Ear to the Ground 356: First Things First

Thinking of applying for NRCS funds? First, advises vegetable and livestock farmer Klaus Zimmermann-Mayo, figure out what kind of farming you want to do and how you want to do it.

More Information

• Whetstone Farm
• Go Farm Connect
• NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program
• NRCS Service Center Locator

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

**Emily Hanson and Klaus Zimmermann-Mayo described Whetstone Farm’s use of NRCS programs during a 2024 field day.**

Upcoming Events

November 2024

Tuesday November 12

6:30 pm – 8:00 pm: Lakes and Prairies Solar 101 - Morris
Tuesday November 12
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Lakes and Prairies Solar 101 - Morris
West Central Research and Outreach Center, 46352 MN-329, Morris, MN 56267, USA
Learn about solar energy and its benefits for your home, or small business. This meeting will take you through the technology, economics, financing and more. You’ll also learn about the Solar Co-op in your area. The program is free to join, and members are not obligated to buy solar panels. For details and to register, click here.

Information on the Lakes and Prairie Solar Co-op is here.

Tuesday November 19

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Solar Grazing Webinar

Tuesday November 19

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Solar Grazing Webinar

Zoom Online

Are you a farmer looking to diversify income, a solar developer interested in reducing pesticide use, or perhaps generally curious about the intersection of agriculture, solar energy and innovative land use?

This is the webinar for you.

Join City of Ames Electric Services energy services coordinator Joel Zook and Goats on the Go co-founder Aaron Steele to learn about their utility-scale solar grazing partnership. Hear about the spark that spurred the project, what benefits they’re seeing from the system, and how they see solar grazing growing across the country.

Register by Monday, Nov. 18, by clicking here.

4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Food Regulations & Licensing Workshop

Tuesday November 19

4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Food Regulations & Licensing Workshop

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

Topics covered during this workshop include:

Food regulations in Minnesota.
Food safety.
Farm-to-school sales.
Licensing, exclusions, and exemptions for produce, grains, and other non-meat products.

This Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA) workshop will benefit farmers, food entrepreneurs, farmers’ market managers, school food service directors, and grocery store and restaurant owners. The workshop will be led by Jane Jewett, farmer and associate director of MISA.

To register, click here.

Thursday November 21

All Day: Give to the Max Day
Thursday November 21
Give to the Max Day
Online
Support the Land Stewardship Project during the 2024 Give to the Max day.

This Give to the Max Day season, we are excited to explore the deep storytelling tradition at Land Stewardship Project. Stay tuned for highlights of LSP’s communications legacy and our plans for continuing that kind of powerful narrative organizing into the future.

Don’t forget that you don’t have to wait for November 21 to give to the max! You can schedule your gift today, and it will still count toward our goal. Plus, a generous donor is matching every donation dollar-for-dollar up to $15,000!

Thank you for being part of LSP’s story. We are grateful for you. Please join, renew, or make a special gift to LSP as part of Give to the Max Day this year.
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Screening & Discussion: Greener Pastures Film
Thursday November 21
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Screening & Discussion: Greener Pastures Film
Virtual
Running a family farm is hard enough. Add in climate change, a worldwide pandemic, and the increasing economic uncertainty brought on by mega farms, and it’s easy to see that being an independent farmer in America is a profession of survival. Following four Midwest family farms over several years, the documentary Greener Pastures is a story of perseverance within the farming industry in the heartland.

Join us live to watch the 90-minute documentary, hosted by the Midwest Vegetable Growers Network, and then stick around for conversation with two of the farmers featured in the documentary: Chris Petersen, from Iowa, and Jeff Ditzenberger, from Wisconsin. We’ll have lightly facilitated discussion with an opportunity for open Q&A. View educational resources related to the film here.

This event is brought to you by FairShare CSA Coalition and the MVEG Network’s working group on Farmer Resiliency & Mental Health. Find support resources here.

To reserve a spot for the film and discussion, click here.

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