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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

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.

Friday June 27

9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Agrivoltaics Field Day
Friday June 27
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Agrivoltaics Field Day
West Central Research and Outreach Center, 46352 MN-329, Morris, MN 56267, USA

Join University of Minnesota Extension for presentations and solar site tours at the West Central Research and Outreach Center. You’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of the benefits, considerations and opportunities of farming using solar energy. Session topics include cattle and sheep solar grazing, solar site forages, grain crops under solar panels, and solar developer perspectives. Register here. Can’t attend the field day? Check out the July 22 agrivoltaics webinar on growing forages and grains.

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

Wednesday July 9

8:00 am – 10:00 am
Risk to Resilience Climate Cohort
Wednesday July 9
8:00 am – 10:00 am
Risk to Resilience Climate Cohort
Online

Farming has always required adaptability, and today’s changing weather patterns are creating new challenges and opportunities. The Land Stewardship Project, in collaboration with University of Minnesota Extension, has created a resilience-focused program that gives commodity and small grain growers the opportunity to join a cohort with other like-minded farmers and learn how to prepare their operations for the future. At this Risk to Resilience cohort, you will learn:

  • How changing weather patterns in the Upper Midwest are likely to affect your farm. 
  • How you can prepare a plan that protects your farm from a changing climate.
  • How to improve your planning skills and meet with experts for opportunities to grow climate resilience  on your farm.
  • How to build community with fellow farmers interested in creating operations that are sustainable and resilient in the long term.

Program Details:

  •  Online format — join from your home or farm.
  •  Four sessions, 10-15 hours total investment — built for busy schedules, beginning July 2025. We’ll pause workshops for small grains harvest and resume in August 2025.
  • A $250 stipend will be provided to participants who attend the sessions and provide feedback on experience and content.

Dates of the Risk to Resilience Sessions:

  • Wednesday, July 9, 8 a.m.-10 a.m.
  • Wednesday, July 16, 8 a.m.-10 a.m.
  • Harvest Break
  • Wednesday, August 20, 8 a.m.-10 a.m.
  • Wednesday, August 27, 8 a.m.-10 a.m. 

To register, click here. 

12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
LSP Lewiston Office Summer Potluck Lunch
Wednesday July 9
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
LSP Lewiston Office Summer Potluck Lunch
Land Stewardship Project, 180 E Main St, Lewiston, MN 55952, USA

Spring planting is behind us and midsummer is upon us! Take a quick break from all the action by celebrating summer with the Land Stewardship Project by joining us for lunch at our Lewiston office.

Our Summer Potluck will be held on Wednesday, July 9, from noon to 2 p.m., at our office in downtown Lewiston, Minn. (180 E. Main Street). This will be an opportunity to build community, hear from other farmers, socialize, and enjoy a great meal together. We also invite everyone to take a self-guided tour of the newly renovated spaces in our office that we have been working on over the winter. As a member-driven organization, this is your space too.

LSP will be providing the main dish (meat and vegetarian options) and we invite you to bring a dish to pass. This event is open to all, so please bring a friend or two as well. Let’s celebrate the joy of summer through good food and good company!

RSVP’s are encouraged, but not required. Hope to see you there — you can RSVP by e-mailing LSP’s Alex Romano direct.

View Full Calendar

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