Ear to the Ground 161
How women play a major role in the future of farmland and our rural communities.
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Healthy Farms, Healthy Frogs, Healthy Land
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 →
Ear to the Ground 407: Dairy Dilemma
Jordan and Rachelle Meyer had burning questions about how to pursue a new milk production path without upsetting their “three-legged stool.” So they invited members of an LSP Soil Health Hub onto their farm to debate the options. More Information • Wholesome Family Farms • Meyer Podcast — Ear to the Ground 255: Embracing the… Read More →
The Enemy of Good
Farming’s Reality Challenges Jane Marynik’s Pursuit of Perfection
2026-2027 Farm Beginnings Class LSP is now accepting applications for its 2026-2027 Farm Beginnings class session. The application deadline is Sept. 1. For details, click here. ♦ ♦ ♦ The phrase “Perfect is the enemy of good” is often attributed to the French Enlightenment writer and historian Voltaire. His actual quote is, “The best is… Read More →
Land Line: Beyond Exports, Nitrate Lawsuit, Soil Health $$, Local Food, Ag Collapse?, Ag Econ Downer, ICE & Rural Economies
Farmers Focus on Local Markets (1/31/26) The Tri-State Neighbor reports on a meeting in Rochester, Minn., where farmers and others gathered to discuss practical ways of diversifying the corn-soybean duo-culture that dominates Midwestern agriculture. Highlights: The “Beyond Exports” meeting, which was hosted by LSP, featured farmer-presenters who are in various stages of utilizing small grains,… Read More →
Land Line: Commodity Ag Regrets, Bailout Blues, Corn & Climate, USDA Regenerative Ag Pilot, Manure Monitoring, Conservation & Community, Farmer-to-Farmer
Iowa Farm & Rural Life Poll: 2025 Summary (November) The majority of farmers responding to the latest Iowa Farm & Rural Life Poll feel that a reliance on specialized commodity agriculture is bad for them and their communities. Highlights: Sixty-nine percent agreed with the statement “Increased specialization in commodities (corn, soybeans, hogs, etc.) has led… Read More →
Land Line: USDA Changes, Climate-Smart Ag, Dead Zone, Nitrate Pollution, Feedlot Regs, Soil Bacteria, the Power of Diverse Farming
‘Farming in the dark’: Brooke Rollins’ Leadership, DOGE’s Grip and the Cost to American Agriculture (7/22/25) According to Investigate Midwest, during her first six months in office U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has brought sweeping changes to USDA and largely embraced President Donald Trump’s agenda of downsizing the federal government. Mass firings have purged… Read More →
Ear to the Ground 378: Dumping the Doubts
Noreen Thomas got into organic crop farming almost three decades ago as a way to produce healthy food and survive economically. Today, she’s the mentor she never had. More Information • Register for LSP’s “Bringing Small Grains Back to Minnesota” Networking Meeting on Aug. 2, 2025, in Madison, Minn. • Doubting Thomas Farms • 2025… Read More →
Flower Power
How 3 Farmers Teamed Up to Diversify Out of the Corn-Soybean Duoculture
Near the beautiful southern Minnesota town of Austin, three farmers are going against the grain with an unlikely crop: sunflowers. While most Midwestern farmers stick to corn and soybeans, backed by reliable federal subsidies and a marketing and transportation infrastructure centered around such commodities, these pioneers saw an opportunity where others saw risk. Their story… Read More →
LSP T-Shirt – 2025 Design
LSP’s official t-shirt featuring artwork by Meg Studer. Printed locally in Minneapolis on 100% organic cotton on a rust-colored shirt with black, white, and green lettering. Unisex fit. Read More →