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Land Line: Tillage’s Toll, Conservation & Leases, Soil Health & Nutrient Density, Emerging Farmer Help

June 22: An LSP Round-up of News Covering Land, People & Communities

By Brian DeVore
June 22, 2022

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The Midwest has Lost 57.6 Billion Metric Tons of Soil Due to Agricultural Practices

(3/16/22) The Midwest has lost approximately 57.6 billion metric tons of topsoil since farmers began tilling the soil, 160 years ago. And this is despite conservation practices put in place in the wake of the Dust Bowl in the 1930s, according to Phys.org. Much of the erosion is due to tillage, say the authors of an extensive study that combined on-the-ground measurements at 20 sites in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, South Dakota, Kansas, and Nebraska with historical data to recreate erosion rates throughout the Midwest. Because the USDA does not explicitly include such “tillage erosion” in its own analysis, it has “drastically underestimated the rate of erosion” currently at work in the heartland, said  researcher Evan Thaler.

A recent LSP Myth Buster explains why it’s so critical to protect and build that top few inches of soil.

Long-Term Lease Agreements Encourage Investment in Soil-Saving Practices

(Summer 2022) Long-term lease agreements are more likely to lead to the adoption of conservation practices, according to Progressive Farmer magazine. “Farmland rental agreements where tenants may not reap the benefits of conservation investments are a commonly cited barrier to conservation practice adoption in agriculture,” concluded an Iowa State University study. About half of Midwestern farmland is rented via short-term leases  — defined as one to two years in length.

For resources on how to create farmland leases that fit your stewardship goals, check out LSP’s Conservation Leases web page.

Just a Few Years of Cover Crops Not Enough to Recover from Continuous Corn

(6/7/22) Researchers have found short-term use of cover crops can’t undo decades of damage to soil microbes, according to studies published in the journals Agronomy and Frontiers in Microbiology. In the studies, two years of cover cropping appeared to not be enough to make up for 36 years of damage caused by continuous corn and heavy nitrogen fertilizer use. Scientists involved with the study say that more research is needed to determine the role long-term cover cropping and other soil health practices can play in rebuilding microbial life. “Reverting these changes may take tremendous effort and time, and cover cropping should be one of many strategies we deploy to increase the spatial and temporal diversity of our agricultural systems to protect our soils and our future on this planet,” said María Villamil, a co-author of the papers, in a University of Illinois press release.

Interested in building soil health for the long term? Check out LSP’s Soil Health web page.

Study: Regenerative Ag Can Produce More Nutrient Dense Foods

(1/27/22) Regenerative agricultural practices employing no-till, cover crops, and diverse crop rotations enhance soil health and the nutrient density of various crops, according to a preliminary study published in the journal PeerJ-Life and Environment. The study included paired results from vegetable, grain, and livestock farms in various states, including Iowa, California, New York, Kansas, and North Dakota. “…soil health is an under appreciated influence on nutrient density, particularly for phytochemicals not conventionally considered nutrients but nonetheless relevant to chronic disease prevention,” concluded the researchers.

Interested in how we can create a food and farm system that rewards regenerative practices? Check out LSP’s Regional Food Systems web page.

Emerging Minnesota Farmers get a Boost in the Form of Down Payment Assistance

(6/17/22) Minnesota beginning farmers looking to buy land now have access to $500,000 in state money to help with down payments, according to MinnPost. The down payment assistance, which was passed by the Minnesota Legislature this spring, could especially help small-scale and minority farmers overcome a range of hurdles that make it hard to buy land. The state will give grants up to $15,000 per eligible farmer, which the farmer has to match. The farmer also has to commit to owning and farming the land purchased for at least five years . 

Resources for beginning farmers seeking to access land are available on LSP’s Land Transition Tools web page. For a summary of how LSP proposals fared during the 2022 session of the Minnesota Legislature, check out this recent LSP blog.

 

Category: Blog
Tags: conservation leases • cover crops • farmland leases • regional food systems • soil erosion • soil health

LSP Land Line

LSP Land Line is a regular round-up of local, regional, and national news that touches on the work of the Land Stewardship Project. We can’t include everything, but if you have a news item to submit, e-mail Brian DeVore.

Quotes of the Day

“A few years back, my wife and I were at a wedding at a pioneer Norwegian church in Minnesota. After the ceremony, I walked over to the edge of the churchyard, which was surrounded by cornfields, and was shocked to see that the surface of the field was a few feet lower than the surface of the never-tilled churchyard. I began to wonder why.” — Isaac Larsen, co-author of a paper on historical erosion in the Midwest

♦

“We know that 99 percent of farmers are white and historically Black farmers have been forced to sell their land or have their land taken away. Having down payment assistance for farmland can be a critical part of bridging that gap.” —  Minnesota Rep. Samantha Vang, who sponsored a bill to help provide down payment assistance to emerging farmers seeking to buy land

Upcoming Events

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May 2025

Saturday May 31

10:00 am – 12:30 pm
Multi-species Pasture Walk
Saturday May 31
10:00 am – 12:30 pm
Multi-species Pasture Walk
872 320th Ave, Frederic, WI 54837, USA

The NW Wisconsin Graziers Network, River Country RC&Dand UW-Madison Extension invite you to a multi-species pasture walk hosted by JohnsonFamily Pastures LLC. The farm is located five miles east of Frederic in PolkCounty. This educational event willemphasize direct marketing, multi-species grazing, part-time family agricultureand silvopasture development. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided.

