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The mission of this group is to promote the use

of environmentally and economically sound agricultural practices

and to ensure a healthy future for family farms and all of the people of central Minnesota.

 

News & Analysis

 

Food & Environment 

News Archive

Featured Paper

Sue Peterson, Coordinator 2006-7

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chair Jim Chamberlin (218 764-2030) islandlakefarm@brainerd.net

 

Vice Chair Kent Solberg (218 632-7580)

 

Secretary Sister Ruth Lentner (320 632-2981) rlenter2981@yahoo.com

 

Treasurer Kevin Happke (320 468-2451) 321main@sytekcom.com

 

Chris Barnier (320 632-6491)

cbarnier@brainerd.net

Glen Borgerding (320 597-4870)

glenbarc@albanytel.com

Greg Nolan (320 594-6317)

snowpine@rea-alp.com

Mel Wiens (218 894-2715)

lmwiens@wcta.net

 

Accountant Ken Sanders (218 631-1435)

jksanders@juno.com

 

Coordinator Sue Peterson (320 355-2980) azariahsue@yahoo.com

 


CONTACT:

Jim Chamberlin, Chair
    Tel: (218) 764-3020, 828-6197 (NRCS)

Email Us

Upcoming Events 2008

 

Newsletter  September 2008

 

 

WORKSHOP AT THE FARM ON ST MATHIAS

 

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 13 2008 10AM-4PM

 

WORKSHOPS INCLUDE:

-SMALL WOODLOT MANAGEMENT (FOR FIREWOOD)

-COMPOSTING

-MULCH AND DRIPLINE INSTALLATION AND OPERATION

-GARDEN LAYOUT

-APPLE VARIETY COMPARISON

 

Directions:

From Brainerd:  South Sixth Street past Brainerd Medical Center 1 mile to St. Mathias Road (County Road 21); 3 miles South on St. Mathias Road.

 

From South of Brainerd:   Hwy 371 North to Sleepy Hollow Road (County Road 131).  Follow Sleepy Hollow to St. Mathias Road (County Road 21).  Turn Left (North) and proceed 1.5 miles to the farm. 

 

Coming North on Hwy 25:  Hwy 25 N to Dewing Highway (County Road 2).  Left (West)  on Dewing Highway to County Road 45.  Go Right (North) on County Road 45 to  Sleepy Hollow Road (County Road 131).  Go Left (West) on Sleep Hollow to St. Mathias Road (County Road 21). Go Right (North) on St. Mathias Road for 1.5 miles. 

 

From Junction of Thiesse Road and County Road 45 (the fairgrounds):  South on County Road 45 to Cook Wildlife Road; Right on Cook Wildlife Road which will end at St. Mathias Road and the driveway to The Farm on St. Mathias. 

 

7579 St. Mathias Road          PHONE   218-822-3281

 

 

 

Coloring Book Update:

 Coloring books are being reprinted and will be distributed to schools during the 2007-2008 school year. Thank you to Todd Wadena Electric and Runestone Electric for the grant funding!

 

100 Orchards Project

SFA-CM is launching a new project called the 100 Orchards Project. Its mission is “ to teach our neighbors how to plant and care for diverse, stable, and resilient orchards that provide productive quantities of high quality food. As part of the project, we had a grafting workshop in April and a pruning workshop in August. Our next workshop is planned for October and will be an “Apple Festival”. It will give ideas on how to preserve the harvest. The time and location are yet to be determined, so please contact Sue Peterson for details (azariahsue@yahoo.com).

