Dirt Rich Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota

Click here to learn more and register for the upcoming workshop with Charlotte Smith. 
 
Charlotte Smith swore she would never return to farming after a very difficult family farm bankruptcy while growing up. Spoiler: After some time working in the corporate world, she started a farm in 2009. She found that the time management, hiring, and interpersonal skills she had learned also really benefited her farm business. Others noticed too, and in 2013 she started teaching marketing to fellow farmers.
 
According to Smith, the longest-standing principle of marketing is connecting in person. Digital marketing is not a substitute, although it is a very valuable tool that she helps farmers learn to use productively. Challenging a common farmer belief of "I don't like people, that's why I became a farmer!", she believes that as farmers build relationships and connect in person with others, they start thinking about people and their farm product differently, and they start showing up better. Sales follow.
 
If you like what you learn in this episode, you may want to join our upcoming workshop! Learn more and register for the April 18, 2024 workshop with Charlotte Smith in St. Joseph, Minnesota: https://sfa-mn.org/events/three-crucial-steps-to-build-your-profitable-farm-with-charlotte-smith/
 
Charlotte's recommendations:
Mailchimp
Mailer Lite
Flodesk
Squarespace
Wix
Square
CharlotteMSmith.com

 
Charlotte Smith
Jonathan Kilpatrick, SFA Farmer Education Director
The viewpoints of the speakers expressed within or outside of this episode do not necessarily reflect the goals and mission of SFA.
Dirt Rich is produced by the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota.
If you enjoy Dirt Rich, consider supporting our work by becoming a member of SFA or donating at www.sfa-mn.org.

Dan Kittredge grew up on a homestead with a family deeply engaged in the organic movement. Over the years, he worked on farms across the globe and learned from permaculture, biodynamic, agroecology, indigenous, conventional, and microbiological perspectives.
With a foundation in both the practical and the philosophical, he created the Bionutrient Food Association (BFA) in 2010, who makes it their mission to "increase quality in the food supply." If you've heard of the concept of "nutrient-dense foods," you might already be familiar with some of BFA's work.
The Sustainable Farming Association (SFA) is excited to be partnering with BFA to host Kittredge for a two-day "Principles of Biological Systems" workshop on January 26 & 27, 2024 in Elk River, Minnesota. Don't worry about sitting in front of a slide presentation for the whole weekend -- the workshop will be highly interactive and suitable for anyone who grows anything. Bring your questions and expect to leave with a better understanding of living systems and practical tools to make a positive impact on your plant and soil health. Learn more and register here.
 
Dan Kittredge, Bionutrient Food Association Executive DirectorJonathan Kilpatrick, SFA Farmer Education Director
 
Resources:
Bionutrient Food Association
Bionutrient Institute
 

 
The viewpoints of the speakers expressed within or outside of this episode do not necessarily reflect the goals and mission of SFA.
Dirt Rich is produced by the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota.
If you enjoy Dirt Rich, consider supporting our work by becoming a member of SFA or donating at www.sfa-mn.org.

Derek Schmitz has never dreamt of being anything other than a farmer. He also really doesn't like doing field work. An adaptively managed, perennial grazing dairy just makes sense. 
In this conversation Schmitz shares how fellow dairy farmers helped him get started, and how genetics, observation and building his own farm team through the Minnesota Dairy Initiative have been key to his success -- and has even reduced his labor by about half.
 
Jonathan Kilpatrick, SFA Farmer Education Director
Derek Schmitz, SFA Minnesota Dairy Initiative Coordinator
 
Resources:
-MDI Website
-Newman Turner books
-"Farm as Ecosystem" by Jerry Brunetti
-"Dirt to Soil" by Gabe Brown
-"Building a Profitable Dairy Herd"
 

 
The viewpoints of the speakers expressed within or outside of this episode do not necessarily reflect the goals and mission of SFA.
Dirt Rich is produced by the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota.
If you enjoy Dirt Rich, consider supporting our work by becoming a member of SFA or donating at www.sfa-mn.org.

Jeff Duchene is a Grazing Specialist for the Minnesota NRCS, which offers both financial and technical assistance to producers to help them meet their land management goals and address their natural resource concerns.
In conversation with host Jonathan Kilpatrick, Duchene shares how his formal education combined with years of learning directly from producers has been foundational in his career: "I think every producer I've worked with over the years I've learned something from."
The pair also discuss the process of applying for NRCS programs like EQIP, and pointers and resources available to help navigate the current drought.
 
Jonathan Kilpatrick, SFA Soil Health Lead
Jeff Duchene, NRCS Grazing Specialist, Minnesota
 
Resources: 
NRCS website
Cropland Grazing Exchange 
Midwest Grazing Exchange
MN NRCS YouTube channel
September 2023 Grazing School
Send us an email at info@sfa-mn.org.
 
The viewpoints of the speakers expressed within or outside of this episode do not necessarily reflect the goals and mission of SFA.
Dirt Rich is produced by the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota.
If you enjoy Dirt Rich, consider supporting our work by becoming a member of SFA or donating at www.sfa-mn.org.

Five SFA farm consultants from across Minnesota discuss how they are approaching and planning ahead for drought conditions on their varying grazing operations. While conditions have changed since this conversation was recorded in early June 2023, their goals and decision-making strategies are evergreen.
Listeners are welcome to reach out with questions. Drop us a line! SFA also offers our members on-farm coaching and consulting. Get started here.
Drought can be a real source of stress for farmers. Minnesota has resources to help you cope. Reach the Minnesota Farm and Rural Helpline at 833-600-2670, or text FARMSTRESS to 898211, or email farmstress@state.mn.us. More information and additional resources are available here.
 
Jonathan Kilpatrick, Soil Health Lead
Derek Schmitz, MN Dairy Initiative (MDI) Coordinator
Angie Walter, Central Minnesota Education Coordinator, DGA; Agricultural Water Quality Certification Project Outreach Coordinator
Doug Voss, Grazing Lead
Tyler Carlson, Silvopasture & Agroforestry Project Lead
 
Resources:
Contact your county’s FSA office for more information on opportunities and deadlines described in this episode.
Cropland Grazing Exchange
Midwest Grazing Exchange
Minnesota Department of Agriculture Drought Resources
 
The viewpoints of the speakers expressed within or outside of this episode do not necessarily reflect the goals and mission of SFA.
Dirt Rich is produced by the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota.
If you enjoy Dirt Rich, consider supporting our work by becoming a member of SFA or donating at www.sfa-mn.org.

Jonathan Kilpatrick and Jared Luhman return to the mic to explore farm financial health.
Doing a thorough business analysis can help you clearly identify specifically where your profits and losses lie across your enterprises, and in turn help you make confident decisions for your farm’s future. In their experience, the time you take to get a handle on your numbers usually pays itself back quickly in labor and input costs.
The pair walk through some definitions, the components to consider in a financial analysis, on-farm examples, and provide a foundation for listeners to gain a clearer picture of their farm business.
Find information about SFA's on-farm consults here, and Ranching for Profit School here. And, join us at an event to learn and connect with fellow farmers and food supporters!
 
Jonathan Kilpatrick, Soil Health Specialist, SFA
Jared Luhman, Soil Health Lead, SFA
 
The viewpoints of the speakers expressed within or outside of this episode do not necessarily reflect the goals and mission of SFA.
Dirt Rich is produced by the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota.
If you enjoy Dirt Rich, consider supporting our work by becoming a member of SFA or donating at www.sfa-mn.org.