Farm Beginnings

Ear to the Ground 406: Pasture Peers

“How do I make this pasture pay?” beginning farmer Heidi Eger asked a group of fellow graziers during an LSP Soil Health Hub gathering. They answered by measuring out an ideal paddock and putting pen to paper. More Information • Radicle Heart Farm • Ear to the Ground 265: Diving into Safer Waters • Ear…  Read More

Taking That Next Financial Step on Your Farm?

LSP Offering Free 1-on-1 Financial Coaching

Farming in the midst of tight land access, growth decisions, long-term transition planning, and a changing climate can bring up big questions about where your operation is headed. If you are looking for a grounded way to sort through those questions, the Land Stewardship Project is here to walk alongside you. LSP is opening applications…  Read More

The Belly of Belief

Riverbed Lamb’s Renewed Relationship With the Land & Community

2026-2027 Farm Beginnings Class LSP is now accepting applications for its 2026-2027 Farm Beginnings class session. The application deadline is Sept. 1. For details, click here. ♦ ♦ ♦ It was the winter of 2024-2025, and Frances Kelliher wasn’t exactly in the mood to sit in a room with a lot of idealistic agrarians. She…  Read More

The Enemy of Good

Farming’s Reality Challenges Jane Marynik’s Pursuit of Perfection

2026-2027 Farm Beginnings Class LSP is now accepting applications for its 2026-2027 Farm Beginnings class session. The application deadline is Sept. 1. For details, click here. ♦ ♦ ♦ The phrase “Perfect is the enemy of good” is often attributed to the French Enlightenment writer and historian Voltaire. His actual quote is, “The best is…  Read More

The Throughline

Crowded Table’s Commitment to Community

2026-2027 Farm Beginnings Class LSP is now accepting applications for its 2026-2027 Farm Beginnings class session. The application deadline is Sept. 1. For details, click here. ♦ ♦ ♦ Sometimes a shot of reality can inject a sense of urgency into an educational experience. Roughly half-way through their participation in the 2024-2025 winter session of…  Read More

Join LSP for Sustainable Farm Tours with Farm Beginnings Grads

Register now for one of three hands-on events!

The Land Stewardship Project  has announced its upcoming 2026 Farm Beginnings Field Days, a series of three distinct on-farm events hosted across Minnesota. Led by graduates of the LSP Farm Beginnings course, these sessions provide transparent, peer-to-peer insights into successful farm management and innovative, sustainable agricultural practices. Designed for aspiring growers, seasoned land managers, and…  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

Ear to the Ground 402: Enemy of Good

Jane Marynik’s pursuit of perfection ran into a brick wall called vegetable farming. LSP’s Farm Beginnings has helped her strike a more sustainable balance between work and life. More Information • LSP’s Farm Beginnings Course (2026-2027 Early Bird Discount Deadline Aug. 1, 2026; Final Deadline Sept. 1, 2026) • Four Beans Farm • Food Farm •…  Read More

Land Line: Corporate Greenwashing, Beginning Farmer Help, Forever Green, Rural Grocery, Imported Fertility, Grain Market Consolidation, Grazing Pays Off

Sign Up for E-mail Delivery of The Land Line Report Accuses Corporate Dairy of ‘Greenwashing’ (6/1/26) The Wisconsin Examiner reports on a study showing that claims by the largest meat and dairy companies that their practices are sustainable are mostly “greenwashing” and are based on unsubstantiated claims. Highlights: The report, published in the journal PLOS…  Read More