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POSTPONED: Public Presentation on Soil Health & Screening of ‘Livestock on the Land’ Documentary Feb. 24 in NE Iowa

Allen Williams Presentation at Ridgeway Community Center, Documentary Screening to Follow at Luther College 

January 12, 2022

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Allen Williams

POSTPONEMENT NOTE: Due to extreme weather halting travel for our presenter, Allen Williams, we must postpone the Feb. 24 event in Ridgeway, Iowa. If you’ve already registered, your ticket purchase for the postponed event will be reimbursed. In the meantime, we will provide this vital and timely information through a podcast interview LSP’s Brian DeVore will be conducting with Allen in the near future. We will send announcements as soon as that podcast is available AND we’ll let you know when we’ve confirmed a new date with Allen for this in-person event to be held sometime later this growing season. Contact LSP’s Alex Romano at aromano@landstewardshipproject.org or 612-767-9880 with any questions.

RIDGEWAY, Iowa  — Anyone interested in learning more about soil health, including the positive impacts of regenerative practices such as rotational grazing of livestock, is invited to join the Land Stewardship Project (LSP) for a presentation by nationally recognized grazing expert Allen Williams on Thursday, Feb. 24, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the Ridgeway Community Center (690 County St.). The cost of the “Laying Out the Promise & Challenges of Soil Health” session is $10 per person (kids are free). To register, click here. For more information, contact LSP’s Alex Romano by Feb. 22 at 612-767-9880 or aromano@landstewardshipproject.org.

As a follow-up to the presentation, LSP and Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI) will be co-hosting a free screening of PFI’s feature-length documentary on regenerative grazing, “Livestock on the Land.” The screening, which is open to the public, will take place at 6 p.m. at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa (Valders Hall of Science Room, 206).

Williams is out to prove that regenerative agriculture works well regardless of the foods being grown or raised, the landscape where the farming takes place, or the climate conditions that are present. During his presentation, he will show the positive impacts of regenerative practices on everything from soil, plant and animal health to ecosystem, climate and human resiliency.

“We have looked at three distinct regions of North America (Chihuahuan Desert, North Dakota, North Carolina), and documented significant resiliency regardless of whether we were dealing with a desert environment, a drought in the northern Great Plains, or the coastal plains of the Eastern Seaboard,” wrote Williams in a recent article for Graze magazine.

Williams, a 6th generation family farmer, “recovering academic” and founding partner of Grass Fed Insights LLC, Understanding Ag LLC and the Soil Health Academy, also authors a regular column for Graze. Williams spearheaded many of the early adaptive grazing protocols and forage finishing techniques and has spent the past 15 years refining them. He has consulted with more than 4,000 farmers and ranchers on multiple continents and on operations ranging from a few acres to over 1 million acres. Allen specializes in whole farm and ranch planning based on the concept of regenerative agriculture.

“Livestock on the Land” shines a light on regenerative grazing and its promise for the Iowa landscape. Central to the story is the role of community as an essential connective thread. Since premiering in January 2021, the film has garnered more than 139,000 views on YouTube and serves as an introduction to PFI’s vision for Iowa’s landscape: an Iowa with healthy soil, food, clean air, clean water, resilient farms and vibrant communities.

The screening will begin at 6 p.m. on the Luther College campus in Decorah (700 College Drive). After the screening, there will be a panel discussion with Williams and Seth Watkins, as well as Wendy Johnson and Martha McFarland, farmers featured in the film. Guests will be able to learn more about the project and ask questions inspired by the film.

COVID-19 Safety

The Land Stewardship Project and Practical Farmers of Iowa are committed to creating an environment that follows COVID-19 safety best practices and balances in-person interaction and learning. Masks will be required at both the presentation and the screening. Presentation attendees will be required to sign a waiver. LSP in-person events are subject to change based on guidelines set by state departments of health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For more information, see https://landstewardshipproject.org/covid-lsp.

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About Land Stewardship Project

The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) is a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1982 to foster an ethic of stewardship for farmland, to promote sustainable agriculture and to develop healthy communities. LSP’s work has a broad and deep impact, from new farmer training and local organizing, to federal policy and community based food systems development. At the core of all of LSP’s work are the values of stewardship, justice and democracy. To learn more, visit https://landstewardshipproject.org.

About Practical Farmers of Iowa

Practical Farmers of Iowa works to equip farmers to build resilient farms and communities. Our values include: welcoming everyone; farmers leading the exchange of experience and knowledge; curiosity, creativity, collaboration and community; resilient farms now and for future generations; and stewardship of land and resources. To learn more, visit http://practicalfarmers.org.

Category: News Releases
Tags: adaptive grazing • Allen Williams • Grass Fed Insights • grazing • soil health • Soil Health Academy • Understanding AG LLC

Contact

Alex Romano, LSP, e-mail, 612-767-9880

Photo Available

For a digital photo of Allen Williams, contact Romano.

Upcoming Events

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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

Saturday July 12

All Day
Fishing, Farming & Food: Rush Creek’s Fish Kill Anniversary & Why it Matters
Saturday July 12
Fishing, Farming & Food: Rush Creek’s Fish Kill Anniversary & Why it Matters
Rush Creek area in southeastern Minnesota

The Land Stewardship Project will mark the anniversary of a major fish kill in southeastern Minnesota that spawned citizen action and led to new public policy around how such events are reported. We will have fly fishing classes, birding opportunities, discussions about how regenerative farming systems can support healthy soil and clean water, good food, and fun music.  

More details are forthcoming. For more information, contact LSP’s Kate Rowe at krowe@landstewardshipproject.org.

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.

View Full Calendar

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