Fresh Voices Podcast Series - Land Stewardship Project

Interested in hearing directly from the next generation of innovative farmers? Check out the Land Stewardship Project’s Ear to the Ground “Fresh Voices” podcast series. You can read profiles of Farm Beginnings grads here. You can check out all 378 episodes of our Ear to the Ground podcast here.

Ear to the Ground 369: Emerging Agrarians

Ka Zoua Berry says supporting a future generation of farmers who don’t fit the traditional Midwestern stereotype isn’t just about building a resilient farm and food system. It’s also about building resilient communities.

Ear to the Ground 348: Urban Agrarian

Elyssa Eull’s tiny farm is tucked between railroad tracks and an empty lot in the heart of a major metropolitan area, but its city soil is producing food on a commercial scale.

Ear to the Ground 334: Youth Movement

Farm Beginnings grad Marcos Giossi started his food-raising career as a teenager tilling soil on an old soccer field. Now he’s helping young urban farmers utilize a values-based decision making strategy to kick-off better communities.

Ear to the Ground 329: Weather Whiplash

Climate change may impact a vegetable producer and a livestock farmer in different ways, but the result is the same: uncertainty, stress…and a deeper desire to connect with community.

Ear to the Ground 328: Urban Ag Oasis

Farm Beginnings grad Queen Frye just wants to raise food — even if she doesn’t resemble a famous Scottish farmer.

Ear to the Ground 311: Mooching Means More

Humble Hands Harvest’s entry into agroforestry is being supported by its vegetable operation — setting the stage for a new approach to farming a rugged landscape long into the future.

Ear to the Ground 307: Listening to the Knees

Farm Beginnings and Journeyperson taught Melissa Driscoll that true sustainability starts not only with the soil, but the person who’s stewarding it.

Ear to the Ground 306: Tough Choices

How Farm Beginnings helped Hannah Frank and Justin Thomas whittle their enterprise “wish list” down to a sustainable size.

Ear to the Ground 302: Thinking Like a Tree

Beginning farmers Abbie Baldwin and Mitch Hawes are playing the long game when it comes to launching their permaculture operation.

Ear to the Ground 294: Rootless Regeneration

These beginning farmers are accessing land without owning it — one megawatt at a time.

Ear to the Ground 293: Middle of Somewhere

Carrie Calvo’s 7,000-mile journey to the heart of farming and local food.

Ear to the Ground 280: Maximum vs. Optimal

Adhering to the tenets of Ag Econ 101, a pair of beginning farmers are avoiding commodity row crops and embracing grazing, silvopasturing, and “bale grazed veggies.”

Ear to the Ground 273: Incubating Immigrants

Dawn 2 Dusk’s dedication to helping Africans get established on Minnesota soil.

Ear to the Ground 272: Micro Milk Mentorship

Government regulators may be befuddled by Cella Langer and Emmet Fisher’s tiny dairy, but these Farm Beginnings/Journeyperson grads know exactly where it fits into their business.

Ear to the Ground 265: Diving into Safer Waters

Nettle Valley Farm’s “informed sink or swim” model of incubating the next generation of farmers.

Ear to the Ground 264: Center of the Universe

Pack-shed or people? LSP’s Journeyperson helped vegetable producers Les Macare and Els Dobrick make a big decision about a recent growing season.

Ear to the Ground 263: Public Investment in Public Goods

Anna Racer and Pete Skold have used state and federal “spark plugs” to build a farm enterprise infrastructure that’s good not just for them, but the community as well.

Ear to the Ground 262: A Silvo Secondary Enterprise

Rachel Henderson and Anton Ptak’s secondary enterprise could be a boon for farm country pollinators.

Ear to the Ground 248: Giving a Damn About the Future of Ag

Over the past two decades, LSP’s Farm Beginnings course has developed into a nationally-recognized program for launching the next generation of innovative farmers. Karen Stettler and Amy Bacigalupo talk about how Farm Beginnings got started, the community-centered philosophy it’s based on, and where it’s headed.

Ear to the Ground 247: A Raw Deal on Farmland

Hannah Bernhardt and Jason Misik couldn’t afford prime farmland brimming with infrastructure. But sweat equity and soil health are helping them transform a marginal piece of ground far from Corn Country.

Ear to the Ground 243: Debunking the Land Ownership Myth

How the Sustainable Iowa Land Trust is connecting stewardship-minded landowners with the next generation of regenerative farmers.

Ear to the Ground 241: A Farm Transition Power Team

A desire to continue a legacy (and a love of weed-pulling) eases Foxtail Farm into the hands of the next generation.

Ear to the Ground 227: From Crisis to Community

When a CAFO threatened a rural neighborhood, residents looked to a beginning farmer for a different vision of the future.

Ear to the Ground 170: Constructive Criticism

How a Farm Beginnings field day makes everyone a “consultant.”

Ear to the Ground 78: Diving in from a Distance

A young couple launches a farming enterprise from afar.

Upcoming Events

January 2026

Tuesday January 20

5:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Making the Most of Each Acre: Integrating Livestock onto Cropland
Tuesday January 20
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Making the Most of Each Acre: Integrating Livestock onto Cropland
680 Byron Main Ct. NE Byron, MN 55920
In this interactive workshop, farmers will learn about important soil, finance, crop, and livestock concepts related to crop and livestock integration. In addition to presentations by Extension educators, participants will engage in activities to put their newfound knowledge to the test. Participants will gain knowledge, new connections, and a personalized plan for integrating crops and livestock on their farm.

