REGISTER HERE

On Tuesday, Jan. 27, join the Land Stewardship Project for our signature winter workshop. This year’s theme is “Beyond Exports: Rebuilding Local Markets.”

The workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Rochester International Event Center (7333 Airport View Dr. SW, Rochester, MN 55902). Our morning keynote speaker is Martin Larsen, a farmer who is a founding member of the “Oat Mafia” in southeastern Minnesota. In the morning session, Martin will highlight the challenges and opportunities facing all farmers as they look beyond selling into the export market at the elevator and instead look to recreate the local markets that once served our farmers and consumers. He will share his journey establishing food grade oat production on his farm and founding the Oat Mafia, and the agronomic and economic results.

The afternoon keynote speaker will be Landon Plagge, the 2025 Leopold Conservation Award winner from Iowa and founder of Green Acres Milling, a farmer-owned oat processing facility under construction in Albert Lea, Minn.  Landon will speak from his personal experience in organizing Green Acres Milling on how farmers can cooperate together to take back power from multi-national conglomerates and rebuild the local supply chains that once served each region.

Between the keynote addresses, there will be two breakout sessions with local experts and farmer-leaders:

Session 1: Economics of Diversifying Your Rotations
Session 2: Marketing Your Alternative Crops

Breakfast and a catered lunch will be provided. You may register here.  For details, you can contact event organizer Shea-Lynn Ramthun at 651-301-1897 or slramthun@landstewardshipproject.org.