Ear to the Ground 209: Soil, Climate & Beer

How outdoor clothing company Askov Finlayson is connecting soil smart farming with its desire to turn back the carbon clock.

Upcoming Events

September 2024

Saturday September 14

10:00 am – 12:00 pm: Multi-species Pasture Walk
Saturday September 14
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Multi-species Pasture Walk
Meadow Hill Farm, 1359A, 100th St., Amery, WI

The NW Wisconsin Graziers Network, River Country RC & D, and UW-Madison Extension invite you to a multi-species pasture walk hosted by Meadow Hill Farm seven miles north of Amery in Polk County on Saturday, Sept. 14, from 10 a.m. to noon. This educational event will emphasize developing silvopasture, planting trees and perennials, NRCS cost-share programs, small ruminants, pastured laying hens, direct marketing, out wintering, bale grazing, soil health, permaculture and regenerative agriculture principles.

The host farm is home to Dave Engen and Justine Hinderliter and their family, doing business as Meadow Hill Farm. They raise grass fed sheep (50) and goats (36) and pastured laying hens (50). Their locally processed meat and eggs are marketed directly to customers.

The Engen family has been at this location for 2.5 years and are focused on a variety of techniques for improving soil fertility, forest utilization, and pastures through building the soil food web. The operation consists of about 130 acres with 30 acres in rotated pastures and hayfields and the remainder in mature woods along the Apple River.

Use of high-tensile perimeter fencing, temporary livestock netting, and predator control challenges will be discussed, along with answering any and all questions from pasture walk participants.

The farm is enrolled in several NRCS cost share programs, including: winter waterer and heavy use area, underground water pipe, surface water pipe, perimeter fence, cross fence, interseeding, silvopasture windbreaks, and rotational grazing. NRCS cost-share programs will be discussed and shown on the farm tour.

Dave has developed a diversified direct marketing program that includes farmers markets, e-commerce, on-farm sales, and networking with targeted communities of customers to support direct sales to people seeking specific diets.

The farm is located at 1359A, 100^th St., Amery in central Polk County. From Hwy 8 north of Amery take county H north (the first road north after the junction with highway 46 south), go north about 0.5 mile and turn left into driveway, a dirt road on the south border of the Browtine Restaurant’s parking lot. Watch for the signs.

For more information, contact Dave at 415-867-7577, Becky Brathal, UW-Madison Extension Regional Crops Educator, at 651-302-6520, or Lynn Johnson at 715-225-9882 with NW Graziers.
3:00 pm – 8:00 pm: LSP-COPAL Farm Event
Saturday September 14
3:00 pm – 8:00 pm
LSP-COPAL Farm Event
53504 173rd St, Austin, MN 55912
On Saturday, Sept. 14, from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., LSP and COPAL (Communities Organizing Latine Power and Action) are collaborating on a special event at the Ruth and Jon Jovaag farm near Austin, Minn. We will participate in a tour of the farm, dance to live music, and share a farm-to-table community meal. The event will be potluck style, so please bring a dish to share during our meal!

For more information and to register, click here.

Únase a COPAL y al Land Stewardship Project para un Día de familia y granja en Austin, Minnesota. Participaremos en una visita a la granja de la familia Jovaag, bailaremos con música y compartiremos una comida comunitaria de la granja a la mesa. El evento será al estilo pot luck, ¡así que por favor traigan un plato para compartir durante nuestra comida!

Questions? Contact LSP’s Clara Sanders at csanders@landstewardshipproject.org.

Wednesday September 18

4:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Celebración de la Cosecha (Harvest Celebration) at Sharing Our Roots
Wednesday September 18
4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Celebración de la Cosecha (Harvest Celebration) at Sharing Our Roots
Sharing Our Roots Farm, 4905 315th St W, Northfield, MN 55057, USA
Join Sharing Our Roots Farm for a celebration of harvest season with cultural dancers, delicious food, garden tours, conversations with growers, and an emerging farmers’ market. This is a free public event. The emerging farmers’ market will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.. The Harvest Celebration will be from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. For details and to register, click here.
5:30 pm – 8:00 pm: Grazing for Soil Health & Conservation
Wednesday September 18
5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Grazing for Soil Health & Conservation
Redwood River Farms, 2866 County Road 35, Marshall, MN 56258
You’re invited to an evening at Redwood River Farms on Wednesday, Sept. 18, from 5:30 p.m.-8 p.m. Join Allen and Kathleen Deutz of Redwood River Farms (Marshall, MN) and the Sustainable Farming Association’s Jonathan Kilpatrick for an evening dedicated to discussing adaptive grazing and its benefits for soil health, conservation, and wildlife.

Allen and his family cultivate row crops like corn, soybeans, and small grains (both organic and conventional) and raise beef cattle, hogs, sheep, and goats. There will be a tour of the farm to see livestock grazing in various settings, exploring how Allen integrates livestock into his cropping rotation whenever possible. There will also be an examination of annuals planted for grazing, perennial pastures, and a special grazing project on Minnesota Department of Natural Resources land.

Discussion Topics:

– Annual forage mixes
– Perennial seeding strategies
– Sheep and goat grazing
– Cow/calf production
– Grazing infrastructure development
– Economics of grazing
– Organic cropping rotations

Registration: It is free to attend. Advance registration is appreciated, and walk-ups are welcome. For details and to register, click here.

Saturday September 21

10:00 am – 4:00 pm: Morris Wetland Prairie Seed Harvesting
Saturday September 21
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Morris Wetland Prairie Seed Harvesting
Morris Wetland Management District, 43875 230th St, Morris, MN 56267, USA
The Morris Wetland Management District invites people to help with prairie seed harvest days. Registration is required. For more information and to register, e-mail Sara at sara_vacek@fws.gov or 320-288-3773.

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