February 7, 2001

Coffee in Context: Sustainable Agriculture, Fair Trade, and Social Change in Chiapas , Mexico
Attendees: 51

February 14, 2001

February 21, 2001

February 28, 2001

March 7, 2001

Reinventing Agriculture: Woody Perennials for Mainstream Food Production
Attendees: 30

March 14, 2001

March 14, 2001

March 21, 2001

April 4, 2001

Weed Control and Phosphorus Mobilization Following a Plowdown of Buckwheat, Sorghumsudangrass, and Oats/Peas
Attendees: 18

April 11, 2001

April 18, 2001

Alternative Management Options ofr Sustainable Livestock Production in Minnesota
Attendees: 15

April 25, 2001

Bill Wilke, Dept. of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MISA

May 2, 2001

September 12, 2001

September 19, 2001

September 26, 2001

October 3, 2001

October 10, 2001

The Midwest Food Alliance : Promoting Sustainability and Community Health Through Eco-Labeling
Attendees: 26

October 17, 2001

November 7, 2001

November 14, 2001

November 15, 2001

November 16, 2001

November 16, 2001

November 28, 2001

Farming the City: The Status of Urban Agriculture in Vancouver, Canada
Attendees: 22

December 5, 2001

December 12, 2001

January 23, 2002

January 30, 2002

February 6, 2002

Current and Proposed Alternative Fuels from Minnesota- Grown Feedstocks

February 13, 2002

February 20, 2002

Urban Lands and Community Gardening in Minneapolis and St. Paul: A Sustainable Solution

February 27, 2002

March 6, 2002

March 27, 2002

April 3, 2002

April 10, 2002

April 17, 2002

May 1, 2002

May 1, 2002

May 8, 2002

September 13, 2002

August 6, 2002

October 2, 2002

October 9, 2002

October 31, 2002

January 29, 2003

March 26, 2003

April 2, 2003

April 10, 2003

April 16, 2003

April 30, 2003

September 10, 2003

September 17, 2003

September 24, 2003

October 1, 2003

October 8, 2003

October 15, 2003

October 22, 2003

October 29, 2003

November 12, 2003

Aleh Rodzkin, Assistant Professor, Department of Ecology, Belarusan National Technical University & Fellow of FSA

November 19, 2003

December 3, 2003

December 10, 2003

Non-profits and Small-scale Sustainable Agriculture Projects in Senegal : Overview of a Costal Women's Permaculture Garden

January 21, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m., 306 Borlaug Hall

Feb. 18, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m., 306 Borlaug Hall

Deirdre Davis

Feb. 25, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m., 306 Borlaug Hall

Forum on Agroecology

March 3, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m., 306 Borlaug Hall

March 10, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m., 306 Borlaug Hall

March 24, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m., 306 Borlaug Hall

Agricultural Pesticides & Environmental Health

September 15
12-1, 306 Borlaug Hall

Jared Ashling and David Campbell

WUSA Fall Kick-Off Tour of the Summer Student Garden Plot

Students, Jared Ashling and David Campbell will give us a tour of the student garden plot WUSA grew over the summer months. Showing off some of the methods and practices used to produce a bountiful fall harvest which you'll get to taste! Plus get a preview of upcoming WUSA events and meet others interested in sustainable agriculture!

September 18
11-4:30, off Campus

Field day at Garden Farme

Contact us at wusa@umn.edu for a ride!

September 22
12-1, 306 Borlaug Hall

Dina Kountoupes

Summer Internship with Lakota Traditional Gardener and Herbalist Paul Red Elk

Over the summer Dina worked with Paul Red Elk in helping implement Lakota teaching gardens at the Gibb's Farm and Museum as well as the MN Science Museum. Paul Red Elk was raised by his Lakota grandparents who were both medicine people. He is now an Herbalist himself who teaches and implements medicinal uses of plants and Lakota healing. Dina helped Paul install turtle-shaped effigy gardens that demonstrated the medicinal plants used in his Lakota tradition for healing. She learned the application of many native plants as well as a way of thinking that defines the paradigm for health and healing to which the Lakota traditions adhere. Paul and Dina also installed traditional Lakota/Dakota vegetable gardens where she learned about agricultural practices and food that have been traditionally used by those cultures. Join us for a virtual tour of Dina's summer internship.

