2023 Impact
Supporting the Midwest’s regenerative and organic farmers for over 35 years.
Image credit: Venner Farm, Pierre, SD
THE ONLY PATH FORWARD IS TOGETHER.
This past year Marbleseed was the beneficiary of the historic federal investments in organic agriculture and local food systems. We have been able to use these resources to fund smaller scale and marginalized producers. We recognize that this opportunity to create programs and systems that work for the farmers in our community will ultimately help ALL farmers.
Many of these grant programs came with high visibility for Marbleseed. The US Department of Agriculture highlighted our work in both Climate Smart Partnerships and the Transition to Organic Partnerships Program, visiting Wisconsin and enabling us to tell the story of our organization to more media.
We were also able to work with more farmers directly through the Wisconsin Local Food Purchase Assistance Program, providing technical assistance, education, and support to step into wholesale procurement and feed their communities.
Our 34th annual Organic Farming Conference, still the largest organic gathering in the country, continues to feel the impacts of the pandemic. Registration and sponsorship income, funds that previously were used for ongoing operating and nongrant programming, has been drastically reduced. However, we continue to see younger, more diverse farmers joining us in LaCrosse. For this next generation, the opportunity to gather with farmer peers and community is as important as it was in 1990 when we hosted the first conference. We remain committed to this role of convener.
Although farmer education will always be a core strategy, this year we continued to advocate for systems and funding that enable small farm viability. We engaged in Farm Bill advocacy with our own Marbleseed Farm Bill Platform to highlight the solutions and strategies that support organic, regenerative, human-scale farms. We released a two-part podcast as part of our In Her Boots programming entitled “Breaking Ground” to highlight three strategies for funding beginning farmers directly.
This past summer many farmers struggled with drought and the stress surrounding it. Farmers continue to be on the frontline of climate change. This year we created a Climate and Conservation team committed to assisting farmers in mitigating climate impacts while also continuing to work on farmer mental health and advocating for a farm safety net that works for diverse and organic operations.
The Ag Solidarity Network that we founded in partnership with other organizations continues to grow. We hope it will become a place to truly build solidarity and find those spaces of common ground and concern. We created space at the conference for a “farmer convergence” and it was clear that these many facets of well-being are top of mind for us all.
We feel humbled to be in community with emerging farmers, organic movement pioneers, and the many allied organizations across the Midwest and country that are working toward a more just, fair, and resilient food and farming system. We wanted to use this annual report to highlight this new metric of partnership. Our challenges are great as we address human, animal, and planet health and thriving. The only path forward is together.
Lori Stern, Executive Director
In 2023...
Marbleseed paired 12 mentors and mentees through the Farmerto-Farmer Mentorship Program
62 beginning farmers attended Marbleseed’s 2023 New Farmer U
The Organic Broadcaster reached 14,308 subscribers
16,290 people received Marbleseed’s online newsletter
Over 1,800 farmers, homesteaders, and food system professionals attended the 34th Annual Organic Farming Conference in LaCrosse, Wis.
Marbleseed Organic
Field Days showcased 5 successful organic farms to 321 attendees
$91,542 was raised for farmer-led events, programs, and publications
New Grant Programs
Marbleseed and Partners Awarded Wisconsin Local Food Purchasing Grant
In 2023, Marbleseed partnered with WI DATCP, WI Food Hub Collaborative, and Wisconsin Farmers Union to implement the WI LFPA Program with the goal of strengthening food and agricultural supply chain resiliency, supporting Wisconsin farmers, and distributing fresh nutritious foods to underserved communities. Marbleseed’s role in the WI LFPA Program is the Farmer-facing role – contracting directly with Farmers to provide their products into the Program, providing technical assistance, and education to help contracted Farmers succeed in the Program and improve their Farm Business. Socially disadvantaged and historically underserved farmers were the target recipients for the Direct to Farmer grants administered by Marbleseed. 93% of Farmer grant recipients identified as socially disadvantaged or historically underserved (which includes BIPOC, Beginning, Women-owned, Veteran, and Limited Resource farmers). 134 contracted farmers throughout Wisconsin provided $1,397,094 dollars’ worth of food to 64 hunger relief sites in 2023. Our team of technical assistance staff provided 1:1 assistance and education to these farmers through 7 education and networking events, farm visits, on-call participant support, and resource sharing.
