While sitting in a western Wisconsin high school auditorium listening to farmers and other rural residents discussing urban sprawl the other evening, I was struck by an epiphany of sorts: the argument for saving farmland near our cities and suburbs has evolved beyond the “let’s save our pretty viewscapes” phase. Protecting prime farmland from the… Read More →
This summer and fall, Land Stewardship Project members have been hard at work preparing for the 2023 Minnesota state legislative session, which begins on Tuesday, January 3. Hundreds of LSP members, supporters, and allies across the state have engaged in workshops, surveys, and one-to-one visits to lay out what they’re excited for our organization to… Read More →
Bianca is seeking land to rent near Duluth, Minnesota. Bianca is an aspiring farmer with a goal to create a greenhouse large enough for a modest harvest of around 20 crops, mainly vegetables and herbs, year round. An established orchard with apple, plum, peach, and/or cherry fruit orchards, with room to grow more, would be… Read More →
John and Sonya are seeking a farmer to rent part of their home farm including 10 acres of hay (cool season grasses) and 18 acres of a former CRP field (forbes, warm season grasses, willow etc) on a former dairy farm in Spring Valley, Wisconsin (45 miles east of St Paul, MN). No chemical herbicides… Read More →
I talked to a Todd County farmer yesterday who uses 100 percent no-till and other conservation measures to raise his crops. Conserving soil is important to him, and so he’s quite upset at how mobile humus has been on neighboring farms this fall/early winter. “You know that little skiff of snow we got the other… Read More →
MANKATO, Minn. — Are you a farmland owner who values good stewardship practices? Are you a farmer looking to invest in soil building on rented land? A workshop to help you act on your conservation values will be held Friday, Feb. 21, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at School Sisters of Notre Dame in… Read More →
During this session of the Minnesota Legislature, Land Stewardship Project members have been making their voices heard loud and clear. Dozens of farmers and rural LSP members have testified in committee hearings, hundreds have come to the Capitol to meet with their elected officials, and thousands have taken action by signing a petition, contacting their… Read More →
Land Stewardship Project Sees Bill as Important Step for Getting More Beginning Farmers on the Land SAINT PAUL, Minn.—A bill moving through the Minnesota Legislature would help beginning farmers overcome one of the biggest barriers they face when trying to launch an agricultural business: access to land. According to farmer-members of the Land Stewardship Project… Read More →
While walking a piece of North Dakota landscape under a withering summer sun, one’s thoughts turn to moisture—or rather, the lack of it. So when I and other participants in a soil health tour kicked up signs of cool, shady places while traipsing across a hay field, it seemed like a mirage. Green-and-black leopard frogs… Read More →
While recording a recent LSP podcast interview with southwest Minnesota farmer Carmen Fernholz, I was reminded of how important it is that farmers identify closely with the land they’re producing a livelihood from. As Fernholz put it: “If you’re a good farmer you can’t help but become attached to the land. And when you become… Read More →