September 29
11:30-12:30, 306 Borlaug Hall

Nadine Lehrer

Beef, Trees, and Tural Policy: a Summer Internship in Western Minnesota

October 6
11:30-12:30, Borlaug Hall

Satish Gupta

Sediment Contributions from Flat Lands vs. Stream Banks

There is considerable debate as to the source of sediment (upland vs. river bank erosion) in the Minnesota River basin . This reason for this debate is that a significant portion of the land in the Minnesota River Basin is relatively flat. For example, over 33% and 74% of the land area are less than 2% and 6% slopes, respectively. The Blue Earth River Basin , represents 26% of the area but contributes about 55% of the sediment load to the Minnesota River at Mankato . In this basin, 54% and 96% of the area are less than 2% and 6% slopes, respectively. In this presentation, we report the results of our studies on sediment losses from poorly drained flat lands vs. bank erosion. Upland sediment losses were characterized from Webster clay loam soil at Lamberton , MN . Sediment losses from stream banks were characterized along the main stem of the Blue Earth River .

October 20
12:00-1:00, 306 Borlaug Hall

Marjorie Ross

The 2004 Community Food and Farm Festival: Linking Farmers and Consumers

Have you ever wondered why supermarket tomatoes are small, hard and white even in the middle of August when people with gardens are overrun with red, tasty, summer tomatoes? Or why the supermarket shelves are filled with New Zealand apples in the heart of Minnesota apple season?? In the Twin Cities, consumers are lucky enough to have a huge range of local, sustainably-produced foods available to them. So how do farmer and consumer find one another? The Community Food and Farm Festival is an annual event put on by Land Stewardship Project and various other collaborators designed to bring local, direct-marketing farmers together with the consumers who want their products. This talk will focus on the 2004 Festival and my internship experience as the event coordinator.

October 20
12:00-1:00, 306 Borlaug Hall

Melissa Pawlisch

Engaging Communities in Energy Planning through CERTs

The Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) seeks to give citizens a voice in the energy planning process by connecting them with the necessary technical resources to develop regional strategic energy plans and to identify and implement community-scale renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. The project, a collaboration between the University of Minnesota's Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships, the Minnesota Project, MN Department of Commerce, the Rural Minnesota Energy Task Force (Southwest), and the Metro Area Energy Task Force, has been underway since last September and is working toward a June 2005 deadline to develop the regional strategic energy plans. This presentation will discuss the make up of each of the regional teams and how they have come together to develop goals for their energy future and establish regional renewable energy and energy efficiency project priorities.

Come and share your thoughts on the regional project priorities and discuss how other research, programs, stakeholders and initiatives might relate to or inform the CERTs team's efforts.

October 21
3:00, 33 McNeal Hall

Francis Thicke

Ecology as a Model for Agriculture

October 27
12:00-1:00, 306 Borlaug Hall

Corrie Zoll

The Green Institute's Projects:
The new rooftop garden, our rain garden, our prairie restoration, parking lot green strips, rain barrels, composting workshops, and the Hennepin County Eco-Yard Demonstration Site that will be installed next spring.

November 3
12:00-1:00, 306 Borlaug Hall

Mary Jo Forbord

Citizen Task Force Report on Defending Township Control and Promoting Independent Livestock Producers: A report by the Citizens Task Force on Livestock Farmers and Rural Communities

The vision we choose for livestock expansion or enhancement will have profound and far-reaching effects on livestock farmers, rural communities and our Minnesota landscape. Ultimately, our decisions now will shape the quality, diversity and source of our food supply for generations to come.

