The Farm Business
Professional Development
Adam and Laura’s current professional memberships include the Land Stewardship Project (LSP), the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota (SFA-MN), the Minnesota Farmers Union, and Slow Food USA. They use conferences associated with these and other organizations to supplement the training they received by working on other farms and to network with other farmers. They are devoted attendees of annual conferences including the MOSES Organic Farming Conference, the Minnesota Organic Conference (sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture), and the SFA-MN conference. They have also attended many other one-day educational seminars and field days offered through farming organizations, universities, and individual farmers.
| Laura and Adam also stay up to date by reading a variety of farming-related periodicals. Growing for Market is a monthly publication covering news, advice, and resources for market farmers. The Organic Broadcaster, published bimonthly by MOSES, is geared toward organic farmers, processors, and certifiers. The Land Stewardship Letter is LSP’s bimonthly newsletter, and The Corner Post is published quarterly by SFA-MN. Adam reads Farm Show, a bimonthly newspaper dedicated to farm equipment and unique, do-it-yourself projects. Laura frequents Rodale Institute’s New Farm Web site for its farmer-to-farmer resources. | Educator’s Perspective: Resource Tip Continuing Education In addition to the conferences that Laura and Adam attend regularly, the annual Midwest Value Added Agricultural Conference is a major regional event. MISA maintains a list of educational opportunities that includes lectures, seminars, conferences, college courses, and workshops. |
Laura experienced a special opportunity in 2008 when she was selected as a Minnesota delegate to Terra Madre, Slow Food’s gathering of world food communities in Italy. Laura was among 7,000 farmers, students, activists and educators from 130 countries that convened around the theme of promoting “good, clean, and fair food” and involving youth in the future of global sustainable agriculture. It was an inspiring and educational experience that gave hope and new meaning to the work they do on their farm. After the Terra Madre experience, Laura feels a sense of solidarity with the thousands of other sustainable farmers across the globe.