WHAT YOULL LEARN

Sustainable Food Production FARM SKILLS 101

Compassionate animal husbandry

Nicole Moore, 2013 SFP graduate, on why the program is important:

Skill development within this curriculum directly empowers the student. Physical involvement in a process makes a lasting impression, allowing the student the space and time to discover questions or thoughts related to the experience that would otherwise have never been conceived if she or he had only read or heard about the process. With this approach, students walk away with tangible, demonstrable skills. Whats more effective a learning tool than, at the end of the session, being able to walk onto your own property and build yourself a reliable fence? Cant beat that.

Fencing strategies and grazing basics

A Sustainable Farming Association program

sfa-mn.org/farmskills101

Farm equipment and tools

The Program
SFA has stepped forward to support an award-winning beginning farmer educational program, Sustainable Food Production, which formerly was a part of M State Fergus Falls. The program will continue under the SFA umbrella. Sustainable Food Production is a muchneeded beginning-farmer curriculum that emphasizes all three tenets of sustainability and provides extensive skills training. SFP is uniquely committed to community development and mentoring, a perfect t with SFAs farmer-to-farmer network. Instructors are all farmer-educators: Sue Wika, PhD; Tom Prieve, DVM; and Kent Solberg, MS. Each possesses both realworld experience and the educational background to provide comprehensive sustainable food production education.

Fall 2013 semester curriculum

This course covers the hands-on essential skills necessary for a forage-based livestock producer. Elevate your handiness while building community and competence. Farm Skills 101 consists of 51 hours of on-farm education in three weekends of fun and fullling learning. These are days in the eld, not eld days. Participants will need pants, closed-toe shoes, gloves and safety glasses. Class days are Oct. 4-5, 11-12 and 18-19 at farms northwest of Alexandria, MN. Friday classes run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pack sack lunches and breakfasts; a Friday local-foods supper is included in tuition. Housing is available at Faith Haven Camp on beautiful Eagle Lake for only $30/session.

Sections include:
Fencing Strategies for Forage-based Livestock Systems Farm Equipment and Tools Compassionate Animal Husbandry & Handling Pasture Management & Grazing Basics

For more information, visit sfa-mn.org/farmskills101