiawathaValleyRC&Dat507-281-1959ext.4.
April 19Defining a Future Bioeconomy–UniversityofMin-nesota,St,PaulCampus.FormorecontactDr.SatishGupta,[email protected],612-625-1241.
April 19-201st Minnesota Conference on Sustainable Tour-ism–UniversityofMinnesota–TwinCitiesCampus.Formoreinfovisitwww.tourism.umn.edu
April 22IATP 20th Anniversary Celebration Gala–Formoreinfoortoregisterwww.iatp.org/20years.
April 22 & 29Planting in the Dust–aonewomanplaydramatizingtheconversationdilemmaoffarming.Toreserveticketscall218-632-8455.
May 6-7Living Green Expo/Community Food & Farm Fes-tival-MinnesotaStateFairGroundsGrandstand,St.Paul,MN.Forinfovisit:www.livinggreenexpo.org.
May 6-9All Things Organic Conference-Chicago,IL.Hugeorganictradeshowthatalsoincludeseducationalsessions,keynotespeakersandnetworkingopportunities.FormoreinfocontactOTA:413-774-7511;[email protected];www.ota.com.
May 9Café Scientifique: Antibiotics in AgriculturewithTimnaWyckoff-VarsityTheater,Dinkytown,Minneapolis.
May 13-14The Minnesota Shepherd’s Harvest Sheep and Wool Festival-LakeElmo,MN.Foradetailedprogramandmoreinfogoto:www.shepardsharvestfestival.org.
May 15Managing Sensitive Areas in Pastures-EarlPriggeFarm,TroyMN.ToregistercallHiawathaValleyRC&Dat507-281-1959ext.4.
May 22Managing Sensitive Areas in Pastures-EarlPrigge
Farm,TroyMN.ToregistercallHiawathaValleyRC&Dat507-281-1959ext.4.
May 22-23Wild Foods Summit-MaplelagResort.Aninten-siveworkshoponidentifying,harvestingandpreparingwildedibleplants.FormoreinfocontactSunnyJohnson([email protected])at218-936-5620.
June 2-3Well-Managed Forests for Community Well-Being–Palisade,MN.Thisworkshopwillhighlightlocalefforts,thepartnersthatareinvolved,andhowtheyareleveraginggoodforestry for local benefit. For more info visit: www.llcc.org.
June 5Tour of an Established Grazing System -Kasson,MN.ToregistercallHiawathaValleyRC&Dat507-281-1959ext.4.
June 5-7 Practical Farmers of Iowa Camp Leadership Pro-gram–DesMoines,IA.Formoreinfo,contactBradMeyerat [email protected] or 515-230-1439 or www.practi-calfarmers.org/resource/PFIResource_146.pdf
June 10 Thomas Farm Field Day-Kragnes,MN.Spendadayonanorganicfarmandlearnwhatgoesintoyourfoodandhowyoucanconnectwithlocallyavailableresources.
June 12Pasture Monitoring-MarloMensinkFarm,CherryGrove,MN.ToregistercallHiawathaValleyRC&Dat507-281-1959ext.4.
June 19Pasture Monitoring-JackWarthesonFarm,Plainview,MN.ToregistercallHiawathaValleyRC&Dat507-281-1959ext.4.
June 26Tour of a Pasture in Development Process-WolfHillFarm,NewHartford,MN.ToregistercallHiawathaValleyRC&Dat507-281-1959ext.4.
July 1Tour of Sen. Steve Dille’s Farm–Dassel,MN.
Become a CornerPost Sponsor
AreyouinterestedinstrengtheningthedevelopmentofsustainableagricultureinMinnesota?SupportingtheSFA’squarterlynewsletterisawayforyou,yourbusinessororganizationtobecomeactiveinthecause.Wewillac-knowledgeyoursponsorshipinCornerPostbyprovidingdescriptionandcontactinformationunlessyoupreferthatyoursponsorshipremainanonymous-wewillhonoryourwishes.PleasecallMaryJoForbordat(320)760-8732todiscussyoursponsorshipopportunities.Thankyou!
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Spring 2006
80% tuition cost share for certified Minnesota growers, and a program individually
tailored to your farm’s goals and resources.
1) Northwest Ron Dvergsten Northland Community & Technical College (218) 681-0797
2) Northeast/East Central DelRay Lecy Central Lakes College (218) 894-5164
3) West Central Jim Molenaar Ridgewater Community & Technical College (320) 231-7671
These organizations are equal-opportunity providers.
