Cassie Dahl

Cassie Dahl

Minnesota Department of Agriculture

cassie.dahl @ state.mn.us

As the organic specialist for the MDA, Cassie works with organic and aspiring to be organic farmers. Their decision to farm organically oftentimes comes from their own philosophical beliefs, but increasingly is coming from market demand. The market is driven by consumer choice and she believes it is important that they are making educated choices. There are a lot of labels and terms to sort out, therefore citizen involvement with trusted institutions is key.

2021 Drought Relief

The Minnesota Legislature passed drought relief in the 2022 session. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is administering this program. An application period opens June 21, 2022 and closes July 6, 2022. 

Food from Farms: Toolkit for Direct Purchasing of Local Food

Schools, childcare centers, hospitals, non-profits, corporate cafeterias, and anyone else who serves food to the public: if you want to start sourcing local food from farmers in your area, but you aren’t sure how to do it, this new Toolkit for Direct Purchasing of Local Food is for you. The toolkit offers examples and templates for starting up community-based procurement of local food directly from farmers.

Organizations

Within Minnesota and nationwide there are dozens of organizations working on every possible aspect of sustainability:  from developing local food systems to establishing carbon-credit trading systems, and from creating localized energy sources to educating farmers and the public about best management practices for water quality.

Note: The links below each open a new browser window.

Student Programs

One of MISA’s goals is to facilitate the internalization of sustainable agriculture into the University so that the concepts permeate teaching, research and extension. To that end, MISA supports programs that provide students with the opportunity to interact with faculty involved in sustainable agriculture research; with practitioners who are applying sustainable principles on their farms; with organizations and agencies that work on myriad aspects of sustainability in agriculture.

Farm to Grocery

Farm to grocery provides opportunities for increased sales and market access. Diversified supply chains, such as farm to grocery, are important for a resilient food system. This Farm to Grocery Toolkit is a resource for farmers and grocers to help facilitate the sale of farm-grown products to grocery stores, particularly those stores in rural Minnesota. 

Come & Get It: What You Need to Know to Serve Food on Your Farm

Talk about paradise for the local food enthusiast: dining directly on a farm, savoring specialties made with that farm’s fresh-raised fare, and chatting with the farmer who grew it.

It’s appealing from the host farmers’ perspectives as well -- you can foster the intimate opportunity to share both your farm home and bucolic setting while loyal customers taste your harvest in the freshest possible manner.

Building a Sustainable Business

The Building a Sustainable Business publication was conceived in 1996 by a planning team for the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA) to address the evolving business planning needs of beginning and experienced rural entrepreneurs.

This Guide was developed over a period of seven years by a team of University of Minnesota faculty and staff, individual farmers and consultants. It incorporates recommendations on content, language and organization from the review process as well as examples from five of the review team’s business plans.

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