Impact of Farmer-to-Farmer Networking
- Jim Chamberlin
- Aug 14
- 5 min read
Recently I had the opportunity to attend the 19th Biennial North American Agroforestry Conference. As part of the conference, the Working Farms Tour I attended included a tour of Rusted Plowshare Farm near Concordia, Missouri. This is a farm run by three siblings who took over their grandfather’s 300 acre farm and are converting it to a silvopasture operation, running sheep, hogs, and poultry under chestnuts, pecans, and other tree crops. The operators are steeped in ingenuity and have converted much of the old row crop equipment to different uses for their operation.
Rusted Plowshare's website states: “Our agriculture may look different, but it continues a legacy of both innovation and stewardship. Our great grandfather was featured by the University of Missouri as a Balanced Farmer. One of our grandfathers was always the first to adopt new crops. Our other grandfather was the winner of the Conservation Farmer of the year twice in the 70’s. We have big shoes to fill.
But, we are blessed with land that has been tended well. Our grandfather moved here in the 50’s and took care of the soil. He built terraces. He practiced conservation tillage. He grew corn and soy and managed to maintain carbon in the soil. Towards the end of his career (at the spry age of 86), he even decided to try cover crops in his rotation. Because of his stewardship, we still have soil to farm. Because of his presence, we have a beautiful place to live and raise kids, and try something new.”
They also have started a separate business, Stacked Agroforestry, to help other farmers adopt agroforestry. It was a great learning experience and inspiring to see these young farmers dedicated to a different type of farming. Listen to a Savanna Institute podcast with Josh Payne of Rusted Plowshare Farm.
While most of the conference breakout sessions focused on research about how agroforestry can help protect natural resources, or supplement and diversify farm income, it’s seeing what other farmers are doing on the land that I find most valuable. In fact, one of the presentations I attended was research conducted in the Northeastern U.S., where the researcher interviewed 65 farmers implementing agroforestry practices, to better understand what the barriers are to adopting agroforestry. The hypothesis the researcher came away with was that the best way to get producers to implement agroforestry was peer-to-peer networking, reinforcing my experience and understanding.
Happy Dancing Turtle is proud to support several upcoming farmer-to-farmer networking opportunities in our region. We hope you’ll join us.
Crow Wing River Basin Forage Council Events
Stattelman Ranch Pasture Walk - August 28th
Thomas Stattelman is a third-generation rancher operating a 120 grass-based cow/calf operation on several hundred acres in Cass County. With a goal of increasing pasture production and profitability, the Stattelman’s have been implementing adaptive grazing management, outwintering, and annual forages for several years. Extending the grazing season and effective outwintering are tools they are using to reduce operation cost and be more profitable. Thomas is a graduate of the Ranching for Profit School.
Topics to be discussed include:
Annual forages
Out wintering/ bale grazing
Grazing management
Grazing economics
Full Circle Ranch Pasture Walk - Sept 11th
Brett and Joni Dailey purchased their 330-acre ranch in 2005, which had previously been continuously grazed by 60 cow/calf pairs on 440 acres, and the operator purchased all the hay for the cattle. The land was overgrazed and undermanaged.
The Daileys started their conservation grazing journey by connecting with their county Soil and Water Conservation District and NRCS offices. Working with Ivan Reinke and others, they developed a grazing plan and water system. They started with 17 cow/calf pairs and have since grown to 50 with expectations of continual growth and increase of cow/calf numbers. They calve mid-to-late April and typically background the calves to 750-800 lbs. Management has allowed them to become a self-sufficient farm, harvesting hay from 120 acres and rotational graze through 12 paddocks on 160 acres. The cattle graze each paddock for 5-7 days before rotating to a new paddock, allowing about 2 months rest period. Winter out feeding is rotated between paddocks annually which adds organic matter and fertilization to the ground.
Brett and Joni were both raised on farms, so they naturally wanted to continue to have cattle. They originally purchased the farm as a hobby, as they both had off farm jobs, Brett being an Electrician, owning and operating Dailey Electric and Joni a nurse at Lakewood Heath System. Since then, it has turned into a passion for conservation and land utilization. “It has been amazing to see the difference in what good stewardship and management can do,” said the Daileys.
The Great Verndale Grazing School
The Why, What, How, and Who for Grazing: Taking grazing to the next level
September 12th & 13th
This two-day event features local regenerative farmers who are practicing what they preach. Hosted at the Verndale Lions Community Center, afternoons will be in the field, at West 80 South Poles and at Flanagan Farms, both located near Verndale. Presenters include Kent Solberg, Ryan Hough, Jonathan Kilpatrick, Stephanie McClain, Brady Blasher, Thomas Stattelman, and our on-farm hosts, Steve Flanagan and George Heller. Lunch will be provided both days, along with a Friday evening meal at the Community Center in Verndale. Scholarships are available for Cass County producers through the University of Minnesota Office of Soil Health. Contact Cass County SWCD for more details.
For more information on these events, or to register, please visit - https://sfa-mn.org/forage-council/
University of MN Agroforestry Institute - September 23rd - 25th
The Minnesota Agroforestry Institute is a two-and-a-half-day training (September 23 to 25) that includes classroom workshops and on-farm visits. It will provide all participants with the opportunity to network together and visit seven different farms and agroforestry sites.
Agroforestry integrates woody plants into agricultural systems. The five Agroforestry practices include: Windbreaks, Silvopasture, Riparian Buffers, Alley Cropping and Forest Farming. The target audience is SWCD, NRCS and DNR staff but farmers, landowners, agriculture and natural resource professionals are welcome and would benefit from this training.
Location: Northland Arboretum, 14250 Conservation Dr, Baxter, MN 56425
The event organizers hope participants can attend all two and a half days of the event. Institute sponsors will cover meal expenses which include: three light breakfasts, three lunches, two dinners, and refreshments. Participants are responsible for their own lodging and transportation costs.
There are 2.5 CEUs available for registrants who attend this event.
Event Schedule
Tuesday, September 23, 2025 – 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Wednesday, September 24, 2025 – 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Thursday, September 25, 2025 –8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Event Contact
Gary Wyatt, wyatt@umn.edu, 507-381-3092
Register at: https://learning.umn.edu/portal/events/reg/participantTypeSelection.do?method=load&entityId=52782016
Event Sponsors
Minnesota Sustainable Agriculture Research Education (SARE)
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD)
Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR)
University of Minnesota Extension
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