Ear to the Ground 227: From Crisis to Community

When a CAFO threatened a rural neighborhood, residents looked to a beginning farmer for a different vision of the future.

Upcoming Events

January 2026

Friday January 30

9:00 am – 10:00 am

'Fridays with a Forester' Webinars

Friday January 30

9:00 am – 10:00 am

'Fridays with a Forester' Webinars

Recurs weekly

Zoom online

Join Extension foresters to discuss some of the key issues and questions around forest and woodlands facing Minnesota land stewards. These online sessions will be very informal, open to the public, and free of charge. Each session will start with a brief presentation followed by a discussion framed around participant questions on the topic.

January 30: Life, death, and dinner in the forest canopy: a review of the spruce budworm and its predators – Jessica RootesFebruary 13: Stewardship strategies for resilient forests – Anna Stockstad
February 20: ParSci summary from 2025 and what’s coming in 2026 – Angela Gupta & Hana Kim
February 27: Climate Ready Trees for Windbreaks and Silvopasture – Gary Wyatt, Angie Gupta and Kira Pollack
March 20: Disturbance and Woodland Stewardship – Eli Sagor
March 27: Recognizing, Preventing, and Managing Oak Wilt – Grace Haynes
April 10: Management Considerations to Enhance Forest Habitat for Birds – Peter DieserA
April 17: Get Ready for Tree Seed Collection in Spring (Scouting & ParSci) – Kira Pollack
April 24: Growing and selling wood: Production forestry on private lands. – Eli Sagor, Extension Educator or Lane Moser, SFEC. Informal panel discussing production forestry and selling wood on private lands with Dave Nolle (MLEP), a consulting forester, and an industry forester.

To sign-up for these Zoom sessions, register at this link.

Recordings from all webinars over the years are available on this YouTube page.

5:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Multi-Generational Farm Transition Retreat: Red Wing

Friday January 30

5:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Multi-Generational Farm Transition Retreat: Red Wing

Pier 55 Red Wing Area Seniors, 240 Harrison St #2, Red Wing, MN 55066, USA

Join U of M Extension for hands-on planning and discussion on farm transition for the whole farm family. All generations actively involved in the farm should attend the retreat together, including spouses, partners and other relevant parties.

The farm transition program helps farm families dive deeper into conversations about:

Family and business goals
Job responsibilities
Financial needs of farms and families
Inheritance considerations
Mechanisms of transfer

For details and to register, click here.

Saturday January 31

10:00 am – 4:00 pm

South Dakota Farm Transition Planning Course

Saturday January 31

10:00 am – 4:00 pm

South Dakota Farm Transition Planning Course

South Dakota

Are you a farm family or landowner thinking about the future or next steps for your farm?
Are you interested in planning for the next generation of farmers on your land?
Do you have a spouse/partner helping to make these decisions? Are you both on the same page?
Are you ready to begin the planning process but don’t know where to start?

For the first time, Rural Revival is hosting a holistic Farm Transition Planning Course in collaboration with The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) and Dakota Rural Action (DRA). This opportunity is coordinated alongside the land transition course that LSP has provided for Minnesota farmers over the past 9 years. The course includes seven weekly sessions, with a full day Saturday to kick off, and again to close the training. Sessions 2-6 will take place on Tuesday evenings for 2 1/2 hours. Sessions will bring professionals, farmers and LSP/DRA staff together to dig into values and goals, communications, generational, financial, legal, and long-term care considerations. The sessions build on each other and it is important to plan on attending all of them. The sessions will include participatory activities and there will be work families are encouraged to complete outside of the gathered course time.

The topics, dates, and times for the course are:

Saturday, Jan 31st: Goal Setting for LIfe & Land, 10:00am-4:00pm
Tues. Feb 3: Values and Why Farm Transition Planning is Needed, 5:30pm-8:00pm
Tues. Feb 10: Financial Considerations, 5:30-8:00pm
Tues. Feb 17: Legal Considerations, 5:30-8:00pm
Tues. Feb 24: Working with the Next Generation Farmers, 5:30-8:00pm
Tues. March 3: Long Term Care Considerations, 5:30-8:00pm
Saturday, March 14: Resources and Planning Next Steps, 10:00am-4:00pm

The course fee is $250 per family. The registration deadline is January 9. For more information and to register, click here.

For more farm transition resources, click here. For more course information, contact:

DRA’s Megan EisenVos at megan@dakotarural.org, 605-277-3790
LSP’s Karen Stettler at stettler@landstewardshipproject.org, 507-458-0349
Rural Revival Treasurer, Roy Kaufman at lorokauf@gwtc.net

February 2026

Tuesday February 3

8:45 am – 3:45 pm: 2026 Extension Women in Ag Conf.
Tuesday February 3
8:45 am – 3:45 pm
2026 Extension Women in Ag Conf.
The Park Event Center, 500 Division St, Waite Park, MN 56387, USA
This one-day conference includes a farmer panel to kick off the morning, interactive break-out sessions, and multiple opportunities to re-connect with friends while making new ones. As always, interact with conference sponsors in the exhibitor hall and enjoy the wellness space to relax and recharge throughout the day. If your schedule allows, please attend the optional pre-conference session the day before on Monday, Feb. 2.

To learn more about the conference, view the conference website: z.umn.edu/WAGN2026.
11:00 am – 12:00 pm: Beyond the Crop: Birds, Biodiversity, and the Power of Edge Habitat
Tuesday February 3
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Beyond the Crop: Birds, Biodiversity, and the Power of Edge Habitat
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

View Full Calendar

LESSON 1

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

LESSON 2

Birds as Pest Control Allies on the Farm

LESSON 3

Birds in the Balance: Pest Control Services Across Crop Types

LESSON 4

Integrating Habitat into Croplands: Prairie Strips and Bird Conservation

LESSON 5

Birds on the Farm: Balancing Biodiversity and Food Safety

LESSON 6

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

LESSON 7

Bridging Forestry, Farming, and Habitat

LESSON 8

Perennial Pathways: Agroforestry for Birds and Biodiversity on Farms

LESSON 9

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

LESSON 10

Birds at Risk: How Pesticides Shape Safety on Agricultural Lands