Dirt Rich

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.

46: Managing Land with Solar Grazing

Audrey Lomax manages the grazing enterprises of MNL, a Minnesota-based land management and restoration company that provides ecological products and services. One of the neat parts of her job is that she manages thousands of acres under solar arrays with their flock of 2500 Katahdin sheep. This service provides vegetation management and pollinator habitat in a regenerative way that otherwise would have been done mechanically or chemically. 

We talk about the logistics of managing this type of an operation and discuss how other farmers can participate the same way. The potential of solar grazing for beginning farmers to build a land base is exciting and if you are interested in doing it, you won't want to miss this conversation. If you want to reach out to Audrey, you can reach her at Audrey.Lomax@mnlcorp.com.

 

Audrey Lomax, MNL Grazing Manager

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.

45: Local Meats and Processing in Southeast Minnesota

Meat processing has long been a challenge for local food producers in Minnesota. In this episode, we discuss meat production and processing in the southeast part of the state with Eric Klein of Hidden Stream Farm and Dover Processing. Klein’s diverse array of businesses compliment each other, both improving soil health and supporting local foods and communities. He raises grass fed beef, hogs, pastured chicken and organic crops on Hidden Stream Farm. The farm markets products direct-to-consumer and has wholesale accounts throughout Rochester and the Twin Cities. They also distribute products from other farmers in their region, strengthening shared markets and providing more options to their customers.

Most recently, Klein and his family saw a need for more USDA processing in their region and started Dover Processing, which processes beef, pork and lamb for local farmers. They provide jobs for several families while providing opportunity for many other families in southeast Minnesota.

We discuss his farm business, the journey to starting their own processing facility, and all the challenges that come along with it. If you have considered doing any of this, this episode is a must listen! According to Klein, now is a fantastic time to start a meat plant, the demand is high and there are dollars available to assist from both state and federal sources.

 

Eric Klein, Hidden Stream Farm; Dover Processing

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.

44: Scaling Up Soy- and Corn-Free Pastured Chickens

When Jared and Valerie Luhman's customers started requesting soy- and corn-free chicken, they decided to try making some changes to the way they raised their flock on pasture in order to see how they might sustainably meet this demand at a larger scale.

Grants from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and SARE supported upgrading their chicken tractor, feeding and watering infrastructure, and studying various outcomes of corn- and soy-free birds with birds eating corn- and soy-based feed. As their final report comes together, the Luhmans share the results of the project (including some nutritional analysis of the butchered birds), general observations of bird health and customer response, and more. For those considering adding this kind of enterprise to their farm, they have lots of recommendations for resources and considerations as you plan.

 

Resources:

Days Fed vs Average Butchered Weight Chart

SARE Farmer Rancher Grant

Minnesota Department of Agriculture AGRI Grant

Greenbook 2021 - The Luhmans' project objectives begin on page 18.

 

Valerie Luhman, Grassfed Cattle Co.

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.

43: Heirloom Apples & Craft Cider

Mehgan Blair and Nate Watters are two orchardists and hyper-local craft cidermakers in different Minnesota landscapes. Blair and her family steward a historic dairy farm with an heirloom orchard in Duluth: Canosia Grove. Icelandic sheep are their “land managers,” grazing and conditioning the soil for an eventual expanded orchard.

Watters and his family started their now 6-acre orchard from scratch, planting over 6,000 apple trees of many varieties near Dundas. They bottle their cider as Keepsake Cidery, also offering a cozy tasting room experience with noshes from nearby cheesemakers.

The two prioritize community partnerships, sustainability of land and people, and growing the heirloom apple and cider markets to financial sustainability–the major challenge of note.

 

Nate Watters - Keepsake Cidery, Dundas, MN

Mehgan Blair - Canosia Grove, Duluth, MN

Katie Feterl, SFA Communications 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.

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

42: Conventional to Kernza®: A Soil Health Journey

Kaleb Anderson is the third generation of his family farm in Goodhue, Minnesota, and grew up with a conventional ag background. Living in the Driftless region, soil degradation and erosion were always a big concern. Since moving back onto the farm in 2006, Anderson has adjusted practices and diversified the business. He would say that he’s still very much on his ‘soil health journey’ over a decade in: “The more I’ve peeled the onion back, the more I realize how much I need to learn.”

Anderson describes the operation now as “still conventionally based,” and grows corn, Kernza®, small grains like oats and rye. Grass-finished beef is the centerpiece, and he’s always looking for new crops to grow and ways to stack the cattle with other enterprises. Enter Kernza®.

Perennial-based agriculture had always intrigued Anderson, and when he caught wind of the developing crop Kernza®, he wanted to give it a try. At some point (memories are fuzzy), Anderson connected with Alan Kraus of Clean River Partners, who had also been intrigued by the concept of a perennial wheatgrass. Kraus’ own prior dairy grazing experience fueled his interest in measuring the success and profitability of grazing Kernza®.

What followed was an in-depth study on Anderson's farm. In this episode, Kraus and Anderson go through the findings, and the promise and uncertainties of Kernza® as markets develop. Spoiler: the study found that Kernza® was profitable for forage and grain production, and farmer and public interest are growing into well-attended field days, and festivals are on the horizon!

 

More resources:

Soil Health Case Studies Volume 3 

The study

University of Minnesota Forever Green Initiative: Kernza

 

Kaleb Anderson - Farmer, Goodhue, MN

Alan Kraus - Conservation Program Manager for Clean River Partners, former dairy grazier

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.

Revisited: Pastured Turkeys

(Originally released October 28, 2020)

Kathy Zeman pasture-raises a veritable menagerie: goats, sheep, pigs, ducks, geese, turkeys, broilers, hens, meat rabbits, and honeybees graze her twenty acres at Simple Harvest Farm Organics. She grew up farming, and first got started on poultry with her brother for a 4-H project. “Nick’s Eggs” continues today, available at the Just Food Co-op in Northfield. 

The array of animals she raises now ensures she never has to buy fertilizer--the manure production keeps pastures lush, and is a piece of her vision of resiliency and being self-sustaining. In fact, Kathy says that the grass actually grows back thicker and healthier behind a well-paced turkey tractor. Her Bourbon Red and Broad Breasted White turkeys happily graze in cattle panel hoop tractors, enjoying fresh grass once or twice a day safe from predators.

Kathy built her farm business on her values. She’s certified organic, and raises a heritage breed in part to keep the genetic diversity going. They’re “spendy,” but her customers are willing to pay for that fresher turkey flavor and the value of the environmental stewardship that the birds provide. “I always tell people when they buy from us, they’re really protecting these 20 acres. These little 20 acres on this planet are going to be no soil erosion, no water pollution, we’re not building antibiotic-resisting bacteria. That’s what they’re supporting.”

In addition to farming, Kathy Zeman is also the executive director of the Minnesota Farmers’ Market Association. That work aligns with her values, too. MFMA has been able to advance policy important to local foods. She describes farmers markets as the place “where community eats and meets.” They shorten food miles and keep money circulating locally. The community of people surrounding farmers markets are her crowd, too--resilient, boots-on-the-ground folks.

Host Jared Luhman’s conversation with Kathy Zeman naturally branches out from pastured turkey production and into thoughts about farm/land/life sustainability, pricing and food access, and the need for more BIPOC voices at the agricultural table. Listen in for comical stories, seasoned advice, and reflections on topics that are top-of-mind for many growers these days.

 

Kathy Zeman, Simple Harvest Farm Organics, Minnesota Farmers’ Market Association

Jared Luhman, Soil Health Lead of 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 of Minnesota.