Dirt Rich

79: Building a Creamery

After returning to the family farm, Ethan Johnson opened Amo Creamery and farm store near Windom, Minnesota at the end of 2025. In this episode, he shares the dairy history of both his family and the region, his education and career, and how he was gradually drawn "like a magnet" back to the farm to build a community-tied creamery from the ground up.

 

Ethan Johnson, Amo Creamery

Mary Fischer, Southwest Community Organizer, Sustainable Farming Association

 

Dirt Rich is produced by the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota. The viewpoints of the speakers expressed within or outside of this episode do not necessarily reflect the goals and mission of SFA.

If you enjoy Dirt Rich, consider supporting our work by becoming a member of SFA or making a gift at www.sfa-mn.org/support.

78: Integrating Crops and Livestock for Soil Health and Profitability

Ryan Hough and his brother run a diversified crop and cattle operation in Barnesville, Minnesota. They began their “soil health journey” roughly 10 years ago, and are constantly learning and refining the ways they integrate livestock into their cropping system in order to build the health of their soil and profitability.

Kim Melton combines her background in agriculture with conservation through her work as the Soil Health Coordinator for the Red River Basin Commission, a nonprofit that stewards the basin that stretches across the borders of Minnesota, the Dakotas, and Canada. 

The two frequently work together on implementing soil health practices (Kim is known to even hop in the sprayer to get program paperwork signed). Listen in for ideas for your operation, no matter your experience level with soil health. And, join us in Barnesville on November 18 for the "Harvest Celebration: Growing Profit and Conservation together." Click here to learn more.

 

Ryan Hough, Barnesville farmer

Kim Melton, Soil Health Coordinator, Red River Basin Commission

Jonathan Kilpatrick, Farmer Education Director, Sustainable Farming Association

 

Some resources mentioned in this episode:

NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)

NRCS Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

Minnesota Soil & Water Conservation Districts

Ranching for Profit

Working Cows Podcast

 

Dirt Rich is produced by the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota. The viewpoints of the speakers expressed within or outside of this episode do not necessarily reflect the goals and mission of SFA.

If you enjoy Dirt Rich, consider supporting our work by becoming a member of SFA or making a gift at www.sfa-mn.org/support.

77: Simplifying Farm Management

Jonathan interviews Joel Barr of Abraham’s Table Farm in Sandstone, Minnesota. Since the time of recording, Joel has also joined SFA’s team of consultants as our Market Garden & Farm Management Systems Consultant!

Joel and his wife Megan have been farming for over a decade, producing vegetables, eggs, beef, and chicken for their community through a CSA and other direct markets across east central and the Metro areas of Minnesota. They don’t believe in just selling food, they’re committed to providing real nourishment through nutrient-dense products to the families they serve. We’re going to dive into how they successfully manage multiple enterprises, and the systems they’ve developed to make it all work and still achieve a great work-life balance.

Speakers

Jonathan Kilpatrick, Farmer Education Director, SFA

Joel Barr, Abraham's Table Farm; Market Garden & Farm Management Systems Consultant, SFA

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

Jean-Martin Fortier (JM)

Eliot Coleman

John Kempf

Dan Kittredge

HMI (Holistic Management International)

Andre Voisin

"The Lean Farm" by Ben Hartmen

Making Work Visible

 

Dirt Rich is produced by the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota. The viewpoints of the speakers expressed within or outside of this episode do not necessarily reflect the goals and mission of SFA.

If you enjoy Dirt Rich, consider supporting our work by becoming a member of SFA or making a gift at www.sfa-mn.org/support.

76: Managing Buckthorn and Brush for the Long Haul

"Nature is never done."

Buckthorn removal has been a long, uphill battle for folks managing their woodlands and prairies – whether it be for recreation, farming, or aesthetics. And buckthorn is just one species in a much larger brush management problem that we see across Minnesota and the Midwest.

Today’s roundtable of guests bring expertise in ecological restoration, forestry, silvopasture, and agriculture. They'll discuss the historical context of degraded savannas and woodlands and the buckthorn problem, and present a working lands approach to these pervasive challenges with a long-term view...including insights on saving time, labor, and money.

 

Speakers

Tyler Carlson, Silvopasture & Agroforestry Project Lead, Sustainable Farming Association (SFA)

Jim Chamberlin, Conservation Outreach Specialist, SFA

Jennifer Grommes, Southern Minnesota Program Manager, Great River Greening

Bryan Simon, Silvopasture & Agroforestry Project Consultant, SFA

 

Resources mentioned in this episode

Dirt Rich Episode 23: Oak Savanna Origins w/ Stephen Thomforde

Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)

Minnesota Soil & Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs)

MNL Seed Mixes

SFA's Agroforestry & Silvopasture Webpage

 

This episode was recorded in partnership with Great River Greening. Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).

The viewpoints of the speakers expressed within or outside of this episode do not necessarily reflect the goals and mission of SFA.

Dirt Rich is produced by the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota.

If you enjoy Dirt Rich, consider supporting our work by becoming a member of SFA or making a gift at www.sfa-mn.org/support.

75: Come and Get It: Hosting On-Farm Events.

Planning to host an event on your farm can quickly become complicated, even as a one-time or annual occasion. Jerry Ford (SFA) and Brett Olson (Renewing the Countryside) give experienced guidance on site planning, food and health regulations, risk management and liability, ticketing, vendors and more! At the very least, you're going to learn where not to put a port-a-potty.

Resources:

Jerry Ford - jerry@sfa-mn.org

Brett Olson - brett@rtcinfo.org

On Farm Food Events/Come and Get It!

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA) Blazing Trails

Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety & Health Center (UMASH)

Come & Get It! On Farm Food Service Manual

Farmstay Manual (needs updating - but may be useful) 

Link to course work

Liability statutes: Statutes, Rules and Laws

Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) liability signs for sale: 1 free sign for members

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The Come & Get It project was designed by Renewing the Countryside in partnership with The Sustainable Farming Association and Minnesota Farmers Union. 

Funding for Come & Get It was made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the organizers and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.

The viewpoints of the speakers expressed within or outside of this episode do not necessarily reflect the goals and mission of SFA.

Dirt Rich is produced by the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota.

If you enjoy Dirt Rich, consider supporting our work by becoming a member of SFA or donating at www.sfa-mn.org.

74: No-till can work here.

Jared Luhman returns to the mic to interview Bruce Tiffany, a fourth-generation row crop farmer in Redwood County, Minnesota. Bruce knows those rolling hills along the Redwood River intimately: he has farmed over 54 seasons there. He currently grows soy, corn, and rye.

Motivated by a desire to minimize inputs and to do right by previous and future generations, Bruce has shifted his practices to minimize tillage and keep a living root in the soil. He's found that even in fields with a dozen or more soil types, he's reaping better-than-average yields for his area -- while spending less to make it happen.

Bruce invites listeners to reach out with questions at annbruce@redred.com.

 

The viewpoints of the speakers expressed within or outside of this episode do not necessarily reflect the goals and mission of SFA.

Dirt Rich is produced by the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota.

If you enjoy Dirt Rich, consider supporting our work by becoming a member of SFA or donating at www.sfa-mn.org.

Revisited: Shifting Agriculture with Dan Kittredge

Dan Kittredge grew up on a homestead with a family deeply engaged in the organic movement. Over the years, he worked on farms across the globe and learned from permaculture, biodynamic, agroecology, indigenous, conventional, and microbiological perspectives.

With a foundation in both the practical and the philosophical, he created the Bionutrient Food Association (BFA) in 2010, who makes it their mission to "increase quality in the food supply." If you've heard of the concept of "nutrient-dense foods," you might already be familiar with some of BFA's work.

The Sustainable Farming Association (SFA) is excited to be partnering with BFA to host Kittredge for a two-day "Biological Systems, Soil Health, and the Nutrient Density of Food" workshop on October 4 & 5, 2024 at Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed in Clearwater, Minnesota.

Don't worry about sitting in front of a slide presentation for the whole weekend -- the workshop will be highly interactive and suitable for anyone who grows anything. Bring your questions and expect to leave with a better understanding of living systems and practical tools to make a positive impact on your plant and soil health. Learn more and register here.

Dan Kittredge, Bionutrient Food Association Executive Director
Jonathan Kilpatrick, SFA Farmer Education Director

Resources:

Bionutrient Food Association

Bionutrient Institute

 

The viewpoints of the speakers expressed within or outside of this episode do not necessarily reflect the goals and mission of SFA.

