Ear to the Ground 300: Diversity Trumps Adversity

Illinois farmer Dave Bishop says rural communities can’t “monoculture” their way out of the economic, ecological, and social challenges that plague them. But diversifying successfully isn’t just a numbers game.

More Information

• Dave Bishop’s PrairiErth Farm
• LSP’s Community-Based Food Systems
• Ear to the Ground 283: Ken Meter & Building Community Food Webs

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

Upcoming Events

November 2025

Saturday November 22

1:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Farm Scale Deep Winter Greenhouse Open House
Saturday November 22
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Farm Scale Deep Winter Greenhouse Open House
Tintah Beach Farm, Thief River Falls, MN
Please join Marcus Langevin from Tintah Beach Farm and the University of Minnesota at an open house and ribbon cutting celebrating the completion of the farm scale deep winter greenhouse prototype on Nov. 22, from 1 p.m.-4 p.m.

This new deep winter greenhouse design allows farmers in cold climates to grow crops for sale to their customers throughout the winter months. The heavily insulated greenhouse utilizes a steeply sloped south-facing glazing wall to capture solar heat which is stored in an underground soil thermal mass where it is available to heat the greenhouse at night when the outside temperatures drop.

The new energy efficient greenhouse was designed to suit the needs of small and medium scale vegetable farmers. It is larger, cheaper per square foot to construct than previous designs, and is simple enough that farmers with minimal construction experience can build it themselves. Deep winter greenhouses like these allow farmers the ability to grow market crops year-round, thereby increasing their yearly revenues and allowing Minnesotans year-round access to healthy, fresh, locally grown produce.

Registration: This event is free to attend, but registration is required at z.umn.edu/TintahBeachOpenHouse. Please register by November 15.

Download farm scale deep winter greenhouse building documents. This farm scale deep winter greenhouse design is available for free download from the UMN Extension RSDP’s deep winter greenhouse website.

This work is made possible by University of Minnesota Extension; College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS); College of Design Center for Sustainable Building Research (CSBR); and the Agriculture Research, Education, Extension and Technology Transfer Program (AGREETT).

December 2025

Monday December 1

All Day: Marbleseed Farmer-to-Farmer Mentorship Program Deadline
Monday December 1
Marbleseed Farmer-to-Farmer Mentorship Program Deadline
Marbleseed
Marbleseed’s Farmer-to-Farmer Mentorship Program empowers farmers through one-on-one guidance as they grow their business, seek organic certification, add farm enterprises, hone production skills, balance farm and family and more.

Both mentor and mentee receive complimentary registration for two years of the Marbleseed Organic Farming Conference. You’ll meet your mentor Feb. 26-28 in La Crosse, Wis. and wrap up your formal relationship at the following conference.

The deadline for applications is Dec. 1. Learn more and apply here .

Eligibility:

→ Applicants must have been operating their farm business for at least one year.

→ Mentorships are available in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Tuesday December 2

11:00 am – 12:00 pm: Integrating Habitat into Croplands: Prairie Strips and Bird Conservation
Tuesday December 2
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Integrating Habitat into Croplands: Prairie Strips and Bird Conservation
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

Wednesday December 3

9:00 am – 11:30 am

Organic Fruit Growers Cimate Resilience Workshop

Wednesday December 3

9:00 am – 11:30 am

Organic Fruit Growers Cimate Resilience Workshop

Zoom online

In December and January, the Organic Fruit Growers Association is offering a series of climate resilience workshops. Workshop goals are to learn about the changing climate in our region and the expected impacts on fruit farmers and to select climate resilience practices which are suited to your farm’s goals and values. The outcome of the workshops will be a written climate resilience plan with actionable steps to make your farm more resilient to changing climate.

Workshops will be led by University of Minnesota extension educators Katie Black and Madeline Wimmer and include times for farmer-to-farmer discussion. This series includes the following four meetings. Expect to spend an additional 4-10 hours outside the meetings developing your farm’s climate resilience plan:

Wednesday Dec. 3, 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m. (online via Zoom)
Wednesday, Dec. 10, 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m. (online via Zoom)
Monday, Dec. 22, discussion (online via Zoom — optional but encouraged)
Wednesday, Jan. 7, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (in-person workshop in La Crosse, Wis. Lunch provided, and you can be reimbursed for mileage traveling to and from the meeting.)

For details and to register, click here.

10:00 am – 12:00 pm

LSP Montevideo Office Open House

Wednesday December 3

10:00 am – 12:00 pm

LSP Montevideo Office Open House

North 1st Street West, N 1st St W, Montevideo, MN 56265, USA

The Land Stewardship Project’s Montevideo office hosts an open house coffee hour on the first Wednesday of each month. The next one will be Wednesday, Dec. 3, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., at our office located at 111 North First Street in downtown Montevideo. Stop by for a cup of coffee and a chat. The Montevideo office’s number is 320-269-2105.

View Full Calendar

More Information

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