Farm Beginnings & Journeyperson Applications Being Accepted LEWISTON, Minn.—One of the most comprehensive farmer training initiatives in the country is offering educational and support options for both new and established farmers, beginning this fall. The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) is now accepting applications for its Farm Beginnings Program and the Journeyperson Course. Farm Beginnings Farm… Read More →
Just when you think the facts and figures around federal subsidized crop insurance can’t get any more outlandish, new numbers emerge exposing the out-of-control spending and lack of accountability for this area of farm policy. Earlier this month, USDA released the most recent data on crop insurance costs. It’s ugly: the federal government anticipates doling… Read More →
Innovative Farming Requires an Innovative Approach to Soil Health It’s a bright June day in southeastern Minnesota, and the hilly landscape is in full summer bloom. But as Chuck Henry watches his dairy herd graze a mix of winter wheat and Sudan grass, he has numbers on his mind: 33,000 bites per day, per cow;… Read More →
From the beginning of the 2018 Minnesota Legislative session, it was clear that corporate interests and their legislative allies were pushing for special treatment at the expense of rural communities, family farmers and Minnesota values. As an example, six days into the session, Dr. Marin Bozic, a dairy economist at the University of Minnesota, testified… Read More →
An Innovative Farming System Requires Innovative Training One sign that you’re a solid employee is that the boss hates the idea of you walking out the door, never to return. So let’s consider the case of Ryan Heinen, who has worked on the west-central Minnesota dairy farm of Nate and Angie Walter for the past… Read More →
Land Stewardship Project Sees Bill as Important Step for Getting More Beginning Farmers on the Land SAINT PAUL, Minn.—A bill moving through the Minnesota Legislature would help beginning farmers overcome one of the biggest barriers they face when trying to launch an agricultural business: access to land. According to farmer-members of the Land Stewardship Project… Read More →
Governor Mark Dayton announced in January his proposal to require an additional 125,000 acres of perennial vegetation along lakes, rivers and streams. There is a long history of utilizing such living borders to filter out fertilizers and herbicides, while fortifying streambanks and reducing the amount of eroded soil that ends up in the water. While… Read More →
For Jerome Fulsaas, cover cropping and no-till are creating an individual retirement account based on a living soil bank, not dead dirt. More Information • LSP’s Bridge to Soil Health Web Page • LSP’s Soil Builders’ Network • Order Your LSP “Let’s Stop Treating Our Soil Like Dirt” Bumper Sticker You can find LSP Ear… Read More →
Josh Nelson’s approach to farming means looking beyond the next corn crop and building the kind of soil that generates long-term return on investment. More Information • LSP’s Bridge to Soil Health Web Page • LSP’s Soil Builders’ Network You can find LSP Ear to the Ground podcast episodes on Spotify, Pandora, iTunes, and other… Read More →
The Land Stewardship Project envisions a food and farming system and thriving, healthy communities that work for everyone, no exceptions. Whether Black or white, immigrant or Indigenous, working class or middle class, queer or straight, man, woman, or non-binary, we all deserve dignified, productive, and creative lives. Racism, gender inequality, and economic injustice are major… Read More →
