cover crops

Ear to the Ground 301: Pipe Dreams

When a tiling company suggested burying more pipe to deal with drainage issues, Tom Finnegan opted instead to go to the root of the problem. More Information • LSP’s Cover Crops page • LSP’s Grazing page • LSP’s No-till page • Sign-up for the Soil Builders’ Network You can find LSP Ear to the Ground… Read More →

Regenerative Farming Systems ‘Peer-to-Peer’ Workshop March 1 in Bellechester

3 Regional Crop-Livestock Famers Will Discuss Innovative Approaches to Profitability

January 26, 2023

BELLECHESTER, Minn. — Agricultural profitability and sustainability utilizing regenerative practices will be the focus of a “peer-to-peer” Land Stewardship Project (LSP) workshop Wednesday, March 1, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Bellechester Community Center (101 1st Street). This free event includes lunch catered by Bridget’s Café. To reserve a spot by Feb. 27, register… Read More →

Category: News Releases

Tags: cover crops • grazing • no-till • regenerative agriculture • small grains • soil health

Ear to the Ground 296: Stability is Sexy

Rick Clark’s no-till organic system is all about treating cover crops like cash crops — because they are. More Information • Rick Clark’s Farm Green website • LSP’s Soil Health web page • LSP Ear Dirt soil health podcast series You can find LSP Ear to the Ground podcast episodes on Spotify, Stitcher, iTunes, and… Read More →

Ear to the Ground 295: Patchwork Quilt Stewardship

John Ledermann’s rental relationships are built on healthy soil. More Information • LSP’s Conservation Leases Toolkit • Land Stewardship Letter article on John Ledermann • LSP’s Soil Health web page • LSP’s Land Transition Tools You can find LSP Ear to the Ground podcast episodes on Spotify, Stitcher, iTunes, and other podcast platforms.

Ear to the Ground No. 291: Shovel Doesn’t Lie

What Allen Williams unearthed on the farm of Rachelle and Jordan Meyer. More Information • LSP’s Soil Health web page • Land Stewardship Letter: A Season of Knowledge Transfer • Allen Williams Ear to the Ground podcast series • Jordan Meyer Ear to the Ground podcast: Embracing the Weed You can find LSP Ear to… Read More →

Ear to the Ground No. 290: Silt Suppression

How the Bergler family stopped “chasing their tails,” started fixing their farm’s damaged soils, and welcomed curious queries. More Information • LSP’s Soil Health web page • Land Stewardship Letter: A Season of Knowledge Transfer You can find LSP Ear to the Ground podcast episodes on Spotify, Stitcher, iTunes, and other podcast platforms.

Ear to the Ground 289: Reflections on a Revolution

Two decades after crop failures almost ended his farming career, soil health pioneer Gabe Brown reflects on how far the regenerative ag movement has come…and where it’s going. More Information • LSP’s Soil Health web page • Ear to the Ground No. 288: More with Less • Brown’s Ranch • Soil Health, Profits & Resiliency: Land Stewardship… Read More →

Ear to the Ground 288: More with Less

Tom Cotter sees his return on investment tied directly to how freely he lets soil biology do its job — and that starts with a diverse community above and below ground. More Information • LSP’s Soil Health web page • Land Stewardship Letter: A Season of Knowledge Transfer • Ear to the Ground No. 266: Activating… Read More →

Ear to the Ground 287: Opportunity Knocks

As an accountant and a farmer, Joe Lawler sees building soil health as a way to strike a balance between economic and ecological success…and boy is it fun to see a pollinator planting come to life. More Information • LSP’s Soil Health web page • Pollinator Conservation Resource Center • NRCS County Office Directory • Ear… Read More →

Ear to the Ground 286: Tractor Seat Economics

Everett Rolfing knew one thing for certain: no-till would never work on his farm. His soil had a different idea. More Information: • LSP’s No-till & Soil Health web page • Land Stewardship Letter: A Season of Knowledge Transfer You can find LSP Ear to the Ground podcast episodes on Spotify, Stitcher, iTunes, and other… Read More →

Upcoming Events

June 2023

Tuesday June 13

11:00 am – 12:00 pm: Forever Green Webinar on Kernza
Tuesday June 13
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Forever Green Webinar on Kernza
The Environmental & Economic Clusters of Opportunity (EECO) grant provides an ecosystem services payment as well as risk management payments to growers enrolled in the program for winter barley, hybrid winter rye, winter camelina, and Kernza. Join us for an introductory webinar series on these four crops where we pair University researchers and Extension professionals with farmers who have trialed these crops on-farm. The June 13 webinar on Kernza features Jake Jungers (UMN assistant professor), Prabin Bajgain (UMN assistant professor) and Jay Peterson (farmer, Blooming Prairie, Minn.)

