soil health

‘Test Plots, Cover Crop Interseeding, Pollinators & Grazing’ Field Day Sept. 30 on Lawler Farm Near Eyota

Integrating Crops & Livestock Using Soil Health Practices Focus of LSP Event

September 13, 2022

EYOTA, Minn. — Test plots, interseeding and grazing cover crops, fencing around crop fields, pollinator plantings and transitioning to organic will be the focus of a Land Stewardship Project (LSP) field day Friday, Sept. 30, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Lawler farm near Eyota (930 70th Ave. NE). Although much of the Lawlers’… Read More →

Category: News Releases

Tags: cover crops • interseeding • no-till • organic • pollinators • rotational grazing • soil health

‘Hemp & Food Health Day on a Regenerative Farm’ Sept. 17 Near Austin

August 12, 2022

AUSTIN, Minn. — Consumers, farmers and community members are invited to the “Second Annual Hemp & Food Health Day on a Regenerative Farm” event Saturday, Sept. 17, from 9 a.m. to 3: 30 p.m., at the Tom Cotter farm near Austin (50203 205th St.). This free event, which includes lunch and a beer social, is… Read More →

Category: News Releases

Tags: healthy food • hemp • nutrition • soil health • Tom Cotter

Internationally Known Soil Health Pioneer Gabe Brown Featured at Farm Near Austin Sept. 16

‘Hemp & Food Health Day on a Regenerative Farm’ Sept. 17 Near Austin

August 12, 2022

AUSTIN, Minn. — Internationally known soil health pioneer Gave Brown will be featured at a regenerative farming field day Friday, Sept. 16, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Tom Cotter farm near Austin (50203 205th Street). This event, which is being sponsored by the Minnesota Soil Health Coalition, Superior Cannabis Company and the… Read More →

Category: News Releases

Tags: cover crops • Gabe Brown • hemp • livestock • Minnesota Soil Health Coalition • no-till • regenerative agriculture • rotational grazing • soil health • Tom Cotter

Ear to the Ground 281: Report from the Underground

A journey into southeastern Minnesota’s geological basement reveals that building soil health can help make “clear” and “clean” equal the same thing. More Information: LSP’s Soil Health web page Minnesota Conservation Volunteer article: “The Farmer Who Went Underground” In July 2022, Aaron Bishop shot this video of flooding in Niagara Cave shortly after a rainstorm. Ear… Read More →

‘No-Till, Cover Crops & Finances’ Workshop Sept. 1 at Dairy & Crop Farms Near Lewiston

Discussion to Focus on how Practices like No-Till, Cover Cropping & Planting Green can Improve Soil Health & Make Financial Sense

August 5, 2022

LEWISTON, Minn. — Transitioning to no-till, planting green into cover crops, using a triticale cover crop as dairy cattle feed, and using cover crops after corn, soybeans and silage, will be the focus of a Land Stewardship Project (LSP) field day Thursday, Sept. 1, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., near Lewiston. Farmers Everett Rolfing and… Read More →

Category: News Releases

Tags: cover crops • forage • no-till • planting green • soil health • triticale

Ear to the Ground 280: Maximum vs. Optimal

Adhering to the tenets of Ag Econ 101, a pair of beginning farmers are avoiding commodity row crops and embracing grazing, silvopasturing, and “bale grazed veggies.” More Information: • LSP’s Soil Health & Grazing web page • Ear to the Ground Episode 246: Letting Livestock do the Work You can find LSP Ear to the… Read More →

Pasture Walk to Feature Grazing of Summer Annuals & Riparian Management Aug. 13 Near Lake City

August 2, 2022

LAKE CITY, Minn. — Grazing summer annuals and using livestock to improve riparian corridors will be featured at a Land Stewardship Project (LSP) pasture walk Saturday, Aug. 13, from 4 p.m.-7 p.m., at Sugarloaf Creek Farm near Lake City (32797 738th Street). This event is free and open to the public. Sign-in begins at 3:45 pm; dinner… Read More →

Category: News Releases

Tags: pasture walk • riparian grazing • rotational grazing • soil health • water quality

Cover Crop ROI & All That Matters

Crunching the Numbers Via Biological Bookkeeping

By Mike Seifert

July 27, 2022

Note: Earlier this summer, Land Stewardship Project soil health organizer Alex Romano reached out to one of our soil health steering committee members, Mike Seifert, who farms near Jordan, Minn., with his wife, Dana, and father, Big Mike, to ask for his thoughts on “return on investment” from cover crops. She wanted to know his… Read More →

