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Farm advocacy group Go Farm Connect will be holding a farm tour and field day at Whetstone Farm in Amery on Wednesday, August 14, 2024 from 4:30–6:30pm to introduce farmers to new financial and technical resources available through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The farm is at 281 135th St, Amery, WI. Snacks will be provided. Hmong and other language interpretation services are available upon request. Residents and agricultural support staff in Polk, Eau Claire, Chippewa, Dunn, and Barron counties are encouraged to attend. You do not need to own land to participate. Please pre-register at gofarmconnect.org/events.

Whetstone Farm is a dynamic collaborative farm with a focus on community building and resiliency in sustainable farming. Emily Hanson and Klaus Zimmerman, farmers at Whetstone, grow certified organic vegetables and grass-fed beef and lamb for direct market.

The organizers for this event are Bonnie Warndahl, of Winnowburrow Farm and Florals in Colfax, and Matt Hardy of Rust Hill Ranch in Scandia, MN. Both are trained peer Connectors with Go Farm Connect, a program that offers one-on-one support to farmers, by farmers, in accessing financial and technical resources. Warndahl is also a Farmland Access Specialist and Farm Succession Coordinator at Renewing the Countryside. They welcome all farmers to attend—no matter how large or small their operation.

“I’m excited to tour Whetstone Farm and introduce folks to the amazing work Emily and Klaus have been doing there with the help of the great USDA staff in Polk County!” says Warndahl, who raises mushrooms and beans along with flowers at Winnowburrow Farm.

“Rust Hill Ranch has directly benefited from USDA programs, including EQIP grants that helped us accelerate our livestock operation,” said Hardy, who raises beef, sheep, hogs, and chickens on pasture and in woods. “Funding for projects included: perimeter fence, pasture planting, water well, rotational grazing, and more.”

The USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offer a wide variety of farm loans and programs such as crop insurance, infrastructure cost-shares, and planning tools that benefit farmers and landowners. Many farmers don’t know they qualify for USDA services that can positively impact their farm business and offer peace of mind. For example, FSA offers low-interest loans to farmers which can be used for start-up costs, expansion, equipment purchases, building a storage facility, and more. NRCS has programs that help with conservation plans, cover crop plans, grazing plans, and much more, as well as cost-share assistance for infrastructure like high tunnels and livestock watering systems.

Go Farm Connect (GFC) is a farmer-led initiative to build relationships between non-traditional, historically underserved specialty crop farmers and the agricultural support agencies that can help producers succeed. GFC Peer Connectors are trained to help farms of all sizes and specialties in Minnesota and Wisconsin access agricultural assistance programs. The three-year project is led by Renewing The Countryside in partnership with the US Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency, and Natural Resources Conservation Service. For more information, visit www.gofarmconnect.org.

Event Organizer Bonnie Warndahl is a Farmland Access Specialist with Renewing the Countryside and a USDA Connector with Go Farm Connect, a program that offers one-on-one support to farmers, by farmers, in accessing financial and technical resources. Warndahl is a Dunn County resident, where she lives on her small farm north of Colfax, producing cut flowers, dried beans, and fresh culinary mushrooms.

“Rust Hill Ranch has directly benefited from USDA programs, including EQIP grants that helped us accelerate our livestock operation,” says Matt Hardy, of Rust Hill Ranch in Cambridge, MN, who raises beef, sheep, hogs, and chickens on pasture and in woods. Hardy is a trained Connector with Go Farm Connect, helping farmers access programs and funding to implement conservation practices that can make farms more profitable.

Emily Hanson and Klaus Zimmerman, farmers at Whetstone, grow certified organic vegetables and grass-fed beef and lamb for direct market. Whetstone Farm is a dynamic collaborative farm with a focus on community building and resiliency in sustainable farming.