Ear to the Ground 106 - Land Stewardship Project

Beginning farmers find a working operation that’s intact and ready to produce income.

Upcoming Events

September 2025

Thursday September 18

5:00 pm – 7:30 pm: Minnesota Women in Conservation: Conservation Land Walk in Dawson
Thursday September 18
5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Minnesota Women in Conservation: Conservation Land Walk in Dawson
Dawson, MN
During this Minnesota Women in Conservation event, participants will walk around a “homestead” farm site — exploring areas and goals the landowner hopes to improve in the future, including pollinator habitat, perennial plantings, wind breaks, privacy/noise screens, water quality improvements, well sealing, and compost placements. Participants will hear feedback and recommendations from a conservation professional on potential programs that could assist the landowner in achieving those goals.

This is a FREE event, but you must RSVP here to get the address. For more information and to RSVP, click here.

Saturday September 20

All Day: Farm Aid
Saturday September 20
Farm Aid
Huntington Bank Stadium, 420 23rd Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
Farm Aid is heading to Minnesota for the first time for its 40th anniversary festival on Saturday, Sept. 20, at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The event will launch a year-long celebration of four decades of impactful advocacy, historic cultural moments and unforgettable music.

Farm Aid 40 — a full day of music, family farmers, HOMEGROWN food and agricultural experiences — will feature performances by Farm Aid board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young (and the Chrome Hearts), John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews (with Tim Reynolds), and Margo Price, as well as Billy Strings, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Trampled by Turtles, Waxahatchee, Eric Burton of Black Pumas, Jesse Welles, Madeline Edwards and more artists to be announced.

For details, click here.

Monday September 22

9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Twin Cities Urban Farm Bus Tour

Monday September 22

9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Twin Cities Urban Farm Bus Tour

Leatherdale Equine Center, 1801 Dudley Ave, St Paul, MN 55108, USA

Join University of Minnesota Extension, Hennepin County, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service on Monday, Sept. 22, for a bus tour of urban farms. We’ll discuss the challenges of city growing, including compaction, contamination, soil health, water management, and more. And we’ll learn about how growers are using soil health practices to mitigate these challenges. Stops will include:

The St. Thomas research gardens, where researchers have been studying different methods for maintaining fertility in urban garden beds for 8+ years, and learning about how these different approaches impact soil health and water quality
Our Roots Community Garden, where gardeners have implemented a variety of soil health practices to remediate a brownfield contaminated site into a lush garden with healthy soil and plants. Gardeners here are also working to establish a micro forest at the site
Urban Roots farm at Rivoli Bluff. The team at Urban Roots has worked for years to establish a thriving farm at a former street sweeping site. They’ve tried many different practices to address compaction, replace invasive species with native plants to mitigate erosion, and to grow vegetables for their community.

This is the first tour in a three part soil health bus tour series. Participants can sign up for just one, two, or all three tours. Register at https://z.umn.edu/vegetablebustours. The cost is $15 (flat fee, covers 1, 2, or 3 tours). There are more details in the attached flyer.

Tuesday September 23

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Why Birds Belong on the Farm: Biodiversity, Pest Control & A Thriving Landscape

Tuesday September 23

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Why Birds Belong on the Farm: Biodiversity, Pest Control & A Thriving Landscape

Online

This 10-lesson Wild Farm Alliance virtual course teaches agricultural professionals and farmers how to support beneficial birds and manage pest birds on farms. By learning how to assess the farm’s avian needs and opportunities, farms can be designed to provide for a diversity of beneficial birds.

If pest birds are a problem, they can be discouraged with specific practices during the shorter periods when they cause damage. The sessions cover the latest research, tools and resources, and are given by experts in avian pest control, entomology, ornithology and conservation. While many topics and species are specific to the Midwest, most of the principles discussed are applicable across regions.

Continuing Education Credits have been requested and are expected to be approved from American Society of Agronomy.

For details and to register, click here.

The Course Schedule:

LESSON 1

Why Birds Belong on the Farm: Biodiversity, Pest Control & A Thriving Landscape

Tuesday, September 23, 2 p.m. CT

LESSON 2

Birds as Pest Control Allies on the Farm

Tuesday, October 14, 11 a.m. CT

LESSON 3

Birds in the Balance: Pest Control Services Across Crop Types

Tuesday, November 4, 11 a.m. CT

LESSON 4

Integrating Habitat into Croplands: Prairie Strips and Bird Conservation

Tuesday, December 2, 11 a.m. CT

LESSON 5

Birds on the Farm: Balancing Biodiversity and Food Safety

Tuesday, January 13, 11 a.m. CT

LESSON 6

Beyond the Crop: Birds, Biodiversity, and the Power of Edge Habitat

Tuesday, February 3, 11 a.m. CT

LESSON 7

Bridging Forestry, Farming, and Habitat

Tuesday, February 24, 11 a.m. CT

LESSON 8

Perennial Pathways: Agroforestry for Birds and Biodiversity on Farms

Tuesday, March 17, 11 a.m. CT

LESSON 9

Birds on the Range: How Grazing Practices Shape Habitat for Grassland Species

Tuesday, April 7, 11 a.m. CT

LESSON 10

Birds at Risk: How Pesticides Shape Safety on Agricultural Lands

Tuesday, April 28, 11 a.m. CT

6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

Kitchen Table Conversation About Immigration & Our Farm & Food System

Tuesday September 23

6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

Kitchen Table Conversation About Immigration & Our Farm & Food System

Mankato, MN, USA

Since January, the Land Stewardship Project has been an active member of the Immigrant Defense Network because we know our goal of having a sustainable, regenerative farm and food system will not be reached without racial, gender, and economic equity. This means equity for farmers, farmworkers, and all who are engaged in the food and agriculture system. We all have a stake in protecting our immigrant neighbors.

Learn more about LSP’s involvement in this work through a recent Ear the Ground podcast episode: Ear to the Ground 373: Know Your Neighbors.

To learn more about how our base is experiencing this issue, we are hosting small-group kitchen table conversations and one of these conversations will be in Mankato, Minn.

What: A time to come together with neighbors to deepen our understanding of what’s at stake for people and the land.
Where: At the home of an LSP member in Mankato (address will be sent to confirmed attendees).
When: Tuesday, Sept. 23, from 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Please e-mail Emily Minge at eminge@landstewardshipproject.org if you’d like to be a part of this conversation or if you have any questions. Are there others in the Mankato community who you think should be there? E-mail Emily their name and we can extend the invite.

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