LEWISTON, Minn. — A field day focused on successfully raising grass-fed beef and building soil health through managed rotational grazing will be held Tuesday, July 24, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Mike and Jennifer Rupprechts’ Earth-Be-Glad Farm, 18828 County Road 20, in Lewiston. Registration for this free Land Stewardship Project (LSP) event will… Read More →
Note: This is the 7th installment in the 12-part “A Sense of Where You Are” series. Here’s some troubling context in the land of plenty: in 2023, 18 million U.S. households were food insecure at some time during the year, according to the USDA. That figure is up from 17 million in 2022. Food insecurity… Read More →
Dancing Gnome Farm is a certified organic farm nestled in the bluffs outside Wabasha, Minn. We grow a splendid array of over 40 types of vegetables (300+ varieties!) and raise pastured laying hens. Our CSA boxes are a ½ bushel box packed with everything the season has to offer, from staples like carrots and salad… Read More →
U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders is introducing his new Medicare for All bill in the Senate this week. The Land Stewardship Project has been engaged in the issue of working for healthcare for all for a number of years. We want an affordable, high quality healthcare system in which everyone is included and no one is… Read More →
Lots of things to think about, and it can be a little overwhelming at the beginning. Farming is running a very challenging small business and that can be complex. But when done well, farming can be a multi-generational business that comes with skills transferable to future generations. Farming involves passion to keep us going when… Read More →
Just when you think the facts and figures around federal subsidized crop insurance can’t get any more outlandish, new numbers emerge exposing the out-of-control spending and lack of accountability for this area of farm policy. Earlier this month, USDA released the most recent data on crop insurance costs. It’s ugly: the federal government anticipates doling… Read More →
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 →
Many beginning farmers struggle to find the capital they need to get started. Buying a piece of land, fencing supplies, a packing shed, tractor, young fruit trees—these things can add up to an overwhelming initial investment. And these farmers often have a hard time finding the financing that fits their operations. Dean Harrington is a… Read More →
The U.S. Senate passed its version of the 2012 Farm Bill this week. While it’s far from perfect, specific amendments related to conservation and accountability that were passed during the floor vote give one hope that the voices of average citizens can be heard inside the Beltway. Let’s hope this is a sign of things… Read More →
I just returned from Iowa and my ears are still ringing from the gut-crunching drone of low-flying airplanes—the kind that seem to be all engine and spray nozzles. About a dozen crop dusters blanketed one county alone during a two-day period, spraying for aphids—thirsty little monsters that literally suck the life juices out of crops… Read More →
