Ear to the Ground 262: A Silvo Secondary Enterprise

Rachel Henderson and Anton Ptak’s secondary enterprise could be a boon for farm country pollinators.

(In 2010, Henderson and Ptak were featured on Ear to the Ground soon after they launched their orchard enterprise. Check out episode 78 here.)

More information:

• LSP’s Farm Beginnings Course
• LSP’s Journeyperson Course
• LSP’s Grazing & Soil Health web page
• Ear to the Ground 261: Pigs, Pastures & Pollinators
• Mary Dirty Face Farm
• Native Trees and Shrubs for Pollinators
• Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES)
• Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

You can find LSP Ear to the Ground podcast episodes on Spotify, Stitcher, iTunes, and other podcast platforms.

Upcoming Events

September 2025

Friday September 12 – Saturday September 13

Forage Council Grazing School

Friday September 12 – Saturday September 13

Forage Council Grazing School

The Forage Council Grazing School will cover the why, what, how, and who of grazing, taking grazing to the next level. This is a two-day event. Lunch provided both days, along with a Friday evening meal at the Community Center in Verndale.

For details and to register, click here.

Friday September 12

9:00 am – 2:00 pm: Can Farmers Make a Profit? Field Day & Seminar
Friday September 12
9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Can Farmers Make a Profit? Field Day & Seminar
Carpenter Community Center, 508 William St, Carpenter, IA 50426, USA
This event will feature discussions about raising non-GMO and organic corn and soybeans, as well as cover crops. There will be a soil pit demonstration and a discussion about the pros and cons of tillage. A field plot tour is included. Lunch is provided. Presenters include Tom Cotter and Gilbert Hostetler. To reserve a spot, call or text Mervin Beachy at 641-381-0054. For details, check out this flier.

Tuesday September 16

9:00 am – 2:00 pm: Chicken Processing Workshop
Tuesday September 16
9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Chicken Processing Workshop
14882 255th Ave, Sleepy Eye, MN 56085, USA
Join the SFA to learn how to process your own chickens at home. At this workshop, participants will actually be processing 35-40 chickens from start to finish, and they will learn how to kill, scald, pluck, and eviscerate the chickens. Each attendee will have the opportunity to perform the complete process with instructor help on several birds.

Details are here.

Wednesday September 17

9:00 am – 3:00 pm: Grazing for Invasive Species Management in Oak Savannas
Wednesday September 17
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Grazing for Invasive Species Management in Oak Savannas
Myre-Big Island State Park, 19499 780th Ave, Albert Lea, MN 56007, USA
For details on this workshop, 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.

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