To sign up for the June 13 webinar on Kernza, click here. These presentations will be recorded for future viewing if you’re not able to make it.
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm: Upper Sioux State Park Land Return Listening Sessions & Planning Forward
Tuesday June 13
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Upper Sioux State Park Land Return Listening Sessions & Planning Forward
On April 5,there was a historic town hall meeting in Granite Falls where regional residents and Upper Sioux Community members came together to learn about the Upper Sioux Community’s history, relationship, and desires for the return of the Upper Sioux Agency State Park to the Upper Sioux Community. We also were able to ask questions of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources representatives and local elected officials, as well other community members. A proposal to return the state park land to the Upper Sioux Community was officially passed by the Minnesota Legislature during its recently concluded session.

We were encouraged by how we saw our neighbors respond to this proposal, being for the most part supportive of the return.We also heard how important and precious access to green spaces is to all of us who live here, and that many of us have deep connections and relationships with that park.

Please come and share your stories of connection and relationship to the Upper Sioux Agency State Park; we want to understand and honor our connection to this place and channelour passion for the area. We want to think as a community where we might be able to create new public access acres in the river valley with the funds allocated for replacement.Let’s beready and united to advocate locally for these green acres!

Join us on Tuesday, June 13, and/or Wednesday, June 28, at the Granite Falls Kilowatt Community Center (600 Kilowatt Drive, Granite Falls, MN 5624), from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., for a light meal, and to share our stories and link arms to create new parkland in western Minnesota.

This event is free and open to the public, but food can only be guaranteed for those who register in advance. Please clickhere to register for June 13and/orhere to register for June 28.

Please contact Robin Moore atrmoore@landstewardshipproject.orgor 320-321-5244 if you have any questions.

This event is organized and hosted in partnership with The YES! House with Department of Public Transformation.

Wednesday June 14

11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Forever Green Webinar on Hybrid Winter Rye

Wednesday June 14

11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Forever Green Webinar on Hybrid Winter Rye

The Environmental & Economic Clusters of Opportunity (EECO) grant provides an ecosystem services payment as well as risk management payments to growers enrolled in the program for winter barley, hybrid winter rye, winter camelina, and Kernza. Join us for an introductory webinar series on these four crops where we pair University researchers and Extension professionals with farmers who have trialed these crops on-farm. On June 14, there will be a webinar on hybrid winter rye. Presenters include Jochum Wiersma (UMN Extension small grains agronomist) and Richard Magnusson (farmer, Roseau, Minn.)

To sign-up for the June 14 webinar on hybrid winter rye, click here. These presentations will be recorded for future viewing if you’re not able to make it.

5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Building Community for Land Access: 'Meeting the African Farming Community'

Wednesday June 14

5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Building Community for Land Access: 'Meeting the African Farming Community'

We are in a moment where African farmers and gardeners, many who have farmed in their own countries and have been growing in community garden plots here, didn’t believe or know that they could be farming on a larger-scale. Now they are organizing and obtaining practical and financial training to aid in finding land and developing business models that will let them farm collectively in a community (e.g. cooperatives).

We want to make sure that landowners KNOW about these skilled farmers and the work they are doing to provide food to their communities and beyond. They are seeking training in order to farm as a business and want to develop relationships with landowners in order to obtain land access. We also want the wider community to learn about these groups of farmers and think about how they can support African local food producers where they live.

We know that this is a community-building process, and this series offers one way to start. We encourage people to join us for the entire series in order to build strong relationships with other participants! We are planning four sessions: register for the second one below.

June 14, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.: Online gathering where Minnesota landowners and land-seekers have a chance to share their stories and perspectives. You will have an opportunity to learn more about the “other side’s” perspective as landowners and land-seekers. Learn more about the challenges facing beginning farmers around land access as well as how landowners approach finding the next generation on their land. ·

Online: open to everyone, Minnesota focused.
Panel of two to three land-seekers and landowners sharing their stories.
Small groups with mixed landowners and land-seekers sharing their stories and getting to know each other.

Register here.

Friday June 16

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm: LSP Farm Bill Friday: Consolidation
Friday June 16
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
LSP Farm Bill Friday: Consolidation
This summer, join the Land Stewardship Project for Farm Bill Fridays — a one-hour series of educational webinars to learn about how the Farm Bill impacts many different food system issues, including consolidation, regional food systems, and climate and conservation. During these webinars, you will also have the opportunity to take action to demand a more just and resilient Farm Bill for Us!

Each webinar will focus on a different issue and feature policy experts and LSP farmer-member speakers. Click on dates to register.

June 16 — 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.:Farm Bill Friday focused on Consolidation

June 23 — noon – 1 p.m.: Farm Bill Friday focused on Regional Food Systems

July 14 — noon – 1 p.m.: Farm Bill Friday focused on Climate & Conservation

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