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No-Till & Roller Crimping Workshop for Conventional & Organic Farmers March 2 in Austin

February 9, 2022

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AUSTIN, Minn. — Ready to roll up your sleeves for roller crimping and no-till on your cropping operation? Get your efforts kick-started at a free workshop on Wednesday, March 2, from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m., at Riverland Community College’s West Event Center in Austin (14th Street SW and 8th Avenue SW). All farmers interested in diving deeper into no-till and roller crimping are encouraged to participate in this Land Stewardship Project (LSP)/Mower County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) workshop. Register online by March 1 at https://bit.ly/LSPNoTillRollerCrimp2022 or contact LSP’s Barb Sogn-Frank at 507-479-9119 (call or text) or by e-mailing bsognfrank@landstewardshipproject.org.

Directions: Riverland Community College West Event Center is located just south of I90 on 14th Street SW and 8th Avenue SW.

The primary purpose of this gathering is to provide a forum for round-table discussions to share peer-to-peer wisdom backed up by scientific research and input from southern Minnesota farmers with years of experience in no-till and roller crimping. Insights and resource sharing from soil health professionals will also be available. Participants will leave with new ideas to put into practice this growing season and resources for support. Consultants from Albert Lea Seed will be present to answer questions on seed varieties and variables.

Rodale Institute farm consultant Léa Vereecke will present research data and help guide round-table discussions. She has helped Midwestern farmers navigate the intricacies of timing, climate, weather and more when implementing no-till and roller crimping on organic and conventional operations. Vereecke was a research specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she oversaw projects related to reduced tillage systems, organic row crops, small grains, cover crops, industrial hemp and more.

Crop and livestock farmer Steve Lawler, who also serves as a soil scientist and resource specialist with the Mower County SWCD, and Jon Jovaag, an organic and conventional crop and livestock farmer from Austin, will share their “fails-to-success stories,” including details on how farmers and SWCD resource specialists can work together to problem solve. They’ve worked together over the years as the Jovaag family has experimented with roller crimping soybeans into rye.

“I’ve learned more from my failures than my successes,” Jovaag said. “And when you can help others avoid some of the pitfalls, that’s a good thing.”

LSP is committed to creating an environment that follows COVID-19 safety best practices and balances in-person interaction and learning. A mask mandate will be in place for these events and event attendees will be required to sign a waiver. LSP in-person events are subject to change based on guidelines set by state departments health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For details, see https://landstewardshipproject.org/covid-lsp.

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Roller crimping of a rye cover crop on the Jovaag farm near Austin, Minn. (Photo courtesy of the Mower County SWCD)
Category: News Releases
Tags: cover crops • farmer-to-farmer education • no-till • organic • roller crimper • roller crimping • rye • soil health

Contact

Barb Sogn-Frank, LSP, 507-479-9119; e-mail

Photos Available

Aerial photos of the roller crimper in action on the Jovaag farm are available from Sogn-Frank.

Give a Listen

LSP’s Ear to the Ground podcast episode no. 268 features Léa Vereecke, Steve Lawler, and Jon Jovaag discussing the use of the roller crimper system in crop farming.

 

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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