Tubers Uncovered: Community Call with the Staple Crop Growers Network

The 2026 Staple Crop Community Call series continues to discuss a more well-known storage crop: tubers. Domesticated almost 10,000 years ago and native to the Americas, this crop deserves more attention and protection of its magnitude of indigenous varieties. This conversation will also touch on sweet potatoes vs yams.

This webinar is part of an ongoing series focused on the food crops that sustain us, connect us to our heritage and help us adapt to changing climates and food systems. Participants are encouraged to bring questions and share experiences from the field.

Meet farmers and resource providers from the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, Michigan Food and Farming Systems, Fondy Food Center and Fresher Together. Learn about upcoming workshops, learning opportunities and available one-on-one support. You will also be introduced to USDA programs that may be a good fit for your farm business.'

Speakers Allissa Stutte is part of Mino Bimaadiziiwin Gitigaanin (the Good Life Farm). Mino Bimaadiziiwin Farm understands food and agriculture as an important piece of tribal sovereignty and are dedicated to supporting the needs of the Red Cliff community and advancing tribal food sovereignty efforts.

Along with a greenhouse and three high tunnels (or hoop houses), they grow their vegetables in field plots which include perennial beds, native species, and pollinator plantings. They also grow traditional and medicinal plants for community use. Their two apple orchards, despite being nearly a century old, produce a beautiful crop of apples each year. Mixed in the orchard are a few pear trees as well as other stone fruits like plums and cherries. They operate an annual sugarbush for maple syrup production and raise a flock of laying hens to add diversity to our offerings. They works closely with the Red Cliff community and various tribal programs, offering annual events and seasonal workshops. Learn more at https://www.redcliff-nsn.gov/farm/. Laura Mortimore has been running Orange Cat Community Farm for 17 years. The farm is located in Sauk County, WI, where she grows three acres of certified organic vegetables marketed primarily through a CSA. Sweet potatoes are one of her absolute favorite crops to grow so she is especially excited to share her experience with them! Learn more about Laura and the farm at https://orangecatcommunityfarm.com/.

This event is free to attend, but registration is required to get the Zoom link.

Can’t make it live? Sign up anyway and we’ll send you the recording!

Language interpretation (Spanish, Hmong) is available upon request. Please indicate your need for interpretation on the event registration form, or by emailing Christine Johnson (cjohnson@michaelfields.org) no later than June 10th.

Interpretación en español y hmong disponible a solicitud. Por favor, indique si necesita interpretación en el formulario de registro del evento o enviando un correo electrónico a Christine Johnson (cjohnson@michaelfields.org) a más tardar el 10 de juno.

Muaj kev txhais lus Mev (Spanish) thiab lus Hmoob yog muaj raws li thov. Thov qhia tias koj xav tau kev txhais lus rau hauv daim ntawv sau npe rau qhov kev tshwm sim no, lossis xa email rau Christine Johnson (cjohnson@michaelfields.org).

About The Staple Crop Growers Network 

 The Staple Crop Growers Network is a community of farmers, gardeners, and food system advocates across the Midwest learning together about staple crops—the calorically dense, versatile crops that connect us to our heritage and nourish our communities every day.

The Staple Crop Growers Network is a project of Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, in partnership with Fresher Together, the Fondy Food Center, and Michigan Food and Farming Systems. This collaboration is supported by funding from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

About Michael Fields Agricultural Institute

Michael Fields Agricultural Institute 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, MFAI supports farmers, food systems and communities in the Upper Midwest and beyond through a range of programs and initiatives. Follow along on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news and events. Learn more and join us at michaelfields.org.

About Michigan Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS)

MIFFS is a statewide nonprofit with a mission to connect beginning and small-scale, diversified farmers, including farmers who underutilize support programs, to each other and resource opportunities to ensure resilient, healthy, vibrant, and viable local food systems. Learn more at www.miffs.org Growing in Michigan? Connect with Hagan hagan@miffs.org 

About Fondy Food Center  

The Fondy Food Center cultivates wellness in the Lindsay Heights and Amani neighborhoods and the Greater Milwaukee Area by focusing on issues of healthy food access and economic opportunity. We operate local farmers markets throughout the year, provide access to land, resources and support to local farmers, and work with partners to build a better food system for our community. Learn more at www.fondymke.org Growing in Wisconsin? Connect with Stephen spetro@fondymarket.org 

About Fresher Together

Fresher Together is a Black and LGBTQ+ owned and led food and farming collaboration dedicated to serving the people in our community with local nourishing foods and restorative spaces for healing, economic development, training and retreat. Learn more at www.freshertogether.com. Growing in Illinois/NW Indiana? Connect with Fresh outreach@freshertogether.com 

The views and opinions expressed by the speakers in this webinar are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute (MFAI) or partners. The inclusion of these speakers, and the recording, hosting, or sharing of this webinar, does not constitute an endorsement of any individual, organization, product, or service mentioned.

------------ “Tubers Uncovered” yog txoj kev “Cog Qos thiab Kev Yuav Muag Cov Qos Ntug”

Qhov 2026 pab pawg hauv (Staple Crop Community Call) sib tham txog kev ceev tseg yam qoob: qos (tubers). Ze li 10,000 xyoo dhau los thiab pab neeg xub tuaj nyob rau teb chaws Mes Kas (Americas), yam qoob no yuav tau saib xyuas kom zoo thiab tiv thaiv lawv kev ntau yam zoo ntawd. Qhov kev sib tham yuav los qhia txog qos liab (sweet potatoes) vs (yam), thiab lub zaub Jerusalem artichoke(sunchoke).

Pab pawg neeg hauv lub (Staple Crop Growers Network) yog ib lub zej zog cov neeg ua liaj teb, ua zaub, thiab cov ua sawv cev rau kev zaub mov thoob plaws yav Nraub nrab teb (Midwest) los kawm ua ke txog cov qoob loo-zoo tuab tuab, ntau yam qoob uas txuas nrog peb lub neej thiab pab kev noj qab haus huv rau peb cov zej zog txhua hnub. Xav paub ntau tshaj txog ntawm pab pawg hauv lub (Staple Crop Growers Network) ntawm michaelfields.org/staplecrops

Cov Zej Zog Hu (Community Calls) yog ib qhov ntawm kev sib tham txog cov qoob loo uas yuav pab tau rau peb, txuas nrog rau peb lub neej, thiab pab peb kev pauv txog kev hloov ntawm huab cua thiab cov kev ua zaub mov. Cov neeg koom tes yog xav kom nqa nej cov lus nug thiab qhia lawv cov kev kawm los ntawm daim liaj teb no.

Pab pawg neeg hauv lub (Staple Crop Growers Network) yog ib qhov dej num (project) ntawm (Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, the Fondy Food Center, thiab Michigan Food thiab Farming Systems). Qhov kev koom tes yog tau kev txhawb nqa los ntawm tsoom fwv (USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture).