Near west field, July 2015

What should be the future of our farm? It’s time to make some long term plans so here is are some thoughts about our hopes and dreams for the farm in the coming years. Comments welcome!

The Sogn Sandbox

In 2012 we bought this 55-acre farm in the Sogn Valley about an hour south of the Twin Cities. We bought the farm with three main intentions. First, as a store of value. In light of the economic events of 2008 and a more generalized distrust of the economic system we decided to put retirement funds into real property rather than mutual funds, annuities or other intangible assets. It is our intent to draw on that investment as we age. Second, we bought the farm in part to provide a place to experiment with sustainability and resilience. How can this place be best cared for in the face of climate change and peak oil? Third, we’d like to use this investment to experiment with possible approaches to the challenge of access to land for emerging farmers. These remain the values that we hope will inform the future of the farm.

With 11 years of experience behind us it is now time to develop a long-term plan for the farm which leaves it both improved and in good hands with ownership transferred and resources for our retirement realized. We hope to have time to do the process thoughtfully and well. During this process we would like:

• To work cooperatively with our partner(s) to develop and implement a plan for the farm as a whole and specifically for the management and improvement of the tillable acreage.
• To continue to use organic / regenerative practices.
• To engage with our neighbors as we envision the farm as part of the Sogn/Cannon Falls/Dennison community.
• To consider making investments in the farm such as solar, a pack shed etc. given strategic and/or economic justification.
• To continue to have access to the farm, woodlands and garden
• To maintain use of the farm office building.

At present we are investigating:

• Given current economic and legal conditions, what model, if any, is best for a small farm such as ours? For the last three years we have subsidized growing sweetcorn and winter squash for donation to food banks. This requires fundraising and volunteer coordination in addition to tillage, harvest etc.

This is very much a work-in-progress but we hope the outcome will usefully contribute to conversations about small farm economics, resilience, access to land, community and more. Thoughts, comments or connections to others embracing these challenges are welcome!