Note: This is the 10th installment in the 12-part “A Sense of Where You Are” series. There’s nothing like getting diminishing returns on your investment in time, labor, and resources to put things in context. “I just got sick and tired of spending money on fertilizer, planting in the dry powder, and watching the soil blow… Read More →
Rick Matt was flat on his back when it became evident how he and his son, Damien, could build an intergenerational farming operation based on soil health, diversity, and grazing. (Fourth episode in a series on LSP’s 2024 Grazing School.) More Information • 5th in the Grazing School Podcast Series: “Pasture Pixie Dust” • 3rd in the… Read More →
Poor soil, short growing seasons, and little infrastructure: beginning farmer George Heller is proving that a successful grazing operation doesn’t require optimal conditions. (Third episode in a series on LSP’s 2024 Grazing School.) More Information • 5th in the Grazing School Podcast Series: “Pasture Pixie Dust” • 4th in the Grazing School Podcast Series: “Grazing’s Generational… Read More →
Josh Nelson’s approach to farming means looking beyond the next corn crop and building the kind of soil that generates long-term return on investment. More Information • LSP’s Bridge to Soil Health Web Page • LSP’s Soil Builders’ Network You can find LSP Ear to the Ground podcast episodes on Spotify, Pandora, iTunes, and other… Read More →
Since the 2023 session of the Minnesota Legislature ended last May, Land Stewardship Project members have been celebrating our historic wins and preparing to build upon them during the 2024 session, which begins Monday, Feb. 12. This past summer and fall, LSP organizers engaged in hundreds of one-to-one and group conversations with LSP members, supporters,… Read More →
An innovative program for promoting soil health and extending the grazing season came at just the right time for farmer Alan Bedtka. More Information • Ear to the Ground No. 326: Rooting Out Nitrates • Land Stewardship Letter article on Olmsted County Groundwater Protection & Soil Health Program • LSP’s 2023 Field Day Special Report:… Read More →
When a tiling company suggested burying more pipe to deal with drainage issues, Tom Finnegan opted instead to go to the root of the problem. More Information • LSP’s Cover Crops page • LSP’s Grazing page • LSP’s No-till page • Sign-up for the Soil Builders’ Network You can find LSP Ear to the Ground… Read More →
EYOTA, Minn. — Test plots, interseeding and grazing cover crops, fencing around crop fields, pollinator plantings and transitioning to organic will be the focus of a Land Stewardship Project (LSP) field day Friday, Sept. 30, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Lawler farm near Eyota (930 70th Ave. NE). Although much of the Lawlers’… Read More →
The 2022 Minnesota legislative session held incredible promise in the form of a historic budget surplus that had the opportunity to deliver tangible progress on the biggest challenges we face. For example, the Minnesota House Climate Action Caucus, chaired by Rep. Patty Acomb (DFL-Minnetonka), began the session with a bang, proposing a $1 billion investment… Read More →
SAINT PAUL, Minn. — As the agriculture budget emerged from a House-Senate conference committee Friday evening, it appeared legislative leaders had squandered a major opportunity to invest in an economically and ecologically sustainable rural Minnesota, according to the Land Stewardship Project (LSP). “This was the state’s chance to help farmers build the kind of agricultural… Read More →
