Nick Olson and his wife, Joan, own Prairie Drifter Farm in Litchfield, Minnesota – out on the edge of the prairie. They raise about six acres of vegetables 90 minutes west of the Twin Cities, selling most of them through a CSA and the rest to stores and restaurants. Nick has also coordinated the Farm Beginnings courses for the Land Stewardship Project for a number of years. We talked about how his experience with that program influenced the decisions that he and Joan have made on their farm over the past six years, covering topics from holistic management to relationship management. I had a lot of fun talking to Nick, and I learned a lot. I think you’ll find the conversation as valuable as I did.
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We talked again about Holistic Management – the book is great, and you can find more information about Holistic Management at the Savory Institute website or at Holistic Management International.
Nick and I also talked about the Farm Service Agency’s microloans program. FSA also has a guide to farm loan programs.
Nick mentioned the National Young Farmer’s Coalition’s work to promote changes in the FSA loan programs.
The Farm Business Management program in Minnesota was important to Nick. I’m not sure just how many of these programs exist in other states.
Nick couldn’t hold himself to just one favorite tool. He highlighted the Valley Oak Wheel Hoe, the Farmall Super C, and the Club Car Carryall as the tools that really get him excited.
Finally, if you haven’t seen it, here’s the video Nick mentioned that Mike Bollinger had shared about harvesting kale. I’ve always thought I was pretty fast, but this puts the lie to that idea…