Myron Sylling approaches farming from a no-nonsense, cause-and-effect point of view. So, he asks, if a reliance on heavy dosages of fertilizer is costing producers money while polluting our water, what’s keeping us from building a less nitrate-tainted farming system? (last in a series on nitrates, farming, and water) More Information • LSP’s Rethink Nitrogen… Read More →
Making sure 600,000 people are consistently consuming water that meets health standards for nitrates is Amy Kahler’s job. That’s a big challenge when the land upstream is some of the most productive crop ground in the country. (part of a series on nitrates, farming, and water) More Information • LSP’s Rethink Nitrogen Campaign • Other… Read More →
Nutrient management expert Matthew Helmers has researched how certain land use practices can have a “disproportionate impact” when it comes to nitrate pollution reduction. He says it all starts with focusing on a simple mantra: “always be growing.” (part of a series on nitrates, farming, and water) More Information • LSP’s Rethink Nitrogen Campaign •… Read More →
On a muggy, overcast July day in northwestern Iowa, Matt Bormann and Zack Smith were standing in front of a sophisticated piece of conservation tillage equipment that farmers like themselves use to keep soil in place while planting corn and soybeans. A few yards away, another farmer, James Hepp, was standing in front of a… Read More →
Sign Up for E-mail Delivery of The Land Line MDA to Gather Input on Socioeconomic Impact of Large-Scale Dairies in Minnesota (7/16/26) Morning Ag Clips reports that the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is gathering public input on the socioeconomic impact of large-scale dairies in the state. Highlights: The MDA is soliciting input after the… Read More →
Farmers Focus on Local Markets (1/31/26) The Tri-State Neighbor reports on a meeting in Rochester, Minn., where farmers and others gathered to discuss practical ways of diversifying the corn-soybean duo-culture that dominates Midwestern agriculture. Highlights: The “Beyond Exports” meeting, which was hosted by LSP, featured farmer-presenters who are in various stages of utilizing small grains,… Read More →
These three crop producers see no reason why productive farming and clean water can’t co-exist. But first, we need to stop the greenwashing and get our hands dirty. (2 of 2 parts; part 1 is here; this is part of a series on nitrates, farming, and water) More Information • Ear to the Ground 395:… Read More →
In the Corn Belt, water quality is not improving at a rate that is leading to meaningful landscape level change, and these poster boys for conservation farming say it’s time for the ag industry, commodity groups, and government to step up and take responsibility. (1 of 2 parts; part 2 is here; this is part… Read More →
Alan Jostock uses the kind of diversity that builds soil health as a kind of insurance policy for his farm. That means meshing his crop and livestock enterprises in a way that they prop each other up through thick and thin. More Information • Jan. 27, 2026, LSP Workshop — “Beyond Exports: Rebuilding Local Markets”… Read More →
When farmers challenged what Kris Nichols had learned from her college textbooks, the soil microbiologist didn’t dismiss them — instead, she dug deeper into the world beneath our feet. (1 of 2 parts) More Information • Ear to the Ground No. 388 Interview with Kris Nichols (2 of 2 parts) • LSP’s Soil Builders’ Web… Read More →
