Sep 10, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM CDT

Menoken Farm, 1107 171st St NE, Menoken, ND 58558, USA

Acres U.S.A. Intro to Organic Agriculture Field Day - North Dakota (FREE EVENT)

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Introducing the 2025 Acres U.S.A. On-Farm Intensive: Join the Northern Plains Sustainable Agriculture Society (NPSAS), Acres USA, and FARRMS for a FREE educational field day at Menoken Farm on Wednesday, September 10th. Whether a seasoned farmer or just starting, this is a great opportunity to learn the secrets to healthy soil and organic success.

Here's what to expect:

  • Local Foods: Tour Menoken Farm's high tunnel, vegetable gardens, tree arboretum, and composting operation. Discover practical tips from the Burleigh County Soil Conservation District for boosting production in sustainable agriculture.

  • Row Crops: Witness firsthand how Menoken Farm integrates livestock into cropland, the vital role of cover crops, and the benefits of perennials in crop rotations. Transportation to cropland fields will be provided.

  • Farmer Insights: Hear from a diverse panel of certified organic farmers. They'll share their motivations, what to expect with certification, and how they maintain their organic operations. There will be plenty of time for Q&A!

  • Networking & Resources: Connect with key organizations involved in organic agriculture and local foods, including ND SARE, ND Dept. of Ag., NDFMGA, and Pulse USA.

  • Delicious Lunch: Enjoy a complimentary catered lunch during the farmer panel.

  • Optional Social: End the day with fellow farmers at an optional social at The Paddle Trap in Mandan. (500 Pirates Loop SE, Mandan, ND 58554)

Join us at the Acres U.S.A. On-Farm Intensive and embark on a journey towards regenerative success for your operation.

Select your role in the agricultural sector.
Select how you heard about the event.

I agree to: Photo & Video Release

Photo & Video Release

I hereby grant permission to FARRMS & Acres U.S.A.® to the rights of my image, likeness in electronic images and sound of my voice as recorded on audio or video tape in any and all of its publications, including website entries, without payment or any other consideration.

Photographic, audio or video recordings may be used for the following purposes:

  • FARRMS & Acres social media content

  • FARRMS & Acres website

  • Promotional materials - digital or print

  • Educational presentations or courses

  • Online educational courses

  • Educational videos

  • Informational presentations

  • Conference presentations

  • Annual FARRMS Farmer Calendar

By accepting this release I understand this permission signifies that photographic or video recordings of me may be electronically displayed via the Internet or in the public educational setting. I hereby irrevocably authorize FARRMS & Acres to edit, alter, copy, exhibit, publish, or distribute these images for purposes of publicizing FARRMS’ & Acres programs or for any other lawful purpose. In addition, I waive the right to inspect or approve the finished product, including written or electronic copy, wherein my likeness appears. There is no time limit on the validity of this release nor is there any geographic limitation on where these materials may be distributed.

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By accepting this form I acknowledge that I have completely read and fully understand the above release and agree to be bound thereby. I hereby release any and all claims against any person or organization utilizing this material for educational purposes.

Oklahoma Speakers

Gary Zimmer

Gary Zimmer is Founder of Midwestern BioAg.

Known as the “father” of biological agriculture, Zimmer is an internationally known author, speaker, and consultant. He owns Otter Creek Organic Farm, a family-operated, award-winning 1,000 acre farm near Lone Rock, WI, and has been on the board of Taliesin Preservation Inc. since 2011. Zimmer is the author of three books,

and numerous articles on soils and livestock nutrition.

Zimmer holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master’s degree in Dairy Nutrition from the University of Hawaii.

Mark Shepard

Mark Shepard is the head of Restoration Agriculture Development and Forest Agriculture Nursery and the author of the award-winning book, Restoration Agriculture: Real-World Permaculture for Farmers

Based on his experiences at New Forest Farm in Viola, Wisconsin, the book reflects his belief in sustainably grown perennial food crops for the future.

New Forest Farm, once a worn-out row crop farm, is now a 106-acre commercial-scale perennial agricultural operation and one of the most ambitious sustainable agriculture projects in the U.S. Mark's innovations include runoff distribution, water retention, adaptive mass-selection breeding, and the integration of trees, shrubs, vines, and other plants to optimize efficiency. Primary crops include hazelnuts, chestnuts, walnuts, and apples.

