September 2025

These last few weeks of summer have been packed full of events here at Renewing the Countryside, and this last weekend of the summer season, before the autumnal equinox on Sept. 23, is no different. 

We will be hosting an exhibit at Farm Aid 40's HOMEGROWN Village before the big concert Saturday evening. Honored only scratches the surface of describing how we feel being a part of this incredible organization and its festivities (yes, Farm Aid is a nonprofit organization and not just a concert!). With Farm Aid's mission focused on building a vibrant, family farm-centered system of agriculture in America, we couldn't feel more aligned in this work; especially given their very recent stand with the University of Minnesota's Teamsters employees, staying true to the reality that "labor and farm movements are intertwined" and not crossing a picket line. 

What a well-deserved moment for local family farms this weekend in Minnesota. Come and visit RTC in the HOMEGROWN Village and read to the bottom of our newsletter to explore more of RTC events coming up!

 

Renewing the Countryside at Farm Aid 40: Leave a Print for Local Food

Visit Renewing the Countryside's exhibit at Farm Aid 40's HOMEGROWN Village from Noon-5 p.m. on Sat., Sept 20 before the big concert! You'll be able to make a local Homegrown Hanky with our infamous lino press. 

The linocuts were created by local artists and all have themes around food, farming, and agriculture. Local artists involved include Mike McColl, Malena Handeen, Alexandria Harris, Pell Lepp, Mike Granlund, and Seitu Jones. Along with creating a Homegrown Hanky atRTC's exhibit, you'll also get to participate in local food bingo and learn about food in the region!

To learn more about the HOMEGROWN Village, Farm Aid 40, and RTC's exhibit visit renewingthecountryside.org/farmaid40. AND, below is a little sneak peak of the Homegrown Hanky's you can make at our exhibit!

 

Farm Business Management for Local Farmers

The Farm Business Management for Local Food Farmers program is a new offering from Renewing the Countryside specifically designed for local food farmers in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Local food farmers who register for this offering will work one-on-one with a specialist to improve their farm’s financial management skills with the goal of increasing each farmer’s financial knowledge and success. 

Most farmers don’t enjoy bookkeeping, but good financial records are a key part of being a successful farm business. Renewing the Countryside's FBM program will help local food farmers improve their financial skills, make better management decisions, access loans for equipment and land, and receive professional analysis on their farm’s financial records.

The Farm Business Management (FBM) program is designed BY experienced local food farmers FOR local food farmers: the FBM specialists know farming as a business and a lifestyle. 

 

Included in the Farm Business Management work is an introductory, 12-week online course titled Farm Business Basics. This course is specifically designed for busy farmers and will cover business record keeping, marketing, and financial statements. Each week farmers will work on a different aspect of their business plan and have the opportunity to present it to their peers and a panel of judges in-person or online on the last day of class. 

 

The Farm Business Basics Course is made possible thanks to a generous grant from Compeer Financial's Fund for Rural America, the Farm Credit cooperative’s giving
program. The Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America is structured to support Compeer Financial’s mission to enrich agriculture and rural America.

To learn more about the new Farm Business Management work, and to read more about the FBM Specialists Erik Heimark, Laura Cullip, and Nura Ahmed, visit renewingthecountryside.org/fbm.

 

 

 

Women in Conservation Events - This fall is packed with Wisconsin Women in Conservation (WiWiC) and Minnesota Women in Conservation (MNWiC) events from webinars to field days to potlucks!

Learn more about MNWiC's September 24 webinar on climate adaption at mnwic.org/event-list and all the upcoming WiWiC events at wiwic.org/upcoming-events.

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RTC's Come and Get It: On Farm Food Events Initiative wraps for the 2025 season with the Harvest Festival this coming weekend, Sept. 20, in New London, MN. New London is building a larger than life puppet parade! All ages and abilities are welcome to join the fun! Enjoy Face painting by Maria Novak. Celebrate the harvest season with NL Food Coop food & LTA + Spurs beverages! Check our local art vendors and take a photo with your favorite parade puppet! and more!

Learn more about Harvest Fest HERE!

 

RTC developed the Come & Get It project to train and assist local teams of farmers and food advocates in creating fun and educational on-farm events in their regions. The goal is to bolster their community's access and commitment to buying local. To learn more and see all events visit onfarmfoodevents.org.

 

 

Renewing the Countryside presents Farm Fest 2025 in collaboration with The Village on Sunday, Sept. 28 from 2-6 p.m. at the MLK Park pavilion in Rochester! There will be a farmers market, art activities, craft vendors, live music and more! To learn more about the event visit rochvillage.org.

The Village is a collaboration of people who are building the economic power of historically marginalized communities through food justice initiatives. They source under-utilized land in urban areas to create family farms that produce culturally relevant foods, sustaining indigenous traditions and nourishing diverse communities.

 

 

 

Our Go Farm Connect program is hosting a handful of events over the next week:

 

• An Introduction to Tractors and Implement: Sun., Sept 21, 4-6 p.m. at Hope Organics, Dennison, MN

• Low Cost Pack Shed Field Day: Mon., Sept. 22, 1-3 p.m. at Hlee and Txonpao Lee's Farm, Farmington, MN

• Deer Fencing Field Day: Tues., Sept. 23, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Mora, MN

• Farm Financing Webinars: Wed., Sept. 24, Noon-1 p.m., Financing a Farm, and 2-3 p.m., Financing Facilities & Equipment

 

To learn more and RSVP for these events, field days, and webinars visit gofarmconnect.org/events.

 

 

 

Tickets for the FEAST! Local Foods Marketplace on Saturday, November 1 at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester at available AND they are discounted through Oct. 31 at 6 p.m.!

Feast! has become THE spot to explore and discover local food and drink vendors, as well as buy their goods on the spot. You even get a one-of-a-kind Feast! tote bag to hold all your goodies & purchases from the day.

Get your discounted Feast! tickets today!!

 

 

 

We had a BLAST at our Plant Protein Power! exhibit at the Minnesota State Fair. We had sampling partners and chef demos every day and displayed an exhibit covering how Minnesota is bridging agricultural tradition with the future of sustainable, plant-rich eating. 

Thank you to our exhibit sponsors the Northarvest Bean Growers Association, Seven Sundays, SunOpta, The Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance, and the Plant Based Foods Association. You can still view our Plant Power Protein exhibit HERE!

Renewing the Countryside's Farm Business Management Specialist Erik Heimark was spotlighted by the Minnesota Farmers Union. Here is a Q and A from Erik's spotlight: 

Q: Can you tell us about a success story from a project you worked on with a farmer?

A: My client wanted to buy a piece of land that came up for sale next to his farm, so he went to his normal bank but wasn’t able to get a loan. He came to me and I put all the options on the table with FSA lending, and we found one that works. It was about a six-month process with FSA. A year later, we hosted a field day about how to work with FSA on his new land. So that was really nice.

Read Erik's full interview HERE!

 

 

September Question: In what year did Farm Aid start?

August Trivia Q&A:

Q: Who is one of RTC's State Fair Exhibit Sponsors that will be providing samples all 12 days as well?! A: Seven Sundays!

Email your answers to mikell@rtcinfo.org and/or look for the chance to answer on Renewing the Countryside's social media. Give us a follow below!

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Renewing the Countryside · 312 Center St E, Hammond, MN 55991, United States
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