 

A workbook/catalog for the 100 Orchards Project is in the process of being written and should be available in time for the annual meeting on January 5 2008.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Past Events

 

2007

 

Grafting Workshop

Monday April 9 2007 10 AM

10-12 Classroom

12-1 Potluck Lunch

1-? Grafting of apple and pear and stone fruit trees

Location: Snowy Pines Reforestation

33334 321st Ave Browerville, MN

 

For More information or directions, contact:

Greg Nolan (320 594-6317) or Sue Peterson (320 355-2980)

 

2006

February 16-18 State Chapter Annual SFA Meeting   

Gustavus-Adolphus, St. Peter, MN  www.sfa-mn.org

February 26 Home Grown Economy : Foods from Local Farms as Economic Development

University of Minnesota, Morris

Annual meeting Jan 6 – St. Francis, Little Falls

Fall 2006 Field Days [click for brochure]:

September 16 11AM-1PM  with a potluck to follow 

Legend Lane Heritage Farm Market  3239 Legend Lane  Ft Ripley

Market garden irrigation and mulching methods will be displayed as well as free range chickens.

September 23 10AM-Noon

Azariah Acres Farm  35294 Nature Road  Foley

Minnesota Department of Agriculture Demonstration grant on alternative breeds of laying hens on a diverse sustainable farm with yak, sheep, goats, pigs, rabbits, peacocks and guineas

October 7 2 PM

Snowy Pines Reforestation – 33334 321st Ave Browerville

Solar home tour of an operating sawmill and off-the-grid home

October 14 9AM to Noon with a potluck lunch to follow   SFACM Harvest Festival at Jim Chamberlin’s farm   

23111 State Highway 18 Deerwood

Pastured Chickens and Hogs, Companion Plantings/ Sheet Mulch, Walk in the Woods, Sawmill Demonstration, Alley Cropping/ Keyline Water Catchment

April 19  Future of Food, 7 pm showing at Northland Arboretum, Brainerd/Baxter

July 26-29  Windy River Renewable Energy and Sustainable Agriculture Fair

Central Chapter Annual Meeting, 2/4/2006, Browerville Community Center, 9-1 pm

State SFA Annual Meeting, Sat Feb 18, 2006, Little Falls, MN, 9-5 pm

 

2005

Central Chapter Harvest Fest, 9/30, 3-6 pm Azariah Acres

 FarmFest

Grazefest

Harvest Fest

July 27-30  Windy River Renewable Energy and Sustainable Agriculture Fair

March 4 Local Foods Dinner

March 10 Poultry Workshop

April 8-9 Annual Meeting and Grafting workshop (schedule and poster)

 

 

 

Fall Field Days:

Every fall we have a number of field days at member farms where we meet and discuss the

projects that farmer is doing. It is mostly about community and it is lots of fun!

Watch this space for more information coming soon.

 

Annual Meeting:

Early each year we have our annual meeting, where we bring in a speaker about a current topic of interest, and we meet to discuss the business of the chapter. In 2007,  we met in January and our topic was “Carbon Sequestration”

 

 

Become a Member!

 



 

 

The Aims and Purposes of this Association are:

 

  • To develop a support system for family farmers in acquiring knowledge and understanding of economical and environmentally sound practices of production farming;
  • To achieve this through a newsletter and website with the latest information on sustainable farming practices, as well as providing farm tours, seminars, and supervised test plots;
  • To develop policies which will influence legislation in areas pertaining to environmental problems, i.e. groundwater contamination;
  • To support farming methods without endorsing commercial products;
  • To support and encourage Extension and University research programs that promotes sustainable agriculture and
  • To promote farming as a positive way of life.

 

 

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We welcome non-farming persons committed to a safe and sustainable environment.   Our membership is open to any person regardless of race, color or creed.

 


 

Counter by Rapid Axcess
Counter by Rapid Axcess

 

 

 

 

 

 A number of years ago, we published and distributed a coloring book for first and second graders called Annelid

(about the life cycle of an earthworm). We are working on publishing it again, and possibly updating it.


CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE COLORING BOOK:
COLORING BOOK
APPROXIMATELY 800K 

To view the book after downloading you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Click on "Get Acrobat Reader" to download the free software.

Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print the book.

 

 

 

 


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