Category: Blog

Tags: Braiding Sweetgrass • climate change • cover crops • Dana Seifert • Mike Seifert • ROI • soil health • Uninhabitable Earth

Ear to the Ground 279: We Are What We Eat

There’s a connection between the biome beneath our feet and the bounty on our table. Allen Williams thinks research linking soil health and nutrient density of food holds huge potential for advancing regenerative agriculture. 4th of 4 episodes in a series: Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 More Information: Allen Williams will be presenting on two southeastern Minnesota farms… Read More →

Ear to the Ground 278: It Can Happen Anywhere

Allen Williams describes how regenerative practices are working on four farming operations representing widely divergent geographical locations and enterprises. 3rd of 4 episodes in a series: Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 4 More Information: Allen Williams will be presenting on two southeastern Minnesota farms Aug. 17-18, 2022. For details and to register, click here. LSP’s Soil Health… Read More →

Upcoming Events

October 2022

Monday October 3

6:30 pm – 8:00 pm: MN Farm & Food Campaign Listening Session — Montevideo

MN Farm & Food Campaign Listening Session — Montevideo

Monday October 3

6:30 pm – 8:00 pm

Imagine a holistic Minnesota Farm and Food Bill that invests in people and the land, not corporate interests and the status quo. What would you want to see in it? What does our state need to do to support emerging farmers, regional food systems, local processing, farm and food system workers, and sustainable and regenerative farming?

Join LSP to build a comprehensive platform that invests in the agricultural system we need in Minnesota. To register, click here.

Tuesday October 4

10:30 am – 12:00 pm: Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship Pasture Walk at Haugen Farm

Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship Pasture Walk at Haugen Farm

Tuesday October 4

10:30 am – 12:00 pm

Bonnie and Vance Haugen of Springside Farm will host this Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship pasture walk. Topics covered include late fall and early winter feed strategies for a dairy herd, as well as harvesting kura clover seed. The pasture walk is co-sponsored by Great River Graziers and Kickapoo Grazing Initiative.

Registration requested, but not required. For more information, contact Bonnie Haugen at bonnie@dga-national.org or call 507-421-7170.

Wednesday October 5

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm: Conservation Conversation: Federal Climate and Conservation Funding in MN

Conservation Conversation: Federal Climate and Conservation Funding in MN

Wednesday October 5

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Join the Land Stewardship Project and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy for a conversation about federal conservation program funding in Minnesota and how the Farm Bill can better support producers utilizing regenerative practices. For details and to register, click here.
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm: Land Stewardship Deep Canvass Training

Land Stewardship Deep Canvass Training

Wednesday October 5

6:30 pm – 8:00 pm

Deep canvassing is candid and non-judgmental, two-way conversations where canvassers ask voters to share their relevant, emotionally significant experiences and reflect on them aloud. It is one of the most durable and proven forms of persuasion when talking to people who might hold differing beliefs than you and is going to be critical in creating the world we want and need.

Join the Land Stewardship Action Fund to learn about deep canvassing, what it is and why it’s important, and get trained on how to deep canvass so you’re able to powerfully participate in LSAF’s upcoming deep canvasses and put these important skills to use in your community.

To register, click here.

Tuesday October 11

11:00 am – 12:00 pm: Whole Farm Revenue Protection & Micro Farm Road Show

Whole Farm Revenue Protection & Micro Farm Road Show

Tuesday October 11

11:00 am – 12:00 pm

The USDA is making the Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) and Micro Farm programs more accessible to small and mid-sized producers. This includes doubling the maximum insurable revenue under WFRP ($17 million beginning in 2023), more than tripling the approved revenue cap for Micro Farm eligibility (now $350,000 beginning in 2023), and reducing paperwork requirements for WFRP.

If you have looked at WFRP or the Micro Farm programs before and dismissed them, now might offer a good opportunity to take another look, and get in touch with a crop insurance agent to further explore these programs.

Join the USDA’s Risk Management Agency for a special virtual presentation covering the ins and outs of the Whole Farm Revenue Protection and Micro Farm programs. RMA subject matter experts will provide an in-depth look at these policies and answer questions. These events kick off the Whole Farm Revenue Protection and Micro Farm Road Show with in-person and virtual events across the country.

To participate in the Oct. 11 meeting, click here. Note: it starts at 11 a.m. Eastern Time.

The Land Stewardship Project appreciates feedback — are you interested in pursuing Micro Farm or Whole Farm Revenue Protection Coverage? Will these programmatic changes eliminate barriers to crop insurance coverage for your operation? Please reach-out and give us your feedback by contacting LSP’s Sarah Goldman or Karen Stettler.

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