We are thankful for the wealth of resources and educational materials that have been made available to us over the years to help us grow and improve our Minnesota farm. As we complete webinars or read articles that have helped us we will share them here for quick reference.
Books
Soil Owners Manual - by Jon Stika- Before You Have a Cow - by Teddy Gentry & Allen Williams Ph. D.
- The Art and Science of GRAZING - by Sarah Flack
FACT: Food Animal Concerns Trust
Pasture Based Systems
- Grazing to Avoid Trouble
- Pasture Biodiversity for Animal Health
- Pasture Management for Limited Resource Farmers
- Choosing the Right Animal, for the Right Place, at the Right Time
- Why Trees Die in Silvopasture (and how you can help save them!)
- Designing Silvopasture Plantings
- Scaling Up Pastured Livestock Production
- Pasture Management with Sarah Flack - Soil and Plants (Part 1)
- Pasture Management with Sarah Flack - Livestock Perspective (Part 2)
- Pasture Improvement with Sarah Flack - Graziers' Toolbox (Part 3)
- Practical Tips for Multispecies Grazing
- Weed Management & Identification
- Grazing Cover Crops
- Develop a Forage Chain for Your Livestock
- Nutritional Benefits of Pasture-Raised Animals
- Regenerating Soils with Adaptive, High-Stock Density Grazing
- Rotating Your Animals and Vegetables
- Fencing: Getting it Right
Small Ruminants
- Defeating Internal Parasites in Sheep and Goats (Part1)
- Defeating Internal Parasites in Sheep and Goats (Part 2)
- Defeating Internal Parasites in Sheep and Goats (Part 3)
- Goat Herding Basics
- Goats & Sheep: Raising Browsers and Grazers
Just a Few Acres Farm
Northeast Iowa Community College/Select Sires
Artificial Insemination Training
- Located at Iowa's Dairy Center in Calmar, IA Leah was able to partake in a three-day, intensive hands-on class to learn how to artificially inseminate cattle. The class covered all aspects of bovine reproduction, from anatomy and hormones to heat detection. Lead by two Select Sire representatives, this class provided actual insemination practice on around 30 cows at Iowa’s Dairy Center and a course completion certificate.
SW MN Farm Business Management Association
- We learned about this program through the Minnesota Beginning Farmers loan program, and have held a membership since November, 2020. The focus is entirely on improving members' farm financial management skills, knowledge, and success. The association provides members with analysis, confidential peer farm benchmarking, individual consultations and direct connections to University research and expertise. A group of farmers in southwestern Minnesota founded the SWFBMA in 1939 to help area farmers implement better farm management practices and keep accurate records.