The University of Minnesota Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP) and Owl Bluff Farm will co-host an open house to celebrate the completion of the state’s first farm-scale deep winter greenhouse. The event, held on the farm about 45 minutes east of Rochester, is free and open to the public. RSVPs are required at z.umn.edu/OwlBluffOpenHouse.

Over the last 50 years, livestock have left many farms. Eric Heins is doing the reverse: bringing cattle – and their poop, pee and hooves – back to his land. Come see how Eric is using his Normande-shorthorn crosses in a variety of grazing situations. During this Land Stewardship Project-Practical Farmers of Iowa field day, you can view permanent pasture, where Eric (like everyone) is battling the cool-season grass takeover. You’ll also learn how Eric is using his cattle in cover crop mixes, prairie and woodlands.

Since purchasing the farm in 2020, Eric has converted the cropland to pasture. He also custom-farms a diverse rotation of crops, covers and small grains on neighboring farms, including an established prairie on Iowa Department of Natural Resources land. A possible bonus: Eric is hoping to have virtual fence collars by the time of the field day, but no guarantees!

A meal featuring Hoosier Ridge Ranch burgers will follow the field day.

See & Discuss

• Cash-flowing the conversion to pasture on owned versus rented cropland
• Stockpiling pasture for winter grazing
• Mechanical buckthorn clearing for silvopasture
• Grazing agreements on DNR prairie and neighboring cropland
• A sudangrass mix after a canning pea crop
• An extended rotation with oats, barley and Kernza

For details and to register, click here.

Join University of Minnesota Extension for presentations and solar site tours at the West Central Research and Outreach Center. You’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of the benefits, considerations and opportunities of farming using solar energy. Session topics include cattle and sheep solar grazing, solar site forages, grain crops under solar panels, and solar developer perspectives. Register here. Can’t attend the field day? Check out the July 22 agrivoltaics webinar on growing forages and grains.

Join Land Stewardship Project members and supporters to kick-start the Driftless summer with an evening of good food, good music, and good times. We’ll have activities for all ages that will get you out in nature, exploring the connection between our region’s farms and your community’s food, land, and water. Bring a side or dessert to share for dinner, and the Dream Acres wood-fired oven will provide locally-sourced pizzas and flat breads. Dinner will be followed by live music and contra dancing by the Crater City String Band.  

To reserve a spot, click here.

Camping sites are available at nearby Masonic Park and Forestville Mystery Cave and Lake Louise State Parks. Camping at Masonic is rustic,first-come-first-serve, free, and does not require a reservation. Fillmore County, who manages the park, only asks that you call the dispatchers at507-765-3874 when you arrive with your vehicle information and phone number in case of emergency. State Park reservations cost $25 a night and can be made online.

Farming has always required adaptability, and today’s changing weather patterns are creating new challenges and opportunities. The Land Stewardship Project, in collaboration with University of Minnesota Extension, has created a resilience-focused program that gives commodity and small grain growers the opportunity to join a cohort with other like-minded farmers and learn how to prepare their operations for the future. At this Risk to Resilience cohort, you will learn:

• How changing weather patterns in the Upper Midwest are likely to affect your farm. 
• How you can prepare a plan that protects your farm from a changing climate.
• How to improve your planning skills and meet with experts for opportunities to grow climate resilience  on your farm.
• How to build community with fellow farmers interested in creating operations that are sustainable and resilient in the long term.

Program Details:

•  Online format — join from your home or farm.
•  Four sessions, 10-15 hours total investment — built for busy schedules, beginning July 2025. We’ll pause workshops for small grains harvest and resume in August 2025.
• A $250 stipend will be provided to participants who attend the sessions and provide feedback on experience and content.

Dates of the Risk to Resilience Sessions:

• Wednesday, July 9, 8 a.m.-10 a.m.
• Wednesday, July 16, 8 a.m.-10 a.m.
• Harvest Break
• Wednesday, August 20, 8 a.m.-10 a.m.
• Wednesday, August 27, 8 a.m.-10 a.m. 

To register, click here. 

Join U of M researchers and Extension for updates on organic fruit and vegetable research and tour the Student Organic Farm and the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station in Saint Paul. Topics include: organic insect management, integrating livestock into vegetable farms, new crops for Minnesota, irrigation strategies, and more. Free to the public.
 
For details and to register, click here.

Farming has always required adaptability, and today’s changing weather patterns are creating new challenges and opportunities. The Land Stewardship Project, in collaboration with University of Minnesota Extension, has created a resilience-focused program that gives commodity and small grain growers the opportunity to join a cohort with other like-minded farmers and learn how to prepare their operations for the future. At this Risk to Resilience cohort, you will learn:

• How changing weather patterns in the Upper Midwest are likely to affect your farm. 
• How you can prepare a plan that protects your farm from a changing climate.
• How to improve your planning skills and meet with experts for opportunities to grow climate resilience  on your farm.
• How to build community with fellow farmers interested in creating operations that are sustainable and resilient in the long term.

Program Details:

•  Online format — join from your home or farm.
•  Four sessions, 10-15 hours total investment — built for busy schedules, beginning July 2025. We’ll pause workshops for small grains harvest and resume in August 2025.
• A $250 stipend will be provided to participants who attend the sessions and provide feedback on experience and content.

