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LSP Winter Farm Transition Planning Course Launches Online Jan. 26

Sessions to be Led by Farmers as well as Legal, Financial & Healthcare Professionals

December 2, 2022

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LEWISTON, Minn. — Are you a farmer or landowner thinking about the next steps for your farm and land? The Land Stewardship Project’s Farm Transition Planning Course provides an opportunity to dig into important topics and learn from experienced farmers and professionals. The online course will be held on six Thursday evenings in 2023: Jan. 26, Feb. 2, Feb. 9, Feb. 16, Feb. 23 and March 2. The sessions build on one another, so attendance at all six ensures the greatest understanding and planning opportunities. There is a small course materials fee of $30 per family. The registration deadline is Jan. 18. For more information and to register, see bit.ly/LSPTransition or contact the Land Stewardship Project’s Karen Stettler at 612-767-9885, stettler@landstewardshipproject.org.

“It is never too early to start thinking about your farm transition,” said Stettler, who works on farm transition issues for the Land Stewardship Project. “This course will provide an opportunity to join with other farmers who are pondering their next transition steps and to develop goals while assessing future financial considerations.”

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

“One of the most important decisions that a landowner will ever make is ‘who will I turn over care of this land to?’ The Farm Transition Course helped us to better define our values and set goals for the farm,” said Bill McMillin, a retired Minnesota farmer who participated in a previous Land Stewardship Project Farm Transition Planning Workshop. “Whenever a difficult decision or unforeseen issue arose, we went back to our values and goals to help us make our decision. It was also great to hear how other farmers were dealing with the transition process.”

Conservation Leases Workshop Jan. 24

On Jan. 24, there is another opportunity for non-operating landowners who would like to learn about how to build soil health on their land in partnership with the farmer they rent to. There will be a short presentation on soil health, places to start accessing resources and ways to begin the conversation with your renters. This will be an online event on Tuesday, Jan. 24, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. For details, contact the Land Stewardship Project’s Robin Moore at rmoore@landstewardshipproject.org.

For more information on transitioning the farm to the next generation, see  https://landstewardshipproject.org/land-transition-tools.

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Category: News Releases
Tags: beginning farmer • Beginning Farmer Tax Break • farm transitions • landowners • retiring farmers • transition planning

Contact

Karen Stettler, LSP, 612-767-9885, e-mail.

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

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.

Wednesday July 16

9:30 am – 2:30 pm
Russell Hedrick Soil Health Event: Cottonwood County
Wednesday July 16
9:30 am – 2:30 pm
Russell Hedrick Soil Health Event: Cottonwood County
27092 Co Rd 8, Comfrey, MN 56019, USA

Details here.

View Full Calendar

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