SFA has more good news this year on the funding front! In June of 2025 we applied for a second National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) Conservation Partners Program grant to increase our ability to offer educational events and more regenerative technical assistance through our Farmer-to-Farmer Consulting Program. We got word earlier this spring that we were awarded the grant and we just recently signed the paperwork and have started working on this project. Our original “Expanding Regenerative Grazing in the Upper Mississippi River Watershed” grant focuses primarily on fostering the adoption of regenerative grazing practices in the Upper Mississippi River Watershed. The addition of the NFWF Great Plains Grant allows SFA to work with more diversified farming and ranching operations in the Great Plains work area (think eastern Dakotas, western Minnesota, and Northern Iowa). But what does this mean for SFA, our staff, and our community members? While good grazing management certainly has positive environmental and climatological effects downstream, we believe that helping more farmers in the cropping sector adopt soil health practices will have far more immediate transformative impacts on our Upper Midwest ecosystem and farm economy. Soil erosion through wind and water, overapplication of fertility, lack of soil cover, tillage…our team is poised to help farmers shift from these common scenarios by applying regenerative practices, and effectively move the Great Plains agricultural ecosystem to a regenerative farming culture.
The Sustainable Farming Association is seeking applicants for a new part time position with benefits. The Great Plains Events and Programming Coordinator is responsible for planning and coordinating the logistics and administration of educational events and programming for SFA's Conservation Partners grants. Working closely with the Farmer Education Director, consultants, and host farmers, this position ensures workshops, field days, roadshows, and other educational events are well organized, professionally executed, and delivered successfully throughout the four-state project region. This position serves as the central coordinator for project logistics, internal communications, scheduling, and event administration, allowing SFA's technical staff and farmer-consultants to focus on delivering high-quality educational programming content. This position will also occasionally be called upon to support other SFA events and initiatives. Occasional travel to events around western Minnesota, the eastern Dakotas, and northern Iowa is part of the job. Those events may be scheduled on an evening or weekend, although that doesn’t happen often. This position is funded for three years, with the potential for continued employment after the grant ends. Click here to see the full position description. Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter detailing why you would be an ideal candidate for this position to Jonathan Kilpatrick - jonathan@sfa-mn.org . Applications that do not include a cover letter will not be considered. Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled. The Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Managing Grazing for Drought By Patrick Toomey | SFA Grazing Education Lead