Marbleseed and Partners Awarded Climate Smart Commodities Grant
Through the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Program USDA has invested more than $3.1 billion for 141 projects, one of which was awarded to Marbleseed and its partners in 2023. The process to create a robust grant that would provide innovative solutions for a unique set of growers was met with excitement and anticipation as the team worked to incorporate shared goals into the narrative.
During the negotiation period with USDA, Marbleseed and its partners, who include OFARM, Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, Michael Field Agriculture Institute, and Tennessee State University; collaborated diligently to ensure a commitment to organic and recognition of organics’ inherent climate-smart nature. The table of partners engaged in Climate-Smart have unique strengths, experiences, and knowledge sets that provide opportunities for cross training and collaborative work that will elevate the quality outcomes of this project. The foundation forged between organizations in 2023 was monumental for building trust, identifying opportunities, and project scope development. The team will continue to cater to, and shed light on, the needs of the organic farmer through Climate- Smart project events, farm incentives, and technical assistance in 2024.
Marbleseed and Partners Awarded Local Food Promotion Program Grant
In 2023, we engaged livestock producers and processors throughout Northwest Wisconsin as we continued to work to identify the obstacles to expanding meat processing capacity and options for small farms. We discovered that some of the assumptions we had initially as to the primary barriers to maximizing processing capacity and opportunities were an incomplete picture of the actual underlying hurdles for the processors. The biggest problem they are identifying is a shortage of skilled and willing labor. Consistently, they are pointing to immigrant workers as their most reliable and willing labor pool and expressing a need to reach more of them. It is clear we need to engage more partners and stakeholder groups in these discussions, and that work will continue in 2024. We are bringing cultural and language competencies and new partner organizations to the project that were not fully considered originally as we continue to gather the necessary input from processor businesses. We will be working to build bridges connecting recent immigrant workers to the positions in these rural communities that can make our communities stronger and pay dividends for farmers, workers and processors for years to come.
Marbleseed and Partners Awarded Transition to Organic Partnership Grant
The Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) is a national program funded by the USDA National Organic Program to provide technical assistance and mentorship support to organic and transitioning-to-organic producers. Producer support through TOPP ranges from mentorship opportunities to workshops, webinars, field days, and other trainings, and areas of focus include organic agronomy, the certification process, market opportunities, and more.
As a regional partner in the Midwest TOPP coalition, Marbleseed’s mission is to serve producers in the Upper Midwest and collaborate with other Midwest TOPP partners across a broader 11-state region. In 2023, Marbleseed served as a lead in the Midwest TOPP Mentorship Committee to outline procedures for a 1:1 mentorship program that pairs experienced organic mentors with transitioning mentees. In addition, we directly engaged with over 60 producers to promote the mentorship program and shared information at three field days. We also collaborated with TOPP regional lead Midwest Organic Services Association to host a farmer roundtable covering the TOPP program, and this event was supported and attended by USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs Undersecretary Jenny Lester Moffitt.
WISCONSIN WOMEN IN CONSERVATION
Wisconsin Women in Conservation (WiWiC) is a state-wide collaborative effort led by the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute in partnership with Renewing the Countryside, Marbleseed, and Wisconsin Farmers Union. A five-year multifaceted project funded by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), WiWiC brings together Wisconsin women landowners to learn about conservation practices, resources, and funding opportunities. Every year WiWiC hosts Fall and Spring Learning Circles, and a summer field day, in addition to several webinars and conservation educator networking meet-ups and annual conference.
2023 WIWIc by the numbers
For Marbleseed specific events:
Spring Learning circle: 10 attendees
Field day: 21 attendees
Fall learning circle: 25 attendees
Look book launch: 39 attendees
Image credit: Justine Bursoni
ON-FARM LEARNING WITH 2023 FIELD DAYS
In 2023 we hosted 5 Field Days on organic farms across the Midwest. On June 1, in partnership with Wisconsin Women in Conservation (WiWiC), we traveled to Blue Ox Farm in Wheeler, WI, owned and operated by Lauren and Caleb Langworthy. They raise grass-fed sheep, sell lamb, and have a small beef herd doing restoration work on their farm. Participants saw first-hand how they have worked with the NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) to implement several conservation projects, with a special focus on grazing.
