Join us as we learn from two Wisconsin farmers who are using sustainable farming practices. The event is sponsored by Grant County Rural Stewardship with financial support from our Seed Money Program.
Soil Health & Diversity:
Keeping Farms Economically and Ecologically Sustainable
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 1-4 pm
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, Lenz Conference Center
1800 Bronson Blvd., Fennimore, WI
This event features two Wisconsin Farmers discussing how the practices and diversity they utilize will make their farms sustainable in the future.
Scott Mericka of Grass Dairy, LLC, is from the Dodgeville area and farms in partnership with Andy Hatch. Scott will discuss their operation which involves milking 200 cross-bred cows utilizing rotational grazing and a variety of crops including forage sorghum, winter rye, forage kale, oats and peas. Most of their milk is marketed through their own on-farm cheese plant with the cheese being sold nationwide and in some small export markets.
Mike Miles, from Luck, Wisconsin, began Anathoth Community Farm in 1986. Produce and maple syrup have been staples from the start with animal husbandry being added in 2009. Today, Mike uses steers, pigs, chickens and cover crops to build soil microorganisms and produce tasty, healthy meat.
The event is co-sponsored by Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, Wisconsin Farmers Union, Grant County Farm Bureau, Organic Valley, Crawford Stewardship Project and Valley Stewardship Network with financial support from Food, Faith & Farming Network.
Follow the event on the Grant County Rural Stewardship Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/grantcountyruralstewardship Click here to download the flyer.
We look forward to seeing you at our Winter Farmers Markets that are ongoing in the Milwaukee area. If you have attended our markets in the past, we appreciate your support and trust we will see you again. If you haven't attended in the past, we encourage your participation. Our markets are a great opportunity to share a meal made from locally produced ingredients with others in the community, purchase products directly from local farmers and producers, learn about sustainable farming practices and build connections with our vendors.
This year we are sponsoring nine markets in the Milwaukee area. Check out our schedule and join us. See the flyer below for details on Sunday, March 8 at Ascension Lutheran Church in Waukesha.
We have decided to take a year off from the Madison area markets this year so we can evaluate how we can better serve our vendors and faith communities.
If you are interested in hosting an event in your faith community see our Winter Farmers Market Overview for Congregational Hosts. To become a Market Host or Vendor contact Linda Sheridan at lsheridanfffn@gmail.com or 608-513-5805.
We thank everyone who submitted applications for our 2020 Seed Money Program. We are impressed with the quality of the submissions and will be sharing descriptions of the projects we will be supporting in 2020 in the near future. Please go to our Programs page to see synopses of the initiatives we funded in 2019. You will also find a summary of our 2018 Listening/Networking Sessions which were the catalyst for our Seed Money Program.