Dates of the Risk to Resilience Sessions:

• Wednesday, July 9, 8 a.m.-10 a.m.
• Wednesday, July 16, 8 a.m.-10 a.m.
• Harvest Break
• Wednesday, August 20, 8 a.m.-10 a.m.
• Wednesday, August 27, 8 a.m.-10 a.m. 

To register, click here. 

Details here.

Details are here.

Details are here.

Details are here.

This free webinar series is about cattle and sheep solar grazing and growing forages or grain crops under solar panels.

The practice of grazing livestock under solar panels has become increasingly popular. It is often referred to as agrivoltaics or solar grazing. This system involves the use of land for both solar energy production and livestock grazing or crop production. In this session, Sabrina Florentino will talk about forage production research and the Rauenhorst Farm Agrivoltaics Project on growing row crops under solar panels.

To register, click here. 

Details are here.

Join Land Stewardship Project members and supporters for a fun and casual evening of delicious local food, live music, and dancing. Bring a dish to share for the Twin Cities’ best potluck, among other Cookout favorites:

• A Pie Raffle in support of LSP’s work keeping the people and the land together.

• An opportunity to hear from LSP members and staff about on-the-ground organizing and how you can get involved!

It’s never too early to RSVP! Follow this link to let us know you’re coming: https://bit.ly/TCCP25

Details are here.

Details are here.

This is a free, family-friendly Swift County SWCD event all about soil health and sustainable farming. Explore exciting, hands-on exhibits and demonstrations designed to teach both kids and adults about how farmers are caring for the land. There will also be several agricultural vendors on site, including consultants, product suppliers, and more.

Enjoy activities like:

• Rainfall Simulator
• Cover Crop Plots
• Stream Table
• Seeding Drone Displays
• Soil to Snack
• The Edible Underground
• ​GeoSandbox Explorer
• Equipment Displays
• Ask-a-Soil-Health-Farmer Booth 

A free-will donation meal will be served, with all proceeds supporting local soil health programs. 

For details and to register, click here. 

This Land Stewardship Project event will feature a tour of Sandhill Mill Farm in Canby. Sandhill Mill is focused on raising, processing, and marketing small grains. Participants will then travel to Madison Mercantile in nearby Madison, Minn. (601 1st Street). There, Noreen Thomas will talk about small grains as a business and Gilbert Williams will present on small grain processing equipment.
 
For details and to reserve a spot, contact LSP’s Alex Kiminski at akiminski@landstewardshipproject.org.

Join Dave Hage and Josephine Marcotty, the authors Sea of Grass: The Conquest, Ruin, and Redemption of Nature on the American Prairie, for a Land Stewardship Project discussion and prairie walk. Details to be forthcoming; check back as they are developed. 

For more information, contact LSP’s Melody Arteaga at marteaga@landstewardshipproject.org.

Details are here.

Farming has always required adaptability, and today’s changing weather patterns are creating new challenges and opportunities. The Land Stewardship Project, in collaboration with University of Minnesota Extension, has created a resilience-focused program that gives commodity and small grain growers the opportunity to join a cohort with other like-minded farmers and learn how to prepare their operations for the future. At this Risk to Resilience cohort, you will learn:

• How changing weather patterns in the Upper Midwest are likely to affect your farm. 
• How you can prepare a plan that protects your farm from a changing climate.
• How to improve your planning skills and meet with experts for opportunities to grow climate resilience  on your farm.
• How to build community with fellow farmers interested in creating operations that are sustainable and resilient in the long term.

Program Details:

•  Online format — join from your home or farm.
•  Four sessions, 10-15 hours total investment — built for busy schedules, beginning July 2025. We’ll pause workshops for small grains harvest and resume in August 2025.
• A $250 stipend will be provided to participants who attend the sessions and provide feedback on experience and content.

Dates of the Risk to Resilience Sessions:

• Wednesday, July 9, 8 a.m.-10 a.m.
• Wednesday, July 16, 8 a.m.-10 a.m.
• Harvest Break
• Wednesday, August 20, 8 a.m.-10 a.m.
• Wednesday, August 27, 8 a.m.-10 a.m. 

To register, click here. 

Details are here.

Farming has always required adaptability, and today’s changing weather patterns are creating new challenges and opportunities. The Land Stewardship Project, in collaboration with University of Minnesota Extension, has created a resilience-focused program that gives commodity and small grain growers the opportunity to join a cohort with other like-minded farmers and learn how to prepare their operations for the future. At this Risk to Resilience cohort, you will learn:

• How changing weather patterns in the Upper Midwest are likely to affect your farm. 
• How you can prepare a plan that protects your farm from a changing climate.
• How to improve your planning skills and meet with experts for opportunities to grow climate resilience  on your farm.
• How to build community with fellow farmers interested in creating operations that are sustainable and resilient in the long term.

Program Details:

•  Online format — join from your home or farm.
•  Four sessions, 10-15 hours total investment — built for busy schedules, beginning July 2025. We’ll pause workshops for small grains harvest and resume in August 2025.
• A $250 stipend will be provided to participants who attend the sessions and provide feedback on experience and content.

Dates of the Risk to Resilience Sessions:

• Wednesday, July 9, 8 a.m.-10 a.m.
• Wednesday, July 16, 8 a.m.-10 a.m.
• Harvest Break
• Wednesday, August 20, 8 a.m.-10 a.m.
• Wednesday, August 27, 8 a.m.-10 a.m. 

To register, click here. 

Details are here.

Details are here.