June 28, led us to Belmont, WI with Chris and Juli McGuire where we learned about organic gooseberry, currant and apple production. Attendees visited their half-acre planting of currants and gooseberries, established in 2020, and viewed their ongoing trials of the cordon trellis method of growing these plants alongside more traditional untrellised, bush plantings. This Field Day was hosted in partnership with the UW Madison Extension - Emerging Crops Coalition.
On July 15 we joined our 2023 Changemaker of the Year, Marcia Eiynck at Beargrease Botanicals in Sturgeon Lake, MN. During this Field Day, Marcia shared her cultural teachings on plant medicine with participants.
In August, we joined 2023 Farmers of the Year, Ross and Harold Wilken at Janie’s Farm Organics in Danforth, IL. Participants of this Field Day learned how grains get from field to food and heard from researchers and farmers about the agronomic aspects of producing food-grade small grains in an organic system as well as from the folks who turn the yields into food for their community. This Field Day was hosted in partnership with OGRAIN, Artisan Grain Collaborative, Illinois Extension, and the Emerging Crops Coalition.
And finally, on August 17 we joined Circadian Organics in Ferryville, WI for our last Field Day of the season. Presentations, demonstrations and field tours from presenters gave participants knowledge on various reduce tillage techniques and insights on seed production while showing how these topics intersect.
Praise from 2023 Field Day Attendees:
“Marcia was very impactful. I am so grateful for her sharing her culture and personal connections. Thank you for your generosity and experiences.” Beargrease Botanicals Field Day
“I enjoyed seeing a production farm that had been operating for 20 years. Also seeing the trial was valuable, as well as the different methods in person (there is something unique about seeing it in person vs. in diagrams).” Two Onion Farm Field Day
“Excellent, although I am a farm girl I learned more about the future of farming, such as all the great research and the possibilities of young people getting involved in farming. A very positive and hopeful day for the future of healthy food and farming. Thank you!” Janie’s Farm Organics Field Day
“This was a great event! Circadian Farm is an absolutely beautiful location, with high-quality presentations, and valuable information as well as a chance to connect with other farmers in our area and share stories. It was great to see the seed processing in action and to see and interact with the various reduced tillage methods being employed on the farm.” Circadian Organics Field Day
Image credit: Steffen Mirsky
MARBLESEED 2023 CONFERENCE
Reflecting on the 34th Annual Organic Farming Conference.
Our 34th annual organic farming conference took place Feb. 23-25, 2023, convening farmers, researchers, and agriculture professionals to learn the latest organic production practices and build a supportive community of resilient organic, sustainable, and regenerative farms. The annual conference featured more than 60+ speakers, 40+ workshops, full and half day Organic University classes, a two-floor trade show, organic meals, and round-table discussions, live music, plus many opportunities to network. The 2023 Marbleseed Conference offered content on business management, soil health, and diverse farm operations. Despite a historic snowstorm, the conference drew 1,800 attendees to La Crosse. Workshops and Organic University classes were offered on a range of topics from nitrogen fixation to haying for ecological restoration, to establishing on-farm pollinator habitat.
The trade show opened the evening of Feb. 23 and ran through Feb. 25 and featured more than 150 vendors—buyers, suppliers, and organizations offering services that support farmers. Keynote speakers Austin Frerick, Doug Crabtree and Anna Jones-Crabtree addressed cross-cutting issues that are critical for the organic movement: building resiliency on organic farms and in our food system. Marbleseed also honored 2023 Organic Farmers of the Year, Ross and Harold Wilken of Janie’s Farm Organics and Janie’s Mill, and 2023 Changemaker Marcia L. Eiynck of Beargrease Botanicals.
Praise from 2023 conference attendees:
“This is the only conference I’ve been to that has so entirely has changed my perspective - even my life, honestly. I’m already looking forward to attending a second time!”
“I was so grateful for the opportunity to connect with other young, queer, women, and beginning farmers. The conversations and spaces for connection fed my soul.
“Excellent. I learned so much and had access to such great resources. Happy to see efforts to include speakers from diverse backgrounds. Organic University was great.”
Image credit:
Justine Bursoni
NEW FARMER U
“A great program for beginning and intermediate farmers.”
