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The Importance of Investing in Soil Health & Resilient Rural Communities

By Sam Streukens
October 26, 2021

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Around a decade ago, while driving past a farm field in southeastern Minnesota, Bob Christie turned to DJ Mueller with a nervous question: “So you’re saying my fields are going to look like that?”

With farmers adapting to a changing climate and volatile markets, DJ knew that he and Bob must prioritize soil health over high yields to make their farm more resilient.

Bob, 72, bought his Winona County farm in 1969, where he operated a dairy initially, but eventually transitioned to beef cattle. Today, he raises corn, soybeans, and alfalfa on 300 acres with his son-in-law DJ, who’s 43 and joined Bob on the farm in 2008.

DJ Mueller & Bob Christie

When their equipment needed replacing in 2013, DJ advised against the expensive inputs associated with conventional agriculture in favor of soil healthy farming. This time-honored approach involves building the soil’s innate ability to generate fertility via practices such as no-till and cover cropping. Conserving water, identifying the cause of weed pressure, and working at a profitable scale meant focusing on management and putting up with a bit of trial-and-error. It also meant tolerating fields that don’t look as “clean” as their conventional counterparts, hence Bob’s concerned question while driving past that neighbor’s no-tilled field a decade ago.

However, today, the elder farmer strongly believes in the path they’ve chosen. By using cover crops and no-till farming methods, DJ and Bob sequester carbon and build natural fertility by having living roots in the ground all year round and reducing soil disturbance. While mitigating the effects of climate change, they are reducing costs; they are not only producing good crops today, but also protecting their soil’s future fertility. The farmers feel that cover crops such as rye, hairy vetch, and winter radish are investments (and potential markets) to regenerate their land for future generations and build climate-proof resiliency.

The no-tilled crops insulate their topsoil during drought while the living roots soak up extreme rainfalls and keep nutrients from leaching into waterways. The method they have chosen may not always result in top yields, but the farmers have learned that healthy soil can be profitable by reducing the cost of production and protecting the land from extreme weather events. Importantly, when DJ and Bob build back their soil by putting carbon into the ground, the farmers and the land are rewarded.

With advice from other farmers, Land Stewardship Project organizers, and their local Soil and Water Conservation District, DJ and Bob have realized that investing in their soil’s health makes sense for their farm and the community. After five to six years of strategically implementing cover crops and significantly reducing the wear and tear on their equipment, this year’s drought did not severely affect the return on their cash crops of soybeans, corn, and alfalfa. Utilizing community support and financial security from DJ’s off -farm job as a contractor, the men judge their success one year at a time. DJ says their solution lies in building resiliency in a market environment that disadvantages having livestock or non-cash crops on the farm.

“We want people to see that [soil healthy practices] will work,” DJ says.

Farmers are experiencing unprecedented downpours and dry spells because of a changing climate. Moreover, the success of our community is dependent on small and mid-sized farmers like DJ and Bob stewarding the land. Permitting farmers to break free from a high yield mindset can restore the health of our communities, protect our water, and strengthen the financial and environmental vitality of our farmland.

We have all witnessed an increase in unpredictable weather, health problems from our water and food, and loss of farmland due to growing urbanization in rural Minnesota. My grandfather bought a farm in Caledonia in southeastern Minnesota shortly after returning from WWII. Listening to other farmers and my grandpa has taught me to appreciate our connection to each other and the land. Becoming a member-leader at LSP allows me to advocate for land stewardship through collective action. My responsibility as a consumer, as well as my role as an advocate for global climate action, means that I support local farmers who share my stewardship values.

That’s why I am excited that farmers like Bob and DJ support healthy communities by keeping their farm economically resilient while building soil carbon. Now it’s the job of non-farmers to find a way to support this kind of investment in our future through the marketplace and good public policy.

Sam Streukens is an LSP member-leader who lives in Winona, Minn. This summer, he was on contract to organize with LSP’s Soil Health Team.

Category: Blog
Tags: beginning farmers • cover crops • intergenerational transfer • no-till • small farms • soil health

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Join LSP’s Soil Builders’ Network to get regular updates on workshops, field days, and on-farm demonstrations, as well as the latest soil health and cover crop research. For more information on joining, see the Soil Builders web page.

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October 2025

Thursday October 23

8:30 am – 4:00 pm
Farm to School & Early Care Grants Deadline
Thursday October 23
8:30 am – 4:00 pm
Farm to School & Early Care Grants Deadline
Online

School is back in session and this week’s cool temps definitely remind us all that fall is just around the corner. This time of the year also means that the application period is open for Minnesota’s Farm to School and Early Care grants.

