UPDATE (11/12/12): Since this blog was originally published, Winona County was informed by the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board that the error of stating that the MPCA did the Environmental Assessment Worksheet means that the process must be restarted. The new timeline has not yet been established. This is a good first step and Winona County… Read More →
Talk of how agriculture can improve soil quality seems to be popping up more frequently these days. Perhaps the most exciting recent mention was in an issue of Successful Farming magazine, which has produced an impressive package of stories called The Good Earth. Most of what’s in this package won’t be news to anyone who’s… Read More →
When a business closes in a rural community, the following 24 months or so are key. Whether it be a farm, small town grocery or repair shop, if the real estate it occupied is still lacking a day-to-day human presence a year or two down the road, it sends a troubling message about the future… Read More →
There are numerous ways of communicating the value society places on having more family farmers on the land, not fewer. This morning, the USDA announced it was awarding $18 million in grants to groups that are helping beginning farmers nationwide. That sends an important message that the federal government, thanks to initiatives put in the… Read More →
MORRIS, Minn. — By giving the green light to what will be the largest concentrated animal feeding operation in Minnesota history, Stevens County officials have cast a vote for a type of livestock production that threatens water quality, puts small and medium-sized farmers out of business and empties rural Main Streets, said the Land Stewardship… Read More →
When raising crops, tissue and soil sampling are important practices to be used together to determine your nutrient management protocol. Soil testing reveals what nutrients are available in the soil while tissue testing shows a snapshot of nutrients in the plant part at the time of sampling. It is important to utilize both soil and… Read More →
On Monday, Aug. 3, Land Stewardship Project members and local residents gathered at the Stevens County Planning and Zoning public meeting — and because our community showed up, spoke out, and organized together, we won an important step forward. Riverview demonstrated a very organized corporate approach. But our community met that pressure with real people… Read More →
Nitrate levels in southeastern Minnesota’s groundwater are a major problem — and thousands of families depend on that water for drinking. The good news: we have a proven solution. The Olmsted County Groundwater Protection and Soil Health Program has helped farmers reduce nitrate leaching across thousands of acres since 2023. Now, the Minnesota Legislature has an… Read More →
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Minnesota farmers traveled to the nation’s capital last week with a clear message for lawmakers: the federal government is creating a situation that makes it next to impossible to farm in a manner that’s economically viable, agronomically resilient and sustainable in the long term. “There’s a lot of volatility in farming these… Read More →
These three crop producers see no reason why productive farming and clean water can’t co-exist. But first, we need to stop the greenwashing and get our hands dirty. (2 of 2 parts; part 1 is here) More Information • Ear to the Ground 395: The Lobe Rangers • The Lobe Rangers Website • LSP Soil… Read More →