For details and to register, click here.

Wednesday January 21

5:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Farm Aid Farmer Listening Session
Wednesday January 21
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Farm Aid Farmer Listening Session
Zoom online
What’s your story?

Farm Aid wants to hear from farmers about what they experienced in 2025 and what concerns they have heading into the 2026 season. Farm Aid will use the information and stories we hear during this listening session to make sure that our advocacy and policy work is grounded in the needs and experiences of family farmers right now.

Come learn more about Farm Aid’s policy and advocacy work, share your story with the Farm Aid community, and hear from farmers around the country about what they’re experiencing.

For more information and to register, click here.

If you can’t make it to this listening session, share your story with us by filling out this form.

Thursday January 22 – Saturday January 24

GrassWorks Grazing Conference

Thursday January 22 – Saturday January 24

GrassWorks Grazing Conference

La Crosse Center, 300 Harborview Plaza, La Crosse, WI 54601, USA

The 34th Annual GrassWorks Grazing Conference will take place Jan. 22–24 at the La Crosse Center in La Crosse, Wis.

The 2026 conference will be centered on the theme: “Pastures to Prosperity: Building financially smart grazing systems for today’s land stewards.” This year’s focus highlights practical, innovative, and profitable approaches to grass-based livestock production, equipping farmers with tools to strengthen both environmental and economic sustainability.

GrassWorks is excited to welcome two nationally recognized keynote speakers:

Melinda Sims, Wyoming cattle rancher and Ranching for Profit instructor, known for her expertise in financial decision-making and resilient ranch business models.
Dwayne Estes, Executive Director of the Southeastern Grasslands Institute, a leading voice in grassland restoration, regenerative grazing, and agricultural landscape resilience.

Conference highlights include:

More than 60 expert speakers from across the grazing and agricultural sectors
Over 45 industry exhibitors featuring the latest in grazing tools, technology, and services.
Workshops for beginning, expanding, and experienced graziers
Panel discussions on farm profitability, land stewardship, and long-term business resilience.
Robust networking opportunities with farmers, technical service providers, and industry partners.

The GrassWorks Grazing Conference draws farmers, agricultural professionals, educators, and conservation partners from across the Midwest and beyond. Attendees can expect practical education, actionable strategies, and meaningful connections.

Registration information can be found at https://grassworks.org/events/grazing-conference.

Tuesday January 27

9:00 am – 3:00 pm: 'Beyond Exports: Rebuilding Local Markets' LSP Soil Health Workshop
Tuesday January 27
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
'Beyond Exports: Rebuilding Local Markets' LSP Soil Health Workshop
Rochester International Event Center, 7333 Airport View Dr SW, Rochester, MN 55902, USA
On Tuesday, January 27 join Land Stewardship Project for our signature winter workshop. This year’s theme is “Beyond Exports: Rebuilding Local Markets”.

The workshop will be held from 9am to 3pm at the Rochester International Event Center (73333 Airport View Dr SW, Rochester, MN 55902). Our featured keynote speaker is Martin Larsen, a farmer who is a founding member of the “Oat Mafia” in south-central Minnesota. In the morning session, Martin will highlight the challenges and opportunities facing all farmers as they look beyond export load-out 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 oats and founding the “oat mafia” and the agronomic, economic, and market impacts it has made for his farm.

After the keynote, attendees will have the option to choose two of three breakout sessions with local experts:

Session 1: Economics of Diversifying Your Rotations
Session 2: Marketing Your Alternative Crops
Session 3: Derisking Diversifying Your Rotations

Breakfast and a catered lunch will be provided.

For details and to register, click here.

You may also contact event organizer Shea-Lynn Ramthun at 651-301-1897 or slramthun@landstewardshipproject.org.
5:30 pm – 8:00 pm: LSP Farm Transition Planning Course
Tuesday January 27
5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
LSP Farm Transition Planning Course
Zoom Online
The Land Stewardship Project’s long-running course for farmers and other landowners looking to transition their agricultural operations to the next generation is expanding into South Dakota in 2026. The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) Winter Farm Transition Planning Course, which enters its 10^th session in 2026, provides a holistic opportunity to dig into important topics and learn from experienced farmers and professionals about the options that farmers and landowners have when looking to pass their farm on.

The standard Zoom online LSP course will be held on seven Tuesday evenings starting on January 27 and running through March 10. The sessions build on one another, so attendance at all sessions ensures the greatest understanding and planning opportunities. The course fee is $250 per family, and registration is open through Jan. 9 at https://landstewardshipproject.org/transition2026.

New this year is an expanded course offering for South Dakota attendees as part of a partnership LSP has formed with Dakota Rural Action and Rural Revival.

The South Dakota course, led by Dakota Rural Action and Rural Revival and using the LSP curriculum, includes seven weekly in-person sessions, with a full-day Saturday kick-off session, and another full-day session to close the training. Sessions two through six will take place on Tuesday evenings for two-and-a-half hours. The dates are: Jan. 31, Feb. 3, Feb. 10, Feb. 17, Feb. 24, March 3 and March 14. As with the fully online course, the course fee is $250 per family, and the registration deadline is Jan. 9. To register for the South Dakota course, visit https://qrco.de/farmtransitions2026.

Presenters at both workshops will include other area farmers who are implementing farm transition plans, as well as professionals representing the legal and financial fields as they relate to agricultural businesses. Workshop participants will have an opportunity to begin engaging in the planning process as well as to learn about resources for continuing the process after the workshop has ended.

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Ear to the Ground 334: Youth Movement

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