Soil Builders’ E-Letters - Land Stewardship Project

Below are back issues of LSP’s Soil Builders’ e-letter. To receive this newsletter via e-mail, sign up here.

August 2022: Summer Events, Scott & Amanda Holthaus
December 2021: Grazing Groups, John Snyder
August 2021: Field Days, Drought Resources, 12 Tails Farm
June 2021: Summer Events & Local Meat Processing with Eric Klein
April 2021: New Staff & Mark Erickson — Soil Health on Rentals
January 2021: New Staff, Music Video & Knutson Shorthorns
November 2020: Oppression Trainings, Virtual Winter Events & Farmer Mervin Beachy
August 2020: New Soil Health Team Member & Upcoming Events
June 2020: Sustainability & Justice Go Hand-in-Hand
April 2020: Soil Health & COVID-19, Connor McCormick
Feb. 2020: NRCS Grazing Updates, Jonathan Lundgren & Jean Erpelding
Nov. 2019: Farm Crisis, Farming Green, Selling Pastured Meat
Sept. 2019: Farm Crisis, Fall Pasture Walks, the Johnson Family Image
July 2019: Climate Change, Upcoming Field Days & Farmer Spotlight on Robb Miller
May 2019: Steering Committee, New Podcast, Thickes
March 2019: Farmer Consulting Service, Grazing Circles, Bob Mierau
Jan. 2019: Grazing Expansion, Resources & Farmer Curt Tvedt
Nov. 2018: Staff, Weather Extremes & Farmer Daryn McGowan
Sept. 18, 2018: Field Day Turnout, Nobel Conference, Farmer Willie Erdmann
July 21, 2018: Investigating Soil Biology, Chuck Henry
May 23, 2018: NRCS Seeding Rates, Resources, John Meyer
March 13, 2018: Winter Workshops, Archuleta, Ed McNamara
Jan. 19, 2018: Winter Workshops, Videos, Loran Steinlage
Nov. 11, 2017: Your Story?, Elaine Ingham, Rory Beyer
Sept. 8, 2017: CC Considerations, Resources, Olaf Haugen
July 15, 2017: Erosion Control, Field Days, Tom & Lisa Hoekstra
May 18, 2017: Videos, Resources, Myron Sylling
March 29, 2017: Sign-up for the Network, Resources, Kaleb Anderson
August 2021: Field Days, Drought Resources, 12 Tails Farm
June 2021: Summer Events & Local Meat Processing with Eric Klein
April 2021: New Staff & Mark Erickson — Soil Health on Rentals
January 2021: New Staff, Music Video & Knutson Shorthorns
November 2020: Oppression Trainings, Virtual Winter Events & Farmer Mervin Beachy
August 2020: New Soil Health Team Member & Upcoming Events
June 2020: Sustainability & Justice Go Hand-in-Hand
April 2020: Soil Health & COVID-19, Connor McCormick
Feb. 2020: NRCS Grazing Updates, Jonathan Lundgren & Jean Erpelding
Nov. 2019: Farm Crisis, Farming Green, Selling Pastured Meat
Sept. 2019: Farm Crisis, Fall Pasture Walks, the Johnson Family Image
July 2019: Climate Change, Upcoming Field Days & Farmer Spotlight on Robb Miller
May 2019: Steering Committee, New Podcast, Thickes
March 2019: Farmer Consulting Service, Grazing Circles, Bob Mierau
Jan. 2019: Grazing Expansion, Resources & Farmer Curt Tvedt
Nov. 2018: Staff, Weather Extremes & Farmer Daryn McGowan
Sept. 18, 2018: Field Day Turnout, Nobel Conference, Farmer Willie Erdmann
July 21, 2018: Investigating Soil Biology, Chuck Henry
May 23, 2018: NRCS Seeding Rates, Resources, John Meyer
March 13, 2018: Winter Workshops, Archuleta, Ed McNamara
Jan. 19, 2018: Winter Workshops, Videos, Loran Steinlage
Nov. 11, 2017: Your Story?, Elaine Ingham, Rory Beyer
Sept. 8, 2017: CC Considerations, Resources, Olaf Haugen
July 15, 2017: Erosion Control, Field Days, Tom & Lisa Hoekstra
May 18, 2017: Videos, Resources, Myron Sylling
March 29, 2017: Sign-up for the Network, Resources, Kaleb Anderson

To receive this newsletter via e-mail, sign up here.

Upcoming Events

February 2023

Monday February 6

8:30 am – 1:30 pm: Crop, Livestock & Soil Innovation Conferences Workshop

Crop, Livestock & Soil Innovation Conferences Workshop

Monday February 6

8:30 am – 1:30 pm

The Land Stewardship Project is a co-sponsor of the 2023 I-90 & Highway 14 Tour CLASIC. Network, learn, and get inspired with area farmers and regional farming innovators as we discuss current trends for improving productivity and profitability in crop and livestock operations utilizing soil-healthy practices. The Crop, Livestock, and Soil Innovation Conferences (CLASIC) is made up of two tours in Minnesota, traveling along Interstate 90 and Highway 14, consisting of several stops.

