Educator Name

Affiliation

Attendance

Outcome

Brenda Postels

U of MN Extension, Wright County

Goat Camp in Lohn TX

Obtained necessary training in FAMACHA, a parasite monitoring system for sheep and goat producers.  Use of FAMACHA helps to determine the need for deworming individual animals, rather than deworming all animals and increasing the risk that worms will develop resistance due to overuse of dewormers.  U of MN Veterinary College has asked me to teach the FAMACHA training to their veterinary students.  I am currently only certified trainer in Upper Midwest, and have been asked to teach this technique to educators in other states as well as in Minnesota.

Liz Stahl

U of MN Extension, Worthington

Conservation Tillage Conference & Expo

Acquired timely information about conservation tillage research in corn on corn systems.  Use information in programming and research

Jim Paulson

(new educator)

Dairy Specialist, U of MN Extension, Hutchinson

Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference, Organic Dairy Field Day, Sust Farm Assoc of MN Conference and artisan cheese-making workshop

Visited multiple events to learn about organic dairy production and sustainable agriculture practices.  Made new contacts and took lead on submitting dairy grazing/nutrition grant proposals

Noreen Thomas

Organic farmer and youth educator

Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference

Learned latest on cover crops, soil quality, weed control.  Incorporated in demonstration plots for on-farm education program (4H and school visits—had over 600 people on farm in summer.  Specific outreach programs to Latino youth and Native American youth. Also demonstration for Master Gardeners working with youth and underserved audiences)

Deborah Torraine

Beginning farmer/youth educator

Beekeeping short course

Learned about beekeeping in cold climates for urban demonstration farms.  Learned how to reduce chemical use in beekeeping.  Starting urban beehives with community gardens next summer

Courtney Tchida

MISA, coordinator student farm, Master of Ag Ed student

Spin Farming and Growing Power workshop at Michael Fields Ag Institute

Learned about small intensive plot farming- which could be applied to a small farm scale situation or city lot. Learned a lot about vermicomposting, and aquaculture (of which I knew very little.)  Have conducted several programs sharing information since attending and used some principles in student organic farm

Emily Hoover

Professor, Extension Fruit Production

International Organic Tree Fruit Research Symposium (Michigan)

Learned methods to reduce pest incidence in tree fruits.  Made several good contacts so can share information about the many challenges of organic fruit production

Lynn Mader

U of MN Extension, Family  Nutrition

From Cafeterias to Capitol Hill: Growing Healthy Kids, Farms and Communities (CFSC annual meeting, Washington D.C.)

Learned about Farm to School programs in other states.  Many good contacts. Using some approaches in Willmar School program. Discovered resources and made contacts to further work in Minnesota.

Rosie Gonsalez

U of MN Extension, Family Nutrition

North Central Extension Urban Conference (Kansas City)

Learned how to better incorporate diversity and ag programming in my urban programming, including community gardening projects, master gardeners, and school gardening programs.

Rick Abrahamson

U of MN Extension, Horticulture

North Central Extension Urban Conference (Kansas City)

Learned how to better incorporate diversity and ag programming in my urban programming, including community gardening projects, master gardeners, and school gardening programs.

Patricia Copeland Lewis

AfroEco

Black Environmental Thought Conference (Tuskegee, AL)

Learn how to further AfroEco’s goals to organize opportunities for the communities of African descent to learn about, practice and lead in sustainable living

Louis Alemayehu

AfroEco

Black Environmental Thought Conference

Gain information and connections to African American proud agricultural traditions.  Bring to our urban and rural areas to increase food security, develop projects and networks of organic food growers of African heritage who can help to provide communities in the upper Midwest with healthy affordable food. Further Afro practices

Rose Brewer

AfroEco, U of MN

Black Environmental Thought Conference

Gain and share knowledge about Black environmental thought. Share information with communities of color in the North Central region in general and the Twin Cities in particular.

Derek Crompton

U of MN Extension, Roseau

National Compost Dairy Barn Conference

Was a beginner.  Gained information and developed contacts so that I can answer client questions, and incorporate into programming.