Four farm groups (Sustainable Farming Association, Minnesota Farmer's Union, National Farmers Organization of Minnesota and the Land Stewardship Project) have come together to form the Citizens Task Force. Recently released recommendations are built on principles of sustainability for farmers, consumers, community and the environment. The Citizens Task Force is currently receiving input from the people of Minnesota on the recommendations

November 10
12:00-1:00 306 Borlaug Hall

TBA

November 17 12:00-1:00, 306 Borlaug Hall

Steve Simmons and Co.

Argoecosystems Analysis Summer Course

December 1
12:00-1:00, 306 Borlaug Hall

TBA

December 8
12:00-1:00, 306 Borlaug Hall

TBA

Future of Food

The Future of Food offers an in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade. From the prairies of Saskatchewan , Canada to the fields of Oaxaca , Mexico , this film gives a voice to farmers whose lives and livelihoods have been negatively impacted by this new technology. The health implications, government policies and push towards globalization are all part of the reason why many people are alarmed about the introduction of genetically altered crops into our food supply. Shot on location in the U.S. , Canada and Mexico , The Future of Food examines the complex web of market and political forces that are changing what we eat as huge multinational corporations seek to control the world's food system. The film also explores alternatives to large-scale industrial agriculture, placing organic and sustainable agriculture as real solutions to the farm crisis today. The Future of Food reveals that there is a revolution going on in the farm fields and on the dinner tables of America , a revolution that is transforming the very nature of the food we eat.

The Buzz about Bees, Honey and Pollination

MN, SD, and ND, are the top honey producing states in the nation based on yield per colony. The majority of the commercial beekeepers in the Upper Midwest are “migratory” meaning that they transport their colonies every winter either to southern states (TX, MS, LA) where they breed new queen bees and produce bulk bees for sale, or to CA where the bees are used to pollinate almond and citrus orchards. The beekeepers transport their colonies back to the Upper Midwest for the summer to produce large honey crops primarily from clover, alfalfa, canola, and basswood trees. The number of bee colonies and beekeepers is steadily declining due to the introduction of the parasitic mite, Varroa destructor into the U.S. in 1987, which can kill bee colonies within 1-2 years if left untreated. Part of the research focus in Marla's lab is on breeding bees for resistance to these mite pests to reduce or eliminate beekeepers' use of pesticide treatments. Marla will discuss the current state of bees and beekeeping in MN and the US , and how beekeepers are finally starting to adopt our line of bees and more sustainable practices.

Do you wish you knew which plants were nitrogen fixers for your soil, which plants provide habitat for pheasants and were good for purifying water and preventing erosion, which plants are compatible with hazelnuts and have an economic return in 2 years?

Sustainable Agriculture and Sustainable Politics

New approaches to farming often take policies to match. And policies come through politics. This session will explore the links in the coming political season between sustainable agriculture and our democratic process.

May 4

Aura Labarre, Garden Student Education Coordinator

Michael Fields Agricultural Institute Opportunities in Biodynamics, Organics and More!

9/7/05

Allan Lavalier, Gardening Educator from Grow Biointensive

9/14/05

9/28/05

David Nelson

Sustainability in Sweden: what can we learn? David Nelson just returned from a year of studying sustainability in Sweden. Come hear what he has learned. The state of sustainability in Sweden is impressive, has a long history and they have made impressive hopeful progress. How do we translate this sustainablity work from a Swedish Social Democratic culture into a rugged US capitalistic society?  What are the messages that have currency here? Where can we expect leadership? Some of you may know David as an experienced private consultant who is a regular off-campus WUSA participant, and has consulted from time to time with MISA and other U of M initiatives. His primary work is with private companies, foundations and NGO's on environment, health and sustainability.

