Learning Circle and Brunch Potluck with Jennifer Nelson in Pierce County

Join us for a casual brunch potluck in beautiful Pierce County! Host farmer Jennifer Nelson will share her experience with conservation practices on her nursery start operation that integrates small livestock. Others will be invited to share their conservation experiences. Please bring a brunch dish and/or beverage to share, and any questions you may have. No need to bring dishware - that will be provided.

Host:

Jennifer Nelson at Humble Pie Farm

Jennifer loves to cook and eat good, real food with family and friends, and make beauty with natural elements. After teaching children, managing farmers markets, and a trip to Ecuador, Jennifer, along with partner Mike birthed their son and began a little dream of a cut flower farm in 2013. With the help of FSA, they bought a sweet sixteen acre plot of land on the Eau Galle River Valley in western Wisconsin in 2015. From 2015 - 2022, Jennifer also worked for Marbleseed as an organic specialist on a variety of farmer programs. After seven years of growing cut flowers, Jennifer struggled with the work/life balance of parenting, small business ownership, outside farm income and Lyme disease. In 2020, she and Mike stopped growing flowers to focus on growing garden starter plants in the greenhouse, finding a better balance for their family and her health. Currently they grow garden-ready starter plants for four co-op grocery stores in the Twin Cities, cut hay on their land, and steward a small herd of goats, rabbits and chickens. Jennifer is passionate about connecting communities around conservation, women’s health, and slowing down the frenetic pace of modern life to better match the pace of nature.

"The earth has a deep wisdom that we humans understand a little. We are all inextricably connected, and only as healthy as the land, water and our animal neighbors. As we trust the wisdom of nature, we learn to trust ourselves and make choices that benefit humanity and the health of our ecosystem." - Jennifer Nelson

WiWiC Facilitators:

Dr. Rebecca Christoffel

Dr. Esther Durairaj

What To Expect:

• To network with other women in the area around shared dreams, challenges, and experiences of conservation.

• To encourage each other during these uncertain times

• To learn about the current post NRCS-funded WiWiC project and opportunities that still exist for women landowners to access conservation practices

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! 

• This is a brunch potluck. Please bring a dish to share.

• Dress for the weather.

• Please bring a chair.

• WiWiC is a family-friendly space and you are welcome to bring your children. 

• Restroom is available.

• Parking and Accessibility: Those with mobility issues can drive up into the yard and up to the house to disembark. There are two steps up into the house, with grab bars installed on each side. Those without mobility issues will be diverted via signage to park in the small hayfield adjacent to the garden.

  
  

Photos are taken at WiWiC events to help amplify the work being done by Wisconsin's women land stewards, and to help promote future events. Your registration grants consent for your photo to be taken and used for these purposes. If that isn't OK, please inform the facilitator at the beginning of the event.

This day is FREE to attend but registration is required to get the link.

The federal contract that funded the Wisconsin Women in Conservation has been terminated by the federal government, but we'd love to keep events FREE for all who want to attend. If you feel able and inspired to support the continuation of FREE WiWiC events, please donate HERE.

 The day is presented by Michael Fields Agricultural Institute and co-sponsored by the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin.

About Wisconsin Women in Conservation (WiWiC)

WiWiC s a state-wide collaborative effort led by the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute in partnership with state and federal conservation agencies, local organizations, and other farm advocacy groups. 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.

About Michael Fields Agricultural Institute (MFAI)

MFAI is a non-profit organization that has been cultivating resiliency through research, education, and policy work since 1984. With a broad coalition of public and private partners, The Institute supports farmers, food systems and communities in the Upper Midwest and beyond through a range of programs and initiatives. We believe agriculture can sustain both human and ecosystem health, while advancing food security, independence, and justice. Follow along on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news and events.

About the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin (NRF)

NRF protects Wisconsin’s lands, waters, and wildlife by providing funding, leading partnerships, and connecting all people with nature. There’s still hope. Nature is resilient, people are generous, and we all can make a difference.