beginning farmers

Ear to the Ground 410: Navigating a Way Out

Paul and Trudi Schaefer always assumed they would live out their lives on the farm they built up over several decades. When they realized they needed to move on, their first step was to take LSP’s Farm Transition Planning Course. More Information • LSP 2027 Farm Transition Course • LSP Land Transition Tools • LSP…  Read More →

Ear to the Ground 407: Dairy Dilemma

Jordan and Rachelle Meyer had burning questions about how to pursue a new milk production path without upsetting their “three-legged stool.” So they invited members of an LSP Soil Health Hub onto their farm to debate the options.  More Information • Wholesome Family Farms • Meyer Podcast — Ear to the Ground 255: Embracing the…  Read More →

Beginning Farmer Program for MN, WI & IA Accepting Applications for 2026-2027 Course

Early Bird Discount Deadline for Farm Beginnings Class Aug. 1

LEWISTON, Minn. — One of the most successful beginning farmer training programs in the country is now accepting applications for its 2026-2027 course session serving the Minnesota, western Wisconsin and northern Iowa region. The Land Stewardship Project’s (LSP) Farm Beginnings initiative is a training program that focuses on the goal-setting, marketing and financial skills needed…  Read More →

Ear to the Ground 403: Values on the Table

Emily and Ryan Kjesbo-Johnson vowed their lifelong commitment to community would not stop when they moved out of their urban neighborhood and onto a farm. Farm Beginnings is helping them keep that promise. More Information • LSP’s Farm Beginnings Course (2026-2027 Early Bird Discount Deadline Aug. 1, 2026; Final Deadline Sept. 1, 2026) • Crowded Table…  Read More →

Take Action TODAY! Tell Legislators to Vote “YES” for Agriculture Bill

Less Than 36 Hours Left in 2026 Legislative Session

NOTE: A vote was taken on this bill earlier than expected today (May 16) and unfortunately it was voted down. These provisions will not move forward this year. Thanks to everyone who contacted their legislators.   There are less than 36 hours left in this year’s Minnesota legislative session, and we still do not have…  Read More →

Land Line: Trillion $ Landlord, Ag’s Next Generation, Fertilizer Prices, Oats, Farm Finance Grumbles, CAFO Permits, Big Meat

The $1.7 Trillion Landlord: New USDA Data Reveals the Shifting Face of Ownership (3/12/26) Farm Journal reports on new USDA showing a 47% surge in rented farmland value over the past decade, even as the footprint of available acreage shrinks. With $1.7 trillion in assets now held by a shifting demographic of landlords, the landscape…  Read More →

Land Line: Corn Belt Cancer, Integrating Crops & Livestock, Trade Turmoil, Farmland Access, Erosion, SNAP, Microbe Memory

Report: Cancer Rates Rising Among Young People in the Corn Belt (10/29/25) The Minnesota Reformer reports on an analysis conducted by The Washington Post showing that the six states that lead in corn production — Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana, and Kansas — have seen higher rates of cancer among young people than other states…  Read More →

For its 10th Round of Farm Transition Workshops, LSP Expands Course to South Dakota 

Farmers/Landowners in Region Offered 2 Options for 2026 Session

LEWISTON, Minn. — The Land Stewardship Project’s long-running course for farmers and other landowners looking to transition their agricultural operations to the next generation is expanding into South Dakota in 2026. The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) Winter Farm Transition Planning Course, which enters its 10th session in 2026, provides a holistic opportunity to dig into important topics…  Read More →

Ear to the Ground 378: Dumping the Doubts

Noreen Thomas got into organic crop farming almost three decades ago as a way to produce healthy food and survive economically. Today, she’s the mentor she never had. More Information • Register for LSP’s “Bringing Small Grains Back to Minnesota” Networking Meeting on Aug. 2, 2025, in Madison, Minn. • Doubting Thomas Farms • 2025…  Read More →

 Beginning Farmer Program for MN, WI & IA Accepting Applications for 2025-2026 Course

Early Bird Discount Deadline for Farm Beginnings Class Aug. 1

LEWISTON, Minn. — One of the most successful beginning farmer training programs in the country is now accepting applications for its 2025-2026 course session serving the Minnesota, western Wisconsin and northern Iowa region. The Land Stewardship Project’s (LSP) Farm Beginnings initiative is a training program that focuses on the goal-setting, marketing and financial skills needed to…  Read More →