Michael Fields Agricultural Institute

Michael Fields Agricultural Institute Cultivating Resilient Agriculture Through Research, Education, and Policy Since 1984.

06/11/2026

We love connecting farmers and legislators! Stay tuned for more on our Candidate Education Summer Farm Tour in Wisconsin. We hope to meet with all of the gubernatorial candidates before the August 11 primary. Thanks to Rachel Bouressa for being our first host, and to Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez for being our first candidate.

Hi friends! Meet Allissa Stutte. đź‘‹Allissa is part of Mino Bimaadiziiwin Gitigaanin (The Good Life Farm).Allissa understa...
06/11/2026

Hi friends! Meet Allissa Stutte. đź‘‹

Allissa is part of Mino Bimaadiziiwin Gitigaanin (The Good Life Farm).

Allissa understands food and agriculture as an important piece of tribal sovereignty and is dedicated to supporting the needs of the Red Cliff community and advancing tribal food sovereignty efforts.

Mino Bimaadiziiwin Farm includes a greenhouse, three high tunnels, field plots with perennial beds, native species, and pollinator plantings, plus two nearly century-old apple orchards that still produce beautiful fruit each year. They also operate an annual sugarbush for maple syrup production and raise laying hens to add diversity to their offerings.

This Monday, June 15, Allissa will join the Staple Crop Growers Network Community Call for a conversation on tubers: potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, Indigenous crop varieties, food traditions, climate resilience, and why these staple crops deserve attention and protection.

Join us to meet fellow farmers and resource providers from the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, FresherTogether, Fondy Farmers Market, Fondy Farm Project and Michigan Food & Farming Systems (MIFFS).

Learn about upcoming workshops, learning opportunities, and available one-on-one support. You will also be introduced to USDA programs that may be a good fit for your farm business.

All are welcome, whether you farm at scale, garden in your backyard, or are simply curious about staple crops and regional food systems.

đź“… June 15, 2026
🕠 5:30–7:00 PM CDT
đź“Ť Zoom

This event is free to attend, but registration is required to receive the Zoom link: michaelfields.org/event-list

Can’t make it live? Sign up anyway and we’ll send you the recording!

Did you know it’s Election Season in Wisconsin? That’s right - there is a primary race for the Governor’s seat on August...
06/10/2026

Did you know it’s Election Season in Wisconsin? That’s right - there is a primary race for the Governor’s seat on August 11, so Michael Fields Agricultural Institute staff are out in the field connecting candidates to regenerative farmers for tours and discussions about agricultural and community priorities.

This morning we are at Bouressa Family Farm with our frequent collaborator Rachel Bouressa in New London for a conversation with Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez. MFAI Policy Director Chuck Anderas is facilitating the visit, and asking a series of questions we will put to all the candidates in the next few weeks:

What specific action would you take as Governor to address the challenges and opportunities facing this farm/farmer?

How can state policy better support farmers who are improving soil health, water quality, and conservation while remaining economically viable?

What tools, investments, or programs would you prioritize to help farms become more resilient to floods, droughts, heat, and other weather extremes?

How would you ensure renewable energy development creates benefits for farmers and rural communities while respecting local concerns?

What do you see as the shared political interest between urban and rural Wisconsin? What will it take to build trust across communities?

How can Wisconsin improve water quality while maintaining strong family farms and rural economies?

What should Wisconsin do to ensure that the next generation can afford to farm and succeed in agriculture?

What’s one issue where you believe farmers, conservation advocates, rural residents, and urban residents are already on the same side? How would you build on that shared interest as Governor?

What else should we be asking? Stay tuned for more on our Candidate Education Summer Farm Tour! Sign up for our newsletters and action alerts to learn about what farmers are saying and how the candidates respond: michaelfields.org/connect

06/09/2026

Come see us today in Burlington at LarryVille Gardens LLC market from 4 to 7pm. We are here every Tuesday with all of these other awesome vendors!

Come work with us!The Michael Fields Agricultural Institute is hiring a Milwaukee Food & Nutrition Systems Coordinator t...
06/05/2026

Come work with us!

The Michael Fields Agricultural Institute is hiring a Milwaukee Food & Nutrition Systems Coordinator to support MFAI’s education team by coordinating school- and community-facing food systems programming, with an initial focus on a USDA-funded Farm to School project.
This role will manage partner relationships, support implementation across school sites, develop educational resources, assist with program evaluation and nutrition-related data collection, and help strengthen local food system pathways.
We anticipate growing this role to full-time as additional funding becomes available.