Trained in mechanical engineering and ecology, Mark has developed equipment and processes for forest-derived agricultural products. He is a certified permaculture designer and teaches agroforestry and his innovative water management systems globally. Learn more about his keyline adaptations and water optimization techniques in his latest book,

Water for Any Farm.

Jim Munsch

Jim studied Agricultural Engineering at Purdue as background to operating the Indiana farm that had been in the family since after the civil war.

When he was in his junior year, the farm was designated as part of a flood control project and sold to the government.
He stayed on at Purdue and got an MS in Management.
After service as an officer in the US Army in Europe, he took a job in the international department of a manufacturing company in western Wisconsin.
During employment with that company and one in Maryland, the family lived in Japan twice.

Mid-life found him hankering for a return to agriculture, so the family moved to Vernon County to ridge-top farm.
He became a part time beef producer while returning for a decade to a management position in the same company where he had worked previously.
He took early retirement and, while doing management consulting for small companies, direct marketing food producers, grazing farms, and the University of Wisconsin, he continued to raise cattle – currently producing grass-fed beef.

The family lives a mile away from the birthplace of government soil conservation: Coon Valley.
It completes a circle of Jim’s life.
In the 1940-50s, his part of the family in Indiana fully embraced soil conservation.
He was cultivating corn in strips on the contour and maneuvering around terraces before he had a driver’s license.
Saving soil is a North Star for him.

Taylor Henry

  • Real Estate Land Report

  • Grass Fed Beef, Pastured Pork and Pastured Poultry

  • Owner Of Acres U.S.A.

  • Owner of Henry Pastures

Taylor Henry is an Entrepreneur and Realtor in the Driftless Region. He acquired Acres U.S.A. in December '23.

He has a lifelong obsession with land, which he has turned into his career. He farms a 60-acre regenerative operation with cattle, hogs, chickens, and his two dogs, Bow and Remi. His farm, which includes an Airbnb, is an experimental blend of modern agriculture and recreational land management.

Mentored by Mark Shepard, Taylor has honed his expertise in land management. He founded "1080 Outdoors" to help landowners enhance their properties for recreational use. Taylor has provided consulting and management plans to numerous clients, both onsite and virtually.

Before becoming an entrepreneur, Taylor served as a County Sheriff in La Crosse, Vernon, and Crawford Counties. His goal is to help like-minded individuals acquire and manage land, believing it is best preserved by conservationists, farmers, and outdoor enthusiasts. Taylor is known for his deep land knowledge and commitment to honesty, integrity, and client care.

Event Location

Event will be held at the Acres U.S.A. and Henry Pastures Headquarters. E6627 CTH XX, Viroqua, WI 54665

Marcus Lemonis

Kaelin Poulin

Garrett J. White

Alex & Leila Hormozi

Brooke Castillo

Perry Belcher

Ben Hardy

Dean Graziosi

Eric Thomas

Jenna Kutcher

Kristine Mirelle

Setema Gali

Myron Golden

Kiana Daniel

Eileen Wilder

Acres Field Day Details

1107 171st St NE, Menoken, ND 58558, USA

Schedule

🗓️ Wednesday, September 10th

⏰ 10:00 - 4:30 (CDT) - optional social following the event

📍 Menoken Farm - 1107 171st St. NE Menoken, ND 58558

💲 FREE!

🎟️ RSVP 

10:00 AM: Arrive at Menoken Farm (1107 171st St. NE Menoken, ND 58558) for coffee and visit with the staff at the organization booths.

10:30 AM: First part of Menoken Farm tour focusing on growing practices in local food operations.

12:00 PM: Catered lunch.

12:30 PM: Organic farmer Q&A panel.

2:30 PM: Second part of Menoken Farm tour focusing on growing practices in row crops.

5:30 PM: Optional social at The Paddle Trap (2500 Pirates Loop SE, Mandan, ND 58554).

