pasture-based livestock

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

Ear to the Ground 405: High Voltage

Chad and Melissa Crowley are using managed rotational grazing, soil health, and solar arrays to create a good energy flow on the dairy farm they’re transitioning into. They are also utilizing LSP’s Soil Health Hub to field a few burning questions and recharge their batteries. More Information • LSP’s Soil Builders’ Network • Blog: Soil Health…  Read More

Land Line: Grazing Legislation, Diversification Barriers, Nitrate Cancer Review, Riverview Lawsuit, Devil’s Element, Local Meat Processing, Returning to the Farm

Sign Up for E-mail Delivery of The Land Line RANCH Act Introduced to Help Rebuild Cattle Herd (8/21/26) Beef Magazine reports that two U.S. Senators have introduced a bipartisan bill that has the goal of boosting the grazing of beef cattle on perennial grasses and forbs. Highlights:  The “Rebuilding America’s National Cow Herd (RANCH) Act,”…  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

Ear to the Ground 375: Why Not?

From crunching the numbers to developing relationships with public and private landowners, Eric Heins of Hoosier Ridge Ranch isn’t afraid to question the status quo when it comes to grazing livestock. More Information • Hoosier Ridge Ranch • LSP’s Grazing & Soil Health Web page You can find LSP Ear to the Ground podcast episodes…  Read More

A Sense of Where You Are: Red Dresses & Magic Management

Part 2 in a Series

Note: This is the 2nd installment in the 12-part “A Sense of Where You Are” series.  One of the ways Rachelle and Jordan Meyer keep things in context is to avoid being distracted by what they call “the woman in the red dress.” Is a new enterprise a good fit for the farm, or is…  Read More

A Sense of Where You Are: In the Blood

Part 3 in a Series

Note: This is the 3rd installment in the 12-part “A Sense of Where You Are” series.  History is a critical piece of context. All too often, farming practices are carried out without taking into consideration past practices and their subsequent impact. Regenerative farmers often say they are “listening to the land” when making management decisions.…  Read More

A Sense of Where You Are: Forest for the Trees

Part 5 in a Series

Note: This is the 5th installment in the 12-part “A Sense of Where You Are” series.  Grazing livestock have been described as “combines that poop.” That’s an accurate, if somewhat graphic, depiction of how moving cattle and other animals through well-managed paddocks can rebuild soil that’s been decimated by tillage, chemical use, and compaction. Langdon…  Read More

Ear to the Ground 357: Against the Grain

As farmers from across the region haul corn past Allen and Kathleen Deutz’s farm to the local ethanol plant, they can’t help but notice fences, livestock, and a diversity of plants. What’s not as immediately evident is how this counter- intuitive way of farming is building long-term soil health and resilience. More Information • LSP’s Soil Health Web Page…  Read More

Ear to the Ground 349: Family, Farming & Forages

Since taking over their family’s livestock operation, Parker and Sam Beard have added a few new twists. But one thing will never change: those hills will remain in grass. More Information • LSP’s Grazing & Soil Health Web Page • LSP’s Farm Transitions Tools Web Page • Iowa Organic Association You can find LSP Ear…  Read More