Campaign Activities

Funds raised through Sow the Seeds will be used primarily to support outreach and education among commercial growers, and research into production-related season extension methods that are suited to our region's growing conditions. An Advisory Team including representatives from the Land Stewardship Project, Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Services (MOSES), Coop Partners Warehouse and Rock Spring Farm will help guide Sow the Seeds efforts this year.

Support for season extension activities in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa will be the central focus and funds will be channeled through non-profits, educational institutions and other entities that have the legal status required by the IRS to receive non-emergency charitable donations.

Why Go Local Longer?

STS is launching the "Local Longer" campaign to help make the season longer for local farmers and for shoppers who love local food. By enabling farmers to plant earlier in the Spring and harvest later in the Fall, season extension can help farmers' businesses grow and the supply of locally grown fruits and vegetables to expand.

Extending the local season might sound far-fetched, but it's closer to a reality than you may think. Some produce growers in the Upper Midwest have begun using season extension methods, like hoop houses, to make their businesses more stable and sustainable.

Organic farmers like Chris Blanchard of Rock Spring Farm in northern Iowa are using season extension methods to great effect. "With light weight hoop houses, we've been able to produce greens out of season and harvest tomatoes earlier," Blanchard says. "But the really nice thing about hoop houses is that we get higher quality produce, and we get more yield for our effort." (To learn more, check out Chris' blog.)

To Learn More

• Sustainable Table: Why Buy Local?
• Find local, organic & sustainable food at the Eat Well Guide
• Find local & organic food at the Local Harvest Website
• Locally Grown Products Chart from the Mpls. Farmer's Market
• Visit the Minnesota Grown Directory.
• MN Department of Agriculture Organic Food Website
• Visit the Land Stewardship Project's CSA Farm Directory.
• Organic Consumers Association
• Minnesota Foodworks