Dirt Rich

54: REKO Rings

Finnish farmer Thomas Snellman coined the concept of REKO Rings in 2013, and in the last few years they’ve begun to sprout in Wisconsin and Minnesota. This unique model of a local food market is connecting thousands of eaters directly to their local farmers using regional Facebook groups for each ring.

Each week, participating growers post what they have to offer and customers comment to initiate an ordering process. All payment happens in advance of the weekly pick-up day, where everyone meets at the same time and place to receive their orders from the farmers. The efficiency can save all parties time and money, while still allowing for authentic relationship building between farmers and eaters. It’s a straightforward foundation and each ring may operate a little differently, responsive to the needs of their community.

To explain how REKO works and how to go about starting one in your own community, three farmer guests and founding members of their own REKO Rings join the podcast:

 

Mehgan Blair, Canosia Grove, Twin Ports REKO Ring

Vanessa Wallock, The Victory Garden Farm, Ozaukee Area REKO Ring

Thelma Heidel-Baker, Bossie Cow Farm, West Bend REKO Ring

Host Katie Feterl, Communications Director, SFA

 

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.

Thoughts? Comments? Ideas? Leave us a review, or drop us a line on our Virtual Comment Box.

53: Endorsed for Water Quality

“I went in thinking I wouldn’t have to do a darn thing.” Farmer Dale Buendorf was well on his way to becoming certified through the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program at the outset, having implemented no-till and strip-till on his acres of corn and soybeans. While working with his certifier, Herman Bartsch, they discovered that there were just a few tweaks to make, including adjusting his nutrient management plan. Now, Dale says they are more responsible with where they apply nutrients and when, keeping it out of the groundwater. And, fewer passes on the fields has turned into a lot of savings in fuel costs. Dale was certified within six months, and also received endorsements in Soil Health and Integrated Pest Management!

“As the boots on the ground on these lands that we’re part of, I think it’s important that we do these things and be responsible and protect these resources that we’ve got.” Dale’s attitude is shared by many of the 1,200+ farmers who are certified. It is important to them to be good land stewards, and the recognition and resources they receive through certification is appreciated.

Caroline D’Huyvetter (Minnesota Department of Agriculture), Herman, and Dale share their experience with the certification program in this conversation, how it can work with landlords, and the five different endorsements that farmers can receive in addition to getting certified: Climate Smart Farm, Soil Health, Integrated Pest Management, Wildlife, and Irrigation Water Management. There’s more to those than the additional recognition: bridge payments for those with the Climate Smart endorsement are in the works.

Learn more about the Minnesota Ag Water Quality Certification Program here, and find out who to contact to get started here.

 

Dale Buendorf, Farmer in Faribault County, Minnesota

Herman Bartsch, South Central Area Certification Specialist for the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program

Caroline D’Huyvetter, Pesticide and Fertilizer Management, Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Katie Feterl, Communications Director, SFA

 

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.

Thoughts? Comments? Ideas? Leave us a review, or drop us a line on our Virtual Comment Box.

52: We’re on YouTube (and in the field)

We're taking a break this week as we prepare for many in-field events coming up this summer. Check out our event calendar at www.sfa-mn.org to find out what's going on near you! With dozens of events going through the fall, there's something for everyone.

Also: we're on YouTube! Episodes 1-5 are available on the Sustainable Farming Association YouTube channel now, and we'll be uploading the full catalog over the coming weeks. If that's your preferred way to listen or share podcasts, you're in luck.

We'll have a new episode coming up later this month! Thanks for listening.

 

Katie Feterl, Communications Director, Sustainable Farming Association

 

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.

Thoughts? Comments? Ideas? Leave us a review, or drop us a line on our Virtual Comment Box.

Revisited: Restoring Oak Savanna

As we approach our big field day at the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge that will demonstrate targeted grazing to restore oak savanna, we thought it would be a good time to revisit this episode with Tyler Carlson and Stephen Thomforde. This episode was originally released February 17, 2021, and its preceding episode is 23: Oak Savanna Origins.

------

Tyler and Stephen pick up their conversation on oak savanna from our last episode: How do we restore oak savanna? What does it take? Where have we been and what’s been missed in prior restoration attempts?

According to Stephen, “restoration is restoring the processes that maintain the desirable vegetation.” He dives into a variety of techniques used to do so including spraying, mowing, burning, baling, and grazing. Knowing what to take and what to leave is key in changing the trajectory of an ecosystem.

Stephen and Tyler also get into a popular question: do we really need fire? What is necessary to maintain the savanna once you have it where you want it? To parse out an answer to that question, Stephen walks us through historical and ecological perspectives. Considering the relationship between burning and grazing, the pair land on grazing as a primary tool and burning as a secondary tool to maintain savanna grassland; grazing reduces the necessity of burning.

The opportunity of farming and restoring oak savanna simultaneously is exciting, and Stephen looks forward to the growing cooperation between farmers and conservationists to build understanding and successful restoration work. He imagines the potential that could stem from bringing grazers back into the picture on more of the landscape, even in urban areas: a stronger local food economy, more meaningful jobs. The possibilities just might be as diverse as the ecosystem itself.

