2025 Farm Summit: Quinn Institute and Villicus Farms
The farm summit - combining human health, nutrition, climate change, and regenerative/organic farming was a huge success. 50 were in attendance at this 2-day event on Northern Montana Farms!
https://tinyurl.com/bdeb8emt
What is Sustainable and Organic Farming? Sustainable agriculture aims to produce food and fiber in ways that are environmentally friendly, economically sustainable, and socially responsible. Sustainable farming can enhance soil health, save water resources, protect biodiversity, and help fight climate change. Organic agriculture, a subset, uses natural methods and avoids synthetic inputs like pesticides and fertilizers, which harm biodiversity and soil health.
Day 1: Bob Quinn Institute, and a presentation by C&S Produce:
A Center for Nutrition, Innovation, Education, and Regeneration. Bob Quinn, a fourth-generation farmer, established the Quinn Institute to promote agricultural practices aligned with natural systems. The Institute researches and develops methods aimed at producing nutrient-dense food while considering environmental impact.
Day 2: Villicus Farms, an organic dryland farm: Villicus Farm prioritizes soil health, carbon capture, minimal tillage, pollinator support, and biodiversity through a 5–7-year crop rotation and conservation of 26% of its land. Growing over 20 crops yearly, the farm has expanded from 1,280 to 9,600 acres since 2009, focusing on sustainable food production and farmer training. Founders Anna and Doug Crabtree invest in people by championing organic stewardship and running a farmer apprenticeship program, emphasizing investment in knowledge over chemicals. Sustainable practices include promoting crop diversity, snow retention, and encouraging weed diversity.
1. Through their practices, Villicus Farms is helping preserve the remaining Great Plains Grasslands, which are some of the most
ecologically important and threatened grasslands in the United States.
2. "To be interested in food, but not food production, is clearly absurd.” -Wendell Berry
3. The CSSA program. Community Supported Stewardship Agriculture (CSSA) draws inspiration from the economic principles of the CSA
model. The CSSA program provides a clearer alternative to purchasing carbon credits or other
ecosystem service payment schemes. Shareholders establish a direct connection with the farm and support our
land stewardship practices that typically go unpaid. CSSA Shareholders enable us to focus on what matters most
and to remain sustainable through climate variability over the long term.
4. Transition to Organic Partnership Program TOPP. With TOPP, producers transitioning to organic will find support
through the transition and certification process. Mentorship, workshops, webinars, field days, technical
assistance, and other educational events will offer opportunities to learn about organic production, the
certification process, market opportunities, and more.
What is Sustainable and Organic Farming? Sustainable agriculture aims to produce food and fiber in ways that are environmentally friendly, economically sustainable, and socially responsible. Sustainable farming can enhance soil health, save water resources, protect biodiversity, and help fight climate change. Organic agriculture, a subset, uses natural methods and avoids synthetic inputs like pesticides and fertilizers, which harm biodiversity and soil health.
Day 1: Bob Quinn Institute, and a presentation by C&S Produce:
A Center for Nutrition, Innovation, Education, and Regeneration. Bob Quinn, a fourth-generation farmer, established the Quinn Institute to promote agricultural practices aligned with natural systems. The Institute researches and develops methods aimed at producing nutrient-dense food while considering environmental impact.
- Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC) and its focus on soil health.
- Interesting insights, like plants increasing nutritional content when stressed by bugs.
- The use of microfungi to enhance soil health.
- Benefits of ancient wheat and the farm's seasonal eating habits.
- Efforts are being made to make Canada thistle useful through cooking.
- The concept of a plant health pyramid is very important for growing sustainable crops.
- Hard white winter wheat and polished barley can be made into a golden colored bread that may be a more popular bread than brown bread, and help increase the use of whole grains for sustainable farmers.
- C&S Produce explained their farming practices: Charlie and Stephanie Overbay practice sustainable farming, such as Cover Cropping, Crop Rotation, Dry Land Farming – rain-fed only (no supplemental irrigation), and Integrated Pest Management.
Day 2: Villicus Farms, an organic dryland farm: Villicus Farm prioritizes soil health, carbon capture, minimal tillage, pollinator support, and biodiversity through a 5–7-year crop rotation and conservation of 26% of its land. Growing over 20 crops yearly, the farm has expanded from 1,280 to 9,600 acres since 2009, focusing on sustainable food production and farmer training. Founders Anna and Doug Crabtree invest in people by championing organic stewardship and running a farmer apprenticeship program, emphasizing investment in knowledge over chemicals. Sustainable practices include promoting crop diversity, snow retention, and encouraging weed diversity.
1. Through their practices, Villicus Farms is helping preserve the remaining Great Plains Grasslands, which are some of the most
ecologically important and threatened grasslands in the United States.
2. "To be interested in food, but not food production, is clearly absurd.” -Wendell Berry
3. The CSSA program. Community Supported Stewardship Agriculture (CSSA) draws inspiration from the economic principles of the CSA
model. The CSSA program provides a clearer alternative to purchasing carbon credits or other
ecosystem service payment schemes. Shareholders establish a direct connection with the farm and support our
land stewardship practices that typically go unpaid. CSSA Shareholders enable us to focus on what matters most
and to remain sustainable through climate variability over the long term.
4. Transition to Organic Partnership Program TOPP. With TOPP, producers transitioning to organic will find support
through the transition and certification process. Mentorship, workshops, webinars, field days, technical
assistance, and other educational events will offer opportunities to learn about organic production, the
certification process, market opportunities, and more.
How to Support Organic Sustainable Farming:
Purchase from farmers' markets, subscribe to a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, or buy directly from local farms to ensure that farmers receive fair prices and encourage them to continue sustainable practices. Eat seasonally, advocate for policy changes, connect with your local farms, and educate yourself and others.
Dryland organic sustainable farming is about creating agricultural systems that are productive, resilient, environmentally friendly, and socially just, addressing the challenges of water scarcity while ensuring food security and promoting a healthier future for all.
Purchase from farmers' markets, subscribe to a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, or buy directly from local farms to ensure that farmers receive fair prices and encourage them to continue sustainable practices. Eat seasonally, advocate for policy changes, connect with your local farms, and educate yourself and others.
Dryland organic sustainable farming is about creating agricultural systems that are productive, resilient, environmentally friendly, and socially just, addressing the challenges of water scarcity while ensuring food security and promoting a healthier future for all.