Posts (archive)

Here’s a compiled list of USDA funding opportunities. Some are for farmers, some are for organizations. Now that we have a farm bill, we are seeing a lot of these.

The SSDPG NOFA was published in the Federal Register this morning. Approximately $3 million is available and the application deadlines are: June 24 for electronic applications and June 30 for paper applications.

Our UW-Extension SARE Coordinators have written (below) about the SARE grants recently awarded to six farmers and one nonprofit in Wisconsin. Andrew and Diane are valuable resources to work with should you consider applying for such funding yourself.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service has announced the start of signups for the new Farm Bill easement programs. The new Agricultural Conservation Easement Program combines NRCS’ former Farm and Ranch Lands Protection, Grassland Reserve and Wetlands Reserve programs. As the news release below notes, the deadline for applying is June 6.

Attend two upcoming WFW sessions in early May at the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute — Organic Certification Made Easy and Permaculture Basics.

There are a lot of exciting changes this year including a new selling avenue: www.FarmMatch.com/GardensatMichaelFields. Farm Match is an online Farmers’ Market. You can log on, see what’s currently available and then make your order. Pick-ups are at the Farm Store or at one of our drop-off sites. Payment can be by cash, check or credit card to make it even more convenient. Check us out!

Join our Worker Share program! The 2014 season begins the first week of June and runs through the end of August. If you can commit to a 4-6 hrs. work shift once a week during the summer, we’ll give you a credit of $260 to use at our Farm Store

For nearly twenty years, Michael Fields Agricultural institute has been an active player in the process of seeking funding for federal programs that support sustainable agriculture. Once, two national policy groups merged in 2009 to form the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition — MFAI applied that experience to helping NSAC coordinate its grassroots appropriations campaign, working with the best policy and grassroots leaders around the nation and in NSAC’s Washington, D.C. office.

MFAI Policy Program staff attended the April 22nd Earth Day event at the Monona Terrace in Madison, WI. The event, hosted by the UW-Madison Nelson Institute, was aptly titled “Earth: To Be Determined – Economy, Ecology, and Justice in a Rapidly Changing World” and focused heavily on the environmental effects – both negative and potentially positive — of modern society.

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced the availability of more than $19 million in grants to help train, educate and enhance the sustainability of the next generation of agricultural producers through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP).

The WI Cover Crops Conference, hosted by Michael Fields Ag Institute, NRCS WI, UW-Extension and sponsored by North Central SARE, was a huge success. With over 100 attendees, this conference advanced the spread of knowledge on cover crops in Wisconsin and educated farmers, agency, and non-profit staff on the economic and soil health benefits of cover crops.

If you are looking for organic fertilizer for your garden, look no more. Michael Fields Agricultural Institute is selling under the Fields Best label 50lbs bags of organic fertilizer for $12.

The La Crosse Center, La Crosse, WI – I arrived at the 25th annual Organic Farming Conference mid-afternoon on Thursday, February 27th with my colleague Christine Welcher, the Farm Manager at Michael Fields. I had never been to La Crosse before and had really only heard it mentioned as the place where the 9-day Oktoberfest […]

The recent donation of a 226-acre farm near Peru, Indiana will provide Michael Fields Agricultural Institute (MFAI) the opportunity to broaden the organization’s reach and impact. Short term, for 2014 – 2016, the farm has been rented to a young farmer from nearby Wabash who will farm it organically and grow alfalfa on the acreage. This will result in the institute being able to USDA certify the land as organic in early 2017. If the alfalfa stand is good at the end of three years, the same farmer will grow and sell organic alfalfa for the next two years.

Check out this short blog post for an update on initial plantings for the corn breeding program at Michael Fields!

In 2013 the Institute received a gift of prime conventional farmland in Indiana from Betty Phelps Refior, a resident of Whitewater, Wisconsin. A passionate environmentalist and supporter of organic agriculture, Betty has attended the MFAI’s Whole Farm Workshops for many years. Her recent interests and projects include habitat security for bees and birds.

Join us on a journey into applied Biodynamic farming and gardening methods on April 12th from 9am until 3 pm at Michael Fields Agricultural Institute. If you have taken the Intro in Biodynamic Agriculture in the past, this workshop will teach you the next steps to follow.

Learn what tools you need to apply the preps, how to make biodynamic compost and how to apply the biodynamic standards to your farm and garden. Do you have questions about the preps or the calendar? This workshop is the best place to get answers.

The last couple weeks have seemed like Christmas with all the boxes and packages from the various seed companies. I think only a gardener/farmer can appreciate the joy and anticipation that comes with each new package.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the expansion of the Farm Storage and Facility Loan program, which provides low-interest financing to producers. The enhanced program includes 22 new categories of eligible equipment for fruit and vegetable producers.

Saturday evening, March 22nd, celebrate Spring with the beautiful exhibition of paintings by Mary Nevicosi, from 7-8:30 pm. There will be refreshments and music and a very special blessing to open the show. Please come and bring any friends you wish. Admission is FREE!

The exhibit will be held in the Big Brown Barn at W2493 County ES, East Troy. Looking forward to the present of your presence!

Private landowners, conservation organizations, land trusts and community groups are invited to apply for state funding and technical help for activities to restore prairies, savannas and oak woodlands in the Driftless Area for rare or declining plant and wildlife species.

The 2014 North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NCR-SARE) Graduate Student Grant Call for Proposals is now available online at http://www.northcentralsare.org/Grants/Our-Grant-Programs/Graduate-Student-Grant-Program. Proposals must be completely submitted to the online system by 4 p.m. CDT, May 6, 2014. Potential applicants should note the deadline, and plan accordingly, since it may coincide with finals.

The Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and Michael Fields Agricultural Institute (MFAI) are collaborating with UW-Extension to bring this conference to farmers, students, conservation staff, and anyone with an interest in cover cropping systems. Farmers from different regions of the state will come together on two different panels to discuss cover cropping in their operations

The Michael Fields Agricultural Institute and WI Natural Resources Conservation Service are pleased to be able to host the 2014 WI Cover Crops Conference at the Kalahari Resorts in WI Dells. This conference aims to educate participants about soil health and the role of cover crops in improving soil health. This conference is intended for anyone interested in learning more about cover crops and cover cropping systems. Breakout sessions are offered in 5 different tracks, providing a broad range of breadth and depth for everyone from beginning and novice cover croppers to more advanced practitioners.
The WI Cover Crops Conference begins the evening of March 13, 2014 and runs until the afternoon of March 14, 2014. During this time there will be over 20 sessions for participants to attend including 18 breakout sessions and 5 plenary events including a Keynote Fishbowl Farmer- Researcher Panel and a Soil Health Farmer Panel. Breakout session tracks include: Cover Crop Basics, Cover Crops Management, Cropping System Specifics, Economics and Risk Management, and the Multi- functionality of Cover Crops.

Don’t forget to sign up for the Whole Farm Workshops taking place at MFAI in February. Learn everything from cover crops basics to raising chickens.