Wow! Since January 1, more than 60 Minnesota organic producers have signed up for the new Organic Farm Business Management Program, and we still have room for a few more.
4) Southwest Al Brudelie Minnesota West Community & Technical College (507) 847-3320 Ext 118 or Jim Kurtz Southwest Farm Business Management Association (507) 372-3904
5) South Central Al Brudelie South Central College (507) 389-7264
6) Southeast Peter Scheffert Riverland Community College (507) 433-0614 or Lorin Westman Southeast Barm Business Management Association (507) 280-2868
90 instructors statewide!
paid notice
byJeremyLanctot
Meat and Dairy GoatsTheinterestinmeatanddairygoatproductionisveryhigh
thisyear.Thishasbeenagrowingfarmenterpriseandisnowhittingtheradarscreen.Interestinmeatgoatsisgreaterthandairypresently.Thisisprobablyduetotheeaseofentryintothat formofproduction.Settingupanewdairy formilkinggoats canbeadaunting task for thebuddinghobby farmer.Manyareovercomingthisobstacle, though.Ifyouknowofsomeonewhoneedshelpwith this,[email protected].
There were six significant events for farmers interested in goatproduction thiswinter.Both theMinnesotaDairyGoatBreedersAssn www.minnesotagoats.org and the MinnesotaMeatGoatProducerswww.mngoats.comparticipatedinwork-shops forproducersandeducators.Also,SFA togetherwithMISA and several other organizations collaborated to planand implement workshops for meat and dairy goat produc-ersthroughoutMinnesota.Turnoutwashigh;from30to125attendees in Bagley, Rockford, Marshall, St. Charles, LittleFallsandSt.Paul.
SeveralorganizationsinWisconsin,MinnesotaandIowaare partnering to developworkshops hoping to increase the
Minnesota Dairy Initiative Spring Updatenumber of people capable of supporting the fledgling goat in-dustryintheMidwest.Presently,therearefewprofessionalswithabackgroundinsmall livestockwhocanhelpwith themyriadofuniqueproblemsthatcanbeencounteredproducinggoatsandsheep.Specialnutritionalneeds,parasitecontrolandmarketingopportunitiesareanexampleofwhatneedsbolster-ingbyourlacklusterinfrastructure.Fortunately,therearevet-erinarians,educatorsandfeedsupplierswhoarecominguptospeedveryquicklyconcerninggoatsandsheep.Manyofthemhave a small flock/herd of these animals themselves.
Marketingopportunitiesforgoatmeatanddairyproductsareincreasingveryquickly.Bothhealth-consciousandethnicconsumersarecravingnewfarethatismetbygoatproducts.Forexample,theMinnesotaFoodAssociation(MFA)(www.mnfoodassociation.org) is working on projects to reach outto ethnic groups and goats figure heavily in this arena. Visit ourwebforumformoreinfoongoatsandsheepatwww.sfa-mn.org/forum/phpBB2/index.php.
Producer Roundtable MeetingsThereisincreasedinterestinroundtablestylemeetingsthis
year.Weareworkingonaddingmoreofthese-moreoften.WeaccomplishedagoatproducerroundtablenearDawson,MN
MDIcontinuedonpage15
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13
ByJeremyLanctot
There is some confusion about different internet-basedcommunication toolsandwhat theyarebestat. I’llattempttogiveashortexposéonthemostmajortoolsavailableforthoseunfamiliarwiththem.
My first exposure to the internet was in 1980. It was called ARPA-Net (the Internet name came years later) and was aconglomerationof interconnected time-sharecomputersbe-tweenmajoreducationalinstitutions.IusedtogotoourmathroominmyhighschoolaftercrosscountryandtrackmeetswithafewfriendsandplayStarTrekontheteletypetermi-nal.Thiswasaunitthatresembledatypewriterwithlegsthatstood on the floor and had a huge ream of paper that fed it from the floor. It had a QWERTY keyboard that you’d sit in frontofandatelephonecouplerwhichallowedtheteletypeterminal to communicate to the mainframe in Lauderdale,MN(UniversityofMinnesota)viaastandardphoneline.
Afterwe’dsignontothetime-sharemainframe,wecouldrunatext-onlyversionofaStarTrekgamethatwouldprintoutontheadvancingpaperroll.Differenttextsymbolsrep-resentedstars,planets,theEnterprise,Klingonwarships,etc.Itprintedouttheactionsequenceinsentencesandyouhadto tell (type) it where to fire photon torpedoes or phasers, etc. Real action! I first experienced ‘email’ at that time. We didn’tcall itemail then, I think itwassimply ‘messaging.’Anyway,wecouldsendmessagestofriendsattendingastateuniversitynearlyanywhereinthecountry.