Location: Remote, with regular travel; must be based in Milwaukee

Position Type: 50% FTE (86.5 hours/month)

Salary Range: $30,250–$32,250

Read the full position description at michaelfields.org/opportunities

Hi internet friends! Meet Laura Mortimore. đź‘‹Laura is an organic farmer and founder of Orange Cat Community Farm, three-a...
06/04/2026

Hi internet friends! Meet Laura Mortimore. đź‘‹

Laura is an organic farmer and founder of Orange Cat Community Farm, three-acre certified organic veggie farm in Sauk County, WI.

Laura has been running Orange Cat Community Farm for 17 years and still gets excited about the seasons shifting, connecting with nature, and growing some darn good produce.

Tubers have a special place in Laura’s heart:

“Sweet potatoes are one of my absolute favorite crops to grow, so I am excited to share my experience with them. It is always fun to talk shop with other growers!”

On Monday, June 15, Laura will join the Staple Crop Growers Network Community Call to teach us all about growing tubers like potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams. We’ll cover Indigenous crop varieties, food traditions, climate resilience, and why these crops still matter so much today.

Join us to meet fellow farmers and resource providers from the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, Michigan Food & Farming Systems (MIFFS), Fondy Farmers Market, and FresherTogether.

Learn about upcoming workshops, learning opportunities, and available one-on-one support. You will also be introduced to USDA programs that may be a good fit for your farm business.

All are welcome, whether you farm at scale, garden in your backyard, or are simply curious about staple crops and regional food systems.

đź“… June 15, 2026
🕠 5:30–7:00 PM CDT

This event is free to attend, but registration is required to receive the Zoom link: https://www.michaelfields.org/event-details/tubers-uncovered-community-call-with-the-staple-crop-growers-network

Can’t make it live? Sign up anyway and we’ll send you the recording!

Farmers and community growers gathered earlier this month at Comer Crops Farm to explore cover crops as a powerful clima...
06/02/2026

Farmers and community growers gathered earlier this month at Comer Crops Farm to explore cover crops as a powerful climate resilience practice for urban, small-acreage, and rural farms alike.

Hosted by FresherTogether, Comer Crops Farm, Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, and Advocates for Urban Agriculture the gathering included a field tour, hands-on soil crimping in the spring hoop house, cover crop seed distribution, and community pizza making and sharing.

Participants saw how cover crops can help reduce erosion, support carbon and nitrogen cycles, disrupt pests and weeds, and build soil health through increased biomass and organic matter.

We were grateful to be joined by USDA NRCS staff, who shared resources on conservation funding opportunities for farms. Advocates for Urban Agriculture distributed their Soil Health Toolkit, including resources on cover crops, thermal composting, and nutrient management. Michael Fields Agricultural Institute also shared free cover crop seeds and soil health resources.

Thank you to everyone who gathered, learned, planted, shared, and celebrated with us!

A little water, a little soil, and a whole lot of “ohhh, that’s how that works” 💧🌱At our tillage field day last week, we...
06/02/2026

A little water, a little soil, and a whole lot of “ohhh, that’s how that works” 💧🌱

At our tillage field day last week, we used a rainfall simulator to see how different tillage methods affect water infiltration, runoff, and erosion in real time. We also dug into how to use tillage more intentionally and how to incorporate mulch and cover crops on our farms and gardens. Safe to say we’re all leaving with a stronger "know-till" mindset

Thanks to everyone who came out, asked great questions, and made it such a fun, hands-on day!

Yum! We had such an incredible meal and terrific time of sharing in community at Friday’s Staple Crops Celebration Meal ...
05/31/2026

Yum! We had such an incredible meal and terrific time of sharing in community at Friday’s Staple Crops Celebration Meal at The Table in Milwaukee. Sponsored by our Milwaukee Urban Agriculture Network and Fondy Farm Project - the meal was graciously hosted by Venice Williams, Stephen Petro and our Farmer Education Coordinator Christine Johnson. We enjoyed staple crop dishes from African American and Hmong traditions - featuring sweet potatoes, cow peas, rice, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, greens, and more! We are so grateful to Venice for sharing the beautiful space and kitchen at The Table.

Address

PO Box 990
East Troy, WI
53120

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

(262) 642-3303

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