Festival of Farms events
By Carol Stender
cstender@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 08/02/2012 2:10 PM
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The Minnesota Sustainable Farming Association's July 14 Festival of Farms features a variety of operations across the state.
SFA's Crow River Chapter is taking a salad bar approach, offering a selection of 12 operations. Each farm will give tours at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. with the exception of York Farms at Hutchinson, which will have a 10 a.m. only tour.
Jean and Dean Braatz operate "My Minnesota Farmer" at 35100 — 191st Ave in Montgomery. Another Montgomery farm is Doreen Devoy-Hulgan and Sparky Hulgan's Hulgan House Heritage Farms at 35118-191st Ave.
Stops in St. Paul and Shakopee include Grow!Twin Cities at 1958 Rice St. in Maplewood. This is a cooperative of urban growers sharing space and building a community on a 12-acre parcel of ag land just two miles north of the capital building in St. Paul. Marshwatch Farms at 1396 Country Trail West in Shakopee is a CSA farm with more than 60 members.
In Dayton and Ramsey, visitors can tour Bossy Acres at 14000 Lawndale Ave. N. in Dayton. Crandall Garden Farms at 7363 175 Ave. NW in Ramsey is operated by Bruce Bacon. The farm has been certified organic since 1977.
In the Dassel and Hutchinson area, York Farm at 21161 York Road and Compton Farms will be featured. Compton's farm is located at 73669 County Road 15 at Dassel.
At Litchfield and Howard Lake, Prairie Drifter Farm at 61369-223rd St. in Litchfield will be featured. Living Song Farm and Sleepy Root CSA of Howard Lake will also take part. The operations are located at 7616 - 25th St. SW in Howard Lake.
The Cannon River Chapter's Festival of Farms includes Little Hill Berry Farm.
Spring Wind Farm will also be featured. The operation raises vegetables, laying hens and hogs. Open Hands Farm is a 10-acre vegetable farm using organic practices to grow 50 different vegetables for the CSA. Cheery Leaf Farm is nurturing close to 1,000 Carmine Jewel cherry bushes and Honeyberry honeysuckle bushes.
To register for the Cannon River Chapter's Festival of Farms bus, go to www.justfood.coop and click on events. Scroll through the calendar to find the sign-up link.
The Lake Superior Chapter's Festival of Farms includes the first annual Old Time Wrenshall Barn Dance Weekend. The July 13 to 15 event will feature a pig roast and festival of farm tours on July 14 to benefit the Lake Superior Farm Beginnings program. The event will be located 909 County Road 4 at Wrenshall.
Visit www.tamarackdance.org and www.lssfa.org for information.
The South Central SFA Chapter is planning a low-energy farm day from MyBackAchers.com and Cedar River Horse Logging at 50277 130th St. in Lyle.
Starting at 10 a.m., the farm will host demonstrations of alternative energy on the farm including hydroelectric power from a small creek, discussion of wind power, alcohol as a fuel discussions, wood as a fuel source with a wood-fired steam engine and a demo of Auto-Fodder-Feeder systems for low energy and reduced feed costs.
For registration and more information, check sfa-mn.org then click on Festival of Farms.