Email ListservListservsgrewoutofthisoriginalemail.Webpagescame
aboutadecadelatersoresearcherskeptabreastofeachother’swork via listservs for many years before the first internet web page.Acomputermailserverkeepstrackofatopicandalloftheemailsubscriberstothattopic.Anysubscribercansendinformationtothattopicserverandthecomputerrespondsbysendingthisinfotoallsubscriberssoeachsubscriberdoesn’thave to type in all of the email addresses.A nifty tool forkeepingpeopleofsimilarilkinformed.Thistypeofcommu-nication becomes cumbersomewhen toomuch timepassesand toomuch informationmustbe retrieved from too longago.Enterdiscussionforumsandgroups.
Discussion ForumThroughout the1980’sand1990’s, ‘bulletinboards’be-
came quite popular for personal computer aficionados. These hadadedicatedphonenumberthatyoucouldcallandlogonontoadedicatedservertoviewanddownloaddatabasesanddocuments. These were unrelated to the Internet, though.Eachcompanyhadtheirownbulletinboardsystemandhadto have a bank of telephone lines to handle many peoplelogging onto their bulletin board servers. Someone got thegreatideaofcombiningthebulletinboardconceptwiththeInternet-basedlistserv.Voila!TheInternetdiscussiongroup
Easy to Use Internet Tools for You!forum was born. Compuserv had proprietary fee-based fo-rumsliketheseinthe1980’sbuttheygotsupersededbystan-dardinternetwebsitesinthelate1990’s.
OurSFAdiscussionboardisanoff-the-shelfpackagethatwesetuptoservicepeoplewhohavequestionsandwanttoeasily view a complete history of what has been discussedpreviously.Listservsstarttofalteratthispoint.Theyaregreatfor askingquestions amongst a smallgroupof subscribers,but theability toretrievewhat’sbeendiscussedsixmonthsagobecomescumbersome.Avisualdiscussionforumallowsinstant text conversation with a memory, so reviewing oldinfofrommonthsoryearsbackbecomesquitesimple.Also,whennewmembersenterthegroup,theycanmoreeasilyseewhat has transpired in discussion previously. In essence, itbuildsawebpageforalistservdiscussion.Visitourdiscus-sionforumatwww.sfa-mn.org/forum/phpBB2/index.php.
BlogAnewphenomenon in internet activity is the ‘blog’,or
weblog.Thisissomebody’spersonalwebsitewheretheycanpostpictures,commentariesontripstaken,orbooksread,orpolitical diatribe. Others can subscribe to this website andgetupdates from it, plus,post replies to theowner.This isapersonalformofadiscussionforum.Itisapowerfulwaytocommunicate.We’veheardthat‘newjournalism’isbeingcreatedbyaseaofinternetblogsitesthatgetinformationbe-forethebignewsnetworkscanrespondtoevents.Thisisalsohowsomenewsnetworkshavebeenexposed in fraudulentreportingpractices.
WikiAnothertypeofinternetcommunicationwhichisbecom-
ingpopularistheWIKIwebsite.Thisisalivingencyclopediawrittenbyacollaborationofmanypeople.Www.wikipedia.com is a large example of this. When we first started rework-ingourSFAwebsite,IwantedtocreateasustainablefarmingWIKIsite.Timeandmoneykeptus fromdoing that,but itwouldbeagreatendeavor for sustainable farming types todefine who they are and how they do things for the world tosee.Insiderterminologycouldbeexplainedforbeginningfarmers and explanations of sustainable farming practicescouldbepostedtohelpthosegettinganewpracticestartedontheirfarm.Maybeasourchildrengrowintofarming,theycanbuildasitelikethistohelpeachother.
SummaryThere are other communication tools over the Inter-
net, suchas instantmessagingand internet telephones, likeSkype.Asend-userconnectionsget faster,voiceandvideostreamingwillbecomemorestandard.Inthemeantime,morefarmersareconnectingupandinteractingacrossthe‘web’.Aswereachouttoyounger/beginningfarmers,havingawebpresenceisanecessarytoolforpassingalongourknowledgetothenextgeneration.
