Soil conservationist Julie Reberg sees composting as a “very scientific art form” that can transform waste into biological bullion. More Information • LSP’s Soil Microbiology Web Page • NRCS Manure Composting Fact Sheet • Ear to the Ground 358: Low Input – High Returns • Ear to the Ground 352: Land of the Living • Ear to the… Read More →
Alex Udermann and his family at Meadowbrook Dairy were tired of working harder and harder for less and less. So they invested in building the kind of healthy soil that pays off economically, environmentally, and from a quality of life point of view. More Information • LSP’s Soil Health Web Page • Minnesota Agricultural Water… Read More →
Father-son team Joe and Matthew Fitzgerald are quite willing to share their insights with other farmers on how to get started in organic crop production. First piece of advice: sell your fishing boat. More Information • Fitzgerald Organic Mad Agriculture Video • Organic Agronomy Training Service • LSP Soil Health Web Page You can find LSP… Read More →
When Jay Fuhrer first started talking to his conservation colleagues about a different approach to protecting and building soil, he ended up eating lunch alone. But eventually the Burleigh County Soil Health Team helped launch a movement that’s showing how farming, the environment, and local economies benefit when people stop accepting soil as a degraded resource. More… Read More →
Soil health expert Stephanie McLain has found that once farmers start seeking life in the bottom of a red Solo cup, there’s no turning back. More Information • LSP Soil Health Web Page • NRCS Soil Health Web Page You can find LSP Ear to the Ground podcast episodes on Spotify, Pandora, iTunes, and other… Read More →
Jerry and Nancy Ackermann’s use of no-till and cover-cropping is building healthier soil, boosting beneficial bugs, and bolstering a positive financial bottom line. More Information • LSP’s No-till Web Page • LSP’s Cover Crops Web Page • Jerry Ackermann Video: Setting Up Your Equipment for Soil Health You can find LSP Ear to the Ground… Read More →
By building soil biology via managed grazing, Langdon Collom is learning that expanding a farm’s capacity doesn’t always require horizontal expansion — sometimes you can simply go vertical. More Information • LSP’s Grazing & Soil Health Web Page • Match Made in Heaven: Livestock + Crops • Sustainable Farming Association • Midwest Grazing Exchange • Minnesota Cropland… Read More →
Since taking over their family’s livestock operation, Parker and Sam Beard have added a few new twists. But one thing will never change: those hills will remain in grass. More Information • LSP’s Grazing & Soil Health Web Page • LSP’s Farm Transitions Tools Web Page • Iowa Organic Association You can find LSP Ear… Read More →
Rick Matt was flat on his back when it became evident how he and his son, Damien, could build an intergenerational farming operation based on soil health, diversity, and grazing. (Fourth episode in a series on LSP’s 2024 Grazing School.) More Information • 5th in the Grazing School Podcast Series: “Pasture Pixie Dust” • 3rd in the… Read More →
Poor soil, short growing seasons, and little infrastructure: beginning farmer George Heller is proving that a successful grazing operation doesn’t require optimal conditions. (Third episode in a series on LSP’s 2024 Grazing School.) More Information • 5th in the Grazing School Podcast Series: “Pasture Pixie Dust” • 4th in the Grazing School Podcast Series: “Grazing’s Generational… Read More →
