AFTON, Minn. — A farm tour on “Season Extension and Farm Efficiency” will be held Saturday, April 27, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at 10th Street Farm and Market, in Afton (13197 10th St. South). This event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP by April 24 here or by contacting Annelie Livingston-Anderson at 507-523-3366 or annelie@landstewardshipproject.org.

Hallie Anderson of 10th Street Farm and Market uses a combination of low acreage-high production vegetable farming methods, organic practices, and season extension tools to grow for her Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operation, as well as wholesale and farm stand customers.

Season extension at 10th Street Farm and Market includes greenhouses, unheated hoop houses, caterpillar tunnels, and low tunnels to grow in all four seasons in USDA Zone 4. By extending the season, the farm is able to maintain a market niche and provide a more balanced year-round income.

By implementing “lean” practices recently popularized in the agricultural community by the book The Lean Farm by Ben Hartman, Anderson has been able to increase efficiency and drastically reduce labor costs on her farm. This tour will provide insights into how 10th Street Farm and Market achieves significant savings on two things farmers always need more of: time and money.

This farm tour is being organized by the Land Stewardship Project’s Farm Beginnings program in partnership with the Minnesota Food Association. For more information about the Land Stewardship Project’s suite of beginning farmer education, training and networking resources, click here.

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