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Spring 2006
Forbord Elected to Hunger and Environmental Nutrition PostMaryJoForbordwasrecentlyelectedtotheChair-ElectpositionoftheHungerandEnvironmentalNutritionDietetic
PracticeGroupoftheAmericanDieteticAssociation(HEN/ADA).ForbordisaRegisteredDietitianandhasbeenamemberofADAfor26years.HEN/ADAisaprofessionalinterestgroupwithinADA’s65,000foodandnutritionprofessionalmem-bers.Withnearly700nationalandinternationalmembersandgrowing,HEN/ADApromotesoptimalnutritionandwell-being,acknowledgingtheinterdependenceoffoodandwatersecurity,health,agricultureandtheenvironment.
MaryJocommentedonhowsheenvisionsthegroup’sfuturedirection:
“Food systems thinking and action is central to the emerging world view of sustainability. HEN/ADA members are leading the way to forge connections and provide expertise in this dynamic arena. Sustainable food system development must include thoughtful discussion and informed decisions about the food we grow, how and where we grow food, how far food travels, how food is processed, what it costs, who has access, who is left out, and more. Clients and consumers look to registered dietitians for answers to a broad realm of complex and interconnected food system questions. As a practice group, we listen, learn and deliver. By powerfully uniting the seemingly diverse, yet closely related, areas of hunger and environmental nutrition, we carry a strong message of justice from the land to all people, so that all people have access to food from a healthful, sustainable environment.”
Mission:TheHungerandEnvironmentalNutritionDieteticPracticeGrouppromotesoptimalnutritionandwell-beingforallpeople,
nowandinthefuture,acknowledgingtheinterdependenceoffoodandwatersecurity,health,agricultureandtheenvironment.
Goals:•Increasingappreciationforandunderstandingoffoodsecurity,foodproductionandenvironmentalnutritionissuesamongmembers.•Promotingmemberinvolvementlocally,nationally,internationallyinhungerandenvironmentalnutritionissues.•ProvidingleadershipbothwithintheAmericanDieteticAssociationandoutsideasthepreferrededucatorsonissuesoffoodsecurityandsustainablefoodsystems.•Identifyingissues,educatingmembers,andsupportinglegislationandregulationsrelatedtosustainableecosystemsastheyrelatetocurrentandemergingfoodproduction,processinganddistributionpractices•Increasingpublicawarenessandactiononhungerandenvironmentalissues
Formoreinformation,visittheHEN/ADAwebsiteathttp://www.hendpg.com/
Mary Jo wishes to assure SFA members that she will continue as SFA’s Executive Director, and that her newly elected post will augment her work on behalf of SFA.
Journal of Hunger and Environmental NutritionTheHaworthPress,Inc.,incooperationwiththeHunger
& Environmental Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group of theAmerican DieteticAssociation is pleased to announce thepublicationoftheJournalofHunger&EnvironmentalNu-trition,beginningwithVolume1,No.1,Spring2006.Thispeer-reviewed professional quarterly examines hunger andthe interconnectedness among individual, political, and in-stitutionalfactorsthatgovernhowpeopleproduce,procure,and consume food and the implications for nutrition andhealth.Itcomprehensivelyexamineslocal,national,andin-ternationalhungerandenvironmentalnutritionissues—spe-cifically food access, food and water security, agriculture, food production, sustainable food systems, poverty, socialjustice,andhumanvalues.TheJournalofHunger&Envi-ronmental Nutritionwillserveasanessentialresourcefor
dietitians, nutritionists, agronomists, anthropologists, econ-omists, educators, epidemiologists, food scientists, publichealthpractitioners,andpolicymakers.
The Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition willprovidecurrentresearchandapplicationinformationonpub-lic policy, legislation, and regulation related to sustainableecosystemsand the linkwithmaintainingoptimalnutritionandwell-beingforallpeople.Recurringfeaturesinthisnewjournal include: “Spotlight on theField:People,Programs,andPolicies,”“InternetResources,”“ResearchBriefs,”and“BookandMediaReviews.”
To reserve a free sample copy of the Journal of Hunger &
Environmental Nutrition, please contact Mary Jo Forbord at [email protected] or 320-760-8732.
