Ear to the Ground 318: Great Expectations

Farmer Mike Seifert is realizing that building a solid soil house is not enough — he also has to stock its pantry.

More Information

• LSP’s Soil Microbiology Web Page
• Ear to the Ground 297: Web of Willing Workers
• Ear to the Ground 292: Working the Microbes
• LSP’s Soil Health Web Page
• LSP’s 2023 Field Day Special Report: “A Long, Hot Summer”

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

**During a recent field day, Mike Seifert of Ravenview Farm demonstrated what ingredients he uses in making compost extracts.**

Upcoming Events

April 2025

Tuesday April 22

3:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Farm to School (F2S) Roadshow

Tuesday April 22

3:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Farm to School (F2S) Roadshow

Lac Qui Parle Valley Middle/High School, 2860 291st Ave, Madison, MN 56256, USA

There is still time to register for the Farm to School (F2S) Roadshow— a mini-series of events designed to grow Farm to School connections across our region. Whether you’re a producer interested in selling to schools, a food service professional sourcing local, or someone supporting local food systems, we hope you’ll join us.

What to expect:

Mini-session with Sara George (Renewing the Countryside) on building relationships between food service staff and farmers.
Overview of F2S resources & grants with Kate Seybold (Minnesota Department of Ag) and Jayme Anderson (Minnesota Department of Education).
Kitchen walk-through with Sara George and real-time discussion on how to get local food from farm to tray.
Q & A, shared learning, and connection.

To register, click here

Can’t make it?

We are collecting signatures from folks who support increasing state funding for the program, as well as letters of support for us to submit to the House Ag Committee. Please take a moment to sign the petition below, or reach out about submitting your own letter!

6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

Farm to School (F2S) Roadshow Producer Panel

Tuesday April 22

6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

Farm to School (F2S) Roadshow Producer Panel

Madison Mercantile 601 1st St., Madison, MN 56256

There is still time to register for the Farm to School (F2S) Roadshow— a mini-series of events designed to grow Farm to School connections across our region. Whether you’re a producer interested in selling to schools, a food service professional sourcing local, or someone supporting local food systems, we hope you’ll join us.

Join us for an informal Farm to School Producer Panel with insights from experienced producers and agency reps, including:

Nick Olson (Land Stewardship Project): Producer with Farm to School experience and Farm Beginnings instructor.
Kate Seybold (Minnesota Dept. of Ag) and Jayme Anderson (Minnesota Dept. of Ed): Resources and regulations for producers.
Sara George (Renewing the Countryside): Producer
Scott DeMuth (Land Stewardship Project): Food Systems Organizer; hear about western Minnesota Farm to School Coordination and what schools are looking for.

Please RSVP or reach out with questions!
We’d love to know who’s coming so we can plan accordingly — and we’re always happy to help with questions about Farm to School.

Can’t make it?

Wednesday April 23

8:00 am – 12:30 pm

Supporting Beneficial Birds on the Farm

Wednesday April 23

8:00 am – 12:30 pm

Supporting Beneficial Birds on the Farm

15270 Haucke Ln, Viola, WI 54664, USA

Wild Farm Alliance and Keewaydin Farms invite you to join them for a farm field day all about beneficial birds on Wednesday, April 23, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in Viola, Wis. Tickets are $10 and include lunch.

Discover the birds that call our farms home and explore how they can support pest control and biodiversity. Join innovative farmers, avian researchers, and other experts to learn practical strategies for attracting beneficial birds to your farm. Engage in hands-on activities, including a guided bird walk, nest box installation, and monitoring demonstrations. Walk away with valuable knowledge and skills to integrate bird-friendly practices into your farming operation.

There is limited space for this event. For details and to register, click here.

2:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Farm to School (F2S) Roadshow

Wednesday April 23

2:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Farm to School (F2S) Roadshow

MACCRAY High School, 711 Wolverine Dr, Clara City, MN 56222, USA

Mini-session with Sara George (Renewing the Countryside) on building relationships between food service staff and farmers.
Overview of F2S resources & grants with Kate Seybold (Minnesota Department of Ag) and Jayme Anderson (Minnesota Department of Education).
Kitchen walk-through with Sara George and real-time discussion on how to get local food from farm to tray.
Q & A, shared learning, and connection.

To register, click here.

Can’t make it?

Thursday April 24

6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Madison: Building a Shared Vision for Western MN

Thursday April 24

6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Madison: Building a Shared Vision for Western MN

Madison Mercantile, 601 1st St, Madison, MN 56256, USA

The goal of this free Land Stewardship Project program is to change the way we think about issues in our communities, our state, and our nation. We will identify the problems that are affecting us, connect over our common values, and identify existing groups that share our goals. The idea is to find common ground with your neighbors and places where we can come together to move forward in areas of shared values.

Format:
1) What are the areas of concern in your personal life and your community? Examples:

Food insecurity/inflation
Labor shortages/workforce challenges
Housing prices/unavailability
Lack of local control

2) How can I personally address those concerns in my community or with the help of my neighbors?Examples:

Expanding local options for food and food processing
Expanding workforce internships for area youth
Assisting local community in finding grant programs for new rural housing
Volunteering for get out to vote campaigns for local elections

3) What existing community groups can help achieve these goals? What groups can we build up? Examples:

Local food co-ops or farmers’ market associations
Local school programs or after-school activity groups
Local economic development or civic leadership groups
Local election boards

For more information, contact LSP organizer James Kanne at jkanne@landstewardshipproject.org.

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