10/5/05

Sunny Johnson of White Earth Village

Local Foods Challenge. As of September 1st 2005, 5 people from the White Earth Village including Sunny Johnson have taken on the Local Foods Challenge. For the next year they will each only eat foods from within a 250 mile radius of where they live, with 12 non-local exemption foods allowed. Come find out more about their goals, reasons for taking on this challenge and how the first month has been. Information will also be on hand for the dine fresh, dine local event on October 11th that anyone can participate in.

10/12/05

Paul Porter, Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics

10/19/05

Organic Education Opportunities: The Michael Fields Experience. This informal lecture will offer a visual overview of Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, its mission & many programs with an emphasis on education.  The Garden Student Program teaches practical skills for farm, garden and horticultural vocations. The program's participants learn the fundamentals of organic and biodynamic agriculture while being exposed to a variety of farming systems through tours, lectures and hands-on experiences. Students gain the basic skills required for beginning farmers in training and are apart of the revitalization of agriculture by promoting viable, sustainable alternatives to conventional farming practices.

10/26/05

Creating an Educational Sustainable Agriculture Farm Experience. Gale Woods Farm, is a working educational farm that is part of the Three Rivers Park District situated on 410 Acres in Minnetrista, MN. Their focus is on connecting people to the source of their food on a small diverse farm that uses sustainable, contemporary farming methods. The farm aims to provide opportunities for visitors of all ages to enjoy experiences that enhance their understanding of agriculture, food production and land stewardship. Courtney Tchida worked on creating a directory of sustainable agriculture curriculum for K-12 students that will be unveiled at the seminar in addition to a discussion on how other university students and faculty can get involved at Gale Woods Farm.

11/2/05

11/9/05

Deborah Garrido, Graduate Student in Nutrition

11/16/05

Nadine Lehrer,
Graduate Student in Natural Resources Science Management

“Soybeans in the Amazon? Environment and trade links in Brazilian and U.S. agribusiness” American farmers worry that Brazil’s expanding soybean production threatens U.S. agricultural dominance. Brazilian farmers complain that U.S. agricultural subsidies give American farmers unfair advantage in the global marketplace. Environmentalists and rainforest preservationists claim that soybean agriculture drives deforestation in the Amazon. Agribusinesses swear they have no interest in deforesting the Amazon and see themselves as hero figures in the Brazilian economy. Social movements see foreign multinationals and foreign environmentalists both as meddlers trying to secure territorial rights to the Amazon. Competition rhetoric and World Trade Organization suits are flying left and right. So, what’s going on here? And what does it have to do with sustainable agriculture and with the upcoming U.S. farm policy debates? We’ll hash it out at this week’s brownbag with pictures from summer predissertation research in Brazil.

11/30/05

12/7/05

Spring 2006

1/25/06

Organic Certification: Insights from a Summer Intern. The intricacies of organic certification can be a barrier to market entry for many hopeful organic producers. This summer, Rachael Dettmann completed an internship with the Minnesota Crop Improvement Association to understand the organic certification processes. Rachael will cover her summer experiences with MICA and give an overview of the certification process. She will also give examples of how this applied knowledge has been of help to the Student Farm, which is in transition for certification.

2/1/06

Luke Gran, exchange coordinator for International Association of Students in Agriculture and related sciences, US chapter, Iowa State University

IAAS gathers students studying, majoring or researching in agriculture and related areas like environmental sciences, forestry, food sciences, and landscape architecture. Its committees are spread in universities in over 40 countries worldwide. The aims of IAAS are to promote the exchange of knowledge, information and ideas among students, and to improve the mutual understanding between countries and cultures. To do this, IAAS organizes activities like seminars, working camps, international meetings, exchange weeks, an international exchange program and small-scale development projects. IAAS is place where agricultural students from all over the world meet each other, experience new mentalities and cultures, travel and see new places and learn about all aspects of agriculture together with their future colleagues.

2/8/06

Bill Wilcke, NCR-SARE regional coordinator

After going through a competitive bidding process, the University of Minnesota was selected as the new host institution for the NCR-SARE program. In this presentation, you'll learn about the NCR-SARE program and the opportunities that the program presents, and hear about the program's move to Minnesota.