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the CornerPost
Youmayhaveseenthematanynumberofsus-tainable agriculture events, chattingexcitedlywithwildgesturingoftheirhands. Youmayhaveevengotten themconfused from time to time. Butyes,theyaredifferentpeople,andcontrarytopublicbe-lief,theyhaveabrothertoo.Laura,Anne,andCol-leenBorgendaleallcurrentlyworkwithandhaveadedicationtotheprogressofsustainableagriculture.They all grew up on a conventional dairy farm inLac qui Parle County near Montevideo, MN thattheirancestorshomesteadedin1869.Theyallpar-ticipatedinfarmworkinvaryingdegrees.Theirfa-ther,thelateJonBorgendale,aprogressiveyet,con-ventionalfarmer,oftensharedhisviewsonthestateofagricultureandtheworldwiththem.Throughouttheirchildhoodonthefarm,morecowsandcatsthanpeoplesurroundedthem.Thus,becauseofthislackofotherpeople,theyhadtosettleongettingalongandplayingwitheachother.Theseexperiencesallhelpedtoshapetheirworkandlandethicsalongwiththeirstrongbond.
Laura,at26yearsold,istheoldestofthebrood.SheisagraduateoftheUniversityofMinnesota,currentlyworksfortheLandStewardshipProject,andisafreelancewebdesigner.Anne,24yearsold,isnextinline.SheisagraduateoftheUniversity of Minnesota, Morris, where she first started working with sustainable agriculture in the form of the Pride of thePrairielocalfoodsinitiative.AnnecurrentlyworksfortheSFAofMNasacommunicationsconsultantandisaforageroflocalfoods.Last,butnotleast,isColleen,thebabyofthefamilyatonly19yearsold.ColleenisasophomoreattheUniversityofMinnesota,Morris,pursuingadegreeinhistoryandsocialscience.Inadditiontoherfull-timestudies,Col-leenwastheco-organizerofthePrideofthePrairieeventsatUMMandisaninternwiththeU.S.FishandWildlifeservice,gatheringoralhistoriesoflandusefromelderlyfarmers.ThissummershewillcontinueonwithsustainableagriculturebyinterningwiththeGreenLands,BlueWatersInitiative.AsIsaid,theyalsohaveabrother,Kevin,whois21yearsoldandajunioratGustavusAdolphusCollegeinSt.Peter,MN.Yes,Kevindoesexist.
Whentheyarenotdedicatingthemselvestothepursuitsofsustainableagriculture,thereareavarietyofotherthingsthattheyenjoydoingtogetherandseparately.Theyallenjoymusic,includingattendingconcertsofmanydifferentgenres.LauraandColleensingandplayguitarandpiano,amongwithotherinstruments.AnneandColleenenjoyphotographyandknitting.Annelikescooking(feedinghersiblings)andcanoeing(usuallydraggingoneofhersisterswithher).Theydon’tquiteknowwhytheygetalongsowell.Colleenthinksitmaybebecause,“LauraandAnneareascrazyasme.We’vehadsimilarexperiences.Wealsorealizehowimportantfamilyis.”
Thesistersseethemanyissuesfacingagricultureintheworldtoday.Theyseethattherurallandscapeisanincreasinglylonelyplaceforpeopletheirage.However,theyalsoseethattherearealternativeoptionsinagricultureforpeoplewhowanttofarmandthatthetidesarechanging.
Meet the Borgendale Sisters
Laura, Kevin, Anne and Colleen Borgendale
MDIcontinuedfrompage12atDanandBrendaCarlson’sfarminFebruary.Ihavepostednotesfromthisinterchangeforthepubliconourdiscussionboardnotedabove.Weintendtohavemoremeetingsforgoatproducersandcowproducers.WeareorganizinggroupsinStearnscoun-tyandWadenacountyfororganicandgrazingcowproducers.Thiswillincluderoundtableformatsandfarmtours.Farmtourswill take place this summer and roundtable discussions willhappenprimarilybetweenharvestandplantingoverthewin-ter.WatchtheSFAwebsiteforannouncementsoftheseevents.
Farm Transfer WebsiteWe’vebegunaFarmTransferwebportalontheMinnesota
DairyInitiativewebsiteatwww.mndairyinitiative.org.ThereisalinkonthemainpagetotheFarmTransferportionwhichlists farms for sale, rent or partnership as well as producersseekingfarmstobuyorrent.Thecontactinformationislocatedonthewebsitetoaddnewlistings.Thissiteisstillundercon-structionandwon’tbeadvertisedmorebroadlyuntil later in2006.Dairyproducerscanuseitnow.Wewouldliketohaveagoodnumberoflistingsenteredbefore‘ribboncutting’.
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mission: we support the development and enhancement of sustainable farming systems through farmer-to-farmer networking,
innovation, demonstration, and education.
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