What’s up with all the backlash against urban food production? Google the phrase “urban farming illegal” and you’ll see what I mean. Communities in Minnesota and across North America are struggling with what to do when some energetic entrepreneurs begin raising produce in their yards on a scale that goes beyond planting a few tomatoes… 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 →
I just returned from Iowa and my ears are still ringing from the gut-crunching drone of low-flying airplanes—the kind that seem to be all engine and spray nozzles. About a dozen crop dusters blanketed one county alone during a two-day period, spraying for aphids—thirsty little monsters that literally suck the life juices out of crops… Read More →
Wholesome Family Farms is known for juggling enough enterprises to overwhelm even the most ambitious farmer. But Rachelle Meyer says a “three-legged stool” strategy keeps them balanced. (First episode in a series on LSP’s 2024 Grazing School.) More Information • Wholesome Family Farms • Drone Footage of Rachelle & Jordan Meyer Moving Sheep • LSP’s “Building Soil… Read More →
NORTHFIELD, Minn. —A culturally relevant “Land Access: Are You Ready?” workshop will be held for Spanish-speaking beginning and aspiring farmers Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Emmaus Baptist Church, 712 Linden St. N., in Northfield. This Land Stewardship Project (LSP) workshop is free; materials, lunch and childcare are provided. To register by April… Read More →
Soil, cows, ecology, economics: to milk producer Derek Schmitz, they are all linked, and that feeds his optimism even as tough times cast a shadow over dairy farming. More Information • LSP’s Grazing & Soil Health Web Page • Soil Health Academy Case Study: Derek & Taylor Schmitz • Regenerative Livestock Systems Symposium: April 5, 2024 You can… Read More →
Climate change may impact a vegetable producer and a livestock farmer in different ways, but the result is the same: uncertainty, stress…and a deeper desire to connect with community. More Information • Ear to the Ground 299: Road to Resilience • LSP’s Soil Health page • Prairie Drifter Farm • Early Boots Farm You can find LSP Ear… Read More →
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Members of the Land Stewardship Project (LSP) today applauded the recent announcement that U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D – MN) has signed on as a co-author of the Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) Improvement Act. If incorporated into the next Farm Bill, this legislation would expand insurance access to farmers historically left out… Read More →
Whitney Terrill joined LSP’s staff as a Farm Beginnings organizer in 2023. She co-leads LSP’s Farm Beginnings organizing and Land Access and Land Legacy initiatives. She has a bachelor’s degree in sociology (Hampton University), as well as executive certificates in conservation and environmental sustainability (Columbia University) and in social impact strategy (University of Pennsylvania). Whitney… 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 →
