Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken praise passage of the bill.
(more…)
Minnesota Today from MPR News
June 10, 2013
March 29, 2013
First saltie expected in Duluth Friday; earliest ever
The vessel is picking up 20,000 tons of wheat before heading to France and the United Kingdom. (more…)
March 25, 2013
Northfield farmers growing veggies – and a business in community agriculture
One challenge facing Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs is when members of the program are left with more veggies than they can handle. This is among one of the problems Northfield farmers are working to address. (more…)
November 21, 2012
Hormel warns high grain prices might push up meat costs
(MPR Photo/Mark Steil)
Shoppers who buy meat produced by Hormel Foods Corp. should expect to see higher prices in the coming year, thanks to the rising cost of livestock feed, via Minnesota Public Radio News.
November 20, 2012
Farms
Last sugarbeets out in late harvest
Average sugar content hit a record this year, and yields, in tons per acre of beets, were near record highs, via Grand Forks Herald.
October 2, 2012
Many farmers thriving amid drought
File Photo: Bob Larkin assists Ed Kaehler as he hauls grain from the field outside of St. Charles, Minn. MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson
“In some parts of the lower Midwest, water-starved crops have collapsed, but the farmers have not. Farmers across the country are surviving, and many are even thriving. This year, despite the dismal season, farmers stand to make exceptionally good money, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture,” reports Harvest Public Media.
September 26, 2012
Fewer apples expected on food shelves due to bad local harvest
Apples are seen before sorting (Alex Kolyer for MPR)
When Mother Nature cooperates, apples are a windfall for hunger relief groups in southeastern Minnesota. Last year, Channel One Regional Food Bank delivered 150,000 pounds of apples to local food shelves.
"This year is different," said Vince McCoy, food resource coordinator at Channel One.
via Statewide.
September 13, 2012
The Great Pumpkin has arrived
“The Great Pumpkin has arrived – and it’s in David Starner’s garden.
“As of September 4, the gigantic orange blob lying amidst a sea of green vines and leaves on Starner’s farm near Hoffman reached a hefty 1,029 pounds. This substantial squash helped Starner reach his long-time goal of growing a 1,000-pound pumpkin. Alexandria Echo Press
September 12, 2012
Column: Drought underscores reason for new farm bill
Sen. Chuck Grassley, “Not surprisingly, the fall-out from the harshest drought in five decades has yielded many questions about the stalled passage of the farm and food bill.” Worthington Daily Globe
October 8, 2011
Greater Minnesota
Julie Tesch: Many job opportunities exist in ag sector
MinnPost photo by Steve Date
Julie Tesch, executive director of the Minnesota Ag Education Leadership Council
Julie Tesch is executive director of the Minnesota Ag Education Leadership Council, a state-mandated organization. She works with high-school agriculture teachers, students and other people interested in agriculture, food and natural-resource education programs.
Formerly a 4H extension educator in Waseca, Tesch says she has “always been interested in helping provide rural youth with education and career opportunities.”
In this video, Julie echoes what many of the rural young people I’ve interviewed for this project have said — that the depressed economy has had little effect on careers in agriculture and related industries. In fact, there are a surprising number of career opportunities available to young people — even those with no farm experience — who are willing to complete agricultural education programs.
Greater Minnesota
Julie Tesch: Many job opportunities exist in ag sector
MinnPost photo by Steve Date
Julie Tesch, executive director of the Minnesota Ag Education Leadership Council
Julie Tesch is executive director of the Minnesota Ag Education Leadership Council, a state-mandated organization. She works with high-school agriculture teachers, students and other people interested in agriculture, food and natural-resource education programs.
Formerly a 4H extension educator in Waseca, Tesch says she has “always been interested in helping provide rural youth with education and career opportunities.”
In this video, Julie echoes what many of the rural young people I’ve interviewed for this project have said — that the depressed economy has had little effect on careers in agriculture and related industries. In fact, there are a surprising number of career opportunities available to young people — even those with no farm experience — who are willing to complete agricultural education programs.
October 6, 2011
Greater Minnesota
From desk job to Winona’s Herbal Turtle Farms
MinnPost photo by Steve Date
Bryan Crigler and Kate Foerster
About three years ago, Bryan Crigler came to the conclusion that he wasn’t really built for the desk job he had. He decided he wanted to look at small-scale farming as a lifestyle and a business.
He participated in a program called Farm Beginnings, operated by the Land Stewardship Project. Its mission is to get young people interested in getting “back on the land” and train them in the practical and business aspects of starting a small farm.
It was about that time that Bryan met Kate Foerster, who had done an internship at a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) in Wisconsin. Kate had grown up in town and studied international relations in college, but had a lot of farmers in her family. She had always had a dream of working on a small farm.
They decided to team up and pool their talents to create Herbal Turtle Farms, a 220-acre operation near Winona, Minn., which now serves as a CSA for about 25 families. They also sell specialty mushrooms, herbs and other produce at various area farmers markets.
Greater Minnesota
From desk job to Winona’s Herbal Turtle Farms
MinnPost photo by Steve Date
Bryan Crigler and Kate Foerster
About three years ago, Bryan Crigler came to the conclusion that he wasn’t really built for the desk job he had. He decided he wanted to look at small-scale farming as a lifestyle and a business.
He participated in a program called Farm Beginnings, operated by the Land Stewardship Project. Its mission is to get young people interested in getting “back on the land” and train them in the practical and business aspects of starting a small farm.
It was about that time that Bryan met Kate Foerster, who had done an internship at a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) in Wisconsin. Kate had grown up in town and studied international relations in college, but had a lot of farmers in her family. She had always had a dream of working on a small farm.
They decided to team up and pool their talents to create Herbal Turtle Farms, a 220-acre operation near Winona, Minn., which now serves as a CSA for about 25 families. They also sell specialty mushrooms, herbs and other produce at various area farmers markets.
October 4, 2011
Greater Minnesota
Young Northfield trio expecting nonfarm careers
From left to right: Jordan Tyler, Miles Tyler and Matthew Ruon
It’s not your typical Minnesota farm family.
Simon and Vickie Tyler have raised three boys on their 220-acre farm near Northfield. Jordan and Miles Tyler were born in Simon’s native England, moving to Minnesota from a small plot of land near Manchester. Their unofficially adopted brother, Matthew Ruon, came to Northfield in 2000, at the age of 11, after fleeing Sudan and spending time in an Ethiopian refugee camp. He has been living with the Tylers since then.
While Matthew (22), Jordan (19) and Miles (17) have grown up on their Mom’s family farm turned horse farm, none really sees agriculture as a future career path for himself. Matt graduated from St. Olaf College in Northfield this spring and is facing the harsh reality of finding a job in the current economy. Jordan is a sophomore at St. Olaf and looking toward becoming a teacher. Miles has a year of high school left and is also considering St. Olaf, as well as other small, liberal-arts colleges.
In this video, the three of them talk about jobs, education, the economy, and life in rural areas and small towns.
