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 →
• EQIP Deadline: April 19 in Minn.; May 17 in Wis. • CSP Deadline: May 10 Contact Your Local NRCS Office Today The Land Stewardship Project wants you to know that sign-up for participation in our nation’s two largest working farmland conservation programs is open now, and the 2019 sign-up deadlines are coming soon. We… Read More →
Cover crops proved themselves foul weather friends during the Great Drought of 2012. A groundbreaking farmer survey conducted in the Upper Mississippi River watershed showed that during that year’s brutal growing season keeping the soil covered with small grains and other plants helped fields preserve enough precious moisture to provide a yield bump of, in… Read More →
Dan Specht, who was taken from us all too soon last week by a haying accident, was the embodiment of the stewardship farmer. His kind, curious nature—housed in a powerfully-built, bear-like body—was complemented nicely by a passion for the land. And he represented what may be our best bet for balancing food production with a… Read More →
Sometimes, there’s nothing like a speed bump to send you on your way toward that ultimate goal. In the case of Jason and Juli Montgomery-Riess, that slight detour was in the form of the Land Stewardship Project’s Farm Beginnings course. Before taking the class, both had worked on some of the top produce operations in… Read More →
Brenda is seeking an emerging farmer(s) to join her on her 48 acres (20 tillable and 20 pasture, 5 forest and small pond) outside of Faribault, MN (Rice County). The land can be certified organic as the land has been idle for five years and nothing sprayed for 20 years. There is a machine shed,… Read More →
On an overcast morning in June, more than a dozen livestock producers gathered in the on-farm cabinetmaking shop of Leslea and Brad Hodgson, situated in the scenic hills near southeastern Minnesota’s Root River. Soon after taking seats on folding chairs arranged in a wide circle, the farmers answered an opening question: “Why am I here?”… Read More →
Ryan is seeking a farmer to work for him on his 50 acre conventional dairy farm in Waterloo, Iowa. Ryan has a dairy parlor that is setup for sheep or goats, along with numerous buildings for housing animals, and acreage available for pasture or haying. Current tenant is retiring after the 2025 season.
• An online version of the Land Stewardship Letter is here. • A downloadable pdf version is here. • Downloadable pdf back issues of the Land Stewardship Letter are here. • Interactive online back issues of the Land Stewardship Letter are here. • Paper copies are available by contacting Brian DeVore at 612-816-9342 or via e-mail. Table of Contents Stewardship… Read More →
Ellen is seeking a motivated and reliable Farm Manager to join the team for the 2025 season on their Spring Grove, MN farm. Gardner Family Farm is a pasture-based, regenerative livestock farm committed to ethical animal husbandry and land stewardship. They raise chickens, turkeys, and sheep on pasture, focusing on sustainable methods that respect the… Read More →
