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MARBLESEED Summer is here! The corn is over knee-high. Hopefully you are finding the time to sit in the shade with a cold beverage of choice while taking a glance at a new Organic Broadcaster format published by Marbleseed. As an organization very much in tune with farming seasons, the manifestations of pre-season planning are with us now, in the height of summer. It has been a busy spring, wrapping up the conference and implementing a re-brand. And we launched the Ag Solidarity Network (agsolidaritynetwork.com) with many partners, as an extension of the community we all crave that brings us back to La Crosse every year. We did our best to communicate these changes, while assuring everyone that what is most important about our work will remain the same. In this issue, I sit down with Liz Graznak, the NOSB’s newest Environmental Seat member and USDA certified organic farmer. Liz represents most of us in a passion for continuous improvement and commitment to organic systems. Liz was also the 2021 Farmer of the Year! We had a great conversation about leadership, legacy, and moving from growing organic vegetables for customers locally to engaging and giving back nationally through service on the NOSB on behalf of small-scale farmers. As we head into August, we will be contacting you about conference content. Great conferences begin with the question to the learners of “what do you need/want to know?”. In what we hope will be the ‘return to normal’ year, we are taking the opportunity to reflect on conferences past to bring the best elements forward. In 2022, we limited the social aspects of the conference, eliminated childcare, and created a schedule that put fewer folks in the hallways between workshop sessions. Hopefully this year will see favorite opportunities to connect with friends back on the schedule.
ORGANIC FIELD DAYS!
Crop Rotations on a Large-Scale Organic Farm July 21 | Johnson Farms Madison, S.D.
Hughes Farms Field Day July 27 | Hughes Farms Janesville, Wis.
Cover Crops & Vegetable Production on an Incubator Farm July 31 | Kilimo MN Lino Lakes, Minn.
Gitigaaning Farm & Manoomin Tour August 20 | Gitigaaning Farm Cloquet, Minn.
Our new tagline is “farmer-led, rooted in organic”. The role of farmers as teachers is a theme across several of our programs (Mentorship, Peer Support Mental Health, Organic Specialists, and In Her Boots, to name a few). Adults learn best from their peers, those who share their lived experience. We know that farm business education is crucial, but it is better implemented when the tools and practical tips come from a farmer who has experienced the challenges and lived to farm another season. This year, we plan to make space/time at the conference for peer learning and conversation on topics that bubble up “organically” from production-focused Grower Groups. Hop on the Ag Solidarity Network and check out some of these groups that are forming there.
Urban Growers Collective Farm Tours
To an amazing growing season with the right amount of down time to sip, relax, celebrate, and connect.
September 17 | South Chicago Farm | Chicago, Ill.
First Generation Farm Start-Up August 27 | Naima’s Farm Alexandria, Minn.
Learn more and register at marbleseed.org! Lori Stern, Executive Director