2/15/06

Erin Tegtmeier, the executive director of the Experiment in Rural Cooperation

External Costs of Agriculture.

2/22/06

John Hooper, Yak Rancher

I have raised yak for 9 years, starting with a herd of 6 and now I have about 100. I have the largest herd in the Eastern half of North America. I sell breeding stock, meat, skulls, composted yak dung, fiber, felted products and the list is growing. I specialize in calm and tame animals. I will start calves on a bottle for those who want a very tame yak; this isn't offered by many ranchers. I now sell meat to 3 restaurants, 1 food co-op, 1 farmers market along with retailing out of my home. Raising and marketing yak is a new frontier, and the journey has been fun.

3/1/06

Joanne Berkenkamp, Minnesota Grown

Farm to School: institutional buying of Minnesota-grown food. Join this workshop to learn about recent research into opportunities for expanding institutional buying of Minnesota-grown food. Food Systems consultant JoAnne Berkenkamp will share results of two feasibility studies she has completed on Farm to School opportunities and prospects for expanding availability of local food in conference centers. JoAnne consults with farmer-owned businesses, non-profit organizations and foundations across the US. She focuses on promotion of locally and sustainably grown food and development of producer-owned food and farming businesses. JoAnne is on the Advisory Council of the Minnesota Grown program and is a past President of the Board at MISA and Mississippi Market natural foods coop.

3/8/06

Richard Bawden, Visiting Distinguished University Professor, Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies, Michigan State University

Land Care in Australia - The Epistemic Challenge of Sustainable Development. The speaker, Richard Bawden, was Dean of Agriculture and Rural Development at the University of Western Sydney Hawkesbury from the late nineteen seventies through to the early 90s. During this time, his College sought to provide scholarly foundations for the emerging Land Care movement in Australia and to develop competency profiles for the key role of Land Care Facilitators specifically, and 'systems agriculturalists' in general. In this seminar he will reflect critically on those experiences in 'systemic development' with an emphasis on what he personally learned through it all about the intellectual and moral challenges of 'education for sustainability'.

3/22/06

Paul Porter and Steve Simmons, Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics

Agroecosystems Analysis. This week Professors Steve Simmons and Paul Porter will present on the Agroecosystems Analysis course. This is a field-based "immersion" course that introduces students to the concept of the agroecosystem and their analysis with an underlying emphasis on sustainability. Students visit a number of farms of various types in Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska, as well as other historic and cultural sites of significance to this region. There is considerable time for discussions with farmers and students prepare oral and written analyses based on their observations and conclusions.

3/29/06

Steve Simmons, Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics

"I've been to the mountain...": Perspectives on Experiential and Community Learning from The Evergreen State College

4/5/06

Peat Willcutt, Urban Agrarian

Chickens in The City. Enjoy the freshest, tastiest, cruelty-free eggs every morning!!! Home poultry keeping, once a feature of 75-80% of American households, has since World War 2, fallen by the wayside. Backyard poultry has made a strong and surprising comeback due to a number of fascinating factors. Keeping a home flock of laying hens or ducks is so simple and rewarding you'll wonder why you didn't start your flock sooner. Peat will share his story of how he got interested in raising chickens in the city and will share some of the logistics of raising chickens in the city.

4/12/06

Dr. George Seielstad, University of North Dakota

Feeding the World Sustainably: The world faces the immense challenge of needing more than twice as much food by 2050 as is now produced. If that doubling occurs by doubling the land committed to agriculture, the consequences for biodiversity will be devastating. If it occurs by doubling yields from the most productive areas on the planet, a way must be found to minimize the environmental damage present production practices introduce. Yet another challenge is to reduce the amount of oil consumed to produce the food.In light of these challenges, the Center for People and the Environment at the University of North Dakota and its partners in the Upper Midwest Aerospace Consortium are working with producers throughout a 5-state region to find a path toward sustainable practices. Some success stories from farms and ranches in the region will be presented.

