Ear to the Ground 207: Feed the Cow-Feed the Soil
How a visiting student’s critique set a farm on a path toward profitably integrating crops, pasture and livestock.
How a visiting student’s critique set a farm on a path toward profitably integrating crops, pasture and livestock.
There is no doubt a wide and abundant array of food is available in this country, but at what price? There is a lot of talk about our industrial system’s ability to make food like Big Macs and Big Gulps as cheap as possible. Nutritious, affordable food for all is critical. The problem is, all… Read More →
It’s early July—a time on one Wisconsin farm when there’s a brief reprieve between the spring rush of putting in crops and the mid-summer hurly-burly of making sure the land and animals are as productive as possible by fall. What better time to take a breather and assess where you’ve been, and where you’re going.… Read More →
While walking through a knee-high prairie planted on a central Iowa hillside Tuesday, I happened to look down. Trapped amongst all that vegetation was an impressive amount of rich, black glacial soil, the kind that produces record crop yields. And just a few feet away was the source of that soil: a soybean field planted… Read More →
Shea-Lynn Ramthun is a 6th generation farmer in Cannon Falls, Minn. Her family has a herd of rotationally-grazed Black Angus cattle that they raise from start to finish. Additionally, they farm a variety of crops using no-till and cover cropping methods. Shea-Lynn has been involved with LSP for the past couple of years, attending workshops,… Read More →
Big Ag and its friends in Congress hope to send more money into the pockets of a few mega-sized commodity farms through one of the most popular commodity programs in the Farm Bill — crop insurance. This windfall will be at the expense of working lands conservation programs and small and mid-sized farms. Their proposal… Read More →
The Minnesota State Legislature only has 13 days left to take advantage of our historic state surplus — $9.25 billion — and invest in our farmers and communities at the scale that is needed to create vibrant resiliency on the land. There are big differences between what the House and Senate are willing to invest… Read More →
Monday, Jan. 31, is the first day of the 2022 Minnesota legislative session — and we have an incredible opportunity to win millions of dollars for soil health, local processing, local markets, emerging farmers, and more. In the past two weeks, Governor Tim Walz and the Minnesota House Climate Climate Action Caucus have put together exciting… Read More →
Jubilee Rock Farm is a small family farm located near Frederic, Wis. The farm has a young orchard; flower, herb and vegetable gardens; bee yard; berry patches; sugar bush; beautiful woods, big rocks, and more! We believe that to grow good food one must start with healthy soil and love. We love what we do,… Read More →
Why join Fresh Earth Farms? Truly Local: We are located in the Twin Cities just 20 minutes from downtown St. Paul. Your money stays local to support the Twin Cities economy. Our property taxes support Minnesota, Washington County, and the local school district. Very few food miles. Real CSA Farm: Community Supported Agriculture is a… Read More →