Event Speakers

Menoken Farm

Menoken Farm utilizes a combination of natural resource education and systems approach conservation. This 150-acre demonstration farm, located just east of Bismarck was established in 2009 and draws people from all over the United States and beyond. They are leading the way in soil regeneration by using the soil health principles and long-term soil monitoring through information and education. They work to establish partnerships with producers and consumers to ensure agriculture for future generations.

Gary Zimmer

Jayden Mikkonen

Jayden Mikkonen grew up on his family's farm in Northeast South Dakota that has been certified organic since 1989. After helping manage his dad and uncle's farm, he was able to start owning and managing his own acres. While the markets affect what crops he grows, he prefers a diverse crop rotation with corn, soybeans, peas, a small grain, buckwheat, and recently added alfalfa to help with weed suppression. Mikkonen Organics is currently Certified Organic with OCIA and Certified Regenerative with the Soil & Health Climate Initiative.

Outside of life on the farm itself, Jayden works for Grain Designs designing custom home and office furniture and doing design+build on custom signage. He recently became an organic inspector to fill time between planting and cultivation passes in the field and is a member of NPSAS to help stay informed on all things organic. In his free time, he enjoys golfing or playing video games with friends.

Mark Shepard

Joanna Larson

Joanna Larson, owner of Prairie Gates near Sheyenne, ND, runs a diversified farm offering pastured beef and pork, wholesale flowers, and organic vegetables. She is currently transitioning all of her pasture to organic production and recently submitted her OSP for her vegetable enterprise. She hopes to be offering Certified Organic vegetables by the Spring of 2026. Larson strives to follow soil health principles to encourage ecological diversity on her land with practices that include organic management, native wildflowers, crop rotation, and livestock integration. Her mission is to “use agriculture on my farm in a way that is better, not bigger.”

Eric Hagan Savanna Institute

Kevin Horneman

located just south of the McClusky Canal in northern Burleigh County, an hour northeast of Bismarck, Horneman Farms has been dedicated to organic farming since the 1990s. For the past 20 years, the Horneman family has lived in North Dakota, raising three children and now enjoying time with four grandchildren. The farm includes 80 acres of tillable ground under an irrigation pivot with an additional 30 acres of non-irrigated tillable ground. They grow organic grains, along with pumpkins, squash, and occasionally beets.

Eric Hagan Savanna Institute

Thane Dockter

Thane Dockter is a first-generation farmer who has been committed to organic agriculture since 1996. Operating on 3,000 acres near Menoken, North Dakota, his farm, Dockter Organics, grows a diverse mix of crops including alfalfa, grains, legumes, oilseeds, and grasses. His dedication to organic farming stems from a deep-rooted belief in its importance for the environment, biodiversity, animal welfare, and creating a sustainable future for the next generation. Dockter also mixes his own non-soy organic poultry feed with farm grown ingredients. He hopes to expand his operation with a greenhouse in the future.

This field day is supported through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). TOPP is a program of the USDA Organic Transition Initiative and is administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP).


Learn about TOPP: www.organictransition.org

USDA TOPP Mentor Application: https://bit.ly/topp_mentor

USDA TOPP Mentee/Technical Assistance Recipient Application: https://bit.ly/topp_mentee

Is This Event For me?

  • If you're a farmer striving to enhance your land's health and productivity through regenerative practices, this intensive is tailored just for you.

  • If you're a professional working on sustainable solutions this event is for you.

  • If you are a food enthusiast and want to know what goes into producing organic & regenerative food this is for you.

  • If you are a homesteader this if for you.

  • Any Landowners in the driftless region!

  • Kids are welcome! Kids under 18 are free.

What is Acres U.S.A.®?

Acres U.S.A. is North America’s oldest publisher on production-scale organic, ecological and regenerative farming. For more than 50 years, our mission has been to help farmers, ranchers, market gardeners and land owners grow food profitably and regeneratively

WE OFFER a full range of educational products — including books and pamphlets, a monthly magazine, webinars, podcasts, online courses and both large-venue and on-farm events — to help producers find timely, practical and well-tested knowledge and advice on just about any agricultural topic

Acres U.S.A. is committed to providing information about agricultural production systems that can regenerate the soil, support the farmer and rancher, and bring healthy, nutritious food to the consumer. We bring both new and time-tested voices to the discussion of “what is to be done” when it comes to building soil health, raising healthy animals and growing nutritious crops. We amplify the work of modern agricultural leaders and innovators, and we support all efforts to increase the resilience of our farms and ranches — and the people who anchor and feed our nation.

