Hop on the Bus, Get Schooled!

Saturday afternoon showcases several area farms with a bus tour for beginning farmers and other interested members.

The tour highlights three local farms by Madison:

• Our Seven Acres has a small-scale family vegetable and fruit operation incorporating hoop houses, small livestock, an a CSA. Hear from Mandy Kerns about how she connects with consumers, supports her community, and inspires young farmers.
• Preston Beeman, is a transitioning farmer south of Madison, who rents his farm from his mother and siblings. After joining Gail Fuller on a tour of Gabe Brown’s farm in North Dakota, he discovered cover crops can be profitable when grazed. Preston has changed his farming practices and now plants cover crops on his farm and custom grazes yearlings.
• Jacob Knobloch is a young farmer who took over his grandpa’s farm in 2005. He did conventional cropping for the first three years, followed by two years of strip till. Jacob took advantage of some cost share opportunities to try no-till and is slowly making a move to drastically reduce commercial inputs.

There is no cost to participate in the Beginning Farmer Bus Tour! RSVP are requested!

The Beginning Farmer Bus Tour is open to the public, as are all of the Kansas Farmers Union State Convention sessions. Learn more about convention, including keynotes by Senator Nancy Landon Kassebaum Baker and artist Erika Nelson here.

Questions? Contact Mary Howell: kfu.mary@gmail.com or 785.562.8726