March 2026

 

Farm to Kids Roadshow 2026

Renewing the Countryside (RTC) organized the Farm to Kids Roadshows in 2026. Traveling across the state, these events help connect local schools & institutions with local farmers to better incorporate fresh, LOCAL foods into kids' meals. Each roadshow offers a Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) training in the morning, taught by U of MN Extension Educator Annalisa Hultberg and RTC’s Farmer Focused Program Manager Sara George. The GAP training for local farmers covers food safety measures, pest control, good hand washing & sanitizing measures, and so much more! The morning training was followed by lunch from a local business, a kitchen tour of the school hosting, and farmer-buyer networking activities in the afternoon.

 "The farmer is winning, the kids are winning, because they're getting healthy, nutrient dense foods that were just harvested... and the schools and the community are winning as well," said Sara George, RTC's Farmer Focused Program Manager. Check out the full news story from Cloquet's road show stop HERE.

 

 

The Roadshow hosted events in Hutchinson, Morris, Cloquet, Brainerd, Bagley, and Mankato. The last two stops are in Rochester on April 2, and Roseville on April 8.

The Farm to Kids Roadshow is part of RTC's Regional Local Foods Coordinator initiative and is organized alongside the MN Department of Education, MN Department of Agriculture, and University of Minnesota Extension. Funding is provided by the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Patrick Leahy Farm to School grant program.

Learn more about RTC's Farm to Kids Initiatives and Farm to Kids Roadshows at renewingthecountryside.org/farm_to_kids.

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MNWiC Program Provides 34 Scholarships to Women Farmers for SFA's Midwest Grazing & Soil Summit

In March, Renewing the Countryside's (RTC) Soil Sisters & Minnesota Women in Conservation (MNWIC) program awarded scholarships to 34 women grazers from 24 counties in MN, to attend the Sustainable Farming Association's (SFA) Grazing & Soil Health Summit in Willmar, MN.

These scholarships represented more than just financial support—they provided an opportunity for women farmers to connect with their colleagues. Pictured to the left (or above if on a mobile device) is RTC’s MNWiC State Coordinator Burke Murphy with Dr. Temple Grandin, the keynote speaker at the summit. Phyleasha Grauman of Beltrami County was one of the 34 scholarship recipients. She expressed just how impactful attending the summit was for her..

Phyleasha is one of 9 recipients that have also followed up with a request for help in developing a conservation plan.

Why it matters: By providing access to opportunities to learn and a  community of peers, we are empowering women to scale their operations and build farms that can withstand the challenges of the future.

Learn more about MNWiC and its upcoming events, webinars, and more HERE. Pictured below are the scholarship recipients and MNWiC coordinators at SFA's Midwest Grazing & Soil Health Summit.

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2026 Feast! Tradeshow: 60 Exhibitors, 92 Wholesale Buyers, and the Celebration of Exiting Feast! Staff

The 2026 FEAST! Local Foods Tradeshow was held on March 19 in Cannon Falls. The event featured 60 exhibitors—CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) makers and farmers—including 26 new exhibitors. The exhibitors came to make connections with the 92 wholesale buyers–attending from 55 different companies–including distributors, grocery retailers, and foodservice (i.e. schools and restaurants).

While the data is still being collected and analyzed, early reports suggest that at least $1M in contracts will come out of this event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2026 FEAST! awards included the Innovative Local Sourcing Award, presented to mother/son team Lisa and Andy Klein on behalf of the family enterprise, Hidden Stream Farm, the Local Food Champion Award, presented to Abby and Turk of Lakewinds Food Co-op, and the Inspiring Social Benefit award, presented to first time exhibitor Tom from Behind the Breadbox.

Pictured to the left (or above if on a mobile device), is Tim Penny (L), former President of the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation. and Tom (R) of Behind the Breadbox. 

