Annual Conference

Mark your calendars: Feb. 18, 2012

College of St. Benedict • St. Joseph, MN

The SFA Annual Conference is a great opportunity for both farmers and eaters to share knowledge through connection and networking. The conference features a variety of breakout sessions, speakers, and exhibits on the different paths our farms and communities need to embrace to lead a more sustainable existence.

Members, college students, teens and other folks: Click this link to register.

Exhibitors/sponsors: Click this link to register.

Organic Valley Leaders Breakfast

New this year is the SFA Leaders Breakfast, sponsored by Organic Valley. Registration for this event, featuring awards and donor recognition, is just $12.50. Click this link to register for Leaders Breakfast. Mary Jane Miller has planned a veritable breakfast feast: cheddar and egg bake featuring Organic Valley eggs, milk and cheese; home-fried potatoes; Organic Valley sausage or bacon; and pumpkin bread and blueberry muffins. Sounds good, right? And you have to eat breakfast that day anyway, so why not do it with SFA and Organic Valley? In addition to the SFA Awards Presentation, SFA Executive Director John Mesko will offer a brief “State of SFA” address.

Farm Transitions Workshop

Also new this year is a Friday workshop, presented by SFA and Renewing the Countryside in conjunction with the Risk Management Agency: “Farm Transition and Estate Planning: Create Your Farm Legacy.” This session, held in Clearwater just minutes away from the SFA Conference, is a must for any farm family.

In the workshop, participants get a greater understanding of crucial issues like transfer strategies, tax issues related to the transfer process, discuss methods for treatment of heirs in the transfer process, as well as learn how to go about developing a written transfer plan.

You’re already coming to the SFA Annual Conference; why not make a weekend out of it and attend this key session? It’s just $25, includes lunch, and gets the weekend kicked off nicely. Learn more and register for Farm Transitions workshop by clicking this link: Farm Transitions Registration.

Annual Conference Keynote Speaker

The keynote speaker at this year’s conference will be Dr. Val Farmer (right), an expert on rural mental health issues and the unique psychological problems farmers face living and working in rural areas. Dr. Farmer has written three books, writes a syndicated newspaper column and has appeared on radio call-in shows as well as a variety of publications.

Dr. Farmer has also recently announced his retirement, and the SFA Annual Conference will likely be his last farm group appearance. SFA Communications Coordinator Jason Walker chatted with Dr. Farmer recently, and he said he was excited to speak at the SFA Annual Conference. “I have a feeling of kinship and caring with farm families and the hard work and the creativity and ingenuity they have in living their lives and doing what they do, and I also know that it’s hard,” he said. “I want to share some ideas on how to deal with some of the things that come along that make life harder than they think it should be, and also how to cope better.”

Session Information

Click this link for a detailed schedule (more sessions may be added): Annual Conference Session Schedule

Session details:

• Farm Transitions: Thinking of transitioning into or out of farming? This session, presented in conjunction with Renewing the Countryside, University of Minnesota Extension and the Risk Management Agency and led by Kent Solberg, will give you some food for thought and show you some creative ways to get more out of that transition. Topics include:

1. Farm business transfer strategies
2. Tax issues related to the farm transfer
3. Wills, trusts, life insurance, power-of-attorney, long-term care
4. Developing a written transfer plan
5. Treatment of heirs in the transfer process

• Another fantastic Culinary Training session: Last year, Mary Jane MIller hosted a very popular cooking tract at our conference. She’s on schedule for a repeat performance next month. You won’t want to miss it! Her sessions include:

1. Making Pasta and Noodles at Home, with Mary Jane Miller and Martha Ziemer – Use up extra eggs and stock your freezer or pantry with home made pastas. Learn the basics of creating a silky basic dough then explore how to add herbs, spices or vegetable purees to make vibrant colors and bright fresh flavors. Next we’ll learn how to cut, shape fill and store our creations. Last but not least you’ll get a chance to sample what we’ve learned.
2. Meet the Cheesemaker: Keith Adams of Alemar Cheese – Alemar Cheese is founded on the premise that great ingredients coupled with patience, knowledge and passion can produce extraordinary results. In early 2008, I began sketching out a plan to make small batches of soft-ripened artisan cheese. After careful research, study, and counsel from some of the finest minds in the field, I started production in late April. Our first cheese, Bent River, is in the style of Camembert. Named for the sharp turn of the Minnesota River a few hundred yards from our production site, it has a creamy interior and loads of flavor. Mary Jane will be on hand to offer some ways to enjoy this luxurious cheese and of course, well be sampling. Check out Keith’s blog and all about how to find his cheese here: alemarcheese.blogspot.com.
3. Growing and Cooking Minnesota Mushrooms: Kevin Doyle, owner, Forest Mushrooms – Established in 1985, Forest Mushrooms is a Minnesota company engaged in the research, cultivation and distribution of edible (cultivated fresh, harvested wild and dried) specialty mushrooms. We particularly specialize in the production of oyster mushrooms, and more recently, in growing shiitake mushrooms. Forest Mushroom production facilities are located in St. Joseph. Kevin will show how the mushrooms are grown and Mary Jane Miller will join him in cooking up some delights for you to try. We’ll make simple sautéed mushrooms with cream and pan seared sirloin dusted with dry shiitake powder.

• Meat Processing Facilities in Minnesota: What needs to happen to increase the number of inspected facilities? Are you having trouble finding a meat processor close to your farm? SFA Executive Director John Mesko will be discussing our meat processing project, and what you can do to be involved. Let’s work together to solve this.
• Farm Bill 2012 Update: Learn about what’s new in this very important legislation, and how did the super committee work? Brad Redlin, from the Isaak Walton League, is going to be sharing with us his expertise on the 2012 Farm Bill legislation, what it means for sustainable and organic farmers and how you can be involved. This ties in nicely with our public policy survey, which is open NOW.
• Diet, Stress, and Health: Let’s go just a bit further in dealing with the difficulties of farming by taking a look at diet and its impact, along with stress, on our health. Dr. Tatiana Riobokin is back for another session of Diet, Stress and Health. Last year, we didn’t have room for all the folks who wanted to attend her session, so this year we’ve put her in a larger room.
• Beginning Farmer Curriculum Update: The University of Minnesota has been working with SFA to develop beginning farmer curriculum. See a preview and help shape the project for the future.
• Growing Hazelnuts: Hazelnuts are capable of both food and biomass production; learn more in this session from Phillip Rutter of Badgersett Research.
• Raw Milk Research: Lindsay Ganong, College of Saint Benedict senior in Nutrition Dietetics, presents “History and Research: What are the effects of  raw vs. pasteurized milk on the growth and fertility of a colony of mice?”
• Legal issues: Sarah Jewell describes the basic legal requirements for enclosing large animals on your farm, liabilities for farmers when their animals cause damage, and best practices for prevention. It will also cover basic legal issues regarding workers’ compensation insurance coverage and liabilities including the “family farm” exception.
• Thinking of going organic? Midwest Organic Services Association (MOSA) will be on hand to discuss organic certification.  How to and when to do it.