soil health

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
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LSP’s 2024 Minnesota Legislative Platform 

The Session Begins Feb. 12

By Amanda Koehler
January 23, 2024

Since the 2023 session of the Minnesota Legislature ended last May, Land Stewardship Project members have been celebrating our historic wins and preparing to build upon them during the 2024 session, which begins Monday, Feb. 12. This past summer and fall, LSP organizers engaged in hundreds of one-to-one and group conversations with LSP members, supporters,…  Read More →

Category: Blog
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Nitrate’s Season of Reckoning

Ag Pollution in Karst Country Offers a Critical Opportunity for Soil-Friendly Farming

By Brian DeVore
January 20, 2024

For residents of southeastern Minnesota, the past few months must seem like “The Season of the Nitrate.” It turns out nitrogen, that critical source of crop fertility, is quite adept at escaping our farm fields, and, in the form of nitrate, polluting groundwater. So much so that scientists, government officials, and physicians now recognize it…  Read More →

Category: Blog
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Letter: When it Comes to Addressing Nitrates, State Needs an Effective Public Engagement Campaign

LSP & Allies Call for Several Action Steps on the Part of MDH, MPCA & MDA

December 18, 2023

Note: In April 2023, the Land Stewardship Project joined 10 other groups in filing a petition calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to use its emergency authority under the Safe Drinking Water Act to address the fact that nitrate contamination is causing “an imminent and substantial endangerment to public health” in the karst region of…  Read More →

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Ear to the Ground No. 327: Side-by-Side Soil

A 30-farm study is comparing the impacts regenerative vs. conventional practices have on soil’s resiliency. Extreme drought has churned up some exciting results. More Information • Sand County Foundation Soil Health Initiative • LSP Soil Health Web Page • Ear to the Ground 288 features the Cotter farm, which is participating in the study. • Ear…  Read More →

Ear to the Ground 326: Rooting Out Nitrates

The Olmsted County Groundwater Protection and Soil Health Program could serve as a holistic model for supporting practices that are good for the farmer, the land, and water quality. More Information • Land Stewardship Letter article on Olmsted County Groundwater Protection & Soil Health Program • Olmsted County Groundwater Protection & Soil Health Program •…  Read More →

Ear to the Ground 325: Return of the Fence

Matt and Seth Tentis of White Barn Acres are creating a soil-smart farm using a mix of livestock, continuous living cover, and experimentation — with a healthy dose of community support tossed in for good measure. More Information • White Barn Acres • LSP’s Soil Health Web Page • LSP’s 2023 Field Day Special Report:…  Read More →

Ear to the Ground 324: Good Grass Makes Good Neighbors

The landowners Jeremy and Jessica Holst rent from like to see a green landscape — no wonder the dairy farmers’ rotational grazing system is considered a neighborhood asset. More Information • LSP’s Soil Health & Grazing Web Page • LSP’s Conservation Leases Toolkit • LSP’s 2023 Field Day Special Report: “A Long, Hot Summer” You can find…  Read More →

Ear to the Ground 323: Rainy Day Fund

With their dairy farm at the epicenter of the worst drought in over a century, the Vergin family adapts through diversification, flexibility, and making deposits in the soil bank. More Information • LSP’s Soil Health & Grazing Web Page • LSP’s 2023 Field Day Special Report: “A Long, Hot Summer” • LSP Farm Transition Profile on…  Read More →

Ear to the Ground 321: Buried Knowledge

A town lost to erosion offers a critical lesson as Sandy and Lonny Dietz strive to develop a viable no-till organic vegetable production system. More Information • Whitewater Gardens Farm • Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) • LSP’s Soil Health Web Page • LSP’s 2023 Field Day Special Report: “A Long, Hot Summer” • Ear…  Read More →