 

SFA’s Silvopasture & Agroforestry webpage: https://www.sfa-mn.org/silvopasture-agroforestry/

Silvopasture Learning Network: https://silvopasture.umn.edu/home

 

The name we were struggling to remember towards the end of the episode was Tom Barthel of Snake River Farm. Check out his work in Sherburne county with bison and other grazers here.

 

Stephen Thomforde, Stantec, Senior Ecologist

Tyler Carlson, SFA, Silvopasture & Agroforestry Project Lead

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.

 

This episode is supported and funded by a grant from the Legislative Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR). It is part of the “Oak Savanna Restoration through Silvopasture Project” in cooperation with University of Minnesota Agricultural Extension, Center for Integrated Natural Resources and Agricultural Management (CINRAM) at the University of Minnesota, and Great River Greening.

51: Framing Succession Planning

We wrap up our Farm Succession Miniseries with a conversation with Jim Molenaar, a longtime Farm Business Management educator and “farm boy.” Today, he works with 55-60 different farm families around St. Cloud through the Northern Agricultural Center of Excellence, counseling on areas such as day-to-day management, financials, and succession.

Molenaar’s top three essentials in the farm succession planning process are “communication, communication, and more communication.” In his conversation with Jared Luhman, he lays out some scenarios and helpful tools to frame your own approach to succession, retirement, and estate planning. Not that you have to go it alone– accountants and lawyers can be key third parties, and Farm Business Management educators/counselors like Molenaar are also available across the state of Minnesota.

While Molenaar grants that there is always urgent work to be done in a farm business and succession conversations can be difficult, starting the process early on rather than avoiding it can be quite beneficial. In his experience, making a plan is key to boosting the likelihood of success in a farm transition. One practice he recommends is creating a to-do list with specific people assigned to each task with a deadline. Taking minutes during any succession meeting is also a great tool that can help get parties on the same page.

Listen to Episode 49 and 50 to hear the first two parts of the Farm Succession Miniseries.

 

Jim Molenaar, Farm Business Management Educator, Northern Agricultural Center of Excellence, jmolenaar@sctcc.edu

Jared Luhman, Soil Health Lead, Sustainable Farming Association

 

Resources:

Southern Minnesota Center of Agriculture (Mankato)

Northern Agricultural Center of Excellence (Staples) 

Compete directory in for FBM instructors around the state

 

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.

Thoughts? Comments? Ideas? Leave us a review, or drop us a line on our Virtual Comment Box.

50: Transferring a Land Ethic Legacy Farm

Jerry Ford and Mariénne Kreitlow are the fourth generation on a farm with a legacy in conservation. Living Song Farm sits on highly erodible land near Minnesota’s Crow River, but the practices introduced in the 1940’s by Mariénne’s father, Willard Kreitlow, have generated topsoil for decades. Jerry and Mariénne share Willard’s land ethic, and have worked for several years to find a non-family fifth generation that will continue this legacy even before the farm was officially transferred to them in their 60’s.

In this second part of our Farm Succession Miniseries, Jerry Ford describes their goals for succession (including living on the farm even after retirement), financial situation, and his experience with the family and non-family transitions that have occurred in tandem. He also details the legal realities of a tangle of life estates, Transfer on Death Deeds, long-term care insurance, and other policies that have shaped their unique experience: “Don’t try this at home, kids. Have a lawyer.”

 

Our Farm Succession Miniseries will conclude next week, May 4. Stay tuned!

 

Jerry Ford, Living Song Farm, SFA Network Coordinator

Jared Luhman, SFA Soil Health Lead

 

Resources mentioned:

Land Stewardship Project

Renewing the Countryside

Sustainable Farming Association

 

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.

Thoughts? Comments? Ideas? Leave us a review, or drop us a line on our Virtual Comment Box.

49: Family Farm Succession Planning

Megan Roberts has experienced many farm transitions–as a non-farm heir to her family dairy farm, as an in-law in a family farm transition, and as an educator. Drawing on over a decade in personal and professional experience in farm succession and estate planning, in this episode she shares several points of consideration for families navigating tough conversations and the complex process of succession.

“Something I learned is that there’s never enough communication,” says Roberts. Even when family relationships are really strong and there are shared goals, farm succession planning isn’t simple and can provoke strong emotions. Roberts encourages families to “be inclusive” in their meetings and conversations on the future of the farm, inviting in-laws and non-farm heirs to be present and have a voice even if they aren’t ultimately decision makers.

Listen in for more of Roberts’ conversation with Dirt Rich host Jared Luhman, who is in the midst of a family farm transition himself, on other things to consider in succession: finances, estate planning and grief, maintaining relationships, security for the elder generation, and more.

This is the first of a three-part miniseries on farm succession. Look for Part 2 on April 27, when we’ll release an episode with Jerry Ford on a non-family farm transition.

