Crazed Farmer Talk

Peter and I attended the MN Sustainable Farming Association -SFA- conference at St. Olaf in Northfield last weekend. We were a little apprehensive about dipping our toes back into that world, the memories it might conjure, the strange welcome we might get from some of our old cohorts. As a young organic farming couple we were activists; someone even once called us "the poster couple of sustainable agriculture." We apparently still are the poster couple of sustainable ag, since our picture was blown up in the front of the auditorium as part of the SFA logo/letterhead. We are also on their website banner. Weird? Yes.

The conference was actually extremely motivating and enlightening. Mark Ritchie gave the Keynote and it was very encouraging. He stood in front of the crowd of activist farmers/chefs/retailers and talked about the importance of mainstreaming the ideas that a lot of us stand for- and in order to do that, we all need to become leaders and go out into the public with confidence and be heard. As the MN Secretary of State, he also talked about economic issues, the hard times, and the importance of entrepreneurship and small business. Good stuff to hear.

I also attended a workshop about local foods in both the city and country with Homegrown Minneapolis Megan O' Hara ( mayor RT Rybak's wife) and Dorothy Rosemeier of the U of MN program "Buy Fresh Buy Local." It was quite nice and frankly, overwhelming, to hear about all the hard work that has been put into local and sustainable food systems in Minnesota. I have always given credit to the farmers and consumers, but really, there are a lot of people in the middle that do a heck of a job bringing it all together. There are people fighting for grants to keep vendor fees at the Mill City Market affordable for producers, there are people (Homegrown Mpls initiative) starting mini- markets in high rise neighborhoods where poverty-stricken people don't have easy access to fresh groceries or even pots and pans. Kudos to all these people (including SFA!)

The conference did have an awkward point while we were watching a college produced movie about farming for the future (or something similar). All of a sudden, there was our farm on the big screen in front of us, with other owners of course, our old greenhouse and Toblerone...and what was the topic? The acquisition of the farm. AWKWARD! Could've used a head's up on that one.

Also worth mentioning about the conference, we are still quite skilled in "crazed farmer talk," the running at the mouth that happens when a farmer (who spends a lot of time alone) is asked how things are going. We will no doubt be back on a farm once again and we'll just be patient until then. And we'll take it easy. Just chickens for eggs. Veggies for ourselves and a small market business as a side business. And a CSA if it works out. And a goat maybe. We'll be over our heads and stressed out in no time.