Expanding the Farmland Access Navigator Team | Broadcaster Article

Finding quality, affordable land is challenging. The Land Access Hub is a group of professionals that assist in land acquisition and are aware of the challenges and needs of beginning farmer land seekers. The combined forces of this large group can make a greater impact on land tenure in Wisconsin by:

Pooling resources and knowledge
Identifying beginning farmers in need of assistance
Providing financial and technical resources
Aiding in the search for land tenure, and search and discovery of suitable farmland

Wisconsin Farmland Access Navigators are trained to guide beginning farmers through the process of finding property and securing land tenure. Knowing how to farm and having a foundational understanding of farm finances does not translate into a new farmer being able to find, afford, and secure land. To address the farmland access challenges facing beginning farmers in Wisconsin, Land Access Navigators assist new, resource-limited farmers in developing an access plan. MOSES is excited to welcome three new Wisconsin Land Access Navigators to the Farmland Access Hub.

Land Access Navigator, Bonnie Warndahl

Bonnie owns Winnowburrow Farm & Florals, a small sustainable, cut flower farm, home-based floral design studio, and agritourism business in Colfax, Wisconsin (near Menomonie–Eau Claire). She’s been on her current farm for three years and has farmed for seven. Her business is based on beauty, sustainability, nature, and healing. Most design work is funneled into weddings, but she also does other events, and offers a seasonal bouquet subscription (flower CSA), which goes out to customers weekly. She enjoys the regular connection with clientele and the journey through the Wisconsin flower season.

Last summer she opened a farmstay (via Airbnb) that welcomes guests to relax and rejuvenate in natural surroundings. Besides the flowers, her stunning farm is nestled into beautiful rolling hills along the Red Cedar River and the views from the hilltop flower field are breathtaking. Just being on this land is healing and she has a strong dedication to preserving and healing the land. She plans to add more pollinator habitat and increase the biodiversity. She also hopes to do some soil regeneration and weed/brush mitigation by using sheep and/or goats in rotational grazing.

Bonnie joined the Farmland Access Navigator Hub in February 2022 and will begin taking clients in April. She considers it extremely important that we, as a society, provide more resources and opportunities to beginning farmers and ensure that good stewards can secure land tenure.

Besides the importance of the work, land access is near and dear to her heart. She traveled a long, complicated road to land access, having no capital to start and little experience. The many great programs and resources available to beginning farmers made it possible for her to finally buy land through non-conventional means. She and her husband closed a 3-year land contract on February 28, 2022, and refinanced our home to a traditional mortgage. A decade of experience personally navigating the system has provided her with relevant knowledge to help others through the process.

Nicholas Leete and Nou Thao of Rooted WI

Originally from Minnesota, Nicholas has spent time in Iowa studying soil, water, and sustainable agriculture, has worked in middle-income housing in New York, and has researched perennial crops at the University of Wisconsin. He spent several years working with community-focused farm and garden projects before joining Rooted as the Gardens Network Manager. When not working on his own community garden plot, Nicholas enjoys cooking, biking, and the Madison lakes.

Nou grew up on the east side of Madison, WI. She has volunteered with Troy Community Garden (located on Madison’s Northside) for many years before joining Rooted. Food is woven into the fabric of who she is; she works with food and food issues all day. She has helped address food insecurity in the community. She is an educator, an advocate, and community organizer. Nou is passionate in connecting communities through food and storytelling.

The organization Rooted WI (d/b/a Rooted), evolved from the strengths of two vibrant Madison organizations: Center for Resilient Cities and Community GroundWorks. Rooted is dedicated to building racial equity and inclusion and dismantling racism in our communities, in our education and food systems, in the environmental movement, and within the organization. Rooted’s programs connect community members to food and land through agriculture. MOSES community members can learn more about Rooted’s work at rootedwi.org. Watch for the release of a project called Rooted in Land, Preserving through Generations. For this project they will interview and collect BIPOC garden elders’ stories in the Dane County area.

Nicholas and Nou joined the Land Access Hub as Navigators within the 2022 cohort. They are excited to learn, connect, and collaborate with fellow Midwest community members.

MOSES thanks Bonnie, Nicholas, and Nou for adding their skills and expertise to the Land Access Navigator Team. To access the full team and more information, visit renewingthecountryside.org or call 507-291-3663.

Issue: May 2022
By: Marbleseed