beef production

Ear to the Ground 353: 7 Years Later

Jon and Carin Stevens farm unforgiving land that leaves little room for mistakes. But thanks to a system based on no-till, cover cropping, and reintegrating livestock, a “victory year” has finally emerged from the ashes of failure. More Information • LSP Soil Health Web Page • Maple Grove Farms YouTube Page You can find LSP…  Read More

Ear to the Ground 350: Cranking Up Capacity

By building soil biology via managed grazing, Langdon Collom is learning that expanding a farm’s capacity doesn’t always require horizontal expansion — sometimes you can simply go vertical. More Information • LSP’s Grazing & Soil Health Web Page • Match Made in Heaven: Livestock + Crops • Sustainable Farming Association • Midwest Grazing Exchange • Minnesota Cropland…  Read More

Ear to the Ground 345: Grazing’s Generational Jump

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

Ear to the Ground 338: Microbial IRA

For Jerome Fulsaas, cover cropping and no-till are creating an individual retirement account based on a living soil bank, not dead dirt. More Information • LSP’s Bridge to Soil Health Web Page • LSP’s Soil Builders’ Network • Order Your LSP “Let’s Stop Treating Our Soil Like Dirt” Bumper Sticker You can find LSP Ear…  Read More

Ear to the Ground 325: Return of the Fence

Matt and Seth Tentis of White Barn Acres are creating a soil-smart farm using a mix of livestock, continuous living cover, and experimentation — with a healthy dose of community support tossed in for good measure. More Information • White Barn Acres • LSP’s Soil Health Web Page • LSP’s 2023 Field Day Special Report:…  Read More

Ear to the Ground 313: Walking & Talking

A pasture walk on the Nikki and Cody Meyer farm shows the value of farmer-to-farmer learning.  More Information • LSP’s Soil Health & Grazing Web Page • LSP’s 2023 Field Day Special Report: “A Long, Hot Summer” • Nikki Meyer’s Grazing YouTube Page • LSP’s 2023 Pasture Walk Schedule You can find LSP Ear to…  Read More

Ear to the Ground 308: Is Your Farm a Business?

Dave Pratt says most farms and ranches are just a collection of expensive assets and low-paying jobs. But such a dysfunctional business model is not inevitable. More Information • Ranch Management Consultants • LSP’s Soil Health & Grazing Page  • LSP’s Farm Beginnings Course • LSP’s Journeyperson Course • LSP’s Land Transitions Tools Page You can find…  Read More

Ear to the Ground 280: Maximum vs. Optimal

Adhering to the tenets of Ag Econ 101, a pair of beginning farmers are avoiding commodity row crops and embracing grazing, silvopasturing, and “bale grazed veggies.” More Information: • LSP’s Soil Health & Grazing web page • Ear to the Ground Episode 246: Letting Livestock do the Work You can find LSP Ear to the…  Read More

Ear to the Ground 270: It Doesn’t Rain Grass

In an area that receives 8-10 inches of precipitation annually, Mexican rancher Alejandro Carrillo’s philosophy is: “It’s not how much rain you get, it’s what you do with it.” That’s why he makes sure that water falling out of the sky has a friendly reception on the ground. More Information • Understanding Ag case study…  Read More

Renting It Out Right: A Hilltop View of the Land’s Potential

Mark Erickson’s Relationship with Landowners is Rooted in Healthy Soil

When considering significant changes to the way one farms, there’s nothing like a couple acres of convincer, a template for the potential offered up by tapping into the land’s ability to build soil health in an economically viable manner utilizing livestock and perennial plants. Mark Erickson points out just such a personal proving ground on…  Read More