soil health

Ear to the Ground 260: Soil Health’s Long View

Martin Larsen’s integration of small grains into his cropping operation is centered on building economic and ecological resiliency beyond the next growing season. For more information on soil health and to join LSP’s Soil Builders’ Network, click here. Ear Dirt Check out LSP’s ongoing Ear Dirt podcast series for conversations on cover cropping, no-till, managed rotational grazing,…  Read More

The Wonder of Farming with Nature

John Snyder’s Soil Health Journey Started with a Question: Where are the Worms?

Some five decades ago, a young aspiring farmer named John Snyder brought his bride Bernadette back to Minnesota from Tennessee to begin their farm and family dream together. The newlyweds settled in on a piece of rolling farmland near Preston in southeastern Minnesota where oak savanna forests, limestone ridges, and prairie meet. That first farmhouse…  Read More

Ear to the Ground No. 257: The House that Biology Built

Tillage can do a lot of things, but building soil isn’t one of them. Soil expert Steve Lawler and Minnesota farmer Jon Jovaag talk about the importance of using nature as a guide when preparing a seed bed and bolstering the soil’s structure. • For more information on how to build soil health profitably, check…  Read More

Ear to the Ground No. 256: From Sugar High to Soil Health

Soil health cheerleader Ray Archuleta and Iowa farmer Mervin Beachy talk about taking agroecological innovations from the “excitement stage” to the “action stage”…and the importance of aha moments. • For more information on how to build soil health profitably, check out LSP’s Soil Builders’ Network page. • Check out this LSP blog on Red Rooster…  Read More

Jeepers Cats That’s Some Healthy Soil!

Turning a Massive Problem into Soil Fertility & Economic Value

I recently witnessed the return of life to Jordan and Rachelle Meyers’ fields, which are transitioning from giant ragweed and thistles into soil-building plants such as chicory, red clover, and wild bergamot. During the past few years, the family, which farms in southeastern Minnesota’s Houston County, has used hard work and attention to the soil…  Read More

Ear to the Ground No. 255: Embracing the Weed

What happened when beginning farmers Rachelle and Jordan Meyer started listening to the land and turned livestock loose on a “bacterial farm.” • Check out this LSP video on how Rachelle and Jordan Meyer are using “cell grazing” to build soil and produce livestock. • More information on Wholesome Family Farms is here. • For…  Read More

Cover Crops, Roller Crimping & Organics Focus of Austin Field Day Sept 7

Contact: Barb Sogn-Frank, LSP, 507-479-9119, e-mail AUSTIN, Minn. — Cover Crops, roller crimping and organics will be the focus of a soil health field day Tuesday, Sept. 7, at the Ruth and Jon Jovaag farm near Austin (53504 173rd Street). This Land Stewardship Project (LSP) event will run from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., and…  Read More

2021 Legislative Session Wrap-Up: Good News for Soil Health, Local Foods, Emerging Farmers — Bad News for Healthcare

Thousands of Land Stewardship Project members and supporters from across Minnesota came together during the 2021 session of the state Legislature and organized around our shared values. Together, we mobilized around a collective vision that includes a just food and farm system, a healthy landscape, thriving small and mid-sized farms, just and prosperous communities, and…  Read More

The Story Behind LSP’s Soil Health & Climate Campaign

From Inception to Winning $5.35 Million in State Soil Health Dollars & Beyond

Land Stewardship Project members believe that the kind of agricultural system and democracy we have is up to us. Our members are the experts when it comes to their communities and farms and, together, we can and must make regenerative agriculture the norm, rather than the exception. We believe our public institutions exist to serve the…  Read More