The books we sell, and the speakers at our events, and the editors of our monthly eNewsletter and farmer-facing website represent generations of experience in building — not mining — soils. The lessons they teach are fundamental: to farm economically, one must do so ecologically.

But don’t just listen to us, here’s what past attendees have said!

To learn about the 2023 Eco-Ag Conference & Trade Show, read the recap here.

Program

The Eco-Ag Conference & Trade Show is filled with engaging keynote speakers, 1- to 2-hour breakout sessions in regenerative agriculture topics ranging from soil health – including making the most of the microbiome, composting, cover cropping and more, to farm management to livestock and beyond.

Stay tuned for our agenda as these sessions come online.

Eco-Ag U

Get the most out of your experience by signing up for an Eco-Ag U workshop (or two!) – the registration fee includes your choice of pre-conference workshops plus the entire conference and trade show. Spend a full day with an instructor diving deep into a topic that’s important to you.

You will have direct, small-classroom access to the top minds in eco-agriculture, where you can learn the real details behind their success, and ask questions specific to your farm or operation.

Trade Show

Complement your education with learning at our trade show, bustling with innovative products and services in every specialty that will help you launch your operation to the next level in regenerative agriculture.

Our trade show also includes innovation presentations and demonstrations and complimentary coffee.

Want to become a sponsor or exhibit in the trade show? Visit our Trade Show page to learn more!

You Need To JOIN US

Consulting Halls

The education never stops. In between conference sessions, you will have the unique opportunity to choose from a selection of instructors available for Q&A. These more informal roundtable-style talks will allow you to connect with the instructor and others who may have shared experiences. Consulting halls are a favorite for our attendees.

On-Site Bookstore

Acres U.S.A. displays hundreds of books on ecological and regenerative farming, from practical how-to’s to in-depth conceptual reads. We’ll have many of our bestselling titles on-site for you to purchase. Often, our speakers are also authors, and their books will be available for purchase. We also host book signings for many of our authors between sessions at the conference! Start your farming library at our conference, so the learning never stops.

Consulting Halls

The education never stops. In between conference sessions, you will have the unique opportunity to choose from a selection of instructors available for Q&A. These more informal roundtable-style talks will allow you to connect with the instructor and others who may have shared experiences. Consulting halls are a favorite for our attendees.

Sponsors

Past Speakers

Tony Robbins

Dan Kennedy

Jocko Willink

Jaime Kern Lima

Marcus Lemonis

Kaelin Poulin

Garrett J. White

Alex & Leila Hormozi

Brooke Castillo

Perry Belcher

Ben Hardy

Dean Graziosi

Eric Thomas

Jenna Kutcher

Kristine Mirelle

Setema Gali

Prince EA

Myron Golden

Kiana Daniel

Eileen Wilder

Stay Informed

If you would like to stay informed about our annual events, including the Eco-Ag Conference & Trade Show, sign up for our News & Announcements email newsletter.

General Terms

  • Event registration prices include all service fees.

  • By registering for the AcresUSA Eco-Ag Conference and Trade Show, you agree to receive email updates from the event producers and partners

  • This transaction will appear on your credit card statement under AcresUSA Eco-Ag Conference and Trade Show

    Acres USA will never sell your data to third parties. Please be aware of phishing scams that claim to be selling a list of our attendees.

Refund Policy

What if I have to cancel?

Sorry, no refunds.** Your registration can be transferred to someone else’s name if you cannot attend; please contact our office.

For Eco-Ag U all-day workshops: Due to limited space, cancellations received through November 1st, 2024 are entitled to an 80% credit to be applied to AcresUSA subscriptions, books, DVDs, audio CDs, or future conference fees.

Item Transfer Policy

Can I transfer my registration if I can’t make it?

Yes. You can transfer your registration up to the day before event by calling Rebecca Gerwig at the AcresUSA office at 970-392-4464 or by emailing [email protected].

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