5/3/06

Students from AGRO 8900

Reflections on Agro 8900: an experimental graduate course on engaging science with complex public problems and the search for a sustainable future. We, members of the Agro 8900 class, have spent the semester coming to terms with what moving toward sustainability might imply, and how we might engage our skills as technical knowledge creators (e.g., as planners, ecologists, hydrologists, gardeners, educators, extension and otherwise) in sustainable development projects. Nobody can know the future, but feeling out paths toward sustainability still requires a certain understanding of the various possible futures we might plausibly face. Individual knowledge is regrettably often quite narrow and reductionist in contemporary society, so we have been learning how to engage with each others' viewpoints and knowledge. Our methods are inspired by systems thinking, such that our collective results would hopefully be much greater than the sum of the contributions offered by our individual perspectives. We cannot present to you a single key to sustainability, because it is unlikely that such a thing could exist, given the complexity of the world and the incomprehensible length of the future. Instead, we will present what we have attempted to do, methodologically, to engage collectively and systemically in search of sustainability, and to figure out what we should do in our present and future working lives, in response to our collective vision of possible futures.

Fall 2006

9/20/06

Lisa Kissing, Senior in Environmental Science

“Getting down and dirty with soil improvement in Ecuador” Welcome to Chota, Ecuador, a spicy Andean valley intermixed with indigenous, mestizo, and afroecuadorean cultures. Confronted with poor soils, scarce water, unstable economics, and mass migration, one NGO is going local to find solutions. Learn about the reality of farmers in what the US calls a “failed economic state”, and how local development can alleviate rural poverty.

10/4/07

"Voiced of Minnesota Farm Women" a film produced by Cynthia Vagnetti
and presented by the Land Stewardship Project

This 30 minute documentary tells the oral histories of Minnesota women currently involved in farming and local sustainable food systems. The movie, which was filmed on farms across Minnesota, aired on public television, the MOSES conference, and the 2006 SARE conference. Produced and directed by documentarian Cynthia Vagnetti, Voices features western Minnesota farmers Annette and Kay Fernholz of Madison; Paula Marti of Cambria; Robin Moore of Milan; and Bev Struxness, also of Milan. Also featured are Minnesota farmers Muriel French of Mantorville; Florence Minar of New Prague; Jean Peterson of Delano; Linda Noble of Kenyon; and Mary Doerr, also of Kenyon. The women represent a variety of farming enterprises, including dairy, beef, vegetables, flowers and wine grapes.

10/11/06

Amanda Stoelb

The Youth Farm and Market Project. Initially an upstart urban farming program, Youth Farm and Market Project has evolved to empower youth, build community, improve local food, and eradicate poverty. Learn about their urban organic agriculture endeavors in South Minneapolis and the West Side of St. Paul. Amanda will also discuss “Empty Bowls”, an upcoming event organized to raise awareness for hunger in the twin cities. Find out more at www.youthfarm.net.

10/25/06

Linda Meschke of Rural Advantage

Bio-Based Community Development: Madelia Bio-Based Eco-Industrial Resource Assessment. Madelia, MN is a small rural community in south central MN that is looking for a new model for community development that supports family farms, community and the environment. Rural Advantage, and other partners, have been working on an assessment of bio-based processing and renewable energy within a 25 mile radius of Madelia. Learn how the project analyzed the renewable energy potential for the community by assessing the amount, characteristics and costs of locally produced biomass energy and feedstock materials for new industrial development. The project implementation could support the development of viable rural communities that are less dependent on government, provide additional ecological services, and promote a social atmosphere of community.

11/1/06

Jim Riddle

1st IFOAM International Conference on Animals in Organic Production conference: "Lessons Learned at the IFOAM Organic Livestock Conference." I will summarize the state of science of organic livestock research, including topics such as antibiotic resistance in organic vs conventional animals; dairy herd health management; international standards developments; and humane treatment of organic animals.

