LEWISTON, Minn. — As the farm financial crisis deepens in our rural communities, the Land Stewardship Project (LSP) and Izaak Walton League of Minnesota are partnering to offer an event called, “Farm Crisis Forum: Resiliency, Resources and Taking Action,” on Wednesday, Feb. 12, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at Immanuel Lutheran Church (45 W.… Read More →
GRANITE FALLS, Minn. — As the farm financial crisis deepens in our rural communities, the Land Stewardship Project (LSP) is offering special workshops and forums for farmers and rural communities, including one on Thursday, Jan. 9, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the Kilowatt Community Center in Granite Falls (600 Kilowatt Dr). The event… Read More →
NOTE: John Meyer, his wife Linda and their two youngest children, Charlie and Maggie, farm about 500 acres in southwestern Olmsted County, Minn. John planted his first oat cover crop in early spring of 2016 on half his land — on frozen ground and through snow — and planted corn directly into that “green,” allowing… Read More →
NOTE: During a pair of Land Stewardship Project workshops Jan. 29 and 30, Dawn and Grant Breitkreutz will be discussing how they are using no-till row cropping, managed rotational grazing and diversified cover cropping to build soil health profitably on their southwestern Minnesota farm. For more background on the Breitkreutzes, check out this LSP blog… Read More →
ALEXANDRIA, Minn. — How farmers, ranchers and other landowners can build profits and soil health will be the focus of a workshop on Tuesday, Jan. 22, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the First Congregational United Church of Christ (221 7th Ave. W.) in Alexandria. Leading this Land Stewardship Project (LSP) workshop will be… Read More →
An Innovative Farming System Requires Innovative Training One sign that you’re a solid employee is that the boss hates the idea of you walking out the door, never to return. So let’s consider the case of Ryan Heinen, who has worked on the west-central Minnesota dairy farm of Nate and Angie Walter for the past… Read More →
Okay, calculus lesson of the day, courtesy of some pasture grass, fencing and a herd of ruminants. Calculus, in case you’ve forgotten, is the mathematical study of rates of change. It can be a handy way to calculate where you’re headed and how long it will take to get there. Let’s say you are a… Read More →
It’s not every day that you see the words “unicyclists” and “farming” used in the same sentence, but here we go: national and world champion unicyclists Andy Cotter and Irene Genelin launched a farming operation a half-a-dozen years ago. Now, this is the part of the story that cries out for a familiar trope like… Read More →
Sometimes the rules of simple cause and effect don’t directly apply. Take, for instance, the fact that cattle are ruminants, and like all ruminants they utilize a wonderfully complex digestive system to turn forages and grain into meat and milk. A major side effect of all that fermentation on four legs is the production of… Read More →
Andy Cotter and Irene Genelin bring an eclectic background to farming. He studied mechanical engineering in college and she was a French major. They met while competing as elite unicyclists and were national champions in the pairs competition (think ice dancing on one wheel), as well as individual world champions in various categories. They also… Read More →
