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.
Vision Statement: To teach our neighbors to plant and care for diverse, stable, and resilient orchards that provide productive quantities of high value food.
As a means of accomplishing this lofty vision, SFA-CM is planning two or three workshops per year in various locations. Workshop topics include: grafting, planning and design, maintenance, orchard protection, and product utilization. We are also developing an orchard catalog designed to assist landowners in determining the best orchard for their property and needs.
A grafting workshop was held this past spring to kick off the project, and a few trees are now in the ground. With funding from private sources and foundations, this project promises to grow quickly!
Please contact one of the following people if you are interested in getting involved. Our next workshop is planned for mid-August.
Sue Peterson 320 355-2980 (azariahsue@yahoo.com)
Jim Chamberlin 218 764-3020 (islandlakefarm@brainerd.net)
Greg Nolan 320 594-6317 (snowpine@rea-alp.com)
100 Orchard Catalog Contents
A. Orchard Structures
1. Windbreaks
2. Shelter Belts
3. Buffers
4. Alley Cropping
5. Self Sustenance Orchards
6. Commercial Orchards
7. Other
B. Design and Layout
1. Sheet Mulch
2. Water Catchment
3. Climate Management
4. Other
C. Orchard Management
1. Pruning
2. Insect and Disease Control
3. Habitat Considerations
4. Other
D. Product Utilization
1. Preservation
2. Marketing
E. Plant Communities