11/8/06

Courtney Tchida- Student Program Coordinator for MISA and Cornercopia Interns

What's Up with Cornercopia Student Organic Farm! Take a virtual tour of the farm and see what's been happening on the farm this past season. Come find out what we tried, what worked and what didn't this season. We'll share and discuss our 100% on campus marketing strategy this season as well as share what opportunities are in store for students to get involved with the farm in the coming months.

11/15/06

Professor Ricardo Salvador of Iowa State University and the Kellogg Foundation

A Forum on Future Trends in Agroecology, Food Systems, Bioeconomy, Resilient Agroecosystems, and other Pressing Matters. Professor Ricardo Salvador is visiting the Agronomy and Plant Genetics Department on 11/15/06, helping the Department think strategically about how to develop its program and capacities in agroecology in the next 5 years.

Dr. Salvador is internationally known for his work in agroecology. He will share some perspectives on the future trends alluded to in the title, and then we will open up for dialogue on these critically important questions. Please come and lend your voice and viewpoints to this forum. Now is the time to help the Agronomy and Plant Genetics Department and CFANS determine how we will address future trends affecting the sustainable development of agriculture. We need to hear from you!

11/22/06

Alvaro Rivera- Director New Immigrant Agriculture Project

New Immigrant Agriculture. Over the course of its first four years, Minnesota Food Association’s New Immigrant Agriculture Project has successfully trained and educated over 250 Latino, Southeast Asian and African immigrants on the principles and methods of sustainable farming. The program provides the tools new farmers need to apply their agricultural expertise within the context of Minnesota’s climate and markets. Learn how this wildly successful program ensures the livelihoods of immigrants and the vitality of sustainable food systems in the state.

11/29/06

Marilyn Johnson, Graduate Student in Soils

Community, Cover Crops and Compost: Interviews with CSA Farmers. Marilyn will report on her internship with Land Stewardship Project, which included the production of an updated directory of CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farms that deliver to the Twin Cities area. She will also present information gathered this summer from some of these CSA farmers through questionnaires, visits and interviews, on the topics of how CSA farmers use compost and cover crops, and the commonalities and differences among the farms.

12/6/06

Bud Markhart, Department of Horticultural Science

Iceland and germany: Hort 4000 Explores Fire, Ice, Windmills, and Organic Food

Spring 2007

1/17/07

Carl Rosen, Dept. of Soil, Water, & Climate

Exploring the Benefits of Organic Nutrient Sources for Crop Production and Soil Quality. Since the advent of synthetic fertilizers, debate has questioned the impact of nutrient source on crop and soil quality. To promote plant growth as well as sustain soil quality, organic production champions organic nutrient sources like manure, compost, and green manures. Learn what the science says about the influence of organic nutrient sources on crop production and soil properties. Questions that will be addressed include: “What is really known?” “What is myth?” and “What are the real and documented benefits of organic production methods from a soil quality, crop quality, and environmental standpoint?”

1/24/07

Gary Reuter, Department of Entomology

Beekeeping and Sustainable Agriculture

2/14/07

Laurel Panser

German Farm Collectives. During a recent fellowship studying German culture, Laurel Panser had the opportunity to visit a collective farm of the former German Democratic Republic. This professor of human and economic geography will outline how sociopolitical contexts of the communist era formed collective farming systems in East Germany. Come learn how these remnants of communal agricultural continue to function after merging with the capitalist west.

2/21/07

Todd Churchill
Owner of Thousand Hills Cattle Company

The Role of for-Profit Business in Developing Sustainable Food Systems. There is a growing movement world-wide to build a new sustainable food system from scratch, with integrity. Reaching this goal requires an alignment of the objectives of key stakeholders. This alignment has proven to be more effective with a for-profit, closely held business model vs. a producer-owned coop model. However, neither model will produce a successful sustainable food system without leaders willing to do "food with integrity." Learn from Thousand Hills Cattle Company, a provider of locally-sourced 100% grass-fed beef, how for-profit business with a local and regional focus can build new food systems.

