Supporting local ag
A celebration of local growers
Cass County Electric Cooperative sponsors FAARMS Fargo Farm Tour
When a couple dozen strangers stepped off a bus and onto Family Roots Farm on Sept. 14, Daisy the Great Pyrenees was not impressed. The genetically predisposed sheep protector barked from a distance as the farm’s owner greeted the visitors with a warm and welcoming smile.
“This is my little slice of heaven,” said producer Jen Skoog, gesturing to the few acres of gardens, alfalfa, chicken coops, beehives and pastureland just east of Christine, N.D., that she calls home. It’s the farm that has been in her family for generations, electrified nearly 80 years age by Cass County Electric Cooperative (CCEC). But Skoog is bringing a new energy to the land – and she was ready to share her story.
This was the first stop of the Fargo Area Farm Tour hosted by the Foundation for Agricultural and Rural Resources Management and Sustainability (FARRMS) and sponsored by Cass County Electric. FARRMS is a North Dakota nonprofit that creates programs to educate and support budding farmers in the state.
“We started doing farm tours as a supplement to our internship program, to allow the interns to get a more diverse view of different kinds of farms,” explained FARRMS Executive Director Stephanie Blumhagen.
“Then we decided, if we’re helping these farmers grow their businesses, the main thing they need is customers, so how do we connect the public and consumers to the farmers? We decided to open our tours to the public and give them that firsthand view.”
Tour guest Jocelyn Hovland, CCEC Communications Manager, hoped fellow attendees could experience how they could close the gap between farmers and buyers and advocate a more local, sustainable and interconnected food system. “CCEC’s roots are firmly planted in North Dakota farms and agriculture, so supporting events and programs that connect member producers with CCEC communities and residential members is a legacy we are proud to continue,” she said.
Skoog is a graduate of FARRMS’ Farm Beginnings program, a three-month sustainable business course. In addition to FARRMS programming, she has leveraged a network of local growers (and a few books and YouTube videos) to learn how she can use a little to create a lot of sustainable opportunities on her patch of land, from growing potatoes in alfalfa mulch to shearing wool from her angora goats. She’s able to share the fruits of the farm (including fresh eggs, lamb meat, and herbs) at local farmers markets and online.
From Family Roots Farm the bus made its way to Exit 44 Flowers & More, a fresh-cut flower farm off of Interstate 29 east of Walcott, N.D. Owner Alyssa Jones started her rural flower business three years ago, finding inspiration from serving as Skoog’s FARRMS intern.
“Jen took me under her wing,” Jones said, leading her guests through rows of colorful blooms, willow trees and decorative corn. She now has a FARRMS intern of her own, helping her and her husband tend to the four acres they have now planted.
Jones uses her flowers in a number of ways, including hosting photographers and events at the farm, creating and delivering fresh bouquets through a CSA program, and taking part in pop-up flower bar events in Fargo. She sees other local growers not as competitors but as support, collectively bringing their small endeavors to the mainstream. “We really work together as a community,” she said.
The bus tour headed south for a lunch stop at Crooked Lane Farm, a rustic event venue east of Colfax, N.D. Owner Mary Jo Schmid shared the entrepreneurial journey taken by the Schmid family, from a goal of education to a life of creating lasting memories in a farmyard setting. She gave a nod to the farmers on the tour route, who have found their own ways to shine light on the industry.
“All of these things have really come to fruition over the last 10-15 years. And they are pushing agriculture and ag tourism to a really outstanding economic point for our county,” Schmid said.
As the participants enjoyed a lunch spread of fresh cheeses, meats, nuts and fruits from Milk Made Catering, owner Megan Lewis explained how she got into the business of “spreading the word of the curd.” Lewis, now a certified cheesemonger, grew up loving cheese and wanted to become more involved in sharing that passion with others. “We love what we do, and we take an immense amount of pride in being able to tell farmers’ stories,” Lewis said.
From cheeses to fleeces, the tour hopped over to Ten Seven Acres, an alpaca farm nestled in the small community of Galchutt, N.D. Visitors were welcomed by a wobbly, fluffy alpaca baby, born just four hours prior and weighing around 15 pounds, surrounded by its mother and “aunties.”
Jessie and Dirk Monson were the first in the state to begin raising alpacas for their wool, which is processed into luxurious fiber and yarns. The Monson herd has helped to kick off another handful of alpaca farms across North Dakota. “We’ve helped the industry grow sixfold in the state,” Dirk said.
As the Fargo Area Farm Tour wrapped up its final stop, it was difficult to find a face that hadn’t grown a smile. “I hope everyone takes away a deeper appreciation of what it takes to grow food and a realization that you can get food locally,” Blumhagen said. “We grow so many commodity crops in North Dakota, and that’s important and a key part of our economic system. But farming isn’t just commodities that are shipped away. You can purchase from local farmers.”