This year's Feast! Tradeshow also included the celebration and honoring of two, longstanding pillars of the Feast Local Foods Network, Elena Byrne & Marlene Petersen. Elena and Marlene are both stepping away from the Feast! Network to focus on new adventures and projects. The 2026 Tradeshow provided the perfect send off where vendors, buyers, volunteers, and fellow staff were all able to give deep gratitude for all these women have done for local foods advocacy.  Thank you Elena, pictured above on the left, and Marlene, pictured above in the middle, for all your work, love, and dedication to Feast! programming and local foods.  To learn more about the Feast! Local Foods Network visit local-feast.org.

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New Farmer U Recap: In Partnership with Marbleseed & Big River Farms

Renewing the Countryside partnered with Marbleseed and Big River Farms to host the New Farmer U (NFU) gathering! 42 aspiring and active farmers, traveling from across Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Iowa, and Illinois, gathered in Lanesboro, MN at the beautiful Eagle Bluff Environmental Center. The farmers present had land ranging in scale, from small urban and backyard operations to larger rural farms, and producing everything from vegetables and fruit to dairy, livestock, mushrooms, hemp, and bees.

Throughout the weekend, participants moved between sessions focused on financial management, marketing, production systems, and legal considerations. These sessions were grounded in real-world experience and paired with practical tools like a complimentary copy of Fearless Farm Finances, a collection of take-home resources, and continued access to shared slide decks and digital planning tools.

Participants stayed on-site throughout the weekend, creating a natural rhythm of learning and connection that extended beyond the classroom. That connection carried over into shared meals featuring locally farmed food where conversations flowed from workshop sessions to genuine, informal exchanges. Participants even gathered around a cozy bonfire with snacks, switchel, and roasted crickets, creating space for storytelling and laughter.

Join MNWiC for an inspiring discussion featuring women leaders in organic and regenerative agriculture who are transforming the future of farming from the ground up!

These experienced farmers and advocates will share practical insights on building healthy soil, growing resilient crops, and creating sustainable farm businesses rooted in stewardship and community. Learn more and RSVP HERE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The 2026 Farmland Summit will bring together thought leaders, change agents, policymakers, and practitioners from around the Upper Midwest to dig into critical challenges and opportunities related to farmland access, succession, and transfer. Participants will gather to learn, share, and connect around an array of issues such as financing, tenure, conservation, easements, federal and state policy, and transfer.  We anticipate over 200 attendees at the Summit. To stay up-to-date on agenda, speakers and more visit renewingthecountryside.org/farmland_summit and explore sponsorship opportunities here.

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Welcome RTC's Newest Board Members: Jennifer Hawkins & Jill Mitchell

Jennifer Hawkins is passionate about rural development, creative spaces & civic engagement. With more than two decades of experience across government, higher education & nonprofit sectors, she has built a career focused on strengthening communities, advancing economic opportunity & guiding organizations through meaningful change. She lives on a hobby farm in Southeast Minnesota with her partner David, tending to a small herd of angora goats in her spare time.

Jill Mitchell is an attorney with deep expertise in corporate legal, compliance and business matters. Born and raised on a hobby farm in Montana, Jill is passionate about improving the health of rural communities, increasing economic viability and supporting new models of sustainability. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, skiing, trout streams and farmers' markets.

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Hannah Lewis & Mini Forests Featured on Science Friday

Renewing the Countryside's Hannah Lewis was interviewed by Science Friday in March, covering the concept of mini-forests, self-sustaining native forest ecosystems on a tiny footprint, like an empty lot or a schoolyard. She speaks to the planting method developed by botanist Akira Miyawaki and how it can help “rewild” small parcels of land by jump-starting forest development. Hannah leads mini-forest work at RTC, which coordinated the creation of two mini-forests in the Twin CIties metro area, and is the author of Mini-Forest Revolution: Using the Miyawaki Method to Rapidly Rewild the World. Read the full article The Miniforest Movement Gains Ground in the U.S. and its accompanying podcast, also featuring Hannah, Into the Woods, from Chestnut Genetics to Tiny Forests.

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Follow RTC on social media for even more updates!

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