HARMONY, Minn. — A special “Farming in Karst Country” field day will highlight the intersection of soil-building farming practices, water movement, and karst geology on Thursday, July 18, from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Niagara Cave near Harmony (29842 Co. Hwy. 30). During this Land Stewardship Project (LSP) event, farmers and geologists will share… Read More →
This week, the Land Stewardship Project is reaching out to farmers across Minnesota and Wisconsin with an important message: now is the time to sign-up for a program that rewards you for practices that produce positive conservation benefits on the land. The deadline for enrolling in the current Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) round of contracts… Read More →
Last night, after six hours of presentations by members of the public, the Winona County Board of Adjustment denied a request to exceed the county’s animal unit cap by nearly four-fold. The Board of Adjustment found that the record clearly showed the variance request did not meet the legal requirement for a variance. (Full information… Read More →
I “care for” 50 acres of certified organic cropland east of Caledonia in southeastern Minnesota. Although small in acreage, I am intent upon building back my soil using alternative farming practices like roller-crimping winter rye and spring-seeding rye before soybeans. I’d like to share some insights I’ve gathered while figuring out how to implement these… Read More →
SAINT PAUL, Minn. — As traditional local foods and direct-to-consumer markets have become increasingly saturated, a number of farmers and buyers in Minnesota are working together to re-shape the local foods economy. The Land Stewardship Project’s (LSP) Farm Viability Steering Committee is offering an “Innovative Markets Forum” on Thursday, March 7, from 4 p.m. to… Read More →
Science & Public Record Ignored by MPCA’S Failure to Order EIS on Daley Mega-Dairy Expansion LEWISTON, Minn. — The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) is challenging in court the recent decision by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to reject the public’s call for an in-depth Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the proposed massive expansion of… Read More →
NOTE: During a pair of Land Stewardship Project workshops Jan. 29 and 30, Dawn and Grant Breitkreutz will be discussing how they are using no-till row cropping, managed rotational grazing and diversified cover cropping to build soil health profitably on their southwestern Minnesota farm. For more background on the Breitkreutzes, check out this LSP blog… Read More →
To Olaf Haugen, microbes equal money. That’s because at the height of the growing season on his family’s farm in southeastern Minnesota’s Fillmore County, 70 percent of the dairy herd’s feed comes from grazing. He not only rotationally grazes permanent pastures, but runs his cows through plantings of annual cover crops, which he prefers to… Read More →
Over 500 Public Comments in Opposition to Expansion Submitted to MPCA LEWISTON, Minn. — A proposed expansion of a southeastern Minnesota mega-dairy, already one of the largest in the state, is drawing demands for an in-depth environmental review from farmers and local residents. The proposed expansion to Daley Farms of Lewiston, LLP’s dairy would add… Read More →
UPDATE (11/1/18): On October 31, the Ramsey County District Court rejected the attempts by corporate ag to squelch public comment on an environmental review of the mega-dairy expansion proposal described below. District Court Judge Jennifer L. Frisch ruled yesterday against an injunction filed by several Minnesota corporate ag groups seeking to limit the public comment… Read More →
