fertilizer

Land Line: Mental Health & Land Health, Ag Income Decline, Canadian Eggs, Tariffs & Fertilizer, Banned Verbiage, Weather Disaster, Community Hub

By Brian DeVore

April 14, 2025

Farmers Face One of the Highest Rates of Suicide. This Social Worker Believes the Solution is Buried in Their Land (4/10/25) The Guardian newspaper describes how a social worker in Kansas has developed the LandLogic Model, a new way to train healthcare providers that uses farmers’ relationship to their land to identify and treat depression,… Read More →

Category: Blog

The Devil’s in the Details

Regenerative Ag Can Help Bring Our Dysfunctional Relationship with Phosphorus Back into Balance

By Brian DeVore

February 26, 2025

In the early 2000s, I wrote a series of Land Stewardship Letter articles about a generic environmental impact statement study that was done on Minnesota’s livestock industry. The final report had an interesting finding related to phosphorus, a key source of crop fertility: small livestock farms had a medium phosphorus shortage of 17 pounds per… Read More →

Category: Blog

Tags: CAFO • cover cropping • Dan Egan • Devil's Element • fertilizer • manure • methane digesters • Phosphorus • regenerative farming • water quality

Ear to the Ground 359: Trash to Treasure

Soil conservationist Julie Reberg sees composting as a “very scientific art form” that can transform waste into biological bullion. More Information • LSP’s Soil Microbiology Web Page • NRCS Manure Composting Fact Sheet • Ear to the Ground 358: Low Input – High Returns • Ear to the Ground 352: Land of the Living • Ear to the… Read More →

LSP Says State Work Plan Falls Short in Addressing Nitrate Pollution in SE MN

Focus Should be on Promoting Water-Friendly Farming Systems, Not the Status Quo

February 5, 2024

LEWISTON, Minn. — A work plan submitted by Minnesota state agencies to address nitrate pollution in southeastern Minnesota does not address the root cause of the problem and instead relies on pre-existing programs that have shown little evidence of success thus far, said members of the Land Stewardship Project (LSP). “We know that we can… Read More →

Category: News Releases

Tags: EPA • factory farm • fertilizer • MDA • MDH • MPCA • nitrates • nitrogen pollution • soil health • state policy • water quality

Land Line: Grasslands & Carbon, Local Foods, AU Cap, Fertilizer Prices, Dry Wells, Methane Digesters, Forever Green

June 7: An LSP Round-up of News Covering Land, People & Communities

By Brian DeVore

June 7, 2022

Claim: Grazed Grasslands Trump Cover Crops on Long-term Carbon Sequestration (6/5/22) The Food and Environment Reporting Network reports on research showing that rotationally grazed pastures sequester more carbon than annual cropping systems. An ongoing 29-year-old field experiment in Wisconsin shows that perennial pastures managed with rotational grazing accumulated 18% to 29% more soil organic carbon… Read More →

Category: Blog

Tags: animal unit cap • carbon sequestration • Daley Farm • drought • factory farms • fertilizer • Forever Green • grazing • local foods • methane digesters • regional foods

Ear to the Ground 271: Focusing on Fungi

Maks Kopish is looking through a microscope and seeing a way for soil to be self-reliant.

Upcoming Events

April 2025

Tuesday April 22

3:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Farm to School (F2S) Roadshow

Tuesday April 22

3:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Farm to School (F2S) Roadshow

Lac Qui Parle Valley Middle/High School, 2860 291st Ave, Madison, MN 56256, USA

There is still time to register for the Farm to School (F2S) Roadshow— a mini-series of events designed to grow Farm to School connections across our region. Whether you’re a producer interested in selling to schools, a food service professional sourcing local, or someone supporting local food systems, we hope you’ll join us.

What to expect:

Mini-session with Sara George (Renewing the Countryside) on building relationships between food service staff and farmers.
Overview of F2S resources & grants with Kate Seybold (Minnesota Department of Ag) and Jayme Anderson (Minnesota Department of Education).
Kitchen walk-through with Sara George and real-time discussion on how to get local food from farm to tray.
Q & A, shared learning, and connection.

