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   Farmers, ranchers, gardeners, hobby farmers, and anyone else interested in permanent fencing is invited to Foundations of Fencing: Corner and Brace Systems for Fence Success workshop which will be held Aug. 11 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Happy Dancing Turtle in Pine River.

   If you are intimidated by the thought of fence building or have used electric fence systems in the past with poor results, this is an opportunity to gain hands-on experience with experts. Join Kent Solberg and Jonathan Kilpatrick, both of the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota, along with members of the Crow Wing River Basin Forage Council, for a day in the field learning about and building permanent fence systems.

   For many years, Solberg owned and operated a fence contracting business, and has over 30 years’ experience with fence systems. Kilpatrick has built and maintained several different styles of fencing for many classes of livestock. “Fence building is both an art and a science, and properly built fences make for years of happy neighbors and livestock success,” said Solberg. 

   A portion of the workshop will be in a classroom setting going over the basics of permanent fence construction. Next, participants will construct four different types of bracing systems and corners, learn to tie the New Zealand fence knot, discuss insulator selection and installation, and will actually string fence wire. The four different brace systems covered will be the H-brace, the New Zealand diagonal brace, a Mule system, and a “deadman” brace. Properly installed corners and braces form the foundation of good fences, whether high tensile, woven wire, or barbed, so understanding this is key to fencing success.

   Because the workshop is limited to 16 participants, registration is required and the cost is $60. Lunch will be included. Happy Dancing Turtle is located on the Hunt Utilities Group Resilient Living Campus, located at 2331 Dancing Wind Rd SW in Pine River. For more information about this event and to register, visit sfa-mn.org/events.

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