Dirt Rich is produced by the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota.

If you enjoy Dirt Rich, consider supporting our work by becoming a member of SFA or donating at www.sfa-mn.org.

73: Direct Marketing for Produce Growers

Two farmers on the SFA team share what they've learned over several years of operating CSAs and selling at farmers' markets.

Dan Zimmerli of Cedar Crate Farm (Waldorf) and Lauren Barry of Dancing Gnome Farm (Wabasha) talk about how they've grown their businesses, the tech that helps them day-to-day, and how they design their farm stands at the market to boost sales and build relationships with customers.

 

Dan Zimmerli, SFA Specialty Crop Lead; Cedar Crate Farm

Lauren Barry, SFA Finance Director; Dancing Gnome Farm

Jonathan Kilpatrick, SFA Farmer Education Director

The viewpoints of the speakers expressed within or outside of this episode do not necessarily reflect the goals and mission of SFA.

Dirt Rich is produced by the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota.

If you enjoy Dirt Rich, consider supporting our work by becoming a member of SFA or donating at www.sfa-mn.org.

72: Farm Marketing & Mindset with Charlotte Smith

Click here to learn more and register for the upcoming workshop with Charlotte Smith. 

 

Charlotte Smith swore she would never return to farming after a very difficult family farm bankruptcy while growing up. Spoiler: After some time working in the corporate world, she started a farm in 2009. She found that the time management, hiring, and interpersonal skills she had learned also really benefited her farm business. Others noticed too, and in 2013 she started teaching marketing to fellow farmers.

 

According to Smith, the longest-standing principle of marketing is connecting in person. Digital marketing is not a substitute, although it is a very valuable tool that she helps farmers learn to use productively. Challenging a common farmer belief of "I don't like people, that's why I became a farmer!", she believes that as farmers build relationships and connect in person with others, they start thinking about people and their farm product differently, and they start showing up better. Sales follow.

 

If you like what you learn in this episode, you may want to join our upcoming workshop! Learn more and register for the April 18, 2024 workshop with Charlotte Smith in St. Joseph, Minnesota: https://sfa-mn.org/events/three-crucial-steps-to-build-your-profitable-farm-with-charlotte-smith/

 

Charlotte's recommendations:

Mailchimp

Mailer Lite

Flodesk

Squarespace

Wix

Square

CharlotteMSmith.com

 

Charlotte Smith

Jonathan Kilpatrick, SFA Farmer Education Director

The viewpoints of the speakers expressed within or outside of this episode do not necessarily reflect the goals and mission of SFA.

Dirt Rich is produced by the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota.

If you enjoy Dirt Rich, consider supporting our work by becoming a member of SFA or donating at www.sfa-mn.org.

71: Shifting Agriculture with Dan Kittredge

Dan Kittredge grew up on a homestead with a family deeply engaged in the organic movement. Over the years, he worked on farms across the globe and learned from permaculture, biodynamic, agroecology, indigenous, conventional, and microbiological perspectives.

With a foundation in both the practical and the philosophical, he created the Bionutrient Food Association (BFA) in 2010, who makes it their mission to "increase quality in the food supply." If you've heard of the concept of "nutrient-dense foods," you might already be familiar with some of BFA's work.

The Sustainable Farming Association (SFA) is excited to be partnering with BFA to host Kittredge for a two-day "Principles of Biological Systems" workshop on January 26 & 27, 2024 in Elk River, Minnesota. Don't worry about sitting in front of a slide presentation for the whole weekend -- the workshop will be highly interactive and suitable for anyone who grows anything. Bring your questions and expect to leave with a better understanding of living systems and practical tools to make a positive impact on your plant and soil health. Learn more and register here.

 

Dan Kittredge, Bionutrient Food Association Executive Director
Jonathan Kilpatrick, SFA Farmer Education Director

 

Resources:

Bionutrient Food Association

Bionutrient Institute

 

 

The viewpoints of the speakers expressed within or outside of this episode do not necessarily reflect the goals and mission of SFA.

Dirt Rich is produced by the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota.

If you enjoy Dirt Rich, consider supporting our work by becoming a member of SFA or donating at www.sfa-mn.org.