32 intermediate beginning farmers (those farming for 3-6 years) gathered in Wisconsin for a two-day retreat on farm business management in Rosholt, WI on April 28-29, 2023. Day one offered a full day course based on the Marbleseed published book, Fearless Farm Finances. Day two included four 1.5 hour sessions on topics related to farm business management. 32 farmers attended the Friday Session, and 30 attended the Saturday sessions. One WI NFU attendee shared, “It was a wonderful experience and definitely worthwhile. I would highly encourage any new or newish farmers to attend.”
Fearless Farm Finances Taught by Paul Dietmann, lender with Compeer Financial and co-author of “Fearless Farm Finances”, and Andy Larson from the Food Finance Institute, was a fullday workshop that provided instructions, tips, and tools for setting up and managing a farm’s financial system, including sample data to show how forms and records should look.
· Why detailed numbers are crucial to farming success
· Techniques for data collection
· How to set up and use a bookkeeping system
· Computer bookkeeping program tips
· Step-by-step development of the three primary financial statements
· How to use numbers to make product mix, market, and pricing decisions
All attendees received a copy of the Marbleseed published Fearless Farm Finances book.
Praise from 2023 New Farmer U attendees:
“This was a great opportunity for me to learn more and plan for my future farm!” Argerette Fudala, IL
“The program fosters an intimate relationship between those with experience and those that went to learn” Colton, WI
“Great! Really beautifully prepared with wonderfully alternative options (i.e. growing our leaders etc)” NFU participant
Growing Together: Marbleseed’s Farmer-to-Farmer Mentorship Program
Marbleseed’s Mentorship Program empowers organic farmers through one-on-one guidance as they grow their business, seek organic certification, add farm enterprises, hone production skills and establish conservation practices on their farm. By supporting farmers’ transition to certified organic, the goal of the Mentorship Program is to develop future organic farmer leaders and allow farmers to develop their skills. In our 16th year, 2023 we facilitated 12 mentor/mentee pairs. Mentors/mentees hailed from across the Midwest, with six from Minnesota, one from Michigan, one from South Dakota and four from Wisconsin. 2023 mentors represented production types across the spectrum, with one fruit farmer, three vegetable farmers, one livestock farmer, a medicinal herb farmer, and a field crop farmer. Three BIPOC mentees were represented in the 2023 cohort.
“[Farmer to Farmer Mentorship] is a great program to connect folks interested in learning hands-on with others who have that same excitement for sharing and helping” - Walt Allen Ruben, mentorship program participant
“As a long time organic farmer and now as a farmer much less engaged in the day to day decisions on the farm, I find it still very rewarding to serve in the role of mentor” - Carmen Fernholz, mentorship program participant
“I wish I could sponge up every bit of information she gives. Bottom line, we love [our mentor] . . . This has been a fulfilment of [our] dreams of many years. Thanks so much for putting us in touch with her.” –Kevin K., 2023 mentee
Partnerships
Partnerships are crucial to Marbleseed’s success as they expand our reach, enhance our resources, and foster collaborative solutions to address complex challenges in sustainable agriculture. A list of our partnerships (though not exhaustive):
Partners in Food + Farming
Renewing the Countryside
Big River Farm
Sharing Our Roots
we have always been related
Farmers Rising
The Food Group
OFARM
Ohio Ecological Food and Farming Association (OEFFA)
Tennesse State University (TSU)
Michael Fields Agricultural Institute (MFAI)
White Oak Farm
Midwest Organic Services Association (MOSA)
Emerging Crops Coalition
University of Wisconsin-Climate Resilient Organic Vegetable Production
Driftless Seed Company
OGRAIN
Artisan Grain Collaborative
Illinois Extension
UW-Madison Extension Emerging Crops Coalition
Wisconsin Women in Conservation (WiWIC)
Wisconsin Natural Resources Conservation Service (WI NRCS)
ABC Consulting LLC
Central Rivers Farmshed
For Independent Hmong Farmers
REAP Food Group
Wello
Fondy Farm Project
Philidelphia Community Farm
Hmong American Association of Portage County
Sinsinawa Mound Collaborative Farm
General Mills
Grassworks
Equity Wisconsin
FairShare CSA Coalition
Hunger Task Force
Stepping Stones
Second Harvest Food Bank of Wisconsin
Neighbors Place
DC Farm for Vets
Farley Center
Fondy Farm Project
Seasonal Harvest
Eau Claire Area Hmong Mutual Assistance Association, Inc (ECAHMAA)
Vang Council of LaCrosse
New Hmong Professional
Ann McDonald State Farm Agency
Compeer
Interpreter’s Cooperative of Madison
The Good Acre
The Common Market, Great Lakes Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP)
Wisconsin Farmer’s Union (WFU)
Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative (WFHC)
ENDLESS THANk YOU TO OUR SUppORTERS
We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to our Marbleseed community! 2023 was an impactful year of growth for Marbleseed, as we expanded both our programming and staff. In addition to our steadfast Grow Organic programming, we received several exciting federal grants in 2023 (outlined in the “new funding” section of this Annual Report). We also introduced several new communications tools such as audio options for Organic Broadcaster articles, a monthly blog, a new podcast, and we are continuing to intentionally develop our website as a timely resource for farmers and ag professionals.