Earlier this year, the Land Stewardship Project and our partners were successful in expanding funding for the AGRI Farm to School and Early Care program. The application window for the next round of funding is now open and will close at 4 p.m. Central Time (CT) on Thursday, October 23.

APPLY FOR FUNDING HERE

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is serving up two funding opportunities to help schools and early childhood education (ECE) centers buy Minnesota-grown and -raised foods. 

1.    First Bite Grants: Up to $5,000 (no match required) to kickstart local food purchasing through intentional, high-impact activities. 
2.    Full Tray Grants: Up to $35,000 (1:1 match required) to help experienced schools and ECE centers increase or expand their local food purchases. 

Equipment funding: First Bite and Full Tray applicants can also request up to $25,000 (1:1 match required) to support the purchase of kitchen equipment that will enhance their capacity to buy, prepare, and serve local foods.  

 These grants are open to: 
•    Public or private K-12 schools or school districts in Minnesota that participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
•    Early childhood education (ECE) centers that participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) in Minnesota

MDA encourages schools, districts, and ECE centers serving sovereign tribal nations to apply. 

 Local Tots Cost-Share Program
There are also funds available to reimburse family child care providers for buying Minnesota-grown and -raised foods used for meals and snacks as part of the the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP):

Interested providers must submit a Local Tots Cost-Share program Letter of Intent to participate. Award amounts will be up to $1,000 and there is a 1:1 cash match required for providers who received a Local Tots Cost-Share award in 2025. There is no cash match required if you are new to the program. 

Applications are due by 4 p.m. Central Time (CT) on Thursday, October 23, 2025. 

 Program details and online applications are available at http://www.mda.state.mn.us/farm-school-early-care-programs or by contacting the Grants Team at MDA.AGRIgrants@state.mn.us. 

 Want to learn more about eligibility, allowable expenses, and how to apply?

 Join the MDA for a virtual info session: 
First Bite and Full Tray Grant Info Session 
September 15, 2025, 2-3 p.m.
Register here

 Local Tots Cost-Share Info Session – for family child care providers
September 18, 2025, 1-2 p.m.
Register here

Farmers: Are you Interested in selling to a school near you? 
Send this opportunity along to the food service director at schools near you or connect with a Regional Local Food Coordinator to help you make connections with schools, childcare settings, and other opportunities to sell locally. These positions are supported by the Department of Education and Renewing the Countryside.

Saturday October 25

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
Saturday October 25
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
Madison Public Library - Central, 201 W Mifflin St, Madison, WI 53703, USA

The Johnson Center for Land Stewardship Policy is excited to share that one of our its primary pillars of work — a published collection of Paul Johnson’s writings —  is set for release on Oct. 2.  The book features a brief biography and a discussion of Paul’s ideas within the historical and future contexts of private lands conservation. 

During the Wisconsin Book Festival, Curt Meine will talk about the book in a discussion with author Sonja Trom Eayrs (Dodge County, Incorporated), in a session on “The Fight for Rural America.” 

For details on We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy click here.

Tuesday October 28

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
MDA Grants Webinar
Tuesday October 28
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
MDA Grants Webinar
Zoom online

Are you interested in applying for a grant from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA)? On Tuesday, Oct. 28, from noon to 1:30 p.m., the Land Stewardship Project will be holding an online webinar on four grants that will be available this fall. MDA staffers will go over the details of these grants and how to apply for them.

 To sign-up, click here.  

 This webinar will feature information on four grants:

– AGRI Livestock Investment Grant

– AGRI Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Grant 

– Preparing for Extreme Weather (Prepare) Grant

– AGRI Protecting Livestock from Avian Influenza (Protect) Grant 

For more information, contact LSP’s Alex Kiminski at akiminski@landstewardshipproject.org.

Wednesday October 29

4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
Wednesday October 29
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement, 2800 University Ave, Des Moines, IA 50311, USA

The Johnson Center for Land Stewardship Policy is excited to share that one of our its primary pillars of work — a published collection of Paul Johnson’s writings —  is set for release on Oct. 2.  The book features a brief biography and a discussion of Paul’s ideas within the historical and future contexts of private lands conservation. 

For details on We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy click here.

Thursday October 30

5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
Thursday October 30
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
Ames Public Library, 515 Douglas Ave, Ames, IA 50010, USA

The Johnson Center for Land Stewardship Policy is excited to share that one of our its primary pillars of work — a published collection of Paul Johnson’s writings —  is set for release on Oct. 2.  The book features a brief biography and a discussion of Paul’s ideas within the historical and future contexts of private lands conservation. 

For details on We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy click here.

View Full Calendar

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