 

Megan Roberts, Executive Director of the Southern Agricultural Center of Excellence, Farmer

Jared Luhman, SFA Soil Health Lead

 

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.

Thoughts? Comments? Ideas? Leave us a review, or drop us a line on our Virtual Comment Box.

48: Grazing Cattle to Restore Oak Savanna in the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge

Using livestock to restore landscapes may seem like a contradiction, but oak savannas thrive with disturbance. Grazier Doug Voss and PhD candidate Austin Yantes are involved in a project at the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, studying the results of carefully managed cattle grazing, tree thinning, and burning in striving to meet Sherburne’s ecological goals.

The Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge is located near Zimmerman, Minnesota on the Anoka Sand Plain. Prior to European settlement, the refuge was dominated by oak savanna. At that time, the disturbances the landscape was dependent on would have been indigenous fire management, dry soils, and elk and bison grazing. Since European settlement, 90% of the oak savanna is estimated to have been lost.

Yantes says that it’s worth restoring the oak savanna because of the landscape’s uniqueness. The dynamic patterns of disturbance can support a higher diversity of plant species, which provides good habitat for animals and insect species. By layering the tools of intensely managed cattle grazing, thinning trees, and controlled burning, the research project hopes to illuminate the most effective management practices to meet the refuge’s goals. “One of my favorite things about this project is it’s such a cool way to manage landscapes that integrates both livestock production but also ecological restoration and conservation goals,” says Yantes.

Hear how the research has been conducted and some of the initial results on this episode! Later on this year, we’ll reconnect with Austin and Doug to hear updates and more results as the season progresses. And, stay tuned to the SFA Silvopasture & Agroforestry webpage for upcoming field days at the refuge.

More information on oak savanna and grazing on the UMN Extension website.

 

Austin Yantes, PhD Candidate, University of Minnesota, Natural Resources Science & Management

Doug Voss, SFA Grazing Lead

Jared Luhman, SFA Soil Health Lead

 

Apologies for the rough audio quality of portions of this episode!

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.

Thoughts? Comments? Ideas? Leave us a review, or drop us a line on our Virtual Comment Box.

Revisited: Managing Spring Grazing

With springtime around the corner, this week we're revisiting our 2021 episode on managing spring grazing.

When is the best time to turn the cows out? Kent Solberg and Jared Luhman dig into this decision that sets you up for the rest of the grazing season. It can be awful tempting to get started as soon as we see green, but Kent illustrates how letting the pasture mature a bit more can extend the grazing season by one to two months.

Waiting for the third leaf stage, starting in a new paddock each spring, increasing plant diversity, and grazing about 30-50% of the plant height are all beneficial towards animal performance and forage production in the long term. Kent and Jared also discuss some tips for management once you start your grazing season. Of course, it always depends on the context of the land and your goals. This is adaptive management, after all. Listen in for more sage advice from SFA’s resident grazing expert!

 

More soil health and grazing resources are also available on the SFA website.
Thoughts? Comments? Ideas? Drop us a line on our Virtual Comment Box.

Jared Luhman, SFA Soil Health Lead
Kent Solberg, SFA Senior Technical Advisor; Seven Pines Farm & Fence (Verndale)

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.

47: Four DIY Soil Health Tests

Sarah Lindblom returns to Dirt Rich today to share four soil health tests that you can do at home to gain insight on the soil’s physical, chemical, and biological function. These tests can be valuable to gardeners and farmers at any scale, and can be done using simple materials from your recycling bin:

1. Infiltration test - simulates a 1 inch rain event, demonstrates soil structure and indicates biological activity
2. Slake test - simulates an extreme rain event, demonstrates soil structure and indicates biological activity
3. Earthworm test - Indicates soil biological activity
4. pH test - Helps you track soil acidity

Directions for each of these tests and a “Soil Health Report Card” to help you track your results are available on the SFA website. See Sarah demonstrate the tests in this video for a visual walkthrough. 

Sarah also gives an overview of how the physical, chemical, and biological components of soil health and function are interconnected, and briefly discusses approaching soil health using systems thinking. The Venn diagram graphic she uses to illustrate is here.

Sarah Lindblom operates Solar Fresh Produce in Buffalo, MN and is entering her eighth growing season. She has run a CSA and a farm store and primarily grows produce, herbs, flowers, and raises bees and chickens. She is also the president of the Crow River Chapter of SFA.

 

Sarah Lindblom, Solar Fresh Produce

Katie Feterl, Communications Director, Sustainable Farming Association

 

Recommended reading:

Thinking in Systems by Donella H. Meadows

Miraculous Abundance by Perrine and Charles Hervé-Gruyer

Permaculture Design by Aranya

The One-Straw Revolution by Masanobu Fukuoka

The Lean Farm: How to Minimize Waste, Increase Efficiency by Ben Hartman

 

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.

Thoughts? Comments? Ideas? Leave us a review, or drop us a line on our Virtual Comment Box.