3/7/07

Reed Aubin, Sundays Energy's Development Director

Just how sustainable are biofuels? What makes biofuels "sustainable"? Sundays Energy is a Green Marketing Company focusing on Biofuels and Communications. With four years' experience in production, distribution, and marketing of Biodiesel and other Renewable Energy technologies, Sundays Energy works on the ground to put community-based, sustainable business solutions into action. Reed has a background in International Sustainable Development, Permaculture, Communications, and Cultural Studies.

3/28/07

Jo Williams, Women’s Environmental Institute

Demystifying Organic: What do food label claims really mean? Jo Williams from the Women's Environmental Institute Food will talk about the Farm Program at WEI and address what the organic standards and other food labeling claims really mean. Food labeling is enough to make a any conscientious shopper's head spin. Learn what food labels and claims such as Certified Organic, cage-free, and all-natural really mean. WEI is an environmental justice research, education, and advocacy nonprofit organization that runs a 100 members certified organic CSA farm, apple orchard, conducts a summer Organic Farm School course, and is leading an initiative to expand capacity for local value-added processing.

4/4/07

Jennifer Rule

A discussion of Agro 5999: Agroecosystems Analysis Field Course. Agro 5999: The Agroecosystems Analysis field course, examines elements that define sustainability for different agroecosystems in the Upper Midwest, in an effort to gain a clearer understanding of the definition of sustainability. The course encourages continued dialogue on the topic of sustainability through diverse farm visits, farmer interviews, and group synthesis. After participating in the course last August, Jenny will outline her visits to different farms around Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska and reveal the elements that the farmers believe define sustainability for their individual farms. These elements are then analyzed to develop clearly articulated objectives for sustainability. Learn how the unique framework of this course effectively engages students in the complexity of sustainable agriculture.

4/11/07

Courtney Tchida, MISA's Student Program Coordinator

Spin Farming and Growing Power: Small Scale Urban Farming Possibilities. A couple of weeks ago Courtney attended a 3-day workshop at the Michael Fields Institute and Growing Power and learned about a new method of growing called SPIN Farming as in Small Plot INtensive farming which has adapted commerical growing techniques for new urban farmers who lack land base or a high financial investment to get started. Courtney will share what she learned about this new method of growing and share her experience at Milwaukee's Growing Power Site which utilizes an intensive system of vermiculture, aquaponics and aquaculture to grow worm castings, tilapia and salad greens all in one space.

4/18/07

Jim Stordahl, Extension Educator

Weeds getting your goat? Get goats to get your weeds! How do you control noxious weeds at the headwaters of the Mississippi River without spraying herbicides? Use goats, of course! Jim Stordahl worked with personnel at Itasca State Park near Park Rapids, MN and with a meat goat owner from the Bagley area to graze goats right along the banks of the Mighty Mississippi where it emerges from Lake Itasca.

4/25/07

Peter Hinck, Graduate student in Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Diversifying the Madelia Region with Multifunctional Landscapes: A Pilot Study of Alternative Futures. Rural Advantage, a Fairmont-based nonprofit led by Linda Meschke, and the City of Madelia are working to create a new economic model for Minnesota communities. By combining perennial-based multifunctional agriculture with bioindustrial development, they hope to make the entire landscape - social, economic and environmental - sustainable for the long term. In the summer of 2006 a group of University faculty and students researched and modeled alternative landscape scenarios for the region around Madelia as a way to stimulate discussion about future land-use patterns in the area. Peter Hinck, one of the student researchers, will describe the interviews, site visits, and mapping data that the group used to create images of four “alternative futures” for Madelia. Rural Advantage and the City of Madelia have already begun to use these study results to help generate interest and debate as they work to develop the “Madelia Model.”