beginning farmer

LSP Winter Farm Transition Planning Course Launches Online Jan. 26

Sessions to be Led by Farmers as well as Legal, Financial & Healthcare Professionals

December 2, 2022

LEWISTON, Minn. — Are you a farmer or landowner thinking about the next steps for your farm and land? The Land Stewardship Project’s Farm Transition Planning Course provides an opportunity to dig into important topics and learn from experienced farmers and professionals. The online course will be held on six Thursday evenings in 2023: Jan. 26,… Read More →

Category: News Releases

Tags: beginning farmer • Beginning Farmer Tax Break • farm transitions • landowners • retiring farmers • transition planning

Ear to the Ground 267: Bringing Science Back to the Farm

A 4th grade experiment launched farmer Connor McCormick down a path of researching linkages between ecology, agricultural economics, and healthy soil. More Information • Ear to the Ground 166: A farmer works with a professor and her students at St. Olaf College college to study the impacts of cropping on soil health. • Connor McCormick Blog: Returning… Read More →

Ear to the Ground 261: Pigs, Pastures & Pollinators

Nettle Valley Farm is using silvopasturing to prove ecological sustainability and profitable livestock production can coexist — creating healthy pollinator habitat in the bargain. LSP’s Ear to the Ground episode 265 describes Nettle Valley Farm’s beginning farmer incubator program. More information: • LSP’s Grazing & Soil Health web page • Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation… Read More →

Jeepers Cats That’s Some Healthy Soil!

Turning a Massive Problem into Soil Fertility & Economic Value

By Sam Streukens

August 26, 2021

I recently witnessed the return of life to Jordan and Rachelle Meyers’ fields, which are transitioning from giant ragweed and thistles into soil-building plants such as chicory, red clover, and wild bergamot. During the past few years, the family, which farms in southeastern Minnesota’s Houston County, has used hard work and attention to the soil… Read More →

Category: Blog

Tags: adaptive managed grazing • beginning farmer • fungi • goats • grazing • land access • microbiology • rotational grazing • soil health

Upcoming Events

March 2023

Saturday March 25

2:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Rural Healthcare Roundtable & Public Forum in Marshall, MN
Saturday March 25
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Rural Healthcare Roundtable & Public Forum in Marshall, MN
Minnesota State Senator Erin Murphy will lead a public discussion on what’s needed for quality and affordable rural healthcare.

Monday March 27

6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: MinnesotaCare Public Option: Virtual Information Session
Monday March 27
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
MinnesotaCare Public Option: Virtual Information Session
Every Minnesotan deserves quality, affordable healthcare. But right now, too many Minnesotans have no choice but to purchase health insurance that is too expensive to use, are excluded from health coverage because of their immigration status, or are unable to leave their job or start a business because of the high cost of health insurance.

The MinnesotaCare Public Option (HF96/SF49) proposed this legislative session would allow more Minnesotans the option of buying into MinnesotaCare, paying a premium based on their income.

Join Minnesotans across the state for a virtual information session to learn more about the MinnesotaCare Public Option being considered at the state Capitol, and what YOU can do to help pass it this year.

The virtual webinar will be held on Zoom. Registration is required here.

The co-hosts of this meeting are: TakeAction Minnesota, Rural Organizing Project, the Land Stewardship Project, and more. For more information, click here.

Wednesday March 29

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Community Foods Webs Learning Circle: Changing How We Think About Food System Economics
Wednesday March 29
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Community Foods Webs Learning Circle: Changing How We Think About Food System Economics

Building strong community food networks where we live can move us powerfully toward our vision for functioning local and regional systems that support regenerative farming and provide all people with the nourishing foods they want and need. To explore how communities around the country are making this happen, in March LSP is hosting three learning circles focused on the book Building Community Food Webs, by Ken Meter.

Join us for just one session, or all three! Each session we’ll gather on Zoom for two hours — beginning at 7 p.m. — to discuss major themes from the book and generate ideas for our own communities.

Reserve your spot by signing up on our website:https://landstewardshipproject.org/learning-circles. Questions about getting signed up? Reach out to LSP’s Elizabeth Makarewicz at EMakarewicz@landstewardshipproject.org.

April 2023

Tuesday April 4

9:00 am – 12:30 pm: Wholesale Readiness Training for Farmers
Tuesday April 4
9:00 am – 12:30 pm
Wholesale Readiness Training for Farmers

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.

Thursday April 6

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm: Family Farm Breakfast Lobby Training
Thursday April 6
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Family Farm Breakfast Lobby Training
Join LSP to prepare for the 2023 Family Farm Breakfast Lobby Day on April 13! The training will be an opportunity to prepare how we will influence our elected officials to win real change on key LSP issues like soil health and climate solutions, healthcare reform, taking on corporate consolidation in agriculture, and more. This training will include: background on your legislators; templates for a legislative meeting; workshopping how to share our stories in a powerful, concise way; logistics; and more!

For more information and to register, click here.

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