We also want to share our heartfelt gratitude to those of you who made a one time or reoccurring donation in the 2022-2023 year. This year, 569 donors gave $91,542 for farmer-led events, programs, and publications. As a 501c3 nonprofit, we rely on individual donations, as well as grants, and strategic partnerships with mission-driven businesses and foundations, to keep our work forging ahead. For over 35 years, your donations have continued to directly support Marbleseed’s free and low-cost, farmer-led resources and programs that help farmers grow organically, nourishing their farm businesses and strengthening the organic farming movement.
Why is your support so critical? At a time when our food system faces myriad challenges, including environmental degradation and consolidation, Marbleseed is making a tangible difference in the lives of farmers and the future of agriculture and YOUR donations allow us to continue to foster a vibrant and resilient community of human-scale farms, united by a commitment to sustainable agriculture.
We are grateful to everyone who donated this year to support the development of Marbleseed’s resources that empower farmers to grow organically and regeneratively, using practices that promote healthy soils, clean water, thriving pollinator communities, and heal the planet. We are especially grateful to our Engaged Donors who gave $300 or more and to our monthly Sustainers of $15 or more:
Sam Atkins
Sophi Ellison and Chris Gentine
Katherine Betz
Sarah Bull
Jean-Philippe Tournoy
Loften Deprez
Tatiana Giacinti
Alison Gregory
Heidi Doering
Ruth Eggert Linnemann
Katrina Heinze
Elisa Gustafson
Emilie Haigh
Todd Huffman & Lin Jennewine
Huffman
Robin & William Matthews
Doug Nopar & JoAnn Thomas
Gordon and Linda Olson
Barb and David Perkins
Wendy Watson
Nicholas Weber
Michael Welber
Tim & Betsy Pierce
Mikol Sesker
Lori Tauring & Renee Tierney
Gene & Patricia Thomas
Stephen Tiwald
Carla Wright
Thank you to our major funders!
These organizations and agencies support our work through major grants and gifts that provide dependable funding for Marbleseed’s trainings, resources, and the practical advice farmers need to succeed in organic production. We hope you spend some time reading and learning more about these allied partners:
Albers Kuhn
Artisan Cheese Exchange
Bradshaw Knight
Ciranda
Clif Bar Family Foundation
Compeer Financial
Farm Aid
Lakewinds Food Co-op
Lehman Waller Charitable Account
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition & Regenerative Agriculture Foundation
New Harvest Foundation
Outpost Natural Food Co-op
Whole Foods Co-op
Funding Sources
Expenses
*includes staff salaries related to grants management and development
Board of Directors
Katie Bishop – PrairiErth Farm, Ill
Dela Ends – Scotch Hill Farm, Wis
Clare Hintz – Elsewhere Farm, Wis
Charlie Johnson – Johnson Farms, S.D.
David Perkins – Vermont Valley Farm, Wis
Darin Von Ruden – Von Ruden Family Farm, Wis
Kattia Jimenez – Mount Horeb Hemp, Wis
Dylan Bruce- Circadian Organics, Wis
Dan Cornelius – University of Wisconsin - Great Lakes Indigenous Law Center, Wis
Eliana Pinilla – The Common Market, Wis
Maria Rosmann – Rosmann Family Farms, IA
Kathleen Delate – Iowa State University, IA