Field Day: Deep Roots Community Farm

Pack your camp chair and join us for a summer’s morning and lunch on the farm in July! 

All women farmers, landowners and conservationists from Trempealeau, La Crosse, Monroe, and surrounding counties are welcome to attend-- whatever your background, from beginners to experts!

Curious about ways to make your farm ecologically and economically sustainable? This is the field day for you! Ana is doing it all from grass-fed meat, vegetables, fruit and flowers with an eye to involving the community, living simply, and raising healthy, happy children. She'd love to give you a tour, and have you join her in conversation about what she is thinking about and what you may be planning for. After lunch she will lead us in an artistic visioning activity so you leave inspired to take the next steps towards your land goals. 

Natural Resources Conservation Service staff will be onsite to share information about technical and financial assistance programs to support your goals.

Please register in advance and email Alanna with any dietary restrictions we should be aware of.  A delicious local and organic lunch will be served. 

This is going to be an all-around epic day on the farm, hope to see you there!

Resource Experts Attending:  Ana Skemp, Deep Roots Community Farm 

Ana Skemp farms and homesteads in the beautiful driftless region of La Crosse. Deep Roots Community Farm was launched almost 20 years ago and is a diversified family farm. We raise grass-fed beef, Icelandic sheep, and Kune Kune pigs, and operate a horse boarding facility. We offer educational programming (including field trips and farm camps) that emphasizes teaching the next generation how to grow and raise food in a sustainable way. We helped form a nonprofit (Grow La Crosse) to continue this educational work. When the family apple orchard was in need of the next generation to tend it a few years ago we also became orchardists and now raise about 30 varieties of certified organic apples. Ana is a mother of 6 kids and farms for and with them, even if it slows things down at times. Ana has a MS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology wherein her research focused on animal behavior. Before she was a farmer and a mother she taught at a Waldorf school. Deep Roots Community Farm brings all of this together with the aim of sharing our skills and connecting with the local community.

Speakers: 

• Brittany Siehr | Soil Conservationist, Natural Resources Conservation Service (La Crosse County)

Wisconsin Women in Conservation Host:  Alanna Koshollek, Renewing the Countryside

Location:  Deep Roots Community Farm 

Event Details:

• Event is free to attend but registration is required and space is limited.
• Women, all who identify as such, are welcome to attend – from  landowners to farmers to conservationist enthusiasts –  whatever your background, from beginners to experts! Our WiWiC events follow a Learning Circle model, with ample time and a safe space for story sharing, networking and collaborative learning. We all have something to both share and learn together.
• Dress for the weather.  Bring a sunhat, sunscreen and good walking shoes.  Please bring a chair/camp chair.
• This event is outdoors and no masks are required. Social distancing is encouraged.
• Photos will be taken at this event and used for educational purposes only by WiWiC and the partner groups.  If you do not wish to have your picture taken, let the on-site WiWiC host know.
• WiWiC is a family-friendly space and you are welcome to bring your children. Upon registering please email or text Alanna at alannakoshollek@gmail.com or 715-538-3773 with the names of the children attending and their age so we can plan for food.

Wisconsin Women in Conservation (WiWiC) is a state-wide collaborative effort led by the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute in partnership with Wisconsin Farmers Union, Renewing the Countryside and Marbleseed (formerly MOSES).  A five-year multi-faceted project funded by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), WiWiC brings together Wisconsin's women landowners, farmers, farm workers, urban growers, and conservation professionals to connect and share about conservation practices, resources, and funding opportunities.