To register, click here

Can’t make it?

We are collecting signatures from folks who support increasing state funding for the program, as well as letters of support for us to submit to the House Ag Committee. Please take a moment to sign the petition below, or reach out about submitting your own letter!

6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

Farm to School (F2S) Roadshow Producer Panel

Tuesday April 22

6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

Farm to School (F2S) Roadshow Producer Panel

Madison Mercantile 601 1st St., Madison, MN 56256

There is still time to register for the Farm to School (F2S) Roadshow— a mini-series of events designed to grow Farm to School connections across our region. Whether you’re a producer interested in selling to schools, a food service professional sourcing local, or someone supporting local food systems, we hope you’ll join us.

Join us for an informal Farm to School Producer Panel with insights from experienced producers and agency reps, including:

Nick Olson (Land Stewardship Project): Producer with Farm to School experience and Farm Beginnings instructor.
Kate Seybold (Minnesota Dept. of Ag) and Jayme Anderson (Minnesota Dept. of Ed): Resources and regulations for producers.
Sara George (Renewing the Countryside): Producer
Scott DeMuth (Land Stewardship Project): Food Systems Organizer; hear about western Minnesota Farm to School Coordination and what schools are looking for.

Please RSVP or reach out with questions!
We’d love to know who’s coming so we can plan accordingly — and we’re always happy to help with questions about Farm to School.

Can’t make it?

Wednesday April 23

8:00 am – 12:30 pm

Supporting Beneficial Birds on the Farm

Wednesday April 23

8:00 am – 12:30 pm

Supporting Beneficial Birds on the Farm

15270 Haucke Ln, Viola, WI 54664, USA

Wild Farm Alliance and Keewaydin Farms invite you to join them for a farm field day all about beneficial birds on Wednesday, April 23, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in Viola, Wis. Tickets are $10 and include lunch.

Discover the birds that call our farms home and explore how they can support pest control and biodiversity. Join innovative farmers, avian researchers, and other experts to learn practical strategies for attracting beneficial birds to your farm. Engage in hands-on activities, including a guided bird walk, nest box installation, and monitoring demonstrations. Walk away with valuable knowledge and skills to integrate bird-friendly practices into your farming operation.

There is limited space for this event. For details and to register, click here.

2:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Farm to School (F2S) Roadshow

Wednesday April 23

2:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Farm to School (F2S) Roadshow

MACCRAY High School, 711 Wolverine Dr, Clara City, MN 56222, USA

Mini-session with Sara George (Renewing the Countryside) on building relationships between food service staff and farmers.
Overview of F2S resources & grants with Kate Seybold (Minnesota Department of Ag) and Jayme Anderson (Minnesota Department of Education).
Kitchen walk-through with Sara George and real-time discussion on how to get local food from farm to tray.
Q & A, shared learning, and connection.

To register, click here.

Can’t make it?

Thursday April 24

6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Madison: Building a Shared Vision for Western MN

Thursday April 24

6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Madison: Building a Shared Vision for Western MN

Madison Mercantile, 601 1st St, Madison, MN 56256, USA

The goal of this free Land Stewardship Project program is to change the way we think about issues in our communities, our state, and our nation. We will identify the problems that are affecting us, connect over our common values, and identify existing groups that share our goals. The idea is to find common ground with your neighbors and places where we can come together to move forward in areas of shared values.

Format:
1) What are the areas of concern in your personal life and your community? Examples:

Food insecurity/inflation
Labor shortages/workforce challenges
Housing prices/unavailability
Lack of local control

2) How can I personally address those concerns in my community or with the help of my neighbors?Examples:

Expanding local options for food and food processing
Expanding workforce internships for area youth
Assisting local community in finding grant programs for new rural housing
Volunteering for get out to vote campaigns for local elections

3) What existing community groups can help achieve these goals? What groups can we build up? Examples:

Local food co-ops or farmers’ market associations
Local school programs or after-school activity groups
Local economic development or civic leadership groups
Local election boards

For more information, contact LSP organizer James Kanne at jkanne@landstewardshipproject.org.

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