Click this link for more details and a complete listing of workshops. Each venue’s program is unique and varied — be sure to check them all out and register for multiple events.

The speaker for the Feb. 6 event will be Dean Sponheim, a fourth-generation farmer from Mitchell County, Iowa. He began strip-tilling in 1999, aerial applying cover crops in the fall of 2012, and started a cover crop seed business in 2014 and no-tilling corn and soybeans in 2019.

To register for the Feb. 6 workshop, click here.
3:30 pm – 5:30 pm: Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course

Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course

Monday February 6

3:30 pm – 5:30 pm

This Northeast Wisconsin Technical College course is for produce growers who want to navigate the best food safety practices for growing vegetable produce. It is for farmers who need to comply with this FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) requirement:

“At least one supervisor or responsible party for your farm must have successfully completed food and safety training at least equivalent to that received under standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration.”

Upon completion of the course, you will receive an AFDO/PSA certificate verifying that you fulfilled the requirements of the training. The cost of the certification is covered by Wisconsin Farmers Union.

For more information, click here.

Registration: Enroll in class #22701. Call or text NWTC at 1-888-385-6982 for help enrolling or go to this link: https://www.nwtc.edu/admissions-and-aid/contact-nwtc.

Tuesday February 7

9:00 am – 12:30 pm: Wholesale Readiness Training for Farmers

Wholesale Readiness Training for Farmers

Tuesday February 7

9:00 am – 12:30 pm

MISA, UMN Extension and Renewing the Countryside are offering training and one-to-one technical assistance for farmers who want to grow their operation into wholesale markets. Wholesale isn’t just for large-scale distributors. You can use this training and support team to prepare to sell to schools, restaurants, grocery stores and hospitals in your community. Participating farmers will be eligible for $500 mini-grants to cover expenses related to launching a wholesale enterprise.

For details, click here.
10:00 am – 2:00 pm: Crop, Livestock & Soil Innovation Conferences Workshop

Crop, Livestock & Soil Innovation Conferences Workshop

Tuesday February 7

10:00 am – 2:00 pm

The Land Stewardship Project is a co-sponsor of the 2023 I-90 & Highway 14 Tour CLASIC. Network, learn, and get inspired with area farmers and regional farming innovators as we discuss current trends for improving productivity and profitability in crop and livestock operations utilizing soil-healthy practices. The Crop, Livestock, and Soil Innovation Conferences (CLASIC) is made up of two tours in Minnesota, traveling along Interstate 90 and Highway 14, consisting of several stops.

Click this link for more details and a complete listing of workshops. Each venue’s program is unique and varied — be sure to check them all out and register for multiple events.

The speakers for the Feb. 7 workshop are Dean Sponheim and Andy Linder. Sponheim is a 4th generation farmer from Mitchell County Iowa. He began strip-tilling in 1999, aerial applying cover crops in the fall of 2012, and started a cover crop seed business in 2014 and no-tilling corn and soybeans in 2019.

Linder farms with his dad near Easton, Minn. Their soil health journey unintentionally started in 2010 when they purchased a vertical tillage machine. In fall 2016 they put cover crops on every acre.They now no-till most of their corn aces and do some strip-till trials.

For more information and to register, click here.

Wednesday February 8

9:00 am – 2:30 pm: Crop, Livestock & Soil Health Conferences Workshop

Crop, Livestock & Soil Health Conferences Workshop

Wednesday February 8

9:00 am – 2:30 pm

The Land Stewardship Project is a co-sponsor of the 2023 I-90 & Highway 14 Tour CLASIC. Network, learn, and get inspired with area farmers and regional farming innovators as we discuss current trends for improving productivity and profitability in crop and livestock operations utilizing soil-healthy practices. The Crop, Livestock, and Soil Innovation Conferences (CLASIC) is made up of two tours in Minnesota, traveling along Interstate 90 and Highway 14, consisting of several stops.

Click this link for more details and a complete listing of workshops. Each venue’s program is unique and varied — be sure to check them all out and register for multiple events.

The speakers for the Feb. 8 workshop are Dean Sponheim, Martin Larsen, and Andy Linder.

Sponheim is a fourth-generation farmer from Mitchell County, Iowa. He began strip-tilling in 1999 and began no-tilling his corn and soybean acres in 2019. Sponheim started aerial applying cover crops in 2012 and in 2014 started a cover crop seed business.

Martin Larsen farms 700 acres near Byron, Minn., producing corn, soybeans, cover crops and food-grade oats in a full no-till system. As an Olmsted County Soil and Water Conservation District staffer, he gives technical assistance to farmers and manages soil health test plots.

Andy Linder farms with his dad, Don, near Easton, Minn. Together, they raise corn, soybeans, oats, canning crops, and grass hay. Their journey to soil health unintentionally started in 2010 when they purchased a vertical tillage machine. In the fall of 2016, a cover crop was put on every acre and they continue using cover crops. He has transitioned to most corn being no-till.

For more information and to register for the Feb. 8 workshop, click here.

View Full Calendar

Below are back issues of LSP’s Soil Builders’ e-letter. To receive this newsletter via e-mail, sign up here.

To receive this newsletter via e-mail, sign up here.

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