TheJohnson Family Pastures farm is home to Chris and Tamara Johnson and their twochildren. They raise grass-fed beef, silvopastured goats, and recently raised anumber of other species. The farm consists of about 160 acres of gently rollingpastures, silvopasture, and forest. Use of both temporary polybraid fencing andhigh tensile permanent fences allow for rotational grazing of small ruminants andout-wintering of beef cattle. Use of long-term farm transition strategies, cost-shareprograms, silvopasture development with goats, regenerative grazing, cattlehandling facility and bale grazing will be discussed along with answering anyand all questions from pasture walk participants.

An extensive and diversified direct marketing programhas been developed by Tamara and Chris that has included farmer markets, e-maillists, newsletters, website ordering, on-farm freezer storage, and other strategiesand tools to support direct sales and services for their customers.  Come and learn all about their successfulapproach.

For more information,contact Chris Johnson at 920-960-4475 or Lynn Johnson 715-225-9882 at NW Graziers.

June 2025

Saturday June 21

1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Farm-Scale Deep Winter Greenhouse Tour
Saturday June 21
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Farm-Scale Deep Winter Greenhouse Tour
Owl Bluff Farm, 12314 County Road 4 Houston, MN 55943

The University of Minnesota Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP) and Owl Bluff Farm will co-host an open house to celebrate the completion of the state’s first farm-scale deep winter greenhouse. The event, held on the farm about 45 minutes east of Rochester, is free and open to the public. RSVPs are required at z.umn.edu/OwlBluffOpenHouse.

Wednesday June 25

2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
LSP-PFI Grazing Field Day at Hoosier Ridge Ranch
Wednesday June 25
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
LSP-PFI Grazing Field Day at Hoosier Ridge Ranch
Hoosier Ridge Ranch, 15998 Wabasha County Rd 26, Altura, MN 55910, USA

Over the last 50 years, livestock have left many farms. Eric Heins is doing the reverse: bringing cattle – and their poop, pee and hooves – back to his land. Come see how Eric is using his Normande-shorthorn crosses in a variety of grazing situations. During this Land Stewardship Project-Practical Farmers of Iowa field day, you can view permanent pasture, where Eric (like everyone) is battling the cool-season grass takeover. You’ll also learn how Eric is using his cattle in cover crop mixes, prairie and woodlands.

Since purchasing the farm in 2020, Eric has converted the cropland to pasture. He also custom-farms a diverse rotation of crops, covers and small grains on neighboring farms, including an established prairie on Iowa Department of Natural Resources land. A possible bonus: Eric is hoping to have virtual fence collars by the time of the field day, but no guarantees!

A meal featuring Hoosier Ridge Ranch burgers will follow the field day.

See & Discuss

  • Cash-flowing the conversion to pasture on owned versus rented cropland
  • Stockpiling pasture for winter grazing
  • Mechanical buckthorn clearing for silvopasture
  • Grazing agreements on DNR prairie and neighboring cropland
  • A sudangrass mix after a canning pea crop
  • An extended rotation with oats, barley and Kernza

For details and to register, click here.

Saturday June 28

4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
LSP's Boots & Roots: A Celebration of Land & People
Saturday June 28
4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
LSP's Boots & Roots: A Celebration of Land & People
Dream Acres, Co Hwy 8, Spring Valley, MN 55975, USA

Join Land Stewardship Project members and supporters to kick-start the Driftless summer with an evening of good food, good music, and good times. We’ll have activities for all ages that will get you out in nature, exploring the connection between our region’s farms and your community’s food, land, and water. Bring a side or dessert to share for dinner, and the Dream Acres wood-fired oven will provide locally-sourced pizzas and flat breads. Dinner will be followed by live music and contra dancing by the Crater City String Band.  

To reserve a spot, click here.

Camping sites are available at nearby Masonic Park and Forestville Mystery Cave and Lake Louise State Parks. Camping at Masonic is rustic,first-come-first-serve, free, and does not require a reservation. Fillmore County, who manages the park, only asks that you call the dispatchers at507-765-3874 when you arrive with your vehicle information and phone number in case of emergency. State Park reservations cost $25 a night and can be made online.

July 2025

Tuesday July 15

5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Organic Fruit & Vegetable Field Day
Tuesday July 15
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Organic Fruit & Vegetable Field Day
1805 Dudley Ave, Falcon Heights, MN 55113, USA

Join U of M researchers and Extension for updates on organic fruit and vegetable research and tour the Student Organic Farm and the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station in Saint Paul. Topics include: organic insect management, integrating livestock into vegetable farms, new crops for Minnesota, irrigation strategies, and more. Free to the public.
 
For details and to register, click here.

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