Bob Quinn says regenerative farming and rural economic revitalization go hand-in-hand. For him, it all started with a handful of “King Tut’s wheat.” (First in a three-part series on small grains and community-based foods.) More Information • Episode 3 in Ear to the Ground Small Grains Workshop Series: “Landon Plagge — Small Grain-Big Opportunity” • Episode 2 in Ear… 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 →
LSP’s political action partner, the Land Stewardship Action Fund, is working to show that vibrant rural communities require local people participating in decision-making — one vote at a time. More Information • Land Stewardship Action Fund • Land Stewardship Letter Article: “Land Stewardship Action Fund’s Local Impact” • LSP’s Policy Campaigns You can find LSP Ear… Read More →
When LSP farmer-members like Paul Sobocinski took on Big Pork, it showed the long-term impact grassroots organizing can have. More Information • Making Change from the Ground Up: 40 Stories for 40 Years of Land Stewardship Project • LSP’s Policy Campaigns Web Page • January/February/March 2001 Land Stewardship Letter: Pork Checkoff Voted Down by Farmers • Ear… Read More →
A Farm Transfers Ownership & a Farmer Transfers into a New Role What’s that stuff in soil that’s supposed to provide humans a sense of wellbeing? You know, like a protozoa-based version of Prozac? Emmalyn Kayser is trying to come up with the name on a recent March afternoon as she and Chris Burkhouse squat… Read More →
For most people, getting elected to a local office doesn’t sound very glamorous, but local officials hold a surprising amount of sway. Minnesota is a state where local control laws are strong, which means that people serving in county and township government play a critical role in shaping the state we need. When it comes… Read More →
NOTE: A vote was taken on this bill earlier than expected today (May 16) and unfortunately it was voted down. These provisions will not move forward this year. Thanks to everyone who contacted their legislators. There are less than 36 hours left in this year’s Minnesota legislative session, and we still do not have… Read More →
When debating a controversial topic in public, a well-proven trick is to never ask a question you don’t already have the answer to. That technique was on full display Tuesday evening in a packed-to-the-gills meeting held at Old No. 1 Bar & Grill in Morris, Minn. The topic at hand was a proposal by Riverview… Read More →
How critical is nitrogen to raising corn in the Midwest? Well, consider the fact that farmers feel compelled to pay for it, even at a time when the war with Iran is sending prices to dizzying heights during the 2026 planting season. The agronomic value of nitrogen became clear during a special oversight hearing held… Read More →
Proposed Dairy in Morris Would Become Minnesota’s Largest Feedlot (3/16/26) The Minnesota Star Tribune reports on a proposal to create the largest livestock operation in Minnesota. Highlights: Riverview LLP, the state’s largest milk producer, has applied for permits to build the single largest dairy and feedlot in the state’s history by expanding one of its… Read More →