Kathy Kelley

Community Program Coordiantor, Alternative Learning Center

Growing Power: Commercial Urban Training Program

(Milwaukee, WI)

Need to learn skills necessary for urban farming in Aurora-St. Anthony neighborhood of St. Paul for work with youth.  Specifically I learned about year round greenhouse management, composting, vermiculture, marketing and financial planning and how to engage youth in the work.

Tom van der Linden

U of MN Extension, Winona

Institute for Conservation Leadership—Facilitation training

New educator, given challenge to work with alternative agriculture in my county.  Improved my ability to work on, lead and develop projects involving a variety of cooperating partners who have different agendas.

Diane Dodge

U of MN Extension Master Gardener

Growing Power/Risk ManagementAgency Conf on Risk Management Strategies for Small Farmers and Ranchers (Milwaukee, WI)

Connected with others involved in growing food in urban environments. Bring information back to share with partners connected to social justice in the food system.

Deborah Torraine

AfroEco and youth educator

Growing Power/RMA conference

Gained information about urban agriculture to move toward our goal as urban farmers to build a greenhouse in our community, helping to establish a model for food security.

Monique Askew

Common Roots Café Educational Programming coordinator

Growing Power/RMA conference

Learned a lot from Growing Power’s success in establishing multi-generational and multicultural communities that operate local food systems in urban areas.  Their facility was amazing—aquaponics, vermiculture, year-round green house production of salad greens and sprouts. Plan to offer presentation about Growing Power for our community.

Sally Auger

Dream of Wild Health, Executive Director

Growing Power/RMA conference

Greenhouse growing.  Hope to use some of their process in our own greenhouse and youth education project.

Donna LaChapelle

Dream of Wild Health, Program Manager

Growing Power/RMA conference

Learned a great deal about vermiculture.  Am presenting information to community staff, teachers and friends—hope to incorporate vermiculture into Hugo farm.

Nick Olson

Ag Education graduate student, U of MN, Duluth

Educational Farm Symposium, Shelburne Farms

Learned about day farm education programs from national experts, at one of the premier educational farms.  Using information in manual being compiled to assist farmers, educators and or organizations interested in starting a farm education program.

Karl Foord

U of MN Extension, Farmington

Minnesota Grown Marketing Series: Growing Your Business Through Marketing Communication

Hope to learn from speakers about the methods they use to track effectiveness and Return on Investment of marketing expenses.

Terry Nennich

U of MN Extension, Crookston

MN Grown Marketing Series: Advertising Tools to Make your Business Bloom

Hope to increase marketing knowledge to help farmers and other clients develop successful advertising strategies.

Tim Arlt

U of MN Extension, Area Program Leader, Albert Lea

National Small Farm Trade Show &Conference

Columbia, MO

Visited small farm trade show for ideas to use in putting one on  in Minnesota. Developed contacts with MO educators developing small farm curriuculm for Missouri, and discussed possible collaboration

Betsy Gilkerson-Wieland

U of MN Extension, Hennepin County

National Small Farm Trade Show &Conference

Columbia, MO

Gained information about small farm programs for use in our state

John Shimek

White Earth Land Recovery Project, Alternative Energy Coordinator

Tsyunhehkwa Corn Harvest and Husking Bee

Learned traditional techniques for white corn production and harvesting, and we are teaching farmers on White Earth.  Also Tsyunhehkwa on Oneida Nation is one example of a zero-sum energy farming operation—I am using that information on White Earth.

Pat Wichern

White Earth Land Recovery Project, Sustainable Communities Assistant

Tsyunhehkwa Corn Harvest and Husking Bee

Learned  how to harvest and store white corn in the traditional manner and how to select see for next year’s planting.

Nathan Winter

U of MN Extension, Hutchinson

Rural Living curriculum team training

Learn more about the Land Stewardship for Small Acreage curriculum, developed new relationships with others interested in small farm work, best management practices for teaching the curriculum, and further insight to develop great programs in Minnesota.

Betsy Gilkerson-Wieland

U of MN Extension, Hennepin

Rural Living curriculum team training

Learned more about how the Land Stewardship for Small Acreage curriculum was developed. Learned tips for teaching the curriculum and got good advice for